The Desperate Counterattack Proves Ineffective! Piccolo's Flame Burns Out

Cell stares down at everyone, grinning. Piccolo, "Damn it! I didn't notice him because I was concentrating on this fight." Number 17, "Who is this strange fellow?" Piccolo looks over at the Artificial Human. "What? Doesn't he know? Number 17 and Number 18 don't know about Cell!" Cell, "Finally, the memorable day has come. The day that I absorb Number 17 and Number 18 into myself and become a Perfect being." He looks at each Artificial Human as he says their names. "Number 17. Number 18." He looks over at Number 16. "Hmm? Who's he? I see the emblem of the Red Ribbon Army. So, he is also an Artificial Human of Dr. Gero's creation. Well, he's an outdated production model, so I can ignore him." Cell jumps down to the same level as everyone else.

Cell clenches his fists and begins to raise his ki. Everyone watches as Cell is enveloped by an aura of his own. It's not the same as the aura of a Super Saiya-jin, or Kaio-ken, or simply flying at high speed, though. This aura is composed of different wavy lines that float about around him. Some of the lines jump out and take the forms of faces - the faces of the people Cell has absorbed. Piccolo watches him in amazement, and even Number 17 is shaken. When Cell's ki finally reaches its peak, it explodes outward, destroying rock formations and causing Piccolo to have to shield himself. Number 17 and Number 18 are pretty calm, although Number 17 shows some signs of fear. Number 16, on the other hand, glares straight at Cell with a new determination that he hasn't had before. The ledge that Cell had just been standing on crumbles behind him. Cell sports a golden aura, much like that of a Super Saiya-jin. However, Cell isn't a Super Saiya-jin. He begins walking. He walks almost right past Piccolo, but stops when he's just past him. "What will you do, Piccolo? If you're going to get in my way, then come on now. Piccolo is in shock. Cell grins. He turns away from Piccolo and continues walking. Piccolo turns around. "I didn't know you'd powered yourself up. How many lives had to be sacrificed for you?" Cell, "Sacrificed? That's ridiculous. They have become part of my power. You might say that they were honored to be a part of me." Piccolo, "What?!" Cell starts walking. Piccolo watches him, knowing he's no longer strong enough to stop Cell.

Muten Roshi clutches a can of coffee. Kuririn, "Oh my god. Cell's ki has increased immensely." Tenshinhan, "This is the end. He's out of our league. There's nothing we can do." Roshi, "It'll take Bulma at least 20 minutes to bring the controller unit that will stop Number 17 and Number 18. No matter how she hurries." Chichi, "Why don't you go get that controller? That way, you'll get it faster than waiting here." Kuririn, "Right!" Chichi, "You all have no brains. You're probably like that because you fight all the time." Kuririn, "I'll go and retrieve by air. If I fly hard enough, I'm much faster than Bulma's plane." He flies away. Tenshinhan, "Kuririn..." He turns around. "I'll go and help Piccolo." Muten Roshi is shocked by that idea. "It might not be useful, but it's better than standing around here doing nothing." He powers up. Muten Roshi, "No, don't, Tenshinhan!" He leaves anyway. "Come back!" He crushes the can of coffee. "Are you going to die in vain? Damn... I can't do anything now." He falls to the ground. "I miss the days when I was called the strongest in the world, Muten Roshi. Goku, hurry. Finish your training and come home. Even though you can train for a year in a day, one day may be too long." Chichi raises her hands to about the same height as her chest and folds them together as if to pray. "Goku-san... Gohan-chan..."

Son Goku looks over at the unmoving door. "Done yet, Vegeta?"

Cell stops two or three yards in front of Number 17. "I don't know who you are. You're getting in the way. Get lost, I'm playing with him now." Cell simply raises his tail up. Piccolo, "Number 17! He's going to kill you and then absorb you! Run!" Number 17's smile suddenly disappears. "What?!" Cell's tail flies out and Number 17 barely dodges it. Cell keeps swinging his tail around and Number 17 keeps dodging it. Number 17 jumps back, but Cell grabs his arm and slams him into the ground. Cell puts one foot on Number 17's right arm, then keeps a firm grip on his left, effectively pinning the Artificial Human.

A powerful kick to the face suddenly knocks Cell off of Number 17. Piccolo lands near Number 17 and Cell lands a few feet away. Cell wipes his mouth. Number 17 climbs to his feet. "Taking me by surprise? What's going on? Am I being absorbed into this monster?" Piccolo, "I'll make it short. His name is Cell and he's a monster that Dr. Gero's computer created. But he hasn't reached Perfection yet. When he absorbs you and Number 18, he will attain his Perfect body." Number 18, "What?" Cell, "Be glad, brother. By your becoming part of my body, a Perfect, strong, and invincible being will be born. That is the ultimate warrior that Dr. Gero was seeking for so many years." Number 17, "Stop talking nonsense. Who's going to be absorbed by you? The ultimate warrior is already here." He points at himself. "I don't care about your own will. To be absorbed into me has already been decided." Number 17, "I'll shut your annoying trap."

