Gohan watched in awe as Cell was throw across the dirt, with Cooler in his altered, more focused form, stood tall. He dropped down and planted himself firmly on the ground, standing across from where Cell started to stir. The infuriated green fighter kicked himself up to his feet, a heated glare fixed on the stoic Arcosian. Cell smiled, standing to full height as he met the prince's eyes.

"Well, this is quite a change, your highness. Training hard or—,"

Cooler vanished in an instant. Cell barely caught the movement in time, shifting his attention down to the speed demon that stood in front of him. He was given even less time to defend from the savage onslaught pressed against him—started with a punishing punch that nearly shattered Cell's forearm. The storm of Cooler's fists flew with intensity, driving Cell back further and further as the Bio-Android pushed himself just to keep up with the defense. None of his hits were landing, but the very fact that Cell was pushed back was an insult to his ego. Both warriors pulled their arms back, ready to strike together. Cooler feinted, vanishing again as Cell drove his fist through the phantom afterimage. Another spike of fury coursed through the Bio-Android's veins as he turned into a crashing purple fist that collided with his jaw.

The skirmish began anew, moving in a different direction, still at Cooler's lead. Cell managed to block the second strike, and every following blow. His golden aura burst to life, spiking his energy. The look of shock on Cooler's face made Cell grin as his kick launched the Arcosian backward, crashing through a rock formation. Cooler quickly spun around amidst the airborne debris as his aura exploded around him, taking a deep, burning blue. Before the rubble even flew past, Cooler launched himself forward, tearing the rocks to dust as he rocketed in toward Cell.

Blue crashed into gold, pushing and pulling the air around them with the raw momentum of their blistering skirmish. Neither side relented to the other, causing the ground beneath their feet to shake and crack apart violently as they clashed with thunderous force. The longer they matched, the angrier Cell became that his former plaything now had the strength to be taken seriously. He refused to lose to the passive, unflinching scarlet stare that bore into him relentlessly. Cell would not be looked down on by those blasted eyes again.

A sudden third aura threatened to crash down on both of them, separating the skirmishing pair. Gohan turned toward his intended target, and lunged for Cell just as Cooler pushed forward without missing a beat to assault the green monster together. The Super Saiyan and Super Arcosian managed to push their foe back at a breakneck pace that could scarcely be met. Gohan on the left, Cooler on the right—it was all Cell could to do keep them both at bay. It wasn't long before even that small bit of control was taken out of his hands.

Gohan swung his leg low, kicking Cell's foot off of the ground. It was enough to provide Cooler with an opening. He pushed forward, driving his fist into the arrogant Bio-Android's face. The force of the blow sent Cell tearing across the surface of the ground. When he came to his feet, he was forced to fend off Cooler once again, while Gohan circled behind. Cell ducked below Cooler's initial strike, twisting backward to fire a single, searing beam back at the Super Saiyan. The Arcosian's knee shot up suddenly and rammed into Cell's chest, lifting him off the ground, hunched over with spittle flying out of his gawking mouth. Unfortunately for the battered warrior, Gohan deflected his delaying blast effortlessly. Cell was driven into the ground when Cooler brought his fists crashing down on the perfect warrior's spine, burying him deep into the dirt.

Cell's power exploded violently around him—a moment after Cooler moved away. A golden flash tore away at everything around him, as the empowered warrior stood tall. It was apparent that there was no chance of survival if he had to face both warriors at once. In the air above, Gohan appeared next to Cooler with a confident smile.

"Hope you don't mind me jumping in like that," the Super Saiyan offered.

Cooler just shrugged without even looking at Gohan. "I've failed to kill this enemy almost as many times as I've tried to kill you. Besides..." He finally turned to his most unlikely comrade. "I owe you for intervening in my battle with the Devil's Pair, remember?"

Gohan raised his brow at the unexpected joke, and gave his partner a sideways smirk, "You mean when I saved you?"

"And now we're even."

There was an unusual sense of peace between them, something common that they shared. A sense of survival, and of honor. They were both warriors united to a single cause. Gohan certainly enjoyed the more casual air between them, as opposed to the one-sided hostility.

Cell narrowed his eyes before he lifted off the ground to hover on the same level as his foes. The air between the three fighters was scorching hot, rolling with intensity of their rising powers. "You think this makes a difference? You think I wasn't ready for this?" Neither said a word in response. Rather than feeding into Cell's arrogance, Cooler and Gohan charged their auras with a cold, passive stare, and a confident smirk on their faces respectively. The villain scowled as his aura burned to match Gohan's, raising to a greater intensity than either warrior separately.

There was no hesitation as the trio moved back into their brawl.

The battle against the Cell Horde took a turn in favor of the Resistance, once the Armored Squadron, Nico, and Trunks returned from battling the Genome brothers. Nina's battle with Perfect Genome continued, far from the armies, and with no clear victor in sight. Nico and Trunks refused to fully take their eyes off the battle for too long as a result. If Perfect Genome did defeat Nina, he could do some serious damage to their people before they could stop him.

The heroes focused to rid Cell's army of the aerial superiority for the time being, purging the miniature green and blue Cell Juniors that buzzed around like obnoxious bees. Blues seemed to favor energy blasts, while the green breeds were faster and more coordinated, but were nothing compared to the heroes. They were evasive and powerful enough to give the Resistance its share of trouble in packs, but without their numbers, humanity regained aerial superiority, and soon control over the battlefield itself. The other dangers were the massive, ferocious red warbeasts that bore an a striking resemblance to Semi-Perfect Cell's monstrous form. They could rip apart a Battle Jacket, and overwhelm the Giras if left unattended. Aoi, his fighters, and Battle Jackets were about the only things the Resistance had that could stop the monsters. Another task that was simple enough for their empowered heroes, along with some well placed coordination of their own.

"Zhe numbers are dwindling! Zhis is our chance to spread out and finish zhem off for good!"

Trunks could see the breaks the horde's numbers below. The Resistance pushed back hard against their enemy. The full might of Earth's armada hammered against and rolled over the legions of grotesque bio-bugs. Even the more dangerous monstrosities were beginning to fall easier.

"Alright," he shouted. "Split up everyone! Let's end this!"

Neiz cackled and whooped as he dashed away, eager like the rest to end the battle for good. Dore let out a booming battle cry and blasted off in a different direction than his partner. Salza took the charge against the main force to help lead the bulk of Resistance forces. Nico silently dashed toward the horde's flank, preparing to stop any attempt they might make to flee.

Trunks took a moment to sense the battle further away—the battle he couldn't even see himself. Cooler's arrival really did make the difference for Gohan, but there was no way of knowing for sure if that would be enough. Nina changed things for them too, and that had already shown to make a world of difference for the Resistance. And Gohan had trusted Trunks to make it all count. The young Super Saiyan powered up, preparing to dive into the horde.

The two red warriors recoiled from mutually dealt impact that resonated across their battlefield. Genome's eyes shifted past Nina—to his father's army. They were losing. His brothers were just as useless in the end. The Armored Squadron, Gero's last Android, and the Super Saiyan brat were let loose, and it was largely thanks to the frustrating abomination that stood in his way. Her eyes were still fixed on him, waiting, analyzing—pissing Genome off to a degree he never knew before.

"You see that this battle is turning against you," Nina pointed out. Genome scowled harder at her, which did nothing to break her passive look. "Once your forces are depleted, the others will return to support me. Then we will support Gohan, and Cooler, if they need it."

"You think it'll be that easy?" Genome reached down, causing his power to spike higher on the rise. "You think my father...no—you think I will be defeated so easily?! You have no idea...the true power of PERFECTION!"

Nina prepared to move, but a barrier projected around Genome's body to shield him. His body began to glow brightly—his muscles swelling and expanding. He refused to lose. He refused to allow anybody to be stronger than he was! Only his father—only Cell was greater than he. The pinnacle of perfection, the image of his father, with the genetics and powers of the galaxy's strongest warriors, pushed far beyond their limits.

