A/N:

Hello. It's been a year... there really isn't an excuse that these chapters take so long to write. It's been a rocky and busy year, but I've sworn that I will finish this story come hell or high water, and I intend to keep that promise. That being said, the next two chapters for this story are already done and ready for the editing process. Expect the next chapter around two weeks from now at the most. We are almost at the conclusion.

Since it's been quite a while, I'll provide a brief recap of the previous events to help anyone that's forgotten what's been going on.

Recap:

Remnant's strongest confronted Salem to get rid of her before moving onto the bigger threat Cell. After fighting against the Relic-empowered Salem, Cell appeared and absorbed the Dual Summer/Winter Maiden, Summer Rose to achieve his Perfect Form. With Cell at his full potential, he makes short work of Salem before moving onto everyone else. Goku shows up with the remaining time he has left and battles Cell, ultimately resulting in a stalemate. Goku convinces Cell to give everyone time to train, promising the android a fight to truly test his power.

Going to Earth, Remnant's strongest along with Piccolo and Kami, devise a plan to use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to attempt to close the gap between Cell's power and their own. Everyone takes their time to rest, recover, and train. However, the threat of Cell looms over them, casting unending dread. They have their doubts, but they know they are the only ones able to fight.

And thus the story continues...

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The End of Peace

While Ruby and Qrow took off into the shaded meadows to exchange stories of recent events, Yang allowed herself a moment of peace.

As the sun dipped below the horizon and the full unbroken moon rose to illuminate unfamiliar stars, she found herself thinking of the near future. Instead of dreading the worst possible outcome, she hoped that a happy ending was in store for them. Even though she had come here with Gohan to meet his family, she still could not tear her thoughts away from Cell and the inevitable encounter.

Guilt for leaving her home horribly undefended was ever-present. Here she was, sitting in front of a campfire surrounded by calm green pastures with her life-long absent birth mother. Yang felt as though she was leaving the people of Remnant to suffer while she vacationed on Earth. Gods only knew what kind of fear the people of Remnant were experiencing right now with Cell at full power and on the loose. She only hoped that Goku and Gohan knew what they were doing.

She had felt Cell's true power during his clash with Gohan's father. The two titans radiated power like the sun, towering over Remnant's warriors like an impassable mountain range. The only person who seemed ready to meet that challenge was Gohan. It was something she had admired about him since the day they met. Not once had he ever shown hesitation regarding battles to come. He had forged forth with determination, ready to face whoever or whatever stood against him.

Throughout their adventures on Remnant, her team along with Pyrrha and Cinder seemed to inherit that core trait from his teachings. They had all come so far from their Beacon Academy days. Rather than rushing into danger with a brave smile on her face and a short temper, Yang had now learned to face impossible odds with a burning resolve. She had gained a heart courageous enough to thrust herself steadfast into danger, even if it meant risking her own life. Her friends had done much the same under Gohan's teachings, although each tread their own unique path.

Yang had changed.

They all had changed.

She stared into the endless void of space above her.

What would life have been like if Gohan had never made it to Remnant? Without Cell?

"Something on your mind?"

Yang turned to Raven, her lips arching into a small smile.

"The usual. Hard to think that not long ago I was walking through the doors of Beacon Academy," Yang commented with a sigh. "Not knowing what direction my life would take me."

Silence hung in the air as Raven shifted. She had since removed her crimson armor and lounged with her back leaning against a tree, Omen resting between her legs. The older woman stared hazily into the fire as she recounted years lost to time.

Memories she had tried hard to forget.

"You get that from your father," Raven finally said. Yang wasn't surprised in the slightest. Having finally met her birth mother, the difference between her and Taiyang's personalities were like night and day. She was cold, blunt, and ruthless. He was like a beaming sun, carefree, happy, and forgiving. How the two ever got together and managed to conceive her was staggering to the blonde. "I am glad… that there is more of him in you than me. It seems to have done you well in the long run."

"I always did wonder about you, Mom," Yang murmured, a hint of seriousness in her voice. Yang's tone caused Raven's attention to shift from the fire, eyes widening for a moment before returning to their impassive gaze. "Summer was amazing. She was always nice and making sure Ruby and I had what we needed… but I always knew she wasn't mine," she stopped for a moment, resting her head on one of her arms. "Maybe a part of me always knew, but I always felt like I was the odd one out. Ruby and Summer looked so alike and I… well," she gestured to her features. "I looked nothing like her."

"I gave birth to you, Yang," Raven started. " I carried you for nine months and took care of you during that time, but I was never your mother. I didn't raise you. Summer did. I… don't have the luxury of being your mother."

"You're being dramatic," Yang scoffed in amusement. "That doesn't matter to me anymore. It used to when I was younger, brasher… immature even. You had your reasons. It's time to move forward."

"You should take your own advice then," Raven smirked. "Recounting your days at Beacon will only trap you in the past."

"I was reminiscing on how quickly my life had changed. It wasn't anything bad," Yang replied with a laugh.

"Perhaps it was for the best," Raven said, looking around. "This world is far better than Remnant. No Grimm to worry about."

"It would be nice if we could all live here. It would certainly solve a lot of problems," Yang agreed with a sigh. "But Remnant is our home. It's worth fighting for. We're not about to let some stupid green bug take that away from us."

"I suppose you are right," Raven said without a second thought. It was a dismissal that Yang didn't exactly pick up on. "Remnant needs to be saved for the many people that will die with Cell left unchecked."

"Didn't think I would hear that from you," Yang smirked, causing Raven's features to darken somewhat. The older women always had a colder exterior since Yang had confronted and beaten her. She had a tough time letting that go.

'The weak perish while the strong survive.'

It was a cruel rule to live by, but something that Raven had picked up from her youth and carried all throughout her life. After mastering the powers utilized by ki, she continued to believe that's how you were supposed to live. Even now, Yang could see Raven's internal struggle. Her daughter, or her beliefs. What was a mother who abandoned her child to do?

"Spending what little time I have with Summer's daughter has reminded me of my… calmer days at Beacon," Raven shook her head, trying but failing to dismiss the memories plaguing her mind. "I am shocked by how similar Ruby is to her mother. Almost a carbon copy. Right down to her morality and naïve belief in the goodness of all people."

"Put Ruby in a room with Cell and maybe she could convince him to stop killing people," Yang joked morbidly, to which Raven rolled her eyes. "Summer was the same… she was an amazing woman. I miss her so much it hurts sometimes. When she left and didn't come home… Dad was broken. I was inconsolable and Ruby… she didn't understand. She was too young, but I knew she hurt too."

Silence reigned between the two women, only interrupted by the soft crackling of the fire. Raven's fingers curled, fists balling, silently cursing how foolish she had been for so long. Summer had been lost due to Raven's own desire for freedom. Leading the tribe to ransack Mountain Glenn after the defenses fell and facing Summer there had been a lingering burden, weighing down on Raven's conscience.

"So do I."

Yang turned to Raven and was shocked to find a single tear rolling down her face. She didn't sob or cry aloud. It was a single controlled tear, one that had escaped the dam of emotions the stoic woman had built and maintained for decades.

"She was a good team leader. Saw right through Qrow and I… read us like a book," Raven continued. "I allowed my selfishness and fear to swallow me completely. Ruby is so much like her. It… it hurts to look at her."

"All the more reason to help keep her safe, along with everyone else on Remnant."

Another space of silence followed the two before Raven broke it.

"I bonded with her."

"Huh?"

"My semblance," Raven clarified. "You, Tai, Qrow… now Ruby. It's not much, but I owe Summer that much."

"Oh, right," Yang felt rather silly. Of course that's what Raven meant. Her semblance could create portals to anyone she was bonded to, no matter the distance. A rip in the fabric of time and space. Yang wanted to argue that Raven could have raised her and led the tribe at the same time with such a versatile semblance, but from what her mother told her, she knew that wasn't the case.

Besides, something told Yang that Raven had been keeping an eye on her since she fled after her birth.

"What was it like at Beacon?" Yang asked, banishing the creeping awkwardness that was starting to move into the atmosphere. Raven looked at her with a raised eyebrow while Yang just playfully punched her shoulder. "Come on, you gotta have some stories to tell. Dad used to say he was a player with all the huntresses at Beacon."

Raven snorted, her visage breaking into something of amusement. Yang internally cheered, not only had she gotten Raven to smile, but she was going to get some real dirt on her Dad from their hay-days. Yang had always suspected that Taiyang had played up his antics at Beacon.

"A player? Yeah, right," the older woman scoffed. "That moron wouldn't know how to ask a girl out if the solution came by and smacked him in the face. Summer and I had to watch— albeit with some satisfaction— as he tried his luck with the women our age."

"No way!" Yang gasped, her face morphing into glee as if she had just found a buried treasure. "You mean to tell me he was a dork?"

"Qrow had better luck, and that's saying something."

Yang cringed as she tried to imagine her father getting rejected on multiple occasions. Come to think of it, she didn't need to imagine that hard seeing as she had seen the same happen with Jaune far too often. His attempts to woo Weiss were borderline comical.

"Aw man… Dad was the loser!" the blonde cried dramatically. Raven just allowed a smug look to cross her features.

"I felt so bad for him I let him take me to the annual dance," Raven paused for a moment, rolling her eyes and shaking her head, almost as if she were suffering from second-hand embarrassment.

