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.

25. Relentless Brothers, do your best!

Chapter 25 Plot:

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!

SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT…

As the fighting between Cell and the trio of brothers carry on, many begin to see the limitations that are yet to be broken! While Raditz and Kakarot can somewhat stay on their toes, Turles proves to be the weak link that is holding them back! But, the reasoning behind it is not what is expected! Come on, Turles! Pull yourself together! They need your help!

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A/N: Espeon804 here with another great chapter!

There isn't much to say here, except I got older. And now I guess it's been (almost) ten years since I first started writing Dragon Ball fanfiction.

I'm steadily finishing this because I am determined to complete what teen me wanted. I have all the "big moments" written down for each chapter. Now all there is left to do is to connect the dots.

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PUBLISHED: MARCH 3RD, 2024!

WORDS: 31,338

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SPECIAL CHAPTER THEME TIME:

You know what to do. When you see a number next to a paragraph, play the corresponding song for a fun experience! Of course I added the names for an easier search.

DBZ Kai OST! (And like, one from Super)

1) "Anxiety and Unease"

/watch?v=IV5PkK7midw

2) "Braveheart Challenges The Strong" (this is like one of my favorites I will use it with every opportunity)

/watch?v=xAPl0bsAGyc

3) "Heroic Face Off"

/watch?v=BJXkqfGGgJg

4) "One Hit To Victory"

/watch?v=BhqsTy0W9sk =56s

5) "A Grim Fate"

/watch?v=IcsyzQFRB7g =17s

6) "An Agonizing Choice"

/watch?v=JxOL95Nr7Dg

7) "Fury of Son Goku" (ah but this fits something else)

/watch?v=zlJgORrlak8 =439s

8) "A Mighty Foe"

/watch?v=oG2a0LG1Zmo

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

Key:

"Talking"

"Foreign Language"

'Thoughts'

'Telepathy'

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Hey, so autocorrect gave me a hard time and kept trying to change "Turles" into "Turtles" so if you see that, it wasn't me.

-Espeon804

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-- Chapter 25: Relentless Brothers, do your best! A reason to stay alive! --

With a low groan, a massive pair of red hands slap down a manilla folder on a mahogany desk, with the white sticker on the tag labeled "GINE".

Another folder is slapped down.

"PRINCE VEGETA: VI"

Then another.

"NAPPA"

"TARBLE"

"RADITZ"

"KAKAROT"

"PARAGUS"

"BROLY"

King Yemma scowls at the stack he created. Finding the folders wasn't hard. But sorting through them is a chore. Why is he doing this? It dawned on him recently that everything happening on Earth is linked to these Saiyans. He'll look into the others later on, but for now…

He remembers how determined Gine was to get on Earth. Gine's folder is filled with records that are unique for him to see. When her judgment day came along with the other Saiyans wiped out by Frieza, her records were difficult for him to determine where she should go.

In the end, because of her perspective at that time, and how she turned around so well…he would have sent her to Heaven. But she wanted so badly to stick with Bardock, who was on his way to Hell.

It was a puzzling day.

And now, Gine is on a one-month timeframe to fix what she can on Earth. Every day, the records of the living Saiyans keep adding up. It was a shocker for him to learn that Kakarot's crimes were influenced by a troubling demon. Now he has that thing to worry about.

He wasn't supposed to let Gine out of Otherworld so long. But she…convinced him in ways he would rather not remember.

She was rather intimidating. Especially when it came to her children. She wanted his job to lighten up as well…

This is the last time he's bending any rules.

-- OCTOBER 10TH, AGE 729 --

"Bardock…you know why I retired, don't you?"

Gine held the door open as she looked at the Saiyan who stood in front of the doorway. She was already annoyed by his presence alone. She already knew why he stopped by.

Bardock wore a frown as he crossed his arms. "I do. So does Tora and the others. We kept our promise not to say anything about it to anyone."

"But, do you understand why?" Gine pushed the question further, hinting that she wants to be left alone.

"I have the idea. Frieza has tortured many of us. It seems he had an effect on you too, without even needing to touch you."

"...It doesn't bother you, does it? Maybe I am a coward, or maybe I just couldn't stomach it anymore. Maybe it's both. I already told you. I'm not going back."

Her response left Bardock somewhat disappointed. "You were a very valuable member, Gine. Fasha won't stop talking about you—"

"Tell her to not bother. I refuse to go back out there. If you want to continue, fine. But don't drag me back into it."

"Don't tell me it's because you feel bad. You aren't supposed to feel pity for the enemy."

"You mean the innocents?!" Gine glared at him.

"I get that you think differently, but you can't forget that you are a Saiyan." Bardock reminded her. "You have to push those thoughts aside."

"I can't do that anymore!"

"Rule number one."

"What?" Gine looked at him, half confused.

"What is rule number one of the battlefield?!"

Gine would normally recite the rule in a heartbeat. It was a rule she had recited ever since she learned it as a little girl. At that moment…it felt like mindless gibberish. It was something a Saiyan said without knowing the deeper meaning. She remembered the ten rules of a battling Saiyan. Aside from number 4, she decided she hated number 1. She did recite it, but with absolute disgust. "Kill the enemy with no hesitation nor regret."

"You've failed to do both out of nowhere when you were losing it. You aren't supposed to let your emotions get in the way," Bardock said.

Her emotions…it got in the way in the past. She was taught how to harden herself. But recently, she just couldn't ignore them anymore. The fact that he was disappointed about it upsetted her.

"So that I can just what? Do what I usually did? Fight without thinking about if the planet natives deserve it or not? We are wiping out planets and selling them, but what about those people killed?! Just for our entertainment?! Ignoring those cries for mercy is why we are monsters in the first place! We are just playing pieces for those frost demons! Have you ever thought of that?!"

Bardock stared at her for a second. Her outburst left him with no way to counter. "Gine…"

"Don't. Stop it." Gine interrupted him. "Borgos came by and tried. Shugesh tried this morning, and now you are here at my doorstep trying to talk me back into it. Leave me alone."

The day was tiring enough. Ever since she broke the news of her decision to leave, the crew didn't take it well. They tried to talk her out of it. One by one they did. Gine thought she finally got through after turning away from Tora.

But no. Now the team captain stood right in front of her.

She didn't want to say anything that wasn't so pleasant, especially since he had helped her before. He recognized her talent. Each member of the team had their own talent. She did well until she started to lose her motivation.

She would get distracted, and the next thing she knows, Bardock had to save her tail.

Again.

He was trying to pull her back in. Their performance has fallen since she left. They realized they took her wits and abilities for granted, but it was too late.

"I didn't come here just to-"

"I said, leave it!" Gine snapped at him. It was enough to silence him.

It was simply too much. She couldn't bear it very well. It was her fault their most recent mission ended in a failure.

"Damn it, don't look at me like that." Bardock took notice of her saddened expression. "Don't tell me you are about to cry. If you think I'm angry at you, I'm not. Just don't…do that. I don't want anyone seeing you like this."

"It's not like you to worry so much about others." Gine didn't bother to explain why she's feeling so emotional right now.

"I don't care about those bastards. My main concern is for my crew. Even if you aren't part of it anymore, you still remain important to us. We hate to see you like this."

"I can't even bring myself to fight anymore. I just…can't. I feel like…if I were to fight seriously again…I am risking everything. Because every time I get so angry…I want to…really hurt someone."

"That's normal. You're a Saiyan." Bardock reminded her.

That alone...

"I hate that!" Gine shook her head with a growl. "I opened my eyes, and everything around me is just a lie! And you…you and the others are still blind, but all of you think I lost my mind! I haven't gone crazy! I'm not going to be someone's plaything for a moment longer! Just leave me alone! Okay?!"

Bardock wore his usual frown, unsure of what to make of it. "Leave you alone, so that you can actually lose your mind to guilt? I don't think that's a wise idea—!"

He ducked his head in time to avoid a flying pink blast. His wide eyes looked at Gine who was ready to unleash another one. His eyes fell to her right hand, which crackled with energy. "Did you just try to hit me with a Single Sunday?"

"I'll do it again, and I won't miss this time."

"I'm not taking that risk. Easy with your attacks. I'm not in the mood to get stunned any time soon." Bardock stepped inside, which surprised Gine. He was quick to grab her wrist with one hand as he closes the door with the other.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me! Get out of my house!" Gine yelled at him as she kicked at his legs.

"Gine." Bardock guided her to a chair and pushed her down to sit. He looked at her with narrowing eyes. "It's not like you to act so harsh to us. Clear your head. I already said I won't talk about it ever again."

Gine stopped kicking, only so that he would let go of her. It didn't stop her from being angry at him. "I told you to leave."

"Not until you stop giving me that look." Bardock said. "Conversation is done, fair enough? I'll tell the others to leave that alone. It's just…unlike you to be so distraught. We are used to you smiling all the time."

Gine frowned. "I'm surprised you even spoke to me this long."

"I'm surprised myself. That was originally your job."

"Hm." Gine wasn't sure how to feel about what he just said. She decided to remind him of the one benefit. "Just look at the brighter side. You won't have to save me from getting killed anymore."

"It became a routine, so it felt strange not having to do it for a while." Bardock responded with a chuckle. He stepped away the second he earned a glare.

"Very funny." Gine sighed. Bardock dropped the topic, thankfully. She recalls something else. "You were saying how you didn't come here just to talk to me about my retirement?"

"Well…" Bardock looked towards the ceiling. "I already said how you beating yourself up brought concern to us. It's out of your character. You're the one who's supposed to cheer people up. I don't like wasting my time doing that. I find it ridiculous, really. I can't see how you do it."

Gine was not surprised that he found her strange. Many did. She was always compassionate about other Saiyans.

But ever since she realized what she was really doing…her compassion went beyond the Saiyan race. She felt so guilty. She turned herself away from her team for so long. She stopped talking to them. So when they tried, she pushed them away.

She hated the fact that Bardock easily broke through that barrier. But, it wasn't like she could help it. It felt like he was trying everything he could to pull her away from such negative emotions. It was strange…but at the same time, she found comfort.

"Bardock…I'm sorry."

"Now you sound like your old self," Bardock said.

…

It was later when Gine left her own home to stop by Bardock's place. The rest of the crew were there. They greeted her immediately, pleased to see her out again.

"You had us worried for a while." Fasha, who was Gine's best friend, nudged her lightly with her elbow. The female warrior turned to the rest of the crew that surrounded Bardock. "Especially when you stopped smiling. I was starting to miss that annoying attitude."

Gine could only chuckle.

Surrounding Bardock were three other Saiyans. Tora—a tall Saiyan who was a very close friend to Bardock. Then there was Borgos, a tall, burly man who was bald in the middle of his head. Nearby was Shugesh. Despite his large appearance, it didn't stop him from enjoying combat.

"So, what's your plan now?" Fasha wondered. "We keep working while you do what? I doubt you can sit still."

"No. It won't be possible." Gine shook her head. "I am applying for a job as a butcher and a cook at a meat shop. I guess you can say I'll give you a discount when the time comes, huh?"

"Not bad. I like the sound of that." Fasha grinned. "We won't stop you from retiring. Don't take this question personally, but what happens if you are forced to fight again?"

"I won't have a reason to—I mean—I don't have a problem with a spar now and then. But to fight a serious fight? No."

"You say that, but no Saiyan can turn down a good challenge, especially one who was a former soldier. But knowing you, you will have no problem kicking back. We'll miss your help, but we'll adapt. We always have."

Why were they so okay with this now? It was confusing for Gine, who only looked at Fasha, half expecting her to avoid her.

Gine was used to being yelled at for letting her emotions get in the way. They must have picked up something amiss. After Planet Mineral, they went to Planet Mint.

During Planet Mint, she just…broke down. She was sobbing uncontrollably, and her teammates were perplexed. They had no idea on what to do. It even confused her. But now that she is thinking about it again, Planet Mineral was when she…

No. She doesn't want to remember what happened there.

Maybe her teammates were being nicer than normal in hopes to lift her spirits. They knew they couldn't change her mind. They knew how much patience she had. They knew not to push it too much. Outside of battle, Gine was a very sensitive individual. And finally, her lack of violent instincts got to her.

Maybe she was a freak among her kind.

"Hey! Gine! You're missing out!" Shugesh called her. "You're going to be left with scraps at this rate!"

The mentioning of food was enough to snap her out of thoughts. She was hungry. Food was one thing a Saiyan cannot deny.

"Oh, wait!" Gine marched forward and pushed him away from the group. There was no food at all, which only made her mood a bit sour. "Where's the food?"

Borgos chuckled. "At least her appetite never changed."

Gine punched his arm, and he laughed.

"We don't have a problem with your choice anymore, Gine. You don't need to worry." Shugesh said. "Though what I am going to miss seeing is the sight of your Endless Thundercrash. Heh. It's an impressive show every time."

Endless Thundercrash.

He mentioned that name so casually, like it was a normal everyday thing. It wasn't. She once took pride in the technique only she knew. She named it herself, carried it well. It was used sparingly, bit every time it was…

No.

That technique…it was a crime for her to use now. She decided that on her own. Never again will she even consider it. Let the name of the technique be known, but it will never be seen again.

Gine's eyes narrowed towards Shugesh. One look alone was enough to shut him up.

"Careful. Just because she retired doesn't mean she won't hurt you." Tora laughed.

"I've been shocked numb before. I'll pass." Shugesh grumbled.

"Let's just appreciate the fact that she didn't abandon us," Bardock said. "Soldier or not, Gine is still Gine. I'm sure she'll give us a good treat every time we return home."

"Just thinking about it has me looking forward to it. Maybe her being a cook isn't half bad." Borgos was interested.

Fasha walked up to the group. "You know what? As odd as it may be, how about we show our appreciation to Gine? It's kinda like a farewell party. She would had done the same for us. She's odd in her own way for that."

"Hey…" Gine looked at her with a small smile. Looking at her former teammates, it widened. "Don't tell me that's why you all asked me to come here."

"I don't like parties, but it's the best thing we can do for you. This isn't really one but…you get the idea," Bardock said.

Tora pulled a rope, and a table rolled in, stacked with food of all kinds. It was even decorated with a few balloons. Tora tapped one, watching it wriggle around. "The balloons were Fasha's idea. She said you like them."

Gine couldn't believe it. They put so much food together and threw a tiny party just for her? It was a bit concerning, but at the same time, she felt overjoyed. "How hard did you all hit your heads?"

"Maybe your kindness disease is contagious," Fasha said.

"We came together and decided to do a Gine-styled thing," Tora explained. "It was all the captain's idea."

Bardock blinked and glared at Tora. "Hey! I thought I told you to stay quiet about that!"

"Bardock?" Gine was more surprised than before. Seconds later, and she laughed. "I think you're running a high fever."

"Eh…" Bardock rubbed the back of his head as he turned to another direction. "Don't expect this to happen another time. I guess this is also to make up for bringing up that subject at your house earlier."

Gine looked back at the table. "The balloons are nice. I'll give you credit for trying. You could have used more than one color, but this is fine."

"More than one? What are you talking about?" Shugesh flicked another one with just a little force for it to bounce around. "I picked these out. I made sure they stood out since you like colors that do."

"Yeah. Like blue." Tora frowned at him.

"What?"

Fasha facepalmed. "She's colorblind, you idiot! Did you forget?! We told you to make sure to get plenty of blue ones!"

"What?! I thought you said to get a few!" Shugesh was very confused. It only frustrated Fasha further as the others nearly laughed at his ignorance.

Gine smiled. Maybe her kindness really did rub off on them. It wasn't very Saiyan-like to do these types of things, after all.

To have friends like these…is why she didn't regret retirement one bit.

"Well? Aren't you going to eat? It's all yours." Shugesh reminded Gine. "Of course if you are going to offer us any-"

"Don't even think about it. You are already a walking melon as is." Fasha's comment made the Saiyan freeze. The others laugh at his expression.

Gine simply shook her head at what she heard before she dug in.

Once she had her fill and allowed the others to take what was left over, she cleaned off the table a few plates at a time. While they told her she didn't need to, she felt it was only right. They did treat her, after all.

They were having a discussion to catch up on things. They were already planning to see what missions they can report to Bardock to check out. Gine knew work still had to be done even at her absence. It was a bit disappointing. They still had to go out there just for Frieza.

Maybe she was a coward. But holding on to such a thought would only hurt.

Gine headed out the kitchen after cleaning. She handed Bardock a glass of water as he walked past her. "Thank you, I guess…though I know it won't mean much to you—"

Something brushed her arm. More words fail to come out as Gine stopped talking in an instant. Her eyes fell onto the waving tail of Bardock. A second passed, and her eyes only meet the back of his head. He stopped walking, which makes her unsure of what could be going through his head.

He finally turns his head towards her. His face is impossible to read, but he lightly tilted his head, nodding towards the hallway. A quiet request for her to go there.

A quick glance at the others. They were still busy talking to each other to notice. It seemed this wasn't part of their plan. Gine headed down the hall, passing a restroom, a sparring room, and she stood in the middle of the hall, confused. After standing awkwardly still for some time, she heard his footsteps and turned around. "Your house is bigger than I thought."

"Hmph." He closed his eyes and passed her. He went further down the hall. "That's because I didn't give you a tour of it like you did for yours."

"Oh, don't you start." Gine already knew he was ready to pick on her "strange" behavior.

She followed him, observing her surroundings. There was nothing special, but Saiyans don't decorate. Who would have time for that when they were always fighting?

"You know, you and the others didn't have to do all of this for me."

Bardock kept his focus straight ahead. He huffed at her comment as he pressed his hand against a door. It opened and revealed the largest room of the house. A table sat at the corner. A large screen displayed the news. There was a window that gave a view of the stars outside. A mat was neatly placed on the floor.

"Isn't this your bedroom?" Gine asked as she stepped in and looked around. "It looks so bland here. Where do you even sleep?"

