How I Have Waited for This Day!! Cell's Prologue to Perfection

Piccolo and Number 17 land on a new island and prepare to go at it again. No one speaks for a while. Number 17 finally does speak up, though. "Though you're not an Artificial Human, you've got great power. But you don't seem to be acting like Piccolo Daimaou. Anyway, I'm not interested in what you are. I just want to know where Son Goku is. You still aren't going to tell me?" Piccolo, "Your purpose is to kill Goku. There is no reason why I should tell you where he is." Number 17, "Well then, let's continue fighting until you want to tell me." They both crouch down, preparing to clash once again. Number 17, "I'll fight seriously this time."

He floats into the air and flies over to Piccolo, landing in front of him. They both get back into their fighting stances, but they only stare at each other quietly for a while. Piccolo's aura reappears. They stand still like that for several more seconds. Number 17 finally throws a punch, hitting Piccolo in the lower jaw and throwing his head back. Piccolo loses his balance, but stops himself from falling. He strikes back at Number 17, but misses. Number 17 comes up under him and hits him in the stomach, creating the imprint of his fist in Piccolo's back. He jumps up and elbows Piccolo, throwing him into the ground. Piccolo jumps back up and Number 17's follow up attack misses. Piccolo jumps into the air and Number 17 flies over to kick him in the face, but Piccolo leans back, arching his back. The kick narrowly misses. Piccolo flips back several yards and they stop again. Number 18, "Hmm?"

Piccolo stretches his neck. "Your speed is great, but your punch lacks any real strength." Number 17, "What?! You dare speak with arrogance to the strongest Artificial Human in history, Number 17?" Number 17 rockets forward, but Piccolo swipes at him and the Artificial Human is forced to jump out of the way of Piccolo's attack, thus thwarting his own. He tries again, this time getting a hit on Piccolo. Piccolo responds in kind, kicking Number 17 in the face. He tries a follow up kick, but Number 17 dodges. The Artificial Human jumps back up to attack Piccolo again. He punches Piccolo in the side fo the face. Piccolo falls to the ground, but quickly hops back to his feet. He flies back at Number 17, headbutting him. Number 17 flies back. He slides back several feet after landing on one knee. Piccolo begins to grow visibly tired. Number 17 stands back up. They stare at each other silently. Number 18, "Piccolo really is strong. An equal to Number 17." Once again, Number 16's response is not to respond.

Son Gohan, "Hold on, Piccolo-san!" Goku, "Keep going somehow, Piccolo, until Vegeta and Trunks finish their training." They sit, waiting outside the door to the Room of Spirit and Time.

An explosion goes off on a mountain on Piccolo's island. Number 17 flies through the airborne dust and debris. He hits Piccolo, throwing him into the ground. Piccolo falls into the Earth, pushing a small crater into it when he lands. The dust begins to settle. Number 17 looks into the sky, but Piccolo's already there, and so are his fists. He delivers an overhead smash to the Artificial Human, sending Number 17 sailing into the island. Number 17 creates quite a crater of his own when he meets the ground. Number 18 looks down as a small crack forms in the ground between her feet. Piccolo and Number 17 meet again, sending a small shockwave out around them (like the ones that happen when Goku and Freezer would fight in the sky on Namek). Piccolo throws a strong punch, but Number 17 crosses his arms in front of his face, blocking it. He throws a foot up to kick Piccolo in the head, but Piccolo blocks that. And so their battle continues, tearing up the hills and landscape all around them. The small crack in the ground between Number 18's feet begins to grow into a healthy fissure.

Number 17 and Piccolo throw both hands out, and they both grasp the other's hand. They push back against the other, but are essentially in a stalemate for the time being. They both scream as they fight to push back on the other one, but neither comes out on top. They continue to generate power, and it erupts in another explosion around the pair. Number 18 hears a low rumbling and looks over toward the source - the volcano that gave birth to the island. The cone begins to glow. Suddenly, liquid rock erupts from the opening, spewing into the air. Hot lava pours forth from the mouth of the volcano while rocks and ash rain down from the heavens. Piccolo and Number 17 continue fighting, apparently oblivious to the erupting volcano. Number 18 now hovers above the ground. "Damn, how many islands will they destroy before they're satisfied?" Ash continues to rise into the atmosphere.

Kuririn, "Wow, Piccolo's still holding out." Tenshinhan clenches his fists. "Damn, isn't there anything we can do instead of just watching like this?" Kuririn suddenly notices something. He turns and looks up. "Oh my god." Yamucha, "What's the matter?" Kuririn, "He's coming. What bad timing." Tenshinhan, "Ce...Cell!" Yamucha, "Oh no..." They all watch in horror, the direction from which Cell will be approaching.

Cell speeds across undisturbed islands, islands more calm than the one that Number 17 and Piccolo are fighting on. "I've been waiting for this day. The day I become a Perfect Being!" He yells and speeds up.

Chibi Trunks wails. His cries can be heard even from outside the Capsule Corporation headquarters. Dr. Briefs bounces him. "Alright, alright." He sticks out his tongue and attempts to amuse the child into silence. And of course, he fails. "Don't cry, don't cry. I can't handle him, Bulma." Bulma is hard at work on the computer. "If I input this frequency into the data, it'll be complete." She sips from a mug bearing her name. "Hey dad, quiet Trunks down somehow." In response, Trunks cries louder. Dr. Briefs, "Well, yeah, so..." Yajirobe walks in. "You're his mother! Why don't you take care of the baby? He's really noisy. He might follow the path of evil in the future because he was raised by such a cold mother." Bulma hits a key and spins around in her chair. "Well, you don't have to worry about it. Trunks will be a very cool and handsome guy." She stands up and walks over to them. "Right, Trunks?" Dr. Briefs, "You're done. Already finished?" Bulma takes the screaming child from his arms. She smiles and Trunks calms down. "The Artificial Humans' functions can be completely shut down using this."