"To think that I was the only one in my team that had any clue on how to dance. The number of times Taiyang stepped on my feet…" the older woman trailed off, shaking her head and trying to hide the smirk growing on her face. Yang was so enamored with the little memory Raven had shared that the blonde had cracked up laughing.

"I get Qrow not knowing how to dance, but Summer?" Yang replied incredulously. "Even Dad… I can't imagine him not knowing how to dance. I mean, he gave me pointers and everything for the Signal socials!"

"Who do you think taught him?" Raven scoffed in response. Once again, Yang cracked a smile at her mother's obvious pride. The fact that Raven knew how to dance, despite living her life as an outlaw in the harsh lands infested with Grimm, completely baffled Yang. She must have done some studying or something leading up to Beacon. There was no way someone like her mother just had a talent for something like that.

"Man… wish I had been around to see all that," Yang said nostalgically, remembering her own dance with Gohan. It had been so awkward at first, with the boy feeling so out of place and depth that she had to reassure him everything was fine. That was back before Yang knew everything about him, back when he had just been a librarian with cool powers. "Gohan wasn't particularly stunning at the dance either. I guess we both have something in common when it comes to teaching men how to dance."

"Seems you've found your significant other," Raven commented, her tone being a mix of sweet and sour. It wasn't hard for Yang to pick up on the fact that Raven was regretting not being around in her life to give her advice on romance, not that she had much experience in that field either. "I'm proud that you found someone so strong to stand at your side."

"Eh," Yang shrugged. " It wasn't the strength that really drew me to him. He was just… always there to help, even when I didn't want to hear any of it," her thoughts drifted back to the weeks following Ruby's demise. Yang hadn't wanted to see Gohan but he showed up anyway and helped her through it. "I discovered so many things about the world and even myself, just by meeting him. It's… complicated to explain."

"Love is always complicated," Raven said with a sigh. "I still don't know how your father managed to win me over in the end… but he did," the older woman chuckled. "Not once have I ever really regretted it."

It was a touching moment like that where Yang felt her heart soften, wanting desperately to forgive the woman who had birthed her, to write off all her mistakes and start anew. However, while Yang wanted that to happen, she knew it was never going to be that easy. But it was moments like these which showed her there was indeed hope down this untrodden path.

There was a relationship to be built.

And so the two women shared stories of their past, filling in the gaps and catching up on lost time. The two hadn't even realized that they had talked all through the night, the realization dawning on them the moment the sun rose from the distant horizon. Neither of them had noticed the figure that touched down in their area, startling the two women.

"Am I… interrupting something?" Gohan asked awkwardly. Mother and daughter shared an amused look before turning back to the hybrid Saiyan. He was aware that the two had a rocky relationship given their histories, but it seemed the two were making progress in catching up.

"Nah," Yang waved off casually. Raven crossed her arms.

"We were just talking about you."

"Nothing bad I hope," Gohan laughed, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. His attention turned to Yang as he squashed the embarrassment he was feeling. Raven's smug gaze didn't do much to help though. "It's almost time. We should probably get going. I think I sensed Weiss and Blake going into the Time Chamber yesterday so they should be out soon."

Mother and daughter stood up, dusting themselves off.

"No time like the present," Yang stretched. Raven clipped her armor back on and reattached Omen to her hip, placing it neatly in the sword barrel. "I'm interested to see how everyone's doing."

"I think I'll take some time to explore. This world interests me greatly and it's not every day you get the opportunity to visit and explore a new planet," Raven mused as she sauntered over towards Gohan. "Take care of her," she whispered into his air as Yang was distracted putting out the fire that had been keeping the clearing warm all night. "I do want grandkids someday."

The half-Saiyan blinked in total shock as Raven winked at him before taking off into the sky. He hadn't expected that to come out of Raven's mouth.

"Well?" Yang started, completely ignorant of what her mother had whispered to her significant other. "Let's get going. I want to see if I have what it takes to challenge Cell."

Gohan couldn't help but smile weakly. It was going to be a tough year in the Chamber.

=/=

=/=

It was already late into the morning when Gohan and Yang arrived at the Lookout to see that Blake and Weiss had departed from the Time Chamber.

The two freshly trained girls were busy in a conversation with Ruby and the others, seeing as the younger leader had already left the East District when the sun had come up. She had been eagerly awaiting her teammates' exit from the Room of Spirit and Time. Like all the others, Weiss and Blake had gone through a significant physical change, though not quite as dramatic as Ruby's. Weiss now looked closer to Winter than she ever had, along with longer hair. Blake had gone the opposite route and cut her hair to shoulder length. Both of them had grown an inch or two, their bodies sporting the appropriate changes as well.

Looking around, it seemed the whole gang had returned to the Lookout.

Gohan could see it in all their faces. Grim expressions, reflecting their rather conflicted morale. Cell still seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. They all had felt his power when Goku fought against him. They were all still mountains below where the bio-android stood.

However, together… they might just prevail against the monster plaguing their home.

"Looks like we're up," Yang said. Gohan didn't reply immediately, instead, he found himself lost in thought, recalling the year he had spent in the chamber by himself, preparing to face an android threat that seemed minuscule in comparison now.

"Let's make it count," he said stoically, heading forward. Mr. Popo regarded him briefly with a nod, understanding that the son of Goku already knew of the risks that came with the intensive training in the Room of Spirit and Time. As Yang followed a step behind the half-saiyan, she gave a wave to her teammates. Team RWBY and JNPR returned the gesture with kind waves of their own and wishes of good luck.

The moment the doors clicked shut and their friends' powers vanished from the Earth, Ruby allowed herself to breathe a gentle sigh.

"One more day," she whispered under her breath. Blake was sitting beside her and caught the comment easily, her cat-ears twitching ever so slightly.

"Nervous?"

"Aren't you?"

"Yeah, although I'm more terrified than nervous, if I'm being honest."

Ruby gave her treasured teammate a sympathetic smile. They were all in way over their heads and they knew it, but what other choice did they have?

Ruby and Blake found themselves sitting in on team JNPR's training. While they wouldn't be participating in the upcoming battle, they had expressed a desire to learn and harness the same power as their friends. Jaune, Nora, and Ren were comfortably flying on their own now, and they were starting to move onto how to manipulate their energy.

The two members of team RWBY would give pointers where they could and offered to spar lightly with them. Considering they were so far behind, something like a little bout wouldn't be all that draining. Ruby and Blake had to hold back almost all of their power to avoid injuring the beginners.

Weiss, Pyrrha, and Cinder were off talking with each other about possible battle strategies, something Weiss had butted in on, much to Cinder's ire. She and Pyrrha had been trying to come up with ways they could utilize their strengths to combat Cell while also trying to brainstorm any possible weaknesses that the bio-android seemed to lack.

They recalled every encounter up until their most recent one, and the only weakness they could find was the monster's arrogance and hubris that came with his final form. The fact that he was even persuaded to give them this time to prepare was all the evidence they needed to conclude that the android was riding high on his own strength and power.

Most of the day seemed to pass eventually. Perhaps it was just nerves but the Lookout had grown incredibly quiet as the hour approached. It became apparent that Gohan and Yang had already spent the better part of twenty-two hours in the Room of Spirit and Time. Everyone was starting to get antsy, if Cinder's constant pacing around the edges of the Lookout were any indication.

Ruby was quietly tinkering with Crescent Rose.

Weiss was making sure she was in perfect condition for when they all left.

Jaune, Nora, and Ren had taken a break, opting to eat the dinner Mr. Popo had brought them.

Android Sixteen was peacefully leaning against the temple wall, looking as if nothing bothered him.

Qrow was fidgeting with his flask that had long since run out of alcohol. The occasional curse left his mouth, silently complaining to himself that if he was going to die tomorrow, he'd at least like to get wasted one more time. However, even he knew that was a foolish endeavor.

Blake was…

The girl in question was staring at Kami and Piccolo as the two seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion on the edge of the Lookout. Piccolo looked furious while the older Namekian's face was stricken with guilt. Maybe it was just her curiosity and silent nature but she continued to watch without interruption. It seemed that even despite Piccolo's clear anger, he was trying to keep his voice level.

Blake wasn't sure what compelled her to stand up and stroll over to see what the commotion was about, but slowly she found herself heading towards the Namekian duo. Her anticipation grew as she got closer, their voices becoming more heated as the conversation was starting to unveil before her.

"You old fool," Piccolo chastised. "If you do this then our chances will be—"

"Enough!" Kami snapped. "I cannot keep this from them. I understand what you believe needs to be done, but I cannot in good conscience allow them to continue as they are without knowing the situation."

"What situation?" Blake asked, interrupting the heated debate. Piccolo's head snapped violently to look at her, his expression conveying astoundment. Blake hid her amusement well, knowing that Piccolo must have been shocked that he didn't hear her coming with those overly large ears of his. Ruby had mentioned off-handedly that the Namekian had an incredible sense of hearing.

Being a cat faunus had it perks after all. She was always the stealthy type growing up.

"There is no situation," Piccolo answered without even taking a second to think about her words. "The old man has gone senile. There's no cause for concern."

"No cause for concern…?" Kami echoed with abject horror. "I know your heart was once tainted by evil, Piccolo, but I thought better of you as the years have gone by. You might be able to stand there and lie to her, but I will do no such thing."