"Anywhere." Bardock stepped inside. He picked up a remote and turned off the screen he probably left on. "A large space is what I need if I want to stretch my legs. I hardly get the time to relax, so when I do, this is ideal."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. It is hard to catch a break. Maybe I can finally catch one. I didn't mean to leave all of you like the way I did."

Bardock leaned against the wall and crosses his arms.

"I always ran away when I get overwhelmed. I was so much trouble for you. I guess you found me annoying, more than normal after pulling me from danger a thousand times."

She turned away. He must have known she would never say that in front of his comrades. It would embarrass him. She felt the need to thank him that way, even if he thinks it would be a waste of time. She rubbed her arm, growing uneasy with the silence. Staying only reminded her of just how much she cared about him.

It was in a different level. It was not easy for her to understand.

"Well, I'll be going. I'll treasure this day, always. Even if no one else does." Gine turned around, and she felt the brush of his tail again as it snaked around her own. The slightest squeeze made her heart skip a beat.

She had forgotten how to breathe. She looked at his face again, which was difficult to read. Her face was burning, she must be a blushing mess.

"You'll treasure this day? That's something I don't hear you say often." Bardock lowered his head towards her. "Perhaps I did a decent job outside of fighting. Isn't that a surprise?"

"Bardock…you're…acting strange…" Gine wouldn't deny it herself. Him being so close was making her a nervous wreck. She couldn't control the blood from rushing to her face. She was so good at masking it before…but at that moment, it was impossible.

"Well…let's think about this. Since you retired…you won't be with us all the time anymore. That means I can't keep an eye on you anymore. As if I'll allow some random skumbag to even try to approach you while I am working." Bardock explained. He studied her carefully, trying to read her. "Don't you mention what I said to anyone."

Gine nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Good. I don't want anyone pointing fingers at me. I might get into a fight I have no business being in. Everything from the party and now is no one else's business." Bardock lightly kicked the door, and it closed with a soft click.

She had to be dreaming. She must have finally lost her mind.

For several seconds, neither of them moved. She could still hear the faint voices of her comrades in the other room, but they were slowly being drowned by her hammering heart.

"I…are…you're not…" Her words stammered into an incomprehensible mess. She shut her eyes, trying to reign her composure.

"Your decision, Gine," Bardock said. "I can leave and never mention it again. You will never mention it again."

No. It was real.

"How long…?" Gine asked him.

As if he knew the question, he answered. "Months. Maybe a year. Damn you Gine…I hate how this feels…"

"I…I know."

No matter how much she tried to deny it. She knew she was developing feelings for him for the past few years. It got worse when he rescued her time after time. She heard how rare it was for Saiyans to get romantic about anything.

She didn't push him away. There was no reason to. She felt safe sinking into his arms. She pressed her head against his chest, and she could hear his heart pounding through her ears. His chin pressed against the top of his head. Their tails intertwined.

She was at her weakest point right now. And for the first time, she felt how vulnerable Bardock was at that very moment. He completely dropped his guard. Anyone could walk in and kill him with a mere energy blaster.

Finally, she met his softening gaze. He dipped his head lower until they met with a kiss.

Such things are a weakness. A major, huge weakness for a Saiyan to carry. But, she didn't care.

She wondered what had gotten into him, or did he go insane?

-- AUGUST 5TH, AGE 730 --

Bardock gave her something new to be prideful for.

A child.

And she made a promise to herself she told Bardock the day she learned she was pregnant.

"I'll protect my child, no matter what it takes."

Her response was full of so much determination, Bardock was interested. He never did well with children. He never really cared for them, but he knew how much Gine adored children deep down.

"If the threat before them is powerful, will you grab the kid and run?" He asked her.

"I will fight them with everything I have to offer, even if it kills me."

She would die for a kid.

That was how crazy she was to him.

She would later on grow attached to their son who they named Raditz.

What would happen if they lose him somehow?

May the gods forbid her ever losing her children.

-- PRESENT DAY --

Her children. Her three sons. They stand close to each other in the battlefield, all ready to fight a creature that was created to oppose them. As much as she wanted to stop them…as much as she hated the idea of them fighting against something that is near unstoppable…she knows she has to trust their efforts. The fighters that fought before them did well. Cell is not in perfect shape anymore, but any signs of fatigue are small at best. Between the Spirit Bomb Krillin unleashed, and Tien's Kaio Ken, followed by Nappa's upgraded Break Cannon, all it managed to do was break the shell. What can her sons do? Can they finally open wounds that won't heal? Is that wishful thinking?

What does Kakarot have planned? He never got into the details about it, but his confidence is almost frightening. Gine wanted to ask while he was still standing alongside her, but perhaps Kakarot didn't want to risk Cell overhearing it. Or maybe, if he reveals whatever this plan is, it will immediately fall apart. The only reason for that…

Is it something they will disagree with? What could it be? How will something so dire work against Cell?

Gine will have to trust it. Her son knows Earth far better than anyone else does. He's familiar with the Red Ribbon Army. He's their best shot, even if his previous methods were…terrible. Terrible…because of what the demon demanded from him.

But he is finally coming to his senses. He is no longer blinded by that evil fog.

His eyes are clearer. His constant state of anger and agitation are gone. He looks healthier.

Raditz is the most irate of the trio, but understandably so. His fingers are spread out and hooked like claws as tiny pink bolts snaked around them. Even his hair is charged, sticking up further than it already is. It's like he is on the brink of transforming into a Super Saiyan.

As for Turles, he is doing a decent job suppressing his disgust, but for how long? It's evident that every part of him wants to bolt. Although, his reaction is tame compared to how it was before Cell achieved his perfect form.

Oh, the three of them against Cell. Gine shouldn't worry. She knows her sons are talented, but she can't bury her worries. Cell likes to toy with his opponents. Anything psychological can throw whatever formation they have out the window. She just hopes they are aware…she hopes so…

…

Raditz is pissed.

Sure, it was normal for Raditz to be pissed, but the pressure radiating from him is far more malicious. Turles can feel the hair on the back of his neck lifting in response to Raditz's energy. To do as much as tap his arm would probably numb his fingers.

1) 'Something is different here. His energy is the same…but the flow is nothing I've seen before.' Turles thought. 'What exactly did she teach you while you were in there…?'

"Is this going to be a thing before every round?" Cell's voice grates against Turles' ears. "Just standing around, trying to think of whatever pointless plan you want to try against me? I mean, I have a bit of faith in Goku, but everyone else is just wasting their time."

Turles feels his lips curling back in disgust as the enemy looks directly at him.

"You aren't as accustomed to this planet as your brothers are. You're the least I'm worried about. In fact, you don't look so good? Did you come here with a stomach virus or something?"

Turles growls at him, but Cell simply laughs.

"Hey…you two." Raditz's pressed words gtabs both Turles' and Kakarot's attention. His eyes are still locked on his target. "Don't lose focus. Especially you Kakarot. You're forgetting something important!"

"Huh—what?" Kakarot blinks. "I haven't dropped my guard or anything. What's the matter?"

"Fourth rule of the battlefield…?"

Kakarot peers over his shoulder, taking note of his tail. His face contorts as he is ready to protest, but he sucks in his words. His tail slings around his waist.

"Thank you. I didn't have to threaten you for once," Raditz says. "Since he knows just about everyone's techniques, something tells me this fight is going to be a pain in the ass. The flashy bastard really thinks he can make us look bad. Well, he's in for a rude awakening!"

"Raditz?" Kakarot's eyes are fixed on the jumping static.

"Don't worry. I didn't lose my head. It's going to take a lot more than a couple petty insults for me to lose my patience."

'If you say so…: Turles has seen the previous rounds to know the mind games Cell loves to play. It won't be a surprise if that monster tries the same with them. He's the most worried about Kakarot…

Cell has been watching them for some time now. He smiles, not the slightest bit bothered by their threatening glares. "All of you make it such a habit to discuss among yourself at the beginning of each round. You had plenty of time to plan your vain efforts while spectating. Why wait until the last second? Do you work better under pressure?"

No one is going to play games with the insect. There is no time for it.

"Before we begin, however, there is one thing I need to see."

"Huh?" Kakarot looks at his brothers. They don't have a clue.

"As much as I would love to fight you, Goku, it would be a shame if victory could be so easy."

"What are you talking—"

"Yī."

That word. That single word is all it takes for Kakarot's heart to race. His fingers have already gripped the crown. "N-no!"

"Èr." Cell smiles.

"Don't do it!"

"Sān."

"NOOOO!"

"...Sì."

…Nothing.

Kakarot slowly lowers his hands, trying to grasp what's happening. There is…no pain. He's still standing. Usually at four, he would be on the ground.

"Well…that was a bit boring." Cell is disappointed. He scratches the top of his head. "I pronounced the tones right and everything. I suppose I'm just not Human enough to trigger the chant. Oh well."

Kakarot never felt relief so heavy before. He can actually breathe.

"That didn't work. Of course it wouldn't…!" Raditz is furious. "What the hell did you go and try that for?"

"Curiosity." Cell shrugs. "I'm actually quite glad it didn't work. I would prefer to kill him by my own hands anyway. I stayed underground for three long years for my form to mature. I would say it was worthwhile. The waiting game truly paid off."

Kakarot's eyes harden, his tone matching his expression. "You should have stayed buried."

"Ah, and there is that attitude I love to see!" Cell laughs. "I'm going to have fun killing you, Goku. It's going to be quite a spectacular show for all the people you've tormented. They cry for vengeance, so maybe I can grant them that little favor."

"What? Since when did you care about them?" Kakarot asks.

"Oh, come on. You know why I was created. It's all in my programming! Although, I'm not fighting you for the Earthlings. Oh, no. I want to destroy you because no one else could. Unlike the fools who came before me, I don't lack the tools necessary to give you a run for your money. I am simply…perfect."

"Says the insect who is half cooked right about now…" Turles says.

Cell laughs as he shifts his weight, adopting the Turtle School dance. His eyes are focused on Kakarot, who doesn't react as he would have liked.

"There he goes again, treating everything like a game!" Yamcha shouts.

Turles looks between his brothers. "Let me guess. The both of you are conserving your energy for a while? What good will it do after what we've just seen?"

"Maybe it would be easier to just jump straight to Super Saiyan, huh?" Kakarot almost agrees. "Still. I want to get a feel of this guy first before I do."

"I would call you insane…but it seems you and I have the same idea," Raditz says. "Alright. Fine. Enough standing around! It's about time we exterminate this insect!"

Turles shields his face with both arms as his brothers rocket from the ground. The strong gust almost knocks him off his feet. In an instant, they clash with Cell with their first punches. The trio of fighters vanish from sight as they take their clash in the sky. Shockwaves ripple high above as they shift directions.

'I hesitated? Or did they jump straight into it without a single thought?' Turles ducks his head as the trio zips past.

"What are you waiting for, dumbass?!" Kauli shouts at him. "I understand you're scared, but this ain't the time to freeze up! It just started!"

Turles shoots her a glare. "Sh-shut up! I'm going!"

And he does, launching himself from the ground with a massive jump. His eyes finally lock on to their fighting. Kakarot and Raditz are taking turns attacking, and Cell is doing all too well keeping up. But against three? He faced the elites just now. He would know how to counter three at a time.

Turles soars towards the scene. Cell is distracted by what he already has to counter. Turles delivers his first attack near the back of his head, but unsurprisingly, Cell ducks and counters with an elbow strike that stabs his stomach.

'Already?! Even after all of that, he's still too fast!' Turles shakes the pain away and engages again. He joins his brothers in attacking when he sees an opening, but the stubborn insect refuses to make it easy.

Everyone is watching.

Limbs clash. Punches and kicks are caught or blocked. Cell is struck across the face by a chop delivered by Raditz, and it's followed by a knee strike against his stomach. It doesn't faze Cell for long, but a kick across the head delivered from Kakarot stops whatever counter he had planned.

Cell kicks himself backwards in time to avoid a punch sent by Turles.

"This is already an improvement from the last round," Cell says. "Compared to the Saiyans I just faced, the three of you are more willing to make this fun for me. I love seeing the coordination! Keep it up!"

Raditz parts his lips. "I never asked for your praise!" He throws another punch, and Cell dodges with a single side step in the air. Another punch is dodged, and the Saiyan is agitated. His punches turn into flying chops that are avoided with little effort. He pulls back a fist and Cell readies himself.

Raditz's body is cloaked with flaring energy. He switches to his leg, throwing it straight up before sending an axe kick atop Cell's head. It's followed by a second kick, and Cell is sent plummeting towards the ground.

Cell turns himself around in time to block a flying knee. The pair exchange blows as they ascend higher to the sky, but it quickly shifts to a brutal assault that batters Raditz's body.

Kakarot moves in with his own kick, but his leg is caught, and he is kneed on the stomach. Cell elbows them both on their backs, forcing them down.

Turles attacks while he is distracted, but his ambush was foreseen. His fist is caught by a tight grip. His second punch is also caught. His knee strike is blocked.

"I've seen this before. It won't work." Cell pulls Turles down and throws his other knee against his chest. The sharp pain leaves Turles winded as he is struck on the back.

…

"What's going on up there? Why haven't they transformed into a Super Saiyan yet?" Piccolo isn't pleased with what he is seeing.

"You know, Goku always likes to stretch fights longer than they need to be," Tien says. "It's safe to say it might be a Saiyan thing. Why do they have to make things so complicated?"

"I'm pretty sure Goku is trying to scout out just how much strength Cell has left. Raditz seemed ready to kill that thing, but he isn't even trying," Krillin says.

"Turles is the only one giving in his all. He isn't doing so well," Yamcha says.

"No. That's not true." Trunks isn't so convinced. His eyes are locked on the fight high above.

The three brothers are being beaten senseless. Turles can't seem to get close to Cell without getting hit with something.

"Yeah. You trained with him, so you would know, huh? What's the big deal then? If he's stronger than what he's putting out right now, why is he having the toughest time?"

"He told me he's not entirely used to relying on his own strength."

"Huh?" Everyone is confused.

"What are you saying? His own strength is something he doesn't rely on? That doesn't make any sense!" Nappa asks, curious.

Trunks shrugs. "I didn't get it either. But…he told me he had a backup plan in case things got bleak. He's been preserving it all this time."

Nappa remains just as confused as the rest of the crowd. Vegeta is the only one not watching the fight fully, sitting on the ground with half of his body turned away from the fight. From how twisted his face is, he's just as lost.

…

A sharp punch across Turles' jaw rattles his skull. Pain strikes him atop his head, and he crashes through the earth. His entire body is throbbing in pain. He is quick to fix himself, anticipating another attack, but Cell is distracted by Raditz. Turles can finally stand and breathe, but it doesn't dull the feelings of humiliation.

"I shouldn't even be surprised. I can't do as much as transform yet. Still can't seem to find it. But, the Humans managed to perform decently against him. That was only because he was holding back against them, wasn't it? He's purposely scaling his power based on which group he is fighting. For as long as I can't transform, I am practically useless here! I can't let that freak of nature catch on."

But for how long until Cell realizes? Or…does he already know?

A cliffside explodes as Raditz is sent crashing through the structure. He hits the ground near Turles' feet.

Raditz slams his hand on the ground as he pushes himself to his knees. "What the hell are you standing around for? Don't tell me he already intimidated you!"

"I already told you. I'm not running away," Turles says.

Cell's energy signal is right above them. Raditz and Turles flare their own power before rocketing from the ground, and just in time to avoid a nasty blast. Cell is hot on their tails, almost laughing at them both.

Turles wears snarl as he tries to bury the sense of unease. He spreads out his fingers and aims a single hand towards Cell, but at the last moment, he makes a sharp turn in time to avoid Cell's flight.

'No. That won't work. Not when he's anticipating it.'

He ducks again, but Cell is faster. The foe strikes Turles on the back with a single kick. He counters Raditz and strikes him square on the face. He turns around in time to block a punch delivered by Kakarot.

"I was wondering when you were going to try again!" Cell pulls Kakarot closer, but he misses a knee strike and blocks Kakarot's own. They fly around each other in circles as they try to land a single hit on each other. While Kakarot is focused, Cell is still wearing his grin.

Finally, Kakarot lands a punch across Cell's face before twisting his body with a kick. He sends the enemy back. Kakarot regroups with his brothers, keeping a close eye on Cell who is already recovering.

"He's holding back," Raditz says.

"Yeah? And so are we," Kakarot replies.

"Touché."

"It won't be long until he grows bored of it," Turles says. "We've seen how this plays out. and unfortunately our little brother here doesn't get the privilege of giving up like the rest of us."

Kakarot chuckles as he rubs the back of his head. "Yeah…sorry about that."

"Why does this have to be complicated? If Cell actually kills you, you won't be coming back, and I'm not talking about the damn Dragon Balls being useless! That stupid demon is probably out there lurking and praying for your death! Why did you have to be so stupid and seal a contract with him?!"

"It's not like I did it on purpose! This entire thing pisses me off too, you know!" Kakarot shouts.

"Well, alright. If anyone has a plan, now is the time to discuss it. It looks like Cell is being nice enough to give us a bit of time…" Turles glances at him, and he is indeed watching while descending towards the ground.

"He sure likes to do that a lot," Kakarot's says.

"A plan? I figured you would say that," Raditz chuckles. "If things get ugly, I have a new technique under my sleeve."

Kakarot's eyes go wide with interest. "A new technique?!"

"Let me guess." Turles floats over to him, arms crossed. "You named it something stupid. Like Shooting Wednesday."

A snort escapes Raditz. "First of all, no. Secondly, you are terrible with names. What sort of technique is called Meteor Burst? That's just space stuff. Nothing special about that."

Turles is offended. "It's far more creative than a Double Sunday! That sounds a lot like ice cream to me!"

"Hey! Are you forgetting that it was originally mother's technique? How about you complain to the manager?"

"Alright then! What did you name this flashy technique then? I'm waiting."

Raditz grins. "Sorry. No spoilers allowed."

