Escallion and Piccolo cut through the heavy cloud layer, their eyes scanning the horizon as they desperately hunted for any trace of the monster's suppressed Ki.
Suddenly, a violent burst of energy flared in the sky ahead.
"Over there!" Piccolo barked, angling his flight path toward a massive commercial airship soaring through the upper atmosphere. "It's Krillin's Ki! He's fighting Cell!"
"That bald idiot went ahead on his own?!" Escallion growled, his dark aura erupting as he burst into speed.
Inside the mid-flight luxury cabin, Krillin was battered and pinned against the cockpit door, his gi torn as Cell sneered, towering over him with his spiked tail raised and ready to strike. Krillin gritted his teeth, his arms trembling as he held up a desperate Ki barrier.
BOOM!
The airship's reinforced roof detonated inward as Escallion crashed straight through the ceiling, slamming his boot into Cell's jaw. The sheer impact blasted the bio-android backward through the entire length of the cabin, crashing through seats and bulkheads.
Piccolo dropped down right beside Krillin, hauling him up by his gi. "Get back, Krillin!"
"P-Piccolo! Escallion!" Krillin gasped, leaning against the wall, breathless. "He was draining the passengers... I tried to stop him, but he's got so much energy now!"
"Found you, parasite," Escallion snarled, stepping over the wreckage as his hands crackled with raw, crimson Ki. "No more running!"
Cell pushed himself up from the crumpled steel, wiping a trail of purple fluid from his mouth. His pink eyes darted between Escallion and Piccolo, taking in the narrow cabin and the overwhelming power stacked against him. A dark, hysterical laugh rumbled in his chest.
"You really think you've caught me?" Cell sneered. "You fools have forgotten... I hold all the cards!"
Cell slammed his palm through the airship's main window, shattering the thick glass. The sudden, violent depressurization created a roaring vacuum, tearing open the hull and pulling debris, seats, and screaming passengers toward the tear. Krillin shouted in terror, diving to catch two flight crew members before they were sucked out into the open sky.
Taking advantage of the split-second chaos, Cell dived backward out of the shattered hull, hurling a barrage of Ki blasts into the airship's remaining engines to force Piccolo and Escallion into a rescue effort before vanishing into the thick cloud cover below.
Escallion braced his feet against the roaring wind, hauling two terrified flight attendants back into the cabin while Piccolo clamped his hands over the shattered engine manifold, smothering the blazes with his own Ki to keep the airship from plunging into the ocean.
Once the aircraft stabilized enough for Krillin to take the controls and guide it toward a safe landing, Escallion marched to the jagged hole in the fuselage. He peered out into the endless, gray bank of clouds below, his jaw clenched so tight his teeth gritted.
"Damn it!" Escallion growled, his voice deep and bitter over the rush of the wind. "The bug's already hidden his energy again! Not even a damn trace left!"
He slammed his fist against the torn aluminum hull, leaving a deep dent in the metal.
"Every single time we get our hands on him, he pulls another cheap stunt and buries his energy in the dirt like a rat," Escallion spat, turning back toward Piccolo with his crimson aura flickering in sheer frustration. "We can't keep chasing a ghost while he gorges himself on every town in his path!"
The airship's engines sputtered to a halt as Krillin brought the battered craft down into the hangar bay, resting on the concrete tarmac. The heavy metal doors echoed as they came to a complete stop, and the remaining crew scrambled out in terror, fleeing into the safety of the facility.
Escallion dropped down from the side of the open hull, his boots hitting the pavement with a sharp crack. He paced back and forth across the wide floor, his tail lashing behind him in sheer irritation. Every passing second felt like wasted time.
"This is ridiculous," Escallion growled, crossing his arms tight across his chest. "We're standing around while that overgrown roach is out there slurping up every living soul he can find! We should be scouring every square inch of this island, not waiting for him to pick his next target!"
"Calm down," Piccolo snapped, though his own jaw was set hard. "Searching blindly while he suppresses his Ki is useless. We have to be smart about this."
Before Escallion could vent any further, a sharp burst of wind swept into the hangar as Tien dropped down from the open skylight, landing smoothly beside the group. He looked around at the scorched airship, his three eyes narrowing.
"I saw the smoke from a few miles out," Tien said, his voice grave. "Did you catch up to him?"
"We had him pinned," Escallion spat bitterly. "And the bastard blew out the hull, blasted the engines, and dived into the clouds the second he realized he was outmatched. Vanished without a trace."
