One Final, Remaining Hope... Number 16, the Wordless Warrior, Takes Action!!

Piccolo sinks to the bottom of the sea. The only movement coming from him is the fluttering of his antennae (or whatever those things are) in the water as he drops to the floor. Son Gohan is in shock. "I can't wait! I don't want to wait!" Son Goku turns around. "Father, I'm going!" He almost speeds away, but Goku jumps in front of him and punches him back. Popo gasps, and Son Gohan falls to the floor. Popo runs over to him and Goku drops back to the ground. Gohan sits up. "Why?" Goku, "I said 'wait'." Gohan, "But as it is, everyone will be sacrificed to Cell!" Goku turns his back. Popo, "Gohan, your father is right." Gohan looks up at him. "Popo-san." Popo, "Even if you were to go, you will not defeat Cell. The victim count will only increase." Gohan, "Even so, it'll be better than just standing here and watching everyone else die." Popo, "You Saiya-jin are our only hope left in this world of defeating Cell. If you wasted such a precious life, Kamisama...no, Piccolo, would be very angry." Gohan responds with those clicking sounds that everyone in the series makes when they get angry and know they can't do anything to fix their situation. Popo, "Look." Gohan suddenly notices his father, who has developed an aura just out of anger. Gohan stands up and stares in awe at his father. Goku, "Vegeta..." His aura is suddenly strengthened so much so that it becomes that of a Super Saiya-jin, even though Goku himself doesn't transform. "Come out as soon as you can."

The water still ripples at the point where Piccolo hit it. Cell stares at it. "Though you were fused with Kami, you weren't a suitable opponent for me, even powered up after all." He turns away from the water and looks at his next opponent. Number 17 glares back at him. Cell, "I've kept you waiting." He walks toward Number 17. The Artificial Human prepares to fight. "You had better stop this useless resistance. You're going to be absorbed anyway. You don't have to hurt yourself." As he walks, he glances over at the other two Artificial Humans. "You'll be absorbed soon, as well." Number 18 stares at him, wide-eyed. She looks to be almost in a trance, but not so much so that she can't brush her hair back. Number 16 continues to face straight ahead, but his eyes move to follow Cell. Cell speeds up, walking faster, and then again enough to finally be considered running. Number 17 is obviously not anxious to begin the fight, but does not attempt to run away, choosing to face his opponent head on.

"Come on if you want!" Cell runs straight at him. "You said it was useless to resist!" Number 17 springs forward and runs toward Cell. "I will not be beaten so easily!" He leaps into the air. "You freaking monster!" He flips over and dives straight into the now stationary Cell. Dust and rocks fly up all around them when they meet. Number 17 is the only one there when the debris settles. He looks around for Cell. A shadow suddenly flies across the ground and stops above Number 17. He spins around to look up at it. Cell jumps down, screaming. Number 17 jumps out of the way and Cell lands on all fours right in front of him. Cell spins around and swings his tail down at Number 17, but Number 17 dodges it and instead, it finds only rock. "I won't be absorbed, never!" Cell runs at him again. He jumps into the air and tries to slide in with a kick, but Number 17 leaps out of the way. They clash in the air. Number 17 dodges a flurry of punches from Cell. Cell stops for a moment, moves back a foot or so, then suddenly spins around and smacks Number 17 with his tail. Number 17 flies back. Cell vanishes and reappears much closer to Number 17, pursuing him by air, a grin on his face. Number 17 stops himself and Cell appears right in front of him. Number 17 gasps. He once again has to dodge swipes with the tip of the tail. He jumps above, ducks below, swings from side to side, falls back. Cell doesn't give up. Tenshinhan watches the action from his cliffside. "No, there's too much a difference in power."

Bulma's aircar soars through the clouds on its way to Kame House. Chibi Trunks plays around in a car seat. He reaches out and grabs the kill switch. Bulma smiles and looks back, and is suddenly horrified by what she sees. "Trunks, don't touch that! This is very important." Trunks reaches for it, and when Bulma does not return it, he sits back, clenches his fists, and wails. Bulma laughs nervously. "Oh, don't cry, Trunks." Doesn't work, he's about to open up the flood valves. She looks around and finds a suitable replacement, handing Trunks a small handheld phone. "Let's say 'hello' and talk using this." He takes it from her. "This is interesting!" She sits back and sighs. Trunks plays with the phone. Bulma, "Well, who will answer?" She begins dialing. "Perverted old Kamesennin...? Or baldheaded Kuririn?" She rubs Trunks' head. "Hi, this is Bulma. Is anyone there?" Roshi, "Oh, Bulma!" Bulma, "See, he answered."

