A/N: Apologies for leaving you good fellas hanging, but sadly I'd managed to get myself tangled up in an unfortunate case on influenza last week xD. Anyway here's the next update at last! May all doubts and misgivings be quelled!

Chapter 63: Come forth Piccolo, proud son of Namek

A foreboding silence ensued, as Cell stood on the spot, looking himself over in wonder. His physicality had undergone quite a remarkable alteration, particularly his more humanoid facial features and the reinforced layer of black enamel greaves and vambraces. But it was his colossal new power that struck him hardest. He could feel the palpable waves of Ki, exuding off of his new form. He brought a hand in front of his face, clenching and unclenching his fist.

"We must escape now!" Sixteen grabbed his petite comrade's wrist and sprinted off as fast as he could, only for the dreaded villain to appear before them a split second later.

"Going somewhere?" Cell smirked, voice much deeper than before, with none of that ghastly fizzle laced beneath it and yet all the more foreboding. The duo came to an immediate halt, teeth clenched in trepidation. "As much as I'd love to do nothing but stand here and revel in this newfound power of mine, I'm afraid I have a job to finish." He promptly faced the blonde Android. "Eighteen, please make this easy on yourself. Do not resist."

"Fuck you, you sick bastard!" She snapped, her ire soaring. "I hate you! I hope you burn in hell!"

"Oh Eighteen, you wound me deeply." Cell was ostensibly shocked and affronted by her remark. He quickly dropped his act and snickered. "Nonetheless my dear, you will join me, willingly or otherwise." He offered her a hand. "So what's it going to be?"

Sixteen's right fist connected on the flattened patch of ebony, where the monster's nose would've been. Cell remained rooted to the spot, not budging an inch. Astounded at the might of the fiend before him, Sixteen was transfixed with terror, as Cell held an open palm to his petrified face and fired.

The giant was hurled back a dozen or so meters, a good chunk of his head blown away by the blast, exposing the now-damaged circuitry within. With a horrified gasp, Eighteen instantly rushed to his side, while Cell looked on in twisted amusement.

"Sixteen, Sixteen, talk to me." The blonde-haired Android frantically shook him, her heart racing as she feared the worst. "Come on! Talk to me! Talk to me, goddammit!" She repeatedly hammered his muscled chest, with a series of anguished, frustrated fists.

"I- I'm sorry Eighteen- I tried." The large Android defeatedly muttered, mechanical voice saturated with a wretched miasma of remorse and despair.

"No, I don't wanna hear that bullshit, not from you!" Eighteen cried. "We're gonna make it out of this! I don't care what it takes! We're all we've got now!"

"Oh my, now that is truly touching." Cell laughed, sauntering towards the pair ever-so-slowly. He smirked sadistically, as he saw the withering glare of raw and unbridled hatred on Eighteen's vitriolic visage. What caught his attention however, were the very real tears streaming down her gorgeous face; a truly incredulous sight to behold- but not altogether unpleasant. It must've been Frieza's cells within him that practically bathed in her tears, relished her unforeseen misery. Even so, he wasn't complaining, nay, this was a most welcoming scene that he would lock into his memory banks for years to come. After all, these were to be his final moments with his sweet, sweet second sibling.

"You son of a bitch, what did you do to him?!" Eighteen lividly snarled.

"Oh there's no need to upset, my dear." Cell callously chortled. "He was nothing but a failure to begin with; a wasted effort on the part of our otherwise brilliant creator. You, on the other hand, are an elegant, wholesome slice of perfection." He leered at her, licking his lips ravenously, as a sizzling surge of grisly excitement coiled through him. "Yes, you will make a fine meal Eighteen, even finer than our late and great brother, for now I shall realize my full power."

"Not if I have anything to say about it, monster!" Came a booming voice from above. Those present set their eyes skywards and saw the bristling figure of Tien Shinhan, irises gold. A glistening layer of blood red Ki swirled around him, shooting out in every direction.

Cell narrowed his eyes a few moments and then let out a few derisive sniggers.

"Well well, what a pleasant surprise." He grinned. "There was a time when your power would've frightened the living daylights out of even the very bravest and strongest. But now Tien, now you're just a nobody."

