A/N: Hi folks, hope you're all doing well! I must confess I'm a little disappointed at the lack of feedback recently, but I guess it's kind of expected, given my chronic absenteeism. In any case, I'm hoping it can improve over the ensuing chapters, cause this chapter definitely packed with awesome, action-packed scenes, I promise! Would absolutely love to hear your thoughts, predictions and suggestions, as the story moves forward!
Chapter 69: The Perfect Fighter
Taking Vegeta's words of caution to heart, Goku decided to call it quits in the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber after just nine-months of intense training. Earth's hero quickly understood just what his rival meant when the latter sagely advised him to focus not only on power, but on speed, endurance and all the wider facets of Martial-Arts. (A/N: Refer to Chapter 67)
And so he focused first and foremost on mastering his control over the Super Saiyan form, maintaining it just as Vegeta and Trunks had and making sure that Gohan did likewise. This mastery allowed them easy access to a wide range of powers, without having to sacrifice speed.
There was something he saw in Gohan, however, which almost frightened the living daylights out of him. For a split second, the prodigious boy's power had risen up astronomically to levels he couldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams. It was absolutely unreal, to say the least. Ever since the fight with Raditz, he knew that his son had a cosmic well of untapped potential, just waiting to be unlocked at the right opportunity, but he never knew it was so incredibly vast. If that power could be properly controlled and used against Cell, there was no way the insectoid would be able to overcome it, no matter how strong he'd become.
As he mulled over such promising thoughts however, he recalled his promise to Chi-Chi to keep Gohan safe and away from any and all kinds of danger. That definitely threw a monkey wrench in any plan that potentially involved Gohan. Darn it, what was he supposed to do? On the one hand, the boy's power could very well prove to be the tipping point in the battle against Cell, a battle whose result would ultimately determine the fate of the entire Universe. On the other hand, if anything happened to Gohan again, Chi-Chi would never forgive him and frankly, he would never forgive himself, not after his son's horrific death at the hands of Frieza on Namek. (A/N: Refer to Chapters 31 and 61)
This was such a confounding conundrum and he wished there were some easy answer to it. He would have to confer with Vegeta and hear his rival's thoughts on the matter. Perhaps together, they could figure out a cleaner alternative that didn't involve putting Gohan on the front lines. Heck, given the colossal gains they'd made over the course of their training, maybe Cell wouldn't pose much of a threat. But something in the back of his mind told him that wasn't so. There was a portentous feeling of sorts, warning him him that Earth's heroes were in for the fight of their lives. His fears were confirmed as he paid a brief visit to Cell after exiting the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber, determined to try and gauge the latter's power, to some degree. He soon realized that it was nothing to scoff at. Earth's hero had trained to his limit and yet he could sense that Cell's power well eclipsed his own. Promising the villain that he would soon meet his end, Goku returned to the lookout and soon after his return, he secretly shared his thoughts with Piccolo, the latter being of the same mind as his wife.
"We'll have to figure out another way." The green giant said determinedly, as the two of them shifted to a location far away from prying ears, taking into account Dende's extraordinary hearing capabilities. "There has to be one, I'm sure. Gohan's a great fighter and he may very well be stronger than every single one of us, but he's still just a child. He doesn't fight because he wants to, he fights because he needs to. It's always been that way. He's not like you or Vegeta or heck, even myself to an extent. He doesn't enjoy battle and it's not fair to burden him with something like this."
"Yeah, I know, I know." Goku sighed in surrender. "It's just- all that potential- it seems wrong to let it all go to waste, but at the same time, I can't put his life at risk, not after what happened on Namek."
"That's right, you can't and like you said, the only way to spring that well of latent power is by putting Gohan in a corner." Piccolo gruffly articulated, crossing his arms. "But putting him in a corner involves risk, whether you like it or not."
"So what should we do then?" The Saiyan asked, feeling helpless.
"I guess we should go ask Vegeta." The Namekian grunted, not really looking forward to such a prospect. As a person, the hotheaded Prince had transformed greatly over the years, however talking with him could prove to be difficult, especially when he was in a mood, which was often the case. "I'll tell Tien to wait a while, before we enter the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber and begin our training."
Meanwhile, in the spacious backyard of Capsule Corporation…
"Are you joking?!" Vegeta spat in the midst of a heated argument, concerning a certain blustering buffoon who would most unfortunately be present at the Cell Games. "You want me of all people, to protect that imbecile?! What the hell for?!"
