A/N: This took so much longer than I ever could have anticipated! Much apologies for that but I felt the chapter's 14,441 word length was necessary for the gravity of this chapter. Also, life kicked me in the ass a lot. As usual.
Now, I hope you all will excuse me, but I feel like I must talk about the death of Akira Toriyama. He is quite literally the reason I got into anime, and I've been a huge fan of Dragon Ball (as you can prolly tell by the username lol). So, like for many, his death hit hard. It doesn't even feel real sometimes, but I am grateful for his impact on my life through his works. I'm grateful for the person it has led to me being today as well as going on to influence my writing. The world may have lost an amazing mangaka and human being, but his stories still live on through his family, his manga, his fans, and the continued legacy of Shounen.
Rest in Power, Akira Toriyama.
Chapter 20: . . . The Winner Takes All
Pant.
Pant.
Pant.
Gohan loosely held his fighting stance: the stance of the Demon, taught to him long ago by the Demon King Piccolo himself. He may have been known to the world as a demon, but Gohan knew him as a friend and comrade. Piccolo's tutelage has saved his life more times than he could count, and the man himself saved him even moreso. So as Gohan felt the lactic acid fatigue pooling in his muscles, he could only pray that his friend's tutelage would see him through once more.
With a shout, Gohan sprung towards Cell, his aura rippling to life. Cell smirked as he ducked under Gohan's right hook and then hopped above the incoming sweep kick before catching Gohan in the side with a spinning kick. Gohan felt blood splash out of his mouth as he was sent careening through the air. He stopped on a dime hovering above the ring's edge with a quick burst of energy, clutching at his aching side.
'Damn. . . definitely. . . cracked a few. . . ribs' Gohan thought, panting painfully with each breath. Dropping himself safely onto the ring, he fell back into his stance. 'Cell's power is unreal! This must be how Dad felt when he faced Cell.'
"What next, Gohan?" Cell asked, spreading his arms. His casual gait and cocky smirk mocked the young warrior. He drew closer without any hint of defense. "Is this all the fight that you can muster? I'm disappointed."
Gohan growled as he powered himself back up, ignoring his screaming ribs. "I'm not done yet!"
'Time to fight dirty!'
Gohan phased out leaving an afterimage in the air before leaving another one on the edge of the ring to his right and yet another closer to the center. This went on and on until the ring was almost completely filled with his afterimages. Cell paused and followed his movements all of the while. "Afterimages? How quaint. I can track you easily with these eyes. Your speed is nothing to me."
The Gohans smirked. "I don't think you can! Masenko, HA!"
Cell's eyes widened just before his head was blown off of his body. A second later a Kamehameha came barreling towards him, engulfing him in its brilliant light. Once the light died down, Gohan was left huffing and puffing, his arms still extended. The quick pairing of Multiform with the Afterimage technique wasn't something he rehearsed, but he figured that he could take a page out of his father's playbook in spontaneity. He doubted that it was over; nothing ever came that easy, after all, but if all went well, Cell would have a nasty little-
"Grah! Dammit!"
Gohan smirked. Scar.
The smoke dissipated revealing Cell, who was also missing nearly the entire left side of his upper body. His head was barely supported by the right-sided muscles of his neck.
"Heh," Gohan laughed. "It looks like you're all right now."
Cell sneered as he regenerated his losses with a shout and a splash of slimy, translucent liquid. "If you're celebrating that meager triumph, then consider this fight lost already."
He charged forward with a right hook that Gohan weaved around, followed by a left that Gohan blocked with a forearm. Gohan's teeth rattled from the force as he retaliated with a left of his own that Cell grabbed, stopping the blow cold with a sonic boom. Gohan winced as he tried to free his fist only to be slammed in the gut with a vicious knee. Spittle and blood flew from his mouth as he clutched his abdomen with his newly freed hand. His head jerked to the side as he was struck by a right from Cell followed by a left. Another right. Another right. A left.
Gohan could feel his world going dizzy as he tried to create space between them to no avail. Cell was just too fast, constantly bludgeoning him from all angles. The only defense he could make was to lift his arms to keep his head protected from the world of fists, feet, and pain. It left his abdomen unprotected, but it was a price that he had to pay to be able to think clearly.
All of a sudden, the battlefield was drowned in green mist once more. Gohan smirked as he felt Cell's blows falter. It wasn't by much, but it was the opening he needed. With a surge of speed, Gohan rushed forward and blasted Cell in the gut. The android stumbled back a bit as the mist started to circle him. Gohan couldn't pretend to understand what was happening, but he did know that whatever it was causing Cell to be immobilized for the time being.
Gohan cupped his hands at his sides as he dropped into a low crouch. A high-pitched whine rang through the air. The light of his Ki began to burn through like the power of the Sun in the palms of his hands. "Ka. . . Me. . . Ha. . . Me. . ."
The light reached its highest intensity.
"RAAAAGHHH!"
The mist violently scattered as a beam cut through, racing towards Gohan. He cursed as he barely leaped out of the way. His attack died out in his hands as he tried to once again rush towards Cell, only for him to fire off a series of Ki blasts.
Gohan halted with a burst of Ki, raising arms to guard the onslaught. He frowned, however, when he noticed the trajectories of the blasts. None of them were on course for him. In fact, most of them weren't even going to hit anywhere close to him. 'It's a distraction, but why so many?'
Following the path of the blasts, Gohan's eyes widened as his pulse quickened. He cursed as he spun around fully and flared his aura. He tried to fire a series of counter blasts. Another round of explosions hit Cell's scattershot attack, creating sights like mini-fireworks. It was partly tedious, but soon all of the blasts were accounted for. Gohan turned back to face Cell, his snarl evident.
His eyes only caught a flash.
A deep, bellowing shout rang through the air, ending just as swiftly as it began. A headless Elementor dropped to the ground with a mighty thud. A beat later an explosion rang out, kicking up a cloud of dust a good distance away. His allies scattered away like insects from the destruction, two men shorter than when they had begun. The only thing that would be left of the ravaged area would be a smoking crater. It took Gohan a moment to process what had just happened.
"You killed them!" Gohan growled. "Sorcerer and Ultimate Elementor!"
Cell lowered a smoking finger. "Yes, and hopefully the Sorcerer stays dead this time. I'm going to keep picking them off if you don't cease your tricks. Your call, Gohan."
"Uh oh," Berto muttered. His fingers were frantically typing away at his pad, trying to control C.Y.T.R.O. while also surveying the field for new advantages. "Can Randy resurrect something that's been completely obliterated?"
"I don't think it's likely," Forge sighed, scratching at his stubble. "Do you have the T.U.R.B.O. Bomb online, Berto?"
Berto gaped at the Commander. His hands faltered slightly before he scrambled back to his typing. "Are we using it right now?! D-Don't you think that it's too early, sir?! We still have other plans!"
"I don't plan on us using it now, but we've just had two of our plans permanently wiped from the board. We need it ready. Just in case."
Berto nodded reluctantly as he continued to swipe and tap away. He dragged up a few holographic interfaces, swiping through them. "The numbers are still good, sir. The bomb is as stable as it can be. The automated pilots are still online as well."
"Good. Keep them at the ready. We might have to use them soon."
This was his last jump.
Well, it wasn't his last one, but it was close enough. There wasn't much else that he could do with the limited battery power he was running on unless he managed to find the resources and time to restock it. He was practically running on empty at ten percent. It was so much harder to find a safe universe than he had originally thought. He'd spent too much time running from random serial killers, giant naked people with no genitalia (who'd nearly demolished his baby), and evil spirits. He was particularly paranoid about the evil spirits. He sure as shit hoped that he hadn't carried one with him.
Regardless of his possible current haunting, the new land he found himself parked in looked normal: there was short green grass as far as the eye could see, insects and small animals buzzing and chittering, and Cirrus clouds scattered across the blue sky. Then again, the last place he was in looked normal enough until he spotted a giant ape who towered over the tallest of buildings doing battle with a giant lizard. He shivered slightly at the memory. He didn't dare to leave his pod. Instead, he tapped a few commands into his dashboard and waited for his device's assessments.
Air: Oxygen of a similar concentration to your own world. The worldly AQI is 20.
Population: Thirty million people. Composed of anthropomorphic animals and humans as well as some aliens/alien hybrids and an unidentifiable, sentient creature.