Chichi stands behind Muten Roshi while he speaks on the phone. "Bulma, can you see Kuririn from there?" Bulma, "Eh? Kuririn?" The view changes back to the cab of Bulma's aircar. She looks around. "No, I can't." Roshi, "I see. Kuririn is heading for you now." Bulma, "Oh, I see. That's good for me since I can give him the controller earlier and faster that way." Roshi, "Yes, because the situation is urgent. We have to hurry and stop Number 17 and Number 18. If Cell absorbs them, it will be curtains for us all." Bulma, "Right. I'll also be careful not to lose Kuririn." She hangs up the phone. "Okay, Trunks! Let's go using supersonic speed!" Trunks laughs. The aircar suddenly rockets forward.

Number 17 screams and bounces over the ground. Cell jumps over to him. Number 17 sits up, gasping for air. As soon as he's up, Cell's in his face again. Cell kicks his head back and forth. He delivers a final kick that throws Number 17 back, then he jumps up over Number 17 and smashes him into the ground. He lands beside Number 17 and begins pummeling him. He picks Number 17 up by the collar and hits him in the face again, throwing Number 17 back. Number 17 falls to his hands and knees. Cell backhands him and Number 17 slides away again. Cell rises back to full height. He walks over to the groaning Number 17. He kicks Number 17 over onto his back. "What's wrong? You aren't supposed to be beaten so easily." Number 17 just continues groaning in reply. "I told you to stop this useless resistance."

"It seems that I should have run as you said." Number 16, "Yeah, run on by yourself." Number 18 looks over at him. "If both you and Number 17 are absorbed, it will mean the end of the world." Number 18, "What will you do?" Number 16, "I will destroy Cell." She gasps. "The time to fight has come before meeting with Son Goku." He stares straight forward, his red hair blowing in the wind.

Number 18 squints, then gasps when Number 16 begins walking. "What are you doing, Number 16?" He ignores her. "Stop! You're going to be killed!" He turns to her and smiles. "You're nice guys. You didn't kill humans and animals wantonly." He turns back and walks. Number 18 just gapes at him. "I was glad to have traveled with you." Tenshinhan watches him from the mountain. "What is he going to do? Is he going to fight? With Cell?" Number 16 continues at a leisurely pace.

Number 17 gasps and looks up at Cell, towering over him. He stands up and clenches a fist, but Cell drives his own arm into Number 17's stomach, and of course, he does the imprint in the back thing as well. He follows up with another hit that smashes Number 17 into the ground. Number 17 looks up and cries out. "You don't seem to have the energy to stand up." Number 17...coughs, I suppose (it's kind of hard to tell) in reply. "Let me absorb you soon." He grabs Number 17 by his bandanna and holds him up. Number 17 glares back at Cell. "Let me go you ugly monster! Your crushed, wormlike face makes me sick." Cell, "Blah blah blah blah blah. Babble whatever you want. From now on, you will be united with the monster." Number 17 squirms and tries to escape. "Damn it!" Cell punches him in the back and he stops moving. Cell's tail floats up over Number 17's head. The Artificial Human looks up at it. The needle end suddenly fans out into a huge cone that empties into the tail. It lowers down over Number 17's head. He gasps. Completely out of options, he just sits and watches it. "I shall have you." The cone descends upon Number 17, but he grabs it and tries to push it back up. They come to almost a stalemate, but millimeter by millimeter, the tail is unmistakably gaining ground, even with the brief instances in which it actually gets pushed back by Number 17. Cell smiles. Number 17 continues to struggle against the tail. "Damned...monster...!" Cell laughs.

A hand taps Cell on the shoulder. Cell turns around. Number 16 smiles at him and delivers a hard punch to the face. Cell grunts as he takes the hit straight in the face. He's thrown back into the air. Number 17 collapses on the ground. Cell gains control of his flight and lands. He wipes the side of his face. Number 17 looks up at his rescuer, and Number 16 smiles back at him. Cell, "Another daredeviling fool appears." His tail, now back to normal, hangs out above and in front of him. Number 17, "What are you doing? Are you going to fight?" Number 16, "There's no other way." Number 17 can only keep one eye open. "Are you going to ruin yourself?" Number 16, "According to my calculations, Cell's and my own power are about even." Number 17, "What?" Number 16 walks past Number 17. He stops several yards across from Cell and glares at him.

