And The Sky Wept (Goku vs Cell)

The ashes that fell around Goku looked almost like snow. As he floated above the immense crater he cursed himself for being so sluggish in his response. He had been so involved in his family life, that he had not known his friends had been in need.

The crater spread out for miles. Trees had been flattened and turned to dust before the blink of an eye. Now a violent windstorm was kicking up the ash. It was as if he was stuck within a charcoal blizzard. The very explosion that had created the ruin had awakened Goku to the event—a bit too late.

Yamcha had died, now there was nothing left of him. Goku's eyes narrowed and he could feel his hands trembling. He couldn't even bury a childhood friend, there was nothing left. Sure, there were the dragonballs, but that didn't erase the fact that he had been annihilated.

Fearing the lives of his other friends, he was alarmed as he reached out. The fact that he could no longer sense Master Roshi was terrifying. He decided to check the among the ruins of his dojo, which was just at the edge of the crater. Anxiety started to wrack him.

Did this villain get Roshi too?

He landed before the broken remnants of the Turtle School Dojo, at the edge of the crater, and swallowed the frog of sorrow lurking in his throat.

Clay tiles and chips from the roof lay strewn about the outer reaches of the dojo. Wooden support beams, cracked into multiple fragments, crisscrossed each other creating a mound where the entrance door had once been. Goku walked around the heap. A few outer walls, which had been made of reinforced plaster, stood like a jagged row of yellow-black teeth. The inner walls, constructed of bamboo and wooden sheets were nothing more than crumpled ash. A deep crater lie at the heart of the ruin. A single column of rock, topped with a slab of wooden flooring, rose up out of the crater's center, in defiance. It was peculiar, that everything had been destroyed but that single column.

Below the column he saw the shimmer of a reflection beneath the dirt. Reaching down, he picked up the twist and cracked remains of Roshi's sunglasses and knew what befell his Master. Closing both of his eyes, he let them drop, loosing a roar of agony.

“My brother's death, it was unfortunate. I never liked the old lech, but he did not deserve this,” a scratchy voice called from behind.

Goku jerked around to face the witch Baba, who floated upon her crystal ball. The once great hero could see his distorted and bloated reflection within the ball. There were tears streaming down the side of his face.

“Who is next? Tienshinhan? Bulma? It is like a ghost killed them, I didn't sense a thing,” Goku said.

“The assassin who took my brother's life was designed to leave no trace. He is no man,” Baba said. “Darkness has fallen upon this Earth, and I fear the light might not shine bright enough to quell it.”

“Tell me, who is it?”

“Are you plotting revenge, Son Goku?”

Goku shook his head. Vengeance sounded good then, but he knew the dark path that would lead him down. No, he feared for the lives of others, for both his friends and the innocent. It was like King Piccolo, all over again, except this one was far more powerful and some how invisible to his detection.

“No Baba, I don't want revenge. I just want to make sure no one else gets hurt,” Goku said.

“I know not what this beast is called. They say, death has no name. I do know that it is wretched Son Goku, and powerful. It will be no simple task, facing such a beast,” Baba said as she floated around Goku, stopping with her big crystal ball before his face. “Are you prepared?”

“I'm ready,” Goku said and felt his jaw clench. “You know that. Can your magic help me find the monster?”

“My magic can,” Baba said. “But, not without a cost.”

Goku felt his anger rising. The witch's brother had suffered death at the hands of the monster. If left unchecked it could destroy much more, yet here she was demanding a price. He took a deep breath. There was no reason to get too worked up over it. He just hoped it was something he could afford.

“Fine, name it.”

“I wish for you bring me the brain of the beast,” Baba said, her expression set in stone.

Goku's eyes widened. “Ew, that's gross. I-I guess I can do that, what do you want that for?”

Baba grinned a toothless grin. “That I shall not disclose.”

After a short moment she began to mutter low and guttural, working strange magic. Goku had encountered magic during his adventures, yet had never really cared to learn much about it. No, it was too scholarly for the young warrior. He much preferred hard work and training. Some had called him a fighting prodigy, but he knew that it was his devotion that had gotten him as far as he had.

Bright red ethereal strands began to swirl around her form, collecting on the surface of the magic ball. It seeped in and turned the ball blood red.

Baba stopped her incantation. “If you wish to find the killer, follow the trail of bodies.”

Within the magic ball, Goku saw the image of a tall green monster, with black speckles. It was standing in the center a deeply wooded area, the spear-like ending of its long tail stuck into the back of a man. He looked like a hunter, wearing a camouflage jacket and clutching a rifle which had been bent in half, looking like a horse shoe.

“Touch the orb, Son Goku.”

Goku pressed his hand to it and he suddenly knew where the beast lurked.


Goku was enveloped in a shimmering blue aura, cutting a brilliant streak across the darkened sky. It was a cloudy night, the moon and stars blotted out. He was close, very close, and just hoped that he wasn't too late. Had the monster left, or moved on, he would be in terrible trouble.

The terrified scream of a man confirmed that the monster was still there. Goku came to an abrupt stop above a row of evergreen trees, his ebony eyes scanning the shadowed forest. Gunshots resounded in the woods and he caught the flickering of muzzle flashes.

By the time he flew down and landed, the man had already been speared by the beast. Goku stood upon a high bluff, overlooking a clearing. Dozens of tents were clustered in a circle, many of them upturned. The campfire was nothing more than a few red-hot coals. The warrior saw the scattered remains of clothing everywhere in the dull orange light.

“Enough monster! Your reign of terror has ended,” Goku called out and clenched his fists at his side.

Actions:

-Confront Cell.

WC: 1,183

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Cell's strange voice came from him as he responded without looking in Goku's direction. He knew the hero of the day well enough to know he wouldn't attack him from behind without being provoked. His voice was strange as always, it was deep and raspy with a slight hiss to it. "One thousand." He said. Turning to look at the Saiyan as last as he allowed the clothing to fall to the ground.

He looked up with amused eyes at the man that stood in front of him. "That's how many people had to die before you came out of your home in the woods Goku." He said, floating upwards until he was even with his new opponent. "Don't feel too bad though, they are all part of me now. All moving towards perfection with myself." He said, and then changed his voice to continue with Roshi's at first, and then transitioning into Yamcha's. " And soon Goku, so will you." He loved doing that. Torturing his opponents mind with something as mere as a voice. He wasn't sure how different this Goku was to the one he knew, but he could tell from how his aura felt that the two versions were very different. This one was no where near the strength, and he doubted he had even ascended into Super Saiyan yet.

He was not going to be playing games however, despite that. Cell could tell they were roughly around the same level of power. Goku was not known for his intelligence, but he was a genius-level fighter if nothing else. Underestimating him would be a failure that could cost Cell his life, and he would not fail. He was to be perfection after all, a failure would put a stain on that future. Something he could not live down, something he would not accept. He began to ready himself for this fight in earnest. He had been eating because he could sense Goku on the move. He had plenty of Biomass to replace what he lost if it came down to that. Thanks to eating both Roshi and Yamcha, he had a good knowledge of what he was facing. If he was careful he knew he would be victorious.

His body began to glow slightly. It was an erie yellow color as his energy reserves were released and he prepared to fight seriously. It had been a while since he had done this. A wail was heard, followed by another and eventually it filled the air with it's wretched noise. Ghastly images began to rise from Cell's feet, they were the souls of those he had devoured. Roshi, Trunks, Yamcha, and the souls of all those nameless humans he had eaten were in this maelstrom somewhere. It very much to put emphasis on how many he had devoured. This was not all however, as soon the color started changing and the wails died away.

It was not the normal glow that one gets when unleashing stored energy to begin a fight with. This was different, he was gathering particles of energy around him. A light hum began to emit from him, but not from his voice. Ambient energy began to crackle and then his glow began to brighten. The air around him was coming off of him in waves as it was heated. He was creating an aura of lighting around himself, pure electrical power. It was a simple, yet very effective trick. Especially so considering how he figured this would affect his opponent.

Goku could not sense Cell thanks to Gero's manipulation of how ki worked in his body. He was constantly absorbing his own energy with one hundred percent efficiency. A marvel to anyone who knew of such a thing, though no one but Cell did. He himself found it very useful, as he was able to keep himself hidden from his opponents until he struck. His prey normally had no idea he was coming, no clue about the wrath and hate that was about to be unleashed. No inkling that they were about to become his food.

So despite the obvious visual difference, Goku would still not be able to sense a damn thing from the monstrosity in front of him. Cell imagined it would have to be quite unnerving. He knew Goku's rage and pride wouldn't let him run despite the very obvious signs that something was not normal about the beast he faced. Assuming the appearance had no effect, the fact that he couldn't sense him had to be doing something on his fighting senses.

Cell eagerly awaited what would happen next. Their first clash in the dimension, he assumed it would probably set the pace for what the rest of the battle would be like. He knew Goku's education on the martial art's wouldn't let him attack first without at least dropping himself into a martial stance of some sort. If he had his way, that would be the moment to attack. He knew he should attack right now, but that would spoil his fun, and so he waited. Just because he felt he had to win, did not mean he could not enjoy making his opponent squirm a bit.

After all, he enjoyed torture, and he hoped he would have the chance to inflict much of that on this man. After all, it was his son that had very nearly killed him before accidentally sending him to this dimension. He found it ironic, that in saving the Earth they knew they had damned another universe to their fate instead. If he had his way, he would be eating Goku's entire family just because of what their counterparts and done to him.

WC: 951

Actions:
1. Be Cell.
2. Be dangerous.
3. Used Bottled Lightning.


Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

"One thousand,” the creature said with a raspy voice. "That's how many people had to die before you came out of your home in the woods Goku.”

It floated up until it was level with Goku on the bluff. "Don't feel too bad though, they are all part of me now. All moving towards perfection with myself. And soon Goku, so will you."

Goku's eyes narrowed. He had changed his voice to reflect that of Roshi and then of Yamcha. It was strange, like listening to some sort of recording, the inflections and everything perfect to as they would have truly said it.

“I don't know how you know my name,” Goku said. Although, it didn't surprise him. If he had known to hunt down Master Roshi and Yamcha, it meant one thing—that this monster had great knowledge of the warriors of Earth. “But, at this point it doesn't matter. Also, don't think I'm afraid of you because you can change your voice around.”

The monster's spiritual energy began to seep out. Goku couldn't sense it, there was still nothing. It was like staring at an inanimate object. However, from this strange creature there was much animation. The howling sound of souls in agony filled the forest. Goku saw their faces in his aura—expressions of pure fear and torment.

They're trapped inside of him. They can't escape to the after life. How horrible! Goku thought to himself.

The energy seemed to pulsate off of his body in waves, before condensing down into buzzing field of electricity. Occasionally he could see a curling arc skipping across the monster's body. It was a two part technique, Goku could tell that right off the bat. If he touched the monster, or if the monster touched him, there would be a nice shock in store.

All right then, I won't get near you, at least not with my body.

Goku brought up his right hand up, balling his fist. He let loose his own spiritual energy from deep within the core of his body. It flowed freely down the length of his arm. His entire hand began to glow with a soft blue light. Flicking his wrist out, he pointed his shimmering palm at the monster and unleashed a blue wave of spiritual energy that streaked straight the night sky.

Keeping his position on the high bluff, Goku lowered into his martial arts stance and awaited the monster's retaliation.

WC: 407

Actions:

1) Rest
2) Ki Wave → +15 FP
3) Rest (Respite) + Balanced Stance → -15 FP

Effects: Balanced Stance (+10% agi) 0 / 4 actions

WC: 1,183

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

The maelstrom of souls slowly subsided as he spoke his reply to Goku. He had expected such words from the hero, he was not one to express fear in the face of a monster. He was not one to express fear in front of anything, he was the hero. That did not matter to this Green Abomination. This collection of the greatest, this culmination of skill and power moving towards perfection.

" Goku, I do not care if you are afraid, I don't care if you're excited. The only thing I care about is killing and eating you. Don't worry, if you want, I can make sure your family joins you so that you're not lonely." He said, his face trying to contort his beak into a smirk. It failed and caused his face to appear as if it were twitching. He hated that damn beak, even if it did come in handy for eating wolves.

He watched and sensed as his opponent gathered energy into his hand. He could almost see it flowing through his arm and into his palm. He still retained some of Goku's cells, and so it was easier for him to see what he was doing than most. On top of that he also had Yamcha and Roshi's experiences with him. He might as well have known him for his entire life, training with him.

He was a smart opponent, he had instantaneously recognized the technique as both offensive and defensive then decided an action without hesitation. It was a very good way to compromise. However, Cell was not a fool either. He knew this technique would not last long, and he was going to get every ounce of usefulness he could from it. It may mean some pain now, but he was not a stranger to that visitor. Pain was part of victory more often than not. He was going to show Goku exactly what that meant. That could mean that either Cell would win and be sure to cause this champion indescribable agony, or he would lose still cause him as much pain as was possible

The beam of ki tore and burned it's way through the air. It was impressive for a simple beam in terms of general power, but nothing he wasn't used to. It slammed into the center of his chest. His carapace took the brunt of the damage and while he could still feel it, it was not a critical amount of damage. As the smoke cleared, it could be seen some light burns on his chest. His face barely twitched at the pain. He had reformed his body as he was beating eaten by wolves before, this was nothing.

He took a deep breath, smoke and ash entering his lungs. He had the urge to cough, an itch in the back of his throat but suppressed it. As he held his breath, time crawled to a halt. Goku stopped moving, even his blood and heart beat were still for this moment. This moment would not end until after he let out his breath. It was a taxing ability, but worth it. After all, an opponent who could not fight back even for a short period of time was a great advantage. Cell was not one to waste an advantage of any magnitude, and this one especially.

