It was over. The androids who had terrorized Earth for more than a decade, pushing humanity to the very brink of extinction, had finally been defeated.
"I... I can't believe they're actually beaten," Mai whispered, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with trembling hands, overwhelmed by a mixture of relief and grief for all those who hadn't lived to see this day.
Karnel felt a deep satisfaction wash over him. Though the people of this timeline didn't know him, he knew them, and it didn't hurt to help old friends, even if they were from a different reality. After all, bonds forged through shared struggles transcended the boundaries of space and time.
"Androids 17 and 18," Gohan declared, gathering energy in his palms until a brilliant blue Kamehameha wave blazed with maximum power, "after we destroy you, Earth will finally know peace. You can rot in hell and contemplate your crimes!"
Android 18's beautiful features twisted into something hideous, her voice dripping with malicious satisfaction. "Go ahead then. We've already killed nearly every human on this pathetic planet anyway. Your precious friends, Vegeta, Krillin, Yamcha, they all died screaming in our hands. Oh, and let's not forget Piccolo, the one who made the Dragon Balls. Even if you kill us now, he can't bring back any of the people we slaughtered."
Android 17's broken body trembled with bitter laughter. "Son Gohan, you really are a Saiyan with the potential to surpass your father. Who would have thought such an insignificant whelp could grow this strong? If I'd known this day would come, I would have killed you years ago instead of playing with you like a toy."
"GO TO HELL!" Gohan's face darkened with the weight of years of loss and rage. Images of Uncle Piccolo, Krillin, and Yamcha flashed through his mind, all the friends who had died protecting Earth while he was still too weak to help. His roar of fury shook the very air as he prepared to unleash his full power.
Suddenly, Trunks' expression changed drastically. An ominous energy signature was rising from deep beneath their feet, approaching fast. "Gohan, watch out below!" he shouted urgently, leaping backward as the ground began to crack and heave.
Gohan sensed the approaching presence as well. Though every fiber of his being screamed to finish off the androids, survival instinct kicked in. Maintaining his charged Kamehameha, he vaulted into the air just as something burst through the earth where he'd been standing.
"So the little mouse finally shows himself," Karnel murmured, watching with interest as Cell's grotesque green form emerged from the underground depths. Even as he observed the unfolding scene, his divine consciousness swept across the entire planet, searching for any trace of his black-faced nemesis among the countless souls he could perceive.
After several moments, Karnel's expression darkened with disappointment. "Still nothing. It seems that bastard isn't even on Earth."
"Hahaha! Finally, it's my turn!" Cell cackled maniacally as he fully emerged from his subterranean hiding place, his alien eyes gleaming with predatory hunger as they fixed on the two fallen androids. "I've waited so long for this moment!"
"Androids 17 and 18," Cell continued, his voice rising to a fevered pitch, "come and become part of me! Together, we shall achieve the perfect form!"
Without warning, Cell's tail expanded into a massive, meter-wide sucker. The horrifying appendage generated an irresistible vacuum that began dragging the severely wounded androids toward their doom.
"No... not like this..." Android 18 gasped, but her damaged body couldn't resist the inexorable pull.
Whoosh!
One after another, both androids were sucked into Cell's gullet, disappearing into his bio-mechanical maw without even the chance to scream.
"Gohan, that green monster just absorbed both androids!" Trunks called out in alarm, his senses detecting the rapid surge in Cell's power level. "His energy is skyrocketing!"
Gohan's expression grew grimmer than ever. "Trunks, this creature is undergoing some kind of evolution after absorbing 17 and 18. I'm going to hit him with everything I've got, maybe I can disrupt the process!"
Without hesitation, Gohan unleashed the maximum-power Kamehameha he'd been charging. The azure energy beam tore through the air like divine lightning, striking Cell's transforming form with devastating force.
But Cell merely smiled coldly, not even bothering to dodge. "Useless! Any energy attack that fails to overcome my defenses simply becomes fuel for my evolution!"
After barely a second of resistance, the entire massive energy wave was absorbed into Cell's body like water flowing into a sponge.
"HAHAHA!" Cell's triumphant laughter echoed across the ruined cityscape as his transformation completed. His form had become more humanoid, more perfect, and infinitely more dangerous.
Cell had been planning this moment for months, lurking in the depths, waiting for the perfect opportunity to claim his prizes. Now, with both androids absorbed, he had finally achieved his ultimate form.
The perfect Cell turned toward the two young Saiyans, his eyes flashing with bloodthirsty intent. "Son Gohan, Trunks, you served your purpose by weakening my components, but now you're nothing but insects to be crushed. Allow me to kill you!"
Karnel glanced at Cell's so-called "perfect form" with the bored expression of someone examining a mildly interesting insect. The creature's power level, while impressive to the others present, was utterly insignificant in his eyes.
"Gohan, Trunks, step back," Karnel commanded, appearing on the battlefield without any visible movement, no dust stirred, no wind disturbed, as if he had always been standing there. "This green abomination is called... well, actually, it doesn't matter what his name is. He'll be dead soon enough."
Though they longed to continue the fight, both Gohan and Trunks recognized the authority in Karnel's voice. Reluctantly, they retreated to Xiao Wu's side, their eyes never leaving the monstrous Cell.
Karnel fixed Cell with a stare that could have frozen hellfire. "Let me tell you something that should terrify you," he said conversationally. "I've already killed you once before."
Cell's perfect features twisted with confusion and irritation. "You were the one who detected me underground, weren't you? That look of disgust you gave me..."
"That's right," Karnel's expression shifted, and for a moment, divine wrath flickered in his eyes like cold starlight. "A look of disgust, is that what you want to call it?"
The temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees as Karnel's true nature began to surface.