Blake watched on as the two exchanged an almost hateful glare. The contempt between the two was almost palpable. Blake was no fool, she didn't know the full history between the two, but just the way they looked at each other spoke volumes of what the two Namekians thought of the other. It was the same way Adam used to look at her father when he gave his speeches. She knew her ex-partner was never a fan of the peaceful White Fang leader.

Here though, there was no context to clue Blake in. All she knew of these two were the small snippets of what Ruby had told her.

"What's… going on?" Blake asked, becoming a little more suspicious of what these two were talking about.

The edge of Piccolo's mouth twitched in aggravation as Kami turned to address her. His expression was heavy, laden with grief and guilt. The silence that followed her question started to give her incredible anxiety about what Kami was about to tell her. What happened? Why did he look as if the whole world rested upon his shoulders? She waited silently, not daring to say a word as Kami's eyes met her own.

"I do not say this lightly, and it is with a heavy heart that I do," he paused for a moment. "It seems that while you all have been training to confront Cell, he has… destroyed the Kingdom you call Atlas."

The moments that followed this admission felt like an eternity.

Blake stood there, shocked beyond words.

It was as if her entire body had just shut down and refused to restart.

The utter horror was written plainly across her face, as if she were watching two trains collide in slow motion. She could not wrench her mind away from the sickening truth. The fact that Atlas, one of the strongest and most prosperous Kingdoms on the face of Remnant was gone… because of Cell. The mere notion of it was incomprehensible. They were here training to defend Remnant, not leave it to its cruel unjust fate!

Fury ignited in the pit of her stomach, a burning desire for justice and revenge. Atlas might not have been her favorite Kingdom, given the shady history behind all the nobility that lived there, but at the end of the day, it was still a Kingdom full of people, rich and poor alike. Faunus and Humans that had no doubt met their end in what Blake could only think would be flashes of burning light.

She could just imagine Cell's godly form, hovering above the powerless Kingdom as he annihilated all its inhabitants simply because it was fun.

Still at a loss for words, Blake turned on her heel and numbly stumbled away, her mind swirling with thoughts on what could have been done to save them. She wanted to take a moment to think about how she should bring this up to the group, Weiss in particular. However, she would be granted no reprieve, as she had caught the attention of almost all the Lookout's inhabitants. Ruby hadn't been the first to see her friend upset beyond words, but she was the first to act. Standing up, the young Rose approached her faunus teammate.

"Blake, what's wrong?" Ruby asked. Blake stopped and turned to her team leader, lips quivering but saying nothing. There were no words to express the kind of sorrow she was feeling, and no proper way to outlet this anger that boiled within her. "What happened?"

By now, Weiss and the rest of JNPR had come to her, save Pyrrha and Cinder who stood warily off to the side, watching how the conversation would play out. Qrow had moved so he was within earshot of the conversation. The cat-faunus looked around at her friends, trying to figure out how to break this news. A brief glance back at the two Namekians showed Piccolo glaring at her as if to tell her that she should keep her mouth shut.

Kami had his eyes closed in resignation, knowing that an inevitable outburst from everyone was coming.

"Blake…?" Weiss spoke up, fearing the horrified look that was written all over her friend's face.

"It's—" she paused for a moment, taking a shaky breath. "It's Atlas. Cell… he—he destroyed it. It's gone..."

There were no outbursts of any kind. Only a chilling breeze that washed over the group as harsh reality once again dawned on them. They had left Remnant completely undefended. Anger and sorrow washed over everyone's features, but none were affected by this news more than Weiss.

The snow-themed girl fell to her knees, eyes glued to the tiled floor of the Lookout, as if she couldn't believe the world she had found herself in. Her whole body shook as fresh tears flowed like streams from her eyes. She did not wail or scream in mourning, for the agony she felt was so great, her entire body and mind had gone numb.

"Mom… Whitley… Dad," Weiss breathed, shutting her eyes to try and dam the flood that was threatening to unleash by the next name that left her lips. "Winter…"

Cold isolation settled inside of her at the thought of being the last remaining Schnee alive, knowing that there was a very high possibility that her whole family had been killed, along with the rest of Atlas and it's people. She had always had a strained relationship with her father and younger brother, but they were still family. They were still a part of her life. To know that they were gone now and she hadn't even had the chance to say good-bye… the pain in her chest was elevated to something far beyond agony.

"That damn bastard…!" Jaune seethed under his breath. Nora and Ren were beyond speechless at the news, their faces betraying more than words ever could.

The only person seemingly unaffected by the news was Cinder, but even she showed signs of shock. It was clear that the woman did not mourn like the rest of them.

"Why…?" Ruby hissed under her breath, as if she were trying to figure out why the monster would decide to destroy Atlas. He had given them seven days! Surely he'd wait for them to prepare and train as Goku had promised! However, it had dawned on her rather quickly that Cell hadn't promised anything, only that he'd given them seven days. What he'd do within those seven days was completely up to him. An oversight in the mutual agreement.

It turned Ruby's stomach upside down knowing that Cell was on Remnant murdering thousands by the day, for nothing if not for his own amusement.

"What reason does Cell need?" Pyrrha cut in, having heard Ruby's silent question. "What reason has he ever needed to cause pain and suffering? It's what he's been doing since we first encountered him."

"If Atlas is gone, there's nothing stopping him from going after Mistral or Vacuo," Ren added. "Someone needs to stop him."

Ren's words weren't even a suggestion, it was a fact. People were dying and action needed to be taken. Ruby, beyond any of her friends, knew how it felt to die. She knew the pain and unending coldness as the life bled out of her body. The emptiness she had felt as she hung by Cell's grip, only to be dropped onto the cold hard ground. Granted, she had died fairly quickly, but she still remembered it as clear as day.

For as long as she lived, she refused to let anyone feel that kind of suffering. If she had the power to stop it, then she'd do it.

The conclusion Ruby had arrived at was foolish and suicidal to an almost staggering degree, but she could not stand idly by while people suffered and died at the hands of Cell. Moments after Ren had said that someone needed to stop him, Ruby had steeled herself as she arrived at her answer. She didn't even need to think about it, despite how crazy and irresponsible it seemed.

"I'm going," she declared bravely. Everyone turned to look at her, slightly stunned at her conviction. "I won't let Cell hurt any more people. Not while I still stand."

"Don't be so reckless," Piccolo cut in, him and Kami having approached the group. "If you leave now, you leave Gohan and Yang stranded here on Earth. We will have to use the Dragon Balls to get them to Remnant the moment they come out."

"I can come back—"

"You'll most likely be dead by that point," Piccolo shot back harshly. He wasn't in the mood for any nonsense. Ruby was trying to throw away the one decent chance they all had. People were going to die, that was a given, however, if she ran off now, then the fallout of all this had the potential to be much larger than it needed to be. "As much as I hate to say this, all those people that died to Cell can just be revived with the Dragon Balls once Cell has been dealt with. I'm asking you to think about your actions very carefully."

Once again, another harsh slap from reality. Ruby was the only one capable of getting them back to Remnant outside of the use of the Dragon Balls. There was only one wish that could be made so they had to make sure they weren't going to be wasting it on something as small as sending Gohan and Yang back to Remnant.

"Additionally," Piccolo continued, glaring at Ruby. "If you die again, only the Namekian Dragon Balls will be able to bring you back. Shenron is not capable of bringing back people who have died more than once. You will likely be stuck in the afterlife for much longer while we devise a plan to get to Namek the old-fashioned way."

Ruby's gaze hardened as that piece of knowledge hit her like a ton of bricks. Still, it didn't steer her off the path she was determined to travel down. If she had to wait longer to be revived— should she die again— then so be it. She had already died once, better to die again and save lives than to sit around here like a coward.

"I can't stay here while more people suffer," Ruby argued. "I know what it's like to die. It's something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Just because people can be brought back with a wish, doesn't mean it's right just to let them die. We may all be strong enough to deal with that reality, but some people aren't!"

Ruby's iron will encourage the others to stand at her side. Slowly, Weiss and Blake came to stand by their team leader, knowing that if she went, they'd all go too. If there was any chance they could minimize the destruction Cell was causing, they'd take it. Ever since Beacon, the team had promised to stick together after their run-in with the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. While that was short-lived, it didn't mean that they had to continue that trend. Even without Yang, they were still a team, and a team didn't abandon their comrades.

"I'm with you, Ruby," Weiss said, her features hardening as she turned to look at Piccolo and Kami. After hearing that Cell had destroyed Atlas, there was no way she was going to pass on this fight. Anger, and a desire for vengeance burned in her chest, melting the ice that seemed to be crippling her nerves.

"We're all in this together," Blake added. "If you go, I go too."

Ruby smiled thankfully at her two teammates as she was approached by one more. Pyrrha walked into the group, doing her best to give Ruby a supportive smile. Cinder was left standing off to the side, watching events unfold with mild dissatisfaction. From the looks of it, the woman had thought they had an extra day of living. It seemed the way things were going, that was about to be cut short.

"We've trained for this, as much as we could," Pyrrha said, steeling her nerves. "If we go to face him now, I will come. The people of Remnant have suffered enough," she finished, turning her head to look at Cinder. The woman in question frowned as she glared at the group. Pyrrha didn't need to say anything to the girl for her to understand what she was asking of her. With a growl, Cinder unfolded her arms to address the group.

"This is a suicide mission, you all know that right?" Cinder quipped, flicking a strand of hair out of her eye.

