Author's Note: The people on each side are not going to be who you expect.
I kind of have a feeling of impending doom that I'll get so involved in the
characters that "A Conceivable Outcome" will turn into one of those fics
that goes on forever and eventually peters out, since I really don't have a
storyline thought out. Of course, I never thought beyond the next chapter
for "An Alternate Afterlife" either, and that turned out okay. Expect a
completely edited version of this up in a bit.
-"A Conceivable Outcome" might have a little in the way of romance (unlike
this story), some of which will be sweet, most of which will be disturbing
and be more in the way of male/male relationships. There will be zero
lemons. I can't write them, and wouldn't want to if I could. I know a lot
of people don't like shounen-ai, but a serious lack of interesting female
characters in this limits my options, and no, I don't think Marron is
interesting. I have actually thought about the ending of this for a while
now, and it looks like Cell will have a comparatively small part in the
beginning of ACO, but it will grow progressively larger as the story goes
on, seeing as Gohan's obsession with his arch-(I'm not really sure what
Gohan and Cell are to each other, but they're arch-something) is central to
the plot. Unfortunately, I have a beginning and an end, but no middle. Oh,
well. I can only hope that one day I'll be able to plan out my stories as
opposed to just writing whatever I feel like.
-To address Cell's hostility in this chapter to the members of the
rebellion, keep in mind Cell thinks humans are lower life-forms and hybrids
are an abomination. He likes Goku. That doesn't mean he likes anyone else.
By the way, I absolutely love how this chapter turned out. It's my favorite
part of this fic.
-On a side note: I actually drew a decent picture of future-Nione/Gohan
(and of Goten, but he's pretty easy to draw as a kid). He actually looks
like Gohan, but more older version of the-Gohan-who-fought-Cell and less
pussy-wipped human wannabe of the canon. Too bad I don't have a scanner.
This was the third version of Goku Cell had seen in the past hour. It really wasn't, of course, just three separate generations that happened to bear uncanny resemblances to each other, but at times like this he wondered whether cloning was so implausible. He wasn't feeling charitable. The mistrust in the room was enough to choke him, after the initial panic had faded.
It was amusing in a morbid sort of way to inspire so much fear in people. The inhabitants of heaven were slightly wary, but they were more that way around Goku than around him, and it was hard to get a high off of fear when the idiot standing next to you inspired more of it than yourself. But these people. . . their expressions were just priceless, nevermind the fact that Goku was grinning like he had just gotten a life-time pass to an all-you- can-eat buffet. In that way, it was easy to differentiate between the actual article and his look-alikes. The Goku clone standing in the doorway had a look of passiveness on his face that seemed artificial at best, though his ability to control his expression far surpassed that of the actual Goku. (I would almost believe it, except hatred is so easy to read.) The expressions on the faces of the people behind Goku's impersonator, however. . . they were as clear as day. One of them was a human who gave Cell a passing feeling of deja-vu, but the other. . . (Hatred. Loathing. Terror. Hardly a revelation to see in the face of one of my former meals, but after twenty-three years? My oh my, aren't you one to hold a grudge, elder sister.)
The android felt a feline smile slowly encompass his face. For a moment he considered suppressing it, but if he had to be around these lower life- forms, he might as well get some entertainment out of it. He was in a terrible mood. "My dear Number Eighteen, what a pleasant surprise. Out of all the beings I expected to encounter in the future, (not that I ever expected to be in the future) you certainly were not on my list, especially associating with. . ." at this the biological android shot a contemptuous glance at the human standing next to the blonde android, a human he finally recognized as the former bald monk Krillin, "humans."
Though it didn't seem possible, the tension in the room actually rose a couple notches. Cell had a brief moment to wonder if an evil chuckle was appropriate at this point in time, before Goku thoroughly ruined the mood. Of course, being Goku (translation: thick as a bad pudding when it suited him), he did this in the most humiliating way possible. "Oh Cell, I'm so glad you're alright!" At this, Goku locked him in a hug that severely constricted the android's ability to breath. "Goku. . ." "After Gohan got to you I thought, you might. . . I was really, really, worried!" "Goku." "And after he went for your neck like that. . ." "Goku, stop hugging me! I can't breath like this!" "Huh? Oh, sorry." Sheepishly, the saiyan let go and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as Cell proceeded to cough up what was left of his lungs. After several seconds of this, Cell got control of his body but lost his temper. "You idiot! We're in hostile territory and you waste time on trivialities! Do you think at all?!" "Hostile? No one here is. . ." Goku finally took a look at the expressions on the others in the room, none of which could be described as remotely friendly, though a few had gained vaguely bemused expressions after the exchange between the saiyan and the android. "Um. . . hey Cell, you remember Krillin don't you?" The white-haired android glanced in the direction of the human who was still posed near the doorway, a confused expression quickly giving way to the look of a deer caught in headlights. "Vaguely." "I know you two were never formerly introduced. . ."