"Oh, come on! What's the point of bringing it up if you aren't going to tell us about it?" Kakarot whines. "Can't you just give us a hint at least?"

"One hint. It's pink."

"Your energy type is pink, genius!" Turles snaps at him. "That's like trying to blindly pick from a gift basket! You've practically said nothing!"

"That's the point. I don't have to tell you!"

"How are we supposed to prepare if we don't know?!"

"It won't be a surprise if I tell you! Besides, you can't clown me! Half of your attacks are purple anyway! Where did you get that from? Not mother, not father!"

"That's because I developed my own techniques instead of borrowing someone else's! Half of your attacks are just an improved version of mother's!"

"Oh, you want to get on me about borrowing attacks?! Just look at Kakarot! Everything he knows is something he learned from someone else!"

"What about his signature Kamehameha Wave?!"

"He learned that from a perverted old man!"

That catches Turles off guard. "Wait what?"

"I don't know either." Raditz crosses his arm. "Actually, come to think of it…does Kakarot even have anything he developed himself?"

Kakarot charges a blue sphere from his hand, and he fires it as a small blast. It rakes through the ground across Cell.

"Explosive Retaliation!"

"What?" Cell looks down, and the damaged ground glows a bright blue before it explodes below his feet. He is thrown up into the air.

Raditz's head follows the flying Android. "Oh yeah that one."

"Well, while he is momentarily distracted…I'm going to assume this attack of yours requires a large window to work? Do you need time?" Turles asks.

"Not exactly…but if he's prepared to take it, it won't be as effective as I would prefer it to be."

"Looks like we all have the same problem. Well then…"

Turles takes in a nervous breath.

Raditz raised an eyebrow. "You think you can keep your composure? I'm not trying to make fun of you, I just need to know what to expect. You've been holding yourself well."

"It may have a lot to do with the fact he doesn't look like an abomination as he did before. I can fight him just fine, but I can't keep any promises. If he loses any limbs, I don't think I can stomach it. Not again…I've held it down enough times…"

"How is it any different from tearing the limbs off anything else?"

"It's a story I honestly don't wish to get into right now. Can't we just focus on what's important?"

The duo takes off, flying towards the enemy who already has his hands full with Kakarot. Upon seeing the two, Cell retreats just as Raditz attacks. All three engage, but Cell's speed outmatches theirs. He avoids every attack with little effort.

He lands a punch across Kakarot's face, and it seems to be enough to convince the Saiyan to flare his energy. Kakarot sends a punch of his own, but it is dodged with grace. He is kicked under the chin, and his head snaps back.

"I understand that you are trying to conserve your energy, but what's the point?" Cell kicks Turles on the chest. He catches Raditz's fists and twists his arm, earning a scream. "What good with it do for you if you are too wounded to make use of it?"

He sends the trio of brothers flying with a sweeping kick.

Turles tenses his body to stop himself from falling. His brothers have done the same, but Kakarot is hanging upside down. He was chuckling at the current situation. Such an attitude always confused Turles.

Kakarot turns himself upright. His eyes are fixed on Cell, who is closing the gap between them with a slow flight. "Man…I was really hoping we could have held him off a little longer, but I guess I had the expectation a little too high…"

Raditz clenches his fists. "If he knocks us out before we can increase our power, it would be trouble. I hate to agree with that freak, but he has a point."

"Ready?"

"Let's go!"

Kakarot's and Raditz's aura double in size as they begin to illuminate a golden light. With a mighty scream, they both transform into a Super Saiyan.

The gap of power between them and Cell decreased significantly, but it still wasn't enough. And, it's not the only thing bothering Turles.

He clenches a fist as he stares at them both. They engage against Cell once more, and the fighting is far more violent compared to what was seen before. They are much faster, almost too fast for him to follow.

'Once again, I am watching from the sidelines.'

Just watching them fight, Cell looks like he is having fun with it. So much in fact, that he forgot Turles was involved. Was he that insignificant?

Can't be…

…

The air hisses and slices as the trio of fighters tear through it with incredible speed. Their punches are all a blur as they clash in waves. The spectators on the ground watch, either nervous, shocked, or agitated.

Kakarot and Cell clash arms, glaring at each other before backing out. They block each other's attack again. They both vanish. The air ripples and booms as their powerful blows send shockwave after shockwave.

Finally, Cell lands a blow on Kakarot, but his victory is cut short as he is struck by a kick sent by Raditz. The bio-Android drops down as the two attack at the same time. Their punches that were meant to hit Cell struck each other instead.

"OW!" Kakarot shoots Raditz a glare. "What was that for?!"

"It wasn't on purpose, idiot!" Raditz rubs the side of his face. "He's just too fa—"

Cell appears right in front of him with a smug smile. He kicks Raditz before he can register what is happening. He switches targets, kicking Kakarot from behind. As the Saiyan loses focus, Cell pursues him, flying above. He locks his hands together and throws them down, striking Kakarot square on the chest and sending him plummeting towards the ground. He gives chase.

"Your teamwork with Raditz is impressive. That just means I will have to make sure you stay away from him!" Cell says.

Kakarot regains flight just before he can hit the ground. He looks up, and his eyes go wide at the sight of a flying fist. He ducks, but he is kneed on the stomach. Momentarily stunned, he is unable to react in time to avoid being struck across the face by a heavy punch. It's followed by another. He is being attacked in a frenzy.

"Goku!" Krillin shouts.

"You are actually worried for him?" Nappa gives him a strange look. "I was under the impression you would love to see him in this position."

"Not when we actually need him alive in this tournament!" Yamcha shouts. "Trust me. I can't stand watching Goku and that Raditz guy…but we said this before. We need everyone alive for as long as it is possible if we want to take down this monster. Goku knows this, so what the hell is he doing up there?"

"Making things difficult…" Tien frowns.

Krillin raises a fist in the air as he shouts at the sky. "What are you doing?! Why are you still holding back?!"

Gine gives him a strange look. "What do you mean he's still holding back? I thought going Super Saiyan is using his full power?"

"I know what his full power feels like," Kauli says. "That ain't it. I wish I can tell you why he's doing what he's doing, but I don't have a clue. I trained with him for an entire year, and I still can't figure him out."

"We've known him for much longer, and he still does some questionable things," Tien says. "If he has some kind of plan, I hope he knows what he is doing. There is only so much punishment a body can take during a fight."

Gine can't help but worry. She clamps her hands close to her chest, watching the brutality carry on. Everyone else doesn't appear so stressed, so she has to trust that her son isn't being too reckless.

Karot and Trunks have been watching silently the entire time. Their faces are hard to read, but they are focused…very focused.

The impact behind Cell's blows are growing heavier. He's practically treating Kakarot like a punching bag, sending his body side to side in a relentless pattern.

He pulls back a fist and throws it forward, but it is caught at the last second. Kakarot opens his eyes and wears a toothy grin as he pulls him forward. Cell prepares himself for the incoming blow, but he is instead thrown off to the side.

His chin is struck by a heavy knee strike delivered by Raditz. The Saiyan strikes him across his body. Just as Cell rises, a spinning back kick strikes him on the forehead. Something cracks deep in his skull, and he screams. Chips of his head shell fall from his skull as his body is pushed back from the impact.

He opens one eye, seeing Kakarot moving in for an attack. He turns his body to the side, and the fist flies past his face—an inch away from his nose. He moves back. Raditz appears behind him. He throws his legs back, kicking the Saiyan on the chest. His legs are caught. He is unable to break free, and Kakarot strikes him across the face again. Purple blood oozes from his skull.

Cell clenches his teeth before screaming, flaring his golden energy. The shockwave sends both Saiyans flying back. Tucking his elbows close to his body, he continues to rise his energy as the air around him spirals like angry flames.

"He's powering up!" Krillin shouts.

"That's not good!" Yamcha shouts.

Kakarot and Raditz shield their faces against the heavy wind.

"Damn! Looks like there's no point in carrying this out! Fine then!" Raditz throws his head back, screaming towards the sky as his energy explodes. The angry wind grows more violent.

Kakarot is the only one grinning against the odds. He too begins to power up.

"No way…right now? So soon?" Kauli is in awe.

"This…whoa…" Krillin turns to Kauli. "He's not pulling any punches, is he?"

"No…no he's not." Kauli's words leave everyone stunned. "He's not?! But why? I mean good for him but that's…"

"This isn't like him at all," Tien says. "Why show all your cards now…?"

Karot and Trunks exchange concerned looks.

The last rays of sunlight vanish behind the darkening clouds. Only the golden torches light up the sky in a brilliant display.

"Yes…YES! Now THIS is more like it!" Cell shouts. "Finally! A proper fight to the finish! At last, I get to witness your power at its truest! But even with all that power, it won't be enough to save you! AHAHAHAHA!"

"You can gloat all you want, Cell."

Kakarot's stern tone is enough to wipe the smile from Cell's face. Even Raditz is caught off guard by it.

"We will see who remains laughing very soon. It won't be you. I can promise you that."

Cell scoffs. "You really are a strange one, aren't you? Fine then…if that's what you believe, then come at me with everything you've got!"

Kakarot grins, and he rockets forward. Raditz is close behind, refusing to be left on the sidelines. The two brothers fly around each other, the aura like dancing ribbons creating a spiral. They both attack Cell at once. It's blocked. The impact sends a ripple through the sky and towards the ground for everyone to feel.

Kakarot and Raditz fly back and shoot forward again. Cell continues to block every attempt of their attacks, but with far more effort. The grin plastered all over his face is the biggest it ever was.

"Incredible…" Krillin is near speechless. "I…I can hardly keep up. They are so fast!"

"You aren't wrong," Tien agrees. "Trying to keep up with them is making me lightheaded…"

"They got so much stronger! We might actually have a chance, guys!" Yamcha almost laughs. "And knowing Goku, he always has some kind of trick up his sleeve. All he has to do is catch that monster by surprise, and we might just win!"

Vegeta growls towards the praise. Hearing the violent clashing above sours his mood further. His fingers tighten to a ball as they tremble, but there is nothing he can do.

"Whenever those two fight together…impressive things happen," Tarble says. "They never cease to amaze me."

…

Turles watches from the ground, the gold clash like a violent dance. Power like that, he stands no chance against at all.

But…

'I am not just going to stand here and let them have it! I am here too, damn it!'

Throwing an arm down, he unleashes his energy in a powerful burst. He launches to the sky, flying towards the scene at full speed.

Cell breaks away from the fight just as he spots him. He moves in a blur. His foot connects to Turles' shoulder. Something snaps. Sharp pain stabs through.

Turles screams as he pierces through the air. A heavy force crushes through his entire body as he breaks through the ground like a meteor.

He lays there, dazed as everything spins around him. Voices are distorted, although one in particular was beginning to annoy him. He climbs out of the small crater, shaking the dirt off his body. He takes notice of the small crowd around him.

"I'm fine. Back off."

"Your arm. It doesn't…look so good," Kauli says.

Turles took notice. He grips his duster coat and tosses it free from his body. Checking everything, the prosthetic is still intact, but it has gone limp. It isn't responding to anything he wants it to do. He scoffs at it, placing his hand against the shoulder. For a second, he hesitates. Sucking in a deep breath, he shifts his hand upwards, and it clicks back in place. The pain blistering through his shoulder is more than enough to confirm the connection.

"That's a good sound," Tarble says.

"But he's hurt?" Kauli motions a hand towards him.

"Don't worry about it!" Turles flexes his arm. Seeing that it responds well, his energy flares again, and he takes off, almost blowing them away.

He can't be insignificant! He was called to fight as well! But no matter how close he got, every attempt to attack results in him being blown away. Cell has decided to ignore him entirely, almost as if he doesn't exist.

Once he doesn't get close enough, Turles gets swatted down to the ground.

It happens again, and again.

The third time he climbs to his feet, his elder nephew rushes to his side out of concern, but he pushes him aside and takes off again.

"Just give up!" Cell kicks Turles back. "You don't have any fire in you, so either sit this one out, or you can die trying! I don't even know why I bothered calling you to fight! You can't even transform, can you?"

"Oh, I have plenty of fire! You just haven't got a good taste of it yet!" Turles flies forward, but Cell's sinister grin sends shivers down his spine. He only stops due to Raditz jumping in his path of flight, and sending Cell back with an uppercut. Kakarot doesn't give Cell a second to bounce back, kicking him aside and following with brutal punches.

-- OoOoOoOo --

"I can help you master your Super Saiyan form. But in exchange…you will teach me how to achieve it."

"Teach you?" Trunks gave Turles a puzzled look. "I'm not sure if I am a good teacher or not."

"Don't worry about it. We have eleven more months to figure that out," Turles said. He took a look around the endless space of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Even while they lived there for some time, the everlasting pressure in the air never lifted. It was something Turles could never ignore, no matter how hard he tried.

Trunks dropped his head then. He shook it and walked further from the building with echoing footsteps.

"What? What is it?" Turles asked.

"It's not that easy. You can't just…become a Super Saiyan overnight."

"I'm aware of this. But, Kakarot himself said every single one of us are practically there. We just need to unleash it. That is why we are here—to harness what we already know, and improve from there."

Trunks looks away.

Turles frowns. "What? You look like you want to say something."

"It's just…"

"Well?"

"I don't think…you can transform. Not from what I've seen from training with you these past few weeks."

"Impossible. What do you know? I've had experience in the field far longer than you've been alive! How is it that the power you have access to is something that is so far beyond my reach?"

Trunks had gone silent, but from the nervous look on his face, he had the answer.

"Well if you know something, then spit it out! I want to unlock this power, so why not tell me how?"

"Because, there is no answer to that. At least, not directly. Teacher would say…"

Trunks tensed. He didn't like the words, clearly…

"Go on. What did Tarble tell you? I'm assuming it wasn't anything friendly, from the stories I've been told so far."

Trunks sighs. "You have…absolutely nothing worth showing."

The words were unexpected. Turles was ready to counter, but he realized that the teen was rephrasing the same words his teacher told him. So, he crossed his arms and listened.

"You lack the drive and the passion. There is nothing there. You will never trigger the transformation at this rate," Trunks said. "From what I've seen…you're fighting for nothing. You can't get anything from nothing."

"What."

Trunks looked at him from the corner of his eyes. "Teacher told me that such power isn't something that's just handed to you. It's something unleashed from the very core of your body and mind. It's not going to happen because you want it to, but because you need it to."

Turles frowned. "That doesn't make any sense. To want and need something is practically the same thing. I want that power because I need it to face that overgrown insect! You tell me what the difference is!"

"For as long as you don't get it, you will never reach it. I'm sorry."

"Alright. Fine. Tell me then. What about the others? How did they reach it then? Clearly they wanted it as well!"

"Because they all had a reason to need it. Their deepest drive for power. That motivation. For Goku…it was the need to destroy Frieza after what he did to my father. For my father, it was the need to take down King Cold after being tormented by his family for generations. For Vegeta, his fire was to reclaim his proper place as a prince, to no longer be humiliated by anyone who managed to surpass him. For Teacher, it was to prove to Vegeta that he was not a pushover…that he was far stronger than he was ever given credit for. And for my Master Karot…the need to protect everyone he cares about from the Androids. The need to keep fighting against all odds…to stay alive. But…what about you?"

"My motivation is to crush that thing!"

"That's not true, and you know it."

"What do you know?"

"I've seen how you've fought him before. You were more afraid than anything. Sorry."

"Calling me a coward, are you? It takes one to know one, don't you think?" Turles challenged him. "What about you then, huh? What meaning does your transformation have? It only came after the fact! Would had been a lot more useful if you were actually able to use it to save him!"

Trunks froze.

"So tell me, know-it-all. How is such a thing a need when it didn't surface at the time it would have been more necessary?"

The kid was probably repeating the nonsense his teacher told him. While some of it made sense, this was also Tarble from the future—the Saiyan prince who lost his way and grew more violent through desperation. There was no telling what sort of things he filled the teen's head with. Most of it was no good. Turles was sure of it. From the way Trunks carried himself, even a Saiyan couldn't endure such harsh treatment for very long.

…Trunks was silent for quite some time. Turles couldn't see his face since he wasn't facing him.

His tail. He looked at the tail. It had a habit of bristling lately, and Turles could never understand why. Trunks was always so calm on the face.

It was doing it again. Turles looked up, and seeing the teen looking at him from over his shoulder almost caught him by surprise.

"What…are you implying?"

Trunks' tone was pressed. The fur stuck out more, making it appear as if his tail had thickened double its normal width. The anger radiating from him was thick, but his face didn't change.

He was almost perfect at masking his emotions. But it was always the tail. Always the darn tail that gave it away.

"Are you telling me that I didn't earn it? That my transformation was nothing more than a joke?"

"What?" Turles blinked. "That's not what I—"

The cold glare made his heart skip a beat.

'What the hell…? Why does it feel like my life is in grave danger all the sudden?! He's just a kid!'

"That's exactly what Teacher said. Did you know that?" Trunks asked. He turned to properly face him. "He told me that I deserved to die instead of him for being the idiot that got him killed. He told me that the power I unlocked wouldn't be any more useful than me being dead because of how it triggered after he died! Do you know what he did to me as punishment? Do you want to know?"

Turles didn't realize he was taking steps back until he almost tripped over his own feet. Trunks was taking slow steps towards him, his cold eyes not leaving him.

"He said he was going to treat me like the Androids did…until that Super Saiyan flare returned. He was going to beat me until I was able to transform again…because that was the proper way to do it."

"Kid…hey…kid…"

"Maybe that's what you need, right? You're the one who doesn't see the difference, so maybe I CAN SHOW IT TO YOU!"

Trunks' energy exploded as he transformed. The gap of power between them was too large.

'His attitude changed…it's like he's a completely different person…' Turles fought against the urge to step back again. He planted his feet and unleashed his own energy. 'He's doing this to protect Karot's honor? Is that his drive? To fight for other people?'

