A/N: Cell has achieved perfection and landed a crushing morale blow to our heroes! Meanwhile, Vegeta and Trunks have reached new heights in their training within the eerie confines of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and continue to climb even further up the power ladder, with the younger Prince finally having surpassed his father. What happens next? Find out and enjoy!
Chapter 67: Prelude
"You brought that Android here, are you nuts?!" Yamcha yelled, as he saw Krillin and Piccolo return, the two of them helping to carry an impaired Sixteen, on their steady trek back to Kame House.
"Relax Yamcha, I can assure you that he means us no harm." The bald man insisted, touching down on the small Island.
"Don't give me that!" The scar-faced fighter furiously shot back. "In case you forgot, he's out to kill Goku! I heard him say it before, loud and clear!" (A/N: Refer to Chapter 61)
"No one's gonna kill Goku, not on my watch." Piccolo riposted, looking at the slouched robot with icy resolve. "You even try touching Goku and I will end whatever's left of you, are we clear on that, Android?!"
"Hey, enough of that!" Krillin censured the both of them. "The only one that needs to die here is Cell. Sixteen's here to help us out with that." He stared up encouragingly at his new comrade. "Am I right, big fella?"
"Yes." The Android bobbed his head. "However, Dr. Gero specifically programmed me with the sole objective of killing Goku. That is something I cannot change."
"See, I told you!" Yamcha seethed, fastening his hands tight. "We can't trust this Android!" He looked towards his green comrade, with renewed purpose. "You heard him Piccolo! We need to get rid of him, now! You're the only one strong enough to do it!"
"Hold it." Bulma suddenly decided to chime in on the heated conversation, before things got out of hand. She perused the gigantic figure of the red-haired robot for a moment or two, deliberating a while before speaking. "Sixteen, from what Vegeta's told me about you, you're not really a bad guy, besides this bizarre obsession you have with Goku. Plus it's obvious that Cell did quite a number on you, so you can't be all that terrible."
"Yeah, he did." Krillin affirmed, pointing his thumb at the burly red-head. "I brought him here, hoping that we could take him back to Capsule Corporation and have him repaired, if that's possible."
"No way, that is not happening!" The ex-bandit hissed, holding up a threatening fist. "Repair this guy?! For what?! So he can have an easier time murdering poor Goku?! Hell no!"
"That's not your call to make Yamcha." Bulma immediately interjected, then peered up at the laconic Sixteen with corrugated brows, taking some time to fork through her thoughts. "My father and I can most likely repair you, but I have one really important condition that you must agree to."
"Go on." The cybernetic giant spurred.
"We're gonna undo Dr. Gero's programming or at least the part of it that insists that you kill Goku." The blue-haired scientist determinedly answered, voice leaving no room for argument. "Goku's like a little brother to me and I will not do anything that puts his life in jeopardy, so either you accept my terms or it's no deal, end of story."
Sixteen's eyes were downcast for a moment, as he mentally weighed his options. From the moment he was activated, killing Goku had been his foremost objective, something that couldn't be turned on and off, like a light switch. It lay at the very heart of his existence and taking it away was akin to removing the stinger from a wasp or the spikes from a hedgehog. It just didn't sit right with him, for some reason.
But what other choice did he have? Surely, stopping Cell was a lot more important than his own baseless misgivings. That dastardly fiend would not desist until all life on this planet, all the beautiful flora and fauna he'd come to revere, was eradicated by his cruel hands. All life would be vanquished and the memory of Seventeen and Eighteen would be lost. He couldn't allow that no matter what. He couldn't stall any longer. He needed to make the right decision, regardless of how it might affect his psyche or well-being.
"I accept your terms." The Android finally assented, his glacial eyes meeting those of Bulma. "Whatever it takes to defeat Cell, I am ready to do it."
"'Atta boy!" The heiress grinned triumphantly, winking at the large robot and giving him a mock punch to the chest. Truth be told, she'd been longing for this opportunity and now that it was finally within her grasp, she was overcome with frenzied excitement, determined to delve deep into Sixteen's inner make-up and ensure that he returned, better than ever before. Dr. Gero may have been a genius, but he wasn't the only one and now his own creation would be working towards foiling his crazed ambitions.