"Run, Number 17!" That one catches the Artificial Human off guard, because it was yelled by the usually silent Number 16. "The enemy's fighting strength is too great! You mustn't allow Cell to attain his Perfect body. The purpose he carries is no longer to kill Son Goku anymore. He's going to destroy the entire universe." Number 17, "Oh boy. I finally thought you decided to speak on your own... But all you said to me was 'Run'?" Number 16 doesn't respond. Number 17 grins and attacks Cell. "Don't make a fool out of me!" He flies at Cell, fist clenched, arm pulled back.

He punches, but Cell disappears. Cell comes in from the side and smashes him into the ground. Number 18 is obviously surprised by Cell's strength. Piccolo yells and rushes at Cell. He throws a punch, but Cell simply raises his arm and effortlessly blocks it. Piccolo kicks, but with the other arm, Cell catches his foot. Cell hits Piccolo in the side of the head. Piccolo slides back across the ground. Cell walks over to where Piccolo finally bounced to a stop. He kicks Piccolo, sending the Super Namekseijin flying. Piccolo climbs to his feet again. "Damn it." Number 18, "Are Number 17 and Piccolo making any progress?" Number 16, "No. This Cell is too strong." Cell walks over to Piccolo as Number 17 climbs to his feet. Number 16, "At least you should run." She looks up at him. "Number 17 won't listen to me. If Number 17 is absorbed, no one will be able to handle him. That will be the end of the world." Number 18, "What will you do, Number 16?" Number 16 stares straight forward in silence.

Piccolo breathes heavily. He puts his hands together, touching at the tips of the fingers. Cell continues walking. Piccolo charges up, even begins to glow for a second or two. The ki ball appears in his hands. Number 17 watches Piccolo's powerup in amazement. Cell is completely calm and even continues to walk right up to Piccolo. Piccolo yells out as he continues to gather energy. Cell keeps walking. Piccolo finally finishes. "Drop dead." Number 17, "Oh, no." He jumps up and gets out of the way. Piccolo throws his hands forward and launches the ki blast at Cell. Cell stops and takes it. The resulting explosion throws Number 17 off his feet, and it even grows until the blast runs out into the water and is bigger than the island itself. Mountains crumble. Rocks and water shower down upon the Earth. Number 17 stares at Piccolo in amazement. Number 18 looks surprised, but not to the extent that Number 17 is. And, of course, since Number 16 has a power radar, he already knew what Piccolo was capable of, so he's stoic as always. Most of the island is now gone, and Cell is not to be found.

Number 18, "Piccolo did it!" Number 16, "No, he didn't. Far from it. Cell wasn't damaged by that at all." Number 18 looks over at him, surprised. Piccolo has a look of complete shock on his face. He stares into the water that occupies the area formerly taken up by the island. Steam rises up out of the water, followed by a golden aura. Number 17 and Number 18 are amazed to see Cell still alive. Piccolo looks genuinely scared now. Tenshinhan stands on a ledge nearby sporting the same look of shock that everyone else has. "Good god! It can't be helped. The world is really too different."

Cell walks up to Piccolo, who makes no move to escape or attack. Piccolo is not calm as Number 17 may have been (before seeing how strong Cell is, anyway); he's simply accepted his fate. He's going to die and there's not a thing he can do about it. Cell towers over him. Number 17 watches, shocked. Cell suddenly looks over at him. Piccolo, "RUN, Number 17!" Cell silences Piccolo with a strong punch to the face. Number 17 is still in shock. Cell walks over to the fallen Piccolo. He picks Piccolo up by the shirt. Piccolo's head falls limply to the right side. Tenshinhan, "His neck is broken. No..." Cell, "It seems I've become too strong. In my enthusiasm to get more energy, I killed more humans than was really necessary." He stretches his arm, palm out, facing straight into Piccolo's stomach. "Good bye." He blasts straight through the Super Namekseijin. Tenshinhan is shocked and horrified. Son Gohan suddenly notices Piccolo's ki disappear. Son Goku's hair flashes golden for an instant. A smoking hole now occupies Piccolo's left side. Piccolo makes small gurgling sounds, and can't really do much else. Number 17 watches in terror. "He...did it." Number 18 gasps. Number 16 watches without a word. Piccolo continues his small gurgling sounds. His mouth hangs open. His eyes are lifeless. Cell grins and tosses Piccolo into the sea. His arm floats almost straight up, his hand hanging limply off of it as the last of Piccolo vanishes beneath the waves.

Gohan runs a few steps forward, but makes no move to actually leave, as he knows he couldn't help anyway. Goku, "His ki is gone. It's too late." Tears flow freely from Mr. Popo's eyes. "Kamisama!" Goku and Gohan stand helplessly, wanting to help but knowing they can't. Gohan almost leaves anyway. "Gohan... Wait, Gohan!" Gohan runs off, but Goku wraps his arms around him, holding him. Gohan screams. "Piccolo-sama! Piccolo-sama!" Goku, "Gohan, even if you were to go now, you won't be able to beat him!" Gohan stops struggling. "Wait. All you can do now anyway is wait." Gohan drops to his knees. Goku, "Not yet, Vegeta? What are you doing?"

The surface of the water is unbroken. Cell watches it to be sure that Piccolo is not coming back. Satisfied, he turns his attention to Number 17. Number 17 stares at him, frightened and amazed at his power. Even knowing his chances, the Artificial Human opts to fight rather than run away. Cell smiles at him. A terrified Number 18 stands in shock, watching the two Artificial Humans as they prepare to face off.