Trunks' lips curl back into a snarl. "You scarcely understand your own power. You want to know what Master Karot would have told me?! That is your greatest flaw! And you have the nerve to say I didn't earn mine?! You don't think that thought doesn't cross my mind every single day?!"

He vanished. Turles had no time to react as he was punched across the face. The impact rattled his skull and dislocated his jaw as he slammed to the ground. He was on his knees, pressing a hand against the side of his throbbing face. He caught sight of the teen stepping into his line of sight.

"On your feet, Saiyan! I will show you just how vulnerable you really are!"

-- OoOoOoOo —

Turles glares at his trembling fist. It's not that he was too weak to be any use to this fight. The mental barrier is still there. Even after a full year of training, he still can't find it…that drive for power.

Maybe he had it once before. He remembers being strongly motivated. He traveled through the universe and plundered many planets. He was growing stronger each time, but it was through means that was…

Trunks hated it. He scolded him for it.

And now he was actually considering using it.

…

Kakarot and Raditz both land a heavy kick against Cell's chest, pushing him back, but it isn't enough. Even as they move back for distance, Cell closes the gap in a heartbeat, kicking them both in return. Their attacks are missing more as they are taking more of Cell's attacks. It feels as if they are getting slower, but Cell is gaining speed as they fight.

Despite his injuries, Cell is still improving. Anyone else would be concerned, but Kakarot finds it exciting. Raditz understands that feeling, but sometimes he believes that Kakarot is closer to his Saiyan instincts than anyone else.

He has known him for nearly a decade, and there are still some things he just can't figure out about the way his mind works.

He's not the slightest bit concerned about Cell's tremendous power. A sane Saiyan would be.

Kakarot is hiding something.

A flying fist comes Raditz's way. He ducks and counters, but just as he makes contact, his fists phase through the afterimage Cell left behind. Raditz searches for where he might have gone, but he is slammed on the back. He turns around and attacks Cell, but he strikes nothing once again. He turns around and swings an arm. His hand slices through another afterimage.

He is struck on his head. Raditz snarls as small pink bolts jump around his body again.

"Oh no you don't!" Cell flies back, not wanting to experience being zapped like an insect again. He hears the air above him being disturbed, and he looks up to see a blur of blue and gold spinning like a ball towards him.

A pair of feet bash his skull. Cell plummets downwards. Kakarot stops his spinning as he charges a blast in a single hand, and he fires. Cell is forced to block the attack, but it doesn't stop him from falling either way.

"Kakarot!" Raditz shouts. "While he is distracted!"

Kakarot spins around. "Yeah! I hear ya!"

Raditz appears hesitant, but his words blurt out the next second. "Back to back!"

"Back to back?" Now? Is it that bad? He forgot about such a strategy, but it has always been effective. He wastes little time, leaping over to his brother and pressing his back against his. However, this only presents a new problem. "If we are going to do this, that's fine. But what about Turles?"

Raditz narrows his eyes. He can see Turles keeping a close eye on Cell. "Tch. I never thought about adding him to the equation. Damn. Hardly matters. This should be effective. He will just have to be left out for now?"

"What? Leave me out of it?" Turles glares at them both. "I understand I can't exactly go Super, but I refuse to be casted aside like an unwanted dog! Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it!"

Kakarot gives him a concerned look. "Yeah but…you can't even touch the guy because you are so slow. Doesn't help that you don't like fighting him anyway."

"Stop pointing out my flaws! Don't you think I know that already?! Just get on with it! You are wasting time! It won't be long until—"

Cell flies from the cloud and kicks Turles aside. He makes a sharp turn towards the brothers who separate in the nick of time to avoid being hit all at once.

"Damn it! We just needed a little more time!" Kakarot shouts. "He's too fast right now! If we can just pull this off, we can match him! He must already know this. He has to, right?!"

"Which is why he's trying to keep us separate!" Raditz avoids a blast, and he fires a Double Sunday. Cell dodges it with ease while wearing a smile. He vanishes from sight, and he's in front of Raditz in the blink of an eye.

Cell fires a Double Sunday. Raditz is struck. Kakarot is struck.

"What ever happened to you showing off more of what you know, Raditz?" Cell flies after him and attacks with a series of punches. Raditz manages to duck and block the majority of them, but it's clear Cell is holding back for his own amusement. "It can't be any better than what I did. I've perfected your techniques, so why not show me one more that I can polish up, huh?"

Raditz grunts as he takes several blows against the face. The assault ends as a leg sweeps and knocks him off balance. Cell moves in to finish him off. Raditz clenches a fist, and energy builds there. "Why you…!"

He fires his Saturday Crush. Cell shields his body in the nick of time. Raditz puts distance between them. "Kakarot!"

"Yeah! I know!" Kakarot flies towards him, but a blast unleashed from below forces them to separate again. "Man! How are we going to do this?!"

Raditz tries to search for an answer, but every single thought falls blank. It won't work. They are outmatched even as a Super Saiyan.

But the fighters before them managed to deal some sort of impressive damage. Raditz noticed while watching…that there was a trend. The most amount of damage only happened when…

"We need him to be distracted!" Raditz shouts.

"We already know that, Raditz!" Kakarot shouts. "But how are we going to do that? The attack needs both of us to work!" Kakarot says.

They both look down at Turles.

"Oh…great…" Turles grumbles.

"We just need a minute! Can you hold him off for that long?" Kakarot asks.

"It's not like I have a choice! You better make this worthwhile, Kakarot!"

2) Turles begins to power up. Raditz can sense that Turles is unleashing all the power he has. The wild and spiraling aura seems to catch Cell's attention. The window is open.

"Come on! Hurry!" Raditz shouts at Kakarot.

Back to back again. Tails locked. The horrible spinning is the only way for it to work.

Cell takes notice, and he almost laughs. As he soars towards them both. "Not if I can help it!"

A boot slams on the side of his head. Turles is stunned that his attack didn't make his head do as much as budge. He moves back as Cell's eyes shift over to him.

"Oh yes, you. You'll be a nuisance if I ignore your existence for too long, won't you?" Cell snatches his ankle. "Let's take care of that shall we—"

WHAM!

"GAAH-HAAA!" Cell retreats back, slamming his hands against his already fractured forehead.

Turles moves back, impressed with the results of his second attack. "Now I see. That's what I need to do."

He moves in, and he sends a flurry of punches against Cell's skull. Just as he expected, the damaged area is vulnerable. For as long as he keeps attacking it, Cell can't very well counter if he's distracted by the pain.

Cell shoots him a glare.

'He's pissed.'

Turles twists his body in time to avoid being struck down by a flying blast. Cell is flying fast. He prepares to block, but the image of Cell phases through Turles as an illusion. He freezes, realizing this. Just as he looks up, pain strikes him from the top of his head. He is punched again, and again, until his body is being pushed around by every blow.

"Turles can't hold him off for very long!" Raditz grunts against the agonizing pulling of his tail. "For how much longer…?"

"Just a little more…!" Kakarot answers.

Raditz's spine is burning. From his last experiences, he knows they are almost where they need to be. From the sounds of Turles' screaming, it won't be long until Cell remembers what is coming for him.

But finally, finally…

"One…" Kakarot begins.

"Two…!" Raditz braces himself.

"Three!" They free themselves from the lock at the same time, and they fly faster than they ever did before. Kakarot reaches out and snags Turles' arm, freeing him from Cell's brutal assault. He forces him along the ride. "Just flow with me! When I let you go, attack Cell!"

"Wh-what? Wait I was just doing—" Turles is released, rocketing towards the enemy who is caught off guard by the intense spike in speed. Having no time to argue, Turles presses his hands together before pulling them apart to form an orange wheel of condensed energy. He throws his arms above his head just as Cell slides beneath him.

"Kill Driver!"

A harsh throw downwards lands the heavy attack against the bio-Android. Cell is sent spiraling down, only for a pair of boots to ram against his abdomen. A loud crack rewards them with a holler. Cell is forced to his right, only to meet with Kakarot who throws a perfect kick right underneath his chin.

Cell's head is thrown back. His eyes meet with a pair of locked fists that ram him between the eyes. A loud crack snaps in the air, and Cell's scream is sharp. He is sent flying down, watching Raditz nearly spin out of control above.

Kakarot appears from thin air right below him. Cell's eyes widen before he's met with a spiraling kick that pushes him back up like a ball.

"D-damn!" Cell locks his body and slows down his flight. He's sure if he had kept going, another brother would be ready to treat him like a ball again.

He turns around, and his eyes lock on a single hand that blocks his vision. Blue-purple light pulses from the palm and spreads out. Cell's eyes quickly trace the arm until they fall on the smug face of Turles.

"Guess I felt that coming." With a widening grin, Turles pulls back his arm before thrusting it forward. A massive, wild, and screaming purple blast is unleashed, swallowing and tearing through Cell until his body is pushed back. Observers from below are forced to shield their eyes as the intensity of the brightness only grows.

The blast breaks apart, and Cell flies through the ground, ripping the earth. Dust clouds flood the area, blocking off all visuals. Turles is left hovering, gripping his aching wrist. It's obvious he hasn't used such a technique in some time.

The Z-fighters below are cheering as the Saiyans appear somewhat impressed.

"Whoa!" Kakarot stares at the spreading dust clouds before looking at Turles. "You never told us you could do that! Did you just come up with that, or what?"

"That was the Meteor Burst I was referring to," Raditz says. "Looks like you still got it."

Turles appears more irritated than accomplished. He frowns at his arm. "It's a bit rusty. I should have practiced it more when I had the opportunity."

…

"That was intense…" Krillin mutters. "Makes me glad they are on our side…for now."

"That's his strongest attack, isn't it?" Nappa frowns. "He looks strained. I can tell from here."

Trunks nods. He doesn't know how to feel about that. "Meteor Burst, I think. He used it against me while we were training. Even as a Super Saiyan, I had a rough time trying to counter it. His energy control is insane. I guess it runs in the family."

"If we are being exact here…" Tarble turns to Gine, who has been watching with worry written all over her face.

She meets Raditz's eyes, and he seems to understand.

'You're going to do it, aren't you? This is your only shot…'

Raditz's spreads the palm of his hand, and he concentrates all his energy towards the palm. Pink and small bolts begin to multiply on the palm, almost swallowing past his forearm. It gives off an intense light.

"That's pretty intense for a Saturday Crush. Why is he putting so much energy into that?" Nappa asks.

"Because…" Gine frowns. "That's not what that is."

-- OoOoOoOo --

"If you can somehow spread out the radius of your attack, you'll be able to catch him a lot easier. There is a way to deal heavy damage to the target while leaving them stunned all from the same blast. I had figured this out a long time ago. That is what made my technique so lethal."

Gine was sitting across from Raditz within the endless space. He was listening closely, nodding.

"Endless Thundercrash. You won't teach it to me," Raditz said.

"Never." Gine frowned. "I did teach you how to fight, but I didn't teach you everything. I refused, and I still refuse. There are some things I know you are better off not knowing, Raditz."

"But don't you think now is the perfect time?" Raditz asked. "With a threat as large as Cell out there, we could take advantage of this! If a Dismaying Thursday can stun anyone while their guard is down, imagine what the Endless Thundercrash can do! He won't be able to move as much as a finger! He will be vulnerable for so much longer! We could kill him!"

The image of the downed Paragus crossed her mind. She shut her eyes to erase the horrible sight. "No. No…I won't."

Raditz pushed himself to one knee. "This is extremely important, mom!"

"I said I won't!"

"I understand how you feel about it, but—"

"THE ANSWER IS NO!"

Raditz sat back down in an instant, intimidated by her voice.

Gine shook her head. "I am never going to teach you. I don't care…how important that technique may be. I refuse to let anyone else have it. It will die with me, so that no one in the entire universe will use such a horrible thing that should have never existed in the first place…"

She could feel her tears falling. Raditz has gone silent. She hated that she yelled at him. But the mere thought of him using it…it frightened her so much…

"If you expect me to show it to you, I won't. I can't take that risk, because I know you will attempt to recreate it…I just…"

"It's ok."

Raditz's gentle voice was the last thing Gine expected to hear.

"I won't use it," he said. "If it's that important to you…then I swear to you that I will never use it. I don't…entirely understand why, but I will respect your decision."

Why did he have to sound so much like his father…?

Raditz stood. He was studying his hands.

"I will just have to develop something else. Something that is immediately effective. If the Endless Thundercrash has the same properties as the Saturday Crush…then I think I know what I need to do as a substitute."

Gine's eyes went wide. Raditz was collecting a large mass of energy towards the palm of his hand. It wasn't forming an average sphere of energy. It was instead a collection of bolts clustering together like an angry spiral that snaked around his fingers. It engulfed the entirety of his hand within seconds.

"Truth is…I've been trying to perfect this cluster for the last few days…and after hearing what you said, I finally figured it out."

Gine covered her mouth.

"I may not be as great at it as you, but times are dire. This is a battle we can't afford to sugarcoat." Raditz studied the intense energy that danced on his hand. "Don't worry. I won't abuse it. This much energy…it will come back and bite you."

-- OoOoOoOo --

3) The angry bolts grow more intense by the second. Raditz stares at the light, taking a deep breath.

'This buildup of energy is the strongest I've ever done. It may not be an Endless Thundercrash…but from the look on mother's face…it might just be a fraction of it. That almost scares me.'

Looking at his other arm, it too had bolts dancing.

'I've been slowly collecting this energy since the fighting started…because I haven't yet learned how to collect it all at once. Not like how mother can.'

He glances at her again. He knows she is watching.

"That…that hurt!" Cell shouts from below. He hovers there with a single hand on his forehead, glaring at them all, but the grin on his face is the most terrifying thing about him. He laughs, lowering his hand. The cracks had split down to the bridge of his nose. Blood is tricking like a river. "I've decided that once I'm through with all of you, I'm going to return the favor to the small prince for what he did to my head!"

Tarble is nervous now.

"Not bad though. Not bad…you've identified my weakness and took advantage of it. This is exactly what I would expect from Goku! I would be disappointed if you didn't use your head! But, it's too bad. That was the best shot you had, wasn't it?"

Kakarot doesn't answer, but it is all Cell needs as he bursts into laughter.

"Just as I thought! Even the likes of Goku can't surpass me! Killing you will be the most satisfying thing today! I hope that the world is watching this! I hope they are satisfied! No matter what you try to do from here, it won't work! Your energy is dropping! You're finished!"

He paused, and his grin grew more sinister.

"That is unless…you have another trick to show off. I know how you operate, Goku. You always like to save the best for last. So tell…just what that may be?"

Kakarot cups his hands to one side of his abdomen, his eyes focused. "KAA… MEEE…."

Cell chuckles. "Now that's just precious. You know I can just dodge that, right?"

"HAAA… MEEE….!"

Cell's smile falters. "Okay, now you're just embarrassing yourself. Come on, Goku! It's a waste of time! I thought you knew better than this! You're starting to really disappoint me!"

"Hey! Bug-man!" The far-off cry of Raditz draws his attention. The Saiyan is flying forward, with one hand zapping.

"Really? You call that a distraction?" Cell isn't the tiniest bit amused.

Pulling his zapping hand near his face, Raditz clutches it tight, and the energy compresses, swallowing his hand. The gap between him and Cell shrinks. Swinging his arm back and opening the palm, the gathered energy doubles, triples in size as a blinding pink bundle of intense plasma.

"That won't work!" Cell shouts.

"Shut up!"

Raditz thrusts his hand forward.

"VACATION DELETE!"

The attack spreads and fires with Cell in the middle of it. It bathes the entire battlefield with pink light, growing in size before breaking down in fluttering pieces. Raditz knows for sure that zapped out a chunk of his energy. His hand is buzzing…tingling. He can hardly move his fingers. However, that hardly matters.

Cell is frozen in place, teeth grinding as his entire body is cloaked by the pink bolts. Every muscle in his body has been locked.

'What did he just do?!' Cell thinks to himself. 'My body won't listen to me!'

Kakarot drops right in front of him.

'Oh, crap!'

Thrusting both hands forward, Kakarot unleashes a heavy blue blast. "HAAAAAAAAA!"

It cloaks Cell's being, forcing his body to ride the momentum until it shoots him through the earth. Cell's form shrinks and shrinks until he is out of sight beyond the horizon.

"Hoo." Kakarot exhales a breath as he lowers his arms. He turns to Raditz. "Nice job, Raditz! Did you practice that while you were training?"

Raditz looks at his hand. "Yeah."

Turles joins their side, huffing. "Vacation Delete. Really?"

"There is no time to talk about this! Kill him now while we have time!"

The trio of brothers make their quick descent towards the ground. They fly through the cloud, blowing it apart. The crater down below is deep with Cell inside. The land on the ground, waiting for his appearance.

"He shouldn't be able to move just yet, so unleash everything you have!" Raditz shouts as he charges a Weekend attack.

"I hear you!" Kakarot forms a larger Kamehameha.

"Well then…let's do this!" Turles condenses purple energy, preparing to unleash another Meteor Burst.

"FIRE!" Raditz screams.

"HAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Cell is rising from the crater, hand on shoulder as his body tries to fight off the bolts that continue to attack him. He immediately takes notice of the unnatural light. The cluster of attacks merge into a massive blast. He tries to jump, but his legs are locked. "I…I can't dodge it…!"

The blast engulfs him, and he vanishes within its core. It explodes, putting more clouds in the air just as it was beginning to clear. Loose gravel and blades of grass fly through the air. The trio of brothers protect their eyes from the sand, but they don't look away from the destructive sight.

"If that doesn't kill him…it would have to hurt him…" Raditz almost drops to his knees. "He was…unable to guard himself. So it has had to do something…"

"Raditz?" Kakarot is concerned for him, especially as he collapses to one knee.

"I don't think I can do that again…my body isn't happy about the stunt I pulled…" Raditz says. "But don't think that means I can't fight anymore. Even if he comes back…we can still take him!"