"For the record, I still think this is a terrible idea." Yamcha spat, crossing his arms and whirling around in protest.
"Yeah, well the rest of us don't." Krillin rejoined. "Everyone deserves a second chance Yamcha, everyone."
"In any case, I should fill you in on exactly what's been going on." Piccolo interjected, informing the others about Cell's announcement that there was a tournament to be held in ten-days time, where Earth's greatest warriors would face off against him one-by-one, in a bid to determine the fate of the planet. "I have to confess, this is partly my fault." The green giant sighed in contrition. "I wanted to make Cell suffer for all the pain he'd caused, but I let it go to my head. I should've killed him when I had the chance. I was an idiot and because of me, he absorbed Android Eighteen."
"Speaking of Eighteen, I'm wondering what exactly happened to my shutdown remote?" Bulma curiously asked Krillin. "Did you even get a chance to use it?"
"Oh well that- I- uh kinda, you know- destroyed it." The bald man flinched, realizing he'd more or less signed his own death warrant with that damning confession.
"YOU WHAT?!" The blue-haired scientist yelled, incensed beyond words as she ran over and smacked him rather hard across the head, whereby he yelped and cowered before the wrath of the fiery genius. "Are you insane?! Do you have any idea how hard I worked on that damn thing?! Three freaking days with very little sleep in between, I might add! What could possibly make you do something so stupid, you ungrateful little jerk?!"
"I knew I should've gone and done the job myself!" An irate Yamcha rebuked his diminutive colleague. "We had Cell right where we wanted him, but you decided to screw it all up and for what?!"
"Wait, so let me get this straight!" Piccolo scowled fiercely at the short warrior. "You had a device that could shut down the Androids and you destroyed it, without even telling me?!"
"Look guys, you've gotta understand- I- I tried to use it, but I just- I just couldn't do it." The bald man sighed in dejection, staring helplessly at each of his accusers. "I- I know you're all upset at me and you have a right to be." He paused a moment, casting his eyes downwards. "But if you saw what I saw, you might not have been able to do it either."
"Oh yeah, I'm sure I'd much rather let the planet burn than push the button a freaking Android!" The scarred man derisively scorned.
"She may have been an Android, but she wasn't a monster Yamcha, I saw it with my own eyes." An impassioned Krillin replied, heart heavy with remorse- remorse that he couldn't save her, remorse that he'd failed her. "She was a person, a living person. And she didn't deserve to die." He muttered, voice subdued.
Bulma's expression softened at the bald man's impassioned words. She recalled the data files on Seventeen. Lapis, his name once was: an ordinary human adolescent with a twin sister named Lazuli. Apparently the two of them were orphans who engaged in petty theft and small-scale swindling in order to survive, moving from place to place, with nowhere to call home. That bastard Gero deliberately took advantage of this when he decided to kidnap them and twist them into a pair of cybernetic freaks for his own nefarious agenda, knowing that they would not be missed by anyone. Initially, Bulma was determined to help bring down the deadly duo right along with Cell, given what had become of the future world. Now, however, after hearing Krillin's heartfelt recount, she wasn't so sure.
"Regardless of what she deserved, she did in fact die and far more painfully than she would have, otherwise!" Piccolo disdainfully scowled. "You would've done her a favor, using that damn remote controller, instead of letting her suffocate to death, inside Cell's body!"
"Yeah good work, Krillin!" Yamcha sneered.
"Hey, lay off him!" Bulma harshly rebuked, much to the surprise of the others, considering that it was her remote controller that had been destroyed and her time and energy that had ultimately been rendered worthless, as a result of Krillin's blunder. She turned her attention back to the bald warrior, expression grave. "Look Krillin, I kinda get why you did what you did, but you should've planned ahead. You acted too rashly and with little thought to the consequences. If you cared about the Androids that much, you should've just asked them to leave the Island, while Piccolo took care of Cell!"
"Eighteen would not have listened." It was the redheaded robot who dejectedly answered, tone sombre. "I begged her to leave many times. I warned her of the risk, but she refused to pay heed. In the end, it was all for nothing."
