"Son Goku!"
The sight of his rescuer ignited not gratitude in Piccolo, but a fresh wave of humiliation. Being saved by his arch-rival was an insult deeper than any injury.
But Goku had no time for Piccolo's wounded pride. With both hands locked on Cell's barbed tail, he spun the bio-android twice like a hammer throw and hurled him with devastating force.
CRASH-BOOM-BOOM!
Cell tore through multiple skyscrapers before finally skidding to a halt in a plaza of shattered glass and bent steel.
'Son Goku! He found me far sooner than anticipated! In my current state, a direct confrontation is impossible. I must withdraw!' Reacting instantly, Cell fired a wild Ki blast into the ground, engulfing the entire city block in a deafening explosion and a thick, obscuring plume of dust and debris. Using the chaos as cover, he shot away at top speed.
"Tch! He slipped away!" As the smoke cleared to reveal only ruins, Goku clicked his tongue in annoyance. He glanced at the silent scouter in his hand, frustration mounting. "The scouter's useless against him, and his energy signature is completely masked. This is getting tricky."
He turned his head toward Piccolo. "Get back to the Lookout. This fight is beyond you. If you're serious about getting stronger, you know about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber up there, right? Go train. A year inside might actually make you useful in a scrap like this."
"Hmph! Son Goku, the next time we meet, I will defeat you!" Piccolo shot him a final glare, then propelled himself into the sky. Humiliated and driven, he headed straight for the Lookout and, without hesitation, entered the chamber's alien doorway. Goku's blunt assessment had struck a nerve; the power gap was a chasm, and the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was the only bridge.
Meanwhile, Goku soared above the city, his senses stretched to their limit, searching for any trace. But finding a single being who could hide his energy in a metropolis of millions was like finding a specific grain of sand on a beach. The temptation to simply level the city and flush his prey out was strong, but even Goku's current temperament balked at such indiscriminate destruction.
"Damn it, this cockroach is good at hiding!"
---
On a mountain road overlooking the urban sprawl, a dusty minivan pulled over. Android 17 and 18 stepped out, gazing down at the distant column of smoke rising from the city.
"That was quite the vibration in the atmosphere earlier," 17 remarked coolly, arms crossed.
"Mmm," 18 hummed in agreement, hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed, spotting a familiar golden speck circling the sky. "That's… Son Goku. Did he find another fight?"
"Who would dare oppose him on Earth now?" 17 mused. "Unless… it's those rumored 'ultimate models' Dr. Gero and Dr. Loke were developing." He said it with detached indifference, as if discussing the weather.
A frown creased 18's brow. "I heard they were supposed to surpass us. But could they really rival him?" The memory of Goku's overwhelming power sent an involuntary chill through her circuits.
"Once I absorb you two and achieve my Perfect Form, surpassing Son Goku will be a certainty."
A cold, buzzing voice materialized from directly behind them.
"Who's there?!" Both Androids whirled around, combat protocols flaring. The road was empty.
"Your perception is lacking." A hand clamped down on 17's shoulder from behind. It was Cell, having fled directly into their path. "How fortuitous. To find both of you here saves me so much trouble."
"Who are you?" 17 asked, his voice still calm despite the vise-like grip. "Judging by your words, you've been hunting us. Are you Dr. Gero and Dr. Loke's secret project?"
Nearby, 18 made no move to help, supremely confident in 17's ability to handle any threat. This odd creature couldn't possibly be a match for him.
"A correct deduction. I am Cell. And while I'd love to… converse, time is a luxury Son Goku may soon deny us. So, if you would… please become part of me."
Before 17 could react, Cell's tail snapped up and over his head, its tip splitting open into a grotesque maw. It descended, engulfing 17's head. As 17 tensed to resist, Cell's free hand slammed against his back. A terrifying suction force erupted, draining 17's infinite energy at a monstrous rate. A wave of debilitating weakness flooded his systems, paralyzing his resistance.
'A critical error! I underestimated him!' 17's realization came too late. His body was being drawn inexorably into the tail's gullet.
"17! Quit fooling around! This isn't funny!" 18 called out, hands still on her hips. She assumed this was one of 17's eccentric games. But as she watched, horrified, as her brother was swallowed up to his knees, then his waist, the dreadful truth dawned.
"17?!" Panic seized her. She lunged forward, grabbing 17's remaining foot, and pulled with all her android strength, trying to wrench him free.
It was a fatal mistake.
Cell's tail expanded again, its maw yawning wider to engulf 18's arms and head in one swift motion. With her primary limbs trapped, her leverage was gone. Helplessly, she too was drawn in, consumed segment by segment alongside her brother. The tail bulged grotesquely, retracting and merging its contents back into Cell's main body.
"OOOOHHHH YEEEESSS! THE POWER… IT'S OVERFLOWING! HAHAHAHA!"
Cell's triumphant roar echoed through the mountains. His body began to convulse and reshape. The insectoid carapace smoothed and refined, his form expanding, becoming more powerful, more humanoid. A devastating, previously hidden energy signature—now too vast to conceal—erupted from him like a volcano, shaking the very air.
Perfect Cell had arrived.
---
High over the city, Goku stopped dead. His head snapped toward the mountains, his eyes wide. A vicious grin spread across his face.
"That energy… It's him! He's done it!" In a flash of golden light, he vanished, Instant Transmission carrying him toward the epicenter of the terrifying new power.