Kakarot nods. He prepares himself. Turles has his eyes fixed on the lingering cloud. It's a sight that is becoming more annoying each time it appears. It would be nice to know if their attacks were effective…

The cloud clears. Cell is not there.

"Where did he go…?" Turles asks, his voice tense. He immediately checked his feet. "Is he underground again?"

Kakarot and Raditz look down as well. They don't waste a second, flying for the sky. Their eyes are still fixed below, waiting.

"Do you sense his energy?" Raditz asks.

"I…it's hard to tell," Turles says. "It's a mix of everyone else's so I…"

"Yī…"

The trio stops flying. He's still there…

"Èr…"

Where is the voice coming from?!

"Sān…"

He's really underground?!

"Sì."

A stray blast is fired from between Kakarot's feet, striking the centerpiece of the crown around Kakarot's head. The Saiyan's head is thrown back from the impact. The rhombus glows bright before spreading across the entire surface, humming.

"Oh no…" Kakarot whispers.

A bright glow takes hold as bolts jump across the surface. They intensify before engulfing Kakarot. He screams as his body gets cloaked with ruthless electricity. With his muscles locked, the Saiyan falls for the ground.

"Kakarot!" Raditz and Turles gasp.

A loud gasp from Broly snags attention. His fingers immediately clamp for the non-existent metal collar around his neck. Despite it being removed, he is still trembling, as if he can feel it.

The ground bursts below, and Cell shoots out. Half of his body charred down to the flesh. It isn't healing…not at all. And he looks, absolutely livid

"I think I've played enough games now." Cell fires again.

Pink light pierces through Turles' abdomen. His body is thrown back as a painless scream leaves his mouth open.

"TURLES!" Raditz screams. Both of his brothers are falling. He begins to fly after them, but Cell flashes right in front. Raditz rockets backwards, startled by the sudden arrival, but too late. A hand clamps around his face and begins to squeeze his skull.

Cell wears a seething grin. "I've changed my mind. Just for that, you can die first. Then Goku."

Pain blisters through his jaw and climbs up his skull. 'I need a discharge…! But I don't have enough!'

"EEEEEEEEEEE!"

It's like Raditz snapped awake. His eyes are wide open. A glowing white ball strikes Cell between the eyes, and the bio-Android screams, freeing Raditz who falls to the ground.

"Zhanshitao! NO!" Raditz shouts.

"What the hell is this?!" Cell swats at the flying sphere, but it strikes him on the exposed flesh of his chest. He is nearly knocked from his feet from the impact. The ball shot up, striking him under the chin, then his head again, and again.

The shell chips off at last, exposing the bleeding wound underneath. Cell can't take it anymore. He swats at the air in a frenzy until finally, he catches the Giantula in his hand. He pushes back its tiny fangs, saving himself from getting bit. He stares down at the creature, growling.

"Yes, I almost forgot about you."

He pinches one of the fangs.

"You almost had me there. It was a nice effort, but an utter failure."

A single jerk, and he tears the fang right off. Zhanshitao's scream pierces through the ears of many.

"What are you DOING?! STOOOP!" Raditz screams.

Cell pinches the second fang, and he tears it off as if it's a twig. Another pitching scream is his reward.

Raditz finds the strength to get to his feet as he charges forward with a scream. It's cut short as Cell kicks him against the chest. A second kick sends him tumbling across the field.

"You were not here from the start. How far did you fly to reach me?" Cell narrows his eyes at the arachnid. "It doesn't matter. You have already sealed your fate."

He pinches a leg and twists it clean from Zhanshitoa's body. A terrible scream. Cell reaches for the other.

"STOOOOOP!" Raditz's energy bursts, and he flies forward again. Cell effortlessly dodges it, and his head is stomped through the ground.

"Now, you stay there and wait your turn." Cell points a finger in another direction and fires a small blast. It strikes Kakarot's crown again, just as the younger Saiyan is getting to his feet. Another electrical torture sends him back down. He returns to his sick torture, tearing another leg from the small creature.

Raditz's eyes are a raging crimson. He thought he had enough power to stand against Cell, but to be pinned down like this…? He knew he was toying around, but he didn't think he was holding back this much strength!

Why…? Why now?

And Zhanshitao…! He's going to…!

…

"Oh, no! This is bad!" Krillin panics. "They aren't getting up! How is that possible?! Cell is in bad shape, and he's still making them look like a joke!"

"Can't Zhanshitao just transform?!" Trunks asks Gine in a panic. "Why isn't he doing it?!"

Gine doesn't answer. She can't. She's too horrified to speak.

Her eyes are glued on her raging son. His wild eyes…those wild and red eyes…

Saiyans fall into such a state when their rage clouds every bit of reason they have. It's as if their primal form had overtaken their senses but…

…somehow, this feels amplified. When Trunks' snapped at Vegeta, it felt amplified.

Almost like…

Like…

"Oh no." Gine's heart sinks.

"What is it?" Tarble asks her. "What's the matter?"

"I didn't think it was genetic. Not like that…"

"What? What are you talking about…?"

Gine's lip is quivering. She can't tell him. Does he even know? Her hand is squeezing her wrist tight, as if she can still feel the burning.

Nappa notices. His expression shifts to shock as he looks back at Trunks, then the fight. "No wonder…"

…

Turles' fingers twitch as they dig deep into the soil. He pushes himself to his knees, wheezing. Blood drips on the ground, soaking in the dirt. He can hear Raditz's screams…Zhanshitao's agony.

'Get up.'

Turles props one foot up.

'Get up…!'

He stands, panting as his gaze shifts to the horrific scene. His heart sinks at the sight. Cell has Raditz pinned. Raditz, who is a Super Saiyan…and he can't get up.

If Cell can do that…if Cell can keep Kakarot at his mercy, then what good is he? What can Turles do with the small strength he has compared to theirs? If he tries to jump in, he will only be swatted aside. Insignificant. It wouldn't add to anything!

'What the hell is wrong with you?' He scolds himself. 'Move! Do something! They need your help!'

Kakarot is back to his feet, but he can't do as much as stand straight as he takes a clumsy step forward. Cell doesn't even acknowledge him as he fires another blast at the crown. Kakarot is down again, at the crown's mercy. The third electrical wave is doing a number on his body. He's not even screaming like before.

'You have to…'

A look at his horrified mother. She can't…

'Damn it!'

4) Turles takes a deep breath as he closes his eyes.

'Sorry kid. I know I promised you that I wouldn't resort to this…but it appears I am running low on options. I will try to make it up to you.'

His tail slips free from around his waist, dragging a capsule along with it. It's held securely by the tip wrapped around it.

"What…what is that that he has?" Kauli's the first to take notice. "Was that tucked away the entire time?"

Trunks takes a step forward upon seeing it. "Wait…wait a minute."

The tail flicks and the capsule flies above Turles' head. It bursts open in a thick cloud. Dropping from within…is a large, rounded, red, and spiky object. He catches it with a single swipe, and it's bigger than the palm of his hand.

"What the hell…?" Nappa's face twists.

"No! What are you doing?!" Trunks shouts at him. "You promised! You promised me that you wouldn't use that!"

"Use what?" Vegeta was confused.

Turles smiles small. "Sorry kid. The world's in sake here. And…if I want to live…with the pitiful power I have, I don't really have another choice."

"No! What good would that do for you?! You just have to transform into a Super Saiyan! Then…then we have a shot!"

"That's the problem. I can't. I've tried. Nothing works. Perhaps I am incapable…I am aware of how frail I am. It's better to do something, instead of being dead weight."

"This isn't the proper way! Even you admitted this is wrong!"

"I know. But…" Turles hesitated for a moment, but he sighed and brought it towards his lips. "It's my turn…to protect my idiotic brothers."

He takes a massive bite, breaking through the shell. The flavor explodes in his mouth. A terribly strong flavor, but something he learned to grow used to in time.

Every muscle on his body begins to burn and expand. He bites back a scream as the blistering attacks every nerve in his body. His energy slips free from his control, flowing towards the clouds. The fruit is crushed between his fingers, falling to the ground in pieces.

He screams as he unleashes his energy at full strength. It's enough to catch Cell's attention as he crushes the small creature between his hands.

Turles' fist connects to his face.

Zhanshitao falls, and Raditz is free. The Saiyan is wheezing, unable to move as he would like. Zhanshitao chirps a soft cry, dragging his tiny body towards him with the few limbs he has left. As soon as his head touched Raditz's side, he becomes limp on the ground.

"Zhan…" Raditz moves a trembling hand towards him. "Tao…Tao…don't…die on me…"

Cell takes another heavy blow on the face, followed by a heavy knee strike just below his ribs. 'Where the hell did this come from?! He was just on the ground before! So where is—'

Cell catches a glimpse of Turles' eyes. They are red, too.

What's wrong with those Saiyans?!

WHAM!

Cell is sent to the ground. His head is stomped down, with the heel of the boot stabbing the vulnerable flesh.

Turles aims a single hand down at him, and he fires a series of purple blasts in a barrage. Explosions rip through the earth with Cell caught taking the brunt of them.

…

"It's like…it's like he got all of his power back," Kauli says. "Only…it's much stronger than it was before! What the hell did he eat?!"

Trunks' tail lashes. "This isn't going to help at all! All this is doing is delaying everything!"

"What? You know?"

"While I was training with him, he told me stories about his days as a rogue space pirate. He would scour the universe in search of inhabitable planets, but not to conquer them. It was to seek a power that can't be obtained by normal means. I think he called it a Tree of Might…or something."

"Tree of Might…?" Gine gasps.

"If you know something about it, it would be nice to have context," Vegeta says.

"I...I've only heard it mentioned by Bardock, but even he knows nothing about it," Gine says, almost stammering. "It's one of those obscure legends, b-but I didn't think Turles would be so familiar with it!"

"The Tree of Might…yeah. I think I know just what that is," Nappa says.

"What?!" Vegeta turns to him. "Why was this never mentioned before then?!"

"Because, like Gine said, it was an obscure legend. No one really thought it was a real thing," Nappa explains. "It's said that eating its fruit would grant you incredible power."

"Such a thing exists?"

"If what the kid says is true, then it must be real. When Turles came to our ship in critical condition, you remember that small container I found on him, right?"

"You…mean…those tiny seeds actually serve a purpose? Not saying I want to use them, but I'm curious why he never bothered to plant them if they would benefit him."

"I asked him the same thing. We could have used those like the Senzu Beans if things got bad," Trunks says. "But he shot down the idea fast. He said it wouldn't make a difference."

"I don't understand. How is it that—"

'Planting the seeds of the Tree of Might is a death sentence! That's why!'

Everyone clamps their hands around their ears as the intruding voice booms through their minds. Looking up, the fighting doesn't stop, which only means they were spared from it.

"King Kai?" Krillin looks towards the darkening clouds. The sky lacks visibility.

'The Tree of Might is a gigantic tree that bears the most powerful fruit in the entire universe! Just as that Saiyan said, eating one of these will grant the individual an incredible increase of power! I have no idea how he got his hands on something that the Kais use. A few of these are enough to sustain the hunger of the Eternal Dragon, even!'

"What? You mean it's casually fed to Shenron?" Yamcha asks.

"So Nappa is correct. If that's the case, then why hasn't Turles made any use of it?" Vegeta asks. "You would think someone who has the knowledge of how it works would take advantage of it? It's no weapon, so it's not like it would be forbidden to use in this tournament anyway."

'Yes, that is true, but such power requires an incredible amount of energy and nutrients to produce!'

"So we just sacrifice several crop fields. Kakarot's a farmer. We could have asked him if we were desperate," Tarble says.

"No, no! That's not how that works! Use your head for a moment! If a fruit that powerful exists, just how much nutrients do you think it requires to grow?!"

Yamcha scratches his head. "Uh, I don't know. The Senzu Beans require so much time to grow…so I guess it takes a couple years, right? Something that strong can't grow that fast!"

"IT REQUIRES THE ENTIRE PLANET! ONE SEED AND EARTH BECOMES BONE DRY AND BARREN FROM THAT THING!"

Everyone flinches, but no one missed what he just said.

"It…takes the entire planet…?" Trunks heard the words clear as day, but the concept frightens him. How can such a thing exist?

"From the four years he has lived here, he hasn't had a bite of that fruit," Vegeta says. "You would think he would adapt and relearn his own strength again. He's capable of becoming a Super Saiyan. He should at least do that."

Trunks frowns. "That's the problem. During the year we spent there, he just couldn't transform."

"What? You're serious?"

"I was confused about it too, but that voice just explained everything. I think that fruit placed some kind of barrier that is keeping him from unlocking that power. While we were training, he requested for me to help him transform. But when I pushed him near death…it wasn't enough. It's like…it tried to surface, but it couldn't break through."

"He lacks pride in his own power. That's the problem," Nappa says. "With that kind of mindset, he will never reach it. From what I've gathered, it seems the transformation would only surface out of need, not by desire. But, whatever that need is, it's not something we automatically know. It's something buried in our subconscious."

Vegeta thought about it. The images of Kakarot, Raditz, Karot, Tarble…and even Nappa—all in their golden-cloaked forms…he had witnessed the very first trigger from a few of them. They always had that same look in their eyes just before it happened.

When Tarble and Nappa defied him in that form, they had no fear. The piercing glare in those eyes…

Turles lacks both. It makes perfect sense.

But, the only time he ever saw that glare of defiance…the only time he saw the Saiyan lacking fear…

Vegeta glanced towards Kauli.

"What?" Kauli is a bit freaked out by the attention she's getting. "What do you want?"

"Tch…" Vegeta turns his attention back to the fight. "This is ridiculous! A Saiyan who relies on cheap supplements to obtain strength is no true Saiyan at all," Vegeta says. "Maybe that's his punishment! I hope that he's regretting it!"

…

Turles has many regrets.

All he did was seal his fate. Any chance of him surviving after this is non-existent. But, if it keeps Kakarot alive, then maybe that's all that matters.

Cell jumps to his feet, knocking Turles off balance. He lunges right for him. Turles fires a blast that strikes Cell on his scorched chest. He felt that one. Cell almost forgot how to stand. Turles kicks him there again. Cell is staggering.

Turles is actually doing something. Attacking all the parts of his body that lost the protective shell has a great effect. He just has to keep going. Every lunch, every kick, every blast…it's directed at those soft spots.

A leg sweep knocks Cell from standing. It's followed by a kick under his chin, and a punch across his face. Turles keeps the assault, his knuckles coated with a mix of red and purple. Every single blow can be felt to his bones. He almost can't feel the pain coursing through his body. His Saiyan blood is hot in his veins. Every blow he lands encourages his body to move to send another. He can feel it…just how close he was to seeing red. He can't tell if it's because of his own humiliation, his wounded brothers…or the fact he had to resort to such a cheap tactic to do something. But whatever it is it's giving him a momentarily boost he can't afford to waste. He knows he's not pulling his punches. He's giving this freak of an insect everything he has!

An uppercut.

A left hook.

A sledgehammer!

A right—

His fist is caught. His arm is twisted beyond its normal position. Turles screams as something snaps.

"This is starting to get really old…!" Cell aims his hand towards Turles' chest and fires a blast.

Turles throws out his free arm in the nick of time. It takes the brunt of the blast as the rest blows through his clothes. The impact sends him flying across the field. He crashes on the ground, tumbling until he falls flat on his back.

One arm had snapped, broken. And the other has exposed wires and screws with several missing plates.

He lays there in a world of pain. All of that…and it did nothing…

He can hear footsteps. Cell's shadow looms over his body. He can only look at him as the enemy aims a glowing palm towards him again.

Raditz is screaming, charging at Cell at full speed.

He takes a heavy orange and explosive blast at point-blank range.

"RADITZ!" Turles manages to wheeze. He watches helplessly as his older brother plummets towards the ground in a cloud of smoke. His golden hair loses its luster as it reverts back to its deep back color.

"NO!" Gine covers her mouth. "Stop!"

"Oh, no! He's picking them off one by one!" Yamcha shouts.

"Father!" Trunks prepares to take off, but his shoulder is snatched and yanked back by Nappa, who shakes his head. "But—"

"You had your fight. If you foolishly barge in, we'll lose our only chance of killing Cell," Nappa tells him. "Have some faith in your father. He's not that easy to kill."

"But he's…he's not a Super Saiyan anymore!"

"This doesn't look too good." Tien glances at Kauli, who wears the same expression Trunks is.

"That idiot…Turles…!" Kauli growls, her eyes shining with rising anger. "If he dies, I'm going to drag him out of Hell and send him right back through it…!"

Cell is unbothered by all the shouting. He takes a look at the trio of brothers, all three who can't seem to move anymore.

5) "No… no…." Gine's eyes watch it all.

"Damn it all…" Piccolo watches Kakarot squirm as Cell's gaze becomes fixed on him. "Every time they land a blow on him, he just gets back up again…!"

"Goku! You have to get out of there!" Krillin shouts. "Come on!"

"I'm…trying…!" Kakarot tries to push his body, but it wouldn't respond. Hardly anything is making sense. He thought he was handling Cell very well before, but now he can hardly escape his death grip! He just shot down Turles and Raditz like they were nothing! Could he have done that the entire time? That can't be right!

Cell isn't bothered by Kakarot's struggling. His eyes are focused on his hand as he flexes it a few times before smiling. "You know, I must say, Goku, your biology is fascinating. I just took the mightiest attacks back to back, and all they did was make me even stronger."

Kakarot freezes at that.

"Don't you Saiyans get stronger during an intense fight? Even at the brink of death, your power only grows. I must say, it's such a wonderful thing you have. Perhaps too great. The Namekian cells make it possible for me to keep healing. If only it didn't take such much energy to do so, I might just be able to kill every single fighter out here with a single shot."

"Damn that doctor!" Tarble shouts. "It's like he thought of everything!"

"Combine the three brightest minds of the human race, and you have that thing!" Yamcha narrows his eyes. "At this point we are just sitting ducks! What can we possibly do now?! Goku!"

