Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Written by: Feraligreater328

Edited by: StevenBodner

Chapter 87: Vegeta vs Perfect Cell

In West City...

Vegeta stood there with a lump in his throat, watching as Cell tested out his new form. The monster clenched his fists hard enough to make ever muscle on his arms swell, and then he released them. He flexed his arms in and out. He shrugged and adjusted his shoulders and jittered his new, massive wings. He raised his hand into the air, looking at it against the backdrop of the full moon and he chuckled. "Immaculate~"

He glanced over at Vegeta and smiled. And then, with a wave of his hand, Cell made three skyscrapers in the background explode and crumble. The force of him swinging him had was such that it knocked most of the people present onto their butts. Only Vegeta, Future Trunks, Future Daikon, and Raditz were able to remain standing. Everyone was rendered utterly speechless at this wanton display of power.

Vegeta sneered and powered-up to his Ascended Super Saiyan form. He snarled. "So, you've achieved this 'perfect form' of yours! So what?! Do you really think that this minor increase in strength is enough to face down the ultimate, Saiyan warrior?!"

Cell chuckled, going back to examining himself. "Heh. 'Super' Vegeta~"

Vegeta snapped. "Do you think you're allowed to just stand there and ignore me?!"

Cell smirked and raised a single finger. "One moment."

And then Cell vanished. Everyone flinched, looking around for him. Piccolo snarled. "Where did he go?!"

Tien stood up. "That power is insane. How could he have gone from something so small to something that big?!"

Raditz shouted. "Never mind that! We have to find-"

The elder brother's blood ran cold as a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Quickly, Raditz turned to face down the being behind him and came across Cell's smiling face. The monster chuckled. And then, in one swift motion, he rammed his hand through Raditz's gut. The Saiyan warrior gasped and gurgled up a mouthful of blood as he floated, impaled on Cell's arm. Cell chuckled. "Forgive me, Vegeta. Just a couple of scores to settle~"

Cell disappeared again, letting Raditz fall into a heap on the ground. And then, in another instant, the Android suddenly appeared in front of Piccolo, Tien, and Krillin and kicked Krillin upside the face. A sickening crackle rang out as Krillin's head twisted at an unnatural angle and he was launched back, crashing into a tree and splitting it in half. Piccolo and Tien both gasped, glancing back at their fallen ally as Cell raised his hands high into the air. "And now, to crush you too~"

Cell's arms came crashing down with murderous intent and it appeared that Piccolo and Tien were both goners. But then, in a flash of gold, Vegeta intercepted the bio-Android and they locked hands. Cell adopted a confident smirk. Vegeta had a furious sneer.

Piccolo and Tien both took on fighting stances, but Vegeta quickly shouted at them. "Idiots! What the hell are you two going to do?!"

The two warriors flinched back. Vegeta didn't look at them, focusing on Cell. "Help Bulma in evacuating the damned city!"

Tien opened his mouth to speak, but Vegeta instantly cut him off. "No! Shut up! No debating! Go act somewhere where you're useful! Help the other fools back to their feet and then get lost!"

The three-eyed warrior looked angry, but Piccolo placed a staying hand on his shoulder. The two of them looked to one another, and then they both backed off. Once they were clear, Vegeta's power flare and a vein popped out of his head. "I'm going to end you, monster..."

Shaking with rage, the Prince thought of Cell's hand around his son's throat. "I'm going to reduce you to ashes, and then scatter them to the wind!"

Cell chuckled. "A hefty proposition. Can you really back up such poignant words, Vegeta?"

On the sidelines...

Future Daikon ran up to the capsized Raditz, pulling a Senzu Bean from the bag. "D-Dad! Here's a Senzu Be-"

Raditz coughed, blood dripping out from between his teeth. "D-Don't worry about me right now. I can l-last a few minutes. Y-You need to make sure that the others...get Senzu Beans first..."

Future Daikon flinched. "Wh-What are you talking about?! You just got impaled! You-"

Raditz snapped back, shakily getting to his feet. "Krillin's neck got snapped! And Bulma's mother is in critical condition from what Cell did to her..."

Future Daikon pulled out a Senzu Bean and shoved in into Raditz's mouth. "I understand that! And I'm going to get to them, Dad! So just eat your Senzu Bean! We need you alive!"

Raditz looked annoyed, but then swallowed the bean. The hole in his stomach closed and Raditz sighed, reaching over and taking a Senzu Bean from the bag. "I'll go help Krillin. You attend to Panchy."

Future Daikon nodded. "Right!"

Back with Vegeta and Cell...

The sheer force of the power surrounding the monster and the Prince caused the very ground at their feet to shred apart. Grass erupted into flames and flagstones from the walkway went flying, smashing through several windows in the process. Vegeta saw this, and then caught sight of his and Bulma's destroyed home, and got quickly annoyed.

Cell, meanwhile, smiled wide. "You're showing so much more power than before! And, although I know you can't beat me with it, I'm excited to test my might against it! You're making my Saiyan genes surge with excitement, Vegeta~"

The two warriors shoved one another back. Vegeta snarled and prepared to charge, but Cell held up his hands. "Wait."

Vegeta paused. Cell sighed. "I saw your eyes darting about, looking at things being destroyed from the force of our power..."

The Prince snapped. "What of it?!"

Cell shook his head. "I don't want you being distracted, Vegeta. I want to fight you at full-capacity, because I want to have a somewhat decent challenge for the christening flight of my perfect body. So, I humbly suggest we take this fight away from distractions~"

Vegeta gripped his fists. He glanced back at Bulma, who affirmatively nodded at him. And then, he sighed. "Fine. We'll have our clash in the rural outskirts of West City. There are plenty of places out there to cremate your hideous corpse!"