"Well then maybe you should've shut her off and carried her away yourself, how about that?" Bulma suggested to Krillin. "And then, when you got her to a safe location, you could've just switched her on again once Cell was defeated, plain and simple. Or heck, even better, if you idiots carried around cell phones like I've urged you to do so many times, you could've just contacted Goku and he could've teleported all of you to the Lookout. Seriously, am I the only one here with a fully functioning brain?!"
Krillin opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't quite conjure a reply, feeling incredibly stupid at this very moment.
"Maybe you're right, but we can't do anything about it now." Piccolo shook his head. "In any case, I'm heading back to the Lookout, so I can inform Goku and the others about the mess we've gotten ourselves into." The Namekian announced and glanced at Bulma. "You should head back to Capsule Corporation with Sixteen and get him fixed up." He then turned to Krillin and Yamcha. "As for you two, I suggest you come with me. We've all got some serious training to do, during these upcoming days and I won't tolerate any laziness from either of you, understood?!"
"Sure thing Piccolo." The bald warrior piped up, driven to train his very hardest for the upcoming battle and make amends, for all his grave errors in judgment.
Yamcha nodded, though he was inwardly a little hesitant, having avoided most of the action thus far. He knew he would never be able to contend with Cell's power, but even so, he was a proud defender of Earth and would fulfil his responsibility, no matter the cost. Mirai and Natsumi were counting on him and he would not let them down.
XXXX
"Alright, so here's how it's gonna go." Piccolo enjoined, in the midst of a briefing that was taking place on Kami's lookout. "Once Vegeta and Trunks are finished with their training, Goku and Gohan will go in the time-chamber for one day. After that it'll be Tien and myself for one day and finally, Krillin and Yamcha."
"Really looking forward to it, big guy." The three-eyed warrior smirked. "I'm sure there's some kind of greater power out there for me. I don't know what it is yet, but if you Saiyans and Namekians have it, then surely we humans do as well."
"That's the spirit Tien!" Goku grinned, giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder.
"Oh yes that reminds me." Tien looked purposefully at Krillin and Yamcha. "You two have a lot of work to do. For starters, I'm gonna teach you the Super Kaio-Ken technique."
"Really looking forward to it, Tien." Krillin nodded.
"That's what I like to hear." The three-eyed man gestured towards the edge of the lookout. "Follow me." He promptly flew down towards an open area in the Land of Korin, where the lot them could freely get in some practice, without interference.
XXXX
"Goku, I'm afraid the food reserves in the Hyperbolic time-chamber could very well run out, before you can even finish your training." Mr. Popo gravely warned. "I must remind you to be careful in there, young man."
"Oh no!" Goku exclaimed, absolutely horrified by the nightmarish prospect. "Isn't there anything we can do?!"
"Without a Guardian here, I'm afraid not." The dark genie shook his head wistfully. "You see, Kami was directly linked with the heavens and those above him were able to provide the supplies and equipment that he requested, in order to ensure the safety of this planet. As his assistant, however, my job was to report directly to Kami and so, I do not have this same link."
"Aw man." Goku's shoulders fell in dejection, the downhearted hero deeply distressed by the dreadful situation. Without an adequate food supply, he and Gohan wouldn't be able to optimize their training regimen. "If only Kami were still here."
"Why don't we just get a new Guardian?" The demi-Saiyan meekly suggested.
"Where exactly do you plan on finding one?" Piccolo scoffed, folding his arms. "Keep in mind, we need someone pure of heart and sound of mind. Your father refused Kami's offer to become the new Guardian many years ago, so unless you want to fill in the position…" He looked at the boy expectantly.
"M-Me?" Gohan gaped at his mentor. "I can'd do that, mom would never allow it." He paused for a second. "Plus it sounds kinda boring."
"Well then I guess you two are out of options then." The Namekian shrugged dismissively. "You'll just have to learn how to eat in moderation."
"I can't do that!" Goku vehemently objected, as though it were the hardest thing in the Universe. "Come on, there's gotta be something!"
"Do either of you know someone with a pure-heart, who's also wise enough to assume the mantle of Earth's Guardian?" The green giant asked sardonically.