"For Videl!" Bulma shot back. "I told you already, I made her a promise!" (A/N: Refer to previous chapter)
"That's your business, it has nothing whatsoever to do with me!"
"Oh shut up, whenever you want something, anything, I go out of my way to make sure you get it!" The fiery heiress indignantly argued. "Even before Trunks first came here and warned us about the Androids, I built you all kinds of training equipment, out of the goodness of my heart. All I'm asking for is one little thing and you're being stubborn about it for no reason!"
"I have a very good reason and you damn well know it!" The vexed flame-haired Saiyan hissed. "I'm half-tempted to kill that jackass myself, but fortunately for you, I'm choosing to play by the rules on this stupid planet!"
"Look Vegeta, I don't like him any more than you do." Bulma sighed in exhaustion, shifting forward as she assumed a cooler and more collected tone. "But Videl's a sweet girl and he's her father. She doesn't have anyone else. She doesn't deserve the pain of losing him, even if he can be wished back with the Dragon Balls." She gently took Vegeta's hand inside her own, looking at him imploringly with those bright blue eyes of hers. "Please Vegeta, do this for me."
The Prince felt his icy resolve cracking, as Bulma's pleading pools of sapphire bore deep into his very soul. It was moments like this, where he found that no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to deny her anything.
"Tch fine, goddammit!" The Prince spat, as he snatched his hand away and whirled around, crossing his arms and scowling angrily at the blades of grass below his feet, as though they were the source of all his trouble. "You're the most annoying, infuriating woman I've ever met!"
"Love you too, Vegeta." The heiress grinned cheekily, winding her slender arms around his neck and pressing herself against him from behind, much to his rising chagrin.
"Hey Vegeta, hey Bulma!" Goku and Piccolo abruptly materialized out of thin air, immediately regretting it as they saw Vegeta's murderous glare fixate upon them. Having caught him in a compromising position, they quickly realized that they couldn't have come at a worse time. If the royal Saiyan was pissed off before, now he was outright insane with thunderous fury. Earth's hero just barely managed to block the vicious blow that came his way and struggled to defend himself against a series of follow-ups.
"Calm down Vegeta, calm down!" Goku vehemently urged, trying his utmost to subdue his incensed rival, but to no avail.
"Hey, enough of this!" Bulma frantically yelled, waggling her arms about in protest. "If you two muscle-heads wanna fight, go do it some place else! I will not have you destroy my house!"
"What the hell do you think you're doing here, Kakarot?!" The wrathful Prince lividly demanded, gnashing his teeth at his rival, Bulma's strident remonstrations enough for him to momentarily halt his spate of attacks.
"I just wanted to talk to you about something, jeez!" The wild-haired Saiyan grumbled, cautiously maintaining a defensive stance lest his rival launch another abrupt attack.
"I have nothing to say to you, clown!"
"But it's important!" Goku adamantly insisted. "It's about the Cell Games!"
The Prince frowned at his rustic rival for a few seconds, before dropping his guard and standing upright, Goku following suite.
"Go on then, I'm listening."
After a tense interlude, Goku briefly informed Vegeta about the astronomical power he'd witnessed from Gohan, during their training in the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber, but voiced his concerns about having him involved too deeply in the battle against Cell.
"Hmph Is that all you're worried about?!" Vegeta spat disdainfully, crossing his arms. "Gohan's a warrior, through-and-through! The boy's more Saiyan than he is human, regardless of what you might think, so stop trying to coddle him! You should be strengthening his battle instincts, instead of stifling them." He paused a moment, frowning at his rival and continuing, in a more solemn tone. "That being said however, Gohan isn't the only one who possesses this great power you speak of. Trunks has it as well."
"Really?" Earth's hero gaped at him, taken aback by the newfound knowledge.
"What the hell are you so surprised about?!" The Prince resentfully scowled at him. "The boy has my blood flowing through his veins!"
"Yeah, that is true." Goku smiled to himself, elated at this startling piece of information. The younger generations sure were a cut above their predecessors. This doubled their chances against Cell.
"Hold on a second, you're not seriously gonna put my Trunks up against that hideous monster, are you?!" Bulma gasped in horror, stomach tying up in knots as she felt a sudden surge of protectiveness towards her future son.