"Not yet." Tien rejoined, pressing his palms together and grunting, as he lethally immersed his Ki into the vast pools of his own life-force. He winced, the process even more painful and taxing than he'd imagined. Even so, the fearless hero endured it all and once ready, he connected his thumbs and fingers symmetrically, in a terrifying triangle of death, aimed squarely at Cell. "I will be soon, but until then, I'm gonna PUT YOU THROUGH HELL!" He materialized a trigonous prism of potent Ki. "TRI-BEAM HAAAAA!" The intense beam struck on point, creating a cavernous, quadrilateral crater in its vibrant wake. A wide-eyed Eighteen looked on speechlessly. Tien glowered at her in exasperation, breathing raggedly, as racing rivulets of sweat trickled down his temple. "Get out of here, right now! I don't know how long I can hold him!" Just then, a maddened Cell zoomed out of the yawning perforation, storming with apoplectic rage. "HAAAA!" A second powerful burst of Ki, once again saw him plummeting below Earth.

Taking advantage of the tiny window of opportunity, Eighteen forcibly lifted her bulky companion up off his feet, winding his arm around her shoulders and supporting his hefty mass. "Can you fly?" She asked him.

"I- I don't think so, no." He shook his head. "You must leave me." The red-haired Android despairingly muttered. "Cell is only after you. I am of no concern to him."

"No, screw that!" She shot back, indignant. "It's just us now and I'm not giving up on you, so you'd better pull yourself together and get those darn gears rolling, before I kick them into place myself!"

Sixteen knew there wasn't a moment to waste. The blonde would brook no argument and so he let out a sigh of surrender.

"I will try, Eighteen." He gave her a kind smile.

"Good, then let's get out of here." With a slight degree of effort, the pair took off, covering as much distance as they could, as fast as they could. Tien intrepidly kept Cell at bay, losing sizeable slivers of his life force with each and every attack, unbridled pain tearing his insides apart. And yet, the dauntless hero forcibly sustained his altruistic efforts for a good two minutes or so, until his body finally gave out on him and he plunged to the ground, in a hapless heap.

'I did my best.' He thought to himself, knowing his life was as good as forfeit now. Despite everything, he had no regrets whatsoever. 'I just hope it was enough. It's up to you now, Goku. I know you won't let us down. You never do.'

XXXX

As if he'd heard his ally, Earth's hero stood to his feet.

"You're not gonna die Tien, not today." He resolvedly vowed, pressing conjoined fingers to his forehead. "Not after what happened to Vegeta. You can count on that, my friend."

"Wait Goku-" Before Mr. Popo could stop him, the Saiyan had already vanished.

"Good luck dad." Gohan willed.

XXXX

"Goku?" Cell gasped, gawping at the flabbergasting sight before him. He'd been just about ready to end the existence of that trifling human, who dared to interfere with his plans, until Earth's tight-lipped hero abruptly materialized, as if out of nowhere. "It really is you." He enunciated slowly, awed by his mere presence and the fiery aura of resolve that resonated off of him, in near palpable waves. "Incredible." It seemed that Dr. Gero's mortal enemy had somehow survived in this timeline; a most pleasant and welcoming surprise indeed.

"Mark my words, Cell." Goku vowed with dogged intent, compact figure bristling with barely-repressed rage. "You won't get away with what you've done and you won't so much as touch a hair on my friend's body."

"G-G-Goku?" The three-eyed warrior looked up questioningly. "I-Is that really you?"

The Saiyan knelt down, expression softening, as he placed a comforting hand on Tien's shoulder.

"Yeah Tien, it's me." He answered, smiling reverently. "I'm gonna get you out of here okay?" He frowned a moment as he picked up a scant life-force. He gasped, upon recognizing the unmistakable Ki signature of none other than his fearsome rival. "Vegeta!" As quick as he could he teleported himself and Tien before the semi-conscious Prince, washed up on the shore. He was lying on his belly, fists clenched and a searing hole punctured through his bloodied midsection. A horrid pool of sickly red oozed around him and dilated wider and wider by the second. He placed two fingers below one end of the older Saiyan's jawline and released a hefty sigh of relief, as he felt a faint pulse. "Thank God, you're still alive."

Cell didn't know what surprised him more, Goku's abrupt appearances and disappearances or the fact that that audacious fool Vegeta had somehow been able to survive his finishing blast. "I should've aimed for his heart, instead of his belly." He grimaced, before smirking. "Oh well, it's not too late, is it?" The monster promptly rushed towards the trio of Earth's defenders, but not in time. The last thing Cell saw was the promising look in Goku's ebony eyes, before the altruistic hero suddenly vanished along with the gravely wounded pair. Cell just stood there, baffled beyond words. He made a mental note to inquire about Goku's distinctive new ability at a later stage, but before that he had a mission to complete. Eighteen couldn't have gotten far, not with the lumbering oaf Sixteen, slowing her down. Her unfounded sentimentality towards that deadweight, failure of an Android would prove to be her inevitable undoing. That in mind, he took off and began his search.