Genome's head grew larger, wider—jaw expanding with the overall size. His shoulders expanded, the black bio-armor expanding into pointed spikes, a smaller, second pair of wings sprouted beneath the first, and small spikes began to rise up across his legs, biceps, and chest. The red son was closer to his father's height, with more muscle mass, and a more frightful appearance.

"This will be more difficult," Nina observed. The refined, tempered fighter transformed into a hulking, frenzied looking brute. It echoed with vague familiarity. Another memory—a feeling rather, that wasn't her own.

Genome roared as he blitzed forward. Nina charged her body back to maximum—rocketing past as her red psuedo-aura lit around her. Despite his size, Genome was faster—even faster than Nina. She was blindsided when his fist came slamming into her head like a wrecking ball. The impact threw her into the sky, tumbling end over end. The Android stopped herself, facing down, but Genome was already gone. She turned immediately, shielding her head with both arms braced against the hulking bio-warrior's fist crashing down on her again. Even past her limits, Nina strained against his strength. She was left open to Genome's leg sweeping into her side—throwing her once again.

Defense wouldn't work. Offense definitely wouldn't work. Nina wasn't even sure how long she could stall against such an oppressive power.

Everything inside of her roared in protest as Nina pushed herself further. Every muscle in her body strained and threatened to tear under the pressure of the extra output she pushed for. It was the absolute limit—the limit she could reach without her body giving out on her completely. There was no telling how long Nina could fight at such unknown levels.

Genome came at her, striking before she could even stop. Nina spun around quickly enough to swat the fist aside, and counter with a blinding strike of her own. Her fist crashed into Genome's chest, creating a shockwave that pushed the brute back. The attack only stunned, and angered, him as he growled in fury. Nina's strained limitations were enough to fight back. She could work with that much.

He swung with blinding intensity. Nina reacted immediately, ducking under the strike, then vanishing as a second came ripping at her. Genome stalled, stunned by her speed momentarily. She dropped on him from behind—her sneakers slamming hard into the back of his neck. The brute shouted in pain before his face went crashing into the ground. Nina quickly disappeared again as Genome spun around with another furious swing that tore through empty air. Instead of waiting for her again, he moved to pursue.

On a full offensive, Nina resorted to complete evasion. It was less demanding on her body, and she managed to stay just one step ahead of the infuriated fighter's attacks. He didn't lack for speed, but his movements lacked subtly. His speed became irrelevant when she deduced the tells of his body before he struck—which were much more exaggerated due to his increased size. The continued, successful evasions only served to anger the mutated brute. He pushed faster, but his movements got sloppier. There were plenty of opportunities for a counterattack, but Nina refused to take a single one. Genome's anger made him dangerous, and she was already on an unknown time table. Stalling was the best option. Even a single mistake would be the end of her.

Genome threw his fist at her head, and Nina ducked below the strike, and moved along the length of his oversized arm. She moved behind the brute and shot forward to put as much distance as she could between her and the monster before he pursued. After the first dash, she spun around and fired a barrage of bombs at Genome as she fell back. The red bio-warrior charged like a rampaging bull into the onslaught, and endured every explosion that ripped across his body without slowing down. Nina continued the futile effort as Genome stormed toward her, closer and closer. At the last minute, Nina vanished from sight and took off into the air, as Genome's massive fist came smashing through the ground. The berserk fighter snarled and turned his eye skyward.

Nina had a fair bit of distance between herself and Genome. She could see the anger etched on his face, but noted his hesitation to blindly rush her again. He was slowly realizing that his efficiency against her was lacking.

In an instant, Genome vanished from Nina's sights. She was a breath late in following what faint movement she did pick up, and turned into a furious, flying fist that smashed against her jaw, and sent the Android soaring into the ground. She hit with a shattering impact, tossing up dirt and debris as her body tore a trench through the earth. The grinning monster opened his right hand, and charged a dense energy bomb. He clenched the orb tightly, pouring more energy as streams of light tore from between his fingers. The red energy blast was sent sailing across the trench, right where Nina had crashed. The orb hit, and expanded violently to consume everything in its wake, searing through rock and earth to form a smoking hole in the ground.

As the smoke cleared and the dust settled, there remained a single glowing light at the bottom of the crater that had formed. Nina swiftly dropped the barrier, and moved quickly into the nearest cloud of dust for cover, just as Genome appeared on the ground to finish her off. With her physical body stressed, and Perfect Genome's power on the rise, her chances of victory were slipping further out of her reach, as was her survival.

She quickly and quietly fled further away as soon as Genome had his back turned. He didn't notice until she was gone—hiding in one of the sinkholes created by the horde's emergence. At the very least his focus was still on her, and that meant he would waste even more time searching for her. All she had to do anymore was just stall.

The battle of legends continued to shake the ground, and spark the air around the mountainous region. Cooler and Cell were locked in an unending brawl, both exchanging blows that did no real damage, as they were blocked or dodged entirely, each and every time. The Arcosian's altered Fifth Form was proving to be more of a match against Cell's perfection, a fact that grated the Bio-Android's nerves almost as badly as Cooler's calmness. He could sense that the proud prince was giving it his all to keep up, but his false facade of control showed no indications that he was struggling. A perfect poker face.

Cell quickly ducked down and pulled back as Gohan appeared and attempted to sideline him with a drop-kick. The Super Saiyan turned around with a smirk, facing Cell as he reappeared several meters in front of him. Without missing a beat, Cooler planted his hand firmly on the Super Saiyan's back, and shoved Gohan toward Cell with all his might. A golden comet blitzed towards the Bio-Android, who took the full brunt of Gohan's fist slamming into his jaw. The blow had Cell reeling, but he quickly pulled himself together to defend against the Saiyan's assault while he recollected his marbles. He finally retaliated by swinging his leg toward Gohan's side. The Super Saiyan pulled away from the blow, but firmly locked it down in his unbreakable grasp. Cell scowled and cocked his fist back to wipe the smile off of Gohan's face, but another force came crashing down onto him all at once.

In an instant, Cooler knocked Cell out of the sky and drove him straight into the ground with both fists digging deep into his chest. The impact shattered the ground around them as giant slabs of land rose up violently. Cell bounced against the earth, but before he could rise up too far, Cooler pulled himself back, leg coiled up to his chest, and dropped back down with full thrust. His foot slammed into Cell's chest and shoved him back through even more solid bedrock. The Bio-Android's pink eyes were hazed over from the pain, but still managed to see a blue wave of energy coming down at him, after Cooler vanished from his blurry sight.

Gohan's following Kamehameha struck home, and detonated with an impressive destructive force. The Super Saiyan warrior gave a small sigh before Cooler joined his side again. They dropped back down to ground level together, staring patiently at the cloud of smoke that had emerged from Gohan's attack. When the smoke started to clear, they were witness to Cell on his knees, one hand to the ground, as the other had been blown away with the rest of his arm, and part of his side and wing. He looked up at his opponents with a furious glare, bearing his teeth in rage before he attempted to stand up. Neither of them said a word as Cell shouted and regenerated the physical damage done to his body.

Despite the underhanded nature of having a partner on his side, Gohan couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Cell's odds. He knew from experience that two against one was never a fair fight. But Cell deserved every last bit of punishment he and Cooler dealt to the Bio-Android. For Launch, for Vi, the Resistance, and their Android allies. More importantly, for the sake of peace.

"You're both...cowards!" Cell shouted. "Neither of you—NEITHER, could defeat me alone!"

"Is that an admission of defeat?" Cooler asked, raising a finger at Cell. A purple beam tore across the distance, but was immediately smacked to the side by a furious backhand. Cooler scoffed with disdain as Cell seemed defiant on going out quietly. "So, you do have some fight left. Are you going to expend your energy complaining or are you going to fight?"

Cell answered by throwing six energy discs forward, one at a time, and followed up with a series of accurate Death Beams aimed between said discs. The beams served to separate Gohan and Cooler, and the discs moved apart to chase them further away still. They curved and pursued their targets relentlessly, following the movement of Cell's hands before he vanished from sight.