"Father, now that your. . . friend has awakened, I believe we have some issues that need discussing." Another son. Another protégé for Goku to mold into something thoroughly screwed up. Fond of Goku Cell may be, but he had a low estimation of the saiyan's parenting skills. "I see you managed to spawn yet another half-breed. How nice for you." He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Goku still managed to catch some of it. He shot a hurt look Cell's way. "Cell. . ." "The first version too unstable for you to handle, Goku? Gave it another go? I can't see much in the way of improvement." Some anger, yes, but the sheer loathing that emanated from the eyes of Goku's younger son was definitely unexpected. "I'm nothing like that piece of slime who dares to call himself my brother! Don't you ever compare me to Gohan!" In the silence that followed, the feline smirk again crossed Cell's countenance. "Oh my, did we hit a nerve?"
"Cell, stop it." The sudden steel in Goku's voice was similarly unexpected. He raised an eyebrow in the saiyan's direction. "Even if they do share blood, even if they are both demi-saiyan's, Goten is not Gohan." "How would you know? How long was I unconscious, Goku? I doubt it was long enough to get to know what differentiates one of your offspring from the other. The only difference I can see is that this one shares your terrible taste in hair style. Now, if you don't mind." He stood up, yanking the needles out of his arms as he did so. He walked towards the door, the inhabitants of the room parting before him. Except for Goten. And Goku. "Cell, Gohan is hurting people. We have to help the Rebellion stop him." "Goku, the only things I have to do are die and pay taxes. And that is a stupid human expression that doesn't apply to me." "Cell, Gohan is killing innocent people!" "Why should I care? And no offense meant to your bloodline, Goku, but there are no circumstances under which I would ever get within a planet of your maniac son." (Whether or not that warning Bardock gave me is genuine, Gohan is not. . . he's. . .) He felt his hand rising towards the bite, but forced it down. "Cell, no one in this universe has the power to stop Gohan!" "And you do?" "No, but we do."
At this, the android felt himself go cold. "I don't care." (He will always be there. In my mind.) "Cell, I don't know of any way we can go back home, and Gohan is there as well. We have to stop him. We might as well stop him here." ('That's where Gohan has taken residence.') "Goku, we couldn't defeat him then. It's been twenty years. We can't defeat him now." ('The closer you are to Gohan, the greater control he has over you.') "We have to try." ('You should follow Bardock's advice and stay away from Gohan.') "No, we don't." He continued moving. Goku stayed where he was. "Get out of my way, Goku." "You may not have to help, Cell, but I can't move. People are dying because of Gohan, and Gohan is as much your responsibility as he is mine." ('It's not going to go away.') The saiyan met the android's eyes. "Whether intentional or not, you awakened Nione, Cell. We have to put him back to sleep, or destroy him for good." ('Gohan and Nione used to be separate, but they've long since seeped into each other. Two sides of the same coin. . .') "There is no Nione, Goku." This paused the spikey-haired saiyan. "What?" "There is no Nione. There is just Gohan. Just your son. And no matter what you say, no matter what you think you believe, there is no way you will be able to kill your son. And I am not willing to fight Gohan, Goku. What makes you think I want to fight him alone?"
He stepped around the stilled saiyan. The only thing left in his way was the saiyan's son, who met his eyes steadily. "I never heard you were a coward." "I never claimed to be a hero." "You could help us. I have heard stories of your power." "You hate me, Goten, even more than Eighteen. You hate me for stealing your father, for taking your brother away from you. Don't try to deny it. Your eyes are too easy to read." "You're scared of him. Of Gohan." "Yes. But I have much better reasons for my fear than you do." (Or perhaps not) as a shadow passed over the demi-saiyan's face. "I'm still fighting." "I don't care." "You don't care about much, do you?" "No." "Do you care about my father?" "Goku makes his own choices." (Even if those choices get him killed.) "He cannot make a difference, but it is his prerogative to try." Goten's eyes dropped, and his stepped to the side. As Cell walked past, the demi-saiyan whispered. "He will try to fight Gohan eventually. And he will lose." (He will always be there.) "Gohan will kill him, when that happens." "Yes." And he walked away. (But Gohan would not kill me. And that is why I fear.)