Minutes later on Kami's lookout…

"Okay, I know we've never really been on speaking terms before, but how in seven hells were you able to survive that?" Tien asked the Saiyan Prince, both of them back and better than ever, thanks to a nice and wholesome pair of senzu beans. Try as he might, the three-eyed warrior couldn't suppress the awe and veneration that soared through him, in spite of his characteristic enmity towards the flame-haired fighter. "We were all certain that you'd been killed."

"Let's just say I refuse to die, until I've obliterated every last living scrap of Cell." Vegeta rejoined with a shrug, facing the general direction of his most hated enemy. Indeed, his malice towards the monster ran deep, deeper than anything he'd experienced, since Frieza.

"Man, only you could be that stubborn Vegeta hahaha." Goku laughed, exhilarated just to hear the older Saiyan's voice; for a while there, he thought he never would. He placed a firm palm on his rival's shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay, buddy."

"Don't call me that." The Prince spat, callously shrugging off Goku's unwanted hand.

"It was amazing what you did back there, Tien." Gohan smiled wondrously at the three-eyed man. The crane fighter was truly something special. "None of us could've held off Cell, the way you did."

"Thanks kid." Tien replied, with a fleeting smirk. "It might not've been enough, but I'm just glad I played my part. Cell's still after that other Android though. His power's overwhelming enough as it is, but if he gets his hands on Eighteen, I fear he'll be unstoppable."

"I was less than a second away from finishing off that fucking cockroach!" Vegeta peevishly growled. "This whole Super Saiyan transformation is unreliable, if it can't even last long enough."

"Well, make it last." Goku argued. "You've still got time. I'll bring Trunks over here and once Piccolo exits the time chamber, you two can go inside and get all the training you need."

"So, what's the plan?" Tien asked. "I did manage to buy us a little time, but eventually Cell's gonna find Eighteen. Say what you want about him, but that bastard's pretty damn good, when it comes to sniffing out his prey. He's proven that much and even if Piccolo gets out in time, I doubt he'll be strong enough to stop him. Our only hope is that Bulma can somehow find that remote controller."

"I wouldn't underestimate Piccolo." Earth's hero frowned. "But in any case, we won't know for sure, till he's finished."

A short while later, at Kame House…

After conducting a rigorous search of his premises, the Turtle Hermit had at last stumbled upon the missing remote controller. However, in a bizarre turnout, the older Trunks had disappeared from sight, with a note from Goku sitting on a nearby desk. Roshi's eyes widened as he read through it. The old man instantly bolted towards the others.

Master Roshi.

I just wanted to let you know that I was able to rescue Tien and Vegeta and teleport them to Kami's lookout. It was a close call, but I was able to get there in time. They're good as new, so you needn't worry about them. I'm gonna take Trunks with me now, so that he and Vegeta can train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. You might've guessed already, but Cell managed to absorb one of the Androids and the other two are on the run. It's imperative that you find that remote controller and get to that last Android, before he does. No matter what happens, we can't let him reach his perfect form. Bring everyone up to speed and best of luck.

Goku.

Bulma's breath hitched and she placed a hand over her mouth, as she skimmed over the words, an intense wave of emotions surging through her. She kissed the letter and looked skywards.

"Thanks, Goku." The heiress smiled, copious tears of relief flooding her glistening blue eyes. Her heart was rejuvenated with a fresh batch of warmth and life, swelling with overwhelming adoration for both her hotheaded Saiyan as well as his goofy rival. She should've known that her best friend would never give up on any of his comrades, no matter what.

"Alright, now that those two are in the clear, which one of you wants to go hunting for that last Android?" Roshi asked.

"I'll go Master." Yamcha promptly decided. "I haven't had occasion to do much of anything during this whole entanglement, besides get skewered by the freak Dr. Gero." He shuddered at that horrid memory. In retrospect, he should've been better prepared to handle the nasty old geezer.

"No Yamcha, you can't." Krillin shook his head and resolvedly took the remote controller from his master. "You've got a wife and daughter and they need you whole. You can't put yourself at risk."

"Oh come on man, that is such a lame argument." Yamcha shot back. "Goku and Vegeta have families and they're always-"

"You're not Goku and Vegeta." Krillin interjected, in a manner that bore a hole right through the ex-bandit's fighting spirit- or whatever was left of it, in these dark, dismal times.

"Well neither are you!" Yamcha heatedly replied. He was no slouch. He was a warrior and had as much of a stake in this, as any of them.