A brief interlude followed.
"What about Dende?" Gohan finally piped up, as the thought flitted across his mind. "He definitely fits the bill."
"And how exactly do you plan on finding him?" Piccolo raised a skeptical eye. "We don't even know where New Namek is."
"We can just ask King Kai!" Goku grinned as the answer hit him. "Man, this is great! With another Namekian here, maybe we can even create a new set of Dragon Balls!"
"Oh yeah, I never thought of that." The green warrior cast his eyes downwards. "Dende is from the Dragon Clan so it could work." He smirked at his ex-rival. "I might not say this again, but that's some smart thinking on your part, Goku."
A short while later, in Otherworld…
Though miffed at his student's lack of decorum and blatant disregard for the sacred rules that bound this world to the next, King Kai begrudgingly pointed Goku towards the general direction of New Namek and Earth's hero promptly vanished.
XXXX
Once all the introductions were made, Goku cut right to the chase and revealed the reason behind this trip.
"Time is of the essence, so we'd really appreciate it, if Dende comes with us- provided you all agree, of course."
"Hm, I suppose that is up to Dende." Grand Elder Mori replied, with a stroke of his chin. It was learned that his predecessor Tsuno had recently passed away and given the mantle of leadership to Mori, along with guardianship over Namek's Dragon Balls. The new Grand Elder turned towards the crowd. "Please step forward, Dende."
"Yes, Grand Elder." The green child did as requested. Mori scrutinized him with narrowed eyes, before smiling as he knelt and placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder.
"You are young Dende, but you are wise, pure-hearted and headstrong, well beyond your years."
"Thank you, Grand Elder."
"You know better than any of us, the great debt we owe to our Earthling allies for their assistance in the battle against Frieza." The wizened Namekian earnestly stated.
"Yes Grand Elder, I know."
"In that case, are you ready and willing to step up and become the new Guardian of the Planet Earth?"
Dithering for a moment, Dende turned his eyes towards his brethren. Proud smiles graced each of their faces and he saw the encouraging nods they offered him. Smiling back, the young boy immediately made up his mind.
"Yes Grand Elder, I'm ready." He gave a firm nod.
XXXX
Gohan was really delighted to be reunited with his friend. He and Dende had been like brothers, during the whole Frieza fiasco and afterwards, when the child settled down on Earth for almost of a year.
"Hello Dende." Piccolo smirked down at the boy.
"Hi Piccolo." The young Namekian replied, grinning.
"It's time for us to get straight to business." The green warrior said, in a grimmer tone. "As you know, your Guardianship over this planet comes at a perilous time and what we do from hereon out, will determine whether or not we can make it through this crisis."
"I know." The boy sighed sadly. "We sensed the power of Cell, all the way on Namek. It was the most terrifying thing I'd ever felt."
"I can't say I'm surprised, kid." Piccolo grunted. "But once this is all over, we'll be sure to undo all the damage he's done and bring back the people he's killed." He peered closely at the child. "To do that however, we need your help to recreate Earth's Dragon Balls."
"I'll do whatever I can, for Earth."
A stone model of the deactivated Shenron was eventually presented to the new Guardian and within a good five minutes or so, he was able to revive the legendary Dragon of Earth. With great diligence, he ensured that the Dragon still retained his ability to resurrect multiple people with a single wish and was simultaneously able to grant three wishes, the way Porunga was.
"I'm gonna go get the radar from Bulma, so I can collect the dragon balls." Goku announced, pressing his conjoined fingers against his forehead.
"No Goku, don't!" Piccolo frantically warned him, whereby Earth's hero frowned at him in confusion.
"What, why not?!"
"Bulma's still repairing Android Sixteen." The Namekian gruffly replied. "And he's still programmed to kill you, just in case you forgot. Until Bulma reprograms him, you'll do well to steer clear of her."
"Maybe I can go get it for you, dad." The demi-Saiyan proposed.
"Sure thing, Gohan." Goku sighed in surrender, shoulders sagging. Why did everyone want to kill him? It was so darn unfair.
XXXX
A while later, the half-Saiyan prodigy touched down on Capsule Corporation and strode indoors, right towards Bulma's Ki signal.