"Maybe," Ruby replied before Pyrrha could answer. "But that's what I signed up for when I became a huntress. If I can't lay down my life to protect humanity, then what was the point in coming this far at all?"

"I was never a huntress," Cinder replied snidely.

"But you never ran," Pyrrha noted, a look of understanding crossing her features. Cinder turned to her one and only friend out of this entire group. "You came all this way and trained with me. You care on some level, otherwise, you could have easily flown off and suppressed your power the moment we came to Earth."

Silence hung in the air as Cinder sighed.

"I'm no coward," the fiery woman muttered under her breath, only audible to the two Namekians. Piccolo had to suppress a smirk despite the situation unfolding before him. She reminded him so much of Vegeta in the short time he had known her. If the old ruthless Saiyan had still been alive, he wouldn't have doubted for even a moment that he and Cinder would have gotten along just fine. "I guess if I die, what better opponent than Cell?"

Her bravado worked on almost everyone aside from Pyrrha. The girl sauntered over to the group and stood comfortably next to Pyrrha. The red-head gave the girl a friendly nudge, causing Cinder to growl and turn away. Cinder definitely wasn't happy, but she had trained just as hard as everyone else to face the threat that stared them all in the face with a vicious, merciless smile.

"I guess the party is starting early."

All heads turned to Qrow as he strolled over with his hands in his pockets. He came up to Ruby and rested a hand on her shoulder, doing his best to give her a supportive smile.

"Room for one more, Kiddo?"

Ruby did her best to hide her emotions, but she could not help but shed a tear of joy, knowing that her childhood hero would be fighting alongside her, despite the overwhelming odds they faced. All her life she had admired Qrow. Granted, she had started to see flaws in the man as she grew up, but he had always remained the amazing uncle she had trained under and learned from.

"We'll take all the help we can get," Ruby returned the smile.

"This endeavor is foolish," Android Sixteen's robotic voice became known to the left of the group. The seemingly stoic, silent android had apparently overheard the conversation and decided best to intervene before the group left to return to Remnant. "Without Gohan and Yang, I calculate the chances of survival are—"

"Save it, big guy," Cinder cut in quickly. "We already know how stupid this is. We don't need a reminder of our astronomically low chances of making it out of this alive."

"Then I shall join you."

The large android's words came as a welcome shock. Everyone had assumed he would only act on Raven's orders, but apparently it seemed the large green vested machine had a mind of his own. He showed no emotion as he moved to Qrow's side behind Ruby, his overly large form towering over the rest of them. None of them could sense how strong he was, but considering the circumstances, they'd take all the help they could at this point.

"The more the merrier," Qrow drawled.

With the group assembled, Pyrrha shot her team a sorrowful look. None of them seemed disheartened in the slightest. Sure, they were frustrated with the fact that they couldn't help, but they were hopeful for the group heading back. Jaune gave Pyrrha a comforting nod, almost as if to communicate that he would see her when she got back, no ifs or buts about it.

"Are you all sure you want to do this," Piccolo said, his tone calmer than they had expected. The Namekian was hiding silent fury at their decision, but he was far more controlled than to let it show. He had dealt with a volatile Gohan for years. This reactionary move he had foreseen the moment they learned that knowledge. If it were up to him, they wouldn't know at all, but Kami saw things differently.

"Without a doubt," Ruby retorted, her resolve stronger than ever. Piccolo closed his eyes in resignation, knowing that there would be nothing he could say that would change her mind. She was almost the spitting image of Gohan when he was younger, a heart so pure and filled with optimism despite the situation. This move was foolish no doubt, and she knew that. However, she was not the kind of person to stand idly by while people got hurt.

Gohan wasn't, and neither was Goku.

If he didn't know any better, he would have thought Ruby was some kind of long lost daughter of his long time Saiyan rival.

Piccolo allowed himself a moment to stare at Ruby, the young girl he had trained into a strong warrior for the better part of two years. In all that time, he had known she had a bleeding heart. It reminded him so much of Gohan that he couldn't help but feel nostalgic while in Otherworld, and in the Room of Spirit and time. Yet, the one thing he could not train into her was the meaning of sacrifice.

This move was beyond idiotic and it burned at his very soul, knowing that the only option to stop them from going was to fight all of them at once. Ruby would absolutely not take no for an answer on this kind of matter. Her home was in unavoidable danger, and they were all just sitting around waiting for the final pair of their friends to finish with their training. Cell was on the move, and the time they were so fortunate to gain had unceremoniously been cut short due to Cell's impatience.

Even if he fought them all at once, he'd only manage to take down a few before he was beaten himself. Ruby had grown so strong, as well as all the others. It would be wholly pointless to start a fight about this right now, which ultimately led Piccolo to a depressing conclusion. He had no choice but to let them go. It wasn't like he was fast enough to stop Ruby from using Instant Transmission anyway.

"Very well," Piccolo resigned, watching as Ruby visibly relaxed, releasing some tension she didn't even know she had. "But be wary. We don't have any more senzu beans, so be careful with how you approach your fight with Cell. If you screw up—"

"We'll die," Blake cut in. She shared a look with all of her friends. "We know the risks. We've been fighting him long enough to know what happens when we screw up."

"Then we will wish you the best of luck," Kami said, stepping forward. Piccolo scoffed and glared at his older half. The Guardian of Earth did his best to ignore the scolding gaze of his younger half as he looked upon the humans from Remnant. He knew they were heading right into what could only be described as an impossible battle, but they all seemed determined to save their world. Who knows, perhaps they might be able to match the green menace somehow.

"If I'm still alive when Yang and Gohan get out," Ruby started, looking at Kami and Piccolo. "Try to contact me immediately. I'll come back to get them."

"I pray that you are strong enough to last that long," were Kami's only words as he closed his eyes and bowed his head in prayer for the group.

With one final nod to the group, Ruby motioned for her friends to grab hold. As they did so, she placed both her fingers to her forehead as she scanned the universe for Cell's unmistakable energy signature. Sure enough, she found it within seconds.

"Here we go!"

In a flash, they were gone, leaving one somber-looking Guardian, a stoic warrior, and three brave looking huntsmen.

=/=

=/=

Hovering above the Kingdom of Mistral, the biomechanical nightmare of Remnant watched with mild interest as he continued to take pot-shots at the smoking city.

Fire and destruction drowned out the screams of thousands of innocent people, the horrifying sounds falling on deaf ears of their predator. For Cell, the screams were nothing but background noise for his experiments. The Freeza in him delighted in causing this much pain and suffering, however, his real reason for attacking the Kingdoms was very simple. The power of three maidens lay contained within his perfect form, and he was starting to get the hang of using this magical power to his advantage.

"Such a fascinating power," Cell mused quietly to himself. He could make small energy blasts pack enough punch and magical power to match a Kamehameha wave. The benefits of this strange, foreign magic were far beyond his comprehension, beyond that of even Dr. Gero's genius. Given time though, Cell assumed the good Doctor would have figured out a way to harness and exploit this energy, but it seemed he would never get the chance.

Still though, to have such a deadly resource in his arsenal of techniques had the android beyond ecstatic. Those fools had no idea of the kind of fight they were in for when they eventually returned to fight him. He knew what he was going to do when they returned.

One by one they would fall before him, and the world would know that its protectors had failed them. He would achieve his ultimate objective, the one Dr. Gero had programmed into him. He would—!

Cell paused as a spike of energy erupted behind him. With a smirk on his face, he turned to find an empty skyline, but he'd wait. He could sense them coming. He couldn't help but chuckle menacingly.

"Here comes the cavalry."

In a flash, his opponents appeared before him. To his utter disappointment, Gohan and his little blonde friend didn't seem to be amongst this lot, but he supposed he could start with the entree. The looks of utter horror on their faces when they saw and heard the state of Mistral. Pyrrha looked borderline murderous, an expression the bio-android hadn't had the pleasure of seeing on her normally controlled features.

The rest looked just as angry, and if things couldn't get any better, he felt the depths of their power far exceeded what they had been around six days ago. Whatever training they had managed to accomplish had the Saiyan cells inside of him burning furiously at the challenge presented before him. The itch to battle came and a desire to fight and prove himself had never been more prevalent before now.

Only when he had fought Goku, had this sensation been somewhat sated, until the unexpected end to their bout. It seemed as though the older Saiyan's words actually had merit! This fact couldn't have delighted Cell further.

"Welcome home," Cell laughed as he eyed each one of them carefully, drinking in their disgusted and rage-induced features. "I wasn't expecting you for at least another day, but I suppose if you're so eager to die, I can be a worthy host."

"Where's your stupid little arena," Qrow growled. "I'd rather we skip the pleasantries."

"Then by all means," Cell chuckled once more, a little more sinisterly. "Follow me."

The android turned and in a burst of energy, exploded into the distance, disappearing over the horizon in seconds. The group hesitated to follow, but after a few seconds, their energy flared. With nods of encouragement to one another, they took off, burning brilliant white trails through Remnant's sky, following after the bio-android. All of them were nervous beyond words. There was an indescribable feeling of dread starting to pool in their stomachs. This would be it.

This would be where they tested the fruits of their training. Could they measure up? Or would they simply fail and doom Remnant and possibly the rest of the universe to oblivion?

When they arrived at their destination, they couldn't help but look around with pained nostalgia.