Gohan spun around as the Death Saucers shot past him, narrowly missing his edges. Cell appeared in front of the attacks and stopped them with a wicked sneer. The Super Saiyan pulled to an immediate halt in the air, and pushed himself back while unleashing a trail of energy blasts. Cell retaliated by hurling the discs back, which sliced through Gohan's retreating assault before disappearing again. The hero quickly moved higher into the air, right where Cell appeared to kick him straight in the face. Gohan was sent straight back into the path of the three Death Saucers he tried to avoid.

He allowed himself to drop out of the air like a brick, narrowly falling beneath Cell's deadly technique, rather than try to stop himself and get shredded. The first two purple blades sawed through the edges of his golden hair, as he charged a dense orb of energy in his palm. Gohan spun around and hurled his arm in the air, and fired a concentrated blast straight at Cell. The Bio-Android raised his arms up to brace himself against the painful explosion, but endured with minor damage. The smoke was thrown aside as Gohan came rising up with a burning golden aura around him, and drove his fist up into Cell's chin. The tall green warrior was rocked back, but quickly gained his wits as the Super Saiyan closed in on him.

Cell pulled back and quickly moved his hands to recoordinate his Death Saucers, as both Gohan and Cooler were doubling back towards him. The Super Arcosian rolled over and looked down—staring back at the energy discs chasing him as he fired beams from his scarlet eyes three times with perfect accuracy. He completed the roll and blasted straight for Cell, who quickly moved the three saucers chasing Gohan to chase him off for a moment.

The Perfect Bio-Android and the Super Arcosian broke into a violent skirmish, with the latter pushing heavily against the former with a slow, steady momentum. Gohan quickly turned around to watch the movement of the discs that followed him. He looked quickly and then lifted his legs and twisted his hips to spin in a horizontal corkscrew-spin through the the Death Saucers, and moved behind them in one fluid action. Without delay, Gohan threw three separate, small bombs, just enough to detonate the attacks before blasting off to rejoin Cooler.

Cell landed a blinding cross and a powerful hammer fist into Cooler's stomach. The Super Arcosian doubled over in pain, leaving his back wide open as Cell raised his fists high to bring them crashing down on his spine. Cooler dropped out of the sky and crashed straight into a rock formation. Cell charged a Crasher Bomb—the city-leveling finisher used by Duke Nudoru of King Cold's Nudoru Unit—in his palm and hurled it down at the would-be king. The pile of rubble Cooler was buried under was blown apart as a bright blue beam fired up and crashed into the turquoise orb. The Crasher Bomb suddenly expanded several times its size as Cooler's one-handed beam, the Polar Lance, pushed against the oppressive bomb steadily. Above the struggle, Cell wore a a sour expression as Cooler held his ground with one free hand, just waiting for Cell to make the next move.

His focused anger left Cell open as Gohan's fist came crashing into his jaw—knocking the Bio-Android out of the air. Cell caught himself and shot an infuriated glare up at the smug looking Super Saiyan above. "You still think you could beat me on your own, Cell? I'll show you that I don't need Cooler to defeat you!" Gohan's power rose sharply as his golden aura became heavier and burned brighter, caused by a sudden flash of light that flickered in the distance for the Resistance fighting miles away. Cell charged his aura just in time as Gohan came crashing down on him, and started a blitzing skirmish with renewed vigor.

Cooler roared as he pushed out more of his power to overwhelm and send the Crasher Bomb soaring straight into the stratosphere. He powered down and shifted his eyes to the two clashing golden auras that smashed through rock formations like mounds of loose dirt. Just from watching, it was easy to envy the power the Saiyans managed to muster on their own. Even on the brink—especially at the brink, they found more reserves to fight with. Gohan seemed more than arrogant in his statements. He was ready to give it all to stop Cell. For the moment, he seemed perfectly capable of doing so. Perhaps there was nothing a Super Saiyan could not accomplish.

At the height of the Arcosian Empire, Empress Arctriza was recognized as the most powerful figurehead of the South Galaxy. To see her toppled and her legacy thrown in the gutter, Cold believed himself and Frieza to be the strongest in the universe—practically gods. Demons of terror, more like. Cooler shared their flaws in arrogance, and nearly risked in sharing their demise as well. The Super Saiyans toppled what the universe itself thought was the apex of power on the mortal plane. Rather than risk his life against it, Cooler sought to learn from the new level of power—the new evolution. The Saiyans, few as they were, had become more than just filthy monkeys. Gohan in particular had done more to earn Cooler's respect than the family he sought to avenge.

There would be time for Cooler to challenge Gohan to see who was the strongest, but on their own terms. And when Cooler made a name for himself as something more than just the cruel successor of his father's corrupt influence. When he had something more for himself than a lineage built on failure.

Gohan and Cell's skirmish slowed when they exchanged powerful, hammering blows that pushed the two fighters back. They recovered just as quickly, and switched to dodging, blocking, and countering with less success in breaking the other's guard. The winds lashed violently out from their shifting and raging auras, thunderous echoes blasting out from the impacts traded by the two warriors. Gohan's fighting spirit pushed him harder, and he poured every ounce of that momentum into his blistering brawl. He drifted right to avoid a kick Cell had aimed for his face, and circled around behind him. Gohan drove his fist under Cell's arm, slamming his knuckles into the green warrior's ribs with crushing force. The Bio-Android shouted and bent to his left, leaving his right exposed as Gohan spun around and lashed his foot out in a vicious spin-kick that sent Cell crashing through three rock formations before his body smashed into the ground.

The Super Saiyan dropped his aura and let out a winded sigh before he felt his partner descending from on high nearby. Cooler came down to Gohan's level with his arms crossed, and his eyes fixed on where Cell had been knocked away. "Were you just...watching?"

"Observing," Cooler corrected without missing a beat. He shifted a glance back to Gohan before turning his eyes and body back toward Cell. "You don't need me to defeat him, remember?"

Gohan let out a nervous, humored laugh, "Okay, I was bragging. And after that, I think I definitely will need your help."

Cooler smiled, unfolded his arms, and lowered them to his sides just before Cell came ripping out of the ground a distance away from them still. The furious fighter was practically red with rage that he tried to stoke quickly. His arrogance lead to fury, and his fury would serve to blind his focus. Focus was arguably Cell's greatest talent. He had outwitted or outclassed anyone on his way to attain his perfection. Now that he had it, the threat to his title of the Perfect Warrior was at stake. Surely if he were perfect and all powerful, two warriors he's bested before shouldn't be able to threaten Cell. Just like how a filthy monkey couldn't overthrow Emperor Frieza.

"I have a plan," Cooler said, with his smile keeping. Gohan looked over and watched as his partner floated ahead of him. "Wait until I have one of his hands occupied. That's when you strike." Without further explanation, Cooler flew forward to confront Cell, leaving a confused Gohan behind. The green warrior pushed his snarl down to a frown when confronted by the former prince. "What the Super Saiyan said has got me upset now. I'll prove to him how outclassed he is by destroying you myself!"

Cooler charged up first, flaring his roaring blue aura. Cell countered by powering up his golden aura to match, and lunged forward to meet the charging Super Arcosian in the middle. Their fists mets, colliding together with an earth shaking impact.

Getting the wounded to safety quickly became their main concern once the tides had turned to their favor. The heavier combat units worked on pushing the horde back, while infantry and civilian units did their best to recover the injured, and pull them back to safety. Trunks and Nico were among defensive duty, or cleanup detail, protecting and defending the runners that risked their lives to save the others. The Armored Squadron helped lead the main force in pushing the remaining hordes back and eliminate them for good. Without the Genome brothers, the horde was little more than an overwhelming numbers that were easy for Super Saiyans, Androids, and elite fighting forces to cut down in scores. Even before they joined the others, the Resistance held the Cell Horde at bay.

Trunks decided it was time to settle things for good. He ran towards Nico as she blasted a mob of drones that were trying to rejoin the main group. "Hey, go take point."

She turned her head with a questioning look in her eyes, "Why?"