----
As the minutes passed, Goten watched his still and silent father. Marron walked up to her commander in the following quiet. "Sir, we gave a ki shielder to the android. He will not reveal our location to the enemy." She smirked slightly. "Kind of weird to meet the infamous Cell. He's kind of like he was described, but in other ways. . ." "I know." Another silence. "Sir, we should probably report this to the command center." "Yes." The demi-saiyan let out a sigh he had been holding. "Yes, Lady Bulma will want to hear of the recent developments." As he left the infirmary, Goten sent one last look his father's way, but the one thing he heard before the sliding doors shut, was a quiet utterance. "Why?"
END To be continued in "A Conceivable Outcome," if I'm ever motivated to write it. Expect a few surprise cameos on both sides, but not as the same characters you thought you knew.
This was the third version of Goku Cell had seen in the past hour. It really wasn't, of course, just three separate generations that happened to bear uncanny resemblances to each other, but at times like this he wondered whether cloning was so implausible. He wasn't feeling charitable. The mistrust in the room was enough to choke him, after the initial panic had faded.
It was amusing in a morbid sort of way to inspire so much fear in people. The inhabitants of heaven were slightly wary, but they were more that way around Goku than around him, and it was hard to get a high off of fear when the idiot standing next to you inspired more of it than yourself. But these people. . . their expressions were just priceless, nevermind the fact that Goku was grinning like he had just gotten a life-time pass to an all-you- can-eat buffet. In that way, it was easy to differentiate between the actual article and his look-alikes. The Goku clone standing in the doorway had a look of passiveness on his face that seemed artificial at best, though his ability to control his expression far surpassed that of the actual Goku. (I would almost believe it, except hatred is so easy to read.) The expressions on the faces of the people behind Goku's impersonator, however. . . they were as clear as day. One of them was a human who gave Cell a passing feeling of deja-vu, but the other. . . (Hatred. Loathing. Terror. Hardly a revelation to see in the face of one of my former meals, but after twenty-three years? My oh my, aren't you one to hold a grudge, elder sister.)
The android felt a feline smile slowly encompass his face. For a moment he considered suppressing it, but if he had to be around these lower life- forms, he might as well get some entertainment out of it. He was in a terrible mood. "My dear Number Eighteen, what a pleasant surprise. Out of all the beings I expected to encounter in the future, (not that I ever expected to be in the future) you certainly were not on my list, especially associating with. . ." at this the biological android shot a contemptuous glance at the human standing next to the blonde android, a human he finally recognized as the former bald monk Krillin, "humans."
Though it didn't seem possible, the tension in the room actually rose a couple notches. Cell had a brief moment to wonder if an evil chuckle was appropriate at this point in time, before Goku thoroughly ruined the mood. Of course, being Goku (translation: thick as a bad pudding when it suited him), he did this in the most humiliating way possible. "Oh Cell, I'm so glad you're alright!" At this, Goku locked him in a hug that severely constricted the android's ability to breath. "Goku. . ." "After Gohan got to you I thought, you might. . . I was really, really, worried!" "Goku." "And after he went for your neck like that. . ." "Goku, stop hugging me! I can't breath like this!" "Huh? Oh, sorry." Sheepishly, the saiyan let go and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as Cell proceeded to cough up what was left of his lungs. After several seconds of this, Cell got control of his body but lost his temper. "You idiot! We're in hostile territory and you waste time on trivialities! Do you think at all?!" "Hostile? No one here is. . ." Goku finally took a look at the expressions on the others in the room, none of which could be described as remotely friendly, though a few had gained vaguely bemused expressions after the exchange between the saiyan and the android. "Um. . . hey Cell, you remember Krillin don't you?" The white-haired android glanced in the direction of the human who was still posed near the doorway, a confused expression quickly giving way to the look of a deer caught in headlights. "Vaguely." "I know you two were never formerly introduced. . ."
"Father, now that your. . . friend has awakened, I believe we have some issues that need discussing." Another son. Another protégé for Goku to mold into something thoroughly screwed up. Fond of Goku Cell may be, but he had a low estimation of the saiyan's parenting skills. "I see you managed to spawn yet another half-breed. How nice for you." He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Goku still managed to catch some of it. He shot a hurt look Cell's way. "Cell. . ." "The first version too unstable for you to handle, Goku? Gave it another go? I can't see much in the way of improvement." Some anger, yes, but the sheer loathing that emanated from the eyes of Goku's younger son was definitely unexpected. "I'm nothing like that piece of slime who dares to call himself my brother! Don't you ever compare me to Gohan!" In the silence that followed, the feline smirk again crossed Cell's countenance. "Oh my, did we hit a nerve?"
