Piccolo didn't hesitate. Gritting his teeth, he scooped Escallion's limp body over his left shoulder, securing the unconscious Saiyan tight against his ribs. Pivoting instantly, he reached down with his right arm, slinging Android 16's massive, heavy metallic frame across his right side.
The combined weight was immense, straining Piccolo's already battered muscles, but he ignited his white Ki and launched himself off the scorched street just as the sky above began to boil.
"Hang on, both of you," Piccolo growled under his breath, keeping his energy suppressors active as he flew low through the ruined city skyline, using the tall, crumbling buildings as cover.
High above, a violent purple comet cut back down through the cloud line. Semi-Perfect Cell slammed into the center of the shattered plaza with a thunderous BOOM, kicking up a towering mushroom cloud of dust and pulverized concrete.
His chitinous skin was smoking and heavily charred from Escallion's massive beam, but as he stood up, his bio-tissue pulsed violently, regenerating the damaged flesh within seconds. His pink eyes scanned the empty street in a frenzy of absolute, unhinged rage.
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Cell screamed, his voice booming through the empty district like thunder. "ESCALLION! PICCOLO! COME OUT AND FACE ME!"
Miles away, weaving through the jagged mountain canyons outside West City, Piccolo kept his eyes fixed strictly on the horizon ahead, his heavy breath misting in the cool air as he carried Escallion and 16 toward safety.
Piccolo touched down silently inside the shadowed recesses of a narrow, steep-walled canyon several miles outside West City. The high rock formations blocked the wind, casting a cool, protective shadow over the hidden gorge.
Setting Android 16 down carefully against the smooth stone wall, Piccolo eased the unconscious Escallion off his shoulder, leaning him beside the heavy machine.
"Piccolo!" Krillin called out in a hushed, urgent tone as he stepped out from a shallow cave opening nearby, followed closely by Tien.
"You made it," Tien said, his three eyes quickly taking in the state of the group. His gaze lingered on Escallion's silent, unmoving form and 16's smoking chest cavity. "What happened back there? That blast shook the entire continent."
"Escallion poured everything he had into a single shot," Piccolo grunted, wiping a smear of blood from his cheek as he straightened up. "He took Cell out of the sky, but he's out for good."
From inside the cave, Android 18 and Android 21 stepped out into the dim afternoon light. 18 had her arms crossed tight over her chest, her expression dark and guarded, while 21 was frantically typing into her diagnostic tablet, her pink eyes wide with anxiety behind her glasses.
"Is... is 16 alright?" 21 asked timidly, kneeling beside the massive android. Her fingers flew across her device screen as she scanned his exposed circuitry. "His energy core took a direct strike. His primary power flow is compromised, but his central memory chip is still intact!"
"Cell put a Death Beam straight through him," Piccolo said, turning his sharp gaze toward 18 and 21. "We bought enough time to pull back, but don't get comfortable. Cell's regenerating up there right now, and once he realizes we've vanished, he's going to tear this region apart until he finds 18."
18 gritted her teeth, looking down at Escallion and then at 16's flickering optical sensors. "17... he really swallowed him, didn't he?" She gripped her elbows, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to mask it. "That disgusting freak took my brother."
"We're not going to let him get you too, 18," Krillin said firmly, stepping up beside her. "We just need a plan."
Tien stepped toward the mouth of the narrow canyon, his three dark eyes fixed squarely on the burning skyline of West City. He unbuttoned his green tunic, tossing the fabric aside, his muscular torso tightening as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm going back," Tien said, his voice quiet, steady, and devoid of fear.
Krillin turned around, his eyes widening in alarm. "Tien, are you crazy?! You saw what Cell did to Piccolo and Escallion! In his Semi-Perfect form, he'll tear you apart in seconds!"
"I know my limits, Krillin," Tien replied, looking over his shoulder at the group. Escallion lay still against the smooth rock wall, his breathing slow and shallow as white steam misted off his skin.