He floated forward, ignoring the pain on his chest from taking Goku's attack. Once he was close enough he came to a stop. He could hold his breath for a very long time. After all, his body actually did not need oxygen as long as his ki could support that need. It could do that for quite some time as it turned out. Frieza's cell's came in handy very often. A creature built to survive any condition, and yet he had never been to his own home world. Cell had to wonder where Freiza had actually come from.

Cell looked at his opponent, Goku's gaze straight forward as if he was looking through the abomination. Cell raised his hand, looking at it with an idea. The crackling energy around his fists still moving although much slower. Watching sparks of electricity move slowly around him was interesting. Some would even find it beautiful. The Creation of Gero had no such sentiments however. This was going to be used to kill the current champion of Earth. It had no other purpose but to help him achieve that goal. He doubted heavily that this technique would last long enough to kill the saiyan warrior, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be helpful.

Cell looked at Goku and pulled back both hands. He then plunged them forward in rapid succession. At first he was simply slamming his fists into the hero's face and nose. However, right at the end with his final blows of this barrage, he showed both thumbs forward. He made sure to angle his claws so that he would hit directly into his eyes. He wasn't sure however if the 'sharp force' of his claws would carry through, but the direct force and electrical shock in what was connected almost directly to the brain would certainly do some damage. If he was lucky it would actually shock his brain. Of course the damage would not show up immediately. Time was frozen after all.

That did not stop the electrical energy he was pushing onto Goku's body from moving however. It crawled around his face as if it was simply waiting for the beast to exhale. They would have to wait a bit longer however. Cell pulled back one fist and focused his mind. He brought debris up from the ground, gathering and compressing it around his fist. He loved doing this. Slamming and breaking what is basically a small wrecking ball over his opponent face. It felt satisfying. He watched as the shards of the once dense orb of dirt and rock fell to the ground. The impact still not register to Goku's body as of yet. He was going to 'awaken' with quite a bit of force hitting him in the face all at once.

However he still was not done. He had always wanted to choke the life out of this asshole in front of him. After all, even if he did hold some strange and twisted form or respect for the man, he was one of the main reasons he almost died. Even if it was in a different dimension from where he was now, it was basically the same person.

So he placed both hands around Goku's throat. He waited a moment as he felt some energy flow from the Champion of Earth and into Cell's body. It wasn't much, but every little bit helps. He then quickly and suddenly applied crushing force from both of his hands. It felt as if a regular human had tried to crush a bar of steel with their hands. It just was not going to happen. Still he knew this force would be applied the moment he let out this seemingly everlasting breath of air.

He floated back slowly, making sure to take in a sight of Goku from 'before' to compare to the 'after' that was soon to come. He waited until he was back into his previous position, wanting it to seem as if he hadn't even blinked. He slowly exhaled his breath. He watched as time sped up, and the force was applied.

WC: 1244
TWC: 2195

Actions:
1. Time Freeze (35 FP)
2. Pummel (Rating 3 from Lightning Aura) (5 FP)
3. Pummel + Debilitating blow (Rating 3 from Lightning Aura) (13 FP)
4. Heavy Smash (Rating 3) ( 8 FP)
5. Grapple + Absorption (+10) (Absorbs 343 ki)
71 FP- 8% = 65
3 Actions remaining on Lightning Aura

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

The lance of blue-white energy illuminated the clearing in a pale glow. Goku could see the creature's features even better in the light. He had green carapace, covered in black speckles, and looked like some sort of overgrown beetle.

Just where did you crawl out of?

It slammed into the center of the beasts chest with a bright flash of light and smoke. It cleared quickly, and the monster stood there relatively unharmed, but for a few scratches and burns on his armored plates.

And then, out of nowhere, pain riddled Goku's upper body. Crimson exploded from his nostrils, pouring like wine onto the front of his karate gi. It felt like someone had put his head in a vice and he let out an muffled scream, as his mouth was closed tight. It brought him to his knees, both of his hands gripped the loose soil of the bluff's edge. Red welts covered his face and one of his molars came loose, which he quickly spat out along with a wad of thick blood and saliva. A buzzing pain accompanied it, causing him to see bright white stars in his line of sight.

His right eye in particular was barely seeing anything but blurry blotches. He couldn't witness it, nor did he have time to investigate it. The eyeball was pierced and bleeding profusely, his skin turning a deep purple around the socket.

If not for the years, upon years, of training and enduring horrible punishment, he would have been knocked out cold by such a sudden surge.

What was that? Must have been some sort of psychic attack.

Goku had seen psychic attacks before, they didn't require use of the hands. That was the only explanation. He just hoped that the monster wasn't able to do that all the time. How was he supposed to defend against an attack that he couldn't see or sense?

Looking up through blurry and bloody vision, he saw the monster green legs front of him. He had long and slender toes, almost like the ends of some sort of awkward claw. Bits of dirt and debris rose up and collected around his fist into a makeshift sledge. Despite his daze, Goku took action as the monster swung it down to bash him. He rose and side stepped, the edge of the rock catching the shoulder of his gi and tearing it.

The debris fell from the monster's fist, rolling across the clearing behind them.

With no hesitation, the beast lashed out, both of his hands heading on a direct path for Goku's throat. Out of pure reflex, the fighter crossed both of his arms and brought them up in front of him. The monster's fingers dug into Goku's forearms, his sharp nails shearing the skin open. Blood oozed out. An electrical shock coursed through Goku's body, wracking him even further. With a will of iron, he held his ground.

He then felt a strange sensation, as if his very spirit was being sucked into a void within the monster. The ki energy escaped faster than he could pull it back, much like trying to hold onto a handful of sand.

“Not good enough. You'll have to do better than that,” Goku said through gritted teeth.

With a pulse of ki, he flipped through the air and landed on the bough of a large oak tree. Holding up his palm, a bead of blue energy sizzled to life in the center of it, quickly swelling to the size of a basketball. Swinging his hand forward he threw it side-armed. The ball of ki buzzed through the air, speeding straight for the monstrosity where it would most likely explode on contact.

WC: 565
TWC: 2,155

Actions:

-Take hit Time Freeze Action #1 - +3 Rage
-Take hit Time Freeze Action #2 - +3 Rage
1) Evade Action #4 → +6 FP
2) Block Action #5 → +5 FP; +2 Rage
3) Ki Ball → +15 FP

Effects: Balanced Stance (+10% agi) 3/4 actions, Absorbed (-5% ki,) Debilitated[Head] (-20% ki & end)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Cell had no time to admire the damage he had managed to inflict. He had, unfortunately missed the second portion of his attack. Still he had managed to damage his enemies eyes, which he assumed would cause him a problem to deal with a creature he could now hardly see and could not sense. Even if his eyes still worked well enough to see through blood in a blurry fashion, it was a good mark towards him. He, however, would not relent. At this moment he would chase his opponent down and kill him. His prey would feed him, and this champion was his main course today.

He surged forward following Goku, he could see the attack coming for him. Another ki attack, his opponent was being careful not to touch or be touched by Cell. It was a wise decision, but not one that would be easy to accomplish. A small amount of damage here to inflict much more onto Goku was more than worth the risk.

The orb of ki exploded over the abominations shoulder this time, leaving more burns on his carapace and exposing some actual flesh. He would be fine, as it barely impeded his movement. However, the orb of ki exploding over him gave him something very useful, a smoke screen in which he would use to his advantage.

His large seven foot frame would burst through the smoke, right fist cocked back. He looked directly into the fiery eyes of his opponent, his own eyes demonstrating how determined he was. An opponent eyes could tell you a lot about their psychological condition, determination, and how damaged they really were. Goku was hurt, but he was not anywhere near ready to back down. If anything he was more determined than before. This was going to be fun.

He launched his first strike directly for the champion's face. However, at the same time he struck with his left fist towards his stomach. People, even Saiyans and many trained martial artists will defend the face and not even notice the second strike. However this was only the beginning as he launched many more blows towards his opponents upper body and face. In the end this was actually a ploy for his main target.

He wanted to injure his opponent as much as possible. He wanted to enjoy causing him pain and anguish even as he reveled in the intensity of the fight. With this urge in mind, he finally aimed for his real target. His right hand straightened as he pressed his fingers together and pointing his claws. They aimed directly for his opponents stomach on the right side. He was hoping cut into the flesh and muscle to further determent him. It would help greatly considering the electricity that coursed through each and every blow.

The Saiyan Cells, specifically Vegeta's and Goku's, were beginning to surface. He was enjoying this fight, not just coming in for the kill as he normally did. He was happy to find an opponent that was truly a challenge to him.

Because of this, He was going to go all out, he was going to give him a real fight. He would fight for his life, he would not have time to this of revenge. Just like Trunks, Yamcha, and even Celerus had done. All of this tried to take revenge and all of them had failed. Most had died, but none left without realizing revenge was not an easy goal.

He reached forward quickly, attempted to grab onto his opponents wrist. If he was successful he would probably inflict a good deal of damage just from the aura of lightning surrounding him. Hopefully the touch of that would stun him enough to finish this out. Of course, his body would naturally absorb as much energy from his opponent as he could while touching him should that come to pass.

If he was successfully, he would pull and twist hard. This was an attempt to shock, absorb, and electrocute this champion of Earth. He would released once he was at the proper point in the pull to throw him. This way he could create some distance and also attack heavily.

He found it fitting that the abomination of Man, Gero specifically, was in a battle with the current champion of Earth. It almost seemed like a movie. However this was no movie, and Cell was not a monster that would die easily once the hero built up the confidence to do something right. Cell was the undying beast that would keep coming relentlessly until his prey was dead and gone. The green biological 'android' was basically Death incarnate.

Cell could feel the electrical energy that had been coursing around him dissipate. He looked down as the glow suddenly disappeared and the excess static discharged into the air with a slight crackling sound. He looked at Goku and would smile he had the ability.

"Seems this fight is going to be just as interesting as I hoped it would. Goku...do you even know what you actually are?" He asked, looked at him. It was a psychological attack he was coming at him with now, and he hoped it would work. He would wait patiently for the reply.

WC:876
WC Total: 3071

Actions:
sub-action: Took the ki ball +2 rage, also +2 rage from the first ki beam that hit earlier. +4 Rage Total.
1. Pummel (Rating 3 from Lightning Aura) (5 FP)
2. Pummel + Debilitating blow (Rating 3 from Lightning Aura) (13 FP)
3. Grapple + Absorption (+10) (Absorbs 343 ki)
28 FP- 8% = 26
0 Actions remaining on Lightning Aura

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Goku's ki ball exploded on target, with a blinding flash that produced a cloud of smoke. The monster emerged from a swirl of smoke, fist bee-lining at the fighter's face. Despite having one eyeball swollen shut, Goku spotted, with his good eye, the monster's second fist coming at his lower body.

Bringing his right arm up, Goku swung it counter clockwise, in a sweeping windmill style motion. The higher attack struck the meat of his triceps, and the lower collided hardened bone forearm. Electrical energy coursed through his arm, rattling him. His muscles tensed, and he grimaced past the pain, jumping down towards a lower branch on the big oak.

The monster did not relent, continuing his barrage of punches at him. Goku met each one with first and forearm. The parries stopped the strikes dead in their tracks. This legendary skill had been taught to him by Master Roshi, and was known as the Seikuken. It ensured that within a 360 radius, within arm's reach, no strike could penetrate the “barrier” created by his arms.

It required great concentration to accomplish. Goku had trained his entire life to achieve it. Sure, the pain was there, coursing through his bones and his flesh, but he had protected his vital areas from harm. It was better to be careful, than to be dead.

Goku jumped again, this time to a higher branch. He could see the blackened flesh and bubbly blisters over his arms. Pain is temporary, he told himself. It's just reminding me that I'm still alive.

The monster was bloodthirsty, that was for sure. He came at Goku again, this time with his claws acting like the prongs on a trident. Goku thrust his leg up, the sharp claws shredded through his gi and struck the hard bone of his kneecap. They punctured the thin flesh there, but Goku hoped that the hardness of his knee would shatter the claws like glass.

“You attack like a frantic child,” Goku said and offered a grin. “It means you're afraid.”

The buzzing in his leg was unsettling, but he knew that in time it would fade. The aura of energy had been disconcerting and Goku wondered when it would be over. He can't keep it going forever, eventually it's going to tire him out.

He certainly didn't have the same physical strength of his opponent. However, he did have the one thing that only years of training and meditation offered—fortitude. That was what Goku was waiting for, that moment when the tide would turn. Goku knew the monster could deal great amounts of punishment. But, the fighter could outlast him.

The monster went to grab him. Goku remembered the last time he had touched him, when he had felt his spiritual energy drain away. That wasn't going to happen again. The fighter reverberated with spiritual energy, creating an illusion of him still standing upon the branch. Meanwhile, he sped off, vanishing from sight.

He appeared again in a blur of motion. He now stood on the opposite end of the clearing, among the ruins of the hunter's camp. Shredded tents and the discarded clothing of the men lay strewn about. The flickering firelight provided little illumination. Goku could only see the darkened silhouette of his opponent in the tree beyond, but that was all that he needed.

"Seems this fight is going to be just as interesting as I hoped it would. Goku, do you even know what you actually are?" the monster called.

“I do. I am your end,” Goku said.

WC: 593
TWC: 2,748

Actions:

1) Block Cell Action #1 → +3 FP; +2 Rage
2) Block Cell Action #2 → +7 FP; +2 Rage
3) After Image + Evade Cell Action #3 → +22 FP

Effects: Absorbed (-5% ki,) Debilitated[Head] (-20% ki & end)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Seikuken, it was a powerful defensive technique. Roshi had trained it to perfection himself, and so taught it to the man he was fighting now. He was impressed at Goku's level of accomplishment with it, as well as his resistance to pain and damage. Cell was confident in his own stamina though, as well as his ability to deal out more than Goku could take in the end. This was not a spar, he would eventually get his chance to kill his opponent. He knew much about this champion after all, and the champion knew very little about Cell.