Piccolo stepped up, bringing Tien up to speed on the airship attack, Cell's continued hit-and-run tactics, and how the creature was systematically draining whole populations while keeping his energy completely masked between feedings.
-----------
The sleek stolen van rolled down a quiet stretch of coastal highway, the engine humming steadily under the afternoon sun. Inside, Android 18 leaned back in the passenger seat, casually admiring her new outfit: a denim vest over a black long-sleeved shirt, a white pearl necklace, and a fresh pair of dark boots, completely ditching the ragged vest she'd worn since waking up.
"Much better," 18 muttered, running a hand over the crisp denim. "At least now I don't look like I stepped straight out of a basement lab."
"You spent half an hour in that boutique just to pick out the same shade of blue," 17 said from behind the wheel, a bored smirk on his face. "Incredible style, 18. Really mind-blowing."
"Shut up, 17. You wouldn't know actual taste if it ran you over," 18 replied coolly, looking out the window.
In the back, Android 21 slumped against the side panel, clutching a box of stolen sweets and staring out the tinted glass with an expression of pure, unadulterated boredom.
"Must we drive so slowly?" 21 whined, popping a jelly donut into her mouth and talking around it. "If we're going to play this ridiculous game of hunting down Son Goku, can we at least do it with some sense of urgency? Sitting in this metal box is utterly dreadful."
"We're enjoying the scenery, doc," 17 said smoothly, catching her eye in the rearview mirror. "Besides, 16 likes the birds. Don't you, 16?"
In the far back, the massive Android 16 remained completely silent, staring peacefully out his window as a small sparrow kept pace with the van.
"You three are absurd," 21 huffed, shoving her thick glasses up her nose and crossing her arms. "We have unlimited energy, complete freedom, and the entire world in front of us, yet your grand, brilliant plan is to drive across the country like tourists just to kill one man because a dead lunatic's computer told you to?"
"It gives us a goal," 18 said, not bothering to turn around. "What else are we supposed to do? Go back to school? Become scientists like you? I'd rather die of boredom."
"You certainly act like children," 21 grumbled, her stomach letting out a sudden, deep rumble. Her sweet expression twitched for a split second, her eyes flashing a faint, ominous pink before she quickly smoothed down her hair. "And if we don't stop at the next town for actual food, I'm going to start losing my patience."
"Relax, 21," 17 smirked, stepping on the gas. "Keep complaining and 18 will buy you a matching denim vest to cheer you up."
"Try it, 17, and I'll throw you out the driver's door," 18 warned coldly.
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The wide electronic doors of Capsule Corporation slid open, and Piccolo, Escallion, Tien, and Krillin stepped into the main living lounge. The heavy, suffocating silence inside the room hit them immediately.
Grouped around the large television set was the rest of the Z-Fighters: Gohan, Future Trunks, Master Roshi, Yamcha, and Bulma, who was holding baby Trunks tight against her shoulder. None of them said a word as the team walked in; their eyes were glued to the screen, where glowing red breaking news banners flashed across a broadcast of complete chaos.
"—repeating our top story," the news anchor's frantic voice echoed through the speakers, playing over shaky footage of abandoned military vehicles and deserted city streets littered with empty clothes. "Entire populations across the southern province have vanished overnight! Authorities are utterly baffled as search teams report thousands of deserted homes, vehicles, and workplaces with no sign of struggle, no casualties... only discarded clothing left behind."
The camera cut to a trembling field reporter standing in the middle of a silent metropolis. "We are receiving unconfirmed reports that a mysterious creature was spotted fleeing the scene near West City's outer district. Military forces dispatched to intercept have ceased all communications—"
The broadcast cut to static for a second before flipping back to an emergency warning graphic.
"It's everywhere," Yamcha said, his voice quiet as he stared at the screen, his knuckles white against his arms. "First Gingertown, then the coastal settlements... now the outer sectors of West City. The news is calling it a mass disappearance, but we know what it really is."
"He's moving fast," Gohan gritted out, stepping forward to greet the returning group. "Trunks, Tien, and I completely obliterated Gero's underground lab and destroyed the infant Cell growing in the tank... but the one from the future is already out there, devouring thousands of people every single hour."
Escallion crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall with his jaw set tight as the horrific news report played on repeat.
"The bug's getting bolder," Escallion growled, his tail flicking in dark irritation. "He knows we can't track him while he keeps his energy suppressed, so he's gorge-feeding in broad daylight and slipping away before anyone can catch him."
Trunks looked around the room, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Where's my father? Didn't he land with you?"