Beside him, Android 21 was frantically unscrewing 16's chest plate, exposed circuits sparking faintly beneath her trembling fingers. "Cell is furious. Right now, he's scouring the surrounding areas. If he finds this gorge before Escallion wakes up or 16 is patched, we all die. 18's capture becomes inevitable."
Piccolo pushed himself up against the canyon wall, clutching his ribs as he stared at the martial artist. "Tien, if you plan to use that technique..."
"Then it buys you the time you need," Tien said simply. "Keep 18 and 21 hidden. 21, get 16's core operational. When Escallion recovers, bring him back into the fight."
Without waiting for another objection, Tien pressed his boots into the stone and launched himself straight into the air, a bright white streak cutting through the sky toward the fiery smoke of West City.
Minutes later, Semi-Perfect Cell levitated high above the burning ruins of the metropolitan sector, his pink eyes glaring with unhinged malice as he crushed an overturned vehicle beneath his foot.
"Escallion... Piccolo... coward parasites!" Cell roared, his voice shaking the atmosphere. "Where are you hiding her?!"
"Right here, Cell!"
Cell snapped his head around as Tien materialized in mid-air directly above him. The bio-android blinked, a sneer immediately twisting his mouth. "You? A pathetic human insect dares stand before perfection? You aren't even worth absorbing."
Tien didn't answer. He brought his hands together above his head, pressing his palms and fingertips into a tight, triangular frame locked dead-center onto Cell's massive frame. Every drop of his life force surged to the surface, his veins bulging violently across his shoulders and forehead.
Tien brought his hands together above his head, pressing his palms and fingertips into a tight, triangular frame locked dead-center onto Cell's massive frame. Every drop of his life force surged to the surface, his veins bulging violently across his shoulders and forehead.
"NEO TRI-BEAM!"
BOOM!
A massive, square pillar of blinding white energy erupted from Tien's hands, slamming into Semi-Perfect Cell like a falling mountain. The sheer kinetic pressure drove the transformed monster straight down, smashing him hundreds of feet into the bedrock below with a deafening crash!
"Ngh—WHAT?!" Cell shrieked, pinned flat against the bottom of a massive, square crater.
Above, Tien gritted his teeth as blood trickled from his eye, raising his hands again with unwavering resolve.
"TRI-BEAM... HA!"
BOOM!
Another crushing square wave exploded downward, flattening the crater even deeper and keeping Semi-Perfect Cell completely trapped beneath the continuous kinetic bombardment.
Meanwhile, inside the shadowed canyon hideout, the ground trembled softly underfoot from the distant, rhythmic shockwaves of Tien's assault.
Escallion remained completely motionless against the cold stone wall, his breathing slow and shallow.
Android 21's fingers worked with feverish speed over Android 16's exposed chest cavity. Working alongside her diagnostic tablet, she rerouted his primary energy conduits around the fried central reactor, forcing his secondary power core to take the load.
With a loud CLACK of metal and a sudden hiss of cooling gas, 16's chest plate clicked shut. The heavy android's optical sensors flared back to life, glowing a bright, steady yellow.
"System diagnostic... restored," 16's voice boomed softly in its deep baritone. He sat up slowly, his mechanical gaze turning to 21, then shifting over to Escallion's silent, unmoving form. "Thank you, 21."
Piccolo stepped forward, his dark eyes locked on the horizon where Tien's Ki was rapidly flickering under immense strain. "Escallion's out cold; he won't be waking up anytime soon. Tien is burning through his own life force up there to keep Cell pinned, but he can't hold out much longer."
High above the crater, Tien's arms trembled violently as his vision blurred. His life force was almost entirely spent, the final Neo Tri-Beam fading into a soft ember between his palms. He slipped from the air, falling toward the earth like a stone.
Below, Semi-Perfect Cell shot up from the pulverised ground, his face twisted in absolute fury.