"I'm not going to be put anyone against anyone!" Vegeta glowered at the blue-haired woman. "This is a tournament. Whoever chooses to fight, does so of their own volition." He then fixed his gaze intently upon Goku. "Whether Gohan decides to fight and Cell agrees or vice-versa, you have no business interfering, even if you are his father. He's earned the right to choose his own battles, as has Trunks. It's as simple as that."
"Sounds just about fair to me." Piccolo confidently smirked, almost certain that his young pupil could easily be dissuaded from jumping into the fray, in the off-chance that Cell selected him as an opponent.
"Yeah, I couldn't have said it better myself." Goku nodded with a smirk, then looked purposefully at his rival. "Anyway, if it's alright with you, I wanna have a crack at Cell first."
"What the hell makes you think I'd ever agree to-"
"Look Vegeta, I probably can't beat him anyway." Goku solemnly interjected. "I paid him a visit earlier on, to try and get a feel of his power. I don't think I have what it takes, but I still wanna fight him."
"Why?" The Prince raised an intrigued brow.
"I wanna figure out his weaknesses, that's why." Earth's hero solemnly replied, furrowing his brows. "If what Piccolo told me is true, he's a slippery one. Gohan and Trunks might have become stronger than us, but they don't have the same instincts for battle that we do. I think Cell might have something up his sleeve and I wanna figure out exactly what it is, before things get serious. I won't let him pull a fast one on us, at the last instant. He's already gotten away with that, more than once."
"Fine, but after you I'm next, got it?!" The Prince growled. He hated to admit it, but his rival made a very good case. Any information gleaned from Kakarot's battle with Cell could prove to be extremely useful. "I owe that bastard more than one!" He grit his teeth, clenching his fists, as he thought about his other son from the future, murdered by Cell in cold blood before having his time-machine stolen. He thought about the dead boy's crestfallen mother, all alone with no one there to comfort her. He would avenge them, no matter what it took. He would balance the books.
"Sure thing, Vegeta." Goku smiled, relieved that they were of one mind in the matter. "If we're being completely honest though, I think it'll ultimately boil down to either Gohan or Trunks."
"I sure hope it doesn't come to that." Bulma dejectedly murmured, pressing a hand against her pounding heart, as she was overcome with fear for the safety of her beloved boy as well as the safety of Gohan, who was more or less like a son to her. If only there were some other way. She suddenly perked up, as she remembered something- something that was ideal for a situation like this. She looked towards her best friend, with renewed purpose. "Hang on a second guys, I wanna bring you up to speed on a project I've been working on. Wait here a moment, will you?" Bulma dashed indoors and a minute later, returned with a capsule in hand. "I built these babies in the lead-up to the Android attacks, with a couple of added kickers." She pressed the plunger on the device, before tossing it onto the ground nearby. Four helmet-like devices popped out of the capsule.
"What is that?" Goku asked, raising a curious brow as he picked up one the helmets.
"It's the Virtual Reality Simulator." Vegeta replied with a frown, crossing his arms. "Only there're four of them, this time." He glanced questioningly at Bulma. "You know this won't make much of a difference, right?"
"Oh, I beg to differ." The heiress challengingly smirked, arms akimbo. "In addition to these, I'm currently working on someone you might call the Perfect Fighter."
"I'm right here, you know." Vegeta smirked haughtily.
"Not you, doofus." Bulma rolled her eyes at the Prince's trademark arrogance, before continuing on a more serious note. "Once he's complete, this guy's gonna be practically invincible. Dr. Gero was extremely intelligent, don't get me wrong, but there were some major gaps in his research and using what I know from the Virtual Reality Simulator in addition to his schematics on Android 17, I was able to fill those gaps. I already have a basic design for this guy, but I still need to input all the necessary data to have him at full capacity."
"Oh, so he's a virtual opponent?" Piccolo asked curiously. This sounded quite interesting.
"Not just any virtual opponent, the toughest you could ever ask for." The heiress gloated, feeling rather proud of herself. "Any fighting technique you can think of, this guy's gonna have it mastered once he's ready: Goku's instant transmission, Piccolo's regenerative abilities, Vegeta's ability to concentrate large amounts of Ki in any specific part of the body, Chiaotzu's psychic abilities, Frieza's ability to breathe in outer space, you name it." She couldn't help but cringe, as she mentioned the ghastly lizard's name, still daunted by the memory of her horrendously gruesome and painful death on Namek. (A/N: Refer to Chapter 29)
"He's dead Bulma, forget about him." Vegeta tried to comfort her in his own way, as though reading her thoughts.
