PICCOLO
Trunks, Tien, Krillin, and Vegeta were staring at me in disbelief.
We were standing amidst the ruins of Ginger Town after the creature's escape, and I had just finished recounting everything it had revealed to me—that the monster who called himself Cell was originally created by Doctor Gero's computer, formed from the cells of every warrior we knew, and his ultimate goal was to fuse with Androids 17 and 18 to become the perfect being.
You probably already know what Lettie would say about that kind of motivation.
As Trunks, Tien, Krillin, and Vegeta processed this information, my gaze swept over our surroundings.
Everything lay in ruin, especially after the military bombardment. In the distance, I could barely distinguish some soldiers dragging themselves among the war tanks and... was that a cameraman aiming a camera at us?
"I-Impossible…!" Tien exclaimed after a long, almost deathly silence. He and Vegeta had arrived just a few minutes after Cell's escape.
"How did they manage to get my cells and Kakarot's?!" Vegeta growled indignantly.
"Well…" I sighed. "It's exactly as I explained. If we want to prevent Cell from achieving his perfect form, we must either kill him or find Androids 17 and 18 and eliminate them. Those are our only options."
A hot breeze swept by, carrying dust and pebbles with it. The warriors' faces were tense and troubled, mirroring their emotions.
"From my perspective," I continued, "if Cell fuses with the Androids, we'll never be able to defeat him."
Everyone seemed shocked, understandably so. Cell had withstood a military bombardment; clearly, he was no pushover. And the power emanating from him sent chills down my spine.
"Great…" Krillin huffed. "On top of the Androids, now we've got this to deal with, too."
"Do you think we'll even find Cell, Mr. Piccolo?" Trunks asked somberly. "After all, he's still out there, attacking people and hiding his Ki."
"This is serious!" Tien clenched his fists. "If we don't stop Cell from fusing with Androids 17 and 18, something terrible will happen!"
"Not just to Earth," I added, "but to all planets in the universe. Remember, this monster has the cells of Frieza and his father."
A heavy silence descended. Krillin turned pale.
"But Cell also has my cells!" someone snapped.
Vegeta.
We turned towards him; he looked infuriated.
"Your concerns are ridiculous! If that beast wants to fuse, let him! Then we'll fight fewer people and save ourselves some time!"
"Father, didn't you hear what Mr. Piccolo just said?"
"I couldn't care less what happens to my opponents!" Vegeta proved Trunks' point. "My only concern is destroying them!"
"Don't be naive, Vegeta!" I retorted. "If we let them fuse, we'll have the same problem we had with the Androids. Their strength will be unmatched, and we'll be defeated!"
"DON'T SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY, YOU GREEN WORM!" Vegeta exploded, veins bulging on his neck. "OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DEFEATED BEFORE THE ANDROIDS?!"
The others' eyes fell on me. Initially, my blood boiled at the words from the so-called "Prince of all Saiyans." However, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and, for some reason, a great feeling of patience took over me. Funny… I wouldn't have reacted this way before. Was this a side effect of my fusion with Kami?
Vegeta then began to laugh arrogantly, adopting a proud stance. "I will surpass the power of a Super Saiyan!" he declared, looking deeply into my eyes. "Unlike your pathetic little wife!"
Alright. My fusion with Kami might have granted me more patience, but letting a bastard like Vegeta insult MY wife wasn't included in the package.
I began storming toward him, furious. But Tien stopped me.
"Don't do this," he said seriously. "It's not worth it."
My breath was heavy. Krillin and Trunks seemed to agree with Tien's suggestion as well.
Vegeta, however, seized the moment for his final jab, "You know, Piccolo, I have my doubts if Lettie is even a real Saiyan. Good thing I didn't put a child in her." Laughing loudly, he soared into the sky and disappeared, leaving us speechless amidst the ruins of Ginger Town.
My heart overflowed with contempt for Vegeta, mirrored by the others who also showed no positive emotion toward him. But nothing, nothing compared to what Trunks felt. Glancing at him, I didn't need my mind-reading skills to see the pure, absolute disappointment written on his face.
"Do you think Vegeta can surpass the strength of a Super Saiyan?" Krillin asked, but the mood was so tense within our group that no one responded. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat and changed the subject: "Hey… Trunks? You mentioned it wouldn't help to go back in time and destroy the Androids, right?"