The Vytal Festival had once taken place here, around two years ago. Amity Arena lay in ruin, beyond all recognition. It had crashed into the ground just outside of the Kingdom's walls. However, the arena had seemingly been remodeled by Cell himself, if the pristine white tiled arena was anything to go by. The stands where the audience once sat had remained wreckage, despite Cell's redesign. Obviously no one would be stupid enough to come and watch this fight live.

So their only audience were the ghosts of the past.

Pyrrha couldn't help but feel rather sickly when she landed. She recalled the moment when she had very nearly killed Penny in this arena. If Cell hadn't barged in so suddenly, she didn't want to think what her semblance would have done to the poor girl. Not like it mattered anyway. Penny had been Cell's target from the get-go, which was probably why he took that moment to intervene.

"Welcome to my arena," Cell gestured to the brilliant battleground they stood upon. "I fashioned it after the arena I destroyed during your Vytal Festival. I toyed with the idea of recreating the World Martial Arts arena from Earth, but I thought that it was a tad too small," he paused for a moment, looking around as if to marvel at his own work. "This arena, however, feels big enough to fight for your planet's freedom."

"If you think we are going to play your games after all the lives you've—" Weiss started angrily, only to be interrupted by Cell firing a paper-thin energy beam from his finger-tip, cutting her cheek and taking off a few strands of hair. She was shocked into silence, lifting a trembling hand to her cheek. It had drawn blood, but not nearly enough to cripple the girl in combat.

"I'm afraid you have no choice," Cell smirked. "You see, I am no fool. I was designed by the smartest man the universe has ever seen. If you really think I would be foolish enough to not realize your little plan…" Cell trailed off, laughing as he saw the abject shock form on their faces. "Yes… I hypothesized that you would all try and fight me at once, so I decided to ensure that the rules I've made would not be so easily abused."

Cell flared his power once, and if by silent command, multiple other smaller energies appeared all around the stadium.

One by one, the fighters from Remnant watched as tiny teal creatures emerged from the rubble surrounding the arena. Each one sporting a sinister look, giggling like children as they glared at the group like hungry animals. All up, there appeared to be fifteen of them, all with similar powers.

A quick look at them had everyone sizing them up. They appeared to be far weaker than Cell was by a fair margin. Some of them were even sporting powers below that of Cell's first form, but that didn't stop the anxiety from forming in their chests. They could easily be hiding their true power. There was no telling how strong these mini-blue Cells' really were.

Each of them took to the air, zooming down and landing behind their creator. Cell's menacing smile couldn't be more dominating if he had tried. Ruby felt herself tremble slightly at this new turn of events. She had assumed that they would be only fighting Cell! How was she supposed to know he could spawn mini-versions of himself!? They were so outnumbered it wasn't fair in the slightest!

Somehow, she concluded that this had been karma for all the times they had ganged up on Cell in the past, even if she was a part of it or not.

"These are my children and they will be your opponents," Cell explained, gesturing to each and every single one of them. A portion of them were smirking evilly at the group, promising mountains of pain, while another portion was simply taunting them. "If you manage to kill all of them, then you have proven yourself strong enough to face me in one on one combat. Fail…" Cell trailed off as he looked at his tiny creations. He chuckled as they started making death gestures. "Well, I assume you already know what happens if you fail."

"Great," Cinder muttered angrily. "Our plan for wearing him down has gone straight out the window. By the time we get to him, we'll be on our last legs," she paused for a moment, growling in the process. "If we ever make it that far."

"We will," Pyrrha reassured with determination. The smaller versions of Cell scared her, but she knew they were the only ones that could fight in Remnant's stead. Losing today was not an option for any of them.

"Do we fight them all at once?" Ruby asked as she faced Cell. Even with the new turn of events, she refused to show even a shred of defeat on her face. Stone-faced bravery, even if it was foolish. If they died today, they would go down fighting. She had never imagined how she'd die. She'd always wanted to be a hero, and low and behold, often heroes went down fighting. "Or are we fighting them one on one."

"How you deal with my children is completely up to you. If you make it through all of them, then you've proven yourself strong enough to fight me," Cell answered simply. Even if he was a monster, he was nothing if not respectful, for the moment at least. He couldn't help but hide his smirk. He knew they were all strong, but if he had to guess, not all of them would make it through his little creations.

Weeding out the weaklings, so to speak.

Ruby stared at the creations before her, eyeing up each one of them. They all seemed to be around the same power, but there were a few outliers. She couldn't trust if they were hiding their power or not, but it didn't matter. At the moment, they all seemed to be below the power threshold of Cell's second form by a fair margin. If that was the case, then Ruby could confidently say that almost all of them here could handle at least one little monster.

Cell couldn't create these things without some kind of flaw. She guessed that the more he made, the less powerful they were. That made much more sense in Ruby's mind. If he had only made eight or so to match them, then they would have had much more power. However, Cell had admitted he had known their plan of attack going in. He didn't create these things to kill them.

He created them to wear her and her friends down.

He had turned their own tactic against them.

With a sigh, she flexed her own power.

"Well, I guess it's time to adapt," she thought as she was covered in a familiar white flame. Her friends followed her lead, with the exception of Android Sixteen, who stoically stood still. "We will take on seven at once!" Ruby declared as she and her group stepped forward to challenge Cell's little minions. "—and we will fight together!"

"Haha!" Cell boomed with amusement. "So be it!"

Seven Cell Junior's stepped forward, eagerly anticipating the coming fight. Each of them seemed to eye up an opponent. Their predatory gaze seemed to put Remnant's heroes on edge. These things looked like nothing but impish tricksters and merciless little demons. Just the way they continued to giggle and spout nonsense had everyone worried about how they were going to fight.

They looked identical to Cell, so they had to fight like him, right?

The humans from Remnant allowed their power to swirl around them before erupting into a storm. Cell watched with mild amazement as he sensed their powers skyrocket far beyond what he had thought they were capable of. Although, this only proved to deepen his curiosity. The humans had proven on far more than one occasion that they were capable of great feats beyond that of their Earth counterparts.

One of Ruby's hands rested calmly on her folded Crescent Rose, anticipating when the fight was about to start. All of them seemed to have their hands on their weapons. It seemed they had all figured out how to ensure that their weapons wouldn't become obsolete once the fighting started.

"Well then," Cell mused with a smirk. "Let the festivities commence."

Seven of the blue creatures that had been eyeing the group lunged forward towards the group madly. Their speed was far slower than what they were all used to by this point so an effective counter-strategy could be employed.

"Pair up!" Ruby commanded. Even though she was aware there were only seven here. What happened was instantaneous on their part. Weiss and Blake shot to each other's side, as did Cinder and Pyrrha. Qrow moved to Ruby's blindside to watch her back while Android Sixteen merely flexed his robotic arms and prepared for the onslaught that was heading their way. Ruby's red aura intensified as she silently activated Kaioken, while simultaneously ripping Crescent Rose from her hip.

Everyone's ki and aura wrapped around their weapons, making them as strong as their own bodies. As the mini-Cell's thundered towards them, they prepared to go on the defensive.

Ruby and Qrow were the first to meet their opponents, the two short blue devils showing no signs of slowing down as they collided with the two heroes. It was a headstrong approach, one Ruby had been hoping would happen. However, a quick glance to her comrades showed that their opponents had mixed things up a bit.

Blake and Weiss had gone on a quick offensive, only to have their attacks dodged effortlessly as another two pairs of Cell-spawns went airborne, taunting the girls as they did so. The black and white duo took to the sky, following the blue monsters with jaw-dropping speed. They had moved so fast it had even caught their two opponents off-guard.

Cries from the two Cell Juniors echoed as Blake and Weiss landed the first two hits of the battle.

Cinder and Pyrrha however fared far more evenly as they collided with their opponents directly. Cinder had summoned two black glass scimitars, while Pyrrha battled with her weapon in one and her off-hand empty.

Even as the fight started, Ruby found her opponent lacking in many areas. It didn't have the overwhelming power that Cell possessed, and it also seemed to be missing the superior battle strategy the android had. As she weaved in and out of various attacks while countering when necessary, Ruby was able to keep an eye on her comrades. Since she dictated the pace of the fight, she decided not to rush to the end. If she could drag this out long enough to the point where her stamina and energy weren't affected, she and the rest of her team could stall for time.

However, while these Cell Junior's weren't as strong as the real article, they were certainly no pushovers. They had all the abilities Cell had demonstrated up till this point, plus some other flavor attacks they had thrown in to catch them by surprise. However, Ruby found her fight lacking in difficulty she had been preparing for. The small monster spawn charged at her recklessly, throwing wild punches and kicks.

She never missed its menacing grin as it laughed. She comfortably blocked and parried every single attack it threw her way. Shortly after, it broke off and fired a Kamehameha at her. Rearing her hand back, she charged her power and smacked it away into the sky, hoping that it wouldn't catch anyone by mistake.

The mini-monster laughed as it raised two fingers to its forehead, energy crackling. She recognized this technique instantly, being that of Piccolo's signature move. She growled as she flicked Crescent Rose out into its scythe form. Blitzing forward so fast that the monster faltered in charging its attack, Ruby flashed past the tiny blue monster in a crescendo of Rose petals.