"Exactly." Goku concurred, nodding and momentarily placing a solacing hand on his best friend's shoulder.
"Yeah, I know." She shook her head, squaring herself up and deciding to try and stay focused on the matter at hand. "Anyway, my guy's definitely nothing to scoff at. Just wait until he's ready, you'll see."
"How long's all of this gonna take?" Piccolo raised an intrigued eye.
"Well, by my estimate he should be fully ready within the next day or so." Bulma smiled confidently.
"Good, that gives me time to finish up my training in the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber." The green giant grunted and placed his hand atop Goku's shoulder. "Take me back to Kami's lookout, would you? I think I've kept Tien waiting long enough."
"Sure thing, Piccolo." Earth's hero nodded, placing two fingers on his forehead and smiling at the blue-haired genius. "Thanks Bulma, I'm really looking forward to that virtual training thingie. All the best guys!"
With that, her two guests vanished from sight just as quickly as they'd appeared.
"The perfect fighter, huh?" Vegeta crossed his arms, eyes downcast as he mentally considered which method and mode of training would bear the ripest fruits, for all involved parties. It wasn't that he particularly cared about the others or so he told himself, but having them at optimal strength would increase their chances against Cell and he knew best, not to underestimate that slick bastard. "Bulma, is there a way for multiple people to enter the same simulation?"
"Oh yeah, that shouldn't be a problem." The heiress replied, nodding in assent. "Why? You have something in mind?"
"Maybe."
"Alright, sounds good to me." The blue-haired scientist smiled. "Can't wait to see you boys in action."
XXXX
Now that he'd acquired perfection, Cell's foremost fascination lay in testing out his newfound abilities on the worthiest opponents, in the cosmos. The Saiyan cells within him sizzled about in feverish frenzy at the prospect of a good fight and so he was increasingly determined to find out what exactly was in store for him, once the Games began. Earth's warriors had repeatedly demonstrated that they had far exceeded any of Dr. Gero's calculations. But the only question was how? None of their future counterparts exhibited such astounding abilities. What especially intrigued him was Goku's surreal ability to teleport himself from one place to another, instantaneously.
Pilfering a television set from a vacant town that he'd recently cleaned up, the insectoid had come to learn about the 24th World Martial-Arts Tournament that was held a short while ago, the winner or which was none other than Goku.
'Most interesting.' Cell thought to himself, curiosity piquing. He would have to acquire the footage of that tournament. Perhaps it would finally shed some light on this whole bizarre turnout and better yet, allow for him to hold some surprises of his own.
At Kame House…
"Trust me son, you wanna get rid of any unwanted imagery, this right here is the key to keeping your mind occupied." The turtle-hermit insisted, as he presented a certain traumatized half-Saiyan with a stack of premium, adult magazines. The boy had accidentally walked in on his parents, when the two of them were deep in the throes of passion and feeling severely nauseated, he flitted Capsule Corporation and came here in a bid to rid himself of those horrific memories. For obvious reasons he didn't go into details with the old Martial-Arts Master, only letting him know that he'd looked at something he shouldn't have and it was plaguing his mind ever since. He had not expected an answer, quite like this.
"Come on Master Roshi, is there seriously no other way?!" A rubescent Trunks practically begged, doing his best to avoid setting eyes on the scanty images before him. "I don't think this is gonna help." He placed a palm atop the raunchy pile of magazines, to block the perverse view. "Plus, Gohan told me this kind of stuff is inappropriate."
"Oh come now kid, you gotta let loose from time to time." The perverse geezer laughed aloud in his trademark fashion. "Don't be such a goody two shoes."
"You should be ashamed Master!" A certain ever-intrusive turtle vehemently admonished. "How could you?! He's just a boy!"
"You mind your business, you nosy turtle!" Roshi growled back indignantly.
"You know what, Master?!" The shelled reptile scowled. "The next time I see Bulma, I'm gonna tell her exactly how you tried to corrupt her son!"