"Tell the Armored Squadron to go back Nina up. Once we clear this, we go make sure we end Cell for good." Nico tightened her fists with anticipation. He took it as a good sign when she vanished from sight to speed toward the battlefield without delay.

Trunks powered up and looked across the damaged remains of a larger battle, speeding across the fields in a golden streak that pummeled or obliterated the remaining bio-warriors. The Resistance had to worry about their numbers, and Trunks worked to clear out the lingering threats that weren't herded with the main horde.

Nico blinked across the battlefield, and soared over the Resistance's front lines in a single jump. She fired a concentrated pink beam of energy that ripped through a group of bio-warriors that were brave enough to start a retaliation charge. She landed and broke out in a perfect stride, firing more energy blasts ahead of her to bombard the front lines of the horde. With one final push, she broke into an even faster stride, pummeling and tearing her way through the bio-warrior's ranks. When she started to slow through their denser numbers, Nico started to moving between slower, heavier strikes, and lightning-fast movements as she twisted and turned through the different variants of drones, warriors, and beasts. Nico crouched down low and then jumped into the air, throwing her hands out to the side, unleashing twin beams that split a line through the horde. The young Android tapped in deeper, and with a furious shout unleashed a second wave that doubled the size and range of the pair of pink beams.

With a scorched clearing around her, Nico lifted into the air to make sure she had the Armored Squadron's full attention. "Hey, go stop the last Genome! I'll handle this." She could just barely make out the unanimous smirk on the team's face before they blasted off. Nico looked at their destination, and admittedly felt worried when she saw the hulking red monster in the distance. Trunks had his reasons for trusting the Armored Squadron. He definitely knew something Nico didn't though.

Nina managed to stay just one step ahead of Genome, who had long lost his temper at her evasions. He started blasting and smashing his way across the complex maze of tunnels she lost him in until she was finally forced to the surface.

The behemoth broke through the ground with a bellowing roar, and fists raised high. Nina quickly flipped backwards again and again to avoid the range of force from Genome's fists hammering into the earth. He moved on her as the earth trembled and broke apart as it shifted between them. Nina made herself as small as possible, crouched down, and crossed her arms to brace herself against the titantic fist that smashed into her. The impact threw Nina into the air—sending her tumbling end over end. Genome appeared behind her and sent Nina smashing into the ground with another punishing strike. She slammed into the earth with such force that the ground fractured and broke apart, throwing rock and dirt high into the air. Genome raised a hand above his head and gathered a foul, dark orb of black and purple, crackling energy which expanded to the size of a beach ball.

Nina shoved the rubble on top of her to the side and looked up at the large Death Ball looming in the air. It had more than enough power to pulverize a dozen cities—maybe even damage the planet permanently. She had to stop it.

"DIE!"

Genome lifted his arm up high, raising the Death Ball with it. The instant Nina gathered enough energy to try and retaliate, she spotted movement that severed Genome's arm in a flash. It happened so fast that the bio-warrior himself barely registered it as he cast his half-arm down with anticipation. His and Nina's eyes both followed the streak of light that did the deed to Salza's empowered energy blade. Genome moved an inch towards Salza before a dark green comet came crashing into the one-armed creature. The hovering Death Ball started to descend on its own, but was instantly captured in a strange, electrified energy field. Upon closer examination, Nina could see that the field was causing the Death Ball to shrink gradually in size.

"Good catch, Neiz!" Salza cheered as he turned to face the destructive energy sphere. He backed up, taking position a fair distance away before charging up his blue aura.

The crimson Zaltian was wrapped in the same unique, pink field of electric energy around the Death Ball, which he focused through through his right arm and out of his two longest fingers to create the neutralizing field. "Just...a little more...!"

Dore managed to keep Genome at bay with the element of surprise, a handicapped advantage, and the increasing pressure from the additional control and power he could draw from his Heat Burst ability. He kept up one long, continuous shout and assault, always disappearing and striking from new, random angles, pushing his body beyond their absolute limits that only made him stronger still. The former galactic wrestling champion excelled at defeating the best in one-on-one combat—even opponents larger and stronger than himself. Genome wasn't anything new he hadn't faced in the ring before.

Salza extended his arms out wide, bringing his left across in a straight line in front of him while his right moved upward in a slight arch. When both hands aligned in the middle he stopped, then brought his right hand down on top of his left. He focused with absolute concentration, and with a furious shout unleashed a powerful energy wave against the Death Ball. Neiz's Binding Field was broken around the sphere, which gained some of its size and power back after being freed. However, Salza's Flash Force carried relentless momentum that pushed and carried the Death Ball far beyond the Earth's atmosphere before the beam died out. The sudden and forceful exertion left Salza a bit winded, but he had more than enough left in the tank to blast off to help Dore. Fortunately, someone else was already moving toward the target.

Genome shouted as he grabbed Dore by the throat, finally ending his vicious assault. The monstrous bio-warrior was large enough that he practically dwarfed the hulking Beppan. The red monster finally regenerated his severed arm, pointed and primed to run Dore through in one thrust. An instant after Genome grew a new right hand, his left was severed by a blinding blur of red motion. He shouted in pain and frustration, but was silenced when Dore brought a savage, heated left hook across his face that threw Genome off balance.

Nina came down on the opening Dore's hit provided, smashing both feet into the top of the larger creature's head. Dore dropped lower with Genome, only to drive a brutal uppercut that lifted the bio-warrior back up into a disorienting spin-kick from Nina. Dore continued to work the low ground, blitzing forward to deliver a short, but powerful blow to the gut. Genome cried out and doubled over, just as Nina flipped over his back, hands securely under his jaw as she came over his head, and yanked down as forcefully as she could. The massive red monster was pulled and thrown over Nina's back, and straight for the ground with tremendous force for a fighter so small. Genome went tumbling down and collided with a heavy impact that shattered and shook the ground. Dore panted lightly as his Heat Burst continued burning before he looked over at Nina. She looked back at him with an even expression, despite the dirt and scuffs on her face and clothes.

"That...all you got, kid?" he asked the Android, trying to sound big.

"No." Nina didn't understand that Dore was staking the pride of himself and the squad on this. When they first arrived, they could barely keep up with the weakest Androids on the planet. Now they had to surpass the most advanced model to date. Nina just had no earthly concept of what 'competition' meant.

On the ground below, Genome came blasting out from under the pile of rocks and dirt he was buried under, and went screaming straight for Nina. His fury and rage prevented the bio-warrior from catching Neiz to the side, who lined up his shot for the Bind Wave with sharpshooter accuracy. The pink wave hit Genome in the air just before Nina would have been forced to engage him, and stopped the red menace in his tracks. He shouted and roared in protest—quickly breaking the wave with his own anger and strength. The brief delay was all that was needed though, as Salza came dropping down with a stronger, larger energy sword so powerful that his whole aura charged the blade, and channeled through both arms. It was the very technique he used to scar Cooler's chest in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber—named after a legendary greatsword in Brench mythology. Excalion.

Nina and Genome both wore a look of shock on their faces, but for completely different reasons. Genome had been sliced clean down the middle, which gave the bio-warrior a split image of Salza that slide further and further apart with his eyes. Nina was caught off guard simply by the tactile coordination and timing displayed by the elite team. Even with her processing power, she barely noticed Salza in time—not to mention Neiz going unnoticed until the last second. And with all her potential and strength, it was all she could do just to endure Genome, while the Armored Squadron's prowess managed to stop the mutated monster cold. Nina realized that perhaps teamwork could overcome a single individual's shortcomings. Strength in unity.

Salza brought his arm up and quickly swiped it across, then downward at an angle, then up, across, down, over, back, up, over, across, down, up, again and again as he swiftly carved Genome up piece by piece until there was nothing but floating bits left. He moved back with Nina, charging a sparkling white energy in his hand—one that matched the attacks Dore and Neiz were preparing.

"Let's finish zhis! Gentlemen!"