"Kakarot stop toying around, and pull yourself together!" Vegeta snaps.

"Oh, he's trying his best alright. I will assure you that," Cell says. He's not smiling anymore. "That really bothers me. I mean, this Goku has been the biggest problem this sad rock had for years, and this is the best he can do? I already anticipated that he wouldn't be stronger than me, but the fool has the brains to come up with a clever strategy to make up for it—which by the way, didn't work!"

His words echo through the wasteland. Everyone else is quiet, listening with tension.

"I've fought just about everyone here already. Each and every one of you fools bore me. I could be taking a nap right about now if I actually sleep! Hell, after being disappointed with the so-called elites of the Saiyan race, I was kind enough to destroy the ring so we can have free-range. But nooo. Even that wasn't enough! All of you are mere pushovers! Sure, you caught me off guard here and there, but let's be honest. Nothing you fools threw at me was enough to actually kill me…let alone leave me vulnerable on the ground!"

"This guy…!" Krillin is starting to tremble.

Gine is frantic, turning her body in every direction. It's not until her eyes fall on Kauli she holds her hand out. "Kauli! Give me those magic beans!"

Piccolo frowns. "They are called Senzu Beans."

"That doesn't matter! I need them now!" Gine snags the pouch from Kauli and begins to run. Since Raditz and Turles are out of commission, they are no longer in the tournament. She can at least heal them!

"Idiot! Look out!" Vegeta's booming voice rings through the air.

A bright light blinds her left side. Gine skids to her right, lifting her foot in time to avoid losing her leg to a stray blast. She is frozen, staring at the gaping hole that appears to be bottomless.

A brush of air behind her makes her spin around. She holds her breath and guards with one arm, but a hand swipes the sack from her hand. She stands, stiff, staring at the bio-Android who studies the bag silently.

Cell lowers his hand with a chuckle. "I just remembered. All healing items…are sooo off limits."

Gine steps back as Cell raises a hand. He backhands her across the face, sending her body spiraling across the field and to the ground. She hits the dirt, half stunned, and the side of her face stinging with pain.

"I held back on purpose. I don't really want to kill you yet, though I have doubts you'll be entirely worth it." Cell looks at everyone else. "Who else have I not fought? This Broly person…and Gohan, Goku's son? To be frank, after the display the rest gave me, I have lost just about all interest. I mean, is there even a point to this anymore? If Goku can't beat me, then that's pretty much a wrap."

"You consider that low-class superior?!" Vegeta growls.

"No. Just a lot more interesting to me. That was upsetting." Cell frowns as Kakarot falls limp. His Super Saiyan form drops. "Great. Now he's unconscious. That's very convincing."

He kicks Kakarot aside like a doll. His body slams on the earth, bouncing and rolling to a stop.

"W-well, if you want an exciting fight, fight Broly! Everyone had to team up against this guy!" Krillin points at the puzzled Saiyan.

"Hard pass." Cell dusts his hands off.

"You don't understand—"

"No. Enough. I don't wish to hear about it. You expect me to be interested in him? Sure, he could go Super Saiyan…maybe. But he wears the face of a child! By just looking at him, he looks so timid and inexperienced."

"You're underestimating him!"

"Sure I am, just like I underestimated Trunks. Underestimated Vegeta. Underestimated Kakarot." Cell points a finger towards the unconscious warrior.

Nappa frowns. "Well, you shouldn't underestimate his so—"

"Spare me that word! I'm getting sick of hearing it! At this point, I might as well fight Kauli just for a joke!"

Kauli steps behind Tarble in a heartbeat, who appears ready to step in if needed.

"I think I'm done throwing everyone around." Cell begins to walk forward. "So how about I just end this?"

Everyone slips into a fighting stance, preparing for the worst.

Everyone except Gine. Her eyes have been locked on Kakarot for the longest.

Everything Cell said about him leaves a stabbing sensation in her chest. Not just him…to witness Turles and Raditz fall the way they did…she can hardly sense their energy.

'Are they...dead?'

6) Her mind is racing so much…

Cell…

He...did this...Chille did this.

Trying to take that in…no…no.

It's getting harder to breathe. Her body is starting to feel blistering hot, and her throat feels like it's on fire as she tries to keep her composure. Nothing is working. The feeling only grows worse. Her tail is twitching as the furs coating it rise within seconds.

Cell's distant voice almost breaks her thoughts. "It was a nice fight while it lasted, I suppose. But, oh well. You can't win them all."

"Damn it…" Gine whispers.

The tears are starting to come out. Gine takes in a shaking breath as the burning worsens even more. Standing here…listening to him talk…oh. Oh, it is surfacing some very, very ugly feelings the mother wanted to never feel again. It's trying to crawl out. She is fighting back a sob. This burning sensation…

She is unaware of the attention she has drawn. Her energy had spiked. Everyone felt it.

"Gine?" And Trunks appears to be the most concerned, somewhat frightened.

He recognizes that look on her face.

"Gine!"

Kauli is just as worried. "Hey! You can't fight him!"

Gine shuts her eyes. She steps back, sucking in a deep breath. Curse him. Curse him. Curse him!

"Oh?" Cell's attention finally falls on Gine. He chuckles small. "You that look on your face. For someone who is always gentle…that looks pretty ugly on you."

"Shut up…" Gine nearly whimpers.

"Oh. Someone's in a bad mood." Cell is amused.

Karot watches with interest. Everyone else lowers their stances, watching Gine.

"You treat this like it's a gigantic game to you…torturing my children…crushing Zhanshitao like he's nothing to us…!" Gine is trembling. She's hugging her body, containing whatever is trying to build up.

"Her energy is rising…" Kauli notes. She notices Tarble wearing a frown. What does that mean? Is Gine about to foolishly throw their lives away?

"I already told you, to not make the same mistake you did before," Tarble says. "Now is the time for whatever it is you're hiding to come out!"

"You don't understand…" Gine shakes her head. "I promised—"

Vegeta growls. "What? That you wouldn't show your precious children? Oh, boo-hoo! Here's a newsflash for you, woman! They are already half dead!"

Half dead. That's a nicer way to say that they are dying...

Cell shakes his head. "I don't even know why I am wasting my time with this. What is this little thing you've been keeping in the dark, Gine? You have my curiosity, but I don't think it's worth much of my time. Your sons are disappointments. I don't expect anything from you. So, instead of me just standing around…I'm going to just…blow up this planet? Is that the Frieza talking?"

He shrugs.

"Ah, well. At the very end, they got what they deserved."

Chills.

Gine can't move.

Planet Scorch. That gigantic badger...

"The kid didn't listen. I told them both to go, but they didn't leave. So they suffered the consequences! I despise all Saiyans. They got what they deserved!"

"No…not again…"

Little Turles' broken body...

"Not again…!"

This time, all three of her sons…

She's supposed to be protecting them!

Her blood is boiling with unspeakable fury. Her lips pull back, exposing nearly every tooth as she snarls. She feels her hands being tickled, and they tingle more with every passing second until she can hear it. The sound of crackling electricity indicates that her hand is engulfed with tiny bolts that jump across her fingers. It was all done without a single thought.

"Isn't this the part you go berserk and unleash some gigantic blast that doesn't do anything?" Cell huffs. "That's exactly what your children did. The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree."

He won't shut up. Gine feels it slipping. It's terrifying as her mind turns to dark thoughts. Thoughts that she hoped to never think of ever again. She is trembling in rage, like a ticking time bomb.

'They will all die…all of them, if you don't do anything.'

It's like a wave swallowing her. The boiling sensation is unbearable. Her breathing becomes shallow as she begins to feel dizzy. The world around her brightens, and it rocks around as it begins to blur. All sounds are muffled. Only the sound of her pounding heart and the blood that rushes through her swallows her ears. She releases a shaking breath that sends another wave of blistering heat through her body.

She clenches her fists as she opens her eyes, hardened with unspeakable hatred. Hatred towards the humans who tortured her son. Hatred towards the mad scientist who created this creature. Hatred towards Chille for lending the heavy work to it all…

Hatred towards Cell for his pure existence.

She snaps with a raging scream. Gine's thrusts a single hand forward. Through her fuzzy vision, she sees the creature being struck by an explosive energy blast. Her eyes locked on the pink fluttering remains of the blast that slowly rains down to the ground.

It's not enough, she knows. She hates it.

Witnessing that, Trunks is shocked. "That was—I didn't know she was that strong…"

"Hardly even close to being as much as decent." Vegeta's eyes are locked on Gine. That scream didn't sound natural. Something wasn't right…

As everything settles at the moment, Cell lowers his arms from shielding his face. They struggle to move, shaking for several seconds as tiny bolts dance around them. His response to her anger is calm. "Well, that actually stung a little! So it seems your energy type was passed down to Raditz. I can tell because my arms went numb for a few seconds. Heh-heh."

Gine's other hand engulfs with the same power. Her face forms a full snarl as the energy increases.

Cell finally flexes his fingers, and he lowers his arms as the static dies down. He looks at Gine with a bit of annoyance. "But still, what you did was hardly impressive to me!'

He immediately thrusts a single hand forward, firing a quick blast that soars towards the woman.

She throws both of her hands out in front of her. Just as the blast reaches her, a pink energy shield is formed and tanks the attack. The Saiyan plants her feet firmly on the ground as the impact tries to push her back. After several seconds, she swings her arms out. The shield shatters, and the blast breaks apart as a shockwave that nearly knocks a few of the fighters off their feet. A massive cloud of dirt flies through the field.

"Whoa." Kauli is amazed. Everyone else seems somewhat impressed, excluding Vegeta and Karot.

"Interesting." Cell chuckles. "You can form a shield. I doubt it would save you twice. You already broke the rules, so nothing can save yo—"

A pink blast strikes him from behind, knocking him to the ground. Cell is quick to push himself to his feet as he whips his head to the direction the blast came from.

Screaming, Gine flies in from the cloud with a charged Single Sunday. She fires the attack, and Cell is forced to tilt his head to avoid it, but her boot slams on the side of his face, sending him back down.

Cell jumps to his feet as Gine jumps back. "So now we're fighting serious!"

Trunks can't believe what he is seeing. But what surprises him even more is what he is sensing.

It's Nappa who says exactly what is on everyone's minds. "She was holding back this much all this time?!"

"She could have overpowered Cell before he reached his perfect form!" Tarble can't fathom why the Saiyan never bothered to kill Cell back then.

With Cell distracted, Krillin sees an opportunity. "Hey! Quick! While he's busy! Pull them to safety! They need our help!"

Tien is hesitant, but he flies off along with Krillin and Yamcha to the field. The three of them return with the unconscious Saiyans in their arms.

"They are still alive!" Yamcha announces. The brothers are dropped before Vegeta, and he gains distance in a hurry before the prince decides to do anything with him.

The prince huffs, and he glares at Kauli. "You there."

"Huh?" Kauli is stunned.

"Since we lost the few Senzu Beans we have left, you're going to have to step in to help these idiots."

"Y-you want me to heal them?"

"What else could I possibly be talking about?!"

No need to argue. Kauli hurries over and drops to her knees. She presses a hand on Raditz's chest, but she is torn between Kakarot and Turles.

Vegeta takes notice of her hesitation. "Now what?"

"I can't heal more than two at a time! I only have two hands!" Kauli says. "I don't know…I don't know who needs help more!"

"You're going to have to choose."

"I can't just—"

"It's obvious…just…heal Kakarot." Turles' strained voice catches everyone by surprise. His eyes are still closed, but he's conscious. "If he dies…his spirit won't even have the chance to make it to Otherworld. We know this. So…just get on with it. I will be fine…with some internal bleeding."

"That's not ok, you dumbass!" Kauli snaps at him.

"So what? If you waste it on me, I will never forgive you. Get on with it…"

Kauli grits her teeth, but she places her hand on Kakarot's chest as she was told. She takes a deep breath and begins her song.

…

Gine lands on the ground, panting as her body continues to blister. The smoke clears from around Cell, and he appears to be in pain.

He flashes a snarl, but it twists to a grin in an instant. "Is that it…? Finished with your tantrum yet?"

"Gine!" Nappa calls. "Why didn't you use your Endless Thundercrash?!"

Gine snaps her head in his direction. If looks could kill, he would have died over five times just then. It's enough to silence him from asking any more questions. Everyone else avoided her eyes, sensing a strong pressure from them that was almost crushing.

"She uhmm…doesn't want to talk about it," Krillin whispers.

Tarble is the only one not spooked, spared from the sight of her glare. He is still cautious, sensing a great deal of malice from her presence alone. "If I remember correctly…she mentioned it's not something she can use so many times in a row. The limitations make it impossible against someone like Cell…"

"Yeah but…why does it feel like she could kill us if she wanted to…?" Yamcha asks.

Cell's footsteps thankfully turn Gine's attention back to him. It's like she remembers why she's so angry, because her entire body becomes tense, like she is fighting the urge to lunge at him.

"It seems to be the end of the road for you. But oh my. Look at how ugly those eyes are. I'm starting to understand why your sons can be so violent! Looks like the beast is trying to come out."

What is he on about?

"They say the eyes are the window to the soul. They only turn red when your blood boils with bloodlust. Come on. Don't deny that. That's exactly why they change when you catch sight of a full moon…no?"

Gine doesn't answer. Her puffed tail continues to lash behind her.

"None of you have bothered to show me yet. What do you really look like? No one will stop you if you decide to show your true face. After all, you aren't a Human or anything."

"My true face?" Gine sneers.

"I'm giving you a window of opportunity. Your last shot. So if you want to grow big…now is the time."

He can't be serious.

No, he's not. He's mocking her. He's mocking all of them!

But if that is what he wants…!

Gine places a hand against her chest. She grabs the Oozaru chain, tugging it slightly. She speaks, her tone cold but sharp. "I've always hated resorting to this…"

"Uh…grandma? What are you…?" Trunks is scared.

Nearly everyone is.

"Does she know how to control her instincts in that form?" Karot quickly asks him, just as worried.

"I… I don't know. I don't think so…"

"Ah. So this is where it starts." Cell crosses his arms.

"Is she an idiot?" Vegeta's question could have been an insult, but for once, he looks a bit concerned. It's not towards Gine. It can't be. From how he seems ready to kick himself into flight, it's clear his instincts are telling him the same exact thing that every Saiyan is sensing;

'She's dangerous. She could lash out at anyone.'

Raditz stirs, and he sits up, confused. "Why am I not hurting as much as I should be?"

Kakarot sits up as well. His body is still hurting in several places…but he can actually move again. "I don't remember eating anything."

"Cell took the Senzu Beans," Piccolo says.

"Well, that's just great. That explains why I still feel a headache trying to hit me," Raditz grumbles. "So how is it that—"

"Kauli," Turles says. He knows his brothers are concerned for him, but he brushes it aside. "I will be fine. I guess it's self-inflicted punishment…I'll take it."

"Kauli…" Kakarot looks at her, but she is far more focused on the fight. The blue of her eyes is gone again…

"But hey, good news," Turles says. He lifts his prosthetic. Despite the condition it is in, it still moves, fingers and all.

"Prince Tarble's a genius. His craft didn't fall apart this time."

"Now isn't the time to praise me," Tarble says.

"Wait!" Raditz panics. "Zhanshitao! Where is he?! He was just next to me—"

"I have him."

Trunks holds the arachnid between his hands. He's focusing his energy into him. His eyes are fixed. Zhanshitao isn't budging.

"It's hard to say if he will make it," Trunks admits. "But he's still alive…I'll do everything I can to make sure he does."

Raditz opens his mouth, but Cell's laughter grabs his attention. He looks out into the field, and fear floods his face at what he is seeing.

"M-mom…?"

Now his brothers see it, and they freeze just as quick.

Gine didn't even have to say anything. The malicious air was thick…and they knew it was coming from her.

A roar of thunder.

Gine turns her art attention towards the sky.

The clouds had darkened near black, almost as if to add more scenery to the battlefield. The wind kicks up, blowing hair and fur in many directions.

Kauli shakes her head and steps away. She tries her best not to jump as thunder roars again.

"How disappointing for all of you," Cell says, watching the occasional dancing lighting. "It was such a nice day today. It now seems your bodies will get muddy and rotted in mucky mold now."

"No…"

Gine's empty response leaves Cell somewhat bothered. That was a killjoy. The bio-Android is quite curious, however. Her red eyes are fixed to the sky, as if it's the most beautiful thing the planet has to offer.

"No?" Cell echoes her word, somewhat curious. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm afraid…you'll have to wait a little longer for that." Gine's voice was near monotone, but it held the sharp seething edge.

"And why is that?"

Gine's only response is a dark chuckle. It catches not only Cell off guard, but everyone else standing in the sidelines. That sounded abnormal, coming from her.

Static begins to jump across her body again. Her hair begins to stand on end due to the high amount of charge. The intensity is more than it ever was before, to the point it's heard buzzing through everyone's ears.

"This again?" Cell scoffs. "You are only wasting time, Saiyan! It didn't work! Nothing is different!"

"It won't work?" Gine tilts her head. "You don't even know who I am."

7) Throwing a single hand up, a massive lightning bolt shoots down and strikes her with a powerful and shaking roar. The booming thunderclap shakes the very earth, sending Kauli off her feet.

The giant bolt stays there, humming and roaring. Gine, standing in the very core, is unfazed. The maddening rage in her eyes is an unsettling look on her. Her mouth forms a seething grin, as if she is a beast wearing someone else's flesh.

No one can decide if they should be afraid or not.

"Okay, she's mad." Cell notes.

"What the hell—" Vegeta takes a step back. "She's turning herself into…some kind of lightning rod?!"

Future Trunks feels the wind pick up, and his hair begins to stand on end. He cups his hands around Zhanshitao to protect him from the elements. 'No way…! Her plasma buildup is more intense than father's!'

Nappa turns to Raditz, who watches in disbelief. "Did you know about this?!"