Consumed with a wave of unprecedented horror, the turtle-hermit suddenly went blue in the face as though he'd just seen the grim reaper. He subsequently begged Turtle to keep it zipped and immediately put the magazines away, absolutely terrified at the prospect of facing Bulma's hellish wrath. He knew just how protective the fiery heiress was of her precious baby Trunks. If she so much as suspected that he offered girly magazines to the boy, she'd cut off his schlong and make him eat it.
"What about you, Turtle?" Trunks helplessly asked, shoulders sagging in dismay, as he looked desperately at the creature in a last-ditch effort for a viable solution. "Is there anything you can think of that'll help me get past this?"
"Gee Trunks, that's a tough one." The turtle replied, musing for a moment before an idea finally came to mind. "Why don't you hop on my back?" He kindly offered, a bona fide smile gracing his broad reptilian lips. "We'll go for a ride around the Islands and visit some friends, huh? There're a lot of good people around these parts."
"You-You think that'll help?" The demi-Saiyan asked dubiously.
"Only one way to find out, kid."
"Alright then." With a sigh of surrender, Trunks decided to go along with Turtle's plan. Maybe visiting strangers would help pacify his tormented mind, at least he hoped so.
XXXX
A day later, a certain unlikely pair exited the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber. Try as he might, Tien had been unable to find a way to ascend past the Super Kaio-Ken, notwithstanding the year of harsh training he'd undergone. It was utterly demoralizing for one such as himself, who'd been virtually singleminded in his drive to surpass Goku. It seemed that the Saiyans would always be in a whole other dimension and nothing could possibly change that. How could his power have hit a ceiling so soon, while theirs had none to speak of?! It was so darn unfair!
The Namekian by contrast, had made significant leaps where power level was concerned, yet still not sufficient enough for the challenge at hand. Nonetheless, he was now ready to engage in the virtual training that Bulma had planned. That in mind, he mentally communicated with Goku, letting his goofy ex-rival know that it was time. And so, Earth's hero and his former adversary made their way to Capsule Corporation, via Instant Transmission.
"Oh hey, Trunks!" The rustic Saiyan greeted as he found himself in the backyard of the enormous Brief complex. "Nice to see you here." He raised his brows, as he stared atop the young half-Saiyan's head. "I see your hair's back to normal. Pretty neat."
"Hey Goku, maybe a little warning next time." The future warrior chuckled uneasily, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, mom insisted that she give me a hair cut, so yeah." The boy smiled genially, feeling a lot better after experiencing some of the wondrous sights around the South-East Islands, alongside Turtle. The people he met along the way were really kind and most important of all, spirited and hopeful. In spite of all the horrors that had taken place at the cruel hands of Cell, they still had faith in the mysterious young boy who'd miraculously defeated the Demon King Piccolo. The trip had really surged the demi-Saiyan's already overwhelming respect and veneration for Goku.
"Yep, guilty as charged." Bulma suddenly entered the scene with a waggish grin. "Trunks look especially handsome right now, don't you guys think so?"
"Mom!" The mortified boy objected in sheer embarrassment, cheeks flushing several shades of crimson.
"Uhhh…" A confused Goku awkwardly scratched his head.
"We're here for the virtual training." Piccolo tersely chimed in, cutting right to the chase, not wanting to endure any meaningless blather.
"Yeah, figures." The heiress rolled her eyes at the Namekian's bluntness. "Well in that case, I'll go get the goods and Vegeta will probably be joining you shortly, so just hang tight until then."
"Sure thing, Bulma!" Goku nodded, really eager to get started.
"Virtual training?" Trunks asked, raising an intrigued brow.
"Yeah, it was your mom's idea." Earth's hero grinned. "She says it'll help us prepare for the Cell Games."
"Oh alright, sounds pretty cool."
A short while later everything was ready and Vegeta made his royal entrance. Each of the four warriors present were donning their respective simulators, all of them linked together via cable. Goku and Piccolo were awed as they entered the virtual domain.
"Wow, this is unreal!" Earth's hero marvelled, as he roved his eyes across the barren landscape.
"So this is it, huh?" The Namekian looked towards Vegeta. "This is where you've been spending your days?"
"Just one of many." The Prince casually replied. "Bulma created several different kinds of battle environments." He squared his eyes at the green giant. "Ice, desert, forest, rock, volcano: we're going to be training in each and every single one of them, understood?"