They each pulled their arms back, causing the energy to sparkle and glow in their hands. "The Armored Squadron's," as one, the trio threw their hands forward and unleashed their simultaneous attack on the remains of Genome, "LIGHT SHOW!" The beams collided in the middle, erupting in a violent and dazzling explosion that incinerated every last molecule of Perfect Genome's remains.

Nina watched the end of her fearsome opponent in silent awe before looking to her saviors. Salza looked back at her, admittedly rather proud that he had to—and successfully did—rescue their prodigal creation. "Nina," he greeted with a winded tone. "I'm Salza."

"I am grateful for the assistance," Nina said with a bow of her head. Dore and Neiz joined them, both sporting cocky, knowing looks at one another. Still, she was blissfully unaware of any potentially hurt egos around her. "Your teamwork is superb. The three of you are very well trained."

"We're the best damn team in the universe," Dore boasted. Nina's eyes widened as she took Dore at his literal word. The newborn Android didn't have much else to compare to when it came to teamwork, and the Armored Squadron had already blown her away.

With the threat eliminated and everyone accounted for, Salza's senses turned him to the mountains in the horizon—the battleground for most powerful fighters to walk the Earth, if not their entire galaxy. Neiz and Dore could sense it too. Cooler was fighting against Cell. Alone, again. But this time was different. They could sense Gohan as well, and Gohan wasn't the type to sit around for no good reason when he had enough strength to fight. Not when they were all so close to victory. But Cooler didn't have the best track record when fighting against Cell alone.

"Shall we assist?" The squadron looked among themselves when presented with the question they were all wondering themselves. Did Cooler and Gohan need their help? Could they even help against Cell?

"No," Salza said. He was divided on the choice, of course, but something said he could trust his instincts. Cooler, or at least Gohan, knew what he was doing. Gohan especially wouldn't let the fate of the planet ride out on a grudge match. "Let's return to zhe previous battlefield. We can still do some good zhere."

"Understood," Nina replied with a brisk nod. She flew off back toward the settlement, where the last of the Resistance forces were taking on the final pockets of bio-clones.

Salza folded his arms and turned toward Dore and Neiz, who just stared blankly at him. "Well? Zhe new girl follows orders better zhan zhe both of you."

"New girl?!"

"Oh hell no!" Dore powered up and blasted off ahead to catch up. "No Android is taking my pose in the squad!"

"Hold up, you idiot!" Neiz was quick to follow his comrade. Salza just smirked at how easy his men were to jump into action. It wasn't like they would be able to take the Android with them when returning to space. Still, it was good for them to have competition.

He turned his head back, giving one last sense out toward the true final battle ahead, being fought by their strongest warriors. Salza had his doubts, but Gohan still had enough energy to fight, and so did Cooler. So did Cell, which meant that they had something planned. He just hoped that whatever they were planning would work.

"Give him hell, sir," Salza whispered, feeling a familiar sense of hope in his master that he prayed wasn't misplaced again.

The two fighters tore across the ground, exchanging, trading, and deflecting blows from all sides against the other. Cell managed to find an opening and threw a punch straight for the center of Cooler's chest. The Arcosian vanished from sight, and lunged in from behind Cell, who also vanished. Cell reappeared above, and attempted to retaliate, but was an instant too late as the former royal vanished.

Their battle took to the air, storming across the clearings between mountains and rock formations, dashing and colliding together at high speeds, and with great momentum. Gohan stood a safe distance away, arms crossed, following Cooler's movements as he kept pace with Cell. Part of the Super Saiyan wanted to think that Cooler held such an edge over Cell due to the fight he personally dragged out. But judging by the conservation of his movements, and power, Gohan had to guess that Cooler would have held his own just as long by himself. Maybe even a little longer. Thinking of the power Frieza and King Cold threw around half a lifetime ago, Gohan wasn't too surprised at the power Cooler had reached in such a short time by himself. If an Arcosian could reach such a higher tier of strength, then so could Gohan. He continued to watch and wait for the opening Cooler told him to act on. Maybe the royal was just stoically enjoying the fact he was driving Cell mad.

Cooler was sent reeling back by a punishing blow to the jaw, but he kept one eye fixed on Cell as he pressed his advantage. He swiftly caught the Bio-Android's next fist in mid-flight, and countered with his own cross punch to the side of the head. Cooler held onto Cell's fist, and swiftly dealt two more blows before the Bio-Android retaliated with a straight punch aimed for his face. The Super Arcosian pulled his head back just enough to feel the wind off of the strike, narrowly missing it, releasing Cell in order to fully dodge. Cooler quickly spun around, swinging his leg out wide at Cell's head. The Bio-Android ducked quickly as the attack missed, and swung cleanly over him. Cooler wore a look of shock as Cell grabbed him by the tail and spun around as quickly as he could. He swung him around in rapid circles before letting go, sending Cooler spiraling across the air.

He recovered quickly—slamming to a stop against the end of a durable rock formation, and bounced back off toward Cell quickly. The green fighter swung his arm out, making it extend out in length to grab Cooler. He twisted around to avoid Cell's hand, and increased his speed to close the distance quickly. Cell pulled his other hand back, but was too slow to attack as Cooler's fist came ramming into his stomach. The impact carried Cell higher into the air as Cooler raised his weight into the blow, causing the green warrior to double over, coughing up a mouthful of purple blood.

Cooler pulled his fist back, and delivered it to Cell again, smashing his knuckles against the stunned fighter's face. Cell was sent reeling, but barely had a moment to regain his wits before Cooler was on him again. He was barely able to defend against the relentless onslaught, but was still forced back to keep what little bit of a defense he had up. Cooler wore a silent scowl while his eyes bored into Cell just as relentlessly as his fists. One powerful punch Cell had to block with both arms, but still broke his guard anyway, and pushed him back even further. Cooler disappeared, rather than rush forward, and moved behind Cell. The Bio-Android was one step ahead of his foe, and quickly swung his fist backward to strike him out of the air.

Cell swung through nothingness, leaving himself exposed as Cooler launched a straight-kick into the Bio-Android's stomach. The impact bent Cell over again, stunning him with a second brutal blow in practically the exact same spot. Cooler gave Cell a moment to clutch his stomach as more blood dripped out of his gawking mouth, eyes bloodshot with pain and fury. After that moment, Cooler spun around and slammed another savage kick that threw Cell back across the air again.

Cooler charged a concentrated white-blue orb in his palm while Cell tried to catch a gasp of air with his head scrambled. He launched the Polar Lance—a bright blue wave of raw energy that tore through the air. Cell quickly raised one arm up and fired an energy wave with all of his power. The two forces slammed together, with Cell's holding against the Polar Lance.

Gohan spotted the opening, and quickly moved into action.

The two beams of blue and gold energy pushed against each other violently, pushing out harsh, violent winds that ripped across the air. Cell had stood upright after recovering from the devastating blows to his stomach, managing to hold fast against Cooler. They both strained to overwhelm the other, but refused to use a second hand so long as the other held back. Cell's genes told him the about the ploy of engaging the Polar Lance—and the fact it was a one-handed technique was a crucial factor.

"Ka..." A cold, jagged dagger of fear pierced Cell's back before he turned his head around to see Gohan floating in the air behind him. "Me..."

"NO!" He momentarily dropped his focus, and lost precious ground to Cooler's attack. Cell looked back to see the Arcosian smirking on the other side of their exchange. This—this was their plan! "DAMN YOU!"

"Ha...!" Cell roared and lashed his other arm out at Gohan, sparking his own aura to unleash another full power energy wave in the opposite direction, at the Super Saiyan. "Me..." The golden glow of the Burning Super Saiyan was drowned out by the blue radiance of a full power Kamehameha Wave. More than enough to compete with Cell's attack. "HA!" Gohan fired the blast down at his foe, meeting the energy wave halfway. The towering Bio-Android roared furiously at the sudden resistance, and pressure pushing down on him. Cell poured all of his focus and energy into pushing back against both of his enemies, but could barely make them budge.