Fauna: Similar to your own world. Of note, dinosaurs are living and present in wild areas. Many similar animals to your world are larger here.
Flora: Similar to your own world.
Currency: Zeni.
Government: Monarchy
- - Ruler: King Furry
"Huh," Viceroy muttered, rubbing his chin. "It isn't perfect, but it could be worse. What's the history of this planet, Safe Haven? Anything notable that I need to look out for? Please tell me there aren't any naked giants."
"This planet has been invaded several times over, but it has not been conquered. There is not much explanation, but there is a possibility that a man named Goku Son has some level of responsibility for those thwarted outcomes. Two of the men who attempted to destroy the Earth were seen later at the tournament to fight Cell-"
"Wait, wait! Cell was here? Is this his Earth?!"
His machine whirred for a few moments. Those were probably the most stressful ten seconds of his life. "Yes and no. He was here on this Earth, but he was likely defeated by Son Gohan, aged eleven, rather than the supposed hero, Hercule Satan. He has not returned since he left the timeline."
Viceroy felt the closest thing to breathing that he had felt in what felt like years. His hand flew to his mouth as a dumb grin more befitting of McFist split his face. "This is. . . incredible! Safe Haven, do you know if any of the people that fought with Gohan against Cell are present?!"
More whirring. "There appears to be at least three of them still on the planet: Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha. A blonde woman who was expelled from Cell's mouth is also present. Keying into her record database shows that her name is Lazuli. None of these people are on the level of Cell, however."
Viceroy cursed, lolling his head back against his chair's headrest. His fingers massaged his forehead, hoping to alleviate the tension that would soon be there. "Well so much for that. . ."
"Who are you?"
Viceroy's blood ran cold as his head snapped to and fro, searching for the voice. No one was in front of him or next to him. No one was behind him either. He craned his neck upward and finally managed to spot a woman off to his upper right. She was hovering a few meters above him, staring down at him. Her short, blonde hair glowed in the sunlight along with her piercing blue eyes. "S-Safe Haven, is that the blonde?"
"Yes."
Not daring to take his eyes off of her, Viceroy licked his drying lips. "Great. Let's hope she's friendly."
The already uneven terrain was littered with craters several meters wide, cracks, and scorch marks. The ring itself was still in check; a testament to both of the main combatant's awareness and control. That said, Cell had more of a reason to preserve the ring than Gohan. The teen had been trying to demolish Cell into a firm paste, but the android wasn't making it easy on him.
Gohan scowled as he surveyed his current circumstances. Cell was beginning to get serious, the Sorcerer was likely permanently down for the count, Cell had an idea that they were doing something to heal their adversaries, and Gohan himself was probably down to seventy percent power. Meanwhile, Cell was only barely removed from his full power. At least that was what Gohan could estimate considering he wasn't even sure where Cell's full power started.
His gaze flitted over to his allies, one of them in particular. Randy was still going strong judging by his Ki, even as it flickered from fear. Gohan wished he could say that it was unfounded, but he knew better than that. It was only a matter of time before Cell figured out that Randy was the one healing people. There was only so much they could do to hide it with the Sorcerer dead.
"Are you perhaps giving up?"
Gohan's gaze snapped back fully on Cell. He inwardly cringed. Vegeta and Piccolo would have chastised him had they been there to witness. One of the most basic rules in a fight: do not take your eyes off of your opponent. "Not a chance."
"Good. I hope you can get serious because I grow tired of this warm-up."
Gohan barely managed to block Cell's sudden punch. Cell crossed the distance of ten yards in what felt like an instant. The bones of his forearm rattled as the fist dug into his skin. The pain left him distracted enough to miss the right hook that sunk into his cheek. Pain exploded through his mind as his sight was swarmed with spots. The wind was roaring through his ears as he was flung away briefly before he flared his Ki to stop his sudden momentum, only to immediately have to rocket away from an attempted elbow shot.
'Kami that would've done a number on my ribs!' Gohan thought through clenched teeth, trying to ignore his stinging cheek. 'I need to do something to get the upper hand!'
His brain searched frantically, but he couldn't quite find an answer.
"Gohan," Forge's voice rang out from Gohan's earpiece with an audible tightness. No doubt he was attempting to mask it. "Danny's awake. Do you think we should commence with Plan B?"
Gohan scowled as he dodged a punch before flaring his aura and pumping as much speed as he could to get skyward and away from Cell. A quick glance down showed Cell in light pursuit, smirking all the while. "I don't think that Plan B, C, or D are gonna cut it. We should try plan H, so we can regroup."
"Alright, guys! You heard the man. Engage maneuvers!"
Gohan spared a brief glance over to his friends as he saw Randy moving onto the fighting ring with his Nomicon in hand. Their plan would be to force Cell into the Nomicon. It wasn't meant to be a permanent solution, but there was a chance that if they could trap him there, they could get the jump on him or plan a more permanent end for the bio-android.
"Coming down!" Gohan exclaimed before flipping upside and rocketing off, towards Cell with his fist cocked back. Cell took the punch in stride before dishing out a thunderous roundhouse. With lightning-fast reflexes, Gohan took the kick and wrapped his arms around Cell's leg, holding him to his side. He grit his teeth ignoring the pain as he used the momentum from the blow and spun them around and around, adding his own torque with his flaring aura. Before long, he let go of Cell. If his mental calculations were correct, Cell would be thrown at the proper trajectory to fall right on top of the open Nomicon that Randy had just set up. His aim was true.
Unfortunately, Cell would give him no time to celebrate.
Like a bullet, Cell's arm stretched out at an inhumanly fast speed and length, gripping tight around Gohan's neck. He yelped as the both of them went careening for the ground. Gohan and Cell began to tumble through the sky as they tried to position the other to take the brunt of the impact. It felt like the struggle went on for hours as the grapple for control continued with elbows being thrown and kidney shots jabbed. It was hard to say for sure how long it went on between the intense cheap shots and holds and constant, disorientating rotation as the wind roared in their ears.
One thing was for certain. The last thing either of them saw was a flash of light.
The walls of the sewer were shaking with the force of every bout of thunder. The watery sewage splashed every now and then once disgusting sludge would be dislodged from the roof and walls into the water below. It was like Zeus himself was going on a rampage, fighting amongst his brothers. One would be forgiven to think that it was only the rumblings of a terrible storm or deity, but Vlad knew better. Heck, the entirety of the world knew that thunder was not the explanation, though they likely wished it was.
Today was tournament day. Or rather, the day that Cell squashed the planet and eventually carried his carnage to the rest of the ignorant universe and then, later, the multiverse. Normally, Vlad would have been horrified and angered to face such impossible odds. He would have even found himself cursing every god known to man for the terrible hand that he seemed to be so constantly dealt. But this was not his story. No, he would not be in the middle of the impossible fight, getting demolished alongside those goody-goody heroes. He would not be watching the bout, either. Instead, he would be gone by the time the situation went straight to Hell. He wasn't an idiot, however. He had a clone observing the tournament from a safe distance, relaying the battle to him telepathically. After all, although he could guess what Cell's next moves would be, it wouldn't hurt to get a more direct idea after the dust cleared. It hadn't been spotted yet thanks to Gohan and Cell having their attention focused on beating each other into bloody pulps.
As such, it was quite the uninterrupted view.
A few of his fellow villains were already dead by the time that he had finished the last pieces of wiring on his control board. The only thing left for him to do would be to turn on the portal. It was not as pristine as he would have liked; the shape was much bulkier than the sleeker model he had back in his mansion and many of the parts didn't match (although they still worked fine, obviously). It looked more like some child's ratty, metal, art collage than an invention worthy of Vlad Masters, but it would have to do. He wouldn't leave just yet because he wouldn't be able to maintain his clone across dimensions. It would simply take much more power than he had. As such, he would stick around for a moment. Just long enough that he would see the outcome of the battle and see Cell's inevitable next move.
Still, he couldn't help but watch the heroes squirming. Especially Gohan, shining like a beacon of light. A light that would eventually be snuffed out.
Vlad chuckled, his eyes glittering in the darkness. "What will you do now, Gohan?"