"Hmph, that's fine with me." Piccolo shrugged his shoulders, casting his gaze aside. "I'm used to that kind of training anyway."
"Good, then let's get started." Vegeta said, looking gravely between each of the fighters present, as he spoke. "In the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber, Trunks and I worked on a strategy that involved defeating multiple opponents. We're going to do the same thing here against multiple copies of Bulma's so-called Perfect Fighter."
"How exactly is that gonna help us against Cell?" The Namekian raised a skeptical eye.
"This isn't just about Cell, goddammit!" The Prince loured back. "It's about learning to fight together as a single unit, by aligning our respective abilities." He huffed in frustration. "Look if you want to defeat Cell without involving Gohan, like you said, then shut up and do as I say!"
"Oh, is that what this is, teamwork?" Goku asked with a goading smile, arms akimbo. "Gosh, that doesn't sound like you at all Vegeta. You've really changed over the years, buddy."
"Shut up!" The Prince growled back embarrassedly. "Don't take this the wrong way! This is only going to be a last resort, if nothing else works, am I clear?!"
"Who died and made you boss?" Piccolo scoffed dismissively.
"If you don't want this, then get lost and feel free to train by yourselves!" The flame-haired Saiyan spat back.
"No, no we're in!" Goku insisted, frowning at his pointy-eared ex-rival. "Right Piccolo?"
"Fine, fine." The Namekian grudgingly relented. He didn't particularly like the idea of taking orders from Vegeta, but the surly Prince had repeatedly proven himself to be highly capable in battle and if it meant keeping Gohan away from harm's way, then he would gladly oblige.
The very first training exercise began as 4 vs. 4, with each opponent's power level relatively equal to that of Vegeta and Goku. The so-called Perfect Fighter was a shadowy figure that looked like some kind of generic 3D base model, with no resemblance to anything remotely real, yet his fighting capabilities were astounding, to say the least.
Half an hour later…
"Jeez, this is way tougher than I'd expected Vegeta." Goku whined, as he rubbed the sore spots, all over his virtual body. "I didn't know you could feel that much pain, inside a computer."
"Computer: Heal us all up." Vegeta articulated and almost instantaneously, the four warriors were as good as new.
"Whoa that's amazing!" The rustic Saiyan grinned, as he looked himself over in wonderment, a fresh surge of energy coiling through him, bruises, cuts and lacerations fully vanished and clothing brand new. "Gosh Bulma, you just never cease to surprise me!"
"That wasn't good enough, goddammit!" Vegeta snarled in rebuke, at his three companions. "You need to do better, otherwise we're just wasting our time here!"
"We won didn't we?" Piccolo crossed his arms, with a huff.
"Barely!" The Prince sneered back, glowering at the Namekian. "You weren't nearly as strong as the rest of us! Kakarot and the boy had to cover for you quite a bit, as I recall!"
"So what then?!" The green giant growled back resentfully. "You just want me to leave?!"
"No darn it, none of that!" Goku vehemently cut in. "We're all in this together, okay?!" He looked pleadingly towards his ex-rival. "But you think you could pick up the pace there a little, huh Piccolo?"
"I'm trying my best darn it!" Piccolo seethed. "This perfect fighter guy is just a little difficult for me to handle, that's all." He released a frustrated sigh, clearly feeling discouraged at his performance or lack thereof. "Plus like Vegeta said, I'm not on your level. I was honestly unable to follow a lot of those attacks."
"Hey that's alright, Piccolo." Trunks smiled encouragingly. "This isn't all about power levels, it's mainly about coordination and synchronization. In this exercise, all of us have to act as shields for one-another, because we're part of one whole." He carefully explained. "Think about it this way: When you're in battle, does your left arm act independently or in synch with your right arm?"
"In sync, of course." The Namekian replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"That's right." The demi-Saiyan nodded. "The exact same principle applies here: We're essentially different parts of the same body, that's why we need to align all our abilities and work together, in order to achieve the best results. If we can do that, we can become twice as strong as we would individually, maybe even stronger."
"Oh, I get it." Goku rubbed his chin and looked towards the Namekian. "Think about it Piccolo. You've got abilities that the rest of us don't: Regeneration, ultra-sharp hearing and limb extension, for example. We can use all of those to our advantage."
"Exactly." Vegeta concurred, surprised and admittedly impressed at his rival's astuteness.