"Frantic Child? I didn't think you were the type to say your childhood friend and mentor had been slaughtered by a mere child." He retorted to Goku's insult. Each of his attacks are a calculated step towards his goal, he did not expect a man who fought like this Saiyan in front of him to understand how he operated. More so it did not matter, he would prove his method with Goku's death. Losing to an opponent you looked down on, it is a humbling experience. Cell had learned that himself, and Goku seemed to need to be reeducated on being humble.

Cell himself was not exactly a humble creature, but it required looking at how he used to be to see the difference. He did not see victory as an ever-certain thing anymore. He still viewed people and warriors as his prey, but he had learned to respect at least some of that prey. He had respected Roshi, and he had respected Yamcha's power. He even respected Goku's endurance and bravery for facing an opponent who had killed a friend so much stronger than himself. That meant his opponent was on his "To be murdered and eaten" list.

"I do, I am your end." The warrior who had retreated from him spoke behind him. It was a bad decision. He had allowed Cell to leave his immediate field of vision. The speed of an object was determined by the time it took to cross a distance, however how people perceived that speed was affected by many things. Light, angle, size of the object, distance from the object being viewed, and visibility. He had already lost one eye for the most part, which would have to throw off his depth perception. Cell decided to make use of this.

He quickly moved from his current location, hoping that these factors would cause him to loose him in the shadows. He swiftly changed direction, using the visibility, his opponent injury, and his own stealthy abilities to move silently. Once he felt confident in his evasion of his enemies sight, he would take a moment to move more slowly. He watched his prey as he did this. This is what Cell was, he was not simply a warrior, he was not simply a hunter either. He was a killer, he enjoyed watching terror overcome people, but he did not expect that to happen this time. It would be enough to destroy this man.

He formed a small and dim-lit orb of energy into his palm. He did not let it linger, as it would give away his position, instead he through it towards Goku. Once close enough, it would explode. While it would not directly do large amounts of damage, it would weaken his opponent. It would make it harder to move, harder to muster strength and attack. It would even reduce his ability to take blows. compiling this with the other damage he had done, would put Goku further into a weakened state. Besides that action, he remained at a resting state. He could recover as much as he needed as long as Goku did not attack. He did however, keep moving and changing direction.

Actions:
1. Rest (+15 FP)
2. Rest (+15 FP)
3. Rest (+15 FP) + Used Debilitating Grenade (-10% to all stats)
WC: 632
Total: 3703

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Through the shadows, Goku saw the shimmering ball of light headed his way. It was not quite spiritual and not quite physical, the fighter couldn't quite get a bead on its actual composition. It did not behave like a normal energy ball either. Before Goku could dodge or throw up his arms in defense it exploded, sending a cloud strange cloud dust. Or at least it seemed like dust. As it settled onto his body, he felt a burning sensation wash over him.

His head began to spin and he fought against the lurching sensation of nausea in his gut. He wretched, half digested contents f his stomach splattering onto the ground. His body was not in the best condition at this point. Sure, he had taken worse beatings in his day, but since he was facing such an exotic opponent, he needed to be in a much better condition.

As the dull pain worked its way into his bones, he tried to pin point the monster's location. His puffed up eye was not doing him any good, as it was nearly shut at this point. Taking a deep breath, he spread his legs apart and brought palms together in front of his chest, centering himself.

A man's spiritual energy permeated the whole of his being, but was concentrated in his core. It was somewhere between the chest and abdomen. The key to being a “super” warrior, like Goku, was being able to manipulate this energy at will. One could use it to reinforce their body and muscles, achieving strength and endurance beyond comprehension. Such a task took an extraordinary amount of concentration, a bit of luck, and raw talent.

After years upon years of practice, it was second nature, like breathing—just as any skill felt when it was mastered. However, Goku did not have to spend years learning to tap into it. He had known of it, like a child knows their mother. It had been his second nature to wield it and it had grown to levels no man could ever imagine.

He drew it out from his core and it surrounded his body in a shimmering white veil. The light illuminated the entire clearing, banishing the shadows back into their hovels beneath the trees.

At this point normally a warrior would let it flood out and bolster his strength. Goku gave it a different course. With nothing more than his raw willpower he directed it to flood over his body.

The fatigue was washed from the undamaged parts of his flesh, like water being injected into a withering plant. The damaged cells were purged and in their place new ones were born. The burns, bruises, cuts, and scratches began to fade. His swollen eye began to deflate and open wide, bringing back his full field of vision.

Renewed, he scanned the tree line. The monster was on the move. Goku had an avid love for animals, in particular big predators. He had wrestled alligators, mighty dinosaurs, sharks, and bears. Basically, if it had claws, teeth, and a bad reputation, he conquered it. Challenging mighty creatures taught him a lot about their nature. This monster acted just like an animal.

It's kind of funny, Goku mused. The light was beginning to recede from his body, yet he watched, for any stirrings of the leaves and the plants. It moves through the shadows, waiting to ambush me. Just like a big cat would. For all the claims of devouring Master Roshi and other great warriors, it still hasn't overcome its baser instincts to fight like a man.

It was a simple concept for Goku. He didn't focus on trying to find the monster's location. No, it had the element of camouflage on its side; that wouldn't work. To find it, he needed to search for what shouldn't be there. It had a long slender body, an tail, wiry limbs. Its dark green carapace helped it blend into a natural environment. But, it still wasn't a tree, a log, nor a fern. It was alive and it was on the move.

It was then he saw it, a sliver of moonlight displaced. There was no breeze, so something was moving in the brush. That was all he needed. His legs carried him towards his target at inhuman speeds. So fast, he barely disturbed the grass himself. He was a hunter, going for his prey.

It was silent in the woods. Too silent.

“Why are you running?” Goku said as his feet skidded across the forest floor, spraying broken twigs and leaves. “Where is the great slayer now?”

Both of the fighter's fists were primed for the assault. He sent them at the monster in rapid succession. The air thrummed with each stroke. He concentrated most of the blows towards the carapace on its chest. His energy attacks had softened the defenses of that portion of the exoskeleton, and with a powerful barrage, he had the best chance of cracking it even further.

After the barrage, he followed up by dropping low into a crouch. Using his legs like coiled springs, he launched himself at the beast, bringing his fist low and fast. It was an uppercut, aimed at its lower torso. At the last possible second his figure erupted with fiery blue spiritual energy, accelerating him at full speed. Hopefully it was enough close the gap and land the blow.

WC: 903
TWC: 3,651

Actions:

- Debilitating Grenade (-10% all stats.)
1) Heal → -21 FP
- No longer Debilitated[Head]
2) Machine Gun Fist → +28 FP
3) Powered Flight + Rush Attack → +10 FP

Effects: Absorbed (-5% ki,) Debilitating Grenade (-10% all stats)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

He watched as Goku renewed himself. All the damage he had managed to inflict was washed from his body. This did not bother him, it had been part of his objective. The attack he had just used would still be affecting him regardless. Cell knew of that technique himself, though he hadn't taken the time to re-learn it after his rebirth. He also knew it had limitations, and that it was now no longer a factor in facing his opponent.

He watched as Goku searched through the tree line, looking for him. He knew Goku had been quite the unarmed hunter in his days, and while Cell was probably a better predator, he had a better idea than to hide. He knew Goku had the ability to notice subtle things and figure out his location. He did have the Saiyan's cells after all, and a good deal of his experiences. This Goku was a bit different than the one in the dimension he came from but his nature was basically the same.

Cell noticed a small area of moonlight that was easily in Goku's range of viewing. He would have smiled if he had a mouth to do so with. He swiftly and silently crossed this area, wanting it to look as if he had simply made a mistake. He watched the champion as his large seven foot frame crossed this light. He saw the expression on his face change. He watched as he shot towards Cell. He listened as he spoke whilst on his way to attack. He was waiting, and he was waiting with a lethal intent.

“Why are you running?” Goku said as his feet skidded across the forest floor, spraying broken twigs and leaves. “Where is the great slayer now?”

He retorted just before the blows began raining down. " Just like a Saiyan to think his opponent would run from him. I would not run from such a fool." He said, and he then began to show Goku exactly what he gained from absorbing his former master.
He erected an area of ki around himself, the area in which he could defend. The Seikuken, but this was not the same. He then compressed this area to a few inches around his body. He would instantly feel the blow as it entered the area, and allow him to retaliate. It was called the Ryuusei seikuken, an evolution of the technique Goku had used just moments ago.

The fists came in fast and hard. It was as if he had turned himself into a machine, an instrument of relentless attack. It showed just how trained he was, to go from being nearly a pacifist to a machine meant for incapacitating and even destroying his opponent. It was unfortunate for him however that this would not be enough to do such a thing to the abomination he was fighting.

As he blow entered his range for the technique, Cell swiftly moved and contorted his body to dodge each blow. It was nearly a blow each time. However, this technique also had a secondary purpose. He matched his breathing with his opponents, kept eye contact, and quickly got used to what he was doing. Doing this, if done properly, would allow the user to predict the next move and counter it. It helped greatly that he also had the experiences of Roshi and Yamcha, which helped him figure it out. After all, each had extensive experiences with training, sparing, and fighting alongside him. He would continue with a rush of an attack powered with extra speed to make it hit harder, and be harder to dodge. The Ryuusei Suikuken would take care of that if needed.

As Goku began to crouch, Cell drew a had back swiftly. His coiled spring like legs launched forward. Cell moved his body to the side to lower his surface area in which could be struck. He also used this turning motion to add more power to the attack. His clawed and straightened hand surged forward. It sliced the wind as his powerful muscles contracted, pulling and pushing it forward. If it connected, his opponent would have a nice stab wound just under the rib cage. He doubted it would be a lethal blow because of his opponents durability, but every little bit of damage counted.

Regardless of the outcome, he would take a moment to rest. He needed all the stamina he could get to fight such a sturdy opponent. He also decided also to take off the few restraints he had. His muscles buffed up slightly. This was barely noticeable, especially since his opponent could not sense his ki at all. Gero's manipulations were quite handy, even if he was an old fool.

WC: 790
Total WC: 4470

Actions:
1. dodge machine gun fist (+14 FP)
2. Counter Rush attack(+10 FP) + debilitating blow (+8 FP, aimed for torso)
3. Rest (+15 FP) + Used Fire Whiskey (+10% to all stats)
FP gained: 17 total

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Ryuusei Seikuken!

The disbelief was evident on Goku's face. The Seikuken relied on the arms to deflect blows. It was effective, nearly a perfect defense against melee attacks. However, there was a level higher, and that was the Ryuusei. It relied on sensing disturbances in the air around oneself and moving out of the way, expending the least amount of energy possible. The monster had essentially danced around his blows. While using the Ryuusei Seikuken was not easy, it certainly made dodging look easy.

Rain began to fall in heavy droplets. They pattered against the ceiling of leaves, a few penetrating the dense cover to moisten the ground below. It was as if the sky itself was weeping over the conflic; as if it knew the consequences of the battle. Both parties had to give everything or they would end up left with nothing.

The uppercut sailed past the monster. It had turned on a dime, Goku's fist missing only by millimeters. It was nearly a perfect example of what the Ryuusei Seikuken was capable of. Goku knew what was coming next, as his entire midsection was exposed to his enemy. With so much forward momentum and with such a speedy blow headed his way, there was no turning to block. That would be a wasted effort, and end up making things worse. Even with a massive burst of ki, Goku doubted he could move himself fast enough to escape it.

If it had been a punch, he would have just taken it, but out of the corner of his eye, he could see the claws headed towards the bottom of his ribcage. Such a blow wouldn't be fatal, but it would weaken him greatly.

When the cards are down, and it seems like all your options have run out, that is when you a true warrior proves themselves. It is what you haven't learned and teach yourself, that is the true mark of a master, the words of Master Roshi resounded within Goku's mind.

Goku spun himself like a top as Cell drove his claws into him. As his body moved, they dragged along his side and back. His gi was torn open, shredded ribbons of orange fabric and droplets of crimson filled the air.

The fighter dropped down, landing with both of his palms on the leaf covered forest floor. He vaulted and flipped in mid air, sliding to a stop next to a large oak tree.

Taking a moment, Goku examined his wound. It looked as if a tiger had raked him. The skin was torn open in four lines. Blood was pooling in the trenches before slowly spilling out down his side. The strike had not pierced him, as had been the monster's original intention. Sure, it hurt like hell, but at least it was a flesh wound, and none of his vital organs had been damaged.

Sliding both of his legs apart, Goku lowered into the Turtle Hermit's stance. He brought both of his palms forward and cupped them, slowly pulling them behind him.

He knows all of my abilities, and my training. I can see that now. So, I'll just have to fight like someone else.

Azure light appeared between his palms, illuminating the forest for dozens of yards, casting heavy shadows behind the trees and thickets of shrubbery.

“Ka-me-ha-me-” Goku chanted.

But, he was not gathering spiritual energy for the purpose of firing an energy wave. The thrust his hands forward, projecting an illusion of himself still standing there in the classic stance. He slipped away, blinking from sight, and re-appeared right above the monster. The illusion dispersed into wavy lines, like a distorted TV picture.