Wind rushed through Gohan's ears as he free fell through the air. He cursed as he saw Cell hovering in the air, glancing around. Most likely disoriented if his frantic turning was any indication. Gohan flipped himself over in mid-flight to land deftly on his feet. He scouted his surroundings with a sinking feeling in his chest. There was forestry all around him, just like how Randy described the Nomicon to be. The sky was beige. It wasn't exactly like the sunrise, but it was reminiscent of the early mornings when Gohan and his father would train. It would have been nostalgic had he been there under different circumstances.
"What did you do?!"
Gohan's gaze focused back on Cell as he lowered himself to the ground, glaring at the half-Saiyan. Cell looked pissed, but not enough that he would just start wailing without reason. For all he knew, Gohan was his ticket out. As such, Gohan felt comfortable giving him a brief glance before turning away. "Plan H is in effect."
Cell scoffed. He could hear a rustling sound (probably Cell crossing his arms) behind him. "I'm honored that you all would go so far as to name plans for me. I'm curious, how many of them have I ruined already?"
Gohan chose to ignore him as he continued to look around the area. He walked further away from Cell and into the forest, thinking that maybe the Nomicon needed space between him and Cell to pull him out. Even after being within a solid thirty meters from Cell, this seemed to be less and less the case. 'What's going on? Why isn't the Nomicon spitting me out?! I need to end Cell now! I shouldn't even be here! Why won't it just let me-?!"
Instantly, the scenery began to change. The leaves from various trees were stripped from their branches by a rushing wind, coloring the sky with the patterns of Fall. The wind and nature battered against Gohan, a stray branch hitting him in the face, and soon, raised arm every now and then. He could even feel himself struggling to keep his ground under such torment. It was an alien experience to be so shaken by nature, but it was an experience that he'd been warned off. The inner world of the Nomicon was a mindscape, not a physical place. Gradually, the wind began to die down enough for him to lower his arm. No. That wasn't right. The wind was still going strong, if not stronger. It had simply parted on either side of him, carrying the thickening cloud of leaves with it. He could distantly see Cell watching with as much wonder as was surely on his own face. The leaves joined together, writhing over one another.
"What the hell. . ?" Cell muttered.
Gohan couldn't help silently agreeing as he watched leaf after leaf join the thickening cloud. They quickly made two feet, raced up to create two towering legs, and a torso. They then rushed up after stabilizing the trunk to create shoulders and split ways to make arms downward and a neck running upwards. It didn't take long before a towering Ninja was looming over them. The detail was honestly breathtaking as it glowered down upon them like some force of destruction with its eyes black from the absence of leaves. His mouth was set into deep frown despite the constant writhing of the leaves making the Ninja look like he was wreathed in flames.
A rustling took Gohan's attention from the giant. From the forest that was once filled with trees, a horde of birds (crows, Gohan soon identified) swarmed the skies. Much like the leaves, they joined together as they flew up from the forest as a mass of inky black, blotting out the artificial sun. Gohan could feel a chill creep up his spine as the darkness swallowed more and more of the light. The crows were making a message. Crows didn't have very many good meanings, even on their own, and if Randy's details about the Nomicon were to be believed, the Nomicon was all about its meanings. Silently, Gohan watched as they completed their message:
ARE YOU READY TO RISK IT ALL?
Gohan looked up at the words with confusion, running the words over in his head. What type of question is that? Of course, he was! "Yes! I am! Now let me out, I need to beat him!"
"Plotting right in front of me, are you, Gohan?!"
Gohan spun around just in time to block the haymaker Cell launched at him. He fired off a feint before driving his knee into Cell's solar plexus. The android doubled over his knee as a left hook from Gohan slammed into Cell's jaw, sending him skidding along the ground. Gohan glanced back at the sky to see a new message.
DO YOU WANT TO WIN?
Anger erupted inside of Gohan's chest as he caught Cell's punch after he'd jumped back into the fray. His eyes never left the imposing eyes of the Ninja. "Yes! Yes, for the hundredth time! Let me out of here! The multiverse is at stake!" Pain exploded from his jaw as a punch found him unaware, knocking him into a tree. Gohan yelped as his back was wracked with pain. Scowling, Gohan tried to shrug off the blow and charge back at Cell, but he found that he couldn't. Gohan frowned, flaring his aura to life as he tried to break the invisible hold on him.
Nothing.
"What's. . . What's going on? I-I can't move!"
There was a churning, scraping sound as Gohan looked down to find tree bark creeping over his arms and legs. He frantically tried to pull himself away, but it seemed whenever he tried to pull away, the bark gripped harder. His pulse quickened as his mind went into overdrive. The bark was growing fast, but his mind was thankfully faster. His eyes heated up before he fired a quick Ki blast from his eyes, aiming at the bark stretched around his right leg. His heart stopped as he saw it continue to writhe around him, showing no signs of slowing down. He tried to fire a blast from his hands, but it was almost like he had no control over it. He couldn't feel it anymore. The bark grew across his torso and lower body, stopping just around his neck. Gohan glared up at the sky as the writing began to flurry around the sky.
"Haha! Serves you right, arrogant brat! It seems that your plan is failing you."
Gohan glared at Cell, who smirked even wider. "Once I get out of here, I'm going to kill you."
"Somehow I doubt that."
As if to rub salt further into his wound, a pinprick of light appeared behind Cell. It was so small that Gohan almost thought he was imagining it, but there was no mistaking it in the darkness. It stood out and only grew more obvious as it expanded, causing Cell to turn around and spot it. "What is going on now?"
The light remained in the shape of a circle as it enlarged. Soon enough, the hole was taller than Cell and far wider. The light died down, but the hole remained. Fear gripped Gohan's heart as the hole began to shimmer like a rippling pond. The brightness returned to a level similar to its past luminosity, rays of sunlight cut through the darkness to reveal the real world. He saw his and Cell's bodies were still on the ground with the Nomicon laying before him and his friends. Danny was firing ectoblast after ectoblast at Cell's body along with Randy throwing whatever Magic Balls he had to try and decimate Cell's body to no avail.
Gohan felt his mouth going dry. He still couldn't move. "What are you doing Nomicon? Let me out!"
Cell smirked. It was like something he'd see on Vegeta's face. "Well, good to know that even this Nomicon of yours recognizes its superiors. I will remember this kindness." Without another word, he stepped through the hole as it closed behind him.
Gohan fought even harder against his restraints, but the bark encasing him held strong. Dark clouds of ravens began to swirl and fuse overhead, and the winds picked up once more, whipping his hair into a frenzy. Before long, a tornado began to form ahead of him. Caps of thunder broke against the horizon, so powerful that he could even feel them rattling him from the ground. Rain was beginning to pour as well, drenching him down to his boots and bones. He snarled and raged as his aura burst to life, but nothing would budge. There was a crackle in the sky, a boom of thunder mixed with lighting dancing from cloud to cloud. The tornado in front of him began to swell, turning round and round. Without warning, it was split apart as a bolt of lightning dropped down from the sky.
Standing before him, as the smoke cleared was the Ninja. No longer was he shaped by leaves and branches. Instead, he stood at a reasonable human height, not much taller than Gohan himself. His suit wasn't much different from Randy's outside of a handful of designs, his shorter sleeves, and the placement of his scarf being more of a long headband. Fire flickered across his person, illuminating him in the darkness. His eyes held years of wisdom that much was easy to surmise. Gohan had to question if he had somehow gone senile, though, from his centuries trapped within his book. "Hey, you need to let me out! I need to get Cell!"
"Why?" Gohan blinked in surprise. From what Randy told him, the Nomicon almost never spoke. At least, not normally like a conversation, but here it was conversing with him. Before he could issue a proper response, the Nomicon continued. "Why should I let you out just to die? As you are now, you stand no chance."
Gohan gnashed his teeth with a growl building deep in his throat. "They're gonna die if you don't let me out! Let me fight him! You were supposed to trap Cell, not me!"
The Ninja shook his head. "No. You will not leave until you understand."
"Understand what?!"
The Ninja sighed. "When are you going to stop holding back?"
"Hold- Holding back?! I've been fighting with everything I've had out there! What are you saying?!"
"Then why haven't you won?"
Gohan wanted to throw his hands up, but he couldn't with his body plastered to the tree. "Because I'm not strong enough!"
"Then I'll ask you again. Why should I let you go out just to die?"