Cooler pulled his extra hand back, charging an identical orb of energy to the one he was already pushing. He combined the second wave with the first, shouting furiously as he unleashed the full power of his grandfather's titular technique. The second blast spiraled around the first, fusing together to form one larger beam about halfway up. It slammed hard into Cell's right beam, pushing back on him ferociously.

Gohan shifted his legs and pushed down with his shoulders, shouting as he poured all of his strength forward. The Kamehameha Wave blistered down harder, pushing heavily against Cell's left side.

The Bio-Android was trapped in the middle of two oppressive forces, unable to match the strength of both super forces together with his own power divided. Cell shouted and screamed at the top of his lungs, his aura exploding as he tried valiantly to hold his ground. Gohan and Cooler both gave one final push—one final roar to close the distance.

"No...! NO!" Cell shouted defiantly as the two beams of blinding blue energy came crashing down on him together.

The Polar Lance and Kamehameha—both signature techniques of those who came before—met in the middle, pushing through Cell's energy waves, and erupting a violent explosion on contact. The blast was blinding, and devastating, forming a massive crater that was filled with dirt and smoke. Cooler unleashed one more all-encompassing blast to turn the scorching crater into a smoldering hole in the ground.

All remained quiet as the two remaining warriors descended to the ground, landing on either side of the hole. They sensed, watched, and waited, but nothing happened. Nothing rose up from, or lived in, the deep grave. When the smoke cleared, Gohan and Cooler both met the other's gaze across the distance.

In the very first instant, Gohan wasn't entirely sure what to expect from his enemy turned uneasy ally. He wondered how often his father second guessed Vegeta—if ever. Cooler made the first move, floating over the crater between them, arms down, eyes staring past Gohan as he took position next to the Super Saiyan. He was the first to power down too, reverting from his new, altered Fifth Form to his lesser, base form. Gohan followed in kind, and his body thanked him with a complete, unanimous groan across every muscle, joint, and fiber of his being. Despite the ache, he could still hold himself on his own two feet, standing eye level with Cooler.

"Your people have nearly finished clearing Cell's army," Cooler said, nodding in their direction ahead. Gohan turned around and pushed his senses forward. Only a few lingering powers remained, but whatever awful armada Cell had prepared was all but destroyed. "I am without a ship to leave this planet."

Gohan laughed at the remark as he turned his head toward the stoic royal. After a moment's pause, Cooler finally shifted his gaze to meet his comrade's. A lingering pause was not what Gohan was expecting as he stared at the Arcosian's piercing red stare. "You don't wanna fight me?"

"In your current condition? Your ward would stand a better chance than you."

"Won't argue with that." Another moment of silence passed between them before Gohan finally decided to start walking forward. "Is that all you want now? A ship?"

"There are other matters that require my attention," Cooler said as he joined the Saiyan in stride.

His curiosity was piqued, namely about the change in Cooler, and what such important matters could be. Something told Gohan that it wasn't something as boring as ruling an empire. "All setup to be king?" Couldn't hurt just to be sure.

"Rather the opposite." Gohan stared right at him, but Cooler didn't look back. "A king is given their title. I will earn mine, and not by following in my father's footsteps like my brother did."

Gohan nearly stopped, but since Cooler didn't, neither did he. "You...aren't going to be the emperor of the universe?"

The Arcosian just shook his head with a look of resentment in his scarlet eyes. "No. Frieza and my father built their empire on the bones of my people's destruction. They were only allowed to keep their power by the grace of the gods." Cooler clenched his fists in anticipation of his new goal—to end the shame and disgrace to his family's name. A name he personally had no right to carry anymore. He was no worthy Arcosian prince, definitely no king or emperor. All he could amount to anymore was a warrior, plain and simple. A warrior with aspirations for more than to just be another arrogant despot. "The torment and destruction caused by my family ends. My people weren't perfect, but Frieza and Cold were the worst of us." Cooler recognized that he was barely any better than the two he held in such contempt. But now he had a chance to change the fate every member of his family has already suffered.

"What...what did you do when you left?"

Cooler lowered his gaze, offering a soft hum to Gohan's question. It was a fairly personal answer, but also a fairly simple question given to him. Cooler turned to his ally, searching for some look of patronization or cruelty, but only found a curious, patient stare on the Saiyan warrior's face. Perhaps his interest could be more than just idle curiosity.

He looked away from Gohan, "That is...quite the story. Perhaps another day," Cooler offered. "Let us enjoy the victory we have for now."

There was an answer Gohan could support, but his own personal curiosity wouldn't let it rest. He just huffed, but offered only continued silence. It wasn't like Cooler had anywhere to be until Bulma built him a spaceship anyway.

The battle outside was drawing to an end, finally. The last of the wounded were being treated and brought back to safety, while the remaining threats were taken out with surgical precision. The Earth practically hummed to life beneath Hercule's feet as more and more of Cell's Horde started blinking off. It had been ages since he had felt such a measure of peace—and from the planet itself, no less. Perhaps the most solemn acknowledgment of their victory was when Hercule felt the presence of Gohan and Cooler coming back to them, with one overbearing sense of evil scrubbed from the face of the planet. Cell was gone.

"You sense it too?" Hercule looked to his side and saw Mr. Popo standing next to him. His newest friend had provided combat support, largely focusing on keeping the most persistent insects from getting through their defenses. Popo was definitely a terrifying presence when he wanted to be. "The others would have sensed it as well."

"I can't believe it," the former champion admitted. "I mean...it actually feels like it's over." Across the battlefield, he could sense the others, near or far, high or low.

Bulma had joined the medical teams in an effort to coordinate and direct people accordingly. She didn't have much experience in the medical field, but she had patched up Gohan and Trunks enough times to know what she was doing—not to mention her natural leadership skills as a whole. Nobody could command a room of people like Bulma, except the late Launch herself. His own daughter, Videl, was helping to bring the last of the wounded back behind friendly lines, and preparing to recover their dead. At least, what remained of their fallen. The horde, like their predecessor, consumed bio-matter, and didn't leave much whole. Suno and Eighter led a large cleanup crew to make sure there were no stragglers or bio-bugs still clinging to life out in the battlefield. The final teams to push back the enemy were being led by none other than Mai, her daughter Sho, and Aoi—all the newest leadership in the Resistance, all with no shortage of followers themselves.

The Resistance didn't lack for confidence, or for bravery in the wake of their clear victory. They had been inspired time and time again by the tremendous events happening around them—good and bad. Powerful new heroes and allies that fought for them, that showed them again and again that the Androids weren't invincible. Humanity had been shown that they could fight and accomplish just as much as their heroes when they worked together.

Not that the heroes themselves lacked in any of their efforts. They were at the forefront of every new nightmare and abomination that crawled out of Gero's lab. The Red Ribbon Androids, the Devil's Pair, Android 20—Cell himself and his terrifying transformations, and subsequent army of horrors. The heroes were of course at the front of the line to put an end to Cell's creations once and for all.

The Armored Squadron flew quickly and with coordination among the last scores of monsters, relying on their teamwork and specialized talents to put the maximum amount of hurt with as little effort as necessary. Unfortunately, their flashy tactics were upstaged by the unending stamina and energy of the Androids, Nico and Nina, who flew straight through the remaining horde. Salza, Dore, and Neiz floated in place, gawking at the display of brutality and raw power shown from the new Android pair. Before they could act on the urge to show up their rivals, a golden streak shot past them to jump into the fray personally. Trunks rained down a storm of energy blasts that closed in around the horde, and caused Nico and Nina to flee before getting caught in the crossfire. By the end of the bombardment, there was only a number of stragglers left behind.

"MINE!" everyone—except Nina—shouted, releasing six beams of energy all on the same targeted area. The beams struck together, creating an explosion that shattered the earth, and vaporized anything caught in the blast radius.

"Is achieving victory first some form of contest?" Nina asked, turning toward Nico. The shorter Android smiled at the explosion before turning to her sister. She cast her eyes past Nina, and right at the rather sour looking trio in the Armored Squadron next.