"Cell, stop it." The sudden steel in Goku's voice was similarly unexpected. He raised an eyebrow in the saiyan's direction. "Even if they do share blood, even if they are both demi-saiyan's, Goten is not Gohan." "How would you know? How long was I unconscious, Goku? I doubt it was long enough to get to know what differentiates one of your offspring from the other. The only difference I can see is that this one shares your terrible taste in hair style. Now, if you don't mind." He stood up, yanking the needles out of his arms as he did so. He walked towards the door, the inhabitants of the room parting before him. Except for Goten. And Goku. "Cell, Gohan is hurting people. We have to help the Rebellion stop him." "Goku, the only things I have to do are die and pay taxes. And that is a stupid human expression that doesn't apply to me." "Cell, Gohan is killing innocent people!" "Why should I care? And no offense meant to your bloodline, Goku, but there are no circumstances under which I would ever get within a planet of your maniac son." (Whether or not that warning Bardock gave me is genuine, Gohan is not. . . he's. . .) He felt his hand rising towards the bite, but forced it down. "Cell, no one in this universe has the power to stop Gohan!" "And you do?" "No, but we do."
At this, the android felt himself go cold. "I don't care." (He will always be there. In my mind.) "Cell, I don't know of any way we can go back home, and Gohan is there as well. We have to stop him. We might as well stop him here." ('That's where Gohan has taken residence.') "Goku, we couldn't defeat him then. It's been twenty years. We can't defeat him now." ('The closer you are to Gohan, the greater control he has over you.') "We have to try." ('You should follow Bardock's advice and stay away from Gohan.') "No, we don't." He continued moving. Goku stayed where he was. "Get out of my way, Goku." "You may not have to help, Cell, but I can't move. People are dying because of Gohan, and Gohan is as much your responsibility as he is mine." ('It's not going to go away.') The saiyan met the android's eyes. "Whether intentional or not, you awakened Nione, Cell. We have to put him back to sleep, or destroy him for good." ('Gohan and Nione used to be separate, but they've long since seeped into each other. Two sides of the same coin. . .') "There is no Nione, Goku." This paused the spikey-haired saiyan. "What?" "There is no Nione. There is just Gohan. Just your son. And no matter what you say, no matter what you think you believe, there is no way you will be able to kill your son. And I am not willing to fight Gohan, Goku. What makes you think I want to fight him alone?"
He stepped around the stilled saiyan. The only thing left in his way was the saiyan's son, who met his eyes steadily. "I never heard you were a coward." "I never claimed to be a hero." "You could help us. I have heard stories of your power." "You hate me, Goten, even more than Eighteen. You hate me for stealing your father, for taking your brother away from you. Don't try to deny it. Your eyes are too easy to read." "You're scared of him. Of Gohan." "Yes. But I have much better reasons for my fear than you do." (Or perhaps not) as a shadow passed over the demi-saiyan's face. "I'm still fighting." "I don't care." "You don't care about much, do you?" "No." "Do you care about my father?" "Goku makes his own choices." (Even if those choices get him killed.) "He cannot make a difference, but it is his prerogative to try." Goten's eyes dropped, and his stepped to the side. As Cell walked past, the demi-saiyan whispered. "He will try to fight Gohan eventually. And he will lose." (He will always be there.) "Gohan will kill him, when that happens." "Yes." And he walked away. (But Gohan would not kill me. And that is why I fear.)
----
As the minutes passed, Goten watched his still and silent father. Marron walked up to her commander in the following quiet. "Sir, we gave a ki shielder to the android. He will not reveal our location to the enemy." She smirked slightly. "Kind of weird to meet the infamous Cell. He's kind of like he was described, but in other ways. . ." "I know." Another silence. "Sir, we should probably report this to the command center." "Yes." The demi-saiyan let out a sigh he had been holding. "Yes, Lady Bulma will want to hear of the recent developments." As he left the infirmary, Goten sent one last look his father's way, but the one thing he heard before the sliding doors shut, was a quiet utterance. "Why?"
END To be continued in "A Conceivable Outcome," if I'm ever motivated to write it. Expect a few surprise cameos on both sides, but not as the same characters you thought you knew.