Goku turned his body, throwing both of his palms forward, not to unleash a Kamehameha, but to instead slam his opponent with a powerful double palm strike. It was a deadly enough blow on its own

WC: 652
TWC: 4,303

Actions:

1) Failed Dodge Cell Action #2 → +6 FP
2) Rest (Respite) + Balanced Stance [+10% agi] → -10 FP
3) Illusion Attack + Rush Attack [STR: 2,764] → +12 FP (w/ Control)

Effects:
Balanced Stance (+10% agi) 1 / 4 actions
Absorbed (-5% ki,)
Debilitating Grenade (-10% all stats)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Cell had managed to successfully maneuver himself around Goku's expert blows. If he had not absorbed the Roshi from this dimension, he would not have been able to pull such a thing off. He had even managed to land a strike. Considering who he was fighting, landing a solid strike would hve been a very impressive feat. So far he had only been able to do that when he used the 'time freeze' ability. That had been a bit frustrating to him.

The champion of Earth did surprise him however. He had known he could not successfully dodge nor block the clawed attack that Cell had launched. He did however expertly keep himself from taking the full damage. This was also a feat when one was dealing with Cell. Normally if he managed to touch you, it meant that death. His aura gave off the feeling of death and dread He had instantly came up with a plan of action, and so spun and he moved to minimize the damage. It was elegant to say the least, even if blood now ran freely down his side. It might not have done the damage he had wanted, but he knew it would hurt and slow him down even if it was just by a fraction.

He watched as Goku moved away from him while he had taken a moment to breath. He could have kept the attack up, but he did not want to over extend his own boundaries. The opponent he was facing had outlasted many powerful opponents in his day, but the Green Abomination would not allow himself to fall prey to that so easily. He had Goku's experiences and his memories, at least some of them. These were from the other dimension however.

However, he was had just seen the Saiyan do was not anywhere in there. Roshi certainly had not taught him such a way to prevent damage. It was something of his own creation, and it showed exactly why he was considered a master of martial arts. If he was not, he would probably be dead by now. Cell had already killed masters, but Goku was on an order of a higher level. He was a genius when it came to combat, even if he could be a massive idiot in other areas of life. Cell had no doubt that was due to his Saiyan heritage.

Rain began to pour from overhead. Most of it simply crashed into the thick forest top above him. It made a strange serenade for the fight, but it fit. Nature itself seemed to be weeping over the battle. The two warriors fighting saddened it. Cell maintained his belief that Nature did not have some consciousness, but it did have a personality of sorts. It reacted to events like this, sometimes with small gestures like the one they were experiencing. Other times it voiced it's wrath against what it seemed to hate. Cell shared a common ground with this aspect. They both seemed to hate humanity going by the evidence of how Nature had ravaged the race. They were persistent, but long ago had mostly been excluded from it's community.

Cell and Goku had not. Goku had been accepted for reasons Cell did not know nor cared to find out. Cell himself had been accepted because of his nature. He was a hunter, a predator. Nature had taken an interest in both of these individuals and now it would have to lose one of them. It was unavoidable and so it simply cried above them.

Light shone brightly from between the palms of the human raised Saiyan. He had assumed the iconic stance, preparing himself to unleash a powerful attack. This attack, the Kamehameha, had eradicated beings like Cell before. It had extinguished 'evil' whenever it had been used properly. In the hands of Goku, it was a very deadly attack. Gero's Creation had almost fallen prey to this, he had almost been extinguished by this attack once. It would not come to pass again.

He steadied his stance lowering his body,placing his arms out to his sides a bit, hands cocked and ready. He would wait until the last moment before the attack would collide with him to make his move. He would absorb this attack and use the energy against it's master. He would his Goku's own power to crush him like a mere rodent who strayed under the boot of a giant. However, something was not quite right. Cell could not place it. His opponents eyes were determined, but not quite dedicated to what he was preparing. Everything else matched, but it just did not seem right.

His opponent pushed his hands forward, but the beam did not fire. That was when the Abomination knew something was very wrong. The image in front of him was beginning to get wavy and static. His eyes had been tricked!

He quickly felt around for Goku's energy signature, and found it was above him. His Ryuusei Seikuken had been active, but it was not being focused on properly. The little bits of rain dropping into his area had caused it to become a bit distracting. He had not noticed that the rain had stopped due to Goku's presence above him. It was frustrating, but he had been out-maneuvered this time. He knew he could not stop nor dodge the incoming attack. He did know how he was going to react however. He was going to take a page from Goku's book. He knew staying rigid as he was would simply increase the damage he took.

With this in mind he let his feet come off the ground. He did this as he spun around to face his opponent. He would need to be in this position to retaliate. He would have to make sure to take the first opportunity to attack, and knowing Goku he had a decent idea of when that was.

His carapace on his chest had already taken two hard blows, causing minor cracks in the upper portion of his chest. If it kept up, if this attack hit, it would shatter deeply. It would probably be excruciating. He had moved, with a bit of luck, to avoid this outcome for the moment.

Goku's palms impacted heavily and forcefully upon his lower chest. His back slammed into the ground, debris flew around them as he was forced past the surface and into the ground a bit. The ground around him caved in slightly from his heavy body slamming into it. This wouldn't have happened if he had remained rigid, but instead his whole body would have taken that force. Despite this, he would not allow himself to even give a grunt of pain. He gritted his beak, his eyes were wide with determination and anger, even if Goku could not see them.

Through the field of debris and dust in the air he would enact his retaliation. His hands reached up quickly, claws inward towards his palm. He attempted to grab onto and in to his opponents upper arms and biceps. If he was successful he would dig his claws in and use all of his crushing grip. This powerful grip could crush steel between his fingers, his claws were sharp and sturdy enough to rip the material to shreds. Goku however was made of tougher stuff than that. It was good then that he was not done with such a simple attack, even if he was also attempting to suck his life energy into his body.

Regardless of if he was successful in this attempt, his long legs would come into his body. It would look as if he was doing a crouch but on his back. He leaned his lower body upwards to get a better angle. He then kicked out towards the Saiyan's chest with all of the might in both of his legs. As it happened, this was quite the powerful blow. It also helped that he was braced by the ground under his feet. Still, this was not enough for the monster that was attempt to take the idiot warriors life.

He would not let Goku get too far from him before raising his finger upwards. His pointer finger aimed directly at the center of Goku's chest. Here it would take the most movement to dodge the blow. Here it could still inflict a great deal of damage. Here Cell could enjoy seeing a hole seared into his opponent.

From behind the smoke, a purple light shown dimly. It was a small orb of ki focused at the very tip of the bio-androids finger. However, it would not be thrown at his his target. No, it would explode forward, tearing the air apart as it traveled. The smoke that was obscuring both Cell and the attack dissipated quickly under it's force. It was small, and it was fast. On top of that it would also act as a sniper round, ready to plow through his targets body in a small area. Of course, this was much faster and more deadly than a simple bullet. The Death beam of aptly named to say the least.

Cell was in this to win, to kill and consume Goku. He was here to complete the biological goal that Gero had implanted inside him. He was here to kill this mother fucker in front of him with extreme prejudice and overwhelming force if it was needed. He kind of held the hope that it would be, after all who would not want to see his nemesis being ripped to shreds.

WC: 1602
Total WC: 6072

Actions:
Sub-action: Take action 3 + 3 Rage
1. Grapple + absortion (Rating 3 + absorption=10FP and -5% from your ki if it hits.)
2. Heavy Smash ( Rating 3 + 8 FP)
3. Death Beam (naturally a debilitating blow, hard to block. +32 FP = +11% Ki. Total KI for this attack : 11,199)
50 FP gained - 8% (manipulation) = 46

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Goku's double palm strike landed full force, colliding with the monster's lower torso. It drove the wretch into the ground, which crumpled beneath the force of their combating spiritual energies. In the silence of the night, it sounded as if a bomb had gone off. Trees beside them shattered into thousands of splinters, dust and rock sprayed into the air as a crater was formed.

Just as he went to disengage from his opponent, the claws came after him again, aiming to take hold of his upper arms. Once again, Goku relied on the reflexes granted to him from the Seikuken. Even through the cloud of dust that enveloped his opponent, he saw the glint of moonlight of each of the monster's razor sharp talons. They had proven to be sharper than a well forged sword and nearly indestructible to boot. It made Goku wonder if they were even made of bone.

He brought his hands up in a smooth circular motion, using the flat of his palms. Thrusting them forward, he moved the monster's forearms up. There was no striking force behind the maneuver, just a simple redirection of claws. His arms quivered beneath them might and speed behind the assault and as soon as he was completely safe, he rolled to the right.

On his feet once again, he had just managed to straighten out his body when the monster came at him again, both legs extended out. They plowed into his chest, knocking the wind from his lungs. He felt himself flying through the air, spinning end over end. A few trees were caught in his path, but he went straight through their trunks. They fell atop each other, leaves, twigs and branches fluttering through the air in all directions.

Correcting himself, Goku managed to slam both feet into the ground. Both legs dug deep trenches in the forest floor. He ground himself to a halt beside a small stream and took a ragged breath.

The forest was soon illuminated by a dim purple light. Goku for the first time felt a spike of spiritual energy from his opponent, and it was headed straight at him. From a distance it looked like a bright fuchsia sparkle, that was growing in size as it covered the gap between the two fighters.

It was fast. Goku was still a bit dazed from the double kick and shook it off to muster a defense. He didn't even bother with the incantation. He assumed the wide stance and brought his hands behind him. An orb of azure energy swelled between his palms and he thrust forward, unleashing the infamous Kamehameha wave for real this time.

The thin beam and the wave met each other, stalling in mid air for a briefest of moments. Goku howled as he put everything he could into it. Not that it mattered, he hadn't been able to gather as much power as he wanted to to put behind it. Given more time, he could have surely have packed enough into his wave to overwhelm the monster's beam. He felt himself sliding, and cold water filled his boots as he was driven back into the stream. Both of his arms trembled against the force. At the meeting point, the blue wave had begun to concave as the thinner beam burrowed into it.

“Dammit!” he shouted as he released the wave, rolling at the same moment.

The beam shredded what remained of his Kamehamhea and struck a glancing blow on his shoulder. It cut a deep groove across the surface of his flesh. Pink mist filled the air.

Goku howled in pain and fell into the stream, clutching his smoking wound. The heat of the energy had cauterized it instantly, leaving nothing more than a blackened blistered scar. However, he knew could have been worse. It could have plunged straight through his heart.

Despite being soaked to the bone. Goku jumped to his feet again. The water was damn cold. The stream might have been run off from a mountain spring or a glacier. He clenched his jaw to prevent his teeth from chattering.

It would do him no good to keep the wet clothing on him. So, he removed his tattered gi top and tossed it behind him. Sloshed through the water, he stepped back onto the bank. Flames danced throughout the forest. The colliding energies had sent out sparks which had ignited the thick underbrush. Goku sighed. He had seen smaller blazes start entire forest fires.

He dashed into the thicket, moving at a speed that would leave him a blur to the normal man's eye. He cut back and forth between the trees, zig-zagging his way back to his opponent. He stopped only to pull a massive sliver of wood from one of the fallen trees. It was a gnarly hunk of oak, perhaps longer than two men, and sharper than any lance.

Emerging from the brush, he put all the momentum he could into his charge. He reinforced the wood with his own spiritual energy, making even the thinnest part of the point an extension of his body. Once upon his opponent, he thrust the big spike forward, attempting to drive it straight through the wicked monster's midsection.

WC: 875
TWC: 5,178

Actions:

1) Block Cell Action #1 → +5 FP; +2 Rage
- Take hit Cell Action #2 → +3 Rage
2) Negate Cell Action #3 w/ Kamehameha III (1/2 Damage) → +30 FP; +1 Rage
3) Heavy Smash + Debilitating Blow [Torso]→ +16 FP
-Balanced Stance fades.

Effects:
Absorbed (-5% ki,)
Debilitating Grenade (-10% all stats)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Cell let out the smallest growl as his opponent once again managed to avoid his attempt to drain him of energy. It was very frustrating, as he desired to consume as much of this man as possible. He had literally been born for this very purpose. Gero had ingrained such a thing deep within his psyche from before his consciousness even formed.

His blood boiled with the desire to defeat, kill, and consume this Saiyan. It was as if pure fire coursed through his veins. He had not felt such a thing in his Perfect form, but that was not surprising as his body was craving what it had lost. It was, to him, a biological need to eat and consume as much energy as possible. Goku was a primary target in settling his hunger. He felt as if, should he succeed in this endeavor, that a weight would be lifted. That his hunger would finally be satisfied even for just a few moments.

He did however manage to get a bit of satisfaction from his feet slamming into Goku's torso. He would smile, if he had a mouth, as his opponent went flipping end over end through the forest. Even more tree's shattered into small splinters as his body was forced through them at a rapid pace. It was almost a shame to watch Goku stop himself by firmly planting his feet deep into the dirt. Cell could see even from his distance that he had created fairly deep foot-wide trenches from this.

His Death beam illuminated the forest as it's purple light burned its way forward. The nearby splinters of wood ignited into embers from it's intense heat. It was fairly impressive considering the attacks small width. He did, however, see his opponents retaliation.

The power Evil-ending Kamehameha was being unleashed to try to counter his attack. He held firm, being able to nearly perfectly sense how much power was behind his opponents attack. The beams collided, stopping in their respective tracks immediately. This did not last long, but the initial burst of heat and energy from the collision lit a few nearby tree's ablaze. He could also tell two other things; firstly, had his opponent had more time to react, he might have lost this battle of wills and spiritual force. The other was that by the end of this fight, Cell did not expect this forest to still be standing.

His beam began burrowing into the blue torrential wave of energy. It made sense to Cell. the small beam was easily more powerful, but it was more condensed and powerful. It dug through the attack, heading directly for the Champion's heart. However, the trained warrior was a bit too good to die from such a simple attack. He dove to the side just as the attack ripped through the rest of the attack. It did however manage to burn a nice gash into Goku's Arm. Another few millimeters over and it would have went straight through it.