Gohan tried to speak but felt his voice fail him. A beat later he could feel a warm wetness streaming down his cheeks, blurring his view of the Ninja. Blinking it away, he looked the Ninja in the eye. "If I go down, at least let me go down with them. . ! Please!"
The Ninja regarded him in silence. Gohan couldn't begin to guess what was going through the Ninja's mind as he stood there merely staring at him. His heart was hammering against his chest as it took all he had within him not to devolve into a screaming mess. Suddenly, the Ninja's form shifted. He had become a bit shorter and much stockier. His mask fell away to morph into a stronger face with a defined jawline and a widow's peak hairline. His black and red suit morphed into a skin-tight, durable blue and white armor. He had morphed into the Saiyan prince. "I never took you for a quitter."
Gohan's jaw set as he glared at him. "I'm not quitting and you're not Vegeta."
The imitation scowled as he stalked towards Gohan. "You have quit. You quit when you faced Frieza, you quit when you fought Cell, and you quit when you fought Nappa. You have always been a quitter."
Gohan worked his jaw as he glared. He knew that it was the Nomicon impersonating his teacher, but it didn't make his blood boil any less. "No, I wasn't able to win those fights! I wasn't strong enough!"
"You weren't strong enough, so you admitted defeat. Pathetic."
Gohan's eyes moved to his right to find the towering form of Piccolo standing beside him. Gohan shook his head, his gaze faltering a bit. His stare was just as penetrating as his master's. "You're not Piccolo."
"You didn't deny my words. You know the truth. You admitted defeat, and in doing so, you quit on your allies. You left them to fend for themselves. You're weak."
"No! I'm not! Now let me out!"
"You let me die." Gohan's eyes shot to the left as he found the form of his father. His face was hard. It was the face that he reserved for his enemies, not the face of the happy go lucky father that he knew. His stare held unspoken accusations and bitterness. And worst of all, disappointment. "You let me die, and now you've quit. The Earth would've been destroyed if I didn't mentor you from the afterlife. Because you quit."
Gohan shook his head, trying to catch all of their gazes at once. It was an almost impossible task as their gazes started to feel heavier. He wanted to escape their eyes all the same. "No, you don't understand. . . it wasn't my fault!"
"It is. It's yours alone, and now your friends will suffer."
The winds began to pick up immensely, his father, Piccolo, and Vegeta were flung away by the rushing winds as what felt like the world followed them. Trees, leaves, branches, and houses were uprooted and flung into a growing mass above him. Like a dying star, it collapsed, rocking the surroundings with a devastating explosion. Somehow, the tree keeping Gohan prisoner remained unmoved even as the shockwave enhanced the winds tenfold. Gohan watched helplessly as a new hole spiraled into existence. Like the one that carried Cell out of the Nomicon, this one showed his friends. They were watching helplessly as Cell hovered in the air. He had an arm raised holding a growing sphere of Ki that was already the size of a small house and climbing.
He laughed a horrible maniacal laugh as the sphere grew and grew. Gohan could make out the faces of fear on all of their faces. The faces of his friends. Danny, Max, Randy. . . they would all fight to the end against Cell, but they were afraid. His blood ran cold.
"Your friends are doomed, and it is all your fault. Because you quit on them and refused to put it all on the table."
Gohan couldn't see the Nomicon, even as he shifted his gaze from side to side. It sounded like his voice was coming from everywhere. 'What does he want from me? Android 16 already taught me this lesson! I know that I have to fight, to kill to protect the ones I love. I know I have to cast fear aside! I know that I have to be the one to do this so why won't he let me!'
In those thoughts, Cell used that time to release the fireball, mammoth of Ki. Gohan saw it fall in slow motion. He could see the shock, the fear, the despair in all of their faces. In turn, he could feel his own despair. It felt worse than when he had to tell his mother that his father wouldn't be coming home, worse than when he had gotten Jefferson killed, worse than when Piccolo died. Because he knew that this time their deaths would be permanent and that there was no definite comfort of life on the other side in this universe. For all that he knew, everything would be gone forever.
It would be his fault and there would be no fixing it.
'No. . . this can't be how it ends! This can't be it. I can't do this again! Not again. Please. . !'
"Let. . ." Gohan started, numbly. A crack began to form on the bark around his neck.
"Me. . ." Gohan continued, bite returning to his voice as the bark around his neck continued to fracture down to his abdomen and his extremities. Light began to trickle out from the cracks as the air hummed with power. It felt as if the realm of the Nomicon itself was rumbling in protest. The air grew hazy as pressure began to build. The portal to the real world shuddered and quaked.
"FIIIIIGHT!"
The tree was blown to smithereens in an explosion of power and light.
Randy looked on in terror as Cell continued to charge his attack unimpeded. He'd been slightly confused when Gohan had been shloomped alongside Cell, but he had quickly reassured the team that the Nomicon could still hold Cell and then release Gohan, even if he was entirely sure he believed himself. Randy's gaze drifted back down at Gohan helplessly lying on the ground. Oh, how royally wrong he'd been.
"What do we do, Uncle Ferrus?!" Max cried.
Randy almost wanted to laugh at the idea that the Commander would get them out of this. There was no way they could do anything with Gohan gone.
"Randy, you and the villains!" Forge ordered. "You guys need to get out of there! As far away as you can, we're deploying the T.U.R.B.O. Bomb. Get to the copter a hundred yards to your right if you can't move fast enough. Max and Danny, I need you both to evacuate anyone too close."
"The T.U.R.B.O. what?" Max hissed.
"What about Gohan?" Danny interrupted. "We can't just leave him here!"
"We'll just have to trust that he'll survive," Forge said. His voice was firm, even though Randy could detect a hint of sympathy.
"I'll need to take the Nomicon with me though!" Randy blurted. "I don't think it's designed to handle what Cell is dishing out! If it gets destroyed, I don't know if we can get Gohan back."
"Fine! Everyone get moving."
Randy looked down at Gohan one last time as he scooped up his Nomicon, muttering a plea to whatever deity might be listening. The other villains were already gone as well as Max and Danny to help out the stragglers. He glared up at Cell as his ever-growing ball of Ki kept on swelling. It darn near looked like the sun was bringing its wrath down on Earth with Cell being a barely visible speck below it. The wind was even starting to pick up a bit from the power being unleashed. None of his nightmares could have prepared him for everything that happened today.
"Randy! Now!"
Randy jolted as his eyes found the helicopter a few hundred yards away. He cursed under his breath as he raced forward, gripping his scarf and spinning it around like a lasso. With a mighty heave, he wrapped it round the leg of the helicopter. He zipped up quickly leaving Gohan behind on the ground. It took all he had within him to keep his eyes ahead. He could feel his eyes starting to sting and moisten despite his best efforts. 'I'm sorry Gohan. You were right, man. .'
Barely waiting for Randy to haul himself on board with the aid of Extroyer and Ven-Gahn, the copter was off at a blistering pace as the craft swayed and jerked. They would likely be at N-Tek in a few minutes at the breakneck pace they were going. However, despite their speed, Randy could see the ball of Hell beginning to drop. It looked like the Sun was coming down to Earth, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.
Randy cursed, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Himself for being weak. The other heroes for not being strong enough. The Nomicon for botching the job. Cell. Ferrus for making them leave. Heidi for making him care so much about her. Theresa for being so confusing. Everything and everyone.
He almost missed the missile that shot up from the ground in a wreath of gold. It must have happened in a second, but it looked as if the world had turned on slow motion. The streak shot upwards with a mind-boggling force like thunder. A force that was otherworldly yet controlled. There was a loud boom that expelled in the projectile's wake before meeting the fiery death headed for them.
And then everything went to white.
"Where did you come from?"
Viceroy shifted his gaze to the blonde woman standing next to him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her gaze impassive, giving him no hints as to what was going on in her head. He didn't know much about the woman, but if she had fought against Cell, he knew resistance was not an option. Instead, he brought his gaze back to the blue-haired woman in front of him who was questioning him. She was looking over at his baby with an analytical eye. No doubt she was a genius, given how many times he'd heard her occasional mutters about her theories on his baby's inner workings. Hopefully, she was also a genius who understood how extremely delicate creations could be. "Do you mean my hometown, my normal place of residence, my planet of residence, my galaxy of residence, my universe of residence, the universe I was whisked away to, or the universe I just left?"