"Vegeta went off on his own," Piccolo said bitterly, walking over to the window and looking out at the skyline. "He thinks he's above all of this. He claims he's going to push beyond the power of a Super Saiyan and wants Cell to reach his complete form just so he can have a better fight."
Bulma let out a sharp, furious gasp. "That arrogant idiot! People are dying out there, and all he cares about is his stupid Saiyan pride!"
"We can't rely on Vegeta," Tien said firmly, turning to the rest of the group. "Cell is growing stronger by the minute. If he absorbs enough human energy, he might become strong enough to take on 17 and 18 even without catching them off guard."
Trunks lingered behind as the rest of the team made their way toward the Capsule Corp hangar, his face tight with resolve.
"Mom," Trunks said, turning to Bulma. "I can't just let Father wander off like this. If he really tries to push beyond a Super Saiyan on his own, or worse, if he runs into Cell or the Androids without knowing what he's up against, his pride is going to get him killed."
Bulma sighed, looking at her son with a mix of worry and pride. "Be careful, Trunks. You know how stubborn he is. Just don't let him do anything crazy."
"I won't," Trunks promised, turning on his heel and sprinting out of the main complex into the courtyard, igniting his golden Super Saiyan aura before soaring high into the clouds to track down the Saiyan Prince.
Out on the tarmac, the remaining Z-Fighters boarded Capsule Corp's high-speed transport jet. Yamcha took the pilot's seat, flipping a series of switches as the heavy twin turbines hummed to life.
"Everyone strap in," Yamcha said, adjusting his headset as the glass canopy sealed shut. "I'm keeping us on low-altitude manual flight. No radar-scannable energy signatures, no fast-flying Ki trails. If Cell is watching the skies for high power levels, he won't see this bird coming."
In the back cabin, Piccolo, Escallion, Gohan, Tien, and Krillin settled into their seats.
"Keep your Ki entirely suppressed," Piccolo ordered, his dark eyes fixed on the clouds outside the window. "Not a single leak. The moment one of us flares up, Cell will drop into the shadows again."
Escallion leaned back against his seat, unclenching and re-clenching his fists as the jet glided silently off the runway and banked hard toward the southern provinces.
"Let him think he's the hunter," Escallion growled, his voice low and dangerous. "The second Yamcha spots a ghost town from the cockpit, we drop straight down on that roach's head before he even knows we're in the air."
Yamcha glanced out the cockpit window, his eyes widening in complete shock. "Hey... guys! Look out the port side!"
Cruising smoothly alongside the high-speed jet, matching its exact velocity through the open air, was Goku. He looked entirely restored, waving casually through the glass with a signature grin, looking like he hadn't just been on the brink of death from a heart virus hours ago.
"Goku?!" Krillin gasped, slamming his hands against the glass.
Yamcha immediately hit the pressure seals, lowering the side boarding ramp. A sharp howl of wind rushed into the cabin as Goku flipped inside, landing lightly on his feet and dusting off his orange gi as the ramp sealed shut behind him.
"Hey, everyone!" Goku greeted cheerfully, rubbing the back of his neck. "Looks like you're heading out on a pretty serious mission."
"Dad!" Gohan cried out, rushing over to hug his father.
"Yep! That medicine Trunks brought from the future worked like a charm," Goku smiled, patting Gohan's head before his expression shifted to something much more serious. "I felt everything while I was sleeping, though. That creature... It's terrifying."
"Then you know what we're up against," Escallion said, crossing his arms and leaning against the interior bulkhead, eyeing Goku closely. "That bug, Cell, is running around drinking whole cities to get stronger so he can absorb 17 and 18."
"Yeah, Escallion, I know," Goku said quietly, his eyes hardening. "And right now, none of us are strong enough to stop Cell if he reaches his complete form—or even beat those Androids if they fight together. That's why I came looking for you guys. I'm taking Gohan, and we're going to train."
"Train?" Piccolo raised an eyebrow. "Where? We don't have time for years of martial arts conditioning."
"There's a place up at Kami's Lookout," Goku explained, stepping toward the center of the cabin. "The Hyperbolic Time Chamber. One year of training inside equals just one single day out here in the real world. If we go in there, we can push way past the limits of a Super Saiyan."
"A year in a single day..." Tien murmured, his three eyes widening. "Is that even possible?"
"It is," Goku nodded firmly, turning back toward the ramp. "I came to fetch Gohan so we can get started right away. You guys keep hunting Cell and buy us as much time as you can. Once we step out of that room, we'll be ready for whatever Cell or the Androids throw at us.
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A/N: My motivation has taken a tank in the recent days but, the show must go on!