"You miserable parasite!" Cell roared, charging a sphere of purple Ki in his hand as he closed in on the falling martial artist. "I'm going to turn you into dust!"
Before Cell could throw the blast, a sudden shadow darted into his line of sight. Android 21 materialized directly in front of his face, her pink eyes locked onto his pink visor.
"Solar Flare!" she yelled, placing her hands on either side of her forehead.
A blinding, sun-bright flash of white light erupted from her palms point-blank, searing straight into Cell's eyes. The bio-android shrieked, clutching his face as he flew blindly through the air.
"My eyes! You little bitch!" Cell screamed, flailing wildly.
Without missing a beat, 21 raised her right hand into the air. A sharp, high-pitched buzzing rang out as a razor-sharp, spinning disc of golden Ki snapped into existence above her palm. With a swift flick of her wrist, she hurled the Kienzan straight at Cell's chest!
The disc whizzed through the air, carving a superheated slash across Cell's torso and forcing him to reel back in pain.
While Cell was blinded and off-balance, 21 caught the unconscious Tien mid-air, wrapping one arm firmly around his waist. Swooping low toward the cliffs, she signaled to Piccolo and Android 16, who were already carrying the unconscious Escallion and Android 18.
"This way! Hide your energy!" 21 called out over the wind.
Together, the group dove down into the dense archipelago of nearby tropical islands, slipping into the sea caves and thick jungle canopy to break Cell's line of sight before his vision could return.
Semi-Perfect Cell violently rubbed his face with a snarl; his vision finally cleared, revealing an endless expanse of turquoise water dotted with dozens of dense, palm-covered islands.
"Solar Flare... and Krillin's Destructo Disc technique..." Cell hissed, his face contorted in a mix of humiliation and sheer, unhinged fury. "You pathetic insects think you can hide from me? You think a few trees and sea caves will stop perfection?!"
Cell threw his arms wide, his dark, suffocating aura exploding outward in a violent purple pillar. The ocean around the island chain churned, throwing massive, white-capped waves against the jagged rock faces.
"If you won't step out into the open, 18, I'll just erase every square inch of land until there's nowhere left for you to crawl!"
Cell raised a single hand, targeting a large, mountainous island directly beneath him. Crimson Ki gathered instantly at his fingertips before detonating in a torrent of rapid-fire energy blasts.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The island shuddered as blinding explosions ripped through the jungle canopy, shattering rock structures and boiling the surrounding sea water into towering plumes of white steam. Within seconds, the entire landmass was completely wiped from the map, leaving nothing behind but a glowing crater in the ocean floor.
Turning his burning glare toward the neighboring island, Cell laughed maniacally, raising both palms as he began charging another devastating wave of kinetic force.
"One down! Let's see how long your little hideout lasts!"
Deep inside a shadowed sea cave on an island three sectors away, the cavern walls trembled violently, dust and loose stalactites raining down into the dark water.
Piccolo pressed himself flat against the stone wall, keeping his Ki completely suppressed. Beside him, Android 21 had laid the unconscious Tien onto a bed of palm leaves, using her medical scanner to monitor his faint pulse, while Android 16 stood guard near the cavern entrance with 18.
In the back of the cave, Escallion lay still against the damp rock face, his breathing heavy.
--------------
High above the archipelago, Semi-Perfect Cell hovered over the lush tropical island, his pink eyes glaring down at the dense jungle canopy. Crimson Ki gathered at his open palm, crackling violently as he prepared to incinerate the entire landmass below to force Android 18 out into the open.
"Say goodbye to your little hideout, 18!" Cell roared, pulling his arm back to hurl the blast.
"Is that really the best you can do, bug?"
A sharp, arrogant voice cut through the sound of the crashing waves.
Cell froze, the Ki fading from his palm as he snapped his head upward. A sudden, colossal pressure descended from the clouds, a power so immense and refined that the surrounding ocean violently bowed outward, creating massive swells against the rock faces.