"Sounds pretty cool." Trunks smirked and a thought suddenly hit him. "Hey, I have an idea." He looked towards the older Prince. "I think we ought to try a different arrangement, father. What if Piccolo's in the middle, with the three of us surrounding him in a triangular formation?"
"What?!" The green giant indignantly spat, deeply insulted at such a demeaning suggestion. "What do I look like to you, a broken leg?!"
"No, not at all." The demi-Saiyan quickly clarified, waving his hands in objection. "Look Piccolo, instead of us covering for you like we were before, what if you cover for us instead? Whenever an opponent breaks through one of our defenses, you'll be there to drive them back and prevent them from getting the jump on us. And if they're planning some kind of surprise attack, with your sharp hearing, you might be able to pick up on it and warn us in advance."
"Hey, that's a great idea!" Goku concurred, grinning wide in feverish frenzy. "Plus with your limb extension abilities, you're perfect for long-range attacks, Piccolo. If one of us is having trouble on the outside, you can fire a long-range punch or kick from the inside. Our opponents won't see it coming, cause they'll be too busy focusing on us."
"Well, when you say it like that, it does sound pretty smart." The Namekian smirked, seeing the wisdom behind the recommended maneuver. Fighting spirit rekindled, he clenched his fists by his waist and nodded in assent. "Alright then, I'm game. Let's try this one more time!"
"Computer: Again!" Vegeta commanded aloud. "And this time, give us 5 opponents!"
"What?!" Goku cried in surprise, having expected a little warning beforehand.
"Get into formation, quickly!" The Prince ordered his companions and without a moment's delay, Goku, Trunks and Vegeta surrounded their Namekian ally, a fairly equal distance between the four of them, as they assumed their respective stances.
For twelve hours straight, the valiant defenders of Earth continued their training inside the computer simulation, incrementally increasing the difficulty, as they progressed forward. At the end of it all, they were successfully able to handle a whopping 6 opponents, each with a power level that matched Vegeta and Goku. There were times when their perfect foes had broken their formation completely and acquired the upper hand, but with repeated nonstop practice, the fantastic four had been able to fortify their defences to the point where they were virtually unbreakable. In the off chance that they did break, Piccolo was always ready with a powerful attack to drive the opponents right back.
Once they were back in the real world, the 3 Saiyans and the Namekian decided to set up a telepathic link that would allow them all to mentally communicate with one-another, thereby strengthening their abilities as a team.
The next day, they went through the same motion again and were eventually able to fend off 8 so-called perfect opponents. That was when they decided that they'd just about maximized their abilities to co-ordinate and function as a team.
"Wow, you guys were incredible!" The bubbly heiress gushed, throwing her fist in the air in triumph, as the four of them exited the simulation and leisurely began to remove the helmet devices. "There's no way Cell's gonna stand a chance against you now!"
"This is only a last resort, Bulma." Vegeta phlegmatically replied, with narrowed eyes, standing up and taking a breather.
"I honestly think you guys should just go right in there, guns blazing." The blue-haired scientist exhorted, arms akimbo.
"Nah, that wouldn't really be fair." Goku contended, as he got to his feet and began stretching. "This is a tournament after all. If we're gonna win this, we should at least try to do it the right way."
"Hmph, I figured you'd say that." Bulma grumbled, crossing her arms. "You Saiyans and your pride, seriously." She rolled her eyes with a sigh, but then smiled. "Well in any case, I'm glad that you guys have this trump card up your sleeve."
"So, this is it then?" Piccolo asked, gazing questioningly at the Saiyan Prince.
"This was only the first half of the training." Vegeta answered, crossing his arms. "Now that all of us know how to fight together as one in a defensive formation, we have to develop a strategy for offence as well."
"Man, that sounds really exciting!" Goku grinned, positively thrilled. His expression suddenly fell however, as he recalled the situation back at home. "To be honest though, I wanted to get Gohan in on this whole operation as well, but Chi-Chi's got him on lockdown." He sighed forlornly.
"Tch What a waste!" Vegeta spat in resentment. Kakarot's boy was so damn powerful. He'd witnessed this himself, time after time and yet the child prodigy was wasting away at home, all because of his harpy mother. It seriously pissed him off.