The blue-haired woman's eyes snapped back to him, glowering. Her mouth opened for what no doubt would be a sharp rebuke, only to soften her gaze as her hand went to her chin. Her brows furrowed as she cast her gaze back to Safe Haven. "Knowing as much as possibly would be best, so why not all of the above?"
Viceroy sighed. "I come from Jameson, Missouri, my regular place of residence is Norrisville, Oklahoma, my planet of residence is Earth, my galaxy of residence is the Milky Way, my universe of residence doesn't have a name to my knowledge, the universe I was whisked to doesn't have a name I'm aware of either, and the universe I just left also doesn't have a name."
The blue-haired woman blinked at him before nodding to the device. "You managed to make a dimension hopping machine with some stray parts, while also packing some protective features and powerful, speedy processing. Impressive. Did you meet a person named Gohan while you were moving around the multiverse?"
"Yes!" Viceroy exclaimed, practically leaping for any chance to get him in their good graces. "I, er, fought alongside him against Cell."
"Is that right?"
"Yes, ma'am. I did."
"You?"
"Yes. With my technology, of course!"
The woman regarded him with what looked like appraisal. "Can you get us back there?"
Viceroy paused, sweating slightly. He could in fact get them there, but his machine would need time to recharge. Also, there was no telling if there was a place for them to go back to. The earth could have been blown to smithereens for all he knew. He didn't know how kindly they would take to a negative answer. Sure, they helped the goody-two-shoes, but that didn't mean they weren't above getting rid of him if he proved useless. His eyes discreetly went to his peripheries: he was unbound in a spacious lab. Sure, there were inventions taking up space along with a few tables, but it would allow for a sprint to Safe Haven. . . However, considering the fact that he wasn't tied up, they were either incredibly confident in their abilities to capture him should he try to escape, believed he wasn't a big threat, or both. All these thoughts left him at an impasse: did he lie and extend his time or go with the truth. He rubbed his forehead and heaved a sigh. "I think so?"
He tried to maintain eye contact with the blue-haired woman but found it increasingly difficult. It wasn't that she herself was intimidating, but more so that the woman standing next to him (just barely in his peripherals) could snap him like a twig. The blue-haired woman seemed to catch onto his agitation. "If you're worried about the battery power, 18 and I can handle that." She leaned forward, looking at him seriously. "Now, what was this about Cell?"
Viceroy could feel at least a bit of his tension disperse. "He's alive. Gohan didn't kill him during the Cell Games like you all may have thought. I don't know how or when Cell escaped, but he did. He's stronger than before from what I gathered. Gohan can't beat him."
The blue-haired woman cursed, chewing the inside of her lip. Her mind was no doubt racing miles a minute even as she turned to her glorified bodyguard. "18, come over here and I'll hook you up to this machine to get it charged. I'll try and see if I can get Yamcha to contact Piccolo or Dende to contact King Kai and get the boys back home."
Viceroy watched as the two women headed over to his baby, leaving him to his own devices. He couldn't help but feel a little indignant despite his previous fears. Who could blame him? No self-respecting scientist would let themselves get walked over and have others tinker with their own inventions. . . well at least he wouldn't anymore. He felt a pang in his heart as his mind drifted to his past employer. Or what was left of him. Shaking his head, he stepped forward. "What do I do?"
The blue-haired woman regarded him with a quick glance before returning back to Safe Haven. "What did you say your name was again?"
He frowned, crossing his arms. "Viceroy. Willem Viceroy the third."
The woman nodded, looking him in the eyes. "My name's Bulma Brief. If you're as smart as I think you are, you're gonna help me enhance the amount of people this machine can carry. Gohan's gonna need all the help he can get."
Bzz. Bzz.
Bzz. Bzz.
Bzz. Bzz.
Gohan turned his gaze to the ring, or what was left of it. The formerly spotless platform was splintered all about the area, some tiles were sticking out of the dirt at odd angles. He couldn't spot the Nomicon anywhere, either. It had likely been completely incinerated by Cell's attack. It was unfortunate, but he believed that the Nomicon had understood that its end was near. Randy had warned him that the Nomicon could be confusing in its lessons. It seemed asinine in the moment, but the Nomicon was just trying to provoke him and help him realize his new form. A form that he needed to be in a mindscape like the Nomicon to more easily unlock.
He cast his gaze over to the N-Tek helicopter that he could spot in the distance. It had still been in part of the blast radius and was currently teetering, but Gohan was sure that the pilot would be able to land. Even if they couldn't, he could sense Randy was in the copter and still very conscious. He was more than capable of saving the crew aboard. He would have helped, but he could feel his power just barely restrained. He was very much like a taut cord; there was no telling how long that he'd hold out or what action would get him to snap. There could be no wasted actions.
With a slow head turn, he turned his gaze back to Cell. His sensing had never left Cell's Ki signature from the moment he had broken out of the Nomicon to now. Thankfully, the android was smart enough to stay still. Or maybe he was dumb, considering the power that Gohan now held. Either way, Cell had made the same mistake twice, and Gohan would be damned if he did too.
After all, one shouldn't refuse a golden opportunity.
"Cell," Gohan stated. His voice easily cut through the hum of his aura. A spark of electricity danced from his hair to his chest. "You're dead."
In a blink of an eye, he was before Cell. The man didn't even seem to register him until his fist impacted against Cell's cheek. It dug into the bone and sinews, splitting them apart, before blasting Cell away and into the earth, kicking up a massive streak of dust and destruction. Gohan dove after him and flared his Ki, dissipating the dust. Cell forced his trajectory back into the sky with a handspring as Gohan gave pursuit.
"There it is!" Cell laughed, flaring his own aura. His bluster didn't fool Gohan. He knew that Cell was scared. He didn't even need to sense his signature to tell that much.
Not giving him a moment to think, Gohan tore into his body, battering him from left to right and across the sky. The bug man's body turned to mush underneath his fists as Gohan let his righteous wrath rain down on him. With a final kick, Gohan bicycle kicked him into the turf. In a blink of an eye, Gohan was back on the ground with him, cupping his hands at his side.
"Ka. . ."
"Me. . ."
"Ha. . ."
"Me. . ."
"HAAA!"
Gohan launched his attack with a mighty roar, almost unable to handle the power he was putting up. His blast met a bit of resistance before it gave way, and his beam went flying. With a knowing grunt, Gohan maneuvered the beam towards the sky, where it would dissipate in outer space. The force of the effort left his arms feeling like they were doused in lava. Combined with the natural strain of his new form, it was a miracle he didn't just immediately drop out of it.
His stare shifted behind him where he batted away a laser-like Death Beam. Cell was scowling as his right side was reforming from the grotesque mess of its injured form. Darkly, he noted that his more brutal and hideous visage suited the "Perfect Lifeform" better. "Didn't you learn to stop playing with your food?"
"I thought about ways to kill you for years. And during this month, I've thought of ways to put you down permanently." Gohan charged forward with a glowing punch that Cell barely managed to parry, followed by a knee that found Cell's abdomen. He screamed as Gohan opened his jaw wide and let loose a mouth wave of Ki to blow over Cell's entire body. Cell went sliding along the ground kicking up a trail of dirt, tunneling into the ground. "If I exhaust your healing factor, I can completely end you. You won't escape this time."
Gohan tore through Cell's body again and again. He didn't want to enjoy it, but he could feel the exhilaration in his Saiyan blood with every broken bone and every crunch that came from Cell's body as his assault broke it over and over. It was like a catharsis for all of his pain and misery that Cell had wrought. Still, he kept himself focused on the goal: taxing Cell's regeneration and depleting his Ki. He didn't want to let his attention fade for a moment, lest Cell use it to escape somehow. He could sense that he still had the upper hand regarding their power levels.
Slowing his barrage, Gohan cupped his hands at his side. "Kamehameha!"
A beam of power fired from his hands blasting the remains of Cell. To his surprise, he could feel a bit of resistance before he pushed more power into his attack. The resistance gave way as it pushed through, continuing its course off of the planet and into space.
Gohan kept his eyes peeled, despite the stillness. He could still feel the slimy, foul Ki of the android clinging to life even though he couldn't spot him. "Where are you. . ?"