Catching the monster's neck in the crux of her scythe, she didn't even need to pull the trigger for the extra force like she used to. With a heave, she cleaved through the Cell Junior's neck like butter. Another flick of her hand had her weapon reverting back into its sniper form. The moment she clicked it back onto her belt, the head fell from the deceased monster, its body unceremoniously hitting the ground simultaneously.

Ruby didn't even bother to look at the remains, sensing that her opponent's energy dropped to nothing. Her eyes rested on Cell, glaring hatefully at the primary monster responsible for all the suffering. He didn't look the least bit concerned that Ruby had taken out one of his children so effortlessly. Neither did the other seven Cell Juniors that stood to his side, waiting with eager anticipation to jump into the fray.

"They're not even phased by the death of one of their own?" Ruby thought in disgust. She had to remind herself that she wasn't dealing with the average monsters here. No, this was the epitome of evil. Ruby wondered what kind of Hell would be suited for something like Cell.

"Excellent," Cell breathed, almost as if he were proud of the fact that Ruby had dispatched his little minion. He raised an outstretched hand and blasted away the remains without a care in the world. Ruby's look of disgust morphed into that of horror. "You are all exceeding my expectations. I am glad I took that opportunity to let you all prepare for this. Now I get the honor of crushing the strongest of Remnant."

"We're not the ones that will die here today, Cell," Ruby growled. "Every life you've taken will be avenged!" she hissed, surprising even herself. Ruby couldn't remember the last time she had sounded so angry.

"I hope you have the strength to back those words up," Cell said slowly, inhaling deeply as he watched the rest of the fights play out. His children weren't doing so well, all of the spawns finding themselves slowly backed into a corner as Remnant's strongest worked in pairs to pick them apart. He watched, with a smile, as the black and white pair were the next to destroy his children. "And two more down for the count," he finished with a laugh.

"Enjoy this sick game while it lasts," Ruby retorted darkly. "We'll see who's laughing when we get to you."

"If," Cell corrected with a grin. "you get to me that is. You still have seven more of my children to get through, and… I let you in on a little secret…" he paused chuckling to himself. "Each one of them are magnitudes stronger than the seven I just sent to fight you."

Cell watched with fascination present on his features as he watched the last of his children bite the dust, Qrow cleaving his opponent in half. Blake and Weiss were the first to join Ruby, followed by Cinder and Pyrrha. The older man, looking a little battle-worn rejoined them, having dealt with his opponent.

Android Sixteen sauntered over back to the group, discarding the blue head he had ripped from the Cell Junior's body. It seemed the green-vested machine didn't spare any mercy or time with his opponent if his stone-faced visage was anything to go by.

"If that's the best you've got, you should be worried," Cinder boasted with a smirk. "Here we were thinking that these little monsters would be even half the insect you are."

"I have to say, I'm impressed," Cell replied, ignoring the insult entirely, much to Cinder's ire. "I never would have thought you'd all grow this strong in just a few days. The irony is not lost on me. If I were none-the-wiser, I would guess that this planet must be some kind of lost Saiyan colony!" Cell laughed at the absurdity of it. "No matter, you humans truly are astonishing. I had been expecting at least one of you to die in that first wave, but… well, I can settle for a second attempt."

"Go ahead," Blake challenged fiercely. "We can handle whatever you throw at us."

"For your sake, I would hope those words ring true for all of you. Consider that first wave the qualifying round. From here on out, things won't be easy for you. If you wish to leave…" Cell stopped himself as he couldn't contain his laughter. He grinned at each one of the humans, wondering which of them would die first. It was certainly amusing to see them so full of hope. "I won't hold it against you. Just know how many will die because of your cowardice."

"None of us are leaving!" Pyrrha snapped, stepping forward to challenge the android's claims. She allowed her power to explode around her, showing that she was more than ready to face the next challenge. The rest followed her lead with the ignition of their own auras. "We're not about to turn face now when you threaten our home and our families!"

"Magnificent," Cell said under his breath, the word laced with malevolent excitement. "Let the elimination round… begin."

The second set of Cell Juniors weren't as hasty as the first wave. Instead, all of them powered up, kicking up short and violent hurricanes. Encased in dark, menacing blue auras, they vanished from sight, speeding towards the group of humans to attack with lethal force. The only ones fast enough to track it were Ruby, Pyrrha, and Blake. In response to the sudden explosion of power from their opponents, the humans readied themselves.

However, it did not prove to be quite enough.

Weiss and Cinder found themselves knocked away brutally, the air completely ripped from their lungs as their two opponents appeared directly in front of them, delivering devastating attacks to their mid-sections. Qrow was knocked away violently, his weapon flying out of his hands before he had a chance to react. Sixteen was also caught by surprise but managed to recover quicker than the rest.

Ruby and Pyrrha cried out to their respective partners in alarm but were forced to focus on their own opponents. Blocking the powerful strikes from the enhanced Cell Juniors, they were forced into a deadly dance to the death, pushed back into a defensive style. Ruby found herself evenly matched with this particular mini-Cell as she dueled it, matching it blow for blow, fists and knees colliding as she tried to reclaim the flow of battle.

Mixing in Crescent Rose didn't seem to help all that much considering its wide reach and how badly it left her open for attack. This little blue monster was far too small and agile for her scythe to be of use here. It became very clear that Cell wasn't bluffing about their strength. The first wave he had sent at them had been to gauge their abilities, to see if they were even worth fighting in the first place.

This wave was to weed out the competition.

A quick glance at the rest of her friends allowed her to see how they were doing. Blake and Pyrrha were comfortably holding their own, but the same could not be said for Qrow, Weiss, and Cinder. The latter three were completely stuck on the defensive, unable to take a single opportunity to push an offensive attack. Not to mention the little blue monsters were able to sneak their way through their guard with every other strike. Sixteen was doing about as well as she hoped, holding his own, for now.

These things were powerful. This round wasn't going to turn out well for them if things kept up like this.

Ruby kicked things up, exploding into a 5x Kaioken, rushing her opponent directly. She easily broke through its guard, pulverizing its body up and down with all the techniques Piccolo had taught her. With the finesse of a seasoned warrior, she finished a combo on her opponent with an outstretched palm, sending the Cell Junior flying backward. It landed with a skid, but her victory was short-lived.

She had been planning on shooting over to help Weiss, but that all changed when her opponent recovered far quicker than she had anticipated.

"Aw crap!" she cursed, readying herself as the little blue spawn jumped back to its feet and laughed, despite its battle-scarring. "What's it take to put these things down? This one is so much stronger than the other one!"

"Nah nah nah!" the little monster taunted as it launched itself at her. Ruby growled, once again allowing her aura to explode around her. She formed a cross with her arms over her chest, blocking a forward punch. The red-hooded girl skidded back a few meters from the force but held her ground firmly. How was she supposed to end this fight quickly? What was the point in beating all these little monsters if they were all too exhausted to fight Cell?

Anything beyond a Kaioken times ten would put a strain on her body, but right now, maybe it was best if she just dealt with her opponent as quickly as possible.

Kicking her Kaioken up a notch to an x8, Ruby once again blitzed her opponent, but still, she found herself equally matched with the blue monster. It was definitely on the defensive, trying it's hardest to stay alive. Every strike she threw, she knew had the potential to tear through the monster's hard outer shell, but every attack was parried.

After a relentless onslaught, she finally managed to weave her way through the little monster's guard. With a devastating kick, she shattered one of its arms. Before it even had time to scream she thrust out her arms and blew the android spawn away with her energy. As it tumbled away through the air, she vanished, appearing where the little monster would land. Cupping her hands, she channeled a good portion of her power, a bright golden light appearing in her palms.

"Masenko!"

The attack erupted out of her hands, engulfing the monster before it had any time to scream. Within the light, Ruby watched as the energy wave attack taught to her by Piccolo ate away at her opponent until there was nothing left but dust. The attack careened through the arena and exploded through one of the wrecked audience stands.

When the dust cleared, Ruby stood alone without her opponent. The mocking sound of Cell clapping reached her ears as she turned.

"Well done," he congratulated mockingly. "You have proved you have what it takes to entertain a battle with me. However, it will take a lot more than what you just performed if you want even a slither of hope of beating me."

Ruby growled under her breath as she turned to face the terrifying android. She was about to retort with something smart until a blood-curdling scream sent a chill down her spine. It was as if the entire arena had gone quiet the moment it rang out across the Cell Games arena. Ruby whirled around the moment the scream touched her ears, searching for the source of alarm.

Her eyes zeroed in on a fight between Cinder and one of Cell's children. She had turned just in time to see the aftermath of some kind of vicious attack. A spinning disk of yellow energy spiraled into the wall behind Cinder, cleaving it effortlessly. However, it seemed the boastful women had not been spared of the attack. The girl was screaming, clutching her left arm… or what was left of it.

Cinder Fall hovered, clutching the stump of her severed left arm. The appendage that had once been attached to her fell harmlessly to the ground, trailing blood all the way down. She cried in agony as her hand covered the dismembered area. From her bicep down, the disk had sliced off. She desperately tried to stop herself from bleeding, but her attacker did not let up, despite its energy attack hitting home.

It rushed her, kneeing her in the face and planting a foot in her stomach. Charging a normal blast in one of its hands, it whirled around, laughing maniacally as it did, before slamming the energy attack into her stomach. It exploded, sending the girl packing into one of the stadium walls. Her impact was enough to leave a bloody crater. Cinder's energy dropped dangerously low as a result, her comrades watching in horror as she fell unceremoniously to the floor, barely moving.