"Come on now Vegeta, Gohan did technically break the rules back at Kame House by going off on his own, without permission." Bulma pointed out. "And Chi-Chi's not the kind of person who tolerates disobedience." (A/N: Refer to Chapter 61)
"Well, she did agree to let Gohan train with me before the Cell Games, but only if he caught up on at least some of his homework." Goku sighed in dismay. "I really wish she'd give the poor kid a break."
"Yeah, Gohan always said his mother was a little hard on him." Trunks chuckled, as he recalled several conversations he'd had with old master.
"Speaking of, do you know what happened to Chi-Chi in your timeline?" The heiress asked solicitously. The half-Saiyan's smile instantly vanished, gradually replaced with a deeply grim expression. "Trunks?"
"I- I don't know the details, but-" The lavender haired boy softly replied, face downcast, as he was consumed with an excruciating pang of guilt and sorrow. "But after Gohan died- his- his mother just couldn't handle it." The teen turned away from the others, taking a deep, wavering breath thereafter. "She- She didn't last much longer." He confessed in a subdued voice, unable to stop himself from panting and shaking at the heart-wrenching events of his world. He still blamed himself for Gohan's death and the consequent death of his mother. He hadn't known Chi-Chi that well, but it still pained him severely. Her death was on his conscience.
"Trunks, I'm sorry." Bulma whispered sympathetically, taking hold of his hand and giving it a comforting squeeze, looking him over in concern. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"It's okay mom, it's not your fault." The boy replied, before mentally adding. 'It's my fault, it's all my fault.' He thought to himself, before strengthening his convictions. 'But I'm gonna make it up to you Gohan. I'm gonna make it up to everyone.'
"Chi-Chi." Goku dejectedly murmured, heart shattering at the thought of his wife's future counterpart and the harrowing pain she must've felt at the loss of her only son, their son.
"It's not gonna be like that in this timeline Goku, so get ahold of yourself." Piccolo said reassuringly, placing a firm hand on his ex-rival's shoulder. "We're gonna make things better, okay?"
The wild-haired Saiyan looked up at the Namekian for a moment before taking a deep breath and giving him a solemn nod in assent, resolved to make sure that the horrors of the future world never materialized in this one. He would do all within his power to bring down Cell and safeguard the ones he loved. He would keep Gohan away from harm, no matter what. They would be one family.
Vegeta, meanwhile left the scene, with similar thoughts in mind. If Chi-Chi's alter-ego had lost the will to live after her son's tragic demise, then what about Bulma's? After all, Trunks had been killed in the timeline that Cell emerged from. Was that version of Bulma destined to suffer the same fate? The Prince had trouble sleeping that night, as that last question plagued his mind.
Over the course of the next two days, the four great defenders of Earth were able to master an offensive teamwork strategy that eventually allowed them to defeat a computerized version of the Perfect Fighter that had a power level, three times greater than that of Vegeta and Goku. After that, the four of them agreed to spend another day, refining their techniques in the real world.
Once all was said and done, two days remained, until the Cell Games…
A/N: A little different to what you might've been expecting, right? It seems Goku's far more hesitant to put his son on the front lines than he was in the canon. Cell also seems to have caught on a little. And the virtual teamwork training definitely changes things, doesn't it? The question is how and to what extent? How will the fight against Cell go down? Will our heroes truly be able to take down the dastardly villain, without involving Gohan? What role will the prodigious young boy play in the Cell Games, if any?
Vegeta does seem rather different here, doesn't he? I guess you can peg that off to the experiences he shared with Trunks, in the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber. It really changed him for the better and increased his willingness to work alongside others. And unlike his canon counterpart, he isn't driven purely by pride and the need to prove himself, but also a powerful desire to protect the people he cares about!
p.s. I think it's nice to have a story where Piccolo isn't forgotten and cast aside! Now some of you may be a little disappointed that Tien and the humans weren't quite able to gain any kind of major boost, but there's a very good reason for that, as you'll see in the upcoming Chapters! Oh yes, also hope you enjoyed the scene of Roshi offering porn magazines to Trunks LOL (I'll confess, that was super fun to write xD). To those who wanted to see some more VegeBul family moments, know that I have not forgotten and my promise is still intact, so brace yourselves for what lies ahead! As always, please be sure to share your thoughts, critiques and suggestions and hit the review button! Most important of all, please take care of yourselves, during these hard times!