His ears twitched as he caught the sound of a churning, gurgling sound to his right. Glancing that way, he spotted the reforming android. He was only able to see him thanks to his enhanced vision due to Cell's smaller size and his distance from the battlefield: a good thirty meters away, approximately. In a flash, Gohan was back on him, but Cell barely managed to evade with his torso and head being his only healed parts.
"What is this?!" Cell screamed, his aura bursting as he began to weave to dodge his attacks. His arms were now barely stumps, regrowing ever so slowly. "What is this power?!"
Gohan couldn't help the feeling of sick satisfaction that rose within him. Cell barely even had the time to heal, and he was wasting energy each time he did it. Cell's battle power was diminishing to a level comparable to his own in his second Super Saiyan form. Not to mention the amount of energy he was wasting by attempting to speed up the healing process. In this battle of attrition, Cell was losing, and he knew it. "What type of question is that? This was what you wanted to see, wasn't it?"
Cell growled, clenching tight his fists. "This won't be enough to stop me, Gohan. I'll reform as many times as it takes! You can't stop me!"
"We'll see."
Cell doubled over as Gohan's fist buried into his gut. His Ki glowed to life within his fist, growing into a mighty Ki ball, multiplying in power and size exponentially. Almost as immediately as it had appeared, the Ki exploded.
Cell's cries of agony rang throughout the sky.
"Damn, Gohan is giving it to Cell right now!" Danny exclaimed, his eyes trying to follow the fight. He couldn't see much, but from the few bits he could see and sense, Cell was on the ropes. Gohan's Ki, although a bit strained, was still way ahead of the overgrown insect. He laughed, loud and full. "I almost feel bad for him."
Danny's clone had returned to him after going back to check for Gohan. He and the others were still doing their evacuation duties, but the intensity was lessening with Gohan's massive second wind.
"Still, this isn't over," Max stated, lifting a large piece of roofing that had fallen into the road.
Danny grinned, slapping him on the back. "Yeah, right! Cheer up! Cell's going down for sure."
The fatigue was starting to settle in his bones. Even beyond that his muscles were screaming in pain from the lactic acid draining his strength. His blows were starting to lose just a little of their intensity. His previously precise strikes were starting to become just the tiniest bit sluggish. And Cell knew it too. He could see it in how Cell was no longer dodging or fleeing as much. Instead, he was attempting to parry or unleash strikes of his own. And those strikes were beginning to sting a little. Not much, mind you, but it was definitely a sign that he wouldn't be fighting for too much longer.
"It seems that you're having a rough time there."
Gohan scowled as he threw a punch that would've taken Cell's head off of his shoulders. Unfortunately, Cell was able to bat it off course so that it soared over his shoulder. He returned a punch of his own that just managed to graze his shoulder. Gohan rolled with the punch and smashed Cell's face in with a roundhouse heel to the face.
In a flare of Ki, Gohan paused his momentum and blasted Cell with a large blast from his palm. A shout stabbed through his senses as the smoke remained. Gohan braced himself as he ceased his attack. His preparation was rewarded as he caught a punch from a still reforming Cell, who'd shot out from the smoke like a bat out of HFIL. Gohan reared back a punch of his own, aiming to take the android's head off, only for Cell to catch the punch in his newly reformed hand. "You're weakening."
Gohan smirked despite himself. "I could say the same for you. Your healing factor is slowing down."
"What do you say we finish this battle then?"
"Fine by me. How about another beam struggle? Unless you're too afraid?"
"Tch. I fear nothing!"
With a shockwave like thunder, the two combatants split apart. Like mirror images, the two of them dropped their hands to their sides, wrists touching and palms facing the other.
"Ka. . ." Gohan chanted, a hum filling the air.
"Me. . ." Cell continued, a dot of light sparking together within his palms.
"Ha. . ." Gohan growled, a ball of Ki swirling to life, barely restrained.
"Me. . ." Cell whispered, his sphere of power threatening to tear his hands from their position.
The hum of their attacks were screaming in unison, the air sizzling and warping under their combined might. Electricity danced in arcs along their attacks and palms. Gohan's teeth grit from the effort of keeping his power in check. He could feel the muscles in his arms swelling to their maximum as his attack called for more and more Ki. It would all be worth it once he had ended the work he'd started seven years prior. He would make sure Cell was gone for-
Gohan blinked as empty space embodied the spot that Cell had hovered mere seconds ago.
"HAA!"
"How much more time until we can get this show on the road?" Krillin asked, shifting from foot to foot. He'd been an unwitting pain in the ass ever since King Kai (some type of minor deity from what he could surmise) teleported them and the ship back to Bulma's backyard. Viceroy understood that he was attached to the boy, but he had long since started to grate against his already ailing sanity. "We don't have time to lose!"
Bulma shot him a glare before drumming away at her table, watching as the upgrades were loading. He couldn't help marveling at the speed of the technology on this planet compared to his own. The updates that would've taken a genius like him weeks were being accomplished within an hour. He might've considered staying permanently if it wasn't for the absolute monsters the universe seemed to hold. "Cool it. We still have maybe a few more minutes until we can fit five people."
Vegeta, as they called him, scoffed, his arms crossed. "We could have been out acquiring the Super Dragon Balls while you two handled this pile of bolts!"
"Don't talk that way about my baby!" Viceroy shouted as he monitored Android 18's vitals. He wished he had more time to ask about the technological capabilities of their world. The technological marvel that was the woman before him. The sheer amount of power and technological proficiency jam packed into her while still looking human for all intents and purposes was astounding. Inaccurate naming of her as an android aside, he would have loved to meet the genius who created her.
If only he was there under better circumstances. And preferably away from insufferable meatheads, especially that receding hairline, spandex wearing tight-ass.
Vegeta rolled his eyes before tapping at his bicep. Bulma seemed to know that Vegeta's irritation was only going to get worse and tried to get ahead of it, asking, "Why don't you all decide on who's going?"
"If Viceroy and Bulma are both locks," Tien started, "then Vegeta and Piccolo should definitely go along with Krillin."
Krillin gulped but nodded. "Cell's bound to be pretty strong, so I don't know if I'd be much help."
"Not so eager anymore, are you, Baldy?" Vegeta sneered.
Krillin just chuckled, scratching the back of his head. Sweat was visibly starting to collect on his forehead. Viceroy couldn't blame him for a second, no matter how annoying he could be.
"Anything is better than nothing Krillin," Piccolo stated, his arms crossed. He hadn't taken his eyes off of Safe Haven since he'd arrived. "Gohan's on his own out there against an even stronger Cell than before. He'll need all of the help he can get."
Krillin gulped as he nodded. "You're right."
"Whatever, Baldy," Vegeta scoffed. "Just don't throw up on the way there. If it comes down to it, you won't even get the chance to fight the bug bastard. I owe him that much."
Piccolo looked at Vegeta sharply. "You had better not give Cell any possible edge in the fi-"
"I know. I'm going to kill him when I get the chance."
Piccolo gave him a curt nod before turning away. Viceroy couldn't help but glance over at Vegeta. For all the arrogance that he'd seen the man display in the few minutes that he'd known him, this was the first time that he could see anything different displaying on his face. The anger was palpable with his jaw taut and his brows furrowed, but inside there was a shade of a deeper emotion: grief. That was something that seemed to hang over most of the people in the room. Viceroy couldn't help but wince as he returned to monitoring the cyborg's vitals. Memories of his own actions could wait.
"Done!"
All heads turned to the animated scientist who was standing smugly by the controls. "OK, I didn't have the time to make extra places for everyone to sit, but the power and calibrations will be sufficient to teleport five people as long as they are in contact with the machine." Viceroy nodded as he began to unhook the cables attaching Safe Haven and 18. Once that was completed, he and Bulma gripped two newly built handholds on the hide of Safe Haven. They looked more like mere joysticks. If they weren't in such a rush, he would have made a more dignified set of alterations. "There might be a slight sense of vertigo after, but we should otherwise be fine."
Vegeta and Piccolo were the next to move before Krillin also began to move forward. Soon enough, they all had contact with the machine by way of the handholds.
"You wanna call it?" Bulma asked, turning to Viceroy.
Viceroy took a deep breath. "Commencing jump in three. . . two. . . one!"
With a flash of light, they were gone.
Gohan felt like he was burning.