"Y-Yeah…" he answered, still very unsettled. "Because even if it improved this timeline, nothing would change in mine."
"So," Krillin continued, "even if we destroyed Dr. Gero's lab right now, it wouldn't make a difference?"
I watched a thoughtful Trunks.
"Hmmm…" he pondered. "Actually, it would help. Because if we destroy the lab, Cell won't develop in this timeline."
"Alright then," I said. "You two head to the lab. Tien, will you keep searching for Cell with me around here?"
"Of course."
"Great," Krillin concluded. "If you don't find Cell, meet us at Master Roshi's place, please. I have the slight feeling we were on TV…"
Saying that, he turned toward the cameraman I had spotted in the rubble, and everyone else followed his gaze. The cameraman still had his camera pointed at us, and I wondered if Lettie had watched me on television and what she thought of everything.
I just hope the poor thing didn't freak out.
***
Tien and I stood in the middle of a mountain road. Around us, various pieces of clothing from an American football team were scattered across the asphalt, and nearby, a red bus with shattered windows stood by the rocky cliffside, a silent witness to what had happened there.
Not a living soul was anywhere to be seen.
Conclusion: Cell had been here. Recently.
"So…" Tien picked up a piece of clothing. "Cell's goal really is absorbing human energy to become stronger."
"Yes…" I replied. "I don't think he's gone far. Let's investigate."
We took flight to survey the landscape. It would be difficult to identify him, given Cell's shell color blended easily with nature.
"Can you sense any Ki?" I asked.
"Nothing…" Tien clicked his tongue in frustration.
We hovered over the area for a few minutes, staying close to each other. I could sense his patience slowly running thin. Who could blame him?
"So, Piccolo?" Tien asked, releasing a long sigh as we glided over countless treetops. "When are you and Lettie getting married?"
I wasn't offended by his question. We were tired and needed a bit of distraction; to momentarily forget the world's troubles. Discussing personal matters for a minute wouldn't hurt.
"As soon as possible, I hope," I replied. "But the way things are going, especially with this new threat of Cell… honestly, I don't know when that day will come."
"Well…" Tien gave a small smile. "Doesn't Lettie always say never to lose hope?"
"Yeah…" I smiled back. "I'm living proof that it's better to follow your own wife's advice. Oops, I mean fiancée."
"Almost there, buddy."
We laughed.
"But…" I resumed slowly. "What about you, Tien? Do you have someone… special?"
"I'm married, Piccolo."
"WHAT?!" My eyes widened.
Wait! Now I wanted to hear this gossip.
Tien laughed. "My wife's name is Launch. We've been married for quite some time. She lives with me and Chiaotzu, far away from the city, in a peaceful place."
"Wow. That's great, Tien. I didn't know. And do you have kids?"
"We couldn't have any," he replied softly. "Launch suffers from a severe psychological disorder and needs strong medication to control her episodes. Unfortunately… she's had a few miscarriages. But… we're very happy. Also…" He gave a shy smile. "I told her about the Dojo you and Lettie have, and my wife strongly encouraged me to open my own Dojo. So, I guess soon I'll have plenty of children to teach."
I stared at Tien with profound seriousness.
How could it be that he was married? He had a wife who was ill, who had also suffered… miscarriages?
They say sometimes you spend a long time with someone, but you never fully know them. How many battles had I fought alongside Tien without ever knowing these details about his life?
It couldn't have been easy for him. And for Launch.
"I hope everything goes well with your future Dojo," I encouraged him. "Just as it did for Lettie and me."
"Thanks, my friend." He nodded. "It feels good to hear that."
At that moment, we became alert.
"Hey! Did you feel that?" I exclaimed.
"Yes! Small presences are disappearing." Tien pointed in a direction. "Over there!"
We shot through the sky, landing in the center of a town nestled among several plateaus.
There was no one left. Just cars, houses, buildings, shops…
And clothes scattered on the ground.
Too late.
Tien and I exchanged worried looks. This was an endless game of cat and mouse. Cell could track our Ki, but we couldn't track his.
At this rate, we would never find him.
Never.