Cell smirked. "Yes, yes...keep up that bravado! I do find it so entertaining~"

And, with that, the two fighters took off. Watching as they flew off, into the distance, Bulma nodded, adjusting the whimpering Baby Trunks on her hip. "Okay! Time to get to work everybody! We need to get West City clear so that Vegeta can fight freely!"

She pointed to Piccolo and Tien. "Piccolo! Tien! You two will handle the downtown district! Scare people away if you have to!"

She pointed to the recovering Krillin and Raditz. "Krillin! Raditz! You two go to the residential distract and start helping people flee from there!"

She pointed to Future Bulma and Panchy, whom Future Daikon was helping up. "Mom! Me! You guys go wake up Dad and rally the night staff that are inside Capsule Corp! Have Dad activate the emergency broadcast beacon and get in contact with the mayor! Get the techs and all other free hands to go around with the emergency shuttles to gather people!"

Future Bulma nodded. "Right!"

But then, she flinched. A hand clamped down on Bulma's shoulder and the scientist. She turned and came face-to-face with Future Trunks. Bulma looked angry. Future Trunks looked regretful. "M-Mother...what can I-"

Bulma cut off her son from the future, speaking in a cold tone. "You and Daikon can go around and make sure that there aren't any stragglers. Check the rubble from those buildings Cell destroyed and make sure there isn't anyone trapped."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but Bulma turned away from him. "Let's hurry along! The quicker we get this done, the quicker Vegeta might be able to let loose and put a stop to this monster for good!"

Everyone nodded and turned to rush off and do their tasks. Future Trunks looked quite unhappy, flying off with a look of shame on his face. Future Bulma grabbed her mother. "Come on, Mom! Let's get going!"

Panchy cocked her head. "Bulma, dear, why are there two of you?"

Future Bulma's shoulders sagged. "Mom, isn't it obvious? I'm the Bulma from the-"

Suddenly, a large mass came flying at Future Bulma. She caught it, nearly fumbling it, but managing not to drop it. She looked down. "What the hell?!"

Android 16 glanced up at her, a look of disdain on his face. The damaged Android spoke. "He...wouldn't listen to reason..."

Future Bulma flinched. "What do you mean 'he wouldn't listen to reason'?! Who wouldn't listen to reason?!"

And then, Future Bulma looked up and gasped in shock at the sight of Android 17 rushing in the same direction the Vegeta and Cell had.

On the Lookout...

Gine, Kami, and Mr. Popo all stared over the side of the Lookout in shock and horror. Kami gripped his staff so hard that it shook. "Have I really become so blind in my waning years that I could see this monster having survived...?"

Mr. Popo was unnerved. "He has become so powerful. Can Vegeta really stand up to him...?"

Gine flinched, her lips pursed. She looked back towards Kami's Palace and then back to the Earth below. "Vegeta..."

In the countryside outside of West City...

Vegeta and Cell both landed in the rural area on the outskirts of West City. Vegeta looked dead serious. Cell looked flippant. "A question before we start, if I may, Vegeta..."

The Prince sneered. "What?"

Cell sighed. "I just...I must say, I do find you quite fascinating. The Vegeta of the world that I came from was self-centered and self-serving down to his very core. He mated with Bulma, sure, but he had no concern for her nor her child. Family was a non-factor to him..."

The monster gestured. "He would have leapt head-first into the opportunity to face my perfect form, in spite of...or maybe because of the risk. So, what happened to you? Did you get henpecked, perhaps? Tamed? Domesticated?"

Vegeta scoffed. "You're imagining things. Nothing about me has changed from the day I was born. I'm just as driven as I've always been! The strongest in the universe will be I, the Prince of all Saiyans! The Mighty Vegeta!"

The Prince's power flared and he struck a fighting stance. "The past doesn't control my present! Nor does it affect my future! I'll crush you, and then I'll move on from there! I'll kill you to defend my offspring and to display to them the true glory of a Saiyan warrior! So, prepare yourself, monster!"

Cell chuckled, closing his eyes. "Such sentimental rubbish. You sound like Goku or one of his ilk. I can't believe you've allowed them to rub off on you this much..."

Vegeta snapped. "Enough talk! Fight me!"

Keeping his power flared to maximum, Vegeta's forehead began to sweat. It was getting hard to maintain this level of power...at least while keeping himself limited to his current form. Vegeta wiped his face on his glove. "No... can't go that far. That's a death sentence..."

Cell chuckled and tapped his ear. "I have Piccolo's hearing, Vegeta. It's no use to whisper to yourself. Whatever you're speaking of...it is no more of a death sentence than facing me~"

And then Cell powered-up at well, unleashing a rush of energy so powerful that the surrounding trees bent like fresh reeds, shoving through the ground and uprooting. Vegeta snarled and gritted his teeth. "Impressive, I suppose..."

Cell smirked and motioned Vegeta toward him. Vegeta screamed with fury and charged towards Cell. The two of them clashed and Cell shoved Vegeta back. Vegeta sneered, and then he rushed at Cell again. He went at the monster with a harsh left, but Cell dodged it with ease. Vegeta growled and tried for a strike from the right, but Cell caught this punch and chuckled. "Oh, this is going to be fun~"

Vegeta shouted. "Piss off!"