"CINDER!" Pyrrha cried, turning to race towards the girl, only to be cut off by her own opponent flashing in front of her. The red-headed warrior tried to brute force her way through but her efforts proved fruitless as she was once again engaged in a battle that required her utmost attention.

"It seems she wasn't quite strong enough to make it," Cell commented with a low chuckle. "What a shame."

Ruby exploded towards Cinder's opponent once she saw what it was trying to do. It had mercilessly charged another attack in an attempt to end the crippled woman's life. Tackling the mini-android, Ruby roared as she exploded into a 10x Kaioken to fight her new opponent in Cinder's steed.

From her prone position, Cinder shakily managed to push herself onto her back with her only remaining hand, and from there, slowly into a sitting position. With her back resting against the wall, she looked onward to the fight that carried on without her. Her body writhing in pain, Cinder struggling to keep her cries low as she inspected her wound.

"I-I'm gonna bleed out," she gasped at the wound. A mixture of charred and red exposed muscle. Without really thinking, her survival instincts kicked in. In her only remaining hand, she ripped off a bit of her red dress and folded it into a gag. Sticking it in her mouth, she summoned a flame so hot it appeared blue. Edging her hand close to the open wound, Cinder felt sick as she bit down on the make-shift gag.

In a swift motion, she pushed the flame onto the open wound in an attempt to cauterize it. The smell of cooking flesh filled her nostrils as she squashed the urge to scream and cry in pure agony. After a few seconds, she removed her hand and dismissed the flame, un-clenching her jaw and allowing the ripping piece of clothing to fall out her mouth.

"Bastard…!" Cinder hissed in silent rage. "You damn bastard…! I'm gonna—" she trailed off as all the energy she had left seemed to leave her. She may have stopped herself from bleeding out, but that didn't mean she was safe. Looking ahead, she saw Cell leering at her curiously. It was only for a few moments but she saw the bio-android chuckle and turn his attention back to the other fights.

The fallen half-maiden cursed under her breath as she looked around. Ruby had since taken up fighting the little monster that had almost killed her. Weiss was getting her ass kicked, as was Qrow, and Raven's android tag-along was starting to falter. Blake and Pyrrha were faring as well as she could hope, but sitting here on the verge of death, Cinder couldn't help but weigh the odds of their current situation.

"We're all screwed."

They were all struggling to beat these things, and they couldn't be half as strong as Cell. They had all sensed his power when Gohan's father had descended from the heavens to save them. A whole lot of good it was doing them so far.

Another cry echoed through the arena as Qrow fell. His opponent had bested him with relative ease. The mini-Cell that had been fighting the older man turned its attention onto Ruby. Suddenly the red-caped girl was fighting a war on two fronts. Cinder watched as the girl erupted in crimson energy, pushing her Kaioken even further to compensate for the extra fighter.

Would it be enough?

Another explosion ripped through the arena to Cinder's far left. The scream that came from this one was familiar. In the air above the arena, a Cell Junior had unleashed an attack at point-blank range, causing a smoke cloud. Falling out of it with no control of their body, Weiss Schnee plummeted towards the tiled floor. Except, she didn't get that privilege of landing, as her opponent chased after her helpless form and proceeded to pummel her.

The poor girl couldn't even fight back or defend herself as she was beaten black and blue. Finally, the little blue monster finished her off, kicking her away into a wall a few meters from where Cinder was sitting. Weiss tumbled out of it and landed face down on her stomach. She wasn't moving, but Cinder could make out some very shallow breathing.

"Leave them alive," Cell called out in amusement, stopping the mini-Cell from charging its energy attack to finish off Weiss. It turned and grinned, knowing exactly what its creator wanted it to do. "I want to savor the looks on their faces when they've all realized they failed their home and their people… when they realize that Remnant is doomed."

One more attack rang out through the arena as Sixteen was knocked onto his back. Cinder gaped at the state of the android. The large machine had holes all throughout his body, and from the looks of it he was struggling to stand up. The mini-Cell he had been fighting made quick work of him, picking him up and tossing him out of the arena before the green-vested man had a chance to recover. He impacted the ground hard enough to cause it to crack viciously. When it became apparent that Sixteen could not return to his feet, no matter how hard he tried, his opponent grinned and turned its attention to the last remaining three.

"No…!" Cinder hissed as she watched Blake, Pyrrha, and Ruby take on two at once. Ruby was faring far better than the other two, but the situation didn't bode well for any of them. Pyrrha and Blake were forced back into the defensive as each of them was double-teamed. Ruby's aura blazed with the fiery Kaioken while Pyrrha and Blake struggled to maintain their ground. The crimson-caped girl would hopefully be able to hold out, but the other two would fall soon.

They were perhaps strong enough to face one by themselves, but two? These things were about as strong as Cell's second form. There was no way Pyrrha or Blake could hold their own against two of these monsters!

This was it… they were going to be slaughtered!

Cell just stood there, watching with amusement in his eyes as the humans were pushed back and tested beyond their limits. Cinder wanted to curse and scream at the world as it was now. They should have waited for Gohan and Yang to finish their training in the time chamber. Screw the people in the Kingdoms! They had thrown away their last chance to beat Cell.

"Damn it," Cinder cursed again. She looked around, once more in defeat. "This can't be it… there has to be something that I can—" her thoughts were cut off as a pained scream reached her ears. Looking up in horror, she saw Pyrrha knocked onto her back. The two mini-Cells jumped on top of her and began mercilessly beating her. She had her arms raised in an attempt to defend, but it proved useless. The monsters were laughing as their attacks started to spill blood.

"Pyrrha!" she cried weakly. As the name left her mouth, Cinder found herself trembling with a mixture of emotions; fear, solitude, rage, and sorrow. The time she had spent with Pyrrha in the time chamber and all the moments leading up to now flashed before her very eyes. Pyrrha's agonized screams once more graced her ears sending another surge of emotions through the girl. "Get up!" Cinder pleaded. "Damn it get up!"

Thankfully, a burning crimson blur smashed through Pyrrha's attackers, knocking them clean off the girl. Ruby was furious, her Kaioken aura raging like no one had ever seen it before. She was closely followed by the other two Cell Juniors who she had knocked away before saving Pyrrha. Ruby had definitely seen better days, looking more battle-torn and bloodied than before. However, it seemed the girl had gotten some kind of second wind.

She faced down four blue mini-Cells, burning with power that Cinder had never seen before.

"I'll take you all on!" she roared, flashing forward and headbutting the first mini-monster in front of her. The other three rushed in to fight, landing a few hits but it only served to infuriate the girl even more. It appeared as though she was holding a state of Kaioken much higher than times ten. Although, it was only a matter of time before that dangerous transformation burned through all of her energy. Cinder once again growled as she turned to observe Blake's fight.

The girl was battle-scarred and barely standing. Just like the rest of them, her clothes were in a state of disarray, her body littered with burns, scratches, and streaks of blood. She had completely discarded her weapon, Gambol Shroud had been broken somewhere in her fight and lay in pieces on the arena floor. She was locked in some kind of standoff with both of her opponents glaring at her as if she were their own personal toy.

Pyrrha had since made it to her knees, but it was clear to anyone that she was in no shape to fight.

"Cin…der" a weak voice called to her. The woman froze in shock, turning her head slowly to the source of the voice. Weiss Schnee was lying face down a couple of meters away from her. The girl looked to be in a state worse than anyone here. Her clothes were burnt, her pristine snow-white hair caked with blood as streams of it trailed down her face. Only a single eye remained open, staring at the ex-criminal. Her hand was outstretched across the ground as if to beckon the woman over to her. "Over… here."

What was she trying to do?

Then it hit Cinder like a ton of bricks. The fiery maiden felt a pull in her chest, one that directed her towards the Schnee. Immediately she recognized this sensation. She had felt it during their fight with Salem's ghostly creations, and while in that hot spring on Earth. It was the surging power of the Fall Maiden, urging them together.

"You can't be…" Cinder whispered under her breath in denial. It couldn't come to that! Whatever the Maiden's soul was trying to do, she wouldn't let it! She'd rather… she'd—

Her gaze drifted to Pyrrha, the only girl who had given her the time of day, even at her lowest. The red-haired huntress was knelt, bleeding and broken. Even now, just looking at the girl, she struggled to breathe and gain control of her body. It was a look Cinder had never seen on the girl before. Utter defeat, sorrow dripping from almost every feature, mixed in with agonized pain. It seemed that Pyrrha had also arrived at the same conclusion Cinder had.

They were all going to die.

"I don't want to die like this," Cinder cried internally. She turned back to Weiss, a more desperate and sympathetic look overcoming her features. The snow-white girl hadn't taken her weakened gaze off her. The silver strains of her head curtained her single, visible open eye. She was dying, and her energy was dropping fast. Cinder may have prolonged her own death by stopping herself from bleeding out, but it was only a matter of time before the mini-Cells took down Ruby and Blake, then they'd all be on clean up duty.

"Cin…der," Weiss wheezed weakly. "Plea…se"

Another explosion rocked the arena, drawing everyone's attention back to the fight.

Ruby was knocked out of her Kaioken and hit the stadium floor hard enough to create a trench with her own body. Gravity dragged her body across the tiled floor for a couple of meters before coming to a stop. She shakily pulled herself back to her feet within a few moments only to find herself surrounded by four mini-Cells. They all giggled and began charging energy attacks in their hands.

"What will you do?" Cell mused as he watched in amused curiosity. Ruby looked around desperately for an escape but found none. "I'm surprised you all made it this far, I truly am," he paused for a moment as Ruby's gaze landed on him. "But there is only room for one fighter in this arena to challenge me, and we all know who that's going to be."

The implication stung, everyone knowing that Cell meant Gohan. No matter how hard they tried, it seemed they would never be able to reach the same heights as the half-Saiyan. However, there was someone brave enough to push back against that ideology, and she stood in the midst of the arena looking more than ready to take the fight to a whole other level.

"We'll see about that!" Ruby snarled. Straightening her back she allowed herself to relax for only a moment. Closing her eyes she pulled on that familiar strength that slept within her. In a burst of energy, she opened her eyes and a silver aura erupted around her. Her eyes shone like stars as the energy that the Cell Juniors had gathered were sucked out of their grasps and drawn into Ruby like a black hole.

Cell's features morphed into something akin to shock as he witnessed Ruby's power skyrocket. He recognized this power as the same she had used against him twice in short bursts. However, only now did it seem she had a complete grasp on its abilities.

"It seems there's more to you than I initially thought," Cell hummed in intrigue. A sharp look to his children signaled for them to attack. All four of them charged at Ruby viciously while the other two continued to push Blake. Her eyes flashed at impossible speeds, seeing each and every single attack coming.

One of the Cell Juniors swung at Ruby, only for its tiny fist to pass through her, her body turning into a mirage of rose petals. A silver blur sped through the arena, knocking away all the mini-Cells attacking her. Her form was enshrouded by a silver glow, her eyes burning as her energy leveled itself. She had surprised the blue spawns, but that wouldn't last for long. She had been forced to reveal her trump card she had been planning to use against Cell.

They charged her again, but this time in a more controlled formation. Ruby phased through the first, slamming her fist into the second and kicking the third in the side of the head. However, the fourth managed to land a hit, tackling her and pulling her backward. She quickly broke out of its hold and blasted it away with her energy. She immediately took to the sky but a moment later Ruby found herself blocking two different attacks from two different angles.

Ruby was struggling to keep track of all four.

The third had appeared behind her and planted its foot in her lower back. She was sent spiraling towards the ground. She recovered, somersaulting and landing on both feet with a ground splitting crack. She hadn't even had time to ready herself for another attack when the fourth one she had blown away just seconds ago was charging her. She raised her arms to block an attack that never came.

Gasps from the other Cell monsters reached Ruby's ears as she opened her eyes to see her closest attacker fall to literally pieces on her. Behind the dismembered monster, a shimmering red portal.

"You fools left without me," a mature feminine voice sounded as it walked through the red portal. Ruby cried out in joy as Raven sheathed her sword, clicking it for good measure and spinning the barrel to a different sword element. "Glad to see you're alright, Ruby."

"Raven!"

The newly arrived woman looked around the arena and scowled at the disheveled state of Remnant's strongest. Seeing Qrow knocked on his ass and barely conscious made her furious, not to mention the state Summer's daughter was in. Forced to fight four of these monsters. Months ago Raven wouldn't have batted an eye at any of this… now though, it made her blood boil.

"Looks like your friend needs some help," Raven said, giving a pointed look towards Blake. The cat-faunus was barely standing at this point and looked ready to topple over any second. "You okay to take those three?" she asked, glaring at the three hovering monsters and stared down in slight shock. Ruby gave a hearty nod, feeling much better that some help had arrived at the last minute.

"I'll manage."

Raven gave a curt nod before flashing over to Blake to help her. Ruby turned back to her three opponents with renewed vigor.

"It still might not be enough, but it's better than dying!" she launched back into the sky, prepared to die fighting if need be.

TIme had been bought, but it still wasn't going to be enough.

Even now as Cinder watched from the sidelines as Raven joined the fight, she could see that the woman was about as strong as her brother. Qrow had fought through the first wave with moderate difficulty, but he had fallen in the second just like the rest of them. Raven had the advantage of being fresh to the party with no fatigue whatsoever.

Although, it was only a matter of time before she was bested as well.

Minutes seemed to pass as Cinder sat there with her back against the wall, watching as the fight progressed but really went nowhere. Ruby was holding her own against three, while Raven and Blake battled fiercely to stay alive against another two. There were five left and given how fast Blake's energy was dropping, she wouldn't last much longer. It was a miracle she had managed this long at all.

Pyrrha was still on her knees gaining energy back at a snail's pace. Qrow was completely out of the fight and it looked like Sixteen wasn't fit to continue fighting in his damaged state. They were still being backed into a corner. Raven's arrival had only delayed the inevitable. Even now, Cinder could hear Raven furiously trying to take down her opponent, exhausting all the swords she had in her sword-barrel just to take down one.

"Cinder," Weiss managed once more. The desperation in the Schnee's voice was more evident than ever.

The older girl growled, staring at the damaged teen, eyes filled to the brim with conflict. In the heat of the moment, Cinder threw caution to the wind and allowed herself to fall on her good side. She maneuvered herself to face Weiss and started to slowly crawl over to her.

"What am I doing? Is this really the only way?"

The moment Cinder made it to Weiss, she collapsed next to the girl with a guttural growl.

"Do you even know what this is going to do to us?" Cinder said in defeated anger. "What if it… what if it just kills us? What then?"

"Does… that… really matter… right now?" she wheezed. "If we don't… do something, we're… going to die… anyway."

"I'd rather die, knowing that I was still me," Cinder bit back, her voice cracking slightly. "I don't want to go out like this!"

"Neither do I," Weiss responded weakly. She chuckled bitterly, coughing out a bit of blood in the process. "Look at… us. We're spent. I don't… want to die… like this. There are people we need to… save."

"I didn't come here to save Remnant," Cinder snapped back angrily. "I—I—"

"You came because you… care about… Pyrrha."

Cinder's only remaining fist balled in anger as she turned her head back to the arena. Pyrrha had tried to stand, only to fall back down, clutching her stomach. The teen was bleeding all over and there was no telling how many bones were broken. She was in no condition to fight, and she'd be one of the first to die given how close she was to the actual fighting.

She could have run. Back on Earth. Pyrrha had said it herself. Cinder could have taken off and ran away, but she didn't. Now here she was, lying next to Weiss and waiting for death to claim her, either at the hands of Cell, or his little monster spawns. She didn't want to believe that this was how she died, but it seemed to be the case. Cell was just too powerful. None of them stood a chance.

Unless…

"How can you be so okay with this?" Cinder asked spitefully. "You didn't like what the Maiden's soul was trying to do to us last time, so why now?!"

Silence reigned between them, their only company were the sounds of battle and bloodshed as their friends and comrades fought for their lives against the powerful children of Cell. The occasional flash of an energy attack bathed their bodies in shadow. It wouldn't be long now. The pained cries of Blake sounded throughout the arena as she fell, leaving Raven to deal with both Cell Juniors.

Death was approaching.

"Because I am choosing this path."

Cinder grimaced at her words.

"Even knowing that you might not be you anymore?" she asked sadly. All the anger had since evaporated from the older fiery woman. "Even if there is a real possibility that there is no going back?"

"Yes."

Her response was so quick and certain it gave Cinder pause. This girl… how could she be so sure of herself? There was no telling what this was going to do to them, but at this point, it couldn't be worse than their current situation, could it?

Cinder spared another glance at her cauterized arm, almost as if it represented all of what her life had amounted to up until this moment. She believed in absolute power for the longest time, determined to walk the path that would end with her achieving heights never before seen, so she could lord herself over others. She had wanted everything the world had denied her, and she wanted it all to herself.

Now? All she wanted to do was live.

Was this her punishment?

"Help me," Weiss wheezed once more. "Help me save the people we care about."

No, this wasn't a punishment.

This was a chance at redemption.

A relaxing weight was lifted off her shoulders as Cinder exhaled. She reached for Weiss' hand, interlocking her fingers with hers. There was a sound, almost like a drum in their ears, mimicking a heartbeat of sorts. Their power interlaced as a soft white glow enveloped their joined hands.

"Thank… you."

"Heh," Cinder scoffed with a relaxed smile. "Don't kid yourself. I'm doing this for Pyrrha, Schnee."

Weiss forced a weak scoff of her own.

"Just call me, Weiss."

The two smiled as a warmth climbed up both their arms and snaked its way onto their shoulders. It was a bright, sparkling white light that brought comforting warmth to both of them. Cinder allowed herself to stare up into the sky and past all the destruction taking place. One last weak smile graced her face.

"Weiss… I think I'll walk this path with you."

Her vision was overcome by the light, she closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift away into a deep sleep.

Then, the world went silent.

=/=

A/N:

So I've always had a problem with the Cell Jnrs in canon Z. Trunks, Vegeta, and even Piccolo to some extent should have absolutely cleaned house. As cool as seeing SSJ2 Gohan smack them around to really hammer it home just how powerful he got, I still believe that those three should have faired far better than they did against the Cell Jnrs. Even Goku probably could have held his own but that point is debatable, given how tired he was after his fight with Cell.

Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading! Huge thanks to: Doomguy914, Cruzerblade, Dmoose18, and Kamaru for reading over this chapter for me.

See you guys soon!