Chapter 89: Cell
Watching the sharp green nails growing on 'Raditz's' hand, Pie pie clutched Gine tightly.
The only thing she had in mind right now was to get Gine to safety, but the way she was trapped by the thing, it didn't look like either of them were going to make it out alive.
'It must have been this creature which impersonated me and killed Raditz in the future, so he is here to kill me now and replace me?'
And if future was anything to go by, she will now perish in his hands, and he will use her face to get closer to Raditz, finishing him off.
"Hah, what happened? Why the glum face? No more threats? How pitiful."
"You put up a much bigger fight back then compared to now.."
The creature spoke in a raspy voice, which had Pie pie confused even more, because from the words of this guy, he didn't kill her the first time?!
So he is from the future too?! But how!
"What's the matter..? No more quips..?"
"You were much more fun back then you know, no words at all before dying now? No how Raditz is going to save you? Hahahaha..!"
Pie pie still kept quiet but gritted her teeth in frustration, this monster was just playing with her now.
Well, she won't give him it the satisfaction of a reaction.
"...You are boring, what a pity."
'Raditz' had a frown on his face as he spat this sentence out.
Then a thrilled smile returned to his face as he picked up his free hand and took it back, aiming it at mother and daughter together.
"Looks like you truly have nothing left to say, okay! I understand.
"Goodbye!"
Watching the attack rushing towards her and her daughter Pie pie glared with fury.
The creature figured she still didn't want to give him the satisfaction of a reaction even in death, but he missed one crucial thing.
Gine didn't have a crying face anymore either, and Pie pie's bracelet was buzzing in a certain way since the moment he had set foot in the room.
'I won-'
*Bang!!"
The words got stuck in his throat and his entire vision blanked out, his hazy mind seems to have registered a throbbing pain on his chin.
But even all that was overtaken by the intense pain which emerged from his neck.
He felt like he just took a planet to his chin.
*Booom*
While the creature himself attempted to understand what was happening with his clouded mind, Pie pie saw everything clearly.
"You are here!! Raditz!"
Quickly hugging her husband who had just burst through the pool's floor and torpedo punched the monster in his chin, Pie pie thanked the sea.
Gine also tightly clutched Raditz's armour, she was finally feeling safe.
Turning towards the mother and daughter Raditz gave a soft smile.
"Sorry, I came as soon as I found that this wasn't a technical fault."
Turning and looking at the body of 'Raditz' crashing down to the ground, he narrowed his eyes.
"So I was right, something weird is going on."
Pie pie nodded and quickly told what she had heard the creature say, and while she started talking Trunks had flown in with Bulma and Violet as well.
"He told me that I had put up a much harder fight before this, I think he is also from the future, he talks like he has done all this before."
Hearing these words Trunks immediately denied the possibility of such a thing.
He didn't bring anyone with him and there was only one time machine.
"That's impossible! I came back alone! I swear."
This outburst didn't have much effect on Raditz, because he knew although the boy meant well, he was simply not knowledgeable enough about this subject.
Trunks's words were naive at best, Raditz knew that the boy barely understood time travel, even in the original there were two time machines, one old and rotting, used by Cell, and one brand new, used by Trunks.
Yet both were the same time machine, this was how time travel messed with one's mind if one didn't understand how it worked, thankfully, after all his reasearch with Bulma, Raditz knew what he was dealing with.
"Gine, can you let go sweety, daddy will be right back."
"Uuu.."
Raditz softly had Gine release him, then started walking towards the creature who was beginning to stir awake.
A hardy guy for sure, this punch had all of his base strength behind it.
"Uggh."
*Poof*
Stopping mid walk Raditz stared at the smoke that was now covering the creature, this smoke was familiar to him.
Because this was something he could do as well.
"The transformation technique..!"
Bulma exclaimed, she figured she was looking at some kind of android built to look like Raditz or maybe there was a Raditz clone at play here.
But this was a totally different set of events, Trunks seemed shocked by it as well, he had never seen this creature before.
Infact Raditz himself was shocked, not because of the transformation technique, but by the guy who just used it.
'Is that Cell?? The hell is he doing here!'
'Wait, if he says he has done it before, so that's supposed to be future Cell, is he here to repeat what he did before and take me out the same way again..'
Many thoughts spun around in Raditz's mind but externally he was stable, folding his hands he stood straight and gave imperfect cell the time to catch his bearings, all the while looking intimidating.
He needed some answers, and he was going to get them out of Cell.
*Huff*
"Raditz.. You are just as strong as the data suggests."
Cell spoke while panting softly, base Raditz was approaching Super Saiyan levels of strength now, sure it was fresh Namek saga Super Saiyan but his punch still wasn't anything to scoff at for imperfect cell.
Getting up with a bit of a struggle, Cell's eyes looked around the room discreetly, he was outmatched against Trunks and Raditz and his data explicitly told him to take down Raditz first and foremost.
So he wanted to make a run for it, he had succeed just fine in the future but seems like Trunks's intervention messed things up.
But Cell's 'discreet' actions were as clear as day to Raditz, who knew of the creature's shifty personality before completing it's evolution.
"Bulma, lock everything down completely, activate every android T in store, Trunks make sure he doesn't slip away and protect everyone."
"Meanwhile, I have some questions for Mr..?"
Giving a creepy smile to Raditz, Cell said.
"Cell, you can call me Cell."
Nodding his head, Raditz also 'smiled' at cell.
"I see, Cell, I have mostly put together your story, tell me if I missed something okay."
Cell frowned but stood still, he was still thinking of slipping away and was now targeting Bulma, Violet and Pie pie for his hostages.
So he played along, in hopes that Raditz and Trunks will let their guard down.
"You come from the future, where you killed Pie pie, replaced her using the transformation technique and then killed me."
"Am I correct in assuming that?"
Same creepy smile plastered on his face, Cell laughed.
"She was just a means to an end, you wouldn't have doubted my nails even if I approached you as her."
"Not everything can cut through you Saiyan's skin, you were highest priority, with you out of the equation everything would have been easy."
Shrugging at the praise, which was disguised self praise for someone like Cell, Raditz kept going and confirmed his theory with Cell.
"I see, so even after succeeding in the future, something didn't go the way you needed it to, so you wanetd a redo."
"That's why you returned to the past, but you didn't think we would take measures against you because of Trunks."
"And thus you failed."
Giving the half breed a sly look, Cell said mockingly.
"He was barely a threat when I came to the past, he still isn't, how do I say this, you aren't the sharpest tool in the box Trunks."
"I didn't think his vague information would alert you on a possible attack, if anything I figured it would have made it easier for me, with you doubting each other I would have an easier time getting the kill."
*Clench*
Trunks heard the balant mockery and clenched his fist, he was pretty upset that the monster was right, if things had gone Trunks's way Pie pie would have been driven out and Cell would have impersonated someone else to get the job done.
Only because of Raditz did this not happen, Trunks was ashamed, he had a lot to learn.
"Hmm, I see, now one last question Cell."
"What do you want to do? What was it that didn't work out in the future, that you had to make a trip to the past for?"
Inwardly clenching his muscles, Cell smiled widely.
"Oh, that? It was-"
"Die!!!"
Rushing towards Bulma who was farthest from anyone strong, Cell pointed his tail at her.
He was going to hold her hostage or absorb her outright, maybe then he'll be able to convince Raditz to let him go, because killing him would kill Bulma too!
*Bang!*
But the sudden pain on the top of his head once again reminded him, why Gero had made taking out Raditz the top priority.
This simply wasn't a fighter he could win against in his imperfect form.
Dammit!
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