He saw the splash of ice cold water spray into the air in a mist mixing with Goku's blood. The sight was pleasurable to the sadistic creature. He watched as Goku stood, keeping a close eye on his opponent as he knew the ball was now in his metaphorical court. The Saiyan took his shirt off, throwing it to the side. It hit the ground with an abnormally loud and heavy thud. Even wet it shouldn't be that heavy, but Cell knew it was most likely a weighted piece of equipment meant to help in training. He also expected Goku to be faster now, and he would be proven to be correct.

Goku's body dove to the side as he increased his speed to his maximum without the addition of Ki. His stance had helped greatly as it increased his ability to respond to danger. It was broken now, but that did not mean it's effect was completely gone. The Champions body cut through the air and rain as he approached Cell indirectly. A normal human would only notice a gust of wind and possibly a slight blur. It was impressive to say the least, but Cell was no human and he certainly was not normal.

His cat like eyes had been genetically altered to be one of the finest set of eyes to ever grace this pathetic planet. It was increased even more due to his own training, and that of both Roshi and Yamcha. They're experiences had proven to be invaluable in this fight against Goku. He was glad he had made the decision to eat them before he came after this mighty warrior. If he had not, he may have had an even harder time fighting this might warrior in front of him. However mighty as he may be, it only furthered the Abominations urge to consume him.

He watched as best he could as Goku tore through the forest with inhuman speed. The ground behind him being torn up by his powerful steps. Even Cell had a hard time following him, as he barely heard the cracking and ripping of a piece of wood. At first he had simply assumed a tree had made the terrible mistake of getting into the determined mans way. He was very wrong as he saw the long pike-like gnarly hunk of wood heading towards his abdomen. He knew he had to think fast and make a decision.

It was easy to him, he almost instantly knew what he would do. Goku was dedicated to this attack, and Cell had to be equally dedicated to get what he wanted if he hoped to destroy the champion. He lunged forward, knowing pain was incoming. He had taken a deep breath, and did something he rarely did. He made an expression of pure aggression and determination. He let out a might roar, the very forest shook from this. It was not from the force of his voice, but the his unshaken and seemingly indomitable determination and hunger.

Green blood would spray from behind him as the make-shift spear plunged through his body. To a normal mortal, this would be a severe and mortal wound, so Cell it a mere inconvenience. He could not die from such a simple wound, and his opponent would soon discover that. He had been hiding this for a reason, keeping his healing from activating because he knew it would change how his opponent fought. This seemed to be the right time to reveal just how evolved he really was from the normal warrior or being in general.

Cell's blood was basically acid. It quickly melted through the wood, changing it to mere enzymes and proteins as it broke down the bonds between the molecules. The ground where the blood had sprayed bubbled as the acid burned the very ground it laid on. Tree's lost areas of bark, and Cell did not give a single fuck. He was going for gold on this attack.

His body quickly made it through the wooden obstacle. He left hand reached out expertly towards his opponents forearm. His claw ready to dig into it and secure his hold. His body was already preparing to suck all the energy he could from this man. As his body turned with the left side facing forward, his right hand was behind him. It was to hide the glow of his following attack. If the attempt to clutch onto and into Goku's arm was successful, he would turn his body to increase his momentum and force. This was an attempt to throw him to the side and slightly into the air. Of course, only a dense forest awaited his floating body if this was to come to pass.

However Cell was not one to make such a gesture without a follow-up. His right hand would quickly take aim for however the champion moved, wether that be by the Abomination or his own mechanics. The purple beam had been over-charged. It was prime and ready to deliver a powerful blow to his target.

When the attack finally was let loose from it's constraints, it came out like a furious force of nature. It let out a loud "phoom" as it once again tore through the air. A nearby tree simply exploded into slivers of wood as the attacks concussive force along had shattered it. These embers added to those on the ground, the fires slowly starting to build. The only thing keeping them in check was the heavy rain above them, which was being somewhat deterred by the thick leaves above them.

Super-heated air rose above the beam as it created a mirage like image. The rain could not touch the beam, nor the Abomination as the energy caused it to evaporate before contact could be made. Cell was feeling a bit fatigued from this sudden drain of energy, along with the sudden blood loss. However, he would not show this to his opponent. That could easily prove to be a fatal mistake. He simply watched as his attack plunged through the air and rain towards it's target.

WC: 1506
Total WC: 7578

Actions:
Sub-action: Take action 3 + 3 Rage and -10% endurance and KI. Ki=
1. Grapple + absortion (Rating 3 + absorption=10FP and -5% from your ki if it hits.)
2.+3 Charge Up + Death Beam (naturally a debilitating blow, hard to block. +32+25%= 40 FP = +13% Ki. Total KI for this attack : 10,260)
50 FP gained - 8% (manipulation) = 46

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

The gigantic splinter entered the monster's torso with a sickening crunch. Goku's eyes widened. He hadn't thought it would be so easy. The monster had seemed much faster and much more wary before. Could he have truly been caught off guard?

He use a direct attack. At best he had been hoping to graze him, or lower his defenses long enough to land another blow

Blood oozed from the monster's torso. It was not red, like a man's; instead was some sort of olive green slime. It splattered on the ground and the surrounding trees, making a strange hissing sound. A few droplets landed onto Goku's bare chest and face. He felt a buzzing sting as it seared his flesh.

The splinter melted away and Goku dropped it before the acid touched his hands. However, the beast had been moving forward into it and was within close proximity. The entire fight Goku had been avoiding it's life draining touch. He realized now that it had all been to get within range. The creature had sacrificed to accomplish its goal.

His long green fingers wrapped around Goku's forearm in a vice like grip. The crushing force immediately bruised his arm, the claws at the same instance rent open his flesh. Red blood gushed out between his fingers, splattering into the ground, mixing with the monster's own acidic ooze.

The fighter's jaw set in determination as he prepared himself to wriggle free of the grasp. His spiritual energy was already being sucked away, as if them monster were some sort of ghastly vacuum.

With a strength that surprised Goku, he was thrown sideways. In the tight confines of the forest, this was naturally a devastating move. His shoulder slammed hard into a tree. However, the wood was not as harder than someone as powerful as he was. The collision stopped his momentum, the tree suffering. The wood cracked with a loud pop, massive fissures spreadi up the length of the tree. Leaves spiraled down with the falling rain.

Purple light lit up the forest once again. The monster was going for another beam. This time it was at a very scary, point blank, range.

Goku knew that there was no where to go. With a crumpling tree on his right, his opponent in front of him, and the funky way his body was positioned, he couldn't simply flee as he would have liked to. Sure, he could have tried to withstand it, but he knew how deadly it was from how it easily overcame his Kamehameha. A defensive tactic was far too risky as well; as the beam might have punctured his arm and plunged through his vital organs.

The monster was bringing his hand around, and taking aim, as he used his body to fire it. That was the moment of opportunity. Using a burst of spiritual energy like a sling shot, Goku hurled himself at his opponent until, not stopping until was nearly on top of him. Thrusting fist out, he aimed to knock the monster's arm away, disrupting his aim.

The overcharged beam fired with a heavy thrumming sound and with an immense heat. Goku was close still, too close. Along his chest and arm his flesh boiled, causing blisters and welts to rise up. The energy continued on, easily carving through the rows trees, splitting them in two halves. The crumpling sound was immense as the forest caved in on itself. Goku flew up high into the rain soaked sky, escaping the devastation.

The beam went on for miles upon miles. He couldn't believe his eyes, just a simple counter attack had cut a massive swath out of the forest.

Better some trees than me, Goku thought.

Goku took a deep breath and assumed his stance, his eyes scanning the crisscrossed mass of trees below. He didn't know if the monster was going to run away, or pursue him, but he was ready no matter what.

His breathing was labored. Droplets of sweat rolled down the side of his face. Most of his body ached, in fact, it was screaming in pain. Somehow, he was thrilled—excited. This was a part of him he never understood. Every second was life or death struggle and that's how how he wanted it.

WC: 717
TWC: 5,895

Actions:

-Take hit Cell Action #1; +2 Rage
1) Powered Flight + Counter Cell Action #3 [Close Range] → +15 FP
2) Flight + Rest (Respite) + Balanced Stance → -14 FP
3) Flight + Wait → +1 FP

Effects:
Balanced Stance (+10% agi) 1 / 4 actions
Absorbed (-10% ki,)
Debilitating Grenade (-10% all stats)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Cell had accomplished part of his goal for this attack. He had hoped to kill the man with this last attempt, but he had at least managed to get a hold of some of his energy. A step in the right direction, a part of a process. Sure he would try to kill him every step of the way on the off chance that it would be successful. It was not successful this time, but he would continue trying. He would keep fighting until he finally satisfied this intense pit in his stomach.

Until the taste of his mans blood and energy covered each of the sensory nerves in his body.It was only then could he truly take a moment of rest, it was only then he could truly become perfected. True, his body was no longer perfect, but it was only part of the whole. Even if Cell achieved perfection again, he would not truly be perfect without that one thing.

He watched as the tree had splintered and broke under Goku's heavy and dense body. The force from that alone would have killed most humans, but Goku was simply made of tougher stuff than that. His body was comprised of much denser materials. After all his race had been born on a planet with ten times the gravity of this one. He was the same size as a normal human, but his bodily tissues were twice as dense. It was too bad that it did not slow him down however.

Cell's finger had aimed true, but it had been too close. His entire arm had been knocked to the side as he fired the attack, causing it to cut through a mile of forest and continue on into the distance until he had stopped wasting energy on it. He watched as tree's fell inward and criss-crossed in a massive line. Whenever the humans came to finally take this forest and cut it down to fuel their mechanization's of society, they would find it a good deal easier thanks to him.

He continued watching as his opponent fled into the sky. He was under the assumption that if he retreated in such a fast manner and into the sky that he would have the advantage. Normally this would be true, Cell would not be able to follow him without giving away exactly what he was going to do. He also couldn't simply attack from his location as it would give him too much time to dodge. On top of that, he had a large bleeding hole in his body. It was not lethal, but the blood loss was causing him a few problems. He decided it was prudent to take care of that first.

He looked up towards goku with a slight chuckle. "Why are you running? I thought you enjoyed this Goku!? Is this not what you wanted, a battle? Did you not want to test yourself against the monster who slaughtered your adoptive race and ate your friends!?" He called out while laughing his sinister laugh. His voice sounding just the slightest bit weak. Blood was actually starting to spill from the sides of his mouth. The pain in his body was beginning to show a bit in on his face. He finally released the hold on his regenerative abilities.

The damaged areas of his carapace were the first to show significant changes. The carapace had been cracked and dented inwards from the forceful blows that had managed to hit Cell. Two large areas right above the now gaping hole in his in his torso. Two more on his upper chest. They expanded outwards until they were back to their normal location. The cracks began to seal together and eventually re-formed into his very strong, natural armor.

His Stomach was next. The bleeding slowed to a crawl, allowing anything that cared to look, a glance to the treeline on the other side of his body. Next it would begin sealing together. A strange sound emanating from this location. Soon it was no more, only a tender area of flesh which was only seen for a moment itself. This began building and hardening until it joined the rest of his carapace. His body was restored, as if nothing had happened at all. Though he did feel a bit tired from this, as it took quite the large amounts of energy to regrow ones body.

However, that did not mean he was too tired to attack. Oh no, he had decided on the exactly course of action for the situation with Goku. He had picked out exactly what would by-pass his opponents current strategy. You could say he had done it perfectly in fact. However, he would have to utilize one of Gero's implantations into his body to be able to pull it off and not be overly tired.

Inside of his body, there was an extra organ that retained fairly large amount of energy. To his knowledge he had a few of these but only one or two he could access since he had taken all the damage from Gohans energy attack. He would have to work on being able to access the others at a later point in time. For now, he simply drew on this to fuel him for the next few moments of attack.

The moment he tapped into it, he instantly felt his slight exhaust fade into the background. It always felt exhilarating to have this sudden rush of energy enter his veins and muscles. Even his mind felt refreshed. He would not waste time enjoying the feeling however. He had a Saiyan to kill and the next step involved something small. Though it might have been small, the effect it had was absolutely massive.

He took in adeep breath. Normally this wouldn't matter very much, but once he held it, time came to a sudden halt. Nothing around either participant in this battle moved. Goku himself was frozen in place thanks to this. He had used this ability not too long ago, and this would mark it's last usage. He could not invoke this strenuous ability more than twice in a real battle. it was simply too taxing on his mind, which is what the technique really relied on.

With time halted, he could safely approach the champion above without a single worry of him even noticing he was there. He crouched a bit, before pushing himself off of the ground with such force that he once he released the technique, it would surely have an affect. His body shot through the air with enough force to creature a loud whistle.

At least it should have however. A world frozen in time is a silent world. There are no movements at all, therefore there are no vibrations at all. Cell's ears were built exactly like most other creatures in the world, it used vibrations to hear. Thus, in this world were only he could move and act, it was a silence that could only be rivaled by space. He quite enjoyed it, it gave him all the reprieve he'd ever need to be completely to himself for a moment. At least, it would when he wasn't so hungry.

When his body finally got close enough, he would stop himself by firmly planting his fist against Goku's abnormally hard skull. He felt a slight pop in his finger from hitting something so durable. It wasn't enough to damage him, but he could feel some slight stinging pain in his hand. It had always amazed Yamcha and Roshi about how hard this mans head was, and rightly so. Still this would not keep him from taking advantage of his opportunity. He hoped the sudden large amounts of force would not only knock him away but also jar his head enough to debilitate his fighting senses and ability. Of course the force of this blow would not actually connect until Cell released his breath.