It was there that he spotted the oversized Android, sitting up on an operation table of sorts, smiling as he peered up at the family cat, perched atop Dr. Brief's shoulder. The red-haired giant held out a hand towards Scratch and the black feline timidly shifted a paw forward, before eventually hopping onto the burly robot's palm.
'Whoa, not what I expected.' The adolescent thought to himself, raising his eyebrows in mild surprise.
"Hey Gohan, what brings you here, kiddo?" Bulma finally took notice of the boy standing close by.
"Hey Bulma." The demi-Saiyan smiled at her. "I've got some good news." He informed her in great length about Dende's commencement as Earth's new guardian, the revival of Shenron and his objective to gather up the dragon balls and keep them safe, before Cell's tournament.
"Oh, that's definitely good news! So you're here for the dragon radar, right?" The heiress asked, arms akimbo. "Well sure, I'll get it for you, but first I've just gotta run a few more tests on the big man." She gestured towards Sixteen. "It shouldn't take more than a half-hour. Until then, feel free to make yourself at home, kid."
"Will do, Bulma." Gohan looked towards the laconic robot. "Hi there, Sixteen." He awkwardly greeted.
"Hello there, you must be Gohan." The Android turned his gaze towards the child, slowly nodding in acknowledgement.
"Yeah that's me, it's nice to meet you." The half-Saiyan offered a hand to the large Android. Sixteen frowned at the boy for a moment, before accepting the gesture and enveloping his small hand, inside his own. "Whoa, firm grip you have there." Gohan let out a few uneasy laughs, his hand tingling from the sensation. "I've heard you're a really strong fighter."
"Perhaps, but not strong enough." The Android replied, releasing his grip on the boy's hand. He cast his eyes downwards, in dismay.
"Aw don't let it get you down, Sixteen." The boy gave him a friendly pat on the elbow. "Bulma's the smartest person in the world. I'm sure she'll be able to get you some awesome new upgrades. When all's said and done, Cell's not gonna know what hit him."
The Android looked up at the child, surprised by the words of encouragement.
"You're a good boy, Gohan." He said kindly, giving him a benign smile. "You make your mother and father proud, I'm sure."
"Aw thanks Sixteen." The half-Saiyan grinned. "You seem like a really great guy, yourself."
"Alright boys, as much as I hate to ruin the moment, I've really gotta get these tests underway, so I can get on with the repairs." Bulma beamed at the strange pair, giddy at the tenderness of it all, yet still focused on the task at hand. It really warmed her heart seeing Gohan behave so genially towards someone whom most others would likely consider to be an enemy. He was such a sweet little boy, just like his father. 'He's definitely gonna be a positive role model for Trunks.' She thought to herself. It was no wonder her son from the future turned out to be such a nice and decent young man.
XXXX
An hour later…
Dragon radar in hand, tracking down the revitalized Dragon Balls was a cinch for Goku, with the Instant Transmission technique up his sleeve. Once gathered, they were stored inside a vault, atop Kami's lookout, ready for use at a moment's notice.
"Well, now I guess we just wait for Vegeta and Trunks to finish up, which'll probably take a while." Earth's hero looked towards Piccolo. "You up for some image training in the mean time?"
"Sure thing." The Namekian chortled. "Might as well humiliate you now, while I still can."
"Gosh Piccolo, you never change, even with Kami cooped up inside you." Goku laughed.
"Hey Dende, you wanna play chess?" Gohan asked his friend.
"Yeah, sure." Earth's new guardian grinned and the two went indoors.
Over half a day later, an invigorated pair of Super Saiyan warriors exited the large oaken door of the Hyperbolic time-chamber, clothes tattered, hair rumpled and figures marred with bruises, cuts and scratches.
"Whoa, you two really look like you've been having the time of your lives." Goku beamed at the royal duo.
"We sure have, Goku." Trunks confidently replied. "We've grown a lot stronger now and it's all thanks to my father."
"Yeah, Vegeta sure knows his stuff." The wild-hair Saiyan laughed. "I wouldn't expect any less from him."