"Boys like to compete," Nico explained smugly, knowing she was just as guilty of competing against Trunks namely, and later the others. "It's nice to have a woman's perspective though."

"I am an Android though."

"A woman Android."

"Does that hold significant relevance as well?"

Nico's smile widened, "None." Trunks came down between the two teams, bringing both teams together almost immediately. When they were a little closer together, Nico noticed that Dore and Neiz's unruly glares seemed to be aimed at an otherwise indifferent Nina. "What's the plan from here?"

Trunks and Salza had their heads turned north, bringing everyone's gaze to the same direction. It took Nico longer than the rest to notice—between their ability to sense energy, and Nina's enhanced perception—but two figures could be spotted crossing the valley from the mountains. At least she knew immediately that it was over when seeing a Saiyan and an Arcosian walking together in victory. The heat from Trunks' Super Saiyan form died out almost instantly, giving a true impression of peace over the group. Nico took a look at her sparring partner who shared his smile with the heroes in the distance, likely with one of them in particular.

She woke up to a desperate world without hope, now she had a future with friends and allies to look forward to. Maybe life as an Android wouldn't be as miserable as Nico feared—especially not if she could keep up with Super Saiyans. With the addition of Nina, and the complete destruction of Doctor Gero's final horror, any negative sentiments against Androids in general were bound to disappear. The future didn't seem so dark after all.

Gohan and Cooler came close enough to see the people celebrating and cheering. It was a new sight for Cooler—to see people excited for his arrival. Even Gohan's smile couldn't break his stoic expression though. "Are you going to stick around? We had a hell of a party last night. I'm sure tonight will be even better."

He hummed in thought. "We'll see."

It wasn't a no. "This is more than I could have hoped for," Gohan said. Cooler remembered the Saiyan's words last time they were together. Without his arrival, without his reluctant aid over the last two weeks, what chance would Gohan and humanity have fared against the their threats? The Red Ribbon Army, the Devil's Pair, Android 20, Android 13 and the rest, and finally Cell. Threats that Gohan nor Cooler could have overcame individually—ones that they had barely overcome together. The idea felt more real in light of their victory. Their final victory. "You still want to have that fight for the strongest in the universe?"

"No." He knew that answer immediately. It was a little insulting when Gohan looked genuinely surprised by his response. Cooler had long put the title of strongest of the universe behind him. That no longer mattered to him. "I plan to leave this planet alive."

Gohan opened his mouth to say something, but stopped—stopped immediately. Cooler sensed it too. Something...dreadful. Something impossible.

The power exploded with enough force to push against Gohan and Cooler—pushing waves of wind and dust in all directions. They transformed—Super Saiyan and Arcosian, but it wasn't enough. Even together, it wasn't enough anymore.

His power continued to rise, and push harder against Gohan and Cooler as it moved closer. Soon, the dust parted to reveal the new face of their old adversary. Green colors had replaced by a flaring red, his body taller, bigger, carrying a striking resemblance to the imposing appearance of a Super Arcosian. His the fins on his head carapace sprouted two narrow horns from the base of his skull that pointed up, giving the red warrior the appearance of a twisted crown on his head. His black shoulder pauldrons pointed out, growing a secondary layer of armor with spikes covering it. The arms and much of his lower body were covered in the same points, and spikes, with two more spike-fins on the backs of his forearms, and legs.

A sheet of expressionless, sightless scarlet eyes began to burn with malice, as a twisted smile formed on Cell's face. "Ah...what a time to be alive."

The horizon was darkened out by a single, golden star burning against the earth. Every one of them could sense the dark, raw power raging in the distance. It was too much—too much for any of them. They couldn't stop...whatever that was.

But Trunks blasted forward anyway. Nico, Nina, and the Armored Squadron pursued him. They knew they had to do something. Anything they could do to stand a chance.

They pushed onward, against the raging storm of impossible power. Trunks pushed faster—burning extra energy to meet the demand.

Cell smiled casually as his eyes burned with intended cruelty. Neither Cooler nor Gohan were prepared for his speed—when all the pressure and wind stopped in the blink of an eye. Cell stepped forward, flashing in a blinding streak of light, striking both of his enemies from behind before they could sense his presence. The force of his strikes sent Gohan and Cooler crashing into the ground. They were quick to rebound, rolling into the momentum to push out of the trenches. Cell sneered wickedly at their panicked expressions.

"You know, you've both taught me something...so very important. The wretched nature in underestimating your foes." Cell chuckled gleefully. "Then again, you both learned that from me, didn't you?" Raw, twisted malice turned his grin into a psychotic smile. "Allow me to show you how much I appreciate the lesson, gentlemen."

"Gohan!"

"Right!"

Gold and blue exploded side by side as the warriors blitzed forward as hard as possible. Cell waited for the challenge to come to him. He burst with twisted laugher as they three of them tore across the plains with tremendous speeds. Cell simply moved and pulled himself around each and every strike, not blinking, not missing a single movement as Cooler and Gohan continued their relentless assault against him. All their speed, their power, and coordination it was nothing to the red terror. He proved as much when he finally pulled back quickly enough to escape their reach entirely. They didn't miss a beat. They took one powerful stride forward, and each fired raw beams of energy that twirled together and ripped across the ground. Cell reappeared ahead of the beam's path, arms crossed and a smile on his face as he made no effort to evade or defend.

The attack struck head on with tremendous force. The smoke cleared, only to reveal Cell unmoved, unscathed. Gohan and Cooler blinked in behind the pinnacle of perfection and swung at him together. He predicted their every moved. Cell dropped his head forward and threw his feet back. His giant boots slammed into the Super Saiyan and Arcosian's ribs—and sent them sailing high into the air.

Cooler caught himself first, and then Gohan. He looked over at his Saiyan ally. He had been fighting for too long, and now Cell was back and stronger than ever. Stronger than both of them. Gohan still didn't hesitate though, and it hastened Cooler's resolve.

Cell remained in the air, tilted forward, slightly upside down with his head facing the ground. He was goading them to attack. They had no choice but to take the bait as they lunged back to the ground. Cell vanished just before they could strike—appearing right where they had come down from. They were much faster to react. In the blink of an eye they ripped through three-quarters of the distance.

Just as quickly, with no movement, no buildup, Cell blasted two searing, scorching red beams aimed lazily from his palms. The beams burned with such intensity that the light darkened out everything else. They tore so fast that Gohan and Cooler hardly had time to register it before the energy waves hit the ground in an instant, shaking it apart with its power—its intensity.

Cooler somehow managed to pull himself desperately out of the way, close enough to feel the heat from Cell's attack. It took him a moment to register his own survival, and another to sense the sudden drop in a particular energy signature. Cooler's heart nearly stopped when he looked over to the other beam that ripped down Gohan's entire left arm, burning it away from his body. When Cell's attack faded, Gohan dropped out of the air, his golden hair dropping with him and his energy.

"No...!"

Before Cooler could move, he was stopped when a terrifying red form blocked his path. Cell smirked as he turned his full attention to the Arcosian warrior. "Oh...I think this is going to be a very familiar experience for both of us."

Gohan was out of the picture, and he was faced with certain death. Cooler reached down and willed whatever strength and power he could force to the surface. His power grew, booming to life with a ferocious, proud roar. It was only enough to make Cell's smile widen. Enough to draw him into futile little game.

The fallen hero plummeted out of the air like a brick. He threatened to crash into the ground, until a swift blur moved to catch him. Nina spun around with her back against the momentum, holding Gohan's wounded body close, keeping him as stable as possible in her arms. When she finally came to a stop, her eyes moved across his body to discern the worst of the damage.

"GOHAN!" Trunks nearly crashed himself into the ground, tumbling into a broken stride onto his hands and knees in front of Nina. He looked at Gohan in horror, specifically at his disfiguring, scorched side. "Gohan...G-Gohan!?"

"He is dead." The young—the final Super Saiyan looked up at Nina. She focused on those frightened, broken young eyes that silently pleaded for any other result, gazing back without a flicker of emotion. "I am sorry..."