His hand would once again latched onto the Saiyan's wrist. He would take a moment to drain energy from his body. The hunger he felt in his mind and his body was satisfied somewhat, which allowed him to think without it nagging at him. He moved so that he was facing Goku's back, and then all at once pulled his all his might backwards. He had done this to add to the force that would plow Goku away from where he was standing, instead of taking away from it.

He would then move a few meters away, and release his breath. He would watch while the force ravaged his body. Under him he heard a loud whistle, as the air finally vibrated with his quick movements. He also heard a thud-like sound followed by a crack. Looking down, one would see that the ground where he had stood a moment ago had cracked and gave way under the force of his departure, leaving a small crater. Cell himself took a moment to rest while his opponent dealt with the consequences of the abominations actions. It was quite enjoyable to the abomination of man.

WC: 1522
Total WC: 9100

Actions:
Sub-action: Used Second Wind and Energy Reserves. +50 FP
1. Regeneration II ( 27 FP)
2. Time Freeze (no more uses and +35 FP)
3. Rush Attack + Debilitating Blow (Attack Rating 2, 13 FP total)
4. Grapple + absortion (Rating 3 + absorption=10FP and -5% from your ki and that number added to mine.)
5. Rest+respite = +15 FP

FP Gained: 65
FP Spent: 85 - 8% (manipulation) = 78
Total spent: 13


Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

“Why are you running? I thought you enjoyed this Goku? Is this not what you wanted, a battle? Did you not want to test yourself against the monster who slaughtered your adoptive race and ate your friends!?" the monster called up.

Goku's ebony eyes strained to see his opponent amongst the ragged brush, but couldn't. The mask of night, along with the wrecked forest, concealed his position. The fighter paid no heed to his taunting though. The beast could call him a coward all day, it made no matter.

Mind your opponent's fists, not their words, Master Roshi had once told him.

He knew the importance of a strategic withdraw, to draw an enemy to you on your terms. Now the monster would have to come up, and he could be ready and waiting to launch a counter offensive. The skies offered less room to hide, and more maneuverability. It was those key ingredients that he needed to end the fight.

Goku blacked out for a brief moment as pain tattered his body without warning. The primary source of the pain was his skull. His head snapped back and his forehead's flesh split open in a long gash. Blood poured down the side of his face, onto his shoulder blade. Also, he could feel more of his spiritual energy gone. Only ghost of it's former presence lingered inside of him.

Shaking his head, he tried to break the daze the eruption had put him in. His senses felt dulled and his thoughts fuzzy and labored. They were common signs of a concussion, he knew it well enough as he had suffered many in his days of fighting.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the beast floating in the air a short distance away. In the moon's light, without the shadow of the forest to conceal him, he looked even more menacing. The monster had hardened wings, a beak-like mouth, sharp claws, bird-like feet, and a swishing tail with a spine at the end. It was kind of like gazing upon a chimera, one made up of the world's best predators.

I didn't even see him emerge from the forest. How the hell did he get up here?

Goku couldn't fathom what sort of strange sorcery he had used to harm him, but he now had a feeling that it some how numbed his senses or slowed mind down to the point that he was not aware of what was going on. It had happened early on in the fight too, so it was no coincidence the second time.

“That's a nice trick,” Goku said. There was no amusement, nor a smile upon his face.

He keeps taking my spiritual energy too. I wonder though, just what is he doing with it? There has to be a limit to the amount he can process at once. If I am going to win, I need to test that limit.

“You like sapping my power. Well, how about an all you can eat buffet?”

Goku would make his opponent pay for every joule of energy that he took; and then do it again.
Goku cupped his hands again and drew them behind him. With deep concentration he drew the power out from the depths of his core, allowing it to flow down the length of his arms. It tingled as it traveled and he could feel his muscles tensing.

“Ka-me-ha-me-ha!”

The blue light swelled from between his fingers as it coalesced into a sphere. Thrusting his arms forward, he unleashed a torrent of energy, which barreled straight for his opponent. The air was displaced with a loud whoosh as the wave closed the gap in record time.

Lowering his arms, Goku took a deep breath and let himself rest for a brief moment. The next one needed to be just as strong as the first. The beast would still be hungry, that he knew.

“Come back for seconds?” Goku said. “Plate's up!”

This time he was able to ready the energy much faster. Before could even cup his hands, two small blue spheres appeared in both palms, illuminating the darkness once again. He didn't even draw back, as he had been drilled to do by Master Roshi thousands of times during his training as a kid.

The movements themselves were there to help concentrate and focus the power of the Kamehamhea. Goku had used it so many times that those things happened without the somatic gesture.

He simply touched the bottoms of his palms together, merging the spheres. That action sent the blue wave rip-roaring across the sky at the monster. This Kamehameha one was far more aggressive and unfocused in appearance than the first, albeit just as powerful. The wave itself was jagged along its length and bolts of azure electricity crackled outward from the tips of his fingers.

WC: 805
TWC: 6,700

Actions:

-Take hit Cell Action #3; +2 Rage
-Take hit Cell Action #4; +2 Rage; -5% ki
1) Flight + Kamehamhea III [KI: 3,488] → +31 FP
2) Flight + Rest (Respite) + Balanced Stance → -14 FP
3) Flight + Kamehamhea III [KI: 3,488] → +31 FP

Effects:
Balanced Stance (+10% agi) 1 / 4 actions
Absorbed (-15% ki,)
Debilitating Grenade (-10% all stats)
Debilitating Wound (-20% endurance and ki)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Goku's forehead had split from the punch, blood was oozing onto his shoulder and down his abdomen. Had he been wearing a shirt it would have been dyed red. The wound bleed profusely despite not being a lethal wound, as was common of facial wounds. He could see it in Goku's eyes however, it had done more damage than a simple cut even if said cut was deep enough to see his white skull without the flow of blood concealing it. His eyes were not as focused now, his movements slightly more labored as if they had taken more thought to complete. He had a concussion.

He could also see gears turning behind those dazed eyes. He was trying to figure out what had happened, though Cell doubted he could fathom what had happened.

Cell could also see the champion giving the abomination another once over now that they had better lighting. Cell could see perfectly in the dark, but Goku could not. He could tell that the monsters appearance had a small subtle affect on how he was going to reply to this barrage.

“That's a nice trick,” Goku said, but unlike his usual demeanor he was serious. Probably a result of the damage he had taken without being able to respond. He spoke more before Cell would have the chance to reply.

“You like sapping my power. Well, how about an all you can eat buffet?”
Cell thought for a moment about this. This entire time he's been doing his best to avoid giving me energy, now he wants to donate? He is up to something.

The very instant Goku drew both of his hands back to respond to this attack, Cell decided his actions. His hunger was satisfied for the moment, and was not clouding his thoughts. This was a trap, or at least it was to figure information out about Cell. If nothing else, he wouldn't give him such information and hopefully would be able to get false information across through his actions. His hands each flew to one side of his body as Goku had drawn his back.

They began to burn as his pumped insanely large amount of ki into them. His body was easily able to handle this, but it did not stop the reaction. His arms pumped up slightly to help maintain the energy and the burning subsided a bit. They did however feel heavy. It was as if the energy collecting there had caused them to become more heavy and dense. It was a minor inconvenience, though the drawn this was having on his stamina was not such a minor matter.

He moved back just a bit as he charged as much energy into each arm and hand as he could. The tingle turned into an itch from all the nerves firing at once. His body began to glow and illuminate the sky. A crackle could be heard as in each palm an orb of massive destructive energy formed. Normally this would be the launching point, but for Cell this was simply not enough. He wanted to ensure Goku's death, and would do that at almost any cost. His hunger was now focused on devouring him, dead or alive.

The size of each orb suddenly doubled as he poured absolutely all of his energy into each one. This was by far the most destructive display of power he could unleash. The only thing that came close was his Electro Eclipse Bomb. He did not feel that even an attack that mimics the power of a nuke was enough. He was about to unleash an attack that would easily wipe entire mountains off of the face of a planet. It would evaporate a good portion of the ocean and make what was left boil from the heat.

The rain above them had stopped completely. The head from the charging alone had evaporated most of the water from the skies. Another storm would soon follow in an unnatural way due to this. However there probably would be anything left for the rain to fall upon besides the charred dirt that lay a good ways below them.

The first Kamehameha was almost upon him, Goku had spoken something but Cell could not hear it over the ringing in his ears. It did not matter, for the first nor the second would never so much as touch him. Just as the champion began launching the second, once he was dedicated to firing the attack, Cell did that same.

Both arms flew forward, only a mere five feet before him was the attack that had ended the evil of so many. He would crush it as if it was nothing more than a mere bug along his path. If it was any warrior besides Goku or Broly, he felt this would be more than enough to destroy them. They alone held his respect currently, twisted as it may be.

The sound that was unleashed along with the blasts was nearly indescribable. It was a roar of currently unparalleled ferocity. Tree's below them shattered from the vibration and concussive force of the release. Anything directly below Cell had been smashed into dust. The hurricane force winds that filled the area would blow said dust away. The heat would burn the air to a state that it would be impossible to breath as lightning crackled around both the attacks and Cells body.

Both torrential waves of blue energy were engulfed without the attacks even slowing. They were nothing to them, though the would add more fuel to both. The Yellow beams of unspeakable power had crushed them so completely they might as well not have existed. The only thing laying directly in their path now, was the champion of Earth himself. Both were massive, taking up the length of an ocean liner alone with their width. It was probably a bit much in retaliation, but Cell was in no mood to fuck around anymore. His aim was true, and his intent clear.

It would take a fucking Miracle for him to avoid this. Blocking it alone would prove difficult and the burns resulting from that could, possibly, kill him. After all, the man had proved incredibly durable if nothing else. Still, was he more durable than a mountain or an ocean?Cell would find out soon enough. He knew what he wanted however, his hunger was craving Goku's flesh, not his energy.

WC: 1078
Total WC: 10178

Actions:
Sub-action: Used Haste
1+2. Final Flash (Crackshot) [Nearly Impossible to dodge, Rating five, overwhelming Kamehameha] +65 FP Ki= 10,844 + 65% = 17893 + 3,488 = 21381
3+4. Final Flash (Crackshot) [Nearly Impossible to dodge, Rating five, overwhelming Kamehameha] +65 FP Ki= 10,844 + 65% = 17893 + 3,488 = 21381

FP Spent: 130 - 8% (manipulation) = 120

((Exhausted, will add detriment to next BT as the second F.F. was launched while under the exhaustion point. If that's cool?))

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

So, that's what he's using all my energy for, Goku thought.

The atmosphere itself buzzed with an energy that defied the gods. The clouds parted and the rain ceased, as if the storm was cowering in fear against what was about to happen. Bolts of yellow lightning, emanating from Cell's body, cut zigzagging arcs towards the exposed heavens

The blue-white wave of energy was almost upon its target, but Goku knew it was too late. This wasn't going to be good, not one bit. Cell unleashed the mother of all waves, the atmosphere itself burned away as it barreled into the Kamehameha.

The immense pressure it created displaced everything around it for hundreds of yards. Trees exploded into splinters and the ground was split asunder. Lava, which had been lurking just beneath the thin crust, bubbled up and spilled out, burning through all the vegetation around it.

Goku's disbelief was not hidden as he saw the immense wall of golden energy swallow his own wave whole. It made his Kamehameha look like a toothpick sticking into the side of a tree trunk. Both of his eyes widened and terror lanced through his gut. He knew that such a powerful attack could easily overwhelm and destroy him.

Be the rock in the stormy sea, Son Goku, a voice resounded within his mind. Goku was started to feel another psychic presence reaching out to him. Just who would it be?

Sensei?

You can defeat this monster Goku, but you must focus. Despite all his power, he does not have something to defend, such as you.

You didn't call it the Turtle Hermit style, for nothing, Goku thought.

Tucking both of his legs close to his chest, he crossed his arms in front of him and dipped his head low, forming a crisscross shield of limbs. Focusing deep down within, Goku drew out his spiritual energy. It started as a flickering crimson aura, with no form, but soon began to take shape into a round sphere, which “hardened” into a buzzing field.

Weathering such a devastating wall of energy was no simple task. Goku closed his eyes tight as it collided with him. Pain was not the word he would have used describe the sensation. It was a nightmare, one that coursed through both body and mind. No amount of training could have prepared him for it. Even the worse that King Piccolo did paled in comparison. This was the sort of attack that could shatter entire worlds and he was the only thing standing in its path.

The barrier held for the first few moments, causing the golden wave to part around it. Despite Goku's best concentration, he couldn't hold the energy field any longer. It dissolved, leaving only skin and bone to stand in death's path.

The wristbands on his arms melted away, to the point that their dust particles vanished into nothingness. The lower part of his gi, and his thick handcrafted boots, turned to ashes as well, leaving his feet and shins naked to the burning hot energy.

Every molecule in his body shuddered visibly as he was pushed across the sky. The world bathed in golden light, as if he were standing in the center of the sun. His flesh, despite being reinforced by raw spiritual energy, began to blister and peel.

The monster couldn't hold the attack forever, so Goku waited until he felt it letting up and rolled off of it. The rest of the energy kept on going, headed off into the desolation of space. The gold light faded, returning the macabre blues and blacks of night.

As smoke poured off of his body, Goku took long ragged gasps of air. The heat from the energy had scorched his lungs and he could feel a tightness lingering in his chest. There's no time to waste, I need to bring this guy down, he thought.

The monster had expended an immense amount of energy to create his counter attack. If he had any left, Goku would be baffled.