"Enough of this foolishness!" Vegeta scowled, before shifting his eyes to the pair of Namekians. "It seems there've been some developments here, while we were training." He looked pointedly at Piccolo. "But most importantly, I can sense that Cell is still out there and he's much stronger than before. You mind explaining why?"
"I failed, that's why." The green giant answered, cutting right to the chase. Sure, he could come up with some fleeting rationalization or other to try and justify his failure, but the bottom line was that he hadn't succeeded in thwarting his enemy. "Cell's reached his full power and as much as I hate to say it, I can't stand up to him now." He sighed in dismay, before looking gravely at the flame-haired Saiyan. "But maybe you can."
"Maybe, just maybe." Vegeta smirked, appreciating the fact that Piccolo was at least willing to own up to his mistakes.
"Oh yeah Vegeta, Trunks." Gohan walked up the royal pair, handing a capsule over to the teen warrior. "Bulma asked me to give these to you."
"A fresh set of uniforms, nice." Trunks smiled at the boy, as he popped open the capsule. "But I think I need a shower first."
"Alright then Gohan, we're up." Goku placed a hand on his son's shoulder, peering at the oaken doors of the Hyperbolic time-chamber. He looked solemnly towards his rival. "You got any tips, Vegeta?"
"Nothing you don't already know." The Prince grunted, frowning as Goku's expression fell in disgruntlement. Clearly, the clown wasn't satisfied with his obvious lack of an answer. With a huff, Vegeta grudgingly decided to go further. After all, he owed much of his current advancements to the sage counsel of his rustic rival. "Let's just say that power alone won't cut it." The royal Saiyan pronounced. "Take account of all the factors that come into play during battle, endurance most of all. Also, try not to spend too much time in there."
"Huh, why?"
Vegeta explained how after a certain period, the harsh climate of the Hyperbolic time-chamber would wear down your body to the point where any further progress in training was negated, as a result of bodily harm. "Spend even longer and any ongoing training will eventually generate a net loss."
"Thanks Vegeta, you're the best." Goku smiled gratefully at his flame-haired rival. "That'll definitely help me out." Just as he was about to stride towards the door, however, something else triggered his senses. Earth's hero narrowed his eyes at the lavender-haired boy. "Is it just me Trunks or are you even stronger than your father?"
"Hmph, I figured you'd see it, before the other fools." Vegeta stolidly replied, not the least bit surprised.
"Whoa, nice!"
"You're not kidding." A wide-eyed Piccolo remarked, truly amazed at this incredulous turn of events. "Must say, I didn't see that coming."
"That's amazing!" Tien exclaimed, in wonderment.
"Way to go, Trunks!" Gohan grinned.
"Thanks guys." The older half-Saiyan smiled at his counterpart. "But no matter how strong I am, I still consider my father to be the greatest fighter in the Universe."
"Tch, enough!" Vegeta growled, unaccustomed to such praise. Frankly, he found it a little embarrassing. He whirled around, preparing to take flight. "Time to go home, boy."
"Yes, father." Trunks nodded, before looking gravely towards the younger demi-Saiyan. "Hey, Gohan."
"Yeah?"
"You better come out of that place stronger than your father, understood?"
"Oh- uh- I- I guess I'll try." The boy stammered. His father? Now that was a very, very difficult mountain to climb, especially for someone his age.
"No son, you'll do better than try." Earth's hero declared, kneeling down and placing his hands atop Gohan's shoulders. "I have a feeling that one day, you'll be the strongest out of all of us. This right here is just the beginning for you."
"S-Sure." The half-Saiyan child nodded and so the father-son pair entered the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber, determined to shatter the odds and transcend all their limitations.
A/N: Guess that's it for now! So it seems Dende's Shenron grants three wishes instead of two, unlike the canon. That should definitely help! Also seems the humans will be training in the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber just like everyone else. Should be pretty interesting, right? Hope you folks enjoyed the scene between Gohan and Android Sixteen.
Next chapter, a surprise visitor enters the scene and a whole lot of promising excitement and thrill follows thereafter. Just who is it and how will events play out, in the prelude to the Cell Games? Stay tuned and find out next chapter! Till then, be sure to leave your thoughts and hit the review button, my friends! Much love, as always! :D