A searing mixture of Cell's and his own energy pelted him as he careened through the sky before bouncing along the ground. He tumbled head over heels too many times for him to count before he came to a stop, falling on his back with a loud crash. Gohan winced, breathing quickly and heavily as he tried to assess his situation, blinking the dirt from his eyes. His Gi top was in shreds at this point. His pants were looking to be halfway there. His Ki was low. His body was extremely banged up with a multitude of gashes across his chest and legs-
And Cell was heading right for him.
He dug his fingers into the dirt and pushed himself to a seated position. Cell was leisurely floating towards him as if to taunt him with the Ki he could still afford to showboat. Gohan growled as he tried to stand.
Nothing.
Gohan frowned and pushed harder, ignoring his muscles screaming protests.
Still nothing.
"It looks like the strain was too much for you, huh?"
Gohan looked back up at Cell as he willed himself to his feet. His ankles, hips, and thighs all felt like molten lava. He slowly but surely got back up. His knees quivered with the effort, and it took everything within him not to collapse back to the ground. "I. . . can still fight!"
Cell smirked. "No, you can't. Your form has left you defenseless!"
His blood ran cold as he ran a hand through his hair and realized the truth. The slight static that he'd come to associate with his more powerful forms was gone along with his longer hair. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists. Powering up wouldn't work with his Ki as low as it was. It might even overtax his remaining reserves and do him in before Cell could. Randy's Art of Healing could give him the edge he needed, but he was too far away. Cell wouldn't let him leave. Not to mention, Randy would be killed immediately if he came anywhere near them. Cell's power was low as well, though, not low enough for Gohan to beat in his base form. However, it might be enough for him to take him out with one final explosion.
Gohan stiffened as he grit his teeth. Memories of his youth flashed through his mind. Of Chiaotzu sacrificing himself, the Saibaman that killed Yamcha, and finally the bastard that took his father away. In some sick sense of cosmic irony, this would be what it would come to. Gohan sighed, closing his eyes. 'I'm sorry Jazz. . . Mom, all of you guys, I didn't want it to come to this.'
"I bet you're thinking of self-destructing?" Gohan's eyes snapped open as he locked eyes with a smirking Cell. "Oh, don't look so surprised! You're part of me after all. I'd imagine many of the other do-gooders would have made the same call. It won't work. You wouldn't be able to create a blast strong enough to obliterate me completely."
Gohan growled as he flared his aura, a shell of itself compared to the beginning of the bout. "It isn't over yet!"
Cell flared his own aura. "Oh, but it is."
He dropped into a stance that never failed to make Gohan sick. A sick perversion of his father's attack. "Ka. . . me. . . hameha!"
Gohan cursed and dropped into his own stance, firing his own blast. It met Cell's with a loud hiss but was quickly finding itself pushed back. It felt like an entire mountain was being repeatedly dropped onto his body as he was bathing in the Sun. The beating that Frieza gave him couldn't compare. The pain was so excruciating that it took everything within him not to cease his attack. He wanted to. So desperately so that he could attempt some kind of self-destruction maneuver, but he couldn't. Not anymore with the amount of power Cell was putting into his attack. He knew that the moment he did. It was over.
Randy's heart had to have fallen to the Earth's core.
Gohan, the all-powerful Superman that he was, hadn't been enough. Not even his new form could save them. None of them had been enough. He couldn't move or speak as numbness washed over his body. This couldn't have been how it all ended. Not after everything that they'd done. Not before he'd realized what Heidi and Theresa meant to him. There was no way, right? It was all some type of sick joke. With how immobile he was, it truly did feel like he was a spectator in his own body, watching some kind of horrible movie. Cell's attack surged closer and closer to Gohan. It was such a behemoth of a wave that Randy could only barely see Gohan's own underneath, flailing weakly. This would be the end. There wasn't anything else they could do.
Randy finally felt his tears prick at his eyes. His fingers tightened around the edge of the metal copter opening where he stood. He hadn't helped Gohan in his insane plan to injure himself. Maybe that hadn't been the right decision then, but now they had nothing to lose. Trying to force down his panic, his mind went into overdrive. 'C'mon. . . what do I do?! Think of what you'd do with Howard. The plans you'd need to improvise. . .'
With eyes brightening from hope, Randy tapped his earpiece. "Commander!"
"What is it, Randy?"
Randy rolled his shoulders as he eyeballed the distance between him and the ground. He could make the jump if he used a little Air Fist combined with some Cold Balls for a landing pad. He could probably make the jump regardless, but he didn't want to test the limits of the Ninja suit anytime soon. Returning his attention back to the Commander, he said, "I need you to get Max and Danny here pronto! We've got a shot at Plan I and K right now!"
"Randy, we didn't plan on mixing the Plans together!" Forge's voice was tense.
Randy growled as he jumped out of the helicopter, whipping out twin Cold Balls. "What choice do we have?!" Not waiting for an answer as he threw each Cold Ball to the approaching Earth below, the second falling about a handful of feet in front of the other. In an explosion of Ninja magic, the ice connected together to make a sprawling, makeshift landing pad. Placing one hand above the other, palms facing each other in opposite directions, a ball of air began to swell. "Alright, hopefully, this works. Air Fist!"
He fired the attack into the ground at an angle. The result sent him closer to his landing pad while slowing his falling speed. With Ninja ingenuity, he fell into a sideways roll as he hit the ice. Wincing slightly from the rough landing, he used the momentum to push himself up with his right hand and right leg, flipping sideways in the air before landing in a crouch: a hand on the ground for balance along with a bent knee. Then, like a sprinter, he was off heading towards the battle.
"Where are you going?!" Forge demanded.
Randy had almost forgotten that they were still connected. "What does it look like? I'm heading over to use the Art of Healing on Gohan!"
"Good God. . . fine! You get a minute once Danny and Max arrive. That's it. Then I intervene."
"Alright," he said as he continued racing towards his friend. As he cut a wide arc to approach Gohan's rear position, he could feel the power the fighters were unleashing. He couldn't sense it like they or Danny could, but he didn't need to. Their Ki's effects on the world around them was suffocating. It was getting hard just to get closer. Despite how controlled their blasts were, the winds being generated were threatening to knock him off of his feet. He'd already stumbled more than a few times. Shaking his head as he drew near, he muttered, "God, I hope this works."
Gohan was suffering the most excruciating pain he had ever felt. The beatings he got from Piccolo, Nappa, Recoome, Frieza, and last beam struggle with Cell put together were nothing in comparison. His tendons, muscles, and nerve endings were all smoldering, screaming in protest of the unnatural strain being wrought upon them. The lactic acid had long since set into his muscles, aggravating the strain and making his whole body feel heavier. That wasn't even counting his multiple cracked, broken bones and his dwindling Ki reserves. He couldn't keep it up much longer, that much he knew. Tears pricked at his eyes as he realized he truly was putting off the inevitable. The final words of the Nomicon came to him, dancing over his head and settling on his shoulders. Another weight dropped upon his already exhausted shoulders.
"Give it up, Gohan!" Cell laughed. He was on low as well. They both knew that much, but Cell was still somewhere around the strength of himself in his second Super Saiyan form, which would be enough to handle him. They both knew that much.
Gohan cursed as his knee buckled. He screamed in pain as he felt his popliteal tendon rupture. He quickly dropped a hand to brace himself, channeling all his Ki purely through his one arm. His own attack was barely the size of a large doorway at this point, opposed to Cell's capsule home sized attack. The tears were flowing now, mixing with sweat and blood in a horrid concoction of failure. "D-Dammit. . . I'm so sorry. . . I'm sorry."
Zap!
With a sudden jerk, Gohan felt new energy flood into him. It wasn't a lot, but his body didn't feel like it was drowning in pain anymore. It felt like he'd had a good snack, and his pain dropped to a dull ache. Sparing the briefest moment to cast his senses out, he found Randy a couple yards behind him. His immediate impulse was to yell for him to retreat, but he thought better of it. He was too close to run away from Cell, and Gohan was too occupied to protect him. If he called attention to Randy, there was a good shot he would be dead. He scowled as he slowly returned back to his feet only to pause briefly. Returning his senses to Randy, he noticed something was wrong.
His lifeforce was significantly lower.
Gohan brows furrowed as his mind reeled, even in his exertion of keeping Cell's energy wave from swallowing them whole. It wasn't long until his mind found the answer. 'No, Randy! Stop!'