"No..."

"His battle with Cell drained too much of his power. He never stood a chance." Nina's face betrayed no sign of emotion, in stark contrast to the weeping youth in front of her. She continued to stare coldly at the young, broken child. "He is gone, Trunks."

"No..." Nina watched the boy carefully—watched him as he recoiled from the sight of his fallen mentor—his friend. She saw the pain, the anguish in his face as hot, frustrated tears ran down his face. There was a slight shift in the air, almost like a faint static that Nina detected. Trunks' eyes still overflowed with tears, but the thunderous clashing behind the boy reminded him of the real threat.

Trunks threw his head back and cried out in anguish to the heavens above. That static sparked to life like a raging storm across the air around the Super Saiyan. Something primal, something deep inside of Trunks ripped itself savagely to the surface. His golden power burst around him, flowing and behaving erratically. Trunks rose up to his feet and screamed again as his power began to soar with his anguish. Nina quickly moved herself and Gohan out of immediate danger as the young Saiyan's soul exploded to life.

The air pushed out violently from the new rising power—launching gale force winds to lash out all around. The ground shook relentlessly and crumbled beneath Trunks' feet, with deep cracks splitting and spreading across the earth. With one final, broken shout, Trunks' rage and compassion twisted together and snapped into a frightening new transformation.

A bolt of lightning was pulled from the sky and crashed down on the young Super Saiyan, and ignited his hidden power. A new wave of energy rose up and burst from Trunks' body, awakening something entirely new that angrily burned away the tears from his eyes.

Nico raised her arms up to block against the violent winds thrown against her, and the Armored Squadron. They were all focused on the sudden explosion of anger and pain that they didn't notice the movement beneath them. The only thing that drew their attention away from transforming Super Saiyan was a sudden, and harmless, ball of energy that flew up between the Armored Squadron. Something specifically to get everyone's attention.

"I need assistance to save his life!" Nina shouted over the winds. There wasn't much time left to save Gohan.

Cell had only managed to get his hand around Cooler's throat when something new grabbed his attention. A power that rose quickly and suddenly that it could not be ignored. The Super Arcosian choked and gasped as he griped Cell's forearm, but he quickly became the least of the Bio-Android's concerns.

"This...brat's power..." Where was he hiding it? How was he so strong? It didn't matter. He would die along with his mentor. "It's your lucky minute, Cooler. Because you really won't get more than that." Cell released and disappeared in an instant, making his way to confront the new power that thought it could challenge him.

A new breed of Super Saiyan had been born. The equally new Bio-Android stood in the wake of the raw, unmatched power of the Super Saiyan 2. Trunks' aura rolled off of him in waves, crackling angrily with pure, concentrated fury. His power was impressive, maybe even sporting, but it was more than what Cell was willing to deal with. The furious red being powered up with an aura similar to the young hero's.

Trunk's face twisted into a vicious snarl as he flung himself forward. Cell raised his arm to defend against the savage blow—impacting with explosive power. He was pushed back—artificial boots tearing trenches deep into the ground under the force of of Trunks' attack. Cell fired a pair of beams from his eyes that tore through the Super Saiyan whelp. Tore through an afterimage, as he discovered a second later. Another explosive hit struck Cell from the back of his head, and launched his towering form back the way they came. He bounced and skipped across the ground, again and again. Cell flipped around and landed his feet planed, dragging to a stop.

Both fully powered warriors launched themselves into combat, and collided with equally intense force. Two electrically charged auras pushed together as the combatants turned and circled in a close, blinding assault. Trunks found his footing in the air, sticking close to Cell's center, using his smaller, faster size to focus on the towering monster's middle. Although Cell's size didn't mean he lacked for speed, and their power equaled out.

Cell shifted back, defending with one arm as he pulled the other back to summon an energy blade to life. He stabbed it forward, and Trunks avoided it by moving his head to the side just enough while moving in with an open hand. There was less than an inch between Trunks' palm and Cell's face before the former fired a devastating blast at point-blank in a moment. The explosion sent the towering menace stumbling back with a frustrated snarl. Trunks pressed the advantage, roaring, flaring to life as he pushed as furiously as possible. Cell pulled back quickly, and was forced to endure a barrage of lightning-fast blows that hammered all over his body. He finally swung his leg in an upward strike to retaliate, but the boy avoided it again. Cell twisted around and drove his fist down, right where Trunks reappeared, and smashed him into the ground.

The ground splintered and cracked apart as levels of rock raised out from the point of impact. Cell quickly drew his other massive hand back and charged an orb of raw golden energy in his palm. With a finishing shout, Cell pushed the attack down to obliterate the boy—only to have another energy blast tear out from the ground to match his power. The close-range beam clash tore even more rock and ground away from them, creating a crater around the brightly lit conflict. The clashing powers pushed and pulled against one another, before finally unleashing a devastating blast that expanded into a blinding orb of gold light.

The two super-powered fighters appeared across from each other, just outside of the blast radius that cast their shadows across the empty field. "That form...that power...what the hell is this?" Just a week ago, Trunks had unlocked his Super Saiyan transformation for the first time, and now he had unlocked a brand new form? A new form with the power to match Cell's might no less.

"I don't know," Trunks admitted, "And I don't care." Earth's final hope stared at the towering red Bio-Android with a hardened, steely gaze. "I won't let you hurt anyone else. I'm going to kill you, here and now, Cell!"

Ugh, who else misses Dragon Ball Super? I totally miss Dragon Ball Super. It's not quite DBS, but have some DBZ fanfic that I've spent maddening amounts of time working on. What's that? Oh, yeah, future Gohan losing an arm, huh? And the teenage successor unlocking SS2? Who could have seen any of that coming?

Two more chapters. Nuts, huh? After a year+ of battling fickle muses and depression and life, I've almost got this son of a bitch done. That being said, I apologize again for the long waits. For whatever it's worth, a great deal of my brain power and effort goes into planning the future stories...I'd say almost more than the actual stories, but here I am going on almost twenty chapters, with over 22 hundred words so...I guess I'll let you be the judge of where the most work goes?

That being said, I've decided to change my lineup for my fanfiction stories (I know I've kinda talked about it in the past, but this is for sure what I'm doing now). So, originally I was going to have two, what I would have called filler stories to fill in the necessary timeskip between Cell and Majin Buu. Well, instead, I'm going to push my story telling skills and NOT the audience's patience, and jump straight into Buu, and make necessary nods to previous storylines as necessary. All I can say is, I plan on going over the important stuff as it arrives, but I don't want to write out two entire new stories, one of which would probably be about as long as this one, easily. So instead, we're doing the important stuff. Cell, Majin Buu, Battle of the Gods meets...oh, I won't get too far ahead of myself though. Trust me though, I've planned for Dragon Ball Super era stuff in the next two stories though, because having all this hindsight and content to use as a viewer is just fantastic.

So for the next two chapters, I'll give more teasers as to the future of this storyline. Next chapter, once things have settled down and the fighting stops, I'll get more into the details of the two between stories I was going to write to sort of make the big changes between the two stories softer for you guys (because there are gonna be some changes before this story is even done), including future characters, the villains they faced, basic general information without spoiling future plot details. They're called teasers for a reason guys. BUT! For my final chapter, I want to reward you guys with a decent chunk from the sequel to build up the hype. I'm thinking something with the heroes getting together again, or something with the rather sizable cast of villains I have prepared, or perhaps something more plot driven, but I think I'll save it for NEXT chapter when you guys get a better idea of where things are going before I ask what you want to see xD

As for this chapter, uh...I can't think of much that needs discussing? I'll be honest, most of my Dragon Ball Muse is going into future storylines. I refuse to check out this close to the finish line, but my motivation is definitely ahead of me. Just wait until we get where I want to get with this madness. I also kinda rushed editing so...forgive any glaring mistakes. If there are any present, please point them out so I can get around to fixing them. Anyway, if you're reading this, as always, thank you so much! Reviews feed my addiction to writing, so thank you for the all the support!