"N-no!" Raditz stammers. "I had no idea! She never told me anything about this!"

Gine shouts over the sound of thunder, her voice near shrill. "ALLOW me to show you exactly what I did on Planet Mineral!"

Her children recognize the name. "Wha—"

"Enough of this!" Cell rockets forward, charging a single-hand blast. A bolt of lightning strikes right at his path, forcing him to stop in an instant

Gine slams her hands together, and she rubs them together as energy builds again. Instead of small thin bolts, they are large, zapping and humming with far more intensity than they ever did before. She pulls her hands apart and spreads her fingers. Bolts jump between her hands now, illuminating the wicked expression on her face.

Another roar of thunder in the sky mirriors her flowing emotions.

With a heavy snarl, she pulls one arm back, and the electric charge follows. "Endless…THUNDERCRASH!"

With a violent arm swing forward, bolts of lightning-shaped blasts swarm at the Android. The second they strike him, they expand and burst into a massive electrical explosion that knocks him back. It shakes the ground, and it roars almost like thunder.

Cell grits his teeth at the impact. The bolts travel across his body, and he shakes them off, only to be met with another one unleashed from Gine's other hand. He is crying out in pain.

Gine screams out in fury as she continues to swing each arm in turn. The display is almost like a lighting storm. The bolts relentlessly strike Cell and explode against him on impact. They become heavier and packed with more power. By the sixth strike, it is impossible to see where Cell even is inside. All that can be seen is the explosive energy within every second.

Wave after wave, she doesn't stop. Her eyes remain locked on her target as she releases her fury.

"Oh, crap…!" Yamcha gulps as he tries not to lose balance from how heavy the ground is shaking. "I had no idea she could do this…!"

Kauli sits in a ball with her hands clamped around her ears. She is fighting the urge to bury her head between her knees. Even as she speaks, her voice trembles. "Gine…she…sh-she told me she loves thunderstorms. It m-makes perfect sense now!"

Kakarot's brain clicks now. He slams one fist on his palm. "Oh! So that's what she meant about certain conditions!"

"She's at her strongest under a thunderstorm…?" Vegeta can't grasp it. "Why couldn't Raditz do that?!"

Raditz can't take his eyes off the explosive frenzy. The lighting bolts fly in the cloud and expand out in the dancing light. The brilliant patterns and the strong smell in the air, it was nothing he had ever seen before. It was stunning.

"Now I see why she never taught me this technique…" Raditz mutters.

"Why not? It's incredible!" Krillin shouts.

"No…it's intoxicating."

The description makes anyone smiling drop the expression. They take a quick look at Raditz, who appears to be in a light trance. Then, they look at Gine, who is yet to show any signs of stopping her chain of attacks.

If anything, she looks like she's having too much fun with it.

The ground continues to explode in brilliant pink light. The massive bolts crackle and spread out like loose tendrils of webs. The entire battlefield is coated in a massive radius. If anyone is still screaming, it's impossible to hear it anymore. The endless roar of thunder floods everyone's ears.

Nappa had never seen anything like it in all his years of living. "The name she gave that technique…it makes perfect sense now."

— 0000 —

From the giant crystal ball planted in the middle of Hell, Saiyans crowd the area, watching as the sights are nothing but white and pink flashes.

"Incredible…she still has it." Tora looks at Bardock. "After all these years, it's like it's still second nature to her!"

Shugesh laughs. "I sure did miss the sight of this! Every time a storm rolled in, we just knew we had to step aside and watch as the fireworks go!"

"She always made me jealous too. She looked like she had fun doing it!" Borgos says.

Fasha growls, and it's enough to have the three of them stop talking.

"What's the matter, Fasha?" Borgos asks. "I know you've always liked seeing this too."

"That's not the point, you idiot," Fasha says. "Gine said she never wanted to resort to this technique ever again. But that damn Paragus just had to surface it back. Not only that…it looks like she ran out of options. When the storm came, she saw the opportunity and took it."

Shugesh shrugs. "I get what you mean. She did seem pretty upset about it. But this isn't the time to worry about that kind of thing when that monster is running about, don't you think?"

"Bardock?" Tora turns to his old leader, who seems fixated on the display. "What do you make of this?"

Bardock hasn't said a word since the fighting started. But for the first time, his face changed. And his lips begin to twitch as anger begins to surface.

— 0000 —

The roaring stopped. Cell is lying helpless on his stomach as his muscles twitch against his will. His mouth hangs open as he struggles to breathe. All he can do is shoot Gine the most heated glare he can muster.

"Whoa! Cell is down!" Krillin shouts.

Small lightning bolts jump and coil around Gine's arms. She flexes her fingers as the lightning flashing behind her illuminates her figure. "Your body won't listen to you anymore. I have you where I want you."

"She's incredible…!" Trunks laughs. He turns to his father. "Are you seeing this, father?! Grandmother is amazing! We actually have a shot at this… Uh…father?"

Raditz isn't smiling.

"What's wrong?" Trunks looks at Kakarot and Turles, who wear the same expression. In fact, no one seems to be…celebrating? "Can someone fill me in why this is a bad thing?"

"She's a Saiyan alright…" Krillin frowns.

Gine walks closer, staring down at Cell with utter disgust. "Tell me, how does it feel, for your muscles to be locked in place like they are filled with lead? Has the scent of electricity filled your nose yet? By this time, you ought to be nose-blind."

Cell can't speak even if he wanted to. The best he could muster was a strained groan.

"For someone who's twitching on the ground at my mercy, you sure do have a lot to say." Her hands are engulfed with intense energy. "At this very moment, you are in no position to talk! In fact, you can't even do as much as that anymore, can you? That's good…because I want you to lay there and think about what grave mistake you've made."

Gine swings her arm again, sending another massive bolt that explodes upon impact. Cell can't even scream as his body is thrashed and sent crashing on the ground. He's on his back now. If he could breathe before, now he can't do that much.

"Looks like your lungs can't even function properly. Do you even have any lungs? Or a heart at that? Doesn't matter. You don't stand the slightest chance against me anymore. There is no one else on this planet, no…the entire universe who can manipulate plasma the way I do! Wouldn't you agree…?"

"Ok, so she's not killing him." Kauli states.

"Yeah. I know." Raditz seems ready to take off at any second. "Darn it, mom! What the heck are you doing?! Just finish him off!"

"Tell me why I should." Gine's tail sways as she walks closer to Cell.

"What do you mean tell you why?" Raditz almost shouted at her, but the tone she was speaking with didn't sound natural. Something is wrong…terribly wrong.

He never heard that tone from her before. That kind of anger is deep. Deep and dark to the core. It's eating her alive.

"He hurt you, dear. I don't think I'm ready to let him go yet. He needs to be punished," Gine says, looking at her hands.

"That…doesn't sound like grandma." Trunks is alarmed. "What's happening to grandma?!"

"And now that the storm is out, I feel the intensity at its peak," Gine says. "How much I adore thunderstorms. The energy that fuels me is unlimited now. The buzzing in my ears, through my nerves…it's there. Every time I unleash it on this insect, it's like a bug zapper. Such humiliation. He's not so perfect anymore. I almost want to feel bad for him. Almost."

She begins to chuckle, her snarl forming into a grin.

"Uh-oh." Kakarot blinks. "Not good."

Has she ever acted like this before?!" Kauli shouts

"N-no!" Raditz shouts. "She was fine while we were training!"

Nappa frowns at the sight of this. 'She behaved the same way towards Paragus…but I can't tell them that. Too many questions they aren't ready for. I don't know if I can pull her from that state again.'

— 0000 —

Bardock frowns. "I knew this would happen. Damn it, Gine."

Fasha groans as she covers her head. "She had one job! But for us to expect her to follow through during a thunderstorm out of all things…!"

"Yeah. Now that I think about it, that was always her biggest flaw," Borgos says. "Heh. She's every bit of Saiyan when she gets like that though."

Fasha sighed. "If only she would stop playing with her food."

"Her ki type is a rarity, so many people didn't know how to counter it," Bardock says. "That made her a valuable member to the crew. It's the reason why we were so damn successful before she quit."

Fasha steps to his side. "Can't you just talk to her? Like you did before?"

"It's a bit more complicated. I was only able to break through her mind because Nappa managed to have her lower her guard. But when she's excited like that…talking to her is impossible."

"Well unless you want her to exhaust herself to death, you're going to need to try!"

"But she can't? She's already dead," Borgos says.

Tora frowns. "But Cell can still kill her."

"She will just bounce back. You can't kill what's already dead."

"Do you even know what happens when a spirit dies while in the living world?"

"Uh…that's not a thought that ever crossed my mind—"

"Nobody paid you to think." Bardock walks past them all until he stands directly in front of the spear. He closes his eyes with a sigh. "Gine, you idiot…finish him off…! What are you doing?!"

— 0000 —

"Ok, new problem," Yamcha says. "Is there a slim possibility that the demon got into her head?"

"Kakarot said the thing hates electricity. She's literally a lightning rod right now!" Kauli points out. "So where the hell is this coming from?"

Nappa knows exactly what it is…but he refuses to speak a word of it. Her sons are already worried sick. They don't need to be fearful for her anymore than they already are.

And for as long as this storm lives, she is showing no signs of stopping. She's already preparing to unleash the next wave. It would be a great sight…a great advantage for everyone.

But for her to wear a face like that…it's not normal. It was never supposed to happen.

What King Cold did to her…

A bolt flies once more. Cell is just beginning to lift his head when it strikes him back down. It's the biggest explosion yet. The shockwave knocks nearly everyone from their feet, but Gine stands firm with both arms still outstretched. She is almost laughing at this point.

Everything begins to settle, and small bolts jump around Cell. A finger moves, then a hand…then a leg.

Gine's grin vanishes in an instant as Cell climbs to his feet. His entire body is cloaked with that familiar pink bolt of energy. Gine takes several steps back, her eyes wide in disbelief.

It's not that he is standing up…

8) It's that he is fully healed…as if nothing ever happened…!

"These…magic beans you have…they really do have quite the effect, don't they?" Cell laughs at everyone's shocked expressions. "I was wondering how everyone bounced back after I practically trashed them all, but now I see just why you've been clinging on to these. It's incredible!"

"Wh…when did he have the time to…" Gine can't find her words. She can't wrap her head around when he found the window to eat one, or even do as much as move…!

Unless…!

He absorbed it through his tail.

"Not only am I back to my swell self…but I feel oh so much stronger. Is this how Saiyans feel after recovering from such a thing? I can see why your kind were near unstoppable. As I said before, your biology is fascinating."

Gine screams in fury as she unleashes another. But to her disbelief, Cell takes it while standing. All it does is stun him for several seconds, and he's back to standing upright with a horrible grin…!

"If I remember correctly…you said you're the only person in the entire universe who can manipulate energy the way you do, right?" Cell asks.

"How…how did he…?" Nappa is stunned.

"He…he figured out how to use it?!" Vegeta shouts.

"Raditz's cells…they really do come in handy. It only took a handful of zappings for my body to remember how to resist it. Although, it explains why Trunks' rude discharge didn't have such a strong effect on me as he would have liked. And now…"

He lifts a hand, and all the bolts gather to the palm of it.

"It's your turn."

"Mom!" Raditz gasps.

Cell vanishes, and reappears behind Gine in a heartbeat. He trusts his hand forward, unleashing the condensed energy as an intense explosion.

"MOM!" Turles and Kakarot scream.

Gine falls from the cloud, and she lies on the ground. Her body is fighting off the bolts that attacked her. Cell walks closer, studying his hands and flexing his fingers as if to get a feel of his renewed body.

"You know…your little gift actually made my day. I am in a far better mood than I was from the start! So, thank you, Ice, for the precious gift. I'm sure your sister will appreciate it! I actually thought I was going to die there for a second!"

"Damn it!" Piccolo snaps. "We were nearly there?!"

"This isn't fair!" Krillin grips his head. "Now we have to start over from scratch?! But he's much stronger now! What can we do?!"

Nappa and Turles exchange looks. Whatever options that are left available..they just became even more narrow.

Raditz seems ready to jump back in there, but his hesitation keeps him anchored. "You…if you…!"

"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill her. Didn't you hear what I just said?" Cell reaches down and lifts Gine from the ground by her tail. He tosses her towards the crowd with little effort.

Kakarot jumps up and catches her in her arms. He makes a soft landing and settles her on the ground. "Mom…? Are you ok…?"

Gine opens her eyes. They have returned to their onyx black, but they are glossed with tears. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean…for any of this to…"

"It's not your fault, mom," Raditz tells her.

"What are you saying?!" Vegeta snaps. "This is her fault! All she had to do was keep attacking! But she just had to make it difficult by dragging it out! She had him! She probably had him a long time ago! But she instead has to keep running in circles, and now look at where we are! Not only is he back to full strength, he got stronger!"

"Now hold on, Vegeta," Nappa says. "Maybe she is somewhat responsible for not taking him out right away, but regardless if she stopped or not, he still had the Senzu Beans. The end result would have been the same, don't you think?"

Vegeta tries to find words, but no matter where he searches, Nappa is right. He crosses his arms with a scowl. "The woman should have had a firmer grip on the bag then!"

"I would have liked to see you try to stop someone that strong!" Kauli shouts.

Cell clearing his throat stops any more arguments. "Well, since it's evident that no one here has any chance of defeating me…if you don't mind, I am just going to kill Goku now."

Raditz steps in front of Kakarot in an instant.

"Persistent, aren't you? I understand. So then, any last minute plans then? There are high demands for his head, so I can't very well ignore that. Oh, right. I almost forgot about Ice. That's two heads, actually. Although I am still tempted about Raditz here. I don't know. I'm still thinking about adding a third…"

Kauli can't turn into a smaller ball than she already is.

"Well…? Does anyone have any genius last ideas…?" Tien asks.

Everyone is silent, trying to think of something. Krillin's eyes light up with a spark of hope. He faces the fighters, speaking almost in a whisper.

"Do you think a Great Ape transformation would do any good?" he asks. "I mean, nearly everyone here has a tail. You could just…"

"Oh! That could work?" Yamcha asks.

"Maybe. But…" Raditz shakes his head. "No. It's weaker than a Super Saiyan."

"Why not just combine them together?" Krillin asks.

"What?!" Raditz's mouth hangs open at the idea. He looks at everyone else, and they seem just as stunned, or interested at best.

Karot is in awe. "That…that sounds so strong…"

"Combining the strength of our primal forms with Super Saiyan prowl…" Nappa taps his chin. "That could work but…there's only one problem."

"Without proper training, trying to contain your bloodlust in that form is near impossible," Vegeta says. "It rises as you transform, which is why they train you to fight those instincts during that window. Otherwise it will overwhelm you, and you won't be able to stop yourself from trying to kill anything that moves."

"But, didn't you say a Saiyan is conscious in that form before?" Krillin asks. He remembers all too well, during his fight against the Saiyans. Kakarot was enough evidence.

"Somewhat. It's not easy to explain," Vegeta says. "Saiyan battling instincts are at their peak in that form. It depends on the individual."

"The Super Saiyan form also heightens all senses. Not to mention how easy it is to get angry like that," Kakarot says. "It sounds good on paper but uh…if you put angry on top of angry, that could be…bad."

"So basically…a giant golden gorilla is just a raging destructive bomb waiting to blow up. Great." Yamcha sighs. "Man, I actually thought we had a good opportunity here. Why are Saiyans so angry?"

"Damn it all." Vegeta almost hisses. "If only I didn't lose my tail! I could have been the best opportunity to make it work!"

"Vegeta was our best bet…?" Krillin frowns. He turns to the others. "What about you guys?!"

Kakarot chuckles. "Well. It depends on my mood, I guess. I can somewhat stay conscious in that form but…it's too big or a risk to try."

"I hate to admit it, but it's a gamble with me as well," Raditz says. "I have partial control. It's not enough. Let Cell blast me on the face and this entire planet is doomed."

Turles shrugs. "I haven't transformed in nearly a decade. Sorry to say I think I'm out of practice."

"Uh…don't look at me." Trunks chuckles. "I definitely can't do it. I remember nothing!"

"Same here," Karot says.

"I don't think I ever transformed. The idea…nah…I'm good…" Kauli shakes her head before resting her chin on her knees.

"Seriously…?" Krillin gives up.

Gine sighs. "I was actually willing to transform earlier. Maybe I could have tested that theory. But the gamble is there…"

"I do have control of myself, but it takes so much effort to keep a cool head," Nappa says. "Combining that with a Super Saiyan? Is it worth it?"

"It's far too risky to try. I do agree that the power sounds incredible, but what good is it if no one can use it properly?" Tarble asks.

"Tarble. You've learned how to channel your anger by training with Broly, right?" Kakarot asks. "You're probably the next best thing! You could give it a try!"

"Oh, that's right!" Nappa agrees. "Maybe we do have a shot!"

"Uh…" Tarble freezes, and he sighs. "Well."

"What?" Vegeta frowns. "What is it?!"

"I hate to disappoint you, but I…never once transformed into a Great Ape."

"WHAT?!" Everyone stares at the younger prince as if he has gone mad. Cell is drawn to the noise, but he doesn't make a comment on it.

"The planet I was sent to didn't have a strong satellite!" Tarble shouts in defense. "And this planet lacks a moon itself! And this thing—" he grips the necklace hanging from his neck. "—it's keeping us from changing regardless! I never actually had a proper opportunity!"

"Well, there goes that," Tien sighs. "If he never once did it, then there is no way of telling if he can control it."

"So this idea is useless. That's what all of you are telling me," Piccolo growls.

"I'm familiar with adult Saiyans never once going through the transformation, but I didn't think I would actually see it here! Although, I shouldn't be surprised. You were never so keen on getting your hands dirty," Vegeta says.

"I said the opportunity never came!" Tarble shouts.

"Damn. I actually had a window of hope for a second! Why did you have to throw it away?"