Once more, Gohan could feel the energy hit him as his body strengthened again. His Ki wasn't at full strength, but he had enough to shoot back into Super Saiyan. He blinked back the tears as he felt the flickering power behind him. Randy didn't have the Ki to properly heal someone as powerful as a Saiyan. All energy had to come from somewhere, apparently even with magic. His Ki was being used as the catalyst, but he could only give so much. He couldn't tell Randy to stop or else he'd die by Cell's hand. If he didn't tell him to stop, Randy would burn himself out and die.
Gohan's teeth ground together. His eyes snapped shut. "Fuck!"
"RAHH!"
Gohan glanced over in surprise as he felt Max's Ki next to him before he saw him. Soon, his energy was being added to his own, turning his Kamehameha Wave a darker blue. In the corner of his eye, he could see a stream of T.U.R.B.O. energy going from Max's arm to his back. It had an odd effect of bringing back the burning sensation while also energizing him. If he could put a description on it, he'd say it felt like he'd been filled past capacity. The feeling was odd considering his Ki reserves didn't jump all that high from Max's efforts. Gohan reasoned it was likely his body nearing its T.U.R.B.O. intake limits rather than his Ki.
"What are you guys doing?!" Gohan hissed over the roar of his attack. He hoped they could hear him without him alerting Cell. "You need to get out of here. Go take Randy to the base! He's gonna die!"
"We can't, Gohan!" Max shot back over the comms. "We need to stick to the plan or else this will all be for nothing!"
A heartbeat later, he heard a whoosh and felt the ghostly Ki of Danny being expelled next to him. The energy took the form of a two-handed Ghost Ray which added to Gohan's own blast. It didn't add much unfortunately, but the T.U.R.B.O. energy that Max was pumping into him was starting to do something positive for him. Granted, it felt like it was ripping him apart as much as it was starting to kickstart his healing factor, but it was better than nothing.
Gohan let out another scream as he pushed as much Ki as he could forward. He could feel his hair lengthening once more into the transformation he'd used to drive Cell back. Still, the strain from before seemed to be even worse, which was likely worsened by his weaker power level. His body wailed in protest as he tried to push forward.
Snap!
Gohan bit down on his lower lip, drawing blood. He cursed through the pain realizing that one of his bicep's tendons must have snapped. Even as it snapped, he could feel the T.U.R.B.O. energy healing it while wreaking havoc on the other parts of his body.
"It doesn't look like we're gaining much ground here!" Danny scowled as he continued his Ghost Ray.
Gohan had to reluctantly agree. Since reclaiming the form beyond Super Saiyan 2, he had reached equal footing with Cell but not much beyond that. They were locked in a stalemate, and if it came down to a battle of attrition, Cell would win.
"Don't worry about that!" Max rebuked. "Just keep firing!"
"FINAL FLASH!"
"MASENKO!"
Gohan just barely managed to keep his concentration as he felt the powerful attacks of Vegeta and Piccolo alongside him. He had no idea how or when they'd gotten there, but he knew an advantage when he had one. The blast, although having significant power added to it, was still being forced back by Cell.
"Put your backs into it!" he could hear Piccolo shout. Hearing his authoritative voice brought him back to his youth. Unfortunately, much like his youth, what he was being asked to do felt just as impossible.
Gohan shuddered as his body was taken by shakes. As powerful as he was as a Saiyan, he was not designed to handle long amounts of exposure to T.U.R.B.O. energy. He could barely even keep his eyes open as torrents of sweat dripped into them. "It's not enough!"
"Not with that attitude it's not!" Vegeta growled, over the chaos. "Are you Kakarot's brat or not?!"
For a moment, he felt like he was back inside of the Nomicon with the imitations of his mentors verbally laying into him. They were asking if he was strong enough, if he could do what needed to be done. He wanted to laugh at himself, laugh at Vegeta, at Piccolo, at the Nomicon. These odds were insurmountable. They were too much for him to defeat. He wasn't his father. Who the hell were they kidding?
He felt himself grow weightless. It was like he was vapor hanging in the air. He was still in the battle, of course, but it was like he was out of his body. He supposed that it was similar to his mind's eye. He could see the faces of his friends alongside him. Their visages distorted by silent cries of war. He could see Randy lying flat on his stomach, dead to the world with an arm laid out in front of him. He could feel all of their determination and all of their resolve, giving their all.
Just as soon as the moment had begun, it ended.
With a mighty growl, Gohan pushed ahead with reserves he didn't know he had as the beam impacted with Cell. In a beloved sense of deja vu, he walked forward alongside his friends pushing the beam all the way through the bio-android. Keeping his senses alert, he could feel the android's Ki beginning to fade away, bit by bit. He could imagine Cell's demise: a scream swallowed by the roar of their combined fury as his body atomized into tiny, insignificant pieces as he disintegrated into nothing. With his last bit of strength, a roar tore itself from Gohan's throat as he directed his beam to the sky and into outer space.
He dropped to his knees, dropping out of his new Super Saiyan form. He could feel someone grab his shoulders to keep him from slamming into the dirt before gently maneuvering him onto his back. His body was crying out in pain as it fought the shakes from his T.U.R.B.O. dosage. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that there would be lasting damage, but he couldn't find that too important at the moment. He wanted nothing more than to lay down for the rest of his days, but he knew that he had to get up to see Randy. He tried to move, even turn his head, but nothing would cooperate. 'Kami,' he realized. 'I can barely even see anything.' It was like the world was swaying as it grew darker and darker. All he could see were shadows milling about.
"Did. . . . Did we get him?" It was Max's voice from what Gohan could tell.
"Seems like it," Vegeta's gruff voice replied. Gohan felt his heart grow warm. He almost thought that he'd never hear his voice again. "I don't sense him anymore. What of you, Namekian?"
"I don't sense. . . I'd recommend staying on guar. . . what happened last time." Gohan frowned as he heard his sensei's voice fading in and out. Listening harder, he could hear the crunch of footsteps nearby him, getting closer. Sensing the nearby Ki informed him that it was Piccolo.
"Pi-Piccolo!" Gohan winced at his voice's hoarseness. "You-You need to check on Randy! The man in the black-ah! . . and red suit."
There was a brief pause. Gohan waited with bated breath. "Yeah. . . he's getting. . . help . . . needs."
Gohan felt some of the tension he was feeling leave him as he shut his eyes. Everything was getting quieter and everything hurt less. It was like he was floating. Floating in the clouds. He barely felt his mouth moving. "D-Did. . . Did we win?"
"Yeah," Piccolo said, his voice barely a whisper to him now, "You did good kid."
Distantly, he felt wetness spill from his eyes as consciousness left him.
"Holy shit! They did it!"
"It's over!"
"Yeah!"
Forge released a deep sigh, fighting a losing battle with a grin. The cheers of his crew were infectious, and God only knew he wanted to join them, but he had to stay vigilant. They weren't out of the woods just yet, after all. "Berto, can you track any sign of Cell?"
Turning his head, he saw Berto swiping rapidly at his tablet as his grin grew wider and wider. "None that are notable, sir! The only signs left of his DNA are unreplicable outside of outside interference! Cell is dead!"
Hearing that the soldiers in the cockpit's cheers only grew louder. There was a lot of whooping and pumping of fists. Someone actually shook his shoulders and gave him a slap on the back. It was hardly what one could call professional, but given the circumstances, Forge couldn't be bothered to give a damn. He felt like the Earth had just been relieved from his shoulders, allowing him to finally breathe again. Sure, he would need to send agents or the boys out to permanently destroy those remnants, but the hard part. . . hell, the impossible part was over.
"Commander!"
Forge frowned, hearing the troubled voice through his headset. He tapped the speaker. "Yes, Agent? What's the problem?"
"Vlad is gone! He's killed two agents!"
A/N: Wasn't quite sure on how to end it, even after all this time, but here we are: Cell is dead, Vlad is on the move, and Gohan is out of commission for the foreseeable future. Not to mention everything going on with Randy at the moment being so close to death. I feel bad for how much I've been putting Randy through in this fic T-T
Nevertheless, I have a couple more chapters planned after this, including an epilogue, but we are drawing close to the end. Lemme know what you all thought of this chapter. I love hearing feedback!
Have a good one, y'all!