He suddenly springs forward. He and Cell begin fighting a few feet above the ground, no one really gaining or losing any ground on the other, in the usual frenzy of punches and kicks. Cell disappears and reappears higher up. Number 16 flies straight up at him. They go at it again with the same deal. Tenshinhan watches the battle. "He's fighting on par with Cell." The two continue their barrage on the other. Cell jumps to the side to get another angle on Number 16, but Number 16 quickly spins around to meet Cell, canceling out any quick advantage Cell may have had. As they fight, they descend toward the ground. As they descend, they begin to fight more vertically than horizontally, with Number 16 on top and Cell beneath him. When they reach the ground, they both jump out away from the other. They stare at each other silently for several seconds. Tenshinhan watches. Number 17 and Number 18 both have their eyes on the fight, too.

Cell's ki flares up and he rushes Number 16. Number 16 runs to meet him. They clash in the middle, forehead to forehead, shoulder to shoulder, staring straight into each other's eyes. Cell hits Number 16 and he flies back. Before he can recover, Cell's tail has shot out and sticks itself into Number 16's neck. Cell grins at him. Number 17 gasps. Number 18, and then Tenshinhan, both follow suit. Number 16 has his eyes shut, a look of total disgust on his face. Cell, "Hmph. That was easy. Well, I shall absorb him." Thin electrical currents jump out along his body and quickly turn into a golden aura. The aura soon disappears, though.

"How's this?!" Number 16 opens his eyes and grins at Cell. He reaches up and grabs Cell's tail. He pulls it out of his neck. "Damn it! You're a complete robot!" Number 16 swings Cell into the air by his tail, jumping up himself as he does so, then slams Cell back into the ground. He lands a couple feet away. Cell races out of his landing spot before the dust settles, rushing back into the sky. Number 16 looks up at him, then vanishes and follows. Cell looks over at the Artificial Human flying beside him. "Wow, that's quite the speed. Then how about this?"

Cell suddenly changes course and looks behind him to be sure Number 16 is following. When he sees that he is, Cell grins and suddenly stops. Number 16 can't stop in time, and Cell's foot runs out to meet Number 16's stomach. He throws Number 16 back, but as soon as he lets the Artificial Human fly back, Number 16 stops himself and rockets up to Cell, using his own body as a missile of sorts. He flies head first straight into Cell's stomach. Cell lands on the face of a rocky ledge. Number 16 flies in for a follow up, but Cell jumps out just in time. Number 16 punches the rock instead. Cell sticks his tail out and wraps it around Number 16's neck. "This tail isn't only for absorbing." He tightens his grip and swings around. "Bye." He forms a ring of ki around the edge of his tail. Number 16's eyes go wide. He gets Cell with a quick blast of his own. Cell screams and falls back. Number 16 frees himself from the loosened tail. He jumps forward and kicks Cell, throwing him into the ground. Tenshinhan gasps. Number 17 and Number 18 watch, amazed.

Cell groans. Number 16 falls out of the sky, landing right on Cell's tail. He grabs Cell's tail and tugs as hard as he can. After a few seconds of struggling, he finally succeeds in tearing the tail off. Cell cries out. Tenshinhan, "He did it!" Number 16 drops the tail, and it writhes around on the ground. Once again, the two Artificial Humans are astounded. Number 16, "Without this, you can't absorb Number 17 and Number 18 anymore." Cell groans. Tenshinhan laughs happily from his spot on the mountain. "He really did it!" Number 16 stares down at Cell with hate-filled eyes. Cell sits up. "I'm sorry." He climbs to his feet. "I have Piccolo's cells within me as well." Number 16 is silent. Cell smiles and screams. The end of his stump tail pulsates. A new tail shoots out. Number 16 gasps. Cell raises his new tail up. "I can regenerate things to even this degree." Number 16 is shocked, but remains silent. Cell grins at him. The two prepare to face off once again as Tenshinhan, Number 17, and Number 18 watch.