"No I'm not, but I've still got far less to lose than you do." The bald man stated fervently. "Mirai's already had to grieve the loss one family. Do you really think she can handle losing another?" (A/N: Refer to Chapter 42)

Yamcha's entire demeanor transformed at that, his shoulders sagging. Mirai was the most amazing and wonderful person he knew, but she was also extremely fragile and sensitive when it came to the safety and wellbeing of her loved ones. No, he just couldn't do that to her, no matter how much he hated lodging himself in the back seat. His life was no longer just his, to gamble with as he pleased.

"Alright Krillin, you win." He sighed in surrender. "But you be careful out there too, okay? And needless to say, don't go anywhere near Cell. After that wild stunt Tien managed to pull off, I'm sure he'll be raging mad."

"Understood." The two shook hands and nodded to one-another in mutual understanding, before Krillin departed. Little did his friends know that while the short man had meant every single word he'd said to Yamcha, he also had an ulterior motive behind his decision, one that involved trying to save the two remaining Androids from Cell, as opposed to destroying them. Nonetheless, he knew his duty to the planet came first and foremost. If he were forced to choose between finishing off the Android and allowing Cell to acquire him/her, he would make the right call. Just then, something else came to mind. Goku never specified which Android was absorbed. As much as he wanted to deny it, the answer to that question could very well impede his judgment, especially when he envisioned the soft, blonde tresses of a certain someone. 'Dammit focus Krillin, focus!' He chided himself. 'Now's not the time for any mushy stuff.'

XXXX

Trunks was not pleased. In fact, he was seething at his father's unwarranted deception. What right did he have to keep him holed up like some helpless child, who couldn't fend for himself?!

"I told you, I can't fight at my fullest, when you're there!" Vegeta growled for the umpteenth time, growing weary of his son's temper tantrum. "Last time you interfered, Cell managed to escape and nearly killed you in the process!"

"What am I to you exactly?!" The lavender-haired Saiyan ground out, through clenched teeth. "Chopped liver?! I can fight my own battles! I've been doing it my whole life!"

"Doing what?!" Vegeta sneered. "Failing?!"

Oh boy, that stung deep and Trunks couldn't hide the expression of hurt that marred his handsome young features.

"Vegeta!" Gohan censured, moving protectively in front of the other demi-Saiyan. He wasn't going to stand by and let Trunks be insulted like that. It was plain wrong! "How can you say that?! Trunks is your own son and he saved all our lives, by coming here! We owe him everything!"

"He doesn't understand his own limits!" The Prince averred, before turning towards the teenager. "Until and unless you overcome your weaknesses, you're not to go anywhere near Cell or the Androids, you understand me?!"

"I understand that you're a hypocrite!" Trunks furiously replied. "You preach that same nonsense the way Gohan would, but you only ever apply it to others."

"You'd better watch your tone with me, boy." Vegeta warned, in a deceptively calm voice.

"Both of you stop it!" The younger demi-Saiyan cried, in vehement protest. "What's wrong with you?! You're family, for God's sake! How can you talk to each other like that?!" Trunks' expression softened at the poignant words of the child warrior, though Vegeta remained as phlegmatic as ever. "We can't fight amongst ourselves, not when Cell's still out there!"

"I- I'm sorry Gohan." Trunks mumbled shamefacedly.

"That's right, apologize." Vegeta jeered, curling his lip in disdain. "It's what you've been doing your whole life, instead of manning up and getting stronger, like you should have. No wonder you're so weak and pathetic."

"I've had enough of you!" Unable to reign in his mounting fury, the lavender-haired teen pushed right past Gohan and launched towards his father, with a fist held high. Vegeta easily caught the incoming attack.

"Hmph, a pitiful excuse for a Saiyan and one with royal blood, at that." He sneered, before backhanding his son across the tiled floor of the lookout.

"Vegeta, stop it!" Goku demanded.

"Damn you!" Trunks growled and clutched his swollen jaw, as he attempted to get to his feet. "I hate you!"

"Tch, stop feeling sorry for yourself and grow a pair." The Prince spat. "You're not a child anymore and I won't apologize for your inadequacies. If you still can't understand why I kept you in the dark, then you're an idiot and you're not worth my time. Why don't you do yourself a favor and scuttle back home, with your tail between your legs? Oh I forgot. You don't even have a tail."

"What is wrong with you Vegeta?!" Gohan hissed, before kneeling by Trunks' side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Trunks snapped more harshly than he'd intended and stormed off to the other side of the lookout, in a haze of shame, embitterment and indignation. Why couldn't he have had someone like Goku for a father, instead of this crude, hateful, overbearing schmuck?!

"Vegeta, that was seriously uncalled for!" Goku rebuked, in a low voice so only he could hear.

"If he's going to act like a brat, then I'll treat him like a brat!" Vegeta resolutely rejoined, not the least bit repentant. "At least your son's not stupid enough to jump into a battle he has no hope of winning."