Descending slowly from the sky, Vegeta dropped straight into Cell's line of sight. He didn't come in hot with a roaring aura; he hovered down with supreme, chilling confidence, his arms crossed tight over his white battle chestplate. His hair was flared in a deep, vibrant gold, his muscles noticeably bulked under his dark jumpsuit, and his cold emerald eyes locked onto Cell with absolute disdain.
High above them in the cloud line, Future Trunks hovered silently in reserve, his hands resting near his broadsword, keeping a watchful eye over the sector to ensure Cell couldn't escape.
Cell took an involuntary step back through the air, his visor twitching as he felt the staggering weight of Vegeta's new Ki. "What... what is this?! Vegeta?!"
Vegeta drifted down, landing effortlessly atop a tall rock spire rising out of the water just yards away from the bio-android. He didn't even drop into a fighting stance. He simply smirked, a low chuckle escaping his lips as he looked Cell up and down like a minor inconvenience.
"Look at you... trembling," Vegeta sneered, his tone dripping with utter contempt. "I expected something impressive after you absorbed 17, but you're still just an ugly, unfinished toy."
Cell's jaw clenched, his jaw working in a mixture of shock and mounting humiliation. "You arrogant fool! You have no idea what power I possess now! I am closer than ever to perfection!"
Vegeta stepped off the spire, hovering in place as a blinding, golden-yellow aura violently ignited around him, sending a shockwave across the water that flattened the jungle trees below.
"Perfection?" Vegeta chuckled, his smirk widening into a lethal grin. "Call me Super Vegeta. And I'm going to show you just how far out of your league you really are."
The golden aura around Vegeta erupted into a roaring pillar of kinetic power, tearing through the air and sending violent tremors through the ocean below.
Semi-Perfect Cell sneered, throwing his head back in a roar as he lunged forward, throwing a straight right punch with enough force to shatter a mountain. Vegeta didn't even bother dodging. He stood his ground and took the blow flush on the cheek—his head barely nudged by the impact.
Cell's pink eyes widened in absolute shock. "W-What?!"
Vegeta slowly turned his head back, a lethal, mocking grin spread across his face. Before Cell could pull his fist back, Vegeta drove a crushing left hook straight into Cell's midsection. The bio-android spewed purple fluid, his eyes bulging as the force sent him flying across the ocean, skimming the water like a skipped stone before crashing through a cliffside.
Deep inside the sea cave, the cavern ceiling cracked open as dust and rocks rained down.
In the shadows, Escallion's yellow-and-black ringed eyes fluttered open. His body burned with deep muscle fatigue, but as he pushed himself up against the wet stone wall, his sharp gaze went straight up toward the surface.
"Vegeta..." Escallion muttered, his voice raspy.
"You're awake," Piccolo said, keeping his eyes on the entrance. "Don't bother moving yet. Vegeta's up there—he's completely outclassing Cell in every way possible."
Outside, Cell burst out of the rubble, his chitinous jaw trembling in rage. He charged his full energy, soaring back into the sky to hurl a frantic barrage of golden Ki blasts at the Saiyan Prince.
Vegeta casually stepped through the explosions, swatting away the beams like insects. Closing the distance in a fraction of a second, Vegeta delivered a brutal knee into Cell's jaw, sending him soaring straight up, followed by a double-axe handle that hammered the monster down into the beach below with a deafening BOOM.
Cell lay embedded in the crater, gasping for air, his perfection completely shattered. "No... this is impossible... I am perfection... if... if only I could absorb 18!" Cell shrieked, slamming his fist into the dirt in desperation. "If I had my Perfect Form, an insect like you wouldn't even be worth my time!"
High above, Vegeta paused, his smirk widening. His Saiyan pride and craving for an ultimate challenge immediately took hold.
"Oh?" Vegeta chuckled, descending slowly toward the crater. "Is that so?"
High in the sky, Trunks gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the dangerous shift in his father's demeanor.