And then, the Prince smashed his forehead into Cell's nose. Cell stumbled back and Vegeta put up his fists. "You'll die screaming if you think you can treat me like a joke, Cell!"

Cell rubbed his nose. "Noted."

He rushed back at Vegeta, ready to deliver a strike of his own. But, thinking fast, Vegeta launched a volley of ki blasts at the monster. Cell dispelled each blast with a single strike, and a smarmy attitude. "Oh Vegeta, has spamming ki blasts ever worked?"

The smoke cleared and Cell flinched at what he saw. Vegeta was standing there, arms drawn to the side, Galick Gun at the ready. He sneered at Cell and then thrust his hands forward. "GALICK GUN! FIRE!"

Cell immediately took to the air, dodging the beam and firing a massive ki blast at Vegeta. Vegeta leapt backwards and then took to the air himself. He charged at Cell, fist drawn, but Cell was faster. He zoomed into Vegeta and delivered a hefty chop across the chest. Vegeta gagged and Cell went for another chop, aiming to decapitate the Prince. Seeing this coming, Vegeta jerked his head out of the way at the last moment and saw hairs be split from his mighty mane.

Cell tried to charge forward and punch Vegeta in the face, but Vegeta was the faster one this time, kicking Cell in the gut and firing a blast directing into his face. The force of Vegeta's attack launched him back at the ground, and he tumbled backwards. The Prince glared up at the cloud of smoke in the sky, hoping to see even the slightest bit of damage. But, once the smoke cleared, Vegeta grunted in frustration. Cell floated there, unharmed and looking smug.

Vegeta stood and put up his fists. Cell smirked. And then, in the blink of an eye, he and Vegeta were clashing once more. They clashed hard and fast, exchanging a rapid-fire barrage of blows that sent the two warriors flying back and forth across the ground.

Cell whipped around and delivered a roundhouse kick to Vegeta's side. Vegeta was rocked and Cell knew it, smirking as he felt Vegeta's ribs flex inward. Vegeta, to his credit, powered through the pain and delivered a punch to the side of Cell's head that sent him crashing into a tree. Vegeta was wheezing, clutching his harshly injured side. Cell stood tall, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth and cracking his neck. "I must say, that was a solid punch Vegeta. You nearly broke my neck~"

Vegeta spat blood onto the ground. "Your perfection...is a joke..."

Cell snickered. "This coming from a person who constantly espouses his place as a member of the perfect, warrior race?"

Vegeta sneered. "Don't put words in my mouth! The me that you knew might have gone on about how the Saiyans were perfect, but that Vegeta is long dead! We are an ideal warrior, we Saiyans..."

He took his fighting stance again. "Armed with the best attributes a true warrior could possess, we strive to become stronger and stronger! To spite monsters like you!"

Cell sighed and closed his eyes. "So, you're saying you're too stubborn to admit you're outclassed?"

Vegeta clenched his fist, and then he thrust his hand forward and fired several blasts at once. The attacks arched inward and came at Cell in a pincer formation, but the monster simply dispelled them with a burst of energy. Cell chuckled and opened his eyes. "Was that-"

The Prince had cleared the distance between them and socked Cell across his jaw with a solid punch. Cell stumbled back and Vegeta charged in, delivering several powerful strikes to the monster's gut and finishing this sequence with an almighty uppercut. Cell went flying and landed flat on his back as Vegeta stood over him, gasping and clenching his ribs.

On the ground, Cell's face twisted into a mask of rage. He slammed his fists against the ground and began to scream. "HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! I AM COMPLETE! I AM FULLY REALIZED! I AM PERFECT!"

As Cell laid on the ground, throwing a tantrum, Vegeta's face remained dead serious. He coughed into his hand, looking down at his red-stained glove, and then sneered. "Stop screwing around and stand up! I don't have time for this ignorance!"

Immediately, Cell's rampage stopped. His face became placid and he rose, getting back to his feet with little effort. "You are so boring, you know that? Where's the Vegeta-like habit of overconfidence? Hm? Where's the bravado?"

Vegeta gripped his fists. "I'm not playing into your game, monster! I know how your kind operates! You like to have people feel their highest high before you send them crashing down! You're little more than a ghastly imitation of Frieza, in that regard!"

The Prince raised his hands to fight. "I'm not falling for it! You might have the edge on me in power, but I won't just stand here and let you patronize me!"

Cell sighed. And then, suddenly, Vegeta was seized by the throat and lifted high into the air, his feet dangling nearly a foot off the ground. Cell glared at the Prince like a cat with a mouse's tail pinned helplessly under its paw. The monster looked distant. "Tell me then, Vegeta..."

The monster whipped Vegeta high into the air and then choke-slammed him into the ground hard enough to make the very foundation of the land splinter and crack. All of the air in Vegeta's lung, in combination with some blood, erupted from the Prince's throat. Cell loomed over him. "If you won't entertain me, then why shouldn't I just blast you into pieces right now?"

Quickly getting his wits back about him, Vegeta shot his legs into the air and delivered a double-footed stomp to Cell's chest. The monster stumbled back and Vegeta flew in the opposite direction. He needed to create space between him and Cell. He had to last until Bulma cleared out West City. Looking into the bag of tricks that he knew, Vegeta's mind fell to Krillin and he scowled. "This is humiliating..."

Cell sneered and charged at Vegeta. Vegeta snarled and summoned a buzzing circle of energy into his hand. "Destructo-Disc!"

Cell was taken aback. He hadn't expected Vegeta to use another fighter's technique. Especially someone Vegeta considered beneath himself, such as Krillin. But that didn't impede the monster at all. With a smirk, he chopped his hand through the disc and broke it in half. Vegeta flinched. "What?!"