"Oh really, are you forgetting about the time he got killed on Namek?" Earth's hero countered, face twisting at the heart-rending memory. (A/N: Refer to Chapter 31)

"I remember all too well and that's exactly why Trunks needs to learn his place, until he's ready." Vegeta retorted, with a huff. "Even if he hates me for it, I won't have him suffer the same fate. The boy needs to understand the full gravity of his mistakes, so that he doesn't repeat them. It's the only way he'll break through his limits and become a true warrior."

"Vegeta-" Goku tried, but let out a resigned sigh, realizing that he couldn't argue with that. While his rival did have a bizarre and unconventional approach towards fatherhood, he wasn't entirely incorrect and he was looking out for his son's wellbeing- although that jagged slew of hurtful remarks was completely unnecessary and unjustified. He figured the Prince was still frustrated at his failure to finish off Cell. Regardless, he shouldn't take it out on his son. "I- I'll try and talk to him." The younger Saiyan sauntered towards Trunks, who sat on the edge of the lookout, sulking all by his lonesome. Goku settled himself beside the lavender-haired teen and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey Trunks, come on. Don't be upset."

"How can I not be, with a father like that?" The boy fumed. "He doesn't even try to hide his disgust for me. He treats my entire existence as some kind of walking, talking curse. Sure I'm not anywhere near as strong as you guys, but he never even gives me a chance to fight! Do you have any idea what that feels like?!"

"Trunks, you've gotta understand why Vegeta's holding you back." Goku replied. "It's not out of spite, I can assure you. The man's lost everything since he was just a child: his planet, his race, his Kingdom. You and Bulma are all he has left. If something were to happen to you, he could never forgive himself."

A short pause ensued.

"That's the same thing Gohan used to tell me." Trunks' lips trembled, in sorrowed bereavement. He let out a dolorous breath and gulped. "But then he got killed because of me and to this day, I haven't been able to forgive myself and I never will; not until I destroy the Androids once and for all."

"In time, you will be strong enough, believe me." Goku proclaimed. "But you can't rush things. Take one step at a time and it'll all come to you naturally. You and Gohan are amazing fighters and the two of you have the potential to surpass both myself and Vegeta." Trunks stared wide-eyed at Goku, sputtering incoherently at the preposterous claim. "I know it for a fact and so does your father. I see it in his eyes."

"I- I can't, there's no way." The half-Saiyan adamantly shook his head. "The things I've seen father do- how- how could I ever reach his level, let alone surpass him? It's not possible."

"It is for you." Goku adamantly asserted. "But only if you sharpen your focus, realize your true worth and rebuild your foundations, from the ground-up. Cover all your bases and remember who you are Trunks: you're a Saiyan Prince."

"Hmph, my father doesn't see it that way." Trunks' face scrunched up, in resentment. "As far as he's concerned, I'm a waste of his blood."

"And?" Goku prodded. "Are you gonna let his words demoralize you or will you use them to fuel your resolve to become stronger and prove him wrong? Believe me when I tell you this, but Vegeta of all people is hoping for the latter. He wants you to realize the true depth of your power. He wants you to surpass him. While I definitely disagree with his approach, he's not doing it to put you down, but to give you incentive to become stronger. I know it's weird, but I've known him for a long time and that's just the way he is. Trust me."

"I- I never thought of it that way." The demi-Saiyan mumbled, ashamed of his petulant behavior all of a sudden. It was very unbecoming of him. He understood then that his father's respect didn't come freely. He had to earn it and to do that, he needed to suck up his pride, forget old wounds and show patience and perseverance, like never before. From now on, he would endure anything and everything, without allowing his discipline or composure to falter. He would be the warrior he was born to be: a true Saiyan Prince.

A good half hour later, the crew's eyes shot towards the door of the lookout, from where they sensed a staggering power level emerge. An audience had gathered around the reinvigorated Super Namek, when he exited the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, all gaping at him with hanging jaws and widened eyes. Could- could that truly be Piccolo? It seemed impossible. He'd been inside that eerie dimension for little over two hours, or one month, by Earth's standards. How could he have gotten so ridiculously powerful?!

"Did I miss anything?" Piccolo smirked. At last, it was time to unveil the full, unbridled might of the Namekian race, time to bring a final end to the evil that threatened to consume the entire Universe.

A/N: So, I guess that's it for now. So what'd you think of Vegeta's parenting methods? A little too tough, perhaps? Oh well, you know him. He never compromises for anyone xD. Anyway, next chapter's going to be packed with a ton of action and emotion, just you wait! As always, please leave your thoughts and be sure to review.