"Well I'm sorry I never had an actual reason to use it!"

"You went to the time chamber twice and it never crossed your mind to try to see?!"

"It didn't! I'll admit it! But even if it did, it would be seen as useless! Had the Super Saiyan cloak crossed my mind, then maybe I would have tried! But it would mean risking facing Broly in the same state!"

The argument ends there. It seems everyone agrees the risk wouldn't be worth it.

"Hello?" Cell calls at last. "Are you done bickering now? Because if you are, I would love for this to wrap up! I was kind enough to let you strategize!"

"All that time in the time chamber…and it never crossed our minds to reign in the instincts in both forms…" Raditz mutters. "I feel like an idiot."

"Oh, no." Turles appears fearful for his life.

"What is it?"

"Do you think Cell could transform?"

"He isn't exactly a Saiyan," Raditz says.

"And neither is Seleriak, but he still did it!"

"He's half Saiyan! I'm pretty sure the requirement is his tail!"

"Cell has his tail!"

"But it's not a Saiyan tail!"

"Don't tell me you're implying Cell has this same idea on the back of his mind!" Vegeta stands at last. "Because if he does, we might as well consider ourselves doomed!

"We are already doomed!" Krillin shouts.

"So you're just going to give up?! Is that it?!"

"I am just being realistic here!"

Everyone begins talking at once. Kakarot listens to them all, seeing the anger and fear etched all over their faces. He sighs and stands, allowing his tail to slip free from around his waist. He leaves the crowd, and makes his way over to Cell.

"Uh…Go…ku…?" Trunks' nervous call stops the arguing at once. They notice Kakarot is no longer among them.

"Kakarot! What are you doing?! Get back over here!" Raditz shouts. "Didn't you hear him?! You're on his death list!"

"I know." Kakarot smiles.

He's…smiling?

"Uh…ok Kakarot. Now isn't the time to be more stupid than normal." Raditz is on the verge of panicking. "Turn around, damn it!"

Kakarot ignores him, and he tilts his head. "Say, Cell. I know you want to kill me and Kauli and all, but how do you feel about a proposition?"

"I'm…sorry?" Cell is confused now. Everyone is.

"Does he actually know what that word means?" Kauli wonders.

Kakarot continues. "Even though you managed to defeat me, that doesn't mean you've won. There are still plenty of more fights after me, right? You shouldn't have your hopes up."

The words are registered, and Cell bursts into laughter. "What are you implying, Goku? This is the peak of all the fighting! There is no one else who can top this! I'm afraid that once I kill you, it will grow too boring for me to care about anything else."

"I figured you would say that! That's why I'm here to bring you the great news! There are some fighters stronger than me!"

"What?"

"Is he…talking about Broly? Because that might just be true," Trunks says.

Broly points at himself before looking at his own hands. He doesn't seem entirely confident, but he clenches them tight, steeling himself.

"That's not possible," Cell says. "The information I was given claims that Vegeta is the strongest among you. But you are the most intellectual in combat. So who could possibly outshine the both of you? Did that crown fry your brain a little too hard?"

"Nope! I am perfectly fine. And I can promise you that you won't be disappointed!" Kakarot says. He places his hands near his hips. "The fighter I am choosing that will defeat you Cell…that would be Gohan!"

"WHAT?!" Nearly everyone's jaws drop.

"M-me?" Karot stares at his father, who is completely unbothered by this.

"You heard me, Gohan! Go ahead and jump in there!" Kakarot shouts.

— 0000 —

"Has he lost his damn mind?!"

Everyone is holding ChiChi back, who seems ready to destroy the ship's monitor screen with her bare hands.

"I know he saw that monster gain his full strength back! Why is he sending my son out there to fight against him?! He said he wouldn't let anyone die! So why Gohan?! I can't allow that to happen!"

Cheelai and Lemo are being dragged across the floor as ChiChi changes her course, trying to make a dash for the door. Oolong and Puar join the group, but their added strength is ineffective.

"No! You can't go out there! You're pregnant!" Oolong shouts at her. "If you and the baby die, then forget about Cell! Goku would destroy the entire planet!"

"ChiChi please! You have to stay here…!" Puar screams.

— 000 —

"Ok Kakarot, you better explain yourself!" Raditz snaps.

"I know it sounds crazy, but you have to trust me on this," Kakarot says. He looks at Karot with a smile. "I know you don't like me, but I'm not throwing you out there for no reason. This entire time…you've been keeping tabs on the fight, haven't you?"

"Well, yeah…" Karot frowns. "I was pretty sure you had him before he struck your crown. But you just kept holding back and…"

"That's where you are wrong. I was giving Cell my all out there."

"Huh…?"

"You assumed I was holding back, because you were comparing your power to everyone else's, haven't you?"

"He's been doing what?" Piccolo asks.

"Is that true?" Tarble is stunned. "You've been doing that this entire time?"

Karot nods reluctantly.

Trunks' face floods with fear. "Wait a second…you're not…you're not just going to send him out there! Not alone like that! I can't…."

"I knew you would say that," Kakarot says. "You want to help him, don't you?"

"I…"

"It's not just Gohan. Trunks has been doing the same thing," Kakarot explains. "Ever since he woke up, he's been quietly observing the matches. You realized they hardly said a word, right? Maybe Trunks was trying to figure out what he did wrong to do better if he decides to jump back in. As for Karot…maybe he's trying to come up with something. Whatever it is…they've been doing it."

The two kids realize they are the center of attention. If they could shrink and disappear, they would had done it a long time ago.

Cell raises an eyebrow. "This just took an interesting turn…"

"I don't know why everyone is acting so surprised. They both displayed their power many times before in the past, didn't they?" Kakarot asks. "It's not just me who knows this. Nappa and Turles knew all along too. They trained them, after all."

"Well, yeah but…" Nappa is stunned. "I didn't think you were this confident about betting on children."

"You're sending my son out there against someone who traumatized him?!" Raditz shouts. "Seleriak fought him while he was at full strength before and couldn't do anything! You want to do that to him again?! Are you even thinking?!"

Kakarot's smile drops. "I have been thinking…for a very long time."

Raditz can only stare. Kakarot was serious…

"Even if things do fall apart, it won't be over. Besides. I've anticipated a lot of things while training. I've accepted a lot, too. I'm not worried one bit. They will be the ones to defeat Cell."

"Kakarot…I've heard you say some dumb shit, but this one takes the cake," Raditz says.

Vegeta shakes his head. "Well, if that is what he wants, then let him have it."

"Vegeta…" Nappa's words trail off.

"If Kakarot believes those half-breeds stand a chance, then so be it. It's not like we have any other options. Sure, we can send Broly, but there is no telling just how much control he has over his power. It won't exactly be ideal to fight two massive threats at the same time, now would it?"

Everyone solemnly agrees.

"Well…uh…alright. I'm going to believe you, Goku," Krillin says.

Yamcha is a bit unsure about this. "Goku has had crazy ideas in the years I've known him, and they usually work out. So…we can't exactly doubt him…"

Gine sinks into the ground. "I hate to see children getting hurt like this…please tell me this will work. Don't let them throw their lives away."

"Well, what do they think?" Piccolo asks. "Are they really confident that they can take on someone like that? They had a shot, but that was before he healed himself."

Trunks and Karot look at one another, almost speechless. For a moment, they both are pale on the face. But, standing side by side gains them a bit of confidence.

Trunks turns to Yamcha and settles Zhanshitao on his hands. He looks at him in the eyes. "Do you have him?"

Yamcha nods. His eyes fall on the arachnid.

Trunks holds Yamcha's hands with a tight squeeze. "Then listen to me. Transfer your energy to him in small portions at a time. Even if he moves, don't stop. It's the only thing keeping him alive. You got it?"

"Yeah, I hear you."

Trunks hardens his eyes. "I need to hear it clearly. You have him?"

"I…I have him. Right here."

Trunks steps away from Yamcha, and he turns around to face Kakarot again, his eyes full of determination.

"So, you're in?" Kakarot asks him.

Trunks nods. "I'm not…I'm not going to run away this time! I refuse to lose Karot a second time! You hear me, Cell? This time, I'll give you everything you're looking for!"

Karot glares at Cell. "Dad may be a monster, but there is one thing he never lost his senses on, it's knowing how strong someone is! If he says I can fight you, then I will!"

"This is almost depressing…" Cell says. "I already know the outcome. It's simply not worth it. All of you have already lost. But, if Goku wants to pit literal children against me, then who am I to deny it? I get to fight Trunks a second time. Maybe I can give him a proper send off. Who knows?"

Trunks tries not to back down after hearing that.

"I believe in you two. You got this!" Kakarot turns away from the pair and regroups with the audience.

"Kakarot. You do realize this is a huge gamble, right?" Turles asks.

"It will work. You know it too. You've seen it with your own eyes," Kakarot says.

Turles turns his gaze towards the ground. He doesn't know what else to say. What can he say?

Cell doesn't appear the tiniest bit amused by this. He isn't even ready himself. He instead crosses his arms, looking down at the children as if he was their disappointed father. "I don't know what kind of cruel prank this is, but fine. I will entertain it. You will wish that I had killed you, Kakarot, because I am going to make you watch as their lives turn into a living hell!"

Karot and Trunks both settle into their fighting stances. They can only hope that Kakarot is right.

Because if he isn't, then he truly has lost his mind.

---

CHAPTER BONUS:

And Now…

TFS Shorts!

Dun, dun, dun-dun-dun, dun, dun, dun-dun-dun, dun-dun-dun…dah!

(This is a TFS-like parody from a scene in this book series!)

Today's short: "Seleriak awakens!"

Vegeta: You know, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess if crybaby over there actually did something! He has the nerve to preach me about right or wrong?! He was trained by Karot AND Table? Out of all the people, it has to be those two! Maybe I can see Kakarot's brat working out, but Tarble? That's just a death sentence waiting to happen!

Trunks: *deep inhale* You know what? F*ck it.

Vegeta: Say wh—

*Trunks kicks Vegeta to the ground.*

Kauli: Oh my God!

Trunks: I'm getting reeeeeally tired of this, Vegeta. You know, I've heard so much talk about you from Master Karot and my unhinged Teacher, but you know? I wanted to be a good guy. I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. But holy shit you are just as bad…if not, WORSE than what I was told!

Raditz: He gets that a lot.

Vegeta: *Sits up* Oh? Are you really doing this? Going to throw a little tantrum because you were not man enough from the start? Well I'm sorry your feelings are attacked. It's not my fault you decided to turn tail and turn into a little bi—

*Trunks stomps Vegeta's head through the ground. Vegeta's scream is muffled, and everyone stands stunned.*

Trunks: Starting to think Cell is 70% Vegeta, because he really likes to hear himself talk and brag about how great he is. And frankly, it is annoying.

Kauli: Somebody gets it. Thank you.

Trunks: You know. Tarble and Nappa are out there giving their all. They are going to lose. It's destined for all of us to lose. Do you know why?

Vegeta: *Muffled* They don't have the damn strength to—

Vegeta gets stomped down again*

Trunks: *Snaps* Because of YOU! Like, what the hell? How many times do we have to point this out to you?! It's almost like you just cast aside every bit of common sense to fuel your own ego! Nothing would stop you from being an idiot except for death! Why the hell did I save you? You were better off dead!

*Pause*

Trunks: Oh my God.

Gine: Wh…what is it?

Trunks: Oh. My. God.

*Suspenseful music begins to swell*

Raditz: Uh…kid?

Trunks: Hah…haha…! HAHA…HAHAHAHAHA!

Kakarot: Uhhh he's doing the thing.

Turles: Oh shit.

Krillin: What thing?!

Trunks: I actually agree with Teacher? Seriously?! Does this mean he was right the entire time?! Oh, this world is f*cked!

Vegeta: *Muffled* I highly doubt a STEM nerd and the spawn of a disgrace did anything worth praising in whatever timeline you came from. You wouldn't have run away screaming if they did.

Trunks: …

Vegeta: …

Everyone else: …

Trunks: You don't even know what it was like…what was I expecting…? Of course you wouldn't…you'll never… I really am wasting my time, aren't I, Teacher?

*He kicks Vegeta through the ground.*

Trunks: I was raised in a world poisoned with madness! Very contagious madness…everyone there will make Cell's behavior look tame…! This WORLD is laughably tame! I can sleep like a baby here because it's so DAMN PEACEFUL HERE!

Yamcha: Wait. This screwed up world is peaceful to you?!

Turles: That's…that's bad.

Kakarot: No, that's good!

Turles: No, idiot! That's bad! Real bad!

*Suspenseful music swells into discomforting horror music.*

Kakarot: *Head tilt* Hooooow? That means Trunks gets a good night's rest without having to worry about Androids killing him!

Turles: Kakarot. You tortured and killed a city's population.

Kakarot: Ok? So?

Turles: That's not normal.

Kakarot: The demon was very demanding.

Turles: Everyone in his damn timeline has their own PERSONAL Youzi poisoning their heads! For DECADES!

Kakarot: Oooooh. Oh-ho. *Chuckles* Yeah that's bad.

*Trunks stomps Vegeta through the ground. Vegeta's screams are muffled.*

Trunks: You wanted to see it. I get it. I understand. I'll deliver.

*His eyes turn red.*

Trunks: I am so tired of pretending.

*He begins to kick and stomp Vegeta on the head. Everyone stares as the prince cries out in pain.*

Kauli: Should we like…stop him?

Yamcha: I'm not going out there.

Raditz: The kid's not right in the head.

Gine: Let's be honest. Almost none of us are.

*Everyone shrugs and nods.*

Krillin: Yeah but uh…don't we need Vegeta alive?

Kakarot: He'll be fiiiiine. He just had a Senzu, and Cell gave him a far worse beating. All Vegeta has to do is turn Super Saiyan to throw him off.

Raditz: He's not turning Super Saiyan.

Kakarot: Or he can not transform and get turned into red paint in half an hour, but other than that, he's fiiiiine.

Turles: I think we should stop him.

Tien: I don't know. This is the best thing I've seen all day.

*Vegeta continuously gets stomped and kicked.*

Turles: No I mean, seriously. Before he actually kills him.

---

A/N: Finally Finished!

WOW this was a chapter. I had a bit of fun writing it since it was focused around Gine and her sons! But oh man we are finally at that part of the Cell saga we have been waiting for! (I am so sorry for the long wait!)

But it's with a twist? Oh?

---

Possible Questions:

PQ1: How soon will the next chapter be released?

A: Hopefully by next month. Depends on what happens, so I can't make any promises.

These 20-30k chapters are quite heavy to write. I could technically make them shorter, but I had so much content I didn't want to cut out.

If book 5 is a thing, maybe it will be a smaller book.

PQ2: Book 5 title contest?

A: Hm. Since this book is nearly done, I guess you can give suggestions. I'm looking for anything involving evil magic that also works with the Saiyans? Perhaps? Feel free to give ideas.

I really, really do want to write book 5 though. I won't say why just yet.

PQ3: Will Turles ever become a Super Saiyan?

A: He already is one, like the other Saiyans. He just can't trigger it yet.

Tell me. What do you think will give him the push he needs?

PQ4: Gine lightning rod?!?!

A: That scene was inspired by something I have forgotten a long time ago unfortunately. If I remember, I will mention it.

I had this in my head for a very long time. I had that scene written out years ago, actually! The image of Gine standing in the core of a lighting bolt with a wicked grin is uh…terrifying.

But hey. Now you know why she hates talking about Planet Mineral so much.

And Paragus knew about it. Which is why he freaked out when he saw her about to use that attack against him.

PQ5: What is Kakarot's plan???

A: I'm not gonna tell you and he isn't either. Sorry.

PQ6: Trunks is fighting Cell too?!

A: I have a couple reasons for this. The first one is that this version of Cell is stronger compared to the canon version of Cell. (Especially with that huge Zenkai Boost compared to the canon!).

I already had Gohan planned to fight Cell for a long time, because that's a staple you just can't get rid of. (Mostly) But ever since I was a teen, I've always wondered why Trunks never had a proper fight against him?

I mean yeah. Of course he does, when he returns to his own timeline. But that's not what I am referring to.

Yes, Trunks gets his justice by absolutely destroying the Androids once he returns home…but…

You know. You will see where I am going with this.

PQ7: Will Broly ever fight?

A: I wish I could answer that. :)

---

Question Time:

None yet!

---

Next Time:

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

Karot: (Nervous) Um…this is Karot speaking! Am I doing this right…?

Karot: (Disbelief) I can't believe dad chose Trunks and I to fight against that thing! I…no, I shouldn't even be surprised. He lost his mind a long time ago!

Trunks: (Nervous) I don't think he would just toss us out here for no reason. You said so yourself! We just have to trust his judgment and give Cell everything we have!

Cell: (Sighs) Well, this shouldn't last long. I hope you are watching, Goku! These children are going to be reduced to a sniveling and dying mess, and it will be all your fault!

Kakarot: (Laughs) Say what you want, Cell, but they aren't ordinary kids. Trust me.

Karot: (Nervous) I hope you're right.

Karot: Next time on: "The Dissonance of The Earthling Saiyan"! Chapter 26! "The situation turns bleak! Don't lose your determination!"

Trunks: (Nervous) Wait. THAT'S the title of the next chapter?! What's going on?! Wh…what are those things?!

---

REVIEW! All are appreciated!

To be Continued in Chapter 26!

---

Upcoming Chapters: (Read at your own risk!)

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!

THE FINAL CHAPTER - Chapter 30: "What it means to be a warrior." In the present and the future… it's time to make a final score with old enemies. Raditz and the others begin their research to track and prevent anymore destruction. Future Trunks stands firm, stronger than ever, and ready to bring peace to his timeline once and for all. Meanwhile, Gine holds her promise to protect her children, no matter what. They all will encounter what was once a major threat. Never again shall they dare to bring any harm to anyone! What does it mean to be a warrior? The answer will vary, but a fight will always come!