Unfurling from his defensive stance, Goku saw the silhouette of the monster through the smoke.

“Come back for seconds?” Goku said. “Plate's up!”

This time he was able to ready the energy much faster than his first Kamehameha. Before could even cup his hands, two small blue spheres appeared in both palms, illuminating the darkness once again. He didn't even draw back, as he had been drilled to do by Master Roshi thousands of times during his training as a kid.

The movements themselves were there to help concentrate and focus the power of the Kamehamhea. Goku had used it so many times that those things happened without the somatic gesture.

He simply touched the bottoms of his palms together, merging the spheres. That action sent the blue wave rip-roaring across the sky at the monster. This Kamehameha one was far more aggressive and unfocused in appearance than the first, albeit just as powerful. The wave itself was jagged along its length and bolts of azure electricity crackled outward from the tips of his fingers.

No way! Impossible.

Goku didn't understand how the monster was able to do it, but a second massive beam was unleashed to meet his pathetic Kamehameha ,once again. Except this time there was no hunkering down. Every inch of his body screamed in pain.

The frog that crept into the back of his throat as they collided spoke of his desperation. This was it; he was a dead man.

His wife's soft face, and her dark brown eyes filled his mind's eye. Chi Chi was was everything, was the one thing that he lived for. Already he had failed Master Roshi, he had failed Yamcha—two people who had been vital in his life's story. But, to die, alone, in the forest against a senseless monster, that would be to betray his wife.

She had put her faith in him, had told him numerous times that he was strong enough to do anything he set his mind to. He couldn't die, he couldn't lose. Not while he still drew breath and had the ability to move his body.

If this monster can steal my spiritual energy, what's stopping me from stealing his? Goku thought.

He didn't know if he was crazy, or just plain suicidal. But, a light went off inside of his head. It was the sort of revelation that only came once in a life time.

Spiritual energy, despite it's strange properties, was still energy. Even between two different beings, the devil was only in the details. Spiritual energy could be used to heal, protect, and fortify. Conversely, it could be used to maim and destroy.

All he needed to do was to turn Cell's destructive energy into an energy that could be used for something far greater.

The wave slammed into both of his palms as he stretched them out before him. Even with all his might, he stood no chance at holding it back. It thrust him backwards again.

The first wave had actually sent him miles away from where they had started their battle. This one was doing the same. Managing a glance over his shoulder, he saw the rocky slope of a mountain creeping into sight.


The flesh on his fingers and palms had already darkened to a char. They throbbed in pain. If he was going to do this, he needed to do it now, because if he waited any longer, he would have nothing more than stumps left.


Opening his aura up was no easy task, but he did it. The golden wave surged into his body. The normal red shifted to a bright white and he felt immense heat travel the length arms and into his chest.

The power that had been wielded against him was chaotic, it was angry, it was pure hatred. Like a wild animal, the monster's unruly energy needed to be tamed.

Goku forced his will upon it. Slowly, bit by bit, the energy subsided and began to become incorporated into his own. His power swelled and a massive golden aura exploded around him, blazing into fiery pillar that rose up to challenge the stars. The side of the mountain behind him crumpled and caved beneath the vented spiritual pressure. Shattered rocks and boulders tumbled down, crushing trees and bowling over the vegetation below.

The golden aura flickered and died around him. His entire body turned to jello and he plummeted towards the caved in mountain. His back hit first and he bounced several times, before landing in a V between two large slabs of cracked grainte.

With heavy laden eyes, he glanced down at his charred hands. “Well, that worked—sorta.”

With his quivering hand, he patted his belt, finding the small pouch that had been tied there. It took him a moment to untie the leather thong and feel around the fold inside. The small bean was there still, and he plopped it into his dry mouth. The taste was bitter and salty, but he chewed on it for a long while, letting the rejuvenating magic work its way through his limbs.

He watched the dead flesh flake away from his hands and become anew. There were no scars, only skin smooth as a newborn baby's rump.

WC: 1,599
TWC: 8,299

Actions:

1) Flight + Barrier @ Cell Action #1-2 (Reduced to attack rating 3) → +15 FP
2) Flight + Transmutation @ Cell Action #3-4 (Reduced to attack rating 3) → +19 FP
- Power Up stored.
3) Rest (Respite) + Senzu Bean + Balanced Stance → -65 FP
- Debilitating Wound fades.

Effects:
Stored Power Up 0 / 2 turns.
Balanced Stance (+10% agi) 0 / 4 actions
Absorbed (-15% ki,)
Debilitating Grenade (-10% all stats)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Cell felt the resistance against his blinding wave of energy. Even with his eyes, the sheer size and brightness of the attack had been so great that he could see nothing. The ringing in his ears from the strain, the buzzing from the electrical current, had been deafened by it's roar. It had plunged through the night sky lighting the world up like a small sun. It had been strong enough to shatter a planet, and this single man was standing in it's path.

" No it's more than that, it's actually being diverted by him!" Cell thought to himself. If it had been Yamcha, he could have understood. Yamcha had held far more power than Goku, even considering his genes. This was something else, like Fate itself had decided the champion could not die from something so mere.

It was a good thing then, that Cell cared little for something so petty. He would extinguish this mans life just to be in defiance of such a thing. He was killing him to take away his own chains, and he would not be barred by another set created by anything. Be that a man, A god, or something on a higher level than even that. He would decide what he was to do once he had finally satisfied the burning, agonizing hunger that Gero had crafted into him for Goku's flesh. Even if Nature had somehow accepted him, he had been created against it's will. He had been made without a single regard for that. He might as well stand in front of Fate's decision too.

The first torrential night-illuminating blast had died down, and Goku stood behind the smoke. He could feel him, still standing after all his effort. Still fighting against Death as it was gnashing towards him. The abomination would help that entity along at least for now. He took aim once more and just as Goku began to launch his second attack, He would do the same. He fired another ungodly wave of chaotic energy. Again the sky was lit up as if the sun had flared out in defiance of the nights' allotted time.

Cell could feel he was pushing the man even further away. The resistance was next to nothing compared to the force that was barreling into it. This was it, Goku would finally be killed. Or so the creature thought before he felt something new. The Champion was actually absorbing Cell's energy. It was nearly infuriating, it was completely away from anything Goku had ever even shown before to the best of his vast knowledge. It was him once again showing he did deserve the title of 'genius combatant'. The force of the attack had ceased, and his opponent's energy welled up with all of the effort that had been put into it. He was too far away to see it, but he could feel a vibration as the mountain behind his target had collapsed from the sheer exhaust that had been vented.

He then felt Goku fall suddenly towards the ground, wounded but alive. If he hadn't known better, if he hadn't already predicted that he would have a contingency, Cell would have forced himself onward to make the kill with his bare hands. It had been the reason he had tried to obliterate him completely, so that he could not use that little green bean that most of the Earth's defenders kept close by. It had saved his life plenty of times in the past, sped up recoveries that should have taken months to measly weeks. He would have stayed put if he hadn't fatigued himself so greatly that he had to rest.

His monstrous feet gently touched the ground, before Cell's knee slammed into the blackened Earth around him. It was only then did he notice that he could not hear. The roaring and strain of the two attacks had completely destroyed his ears. He could hear much better than most creatures on the pathetic planet in which he touched, and sometimes that was not a good thing. His eyes could adjust instantly to changing lights and brightness, but his ears had no such defensive mechanism in which to protect themselves with.

He felt a slight trickle before he reached up and touched into the hole on the sides of his head. Pulling his hand back in front of his face he could see that there was a green slimy substance covering his finger. It did not burn him, because his body housed the incredibly acidic fluid. "hm" was the only reply he gave it. He the time he held it in front of him, his natural healing had repaired the damage, and he could hear once more. The silence that was around him now, while not as great as the one he felt during the single instant in which he could live while using Time Freeze, was enough to make him look around.

There was no forest anymore. Most of the grass had been charred away by the heat of his attack. The trees had mostly erupted into splinters and chunks, those that did not were burning and cracked. A fissure in the ground nearby had been opened by the sheer titanic eruption that had been his doing. Lava seeped from this whole, changing the landscape further as it pushed it's way wherever it pleased.

Nature could not even weep at the damage, because the storm that had pitter pattered above them had been blown away and the water evaporated. He felt else something new, A slight 'down' feeling somewhere inside him. He could not describe it at first, it was so alien to him. It took him searching the memories of those he had consumed to realize what it was.

remorse

It wasn't that he had killed so many. It wasn't because a thousand undead voices tried constantly to speak to him in the back of his mind. It had nothing to do with that, and nothing to do with his battle. He had swept away the emotions of Nature. Something had finally accepted him, something had finally shown him kindness without wanting him to change. He knew that if Nature had a consciousness in which to understand what had happened, he would have been expunged from that acceptance.

It had not though, and it was always able to forgive those that it had accepted. Humans had long since exiled themselves from that acceptance for the most part. This was part of his power, part of the power that had been accepted. If Goku had simply died instead of putting up such a fantastic resistance, he would not have had to resort to these measures. His urges, his need to kill the man who laid miles from here had also been accepted. His feelings of remorse were washed away. They were not needed, but they also disappeared simply because they had no place. Nature did not care that it would take a few hundred years to repair the damage. A mere blink of an eye.

Cell took a single deep breathing before beginning to breath normally once more. His breath had been ragged and hard from the exhaustion. That had left him for the most part, but if he moved too much it would come back. He knew he needed more time to regain his composure completely. He felt Goku's energy begin to move again. He knew without that however, that the hero was coming to face him once more. He knew he would not run. He had a family, friends, and even an entire planet to protect, and even if he did run it would not matter.

Cell would hunt him down, and not give him the grace of a real battle. He would kill him and his entire family as they slept. He would kill Goku first, absorbing him in one instant. He would then force him to watch as he slaughtered each member of his family. Chi Chi wouldn't make it from the room, and then he would awake each child to their parents voices before he slaughtered and ate them as well. He would let Goku Suffer through all of that before he finally repressed his mind inside his own like he had done to so many others. He would delight in the feast, simply because he had run from him. Simply because he ran from this single grace.

He had known where Goku lived the very moment he had consumed Roshi. He had Known his habits when he consumed Yamcha. He could have easily killed them all already, but that would just satisfy his need to eat. He needed to satisfy his need to fight him. He had to satisfy his need for battle and challenge. He was going to finish doing all of that here, in this now desolate wasteland that had once been a beautiful forest.

Cell's leg lifted him, his other foot planting firmly onto the ground. He continued to rest his body as Goku approached, but he could already see his silhouette in the distance. He would be there soon, and they would clash once more. He had to be as prepared as possible.

The abominations beak would grind against itself as he waited in pure anticipation. This had literally been what he had been born for. This is what he had been created for. If he failed, he would fight his way out of the very pits of hell, and try again. He had no option, there was nothing else he could do. He simply had to kill this mother fucker

WC 1607
Total WC: 11785

Actions:
Sub-action: Used Haste
1.Rest + Respite = 15 FP Gained
2.Rest + Respite = 15 FP Gained
3.Rest + Respite = 15 FP Gained
FP gained: 45

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Goku could feel the rejuvenating magic of the Sensu Bean working its way throughout his body.

“Thanks Korin,” he whispered.

Taking a deep breath, Goku rolled back and then flipped forward, vaulting to his feet. The night sky was strangely clear now. The moon and stars painted soft blue light across the torn landscape. A massive scar of desolation spread out throughout what had been the heart forest. The burning stumps of trees and vegetation had their own flickering red glow that met the blue moonlight in a purple haze.

Smoke rose in streamers and wisps. Goku felt his bare feet crunching on broken stone and ashen twigs as he walked down the side of the mountain. He examined his himself. Most of his clothing had been destroyed, leaving him only ragged half-pants. He kind of looked ready to go the beach in this form, which amused him.

The wave had carried him far, but if he hurried back, following the length of the scar, he had a feeling the monster would still be there, waiting. It had expended so much energy on its attacks, that he knew that the monster had to be disabled.

If it's not, I'm in big trouble.

Goku needed every ounce of power that he had, if he were to win the day. The Senzu Bean had been his last resort, and now it was live or die trying. Clenching both of his fists, he began to summon his spiritual energy once again. Absorbing the last attack had stored a significant amount inside of him, making it so easy to draw upon.

Blazing red energy erupted around his form, crackling and roaring like a well fed fire. The ground shook beneath his feet. The pressure of his spiritual energy lifted up bits of rock, ash and debris, causing them to levitate in mid air.

Goku let out a warrior's roar as he felt the surge within his veins. Jagged bolts of electricity unfurled from his body. They raked the ground all around him, carving blackened trenches. Winds emanating from him buffeted across the wasteland, kicking up large circular rings of dust. They slammed into the remnants of the forest, displacing leaves and branches, even cleaving some of the older and weaker trees in two.

As he reached the pinnacle of his power, his aura flashed with a golden brilliance, for the briefest of seconds. It died down to red once again, flowing tight against his figure. The entirety of his body vibrated from the power he now held at his fingertips. It thrummed in his ears, and caused the air around him to quiver from the heat it put off.

I need to end this now, he thought, his face setting to grim determination.

Goku bounded across the landscape, choosing a low approach rather than a high one from the sky. Every thirty or so yards one of his feet touched the ground, before he sprang forward again, kicking up a wash of debris in his wake. Flying would leave him vulnerable, and if the monster did have another one of those attacks up its sleeve, he feared having to deal with it again. This way, it wouldn't see him coming before it was too late.

The monster stood in the scar, unmoving as the trees that once called the area home. Not being able to sense his power, Goku had no idea if it were some sort of illusion, or the real thing. With a flick of his wrist, he generated a baseball sized orb of ki and threw it, at the monster as he continued to run. It buzzed as it curved through the air, threatening to collided with the monster's head.