Cell smirked and held out his hand, sucking the energy from the Destructo-Disc into it. "I wasn't sure I had fully grasped how it worked, but I must say...Forced Spirit Fission is a truly inspired technique, Vegeta~"

Vegeta gasped and flinched back and, in that instance, Cell delivered a shattering kick to his gut that sent the Prince flying high into the air. Vegeta cringed and gripped his aching stomach, only for a certain sound to snap him back into reality.

*POP*

Vegeta turned and Cell was right there, fist drawn. "Instant Warp is pretty fun too~"

Cell's fist buried itself into Vegeta's face and the Prince was sent flying back down to the ground below. Vegeta landed so hard that he bounced and, with split second timing, barely dodged what would have been a fatal stomp to the chest. Cell sank into the ground like a lead weight, but quickly pulled himself out of it.

Vegeta glared towards Cell. But, to his horror...

*POP*

...Cell appeared behind him and locked the Saiyan into a brutal headlock. Vegeta struggled in Cell's grip and Cell laughed. "Does it bother you how easily I learned that move? How long did it take you Vegeta? Six months? Longer?"

He tightened his grip. "Don't kick yourself, dear Prince. You can't help being born to a race that so harshly pales in comparison to my superior genetics. It's not your fault that you aren't perfect~"

Several veins spider-webbed out of Vegeta's forehead and he unleashed an Explosive Wave. The sheer force of the ki blasting off of Vegeta forced Cell to release him. Vegeta gasped and fell to his knees, heaving for air. Cell, meanwhile, landed on the sidelines with no visible exhaustion. The Prince sneered at Cell, but the monster's cocky demeanor remained plastered on his face. "Please don't tell me that was your last gasp~"

Vegeta shakily got back to his feet. He knew that things weren't going to turn out in his favor if things continued like this. So, Vegeta decided it was time to strike Cell back with the same force the bio-Android came at him with. Vegeta lunged at Cell and threw another punch, which Cell easily caught. The bio-Android smirked and gripped the warriors fist tightly. Vegeta winced in pain and Cell scoffed. "Why don't you stop fighting against the inevitable, Vegeta?"

Vegeta responded to that by kneeing Cell in the gut. Cell flinched and Vegeta kept at it. He slammed his knee into Cell's gut again and again and again. He struck into the monster a good twenty times before chuckling. "How quickly you seem to forget the technique you just utilized! You might be able to eat my blasts, Cell, but I can steal my energy back and then some with a simple physical blow!"

The Prince chuckled, feeling on top of things, but Cell stood unaffected. The bio-Android shook his head and adopted a smile. Vegeta's smile started to fade, and then it devolved into a jaw-dropped look of pure horror. Despite the heavy blows that Cell had taken, the monster's energy hadn't wavered in the slightest. Cell sighed. "Once again, it's a shame that you don't have my genetic structure. It works wonders when you let it..."

Vegeta stumbled back. "Wh-What...?"

Cell smirked. "Any technique can morph into its antithesis when applied correct. You use Spirit Fission on me...so I simply use my own Spirit Fission to counterattack the effect of yours~"

Vegeta was speechless. Cell cocked his head. "Are you telling me that you hadn't thought of that yet, Vegeta? It was partly your genetic information that helped me to work out a countermeasure so quickly..."

Cell sighed. "That's too bad."

And then, quick as a bolt of lighting, Cell levied a hefty kick to Vegeta's chest that sent the Prince crashing through several trees and to the edge of the forest. Vegeta's vision was hazy, but he glanced out at the sight of his comrades zipping around West City and attempting to clear people out. He needed to last a bit longer.

But, the sound of clomping footsteps coming ever closer was enough to send a chill up Vegeta's spine. He shakily pushed himself up to see Cell looming over him. "This is such a letdown, Vegeta. I put the most minor of efforts into attacking you and you look like you've had the weight of the world dropped onto you. You act like a raging beast, but you're little more than a paper tiger..."

Vegeta's snarled, getting to his feet and charging at Cell. "Damn you!"

Cell responded by holding out his hand and, in a flash, trapping the raging Saiyan into an Imprisonment Ball. Cell chuckled. "You compared me to Frieza earlier. And I must say that, in some ways, the comparison is apt. I get a sense of sadistic glee as I see you trapped in this Imprisonment Ball. And I wonder how many pieces I'll find you in once makes contact with the ground and explodes..."

Vegeta struggled, trying in vain to burst free of his confinement. Cell telekinetically lifted him into the air. "Oh, and just so you know...West City's reprieve from my terror is over as well. But, worry not, I'll make sure to separate your pieces from the scattered remains of the foolish humans surrounding you~"

And then, with a flick, Cell sent Vegeta and the Imprisonment Ball flying back towards West City.

Across West City...

All across West City, everyone else was doing their part to try and help the confused and frightened civilians escape what was promising to be a bloody affair.

Future Bulma, Panchy, and Dr. Briefs all tried to round up as many confused people into the Capsule Corp shuttles as possible. They, with the assistance of their steadfast Capsule Corp staff, managed to drive entire herds of people away from the city all at once.

Krillin and Raditz both did their part, going door-to-door and pleading with families within to grab only the essentials and make their way out of the city. The excuse was used that a terror attack had occurred and people seemed to comply rather quickly.

Piccolo and Tien both scoured the business district, using their naturally intimidating facades to beat down any arguments against running off. Even the most hardheaded person couldn't bring themselves to stand up to the malicious glare of the former Demon King and his ex-assassin cohort.

As everyone worked across the city, Bulma used several radar drones to scan over the entire area, making sure that not a single person was left behind. "We're working as best we can, Vegeta. Just hold out a little longer..."

Near Capsule Corp...

Future Trunks and Future Daikon scoured the area which Cell had laid waste to in his initial showing of power. Their experience with seeking out survivors and refugees in their time shined bright here as they quickly sifted through the debris and found the survivors of Cell's attack.

Future Daikon pulled a woman with two broken legs out from under a concrete slab. She whined and sobbed, barely conscious. Future Daikon frowned. "It's okay. You're alive. We're here to help..."

The black-haired young man looked over to his partner, who already had three heavily injured people piled onto his back. "You okay, Trunks?"

Future Trunks was dour as he pulled a man in a janitor's outfit from the debris. The look of cold disdain that Bulma had shot him resonated within the young man. The hair on his newly regrown tail stood on end and he closed his eyes. "Damn it..."

Future Daikon landed near Future Trunks, two injured people on his shoulders. "Let's get these guys to Capsule Corp and come back. I feel like there might be a few more people buried deeper..."

Future Trunks nodded. "R-Right. Let's..."

He looked up and his pupils shrank. "What the hell?!"

Future Daikon looked up as well and gasped. As it drew closer, the two warriors of the future recognized the agonized form of Vegeta sealed within some sort of energy sphere. And it was flying towards them at high-speed. Future Daikon shook his head. "What is that?!"

Future Trunks immediately turned Super Saiyan. "It's trouble, dude!"

Future Daikon nodded and went Super Saiyan as well, his longer hair straining against the tie keeping it held back. As Vegeta and the sphere he was in landed hard on the ground, the two threw up a force shield for what they thought was going to be a mid-sized blast.

Little did either expect the ball Vegeta was trapped in to glow brighter than a Solar Flare and burst into a massive explosion. The burning wall of death traveled towards them faster than either anticipated and the two screamed as they, along with the people they had saved, were blown back by the sheer force of the blast.

Hovering above West City...

Cell smirked with satisfaction as the epic explosion from his Imprisonment Ball shredded across West City. Buildings were blasted over and incinerated in an instant. The few middling fools that had survived his earlier display of power were burned away in a cold, ferocious display. A chuckle built in Cell's throat, but quickly erupted into a raucous laughter. "YES! This is incredible! The sheer force of my perfect power is the ultimate sight to behold! I am the master of this planet! The one who decides who lives and who dies!"

Cell glared down as the rampaging, ever expanding explosion shredded towards Capsule Corp. "All that stand under my glorious shadow are but mere playthings to me! No one on this Earth can match my power and-"

The monster was caught off-guard as his explosive wave suddenly stopped. Just shy of colliding with the Capsule Corp grounds, the energy of the explosion wavered...and then it started moving in reverse. Cell watched as the force of his blast sucked back in, progressing rapidly back towards the epicenter. The monster stared with genuine curiosity, slowly descending to the ground below. "Now...what is this?"

Over at Capsule Corp...

Future Trunks and Future Daikon both laid flat on their backs on the ground. The two of them shakily sat up and sat, to their horror, the burning hellscape that West City had been reduced to. Future Daikon smashed his fist to the ground. "Damn it!"

Future Trunks, meanwhile, paid attention to the fact that the explosion had stopped just short of Capsule Corp. "Father..."

As they both sat up, surrounded by the groaning forms of the people they had rescued, and several Capsule Corp technicians poured out to check on them. One of them called out. "Mr. Trunks! Sir! Are you okay?!"

Future Trunks got to his feet. "I'm fine! Just worry about the people that we recovered! They need immediate medical attention!"

One of the technicians knelt down to check on Future Daikon, but he waved her off and got to his feet. Future Trunks and Future Daikon both looked to one another and nodded, and the both of them took off to fly towards the explosion's epicenter.

At the explosion's epicenter...

Cell landed in the middle of the burning ruins of West City and peered down into a crater sitting in the middle of the blasted ground. As he peered in, a satisfied smirk cracked across Cell's face. "I must say...I'm impressed~"

Standing in the center of the crater, his upper armor destroyed, his golden hair raging like a flame, and his lungs gasping for air, was Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince looked ragged, as if he was about to keel over right then and there. Cell chuckled and waved his hand, stepping back. "Come come, out of the crater! I want to be able to look you in the eye~"

Vegeta managed to crawl his way out of the crater, falling to his knees. Sweat dripped from Vegeta's brow and sizzled against the burning ground. Cell sighed and shrugged. "I suppose it's only natural that you're unable to stand. It must have taken so much effort, using your Spirit Fission to grab hold of all of that energy and force it into yourself..."

The monster cocked his head. "You seemed unable to do that in our earlier fight on the islands, so I can only assume you saw me do it and copied it yourself. And on such a massive scale too! Exquisite~"

Cell held his hand aloft. "But, at the end of the day, scum is scum. And make no mistake, Vegeta, compared to me...you are utter scum~"

The monster began to charge a killing blast. "However, rest assured that you will live on in my memory. Even after I slaughter everyone you know and love."

Cell gripped his hand around the blast. "Goodbye, Vegeta."

But, as the blast fired out, it suddenly came to a stop. The attack smashed into a glowing, green wall of energy. The wall buckled and cracked, but it didn't break. Vegeta looked up and stared at the barrier that saved him. Cell flinched back in confusion and then looked around to see that he was utterly surrounded. "What is this?"

The damaged spot on the barrier fixed itself, and then a hoarse, angry voice spoke up. "Have you forgotten about me?"

Cell turned his head towards the voice and, standing there, was Android 17. The raven-haired Android, in his torn and ragged vestments, glared at Cell with all of the hate and rage one could muster. Cell smirked. "Ah~ Android 17! I see you're still alive."

17 was shaking. He lowered his head, shadows covering his eyes, and he snarled out one word. "Twice."

Cell cocked his head in amused surprise. "Pardon?"

17 sneered as he walked forward, his hands held up to keep the Energy Barrier stable. "Twice. You've taken Lazuli from me twice. The first time...you stabbed her through that heart with that hideous, little stinger of yours and then you swallowed her up...and now..."

17 raised his head back up, his face contorted into a painful mask. Hot, angry tears welled in his eyes and helplessly poured down his cheeks. "And now...you've taken away the only hope we had of saving her! I hate you! You hideous freak! I hate you!"

Cell spoke in a mocking, sickeningly sweet tone. "Oh, Lapis~"

17 flinched. Cell smirked. "That's right. I know your name. And I know you're upset. And, honestly, it's quite admirable. You're a much better person than the 17 that is currently powering all of this unfettered power you see before you~!"

Cell put on a smarmy grin. "So much better than the shameless, craven brats that I have stored within me! Do you know what the Android 18 of the future's last conscious thought was? Before Trunks defeated her and her wretched brother?"

17's shoulders shook. Cell laughed. "I'll tell you. It was betrayal~! At that moment, just before her lights were put out and she was restrained like a wild animal, that Android 18 reflected on just how much of a controlling egotist her brother was~! How he had killed Krillin when Krillin tried to reach out to the two of them. How he had abandoned her to the wolves in their final moments. How much she hated him for controlling her, attaching himself to her like a parasite and shutting out anyone that tried to come too close!"

Cell chuckled. "So, yes, it's quite admirable that you managed to move beyond your base instincts and allow the 18 of this timeline to try and form a new life. It must have been so hard...especially knowing that if you had just given in to your selfish wants, she wouldn't be laying on her back and dying right now! Isn't that right, Lapis?"

17 stopped in his tracks. His shoulder sagged as the tears fell from his eyes and fell like rain against the ground. "Do I think that the two of us would have been okay if we had just done things my way? Who can say...?"

He began to shake. "We might have avoided you forever. We might have found a place to live away from the scummy people that inhabit this world. We might have found peace. Or, hell, we might have even gone the route of the two in the future and just went on a rampage..."

17 thought back, picturing the sad, vulnerable woman that he sat next to in Kumagoon National Park. And then, picturing the vital, confident, serene smile on 18's face when she rushed off to save Krillin. "But what I think here doesn't matter..."

17 lifted his head, a determined fire in his eyes. "If my way would have led to a life where she was unhappy, where I would have just thrown her away like that, then my way was wrong!"

The raven-haired Android harshly clapped his hands together and, to Cell's shock, the walls of 17's Energy Barrier began to rapidly close in. The ground under Cell's feet began to give way and the Energy Barrier came from underneath too. Before he could do a thing, Cell was compressed into a tight ball. And he screamed in agony as his joints began to pop and burst within.

17 roared. "I never wanted to let anything bad happen to her! Not after what Gero did to us! But if she has to die...then I'm at least sending her killer with her! I'll compress you tighter and tighter until you can't regenerate you monster!"

Vegeta watched from the ground, knowing that 17's efforts were useless. 17 glared at him and Vegeta quickly realized, 17 knew it was useless too. But, the two of them quickly nodded. And, with all of the strength he could muster, Vegeta got to his feet and began to focus.

Unfortunately for Android 17, the inevitable happened. With a burst of power, Cell shattered 17's Energy Barrier and landed on his feet. With a few crackles and crunches, Cell reset most of his body back into place and laughed at 17's efforts. "A valid effort, 17, but the true horrors of your reality still stand..."

Cell approached 17, smiling wide as the Android flinched back in fear. "Your sad life. Utterly meaningless when you were born. Unwanted by those that spawned you. You had one purpose in life, 17, and that was to be a part of what you see standing before you~!"

Cell shook his head. "But now, you've missed your boat. You and that dying wretch both have. You could have been a part of transcending glory, 17! But now...you're just unwanted leftovers waiting to be tossed aside..."

The monster drew his hand back and his vainglorious smile turned into a disgusted scowl. "Now leave my sight."

And then, Cell backhanded Android 17 across the face. The Android was sent flying into the distance, like a ragdoll, crashing into the ruined remains of a once mighty skyscraper and having the whole structure collapse on top of him. Cell began to laugh again, but then a small ki blast crashed into the back of his head. He turned and saw, to his pleasure, that Vegeta was back on his feet. Cell smirked. "Did we get in a little power nap while I was handling 17? That's good. I was looking forward to tormenting you with my perfection just a little longer..."

Vegeta snarled. "Would you shut your damned mouth, already?"

Cell crossed his arms over his chest. "And why should I? I'm perfect. My word is-"

Vegeta interrupted. "You go on and on about being perfect! This is what perfection is?!"

The Prince spat. "If this is what you call perfection. If this is the peak of what mortal endeavor in this universe can attain, then who needs perfection?!"

Cell raised an eyebrow, seeming a tad unnerved. "And what could possibly make you say that?"

Vegeta sneered. "I've seen beings more powerful that you, Cell. You're strong, but you're no God. If this power of yours is truly what you think the limit of what yourself and all life is capable of, then you should just keel over and die right now. Or, at the very least, renounce every bit of Saiyan DNA within you..."

He glared at the monster. "The very concept perfection means that there is no room left to grow. That all obstacles are gone. That the idea of being challenged is a distant memory. If you are perfection, then perfection means nothing! If you are the wall, then the wall shouldn't be that hard to break going forward! I'll crush you, and then I'll ascend above and beyond once you're gone until the very thought of you is beneath my notice!"

And then, Vegeta splayed his arms out and let loose a massive shout. One that echoed across the barren expanse that was once West City. Vegeta's body began to warp and shudder at a massive surge of power, seeming to reach beyond his current limits, began to rage forth from him.

Cell laughed out loud at Vegeta's little display. "You expect to crush me?! When you're barely able to stand?! With that pathetic amount of power?!"

Vegeta snarled. "IF YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE PREPARED TO FACE MY FULL MIGHT, THEN JUST STAND THERE AND TAKE IT, CELL!"

Cell braced himself, feeling the sheer force of the wind that Vegeta was kicking up against his chest. "Very well, Vegeta! But don't blame me when all of your efforts leave your red in the face!"

Vegeta was gasping for breath, the sheer force of what he was plotting taking its toll on him. But the Prince still managed a confident sneer as he pressed his hands together and began to charge a sparking, pulsating ki blast. Vegeta called out. "You won't survive this one, monster! You've allowed me two extraordinary advantages! First, you allowed my wife to evacuate all potential collateral from this city..."

At that moment, the ground behind Vegeta began to rend and a massive ship, with the Capsule Corp property built atop it, took to the air. Cell stared up at it. "What the-"

And then, blaring on an intercom, Bulma's voice cried out. "Everyone in West City has been evacuated! Now crush that miserable, green bastard! Do it, Vegeta!"

Cell flinched back. Vegeta smirked. "And second..."

The Prince glared at the monster and his eyes shined bright. "You gave me extra energy to work with~"

A lump built up in Cell's throat. Vegeta pushed all of the energy from Cell's Imprisonment Ball explosion into his attack and then he furiously roared. "FINAL FLASH!"

A close range, Cell could barely react. His pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks and he screamed in true fear for the first time since he had reached his perfect form. "OH SHIT!"

The vortex of energy created by Vegeta expanded and domed out, swallowing the entire area of West City. But that massive energy dome was nothing compared to the massive rail of surging power that the Prince fired out. The beam shredded across the ground, digging a massive trench in the countryside and speeding towards the mountains in the distance. After obliterating one of the rocky structures, the beam continued shooting straight, eventually leaving the ground entirely and flying into the sky. And disappearing into the atmosphere.

Up on the Capsule Corp ship...

Piccolo, Tien, Raditz, and Krillin all shielded their eyes from the massive attack that Vegeta had let loose. The various Capsule Corp techs, as well as Bulma's parents, braced themselves against the shaking and turbulence the ship was experiencing.

Meanwhile Bulma, holding Baby Trunks against her chest, and Future Bulma both stared at the blast. Their faith in Vegeta was unwavering.

Up on the Lookout...

Gine, Kami, and Mr. Popo all braced themselves as the very Earth itself began to shake. Even from their lofty perch, they could see the bright, flashing light of Vegeta's attack without having to focus on it.

Mr. Popo was astonished. "My word..."

Gine and Kami were both staring in silent awe of just what Vegeta had managed to unleash.

Back in West City...

Dust and debris fell from the sky as Vegeta slowly descended to the ground. The Prince cringed as he look down at his hand, the palms of both of them hideously burnt and scarred. Vegeta chuckled to himself as he thought back to training with Raditz.

Much earlier, in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber...

Raditz growled in frustration as he held the bleeding gash above his eye. "Enough! Enough!"

Vegeta smirked, being his usual self. "Aw! Done already, Raditz? Does your little papercut hurt that badly~?"

Raditz sneered. "I'll live. But you need to be more careful with how you utilize Spirit Control, Vegeta. This technique isn't just some inane power boost. It's dangerous if used recklessly..."

The elder brother stood, keeping his hand pressed over his eye. "It's a much more thorough type of ki-based damage than normal energy attacks. You could end up hurting someone, or yourself irreparably if you don't exercise proper care."

Vegeta shrugged. "Oh, really?"

Raditz scowled. "We're not Namekians, you idiot. We need to make sure we take care of ourselves. There are some things those damned beans won't be able to heal..."

Back in the present...

Vegeta stared at his mangled hands and gripped them tight, wincing at the sheer amount of pain that ran through them as he did. He sighed. "A small price to pay..."

The Prince landed and he adopted a smug grin. "A small price indeed, to see you like this~"

Laying a couple dozen yards away from where he once stood, Cell was gasping in a mixture of shock and pain. Every last bit of him, except for his upper torso, his head, and a single arm had been obliterated and burned away. Nearly 80% of Cell had been vaporized. "V-Vegeta..."

Vegeta loomed over Cell, the monster's power level flickering like a dying lightbulb. The Prince laughed in triumph. "Now do you regret all of your meaningless boasts?! Do you, Cell?!"

Cell stared up at Vegeta in surprise. "H-How...how did...you manage...?"

Vegeta raised his mangled hands into the air, charging a ki blast and cringing at the feel of his own ki against his skin. "D-Damn it all..."

The Prince shook his head. "This is the end, Cell. Now die, and never come-"

Cell smirked and, at that moment, a new pair of legs burst from out of his damaged torso. Vegeta gasped in horror and his blast dispelled. He stumbled back in disbelief, watching as Cell did a kip-up and got back to his feet. The sound of the monster's feet clomping against the ground made Vegeta want to vomit.

Cell stared with a smile towards his foe, enjoying the sight of Vegeta's face bleached white. "Once again, Vegeta, all of the credit in the world! You've joined a very exclusive club~"

Cell strained and, with some effort, forced a new arm to emerge from the meat viscera of his damaged side. Cell flexed his new arm and stretched his new legs. "Only you and Android 16 have ever come that close to killing me~! Hell, if you hadn't taken the time to gloat, you might have actually killed me..."

The monster cocked his head. "But, 16 did it twice...so I suppose which one of you is better is a matter of quantity versus quality..."

A truly malicious grin spread across Cell's face. With the moonlight backing him, the bio-Android looked like a horror-movie villain. Stalking towards Vegeta like the ghoul that he was, Cell chuckled. "Ah, but there's what I wanted before...to see you at you highest high, but then stomp you all the way back down! You were evil once; you know the rush I'm speaking of~"

Vegeta was speechless, frozen in place by shock and fear. Cell loomed over him. "Now, allow me a chance to explain my perfection to you, because you seem to be missing the point of it all. My strength before, that wasn't the source of it all..."

He smiled wide. "The survivability of Frieza, the healing traits of Piccolo, the versatility of the human race, and the power and exceptional genes of the Saiyans. One in particular I'm sure you are familiar with: the Zenkai Boost?"

Cell leaned over, putting his mouth right next to Vegeta's ear. "Your Final Flash nearly killed me. Key word: nearly. And now, because of you, I am stronger than I ever was before. That, Vegeta, is the meaning of my perfection~"

Tears welled in Vegeta's eyes and Cell let loose a sadistic cackle. "I thank you for your efforts."

And then, Cell booted Vegeta in the stomach and sent him flying at mach speed into the air. Cell stared up at the flying Saiyan, and then...

*POP*

...Vegeta slammed, back first, into Cell's elbow. He spine warped and displaced inside his back, breaking apart like a piece of dry-rotted wood. Vegeta let loose one last silent, pained gasped. And then his pupils went white. His Super Saiyan form dispersed. And Vegeta fell back to the ground like a lead weight.

*POP*

Cell was right next to Vegeta, his hand hovering over the Saiyan Prince to deal the killing blow. "This was a fun struggle, Vegeta. But, all fun must come to an end eventually. I do hope Goku is able to put up a better fight than that! I'd hate for you to be the peak of all of this."

The monster began to charge a blast, but then he thought about it and smiled. "No, wait, I have a better killing blow for you~"

Cell gripped his fist, and then pointed a single, index finger which began to glow red. "I do believe you are familiar with Frieza's Death Beam?"

Before Cell could fire, however, two blasts came from either side of him and crashed into him. The Android stood, blowing away the smoke with his wings, and looked annoyed. He scanned the ground and saw that Vegeta was no longer there and scowled. "What now?"

Cell glared forward and saw two warriors standing before him: Future Trunks and Future Daikon. The monster rolled his eyes. "Lovely. Trunks and the no-account are here. Fantastic."

Future Daikon snarled. "You bastard! We won't let you destroy this timeline!"

Future Trunks, meanwhile, stared down at the broken form of his father. He recalled everything that had happened in his own timeline, from Future Bulma getting to meet Vegeta again to Vegeta encouraging Future Trunks enough to grow his tail back. And then, the purple-haired teen turned and gently set his father onto the ground. "You're right Daikon..."

He unfurled his tail, and then his Super Saiyan power raged forth. Future Trunks gripped his fists so tight that his knuckles cracked. His power raged so hard that the hair on his tail stood on end and the tie holding his hair back snapped. Future Trunks turned and faced Cell, the moon giving him a silhouette that almost resembled an Oozaru. He marched forward, with killing intent on his face. Future Trunks' pupils disappeared, leaving his eyes a pure white, and he bellowed. "Let's put an end to this! Once and for all!"

Future Daikon seemed unnerved, but he went Super Saiyan as well. He undid the hair tie that was holding his hair in place and let it flow free. Future Daikon hatefully glared at Cell as he followed his best friend and partner into battle. "Let's put an end to Dr. Gero's nightmares for good! So that no one else born into this timeline has to suffer!"

Underwater, in Master Roshi's submarine...

Suno stepped from behind the makeshift privacy curtain, sighing in relief and adopting a cheery smile. Blonde Launch smiled at her and nodded. "Good job, Red. It's good that we had you around, huh?"

Suno sighed and sat next to Eighter. "It's nothing. Jingle Village is so isolated that we all need some practice in delivering a child, just in case we can't have a doctor come in..."

Blonde Launch smirked, putting her feet up on the beaten and bloodied Master Roshi and Oolong and gently patting the slumbering Baby Ranch on the back. "Better you than certain other people on this ship..."

Yamcha was still curled up in terror from the hellish beating that Blonde Launch had delivered. Ox-King and Puar were both hiding behind him in fear. He nervously spoke up. "S-So... Suno. Umm...what was the gender of the baby?"

Suno smiled. "Well, it was hard to tell at first what with the submarine shaking like it did. But, you see, the thing is..."

Her cheeks glowed bright red. It was clear that she was excited. "Oh~ I bet Goku will be so happy when we get to tell him~"