Another explosion rocks the island. Piccolo jets up into the sky, with Number 17 following closely behind. Piccolo turns and flies straight back down, slamming into Number 17 on the way. He opens his mouth, firing a ki blast from it. Number 17 reaches up and tries to block it. Piccolo attacks him again with a knee, then an overhead smash. Number 17 plummets, meeting the sea with a huge splash. He sinks to the bottom and waits. Piccolo follows him down. Number 17 glares. The water around him begins to boil. A large dome of water appears on the surface directly above Number 17. He suddenly screams, attacking Piccolo with a giant bubble. Piccolo throws a ki blast to counter. From above the surface, the water can be seen getting very hot. An explosion suddenly reaches the surface, sending an immense spout of water into the air. Piccolo and Number 17 begin fighting again. They each trade hits and blocks. They speed away from the island, still fighting. The water that was thrown into the sky finally falls back into the ocean. Number 18, "Oh boy..." She takes off after them and Number 16 follows her.

Yamucha, "What will you do, Kuririn?" Kuririn, "Don't go asking me that." Roshi, "If Cell absorbs the Artificial Humans, then all of our hopes will be dashed." Tenshinhan, "Damn it!" Chichi runs out. "Kuririn, take this! It's a phone call from Bulma. She said she's discovered the Artificial Humans' weak point." Everyone responds in unison, "What?" Bulma, "That's right. Number 17 and Number 18 had emergency kill switches implanted in their bodies. If we activate their kill switch and cease functions in their circuits, we can kill them easily, even if they're Artificial Humans." She examines her remote kill switch as she speaks. "The controller for that has just been completed." Yamucha, "Can we defeat the Artificial Humans?" Kuririn nods to him and goes back to the phone. "Can you bring it here immediately? Piccolo is fighting with them now." Bulma, "Okay, right away." She hangs up. Tenshinhan, "Good... If we destroy Number 17 and Number 18, Cell cannot achieve his Perfect body." Kuririn finally hangs up the phone as well. He is silent in thought, recalling the time on the highway when Number 18 kissed him on the cheek. "Destruction." Tenshinhan, "What is it?" Kuririn, "Huh? Ah... nothing."

Bulma, "I'm leaving now. Take care of the rest." Yajirobe, "No, 'take care of the rest'! Where are you going, leaving him all alone?" He holds her by the shirt. In the back, Dr. Briefs continues his struggle with the crying child. "Don't cry, don't cry..." Bulma, "There's a crisis over the Earth's survival. Let me go!"

Cell races across the sea in silence. Son Gohan walks over to his father. "Father, Cell has begun to act." Goku, "I know. Not yet? Vegeta is a genius. He must have already reached beyond the limits of Super Saiya-jin." Goku glances back over at the door. "Hurry, Vegeta. It might all come too late."

Piccolo lands and Number 17 rockets toward him. He punches, but Piccolo blocks. They go into another frenzied assault with Piccolo mostly on the defensive, dodging and blocking Number 17's attacks. Piccolo finally gets hit and goes sailing into a small rocky hill. Number 17 blasts and it explodes. Number 18 and Number 16 land a few feet away. Piccolo stands with his arms up, blocking Number 17's blast. He jumps back up, attacking Number 17. Number 17 is thrown back. Piccolo follows up Number 17's trip into a mountain with a ki blast of his own. Number 17 jumps out of the ground behind Piccolo. Piccolo spins around and starts blocking more kicks. He slams his palm into Number 17's face and grabs the Artificial Human by the head. He tries to slam Number 17 into the ground, but Number 17 grabs Piccolo by the arm and reverses their roles. Piccolo grabs him by the collar and brings Number 17 into the ground right beside him. Another crater spreads out around them, and beyond that, the ground is cracked and broken up.

Number 17 is actually starting to look beaten up. He screams. Piccolo lands nearby. Number 17 suddenly appears right in front of Piccolo with his fist going through Piccolo, his hand doing that now familiar imprint-in-the-back. Piccolo's eyes bulge and his mouth gapes open. Number 17 makes no move to remove his fist from Piccolo's stomach...or back. Piccolo gathers up the strength to return in kind, and Number 17 cries out in pain. Number 17 quickly recovers and returns with another punch. They go back and forth like this for five or six more punches each before Piccolo breaks the cycle with a swift kick to Number 17's face. Even then, though, Number 17 returns the kick by delivering one to Piccolo's head. They both spin back and lands thirty or so feet apart. They don't stay for long, both of them quickly blasting into the sky. Number 17 slides over and kicks Piccolo in the face. The Super Namekseijin cries out. He quickly recovers and throws a ki blast. The other two Artificial Humans watch in silence.

Number 17 lands. Piccolo follows suit. Number 17 is now looking very beaten up. He's not even standing, he's on one knee and supporting himself with his arms. He breathes heavily. Blood or oil or something runs down his chin from the corner of his mouth. Piccolo's breathing heavily, too, but he's at least standing. Number 17 laughs. "Power levels are equal, but there's a difference in stamina. My energy won't ever decrease." He climbs back to his feet. Piccolo looks over at a nearby hill and his eyes suddenly go wide. He's completely shocked. Cell stands on unlevel ground, so one leg is higher than the other. He leans on his leg that's higher, and it's bent at the knee, as he watches the battle. Piccolo gasps. "Cell!" Number 17 looks over at the new arrival. All three Artificial Humans watch Cell silently. Piccolo can only stare, wide-eyed.