With one final spring, Goku flipped through the air, coming down directly above the monster. His red aura still thrummed around him, casting an eerie crimson glow upon the macabre surroundings. When within range, he threw dozens of blazing fast punches that cut through the air with a repeated whooshing sound. His fists moved so fast, that to the naked eye, it would have appeared as if his arms had disappeared all together. He targeted the monster's torso and face, attempting to overload his Seikuken and force him to block or allow the blows to slip through and land upon him.

WC: 720
TWC: 9,019

Actions:

1) Power Up[Release Rage] (+36% str and ki) → No Gain
2) Ki Ball [KI: 6,999] → +15 FP
3) Machine Gun Fist [STR: 3,238] → +28 FP

Battle Tracker:

Not only could Cell feel Goku's rising energy, he could see it. He was still far, but his aura had expanded to such an extent that it looked like a brilliant fire on the horizon. As if a mob of people carrying torches had come to try and burn the Monster that was Cell. If it had been something that simple, he would have laughed. It was not, and he was not laughing. He saw his opponents aura change for the briefest of moments, and knew what was close.

He could not afford for this man to ascend into a super Saiyan state. He simply did not have enough power to deal with that yet. It also meant a great opportunity if he could eat him now. With him being so close, it would probably be the most beneficial meal he had yet. That made the urges in his mind, that somehow seemed to originate in the pit of his stomach, even more agonizing. Not only was he having to deal with Gero's manipulations of his mind and body, he was having to deal with his own addiction. It made him all the more serious about winning this battle. These chains would be lifted from him, and he would lift them with blood covered hands.

The aura finally died back down, and the owner of said aura began his quick commute to the Abomination that stood in the scar of the battle. There simply was not a better word for it, their fight had left a scar on the planet itself, lava oozing like blood as it smothered it'd way wherever it pleased. Cell never moved from his location, even knowing what was coming his way. He could not waste his energy, he had to stay on his toes and he had to rest. He hated that, because it meant one very bad thing.

Goku was coming to deliver what would probably prove to be the most brutal beating Cell had ever experienced. He was going to savagely crush the 'bug' with a ferocious beating. The worst part, was that Cell had to take it. That did not mean that it would be the end of him. The abomination had the cells of every single noteworthy fighter that had been on Earth at some point in his own dimension, that included Goku's.

If his opponent could survive what he had just thrown at him, Cell could most certainly endure this. It would hurt, but pain was of little consequence when one had the determination to accomplish a goal like he had. That determination was magnified ten fold from the moment he had seen the Champion of Earth. He had gone through so much for this goal because that fucking pedophile Gero had an obsession with killing this one man.

Cell had traveled through time, the act of which created an entirely new dimension. He had then fought the defenders of Earth, and lost. He had nearly died and because of that lost his truly perfect form and was sent into yet another dimension arriving at yet another time. Hell, he could write a fucking thesis on inter-dimensional travel. However, right now that did not matter, because his opponent had reached him.

A orb of ki slammed into his face, exploding over it. It stung, his eyes had closed for the brief second that the explosion had enveloped the area near his face. His cheek now sported a nice crack in the carapace where a slight bit of blood trickled. He opened his eyes again to see Goku in front of him, fists rared back and ready to unleash his beating.

The fists would slam into his body with inhuman speed. He did not move, even as each blow made a very small micro-fracture in his carapace. While these may not be serious by themselves, the fact that a dozen more blows rained down onto his chest and face would cause many more to appear and slowly link. The blows stopped, as Cell took a single step back from the force and his stance. His strangely colored cat-like eyes stared directly into the Saiyans' who floated in front of him. His determination never changed, and he never let out even the smallest grunt of sign of pain, despite the intense throbbing in his chest.

"Is that all?" He said simply looking at him, like Death would stare at it's victim.

WC 741
Total WC: 12526

Actions:
( Took Rating 2 Ki ball and Rating 3 Machine Gun Fist.
1.Rest + Respite = 15 FP Gained
2.Rest + Respite = 15 FP Gained
3.Rest + Respite = 15 FP Gained
FP gained: 45

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

"Is that all?" the monster said in his raspy voice, just after Goku's final punch slammed into his torso.

It was like punching granite. The monster's natural armor was tough and Goku wasn't sure if he had the ability to hurt it. Jumping back, he put some space between them, landing on the horizontal trunk of a blackened tree.

The night sky offered no answers to Goku's questions. When would it be over? Could he truly defeat such a wretched monster, alone.

A least before, I had my friends there to support me. This time I'm all alone.

The entire battle, Goku had thrown everything he had at the monster. It was as if they were equals, trading blow for blow. Being a more defensive minded fighter, Goku wasn't accustom to generating world shattering attacks like the big golden waves the monster had used before. In truth, if he were to win, he would have to do this the old fashioned way; punch by punch.

The only problem with that, is I can't seem to damage him enough. Even when I ran him through with that wooden splinter, he somehow healed through it, Goku thought. I already ate my Senzu Bean too.

He wanted to live and keep on fighting another day. But, he was determined to put an end to the threat. If that mean dying and taking the monster down with him, he was ready. The only thing he didn't want to do was to die in vain.

His bright red aura faded around him as the power surge left his body.

He did windmills with both arms, stretching out the muscles. Despite having healed from the Senzu, his entire body was tender and sore. He was also breathing heavy, droplets of sweat poured down the side of his face, moistened his under arms, and trickled across his well muscled torso.

For some reason, he felt a strange calm wash over him. The questions that had been plaguing him a moment earlier were residing.

When Goku had arrived, his rage at been at its peak, like a burning furnace. After releasing his power, he felt it cool deep down inside of him. It was as if his judgment receded with the clouds.

The sky no longer wept.

Both Goku's mind and the sky were clear now, unified. There was something happening here fit into the greater picture. Goku wasn't a philosopher or even a scholar. Hell, he barely could do math on a good day, but he knew what was right and what was wrong.

He felt like he had been fighting an injured hurt animal, who didn't understand what it was doing.

“You're a lot stronger than King Piccolo and his son,” Goku said. “I think we might be an even match. I never really understood fighters like you. You have a lot of strength, yet you hurt weak people. What's the point? They're no challenge. Personally, I'd much rather fight a someone like you any day.”

Satisfied with his arms being stretched, Goku crouched on the trunk and began to do squat thrusts and leg stretches. It would benefit him to be limber if the melee started up again.

“Master Roshi once told me that you can learn a lot about someone by fighting them,” he continued said as he worked out the kinks.

“But, I'm sure you know that, as apart of him is within you now. I can't imagine what it must be like to be you. But, that's not your fault. Someone really hurt you and something deep down inside has you scared. I could feel it with every punch. And, I'm sorry for that, I truly am. Piccolo once hurt people too, but now he's taken my son under his wing. He's not so evil, even though he probably thinks he is. I have a lot of respect for you now. I see that you're not just a mindless beast. If you have a hunger for battle, I will train with you everyday, to make sure that you get it all out.”

Goku hopped off of the trunk and landed once again on the ground. It stirred up ash, which swirled around him.

“What I'm trying to say is, you don't have to do this anymore.”

WC: 674
TWC: 9,693

Actions:

1) Rest (Respite) → -15 FP
2) Rest (Respite) → -15 FP
3) Rest (Respite) + Balanced Stance → -15 FP

Battle Tracker:

Cell listened to him, and as he did so did the thousand victims in his mind. They all had something to say about what Goku was offering. Roshi even let out a chuckle when he was referenced. His head shook to one side as he silenced them. Thinking back, Goku had always offered up a chance to change ones ways right before the battle ended. That was to say, right before he killed his opponent. Cell did not see such an action happening here, not easily anyways. Still, he needed the reprieve, and so decided to speak instead of act.

"You truly are the same no matter where I go...Not that you would understand what I mean." He said, more to himself than to Goku. The man was always the same, even in the dimension he first came from, the time he was actually born in. He had only heard of him, learned of it through eating the few people that remained that he knew of. Of course he also had a large 'database' full of information on him and especially his childhood thanks to Gero. The man also managed to put in quite a few pictures of the small child, while relatively little of him as an adult.

Regardless of Gero's....habits, it still remained true that he knew a great deal about the fighter in front of him. There was something different however, Goku had never offered something like this. Perhaps it was because he had earned respect for the abomination, and not just giving the chance out of the kindness of his heart. Respect, between these two fighters seemed mutual now. Of course, Cell's version of respect was quite a bit different. If he had respect towards someone, it normally meant they were very high on his "to be killed and eaten" list.

"Regardless, it's not that easy for me. You don't even realize it, you're the very reason I was created. I was created simply to kill you Goku. I'm not something natural, that much can be seen." He said, and it seemed as if he had cut himself off early. He had no time to sit here and explain everything, it would simply be too damn tedious. He needed the time to rest, but talking that much seemed...annoying. He had a much better idea.

It was a good thing for Cell that Goku's mind was basically an open book. If he wanted to, he could read everything with some time. Killing him and learning all of it that way seemed a much more satisfying option however. What he did have in mind, would give him the time he needed to get back in the game, as well as make things clear to his opponent. He figured, somewhere in the deepest parts of his mind, that Goku deserved to know that much.

Considering this, he let out a sudden assault, but not one of fists or energy. No this was much different. He bombarded Goku's mind with a sudden and large amount of information. He would show him why and how he was created, even show him how he came back in time. He would reveal the information that he had been literally blown here by his opponents son and the pain he had to endure because of it. More than anything, he imparted the urges and needs he had. Those created of his own personality, as well as those forced upon him by his creator. He would wait, and watch as Goku's brain had to take all of this in. He knew it was capable of it, it would just take a little while.

He would speak after he was sure Goku was done processing everything.

"Do you get it now? I don't kill people because I'm strong and they're weak. I do it because i'm hungry. The only way I can shatter these damn chains that bastard put on me, is to kill and consume you. Don't fret though, I hold no grudges to your family, not even your son. They, at least, will be spared from me because of you." He said clearly. He meant it, and he would not actively hunt the little runt down, not until he was ripe and ready. Hell, maybe by then Cell would have achieved his perfection once more, and this time he would not have these chains around him.

WC 737
Total WC: 13263

Actions:
Sub-action: Mind-fuck Goku
1.Rest + Respite = 15 FP Gained
2.Rest + Respite = 15 FP Gained
3.Rest + Respite = 15 FP Gained
FP gained: 45

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

"The last thing I can do...is to tell you that if I was created in my dimension, i was certainly created here as well. Now I've done what I can.I'll either die, or be freed. Come Goku, it's time to finish this battle! Die or Live, we're the ones who decide that!” Cell said.

The challenge did not go on deaf ears. The decision had been made. Goku didn't feel any remorse or fear about what he had to do. The emotions he had felt for the monster were only amplified into a fiery determination. Cell did not believe he could change. Therefore, he would never change. If there was any way to convince him, it would be to defeat him at his best. Cell was not perfect anymore, therefore even if Goku won, he would seek perfection only to start up the fight once again.

No longer was he facing some beast, but an equal. Another fighter, with capabilities that rivaled the best of them. He could only look upon Cell with a warrior's admiration.

Goku's eyes narrowed and he felt his loose stance tighten. If Cell knew anything about him, he would know the look in Goku's eyes. It was a forlorn gaze of a fighter, one who had seen too much, had too many bad dreams, and their hope crushed far too many times If not for the kind heart that he possessed, it have been easily mistaken as the look of a killer.

Would Goku kill Cell? He hadn't decided yet. His son had not hesitated to wipe him from existence, and had been but a boy. If that was any indication, he knew he should heed the example and destroy him as well. But, he would cross that bridge when it came. For now, he had to shatter Cell's defenses.

Goku vanished from plain sight, barely stirring the ash beneath his feet. When he re-appeared again, he was directly in front of Cell. His right leg was raised up and his knee tucked close to his chest. Using all the strength he could muster, he thrust it forward , attempting to slam his heel into the center of Cell's torso.

Bending at the knees, he launched himself, vaulting over the top of Cell. In mid air, Goku did a backflip. Once he was straight again, he attempted to land on top of Cell's shoulders and wrap both legs around his neck. He intended to lean backwards, into a verticale hand stand. His goal was to pull forward with his legs hurl the android across the length of the scar.

There was no time to waste. His red aura flared up around him again as he blasted off. He flew at Cell with an accelerated pace. The only way for him to ensure his victory was to keep up the pressure and whittle Cell down. The words had been spoken, there was no resolving this, no agreements could be made. It wasn't a tournament, where a ring out or a buzzer would stop the fighting.

No, this was war. Both were capable of destruction at a level that even the greatest of armies would cower before. They could do it with nothing more than their bare hands and willpower. Goku fought to protect the innocent and the weak, those who had no idea that he was their champion. Cell, he fought for desire, for the single more important thing in his existence, perfection. To defeat Goku was but a step in that direction.

It's my job to make him take a step back, Goku thought as air whipped past him.

A wash of blackened earth sprayed up in his wake. Once upon Cell, he threw a fast knee strike aimed at the bottom of his beak. His other knee was primed and ready. As he withdrew the first leg and the second one came flying in, taking its place, this time aimed a bit higher, where the upper part of his beak met the broad part of his face.

“Hyah!” escaped from his lips. He ended the salvo with a swift elbow strike, directed straight for Cell's cat-like left eye.

WC: 696
TWC: 11,097

Actions:

1) Speed Burst + Rush Attack [STR: 2,445] → +15 FP
2) Grapple Throw → [STR: 2,126] +10 FP
3) Powered Flight + Pummel [STR: 2,254] → +10 FP

Battle Tracker: