Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Viz video. I don't own Dragonball Z either! If any of the situations described below mirror those of actual events then you're living in a fantasy world.

A Chance Love Productions

Is proud to present

Chapter One

By Michael Fetter

And Kazblah

The building was too weak to support their weight.

Traveling by rooftop, Ranma and Ryouga were in a mad sprint away from their first encounter from the battle with the green menace. He'd been like nothing they'd faced before. An insect body with human proportion, only his power was more terrifying than his looks.

The fight lasted only a few minutes and in that time they'd already lost so much. It hadn't been a fight, rather a slaughter. The Kuno's, Ukyou and her two cross-dressing waitresses, even Happousai hadn't made it. It chilled Ranma to the bone to think of the creature's terrible laugh. The FREAK had enjoyed killing his friends!

"Oof!" Ranma and Ryouga dropped through the roof and landed awkwardly within the dress shop. Inside he could see why it hadn't supported their weight. Half of the storefront was demolished along with much of the inventory, shreds of cloth flitted about the room as they dropped in. Cell must have come through this area before he and the other fighters caught up with him in the Furinkan gymnasium.

~

The whole town was being evacuated when news bulletins started pooling in. Cell, a green monster who had turned numerous cities into ghost towns already, was walking down the highway picking off citizens trapped in gridlock. He simply strutted down the center divide with a malicious grim and stuck his tail into people's cars, the people withered and died in a matter of seconds.

"This is stupid, really stupid." Ranma muttered as he looked around the assembled fighters in the dojo. Akane had decided to assemble everyone she could, despite Ranma's protests, and here they stood, milling about, most edgier than Gosunkgi after a coffee binge.

Happousai and Cologne looked grim standing next to him. Their thoughts seemed to parallel his own. The others, his fiancees, enemies, and family turned on him with some annoyance. But Ranma didn't back down even when his mother tightened the grip on her katana. How could have let this happen?

"Baka! We're here for our own safety!" Akane spat, her face turning red. Her hands were balled up into tight fists, filled with more rage and fear than Ranma had seen in all their time together. "If that monster shows up around here we'd be safer together. It's called safety in numbers, you baka!" She waved her arms around the assembled fighters.

Ranma snorted. After the fight with Saffron, Ranma's ki reserves and control were good enough that he could take on everyone here and at least go down with most of them. The monster they saw on the television before it blanked out was worse than Saffron, however. There was so much power radiating from the green menace that even Mousse could sense his ki and Cell wasn't even in the city!

There wasn't any time to pander to Akane and the others like he normally would. This was serious. "Ya stupid tomboy! Cell is a killer! Stronger than anything we've ever faced before! You think we can defend ourselves?! We'd all likely be dead in a few minutes!" He saw her flinch and her jaw tighten. Ryouga looked ready to yell back, but he restrained himself, knowing full well that Ranma was right. "All ya did was put the biggest pot of ki this city has into one place for him to dine on!"

Akane's lip quivered and she started to stomp forward with her hand pulling another mallet from subspace.

The red mallet exploded with a touch of Cologne's staff. "Son-in-law is right." She and Happousai had been feeling for Cell's aura as he got closer, gaining a better understanding for just how powerful Cell was. She was surprised that Ranma hadn't gone to challenge the alien after seeing the news. The boy must have learned quite a deal from his confrontation with Saffron, she surmised. "Cell is far too powerful for any of you to handle, even together."

Ranma looked ready to tear his hair out with his own hands as he wheeled on Cologne. "Then why the hell didn't we just gather everyone up and head for the hills or something?!" He wasn't a coward, but he understood that some things you can not hope to face and survive.

Akane knocked Cologne's staff out of her face and spat, "Because unlike some people, we can't live off the land like you! We'd all starve up there instead of-"

"Instead of getting picked off one by one here by some mass murderer?" Everyone was shocked to see Ryouga cut Akane off. He crossed his arms and stared the girl down. "What do you think he's going to do, Akane? Track each and everyone of us down or pass on to the next town? Though I hate to admit it, Ranma is right. We'd have a better chance running."

A radio was still ticking away in the background, tuned into the news on Cell's whereabouts. Evacuation procedures were being made for most of the cities, but some had attempted making shelters. One had been located in the gymnasium of "Cell has arrived in Nerima and is heading for Furinkan High!"

The room gasped. People they knew, Nabiki, Kasumi, Tendou-san, friends from school, they were all there now. Nothing Ranma had said could keep Tendou-san from dragging his other two daughters there. He swore aloud and rushed for the dojo's entrance.

"Ranma! Where are you going?!" Akane growled, her anger rising again.

Stopping at the door to stare at the others, Ranma's face turned red and veins appeared over his forehead. "Where the hell do you think I'm going, ya stupid macho chick! I'm gettin over to the high school! Maybe I can slow Cell down enough for the people sheltered there to make a run for it!"

Akane turned white and her hands began to tremble. Ryouga passed by her and followed Ranma out the door, passing a nod to his temporary comrade. "Let's do it, Ranma."

Taking a second, Ranma nodded back and they left.

"So the vile sorcerer has a heart after all. I would do well to stand at his side in his moment of honor." Kuno placed a hand over his family's honor blade and ran out the door with his sister close by. Shampoo, Mousse, and Ukyou only took a moment to consider the suicide mission before heading out the door.

"Husband." Nodoka spoke with command in her voice. Genma didn't protest, simply grabbed Nodoka up into his arms and took off after their son.

Cologne tapped her cane against Akane's leg. "You wanted to defend, girl. Now is your chance."

Balling up her trembling hands, Akane swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back down at the two old martial artists at her side.

"Don't worry, my girl." Happousai smiled, tapping his pipe into his other hand. "I won't anything happen to any of my pretty girls!"

She almost smirked. They raced after Ranma and the others.

~

Ryouga groaned and turned onto his back after the fall. "Dammit."

Dust from the new hole in the shop's roof was settling over their bodies. Overhead dark clouds were forming, but the day had been dark for a lot longer. Ranma's hands were bleeding around the knuckles, still suffering from the few blows he'd delivered to the monster. The thing was tougher than Ryouga and fast. He knew it was suicide to face the thing, but still, he'd hoped they could make a stand against him. Fresh blood ran down his fist as it tightened. Ranma ground his teeth as curses ran through his mind.

"Did anyone else make it out, ya think?" Ryouga asked, still staring up at the hole. His side had taken a bad hit from Cell's tail. There was probably a broken rib or two along with any other injuries. Ranma had had to support him through much of their race through the city.

Pulling himself up to his knees, Ranma looked around their surroundings. It was forebodingly quiet in this part of the city. There were cases set up around the room with glittering objects. A pink dress slipped off the case to land beside some matching shoes and a black purse. Ranma swore aloud this time. Cell's progress was being reported and people had still been out shopping! This wasn't a dress shop, there were suits and jeans and shoes in here as well. The clothing was all that remained of the people Cell had killed!

"I'm sure." Ranma grit his teeth, trying more to convince himself than Ryouga. Akane at least had gotten away thanks to Happousai. Even if the old goat was the most perverted freak on the planet, she was safer with him than Cell. "They'll probably converge somewhere to assess their position now that most of the city is gone."

Ryouga nodded. "That monster has to be stopped. If we can't do it, there aren't many others who can."

Damn! They should have left the city when they had the chance! At least then Ukyou, Tsubasa, Konatsu, and the Kunos would be alive! Breathing hard, Ranma got to his feet and grabbed Ryouga's arm. They had to find the rest and put an end to Cell. This was no longer about keeping people alive, this was about stopping Cell no matter what it took.

Groaning, Ryouga let himself be pulled to his feet. They checked up and down the street before heading for the nearest place everyone would gather in: the Nekohanten.

~

"Hurry, Ukyou! Get those people outta there!" Ranma yelled as he and the strongest fighters in their group stood off against Cell. The killer had gotten there minutes ahead of them and had blown up half the building people where hiding in. Hundreds had been crushed by the falling debris.

Ukyou, Konatsu, Tsubasa, and his parents were directing the survivors out of the area, doing what they could to defend them from Cell's attacks. Akane had gone rushing into the crowd as soon as she arrived in search of her family. A few moments later she had come back out with only Kasumi's blue hair ribbon in her hand.

On the sides, dodging swipes of Cell's tail, Happousai and Cologne were tossing around ki blasts and a multitude of other energy attacks Ranma had never seen before today. But no matter what they did, Cell regenerated and simply swatted the attacks aside like they were nothing.

"Each of you is quite strong!" Cell laughed even as he rushed Ryouga with a heavy punch to the face. The 'Lost Boy' flew off into Kodachi and they both fell to the ground. "But not strong enough!"

Kodachi screamed as Cell's tail punctured her chest. She wasted away to dust in a few seconds. Ryouga had only barely dodged the attack meant for him by rolling off of Kodachi where they landed.

"Foul demon! You shall suffer a thousand deaths at the hand of Kuno!" Tatewake cried as he raced forward with his katana slipping through the air at blinding speeds. He got no closer than a few feet before Cell's tail lashed out again and caught Tatewaki in the thigh.

"You bastard!" Akane's fist was flaming red as she rushed in with tears streaming down her eyes. In her fury she did not see Cell's tail whip about again in her direction.

Fortunately for her, Ryouga did see it and tossed himself in the way, taking a snap from Cell's tail in the side for his troubles.

Akane continued on, not seeing Ryouga knocked through what remained of the gymnasium wall. She connected solidly with her fist, only to scream in pain a moment later as she pulled back her broken hand. Cell smirked at her and tilted his head back into position. "Nice try, little girl. Now feel mine!"

Happousai, drained of much of his energy, still had enough to pick Akane out of the air as she was struck across the face.

Settling his sights back on Cell, Ranma's aura raged forward another notch. "Get her outta here, Happousai!" He didn't see the old man nod, but knew they were leaving.

Closer to the crowd now, Cell started working over the running citizens quickly.

"Oh no you don't!" Ukyou hefted her battle spatula high and brought it down with a big swing.

Cell caught the giant kitchen utensil and snapped it in half without a thought. His tail missed the chef by the smallest of margins as she was pushed out of the way by Tsubasa. "Oh, that wasn't too bad." Cell commented and lunged for Ukyou again. Without her spatula, there was little Ukyou could do. The spine at the end of Cell's tale pierced her eye, killing her before she had a chance to scream.

"Ucchan!" Ranma gasped and watched his friend's body wither away. The kunoichi next to Ukyou dropped to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably until Cell also took him.

Laughing, Cell flicked the kunoichi's kimono off of his tail and went looking for his next victim.

"Son-in-law." Cologne called out from the sidelines. "I would suggest a strategic retreat!"

"Then go!" Ranma roared. He'd seen his best friend killed along with others he'd known. There was no backing down from this fight while his anger was the one in control. Rushing in, Ranma flipped over Cell's tail and landed both feet against his face. Feeling no give, Ranma rolled onto the ground and onto his feet, shooting up again quickly to catch Cell under the chin with a Moko Takabisha. The power of his attack was enough to tip the monster over at least.

Ranma tried to follow through with a few good hits, but Cell knocked him away in a second. He twisted again in the air and rubbed his sore arms. Ryouga was just behind him, leaning against a tree as he stood. "We can't win here, Ranma."

"And we can't leave either." Ranma snapped. "We're all that's left!" His parents had gotten the last of the innocent people out of the school grounds. For a second he'd been frightened that his mother would try to defend Ukyou as well, but his father grabbed her about the waist and they ran for it like everyone else.

"Leave that to me, son-in-law." Cologne jumped down a few meters away from Cell and shot an uppercut that wouldn't connect. Violent winds suddenly picked up around Cell and pulled at everything that was not nailed down. Mousse threw in a few weapons to hopefully slice Cell up while he was trapped within the tornado. "Let's hurry n-"

"Hahaha! Going so soon?!" Cell chuckled, floating in the air outside of the tornado, which was dying quickly.

Mousse gasped and released another barrage of weapons as everyone ran in a different direction.

~

Ranma and Ryouga didn't get far before they heard the sounds of fighting again. The streets and buildings were mainly intact, but empty clothing was strewn all around the place. Ranma had tried to push the anger aside, but then his eyes would find another empty shirt beside a pile of dust.

"Monster! How dare you strike Shampoo!"

Ryouga looked up. "That sounded like Mousse."

Ranma nodded. They stood there for another moment deciding whether or not they should help, facing off against Cell now would not be smart with Ryouga hurt. Ranma looked at the 'Lost Boy' and received a nod in return.

Grimacing from the pain, Ryouga stood up on his own and took a deep breath. They both ran at full tilt down the street and around the corner where they heard Mousse's scream.

Moving in synchronized format, Ryouga rushed over to Shampoo's side where she had fallen unconscious after being smacked against the side of a building, the brick wall cracked like a giant spider web around her body.

Cell was dueling with Mousse, but it was obvious the Amazon was about to lose. Ranma ran to the blind boy just in time to deflect Cell's tail from claiming another victim. Mousse spared a quick smile to his savior before he heard a scream.

Ryouga gasped and looked back down at his arms, the weight of Shampoo's body having dwindled to nothing.

"Bastard!" Mousse screamed, pulling out two of the largest Chinese flat swords Ranma had ever scene. "Now you will DIE!!"

Much to their surprise, Cell caught the two blades with his forearm, an aura of red ki protecting his green mottled skin. "Temper, temper, boy." Cell taunted just before sapping Mousse's strength. A number of blades tinkled onto the ground along with the white robes of the Hidden Weapons Master.

Staring in shock, Ranma didn't see Cell advancing this time, his eyes trailing the line of dust being swept away by the air.

"Move, you fool!" Ryouga screamed, knocking Ranma out of the way and into the street ditch. He turned and just avoided the spine as it passed by. Following through with his spin, Ryouga was put in perfect position to land a punch against Cell's chin. He did so with relish, feeling a satisfying give as the green murderer tripped backwards onto his back.

Snarling, "You'll pay for that, human." Cell snapped out one of his legs to bring Ryouga to the ground with him. As Ryouga landed with a scream of pain riding up his side, Cell perched his tail over the boy's body.

Shaking off a bit of confusion, Ranma got out of the water, brushing the red locks out of her eyes, and found Ryouga about to be absorbed like the rest. She didn't think, only acted as she thought best. They may have been enemies some of the time, but Ranma still thought of Ryouga as a friend.

"Back off, you asshole!" Ranma-chan screamed and lunged atop of Ryouga, screening his body with her own. She had intended to lift the boy up, but he was a dead weight and did not have enough ki left after the first fight to help. Her scream woke Ryouga up and he saw her draped over his body with Cell's tail sticking out of her thigh.

Without thinking, Ryouga grabbed the spine and pulled it free and began to run with an unconscious Ranma-chan in his arms.

~

"So that's it." Goku finished. He was an impressive man with a powerful build. Standing near six feet tall, Goku's voice only added to the feeling of authority and strength that many associated with him. He wore the traditional red-orange gi with the symbol of his last master on the back. Blue weights were affixed to his wrists and ankles that matched the blue undershirt he wore.

He stood before three other individuals much like himself, though two of them were only half-breeds. He and the man growling at him were known as Saiyajins, a powerful race of people born to fight. With the destruction of their home world, he and Vegita were all that remained of the once mighty race and it was up to them to reclaim that power.

Behind Goku, two large doors waited to be opened. They led to the Chamber of Time and Space on Kami's temple on earth. Simply being a Super Saiyajin was no longer enough for the four people. The creature, Cell, which they must now face was capable of levels exceeding those of a regular Super Saiyajin. Goku had spent the last few minutes describing the function of the chamber and how it could be used to increase a person's strength. For every year passed inside the Chamber only a day was spent in the real world.

"Perfect." Vegita grinned coldly at the doors. "I will go first and become the strongest Saiyajin in the universe and then I shall destroy Cell as the insignificant insect he is."

"Hold up, Vegita." Goku put his hand on the Saiyajin Prince. "The Chamber can take up to two people at a time. Why not have Trunks with you. I've been in there before and it could drive a lone man insane."

Staring at the hand on his shoulder, Vegita slowly began to growl. He had no need of a weak have breed son from the future. He was the Prince of all Saiyajins and could overcome anything without help, especially help from a peasant like Kakorotto. "I am the greatest of all Saiyajins. I need no one."

"That may be." Goku's voice maintained a commanding tone, but it was not harsh. "But I'm sure Trunks could use your help."

Vegita looked at the platinum haired boy. He was strong enough to become a Super Saiyajin, unlike Kakorotto's son, Gohan. Trunks was also weak because he would not sacrifice others to achieve his own ends, that meant vulnerability. He would have to mold the boy into a true Saiyajin or he would be forced to rule over a bunch of weaklings. "Fine." Vegita growled and proceeded past the taller Saiyajin.

Trunks stood there stunned for a moment. He hadn't thought his father would actually consent to the idea after knowing him for the past few days. Vegita had always seemed indifferent to other people's suffering. When the androids were caught on the road, Vegita had scoffed at the other fighters as weak and useless, but after only a few minutes he was being beaten into the ground by the female android, 18.

"Go on." Goku prompted the boy. "Your dad's not so bad once you get to know him."

Trunks quirked an eyebrow in a way as though to ask if Goku was living in the same world he was. Still, the Vegita in his time was long dead and this would be his perfect chance to really understand who his father was.

"Good luck and train hard!" Gohan had called out. Trunks waved back to the fourteen-year-old boy on his way in.

More than sixteen hours had passed since Vegita and Trunks had entered the chamber. Goku and Gohan had spent the time waiting in the courtyard of Kami's home. Both would far rather be training than sitting around. With nothing but free time they could feel the battles occurring below.

"Hey dad, did you feel that?" Gohan asked. He was standing near the edge of the courtyard and looking down onto the earth over three miles below.

Goku nodded. They could both feel Cell's power slowly growing as he absorbed the energy of people in the cities. Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Kuillin, and Bulma had been trying to find a way to either kill Cell or destroy the androids that would complete his evolution. So far they were having trouble catching up to the green menace. The androids expended no ki and were therefore impossible to find.

"Whoever it was," Gohan continued, "their power level was so small I'm surprised they were able to hold Cell in one place for so long. It ought to be easier for the others to catch up now."

They hoped so anyway, but even if Piccolo and the others did catch Cell the outcome of a confrontation was still uncertain.

~

It was late by the time Ranma-chan woke up again. Her senses felt strange. There was a new tingle that ran the length of her body. Rolling her head, which felt heavy, she could see the girl body that was her curse. This was nothing new considering she often woke up in her cursed form at home as well.

The drowsiness was leaving her, but slowly. There was a pain in the back of her leg, which she felt was wrapped with some cloth. It was a miracle she and Ryouga had escaped the last encounter with Cell at all.

Groaning, Ranma pulled himself into a sitting position and found Ryouga watching her carefully. Concern and nervous tension seemed to war over the 'Lost Boy's' countenance. He had his side wrapped to hold the broken ribs in place and all the other scratches were clotting. A small fire was set between them with a pot of hot water set on top of it.

She rolled her neck and felt a few things pop. "Hand me some o'that water, willya?"

Ryouga hesitated then shook his head. "We should save it for the food."

"Oh, give me a break, Ryouga." Ranma's voice was relaxed rather than the forced male tone that she usually tried to employ in her cursed form. But Ranma was too tired to notice or care. "I don't need that much anyway."

"No." He slapped Ranma-chan's hand away and picked up the pot of hot water. "Let's not waste it. We may be out here for a while."

Ranma looked around and thought the place looked familiar. Most of the buildings were intact, only a few partially destroyed, but she wasn't sure. "C'mon, we can just get some outta somebody's tap. Now give me the water."

Ryouga again refused her grasping hand.

Snarling, Ranma was at her snapping point. First Akane calls them all together without thinking things through, then Cell attacks and in one foul swoop he loses most of her friends and family. Another fight with Cell and she had a killer pain running through her leg, her senses were all fucked up. Now Ryouga wants to keep her from the hot water so he can stare at her female body or something?! "Just hand it over, bacon breath!"

Ryouga pulled the hot water out of the way, but left himself open to be tackled by the angered redhead. They both fell to the ground with the hot water spilling over the both of them.

The fire crackled from the bit of dirt that had fallen into its flames. Ranma-chan ended up lying on top of Ryouga and staring into his eyes with a wild expression, he thought of the deer standing before an oncoming car.

Swallowing hard, Ryouga waited for what would happen next. Steam was rising over each of them as they lie there for nearly a minute while Ranma slowly started to realize she was not dreaming, but was actually covered with hot water and still . . a girl. Why wasn't she surprised?

"You knew."

Ryouga nodded at her accusation. He'd tried earlier to wake Ranma up with a splash of warm water and fix his gender at the same time. A male Ranma was much stronger than a female one. When it hadn't worked he tried to concentrate on the fire and the slowly boiling water. But even his grumbling stomach hadn't distracted him from the wet shirt clinging to a very female Ranma. Almost an hour passed before Ranma woke and during that time horrific thoughts of what a martial artist capable of killing a god would do to him.

Her jaw clenched as she sat up and pulled herself off of Ryouga. Shaking fists at her side, she stared down on the 'Lost Boy' with hatred. Rationally Ranma understood that this wasn't really Ryouga's fault. Somehow Cell had done this to her during the fight, but it didn't help that she'd lost her male body while protecting the jerk!

Red flames, Ranma-chan began to growl, "Ryouga-"

"Ah, Son-in-law, I'm glad you made it."

"Huh?" Ranma whipped around to find Cologne standing near the threshold of the Nekohaten's backdoor. "Ryouga no baka!" Where the mallet came from, she didn't know, but it helped her vent some of her frustration.

Grabbing a fistful of dazed Ryouga, Ranma-chan dragged the boy into the restaurant after Cologne. Inside was dark and cold without the heater or any of the stoves on. Akane was watching the backdoor through tears, her arms wrapped about her legs as she rocked on her chair. Happousai was there, smoking his pipe, distracted in his thoughts.

"Ranma!" Akane jumped off her chair as soon as she saw the redhead enter the door.

Without protest, Ranma-chan allowed her fiancee to grab her about the shoulders and weep onto her shoulder. What was this she was feeling? Ranma put one of her arms around Akane and tried to soothe the girl's fear and loss. In all likelihood, Akane had lost her entire family this day. When Ranma woke up, Cell having not killed her and Ryouga, she assumed he must have gone back for the easy pickings of the crowd following their parents. There was at least no sign of any of them making it back here. Why was there none of the usual electricity? Her heart hadn't even fluttered with the contact.

Akane pulled back and smiled at the short, pretty redhead in her hands. "I'm so glad you're alive. After . . After I heard what . . what happened . . ."

Ranma caught herself from provoking Akane and just offered the girl a wane smile. In her anger, Ranma would likely spout enough curses to offend the demon Cell. She turned to Cologne and Happousai who were waiting for the reunion to end. "I've got a problem."

"That's all we seem to have, son-in-law." Cologne nodded sadly.

Ranma shook his head. "I don't think ya can even call me son-in-law anymore."

Happousia perked up a bit, but kept to his seat.

Hopping closer on her cane, Cologne took a close look at Ranma's aura and sighed. "I see." Sad eyes, Cologne looked up into Ranma-chan's blue eyes. "Could you have beaten Saffron as a girl?"

"I doubt it." Ranma's jaw tightened. "But I could probably hold back Cell a bit. He's strong and fast, but no skill."

"And how do you plan on doing that . . Ranma?" Happousai asked. Calling the cursed boy Ranma-chan probably wasn't what the situation called for. He noticed that Akane hadn't yet truly released the short redhead.

"Me and Ryouga keep him distracted. I'll just have to adjust my style to something more passive aggressive, but it'll be up ta you two ta take him down."

Cologne quirked an eyebrow. "And how do you suppose we do that?"

Her teeth ground in irritation. "Hell! You two are supposed to be the most powerful and experienced martial artists in the world! Think of something!"

"Ranma, calm down." Akane placed her hand against the redhead's cheek.

Ranma-chan returned Akane's gesture with a glare. The stupid tomboy should have listened. But she never listened, and now . . "Aauggh!" Her hand snapped the wood table in front of her in two. She breathed through her nose and tried to gain control of herself once again. Her eyes alight with fire, she turned back to Happousai and Cologne. "Get together your strongest attacks and let's go find Cell."

Finally, Cologne and Happousai nodded. The old Amazon went into her back room for whatever devices she would need. The lecher sat down to review all of the techniques in his mind, chewing at the end of his pipe in concentration.

Ryouga got up off the ground after he recovered enough and sat down in one of the booths holding his head. He'd heard the plan and it was probably the best they had. He, Ranma, and the old masters were all that remained and it was going to be up to them to avenge those who died today. He felt a twist in his gut at the thought of going out there to distract Cell.

Akane grabbed Ranma-chan's hand. "What about me?"

"You stay here."

"Hey!" Akane dropped the hold and stomped her feet. "I'm a martial artist too!"

Slap!

The room was startled into silence as Ranma-chan put her hand back down to her side, glaring at Akane with equal measures of pain and anger. "Don't you even try it this time, Akane. You're better'n most out there, but Shampoo, Mousse, Ukyou, Konatsu, Tsubasa, the Kunos, even our pops are dead! There is nothing you can do now but run or DIE!"

Her lip quivering, Ranma grabbed her fiancee by the lapels dragged her face down closer. In a small voice, "And I don't want you to die too."

Akane still hadn't gotten over the fact she'd been slapped by Ranma. Her hand was resting over her right cheek and her eyes were stared wide open at the redhead. Unable to maintain her gaze on the troubled blue eyes, Akane looked at the ground and nodded. She shuffled to a seat beside Ryouga at the booth and remained silent.

"I have what I need, Ranma." Cologne entered the customer area with a clear gem, about the size of a baseball, in her hands.

"Is that-"

"Dragon's Fire." Cologne nodded at Happousai. It was a focus gem for multiplying the strength of someone's ki blasts. Her strongest ki attack amplified by the object would likely overload the relic and destroy it after one use, but it would be worth it to avenge her great-granddaughter and Mousse.

Ranma looked over at Ryouga who nodded and stood up. He was still in pain, but he was getting used to it. Almost.

"I'm sorry, Ranma, but I can't come." Happousai spoke sadly.

Her anger rising, Ranma turned on the old lech who was trying to weasel his way out of this fight. Didn't it matter to him that his family and students were nearly gone?! Didn't the pervert have a decent and noble bone in his entire shriveled little body?! "What?!"

Meekly, "I don't have the energy to use my attacks. I burned off most of my ki on the first fight with Cell and then later with protecting Akane as I carried her back here." He looked about the room and cried. "And there aren't any panties here for me to get energy from!!!"

Ranma's hand shot out and grabbed the old pervert by the front of his gi. Her lips were pulled back in a snarl as she stared at the man with fire in her eyes. "I ain't gonna enjoy this, but I need yer help, old lech."

Ryouga and Akane stared at her in amazement as she stuffed Happousai into her cleavage and restrained her self from killing him.

"Just get the energy ya need and then get the hell off!" Ranma snapped. She knew this would take a while, so he would be hanging there, fondling her breasts, probably for a few minutes at least. Snarling as she felt Happousai begin to rub himself all over her chest, Ranma started stomping for the door. "Let's just go!"

~

Nerima was looking no different than the other cities they had already been to in search of Cell or the Androids. A few blasted buildings and a number of articles of clothing lying on the streets or near the edge of town. There didn't seem to be anyway for these people to survive when Cell came. He was a brush fire that consumed everything.

Piccolo was leading them into the fights now. He was the strongest after fusing with Kami. They weren't certain if he was strong enough to defeat the Androids, but for now he should be able to take Cell. Though his power has been growing, Cell thus far had only absorbed the strength of ordinary people. No great leaps in power were being made.

"I feel something." Kuillin announced. He closed his eyes to concentrate; it didn't take long. "Over there," Kuillin pointed, "Cell is fighting someone fairly strong."

Piccolo and the rest nodded after feeling the auras themselves. The powers were small compared to their own, even to Cell's, but the fact that they were still fighting told them these others were good. Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien, and Kuillin powered up a bit more to hopefully catch Cell before he could escape again.

It took them no more than a half a minute to locate Cell and the other fighters. Tien and Yamcha were ready to jump into the fight and protect the weaker fighters when Piccolo put out his hand to stop them. "Don't interfere." His voice allowed no room for argument. "This is personal fight."

Blinking, the rest landed on the a nearby rooftop with Piccolo to watch the fight. What they saw . . they would never forget.

Standing in the center of a parking lot, wreathed with red flames and tearing across the area with enough speed to leave a trail of dust, was a young girl, maybe eighteen, in a loose Chinese shirt and black kicking pants, gracefully jumping about as she skillfully dodged and countered each of Cell's attacks.

"Woh!" Yamcha exclaimed as he watched. "Who's the chick?"

"Don't know." Kuillin answered. "But she's good."

Tien, all three eyes darting back and forth to study the fight, nodded in agreement. "She's not as fast, but it's like she can tell what he's going to do next."

Yamcha was about ready to remark on her looks when he winced in sympathy as Cell finally got in a good hit. The redhead was knocked through the air and into a nearby wall. With the extra time, Cell looked at his broken arm and screamed, holding it straight out. Impossibly, the elbow corrected itself and his arm was returned to perfect condition. "Well, well, I'm rather impressed, girl. You've done much better than any of those other fighters I've met up with so far. It'll be a treat to absorb your energy."

"EAT THIS!" The redhead burst out of the wall, flames higher than before. She ducked in past Cell's tail and jumped up to face level with him. "KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"

The four Z-fighters watched with some awe as the girl's arms began to blur with incredibly fast punches. None of the hits were very strong, but the shear number of them raining down on Cell in such a short amount of time tripped him up. The girl continued the execution of her speed technique while running around Cell's body, avoiding the swing of his tail. She was holding Cell up with the blows!

"Man." Yamcha whistled. "She keeps this up and we won't get to fight at all!" The others looked at him oddly. "Not that I want to fight Cell or anything!" He shouted defensively.

~

It wasn't hard tracking Cell. His massive power signature was not being masked and the intensity told them Cell was still in the city.

They ran by way of rooftop until they were close to his position and dropped down to the streets. It was another school, a little school that had been used as a second shelter for the public. The buildings were mainly untouched except for bullet holes. Somewhere within the building Cell was sapping the strength out of the last of the huddled people. It was time to call the murderer out.

Ranma-chan began to power up, sending tendrils of her ki to licking the sky. "CELL!"

"Yowch!" Happousai jumped off her chest finally and waved his burnt hands around a bit. Ranma's aura had grown so quickly that he hadn't had time to build up his ki defenses. Her shirt was still open, but covered her chest enough to keep Ryouga from passing out.

The 'Lost Boy' stole a quick glance then looked away with his face red from more than just the light of Ranma-chan's aura.

Bricks flew outwards in a spray as Cell answered the call, floating in the air and smirking at the group of four. "What's this? The little girl brought her boyfriend and Grandparents?" Cell taunted. "Or did you hope to distract me with your shirt open?"

Scowling, Ranma stopped herself from closing up her shirt since it would tie up her hands. Cell moved fast enough that he could knock her out before she got to the first button. "Laugh it up green boy cause yer gonna be pushin up daisies in a bit!"

"I doubt that little girl!" Cell laughed and then suddenly lunged at the redhead.

"DRAGON'S FIRE!"

Cell was caught completely off-guard by the power of Cologne's attack. He was slammed through the school's concrete walls and out the other side by a surge of orange-gold energy that erupted from the crystal in Cologne's hands.

Everyone held their breath as they waited to see the results of the attack. Ranma hadn't expected Cologne to go straight to it, but save it if they got into real trouble. The old ghoul was on her hands and knees panting for breath when Ranma-chan landed beside her. The crystal was broken and there were scorch marks running along the blast's trajectory.

"Nice shot, Cologne." Happousai commented, standing in front of the two girls just in case.

Ryouga was still staring at the obliterated portion of the school when the ground began to rubble. "Uh, I don't think that's your stomach, Ranma."

The group got ready for anything, Cologne hobbling to the sidelines until she recovered enough of her strength.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" The area started to glow a sickly green, not all of it coming from the injured Ryouga. "Was that your best shot?! It'll take much more than that, old timer!"

Ranma-chan put herself between Cologne and the emerging Cell, flanking Happousai as he began to build up his own perverted purple aura.

Cell slowly rose out of the crumbling building swathed in power. There were cuts running down his chest and shoulders, most of his body singed. He narrowed his eyes at Cologne. "You're going to pay for that with your life, you fossil."

Seemingly from nowhere, Happousai pulled out some of his lit bombs. "You'll have to go through me first!" The others looked at him surprised as he seemed to be mad at Cell for threatening Cologne. "I can not forgive you for taking away all of my pretty girls!"

Oh well, the moment passed. Cell almost laughed but Happousai began tossing his bombs. The resulting explosion knocked Ryouga and Ranma off their feet. They landed over a dozen feet from where they had been and stared as Happousai continued to pull out bomb after bomb, tossing them where a large black cloud of debris was forming about Cell.

"Geez." Ranma-chan stared wide-eyed. "He got all that power from rubbing his face in my chest?"

Cologne smirked and patted Ranma on the shoulder. "No, he had those bombs in subspace all along. He's saving his real attack for later."

Ranma-chan smiled sheepishly. "I guess that would make more sense."

Smiling triumphantly at the slowly dissolving smoke cloud, Happousai stuck the end of his pipe into his mouth and waited to see the bruised and battered Cell lying on the ground.

Ryouga stood back up on his feet and started forward to see the results of this attack when Ranma-chan grabbed his arm. "It's not over yet."

He gave her a questioning look then felt for Cell's power. Ryouga gasped and took a step back. "H-He survived all of that?!"

Happousai had lost his smile as the cloud dissolved faster to reveal Cell staring back at him coldly. "You're pretty strong for a big cockroach." Happousai commented dryly.

Growling, Cell suddenly sped up and engaged Happousai in a full out ki war. Green and purple energy clashed and brought up violent wind storms as the two fighters pushed at each other's barriers. The noise was overwhelming; Ranma could barely hear Ryouga yelling at her as they held onto the school wall for support.

"ANYTHING GOES FINAL ATTACK!" The purple aura spiked higher into the air as sparks flew about the school's courtyard. In the center of it all, Ranma-chan could barely make out the form of Happousai holding his hands up to the air. "HENTAI STAR!!!"

Ranma would have rolled her eyes but the sudden descending energy bolt sent the wall she was clinging to tumbling to the ground. Ryouga had barely managed to snag Cologne out of the air before she was lost in the wind. The area lit up with a perverted light that made everyone feel a little queasy as it began to fade.

A large portion of the school and surrounding area had been wiped away in the blast's tidal energy. Happousai stood at the destruction's center, holding himself up on shaky legs.

"That was good, old man."

Ranma gasped as she realized Happousai was really only standing because he was being supported by Cell's spine driven into his body. The old pervert faded to dust in a matter of moments.

"Yes." Cell examined his flexing hand. "I feel stronger than Piccolo now!" With a grin, Cell found the other fighters sprawled over the ground a short distance away from him. The old woman was held in the fanged boy's hand. "You should be quite a snack as well."

Cell disappeared and then reappeared only a few steps away from Ryouga. There was not time to react as Cell's tail snapped out to absorb Cologne.

"AAAaaug . ."

"Holy-!" Ryouga dropped the old woman's robes and scrambled backwards as quickly as he could. It wasn't fast enough as Cell knocked him hard in the face into Ranma-chan. Both landed in a heap and stared as Cell poised his tail over the both of them.

"Now then." Cell looked between the girl and the boy. "Who should be next?"

"NOOO!!"

A mallet, like the hammer of Thor, descended upon Cell's head and continued into the ground, burying the green monster deeply into the earth. Growling with red energy, Akane stood up and slapped her hands free of the dust, glaring at the hole she'd created as if daring Cell to rise up again.

Gaping in surprise, Ranma and Ryouga sat up and stared at the hole and then Akane's proudly smiling face. She had her hands crossed over her chest, a toothy grin wide enough to encompass the sun. "Are you two perverts just going to sit there all day?"

Ryouga was the first to jump to his feet. "Yatta! Way to go Akane!"

Still sitting on the ground, Ranma-chan slowly brought herself up to her knees, keeping a wary eye on the hole. It couldn't have been that easy. Cologne and Happousai had thrown their most powerful attacks, attacks that had left the area devastated. She wasn't going to start celebrating until she saw Cell's corpse carved into a hundred pieces and launched into the sun.

Ryouga was rushing over to give Akane a crushing hug when Ranma's fears were answered. The ground shook violently and bits of gravel began to float on the surplus energy being generated.

"What?!" Akane looked down to the hole and gasped. "AAUGGHHH!"

The energy Cell was creating forced Ryouga backwards through the air until he landed close to where Ranma-chan still sat. His tail sank deeply into Akane's thigh. Her skin went from the slight tan to a sick paleness that spread over her body, draining color from her hair and eyes. The skin shriveled until she was nothing but bones, and then they fell away into a fine dust.

"NOOOOOOO!"

Cell smirked and disentangled his spine from the yellow gi that piled onto the ground where Akane had been. The sound of their anguish was sweet in his ears. He laughed uproariously as he watched them feed off of this anguish to fuel their own auras. They too should make quite a snack. There had been so much energy in this city, a variety of flavors that he'd never encountered before. The green aura's of the redhead and the fanged boy looked even more delightful!

Ryouga, the pain in his side forgotten in his grief, picked himself up and leapt into the air. In perfect unison, Ranma-chan rolled onto her feet and launched herself at Cell, staying low to the ground. She met up with him first and began to quickly riddle his body with ki-powered strikes at Amaguriken speed. Cell blocked a good number of them, but he could not divide his attention enough to keep track of Ryouga and was caught by a powerful double hammer fist to the back of the head. The ground cracked and splintered beneath the pressure of the attack, knocking Cell to the ground.

Ranma and Ryouga stood side by side, facing down Cell with hatred in their eyes. Their green auras grew as did their grief, soon bathing the battlefield with their anguished light. "You bastard!" Ryouga had tears in his eyes as he glared at the monster. "For killing Akane, PREPARE TO DIE!!!"

Cell laughed maliciously as he stood back up. "I can assure you that I won't be the one dying today, boy."

Ranma-chan wasted no words and began to race ahead as Ryouga tossed ki-powered bandanas around her. They kept Cell busy just enough for her to penetrate his defenses with only a glancing blow to her shoulder. One hand forward, she screamed, "MOKOU TAKABISHA!" and released the ki blast at point-blank range into Cell's face. The explosive power threw them in opposite directions, but Ryouga had been ready for this and held his umbrella ready, swinging it upwards to meet Cell's head.

Cell tried to growl something, but Ryouga quickly pivoted about on his foot after the swing of his umbrella and dropped his heel into Cell's face. He didn't fall this time, but shoved Ryouga's foot out of the way, forcing the 'Lost Boy' to roll away to skip the follow up of Cell's tail. "YOU MISERABLE INSECTS!" Cell growled and turned to look for the redhead. "HOW DARE YOU-!"

Ranma-chan caught him under the chin with a kick. "Less talk . . just DIE!" Her hands and feet blurred again though she was feeling the drain on her energy. It was her anger and despair that kept her going. Something suddenly squeezed her neck and pulled her into the air, choking.

Cell brought Ranma up to his face to smirked. "You know, you little worms have caused me more trouble than any other human on this miserable planet!"

Struggling vainly in his grip, Ranma-chan tried to kick her way free but the hits did nothing to weaken Cell's grip. Her vision was starting to darken as she hung there by her neck, hand wrapped about Cell's wrist. "You need . . a breath mint . . ugly."

Smirking, Cell brought back his fist to incave Ranma-chan's face.

"SHI SHI HOKODAN!"

The blast hit Cell squarely in the back, but he'd been ready for the attack this time and barely registered the attack. Calmly, he turned around to confront the boy, still holding Ranma-chan with one hand. "Oh yes, I almost forgot about you." Cell chuckled. "Then again, you seem like the kind that people forget easily, isn't that right?" Cell snapped out a kick that caught Ryouga in the chest and knocked him into the wall with a painful grunt, blood dribbling out of his mouth. With a casual flip of his wrist, Cell sent Ranma-chan rocketing in the same direction.

Ryouga spit up a bit more blood as he and Ranma-chan fell to the ground. "So . . now what, Ranma?" He asked, pain creasing lines across his face. "If you've got a plan I'd sure like to hear it now."

Up on hands and knees, Ranma-chan sucked in a deep breath and turned her bruised face towards Ryouga's. "Sorry, bud. I've only got enough energy for one more attack before I meet up with Akane on the other side," she smirked.

Turning up one side of his face into a grin, Ryouga nodded. "Well then, we'll just have to go see her together." Ryouga wanted nothing more than to damn Ranma for all that had happened and finish this fight with Akane at his side. But Akane wasn't here. It was down to Ranma-chan and him against the most monstrously powerful evil they'd ever faced. "Tell you what."

Ranma-chan helped Ryouga to his feet as Cell watched them with an amused glance. "What?"

"First to get to Cell and set off a perfect blast is the better martial artist. It'll be me, of course." He grinned at the little redhead.

Ranma nodded. "You're on, bacon breath."

Cell stood solidly on his feet as the two martial artists broke apart and rushed in for their last attempt to kill him. The redhead took the lead easily, but she was too weak to stand up against his attack. Cell swatted her away and caught the boy only a second behind her. He laughed and shook the boy by his neck. "You are the most annoying pair of humans I've ever had the pleasure of meeting!"

Within Cell's grasp Ryouga smirked and dropped his hands to his side. He whispered the words, "I win, Ranma". Ryouga screamed and brought his hands upwards to the sky and released an enormous amount of ki. "PERFECT SHI SHI HOKODAN!"

On her back, Ranma-chan could almost laugh as she watched the great swirling ball of green energy descend upon them. "You win, Ryouga."

The blast cleared away the last vestiges of the school and the surrounding houses. Every ounce of energy, every fiber of Ryouga's being had been placed behind the blast and it rolled across the earth in a shock wave like a tremendous tidal wave breaking over a beach.

Ranma-chan was spared from the blast with her body and soul shrouded in the same great depression. Her clothes were singed, flapping wildly in the wind with her hair, until everything began to settle down, dust hiding the world from her eyes.

Soft rain broke through the dust cloud and spattered over her face and body. Were they kisses from heaven? Ranma-chan's shoulders shook as her eyes filled with tears.

Cell's chuckling broke her from her momentary peace. The dust fell away in the rain and Cell stood there, battered worse than before, but still standing strong. Ryouga's shirt hung from the spine tipped tail of Cell's until he dropped it to the ground.

That's it, Ranma thought. They're gone now. They're all gone and I'm alone. They fought and argued, but they had been everything to Ranma. She would have given up anything to keep them safe and now . .

Ranma-chan felt a shuddering sob break loose the tears in her eyes.

Now, now all she had . .

A new aura flickered into being about her body as she slowly stood up, crouching slightly with her fingers splayed, ready to rip and tear. The blue aura of her confidence was surrounded by a corona of her hatred and anger.

Now all she had was . .

Ranma-chan's lips pulled back in a snarl that showed off her teeth, blood from her lip running down her chin.

. . revenge.

A feline growl stirred deep within her throat as she stared at the smirking monster in front of her. Her hands clenched once and then unfolded with sharp chi-blades sprouting from her fingers.

Blinking, Cell watched the feral redhead quickly climb up the power levels beyond that of the previous fighters had possessed. It should have been impossible. The two children had been at the end of the rope with their energy. Where was this new strength coming from?!

Ranma-chan roared up to the heavens, shaking away some of the clouds blocking the sun.

Annoyed and angry, Cell dropped into a serious fighting stance. "Little girl, you should have stayed dow - ARRGGHH!" Shallow cuts slashed across Cell's face and he put his right hand over them relfexively. The girl had been nowhere near him and yet she'd gotten through his defenses and caused him pain! "You bitch! For that I will-"

"You will WHAT?!" Ranma-chan growled, already jumping into the air and sending off another set of slashes. "DIE!!"

Cell screamed in pain again as the redhead pried away his hands and took a powerful bite out of his neck. With a grip on her pigtail, he swung her through the air before slamming her down onto the ground.

Green blood dripping down her jaw, Ranma-chan spit out the piece of flesh she'd taken from Cell and grinned. In a low stance, she flashed her green stained teeth, "I'm gonna tear you apart, Cell!"

Cell finally took the fight seriously and pushed more ki into his own reflexes. Whatever advantage Ranma had gotten with her new found control over the Neko-ken was lost as Cell's already superior strength and power were given greater speed. A single hit from the murderer could spell the end for her. Ranma's last tenuous advantage was in her greater agility and experience in the Art. Cell was telegraphing a great number of his attacks. Ranma-chan flipped backwards to avoid his hook and saw a muscle tense in his leg just in time to push off with her hands in a handstand to avoid the kick and knock Cell in the chin at the same time.

Slowly becoming more and more annoyed with his failure to connect, Cell lashed out wildly with one arm to hold the redhead still it worked, but he paid the price.

Ranma-chan found her chance to truly cripple the green monster as he threw a punch and hesitated while pulling it back. Her smaller body flipped around the arm, hands trailing along pressure points, she used natural leverage to snap the joint at Cell's elbow. She had a proud smile on her face until it wore Cell's right fist.

Smirking, Cell watched the redhead's body finally come to rest in a pile of broken bricks and clattering wood beams. That was the end of that. She had been strong for a human, but not as strong as him.

Cell examined his arm and had a moment of respect for the weak girl capable of doing this to him. It passed and he held it out to his side. With a scream, the arm healed itself and Cell only felt a small measure of his energy drained by the experience. This was one of the great benefits of having a piece of Piccolo's cells integrated with his body.

He was about ready to take off for the next city when he heard a feminine growling. "What?" Cell looked over to the collapsed wall of the store and saw a red glow emanating from its interior.

The world was filled with stars as Ranma-chan was hurtled through the air and crashed through the wall of a nearby ice cream parlor. She fell dazed within the rubble, unable to focus her eyes long enough to stop the dizziness. Her bit of ki had been all that kept her from losing her head just then.

Clawing at the brick and splintered wood, Ranma-chan slowly brought herself to a sitting position and could gaze back out to where Cell was examining his arm.

"HAAAA!!!"

She gasped as his arm and most of the cuts she'd given him healed. Cell flexed his arm and smirked in her direction. This couldn't be happening! Ranma-chan felt more of her strength fade as the futility of all of her effort finally sunk in. She couldn't do anything to beat Cell! He was a monster! A terrible, frightening monster she had no hope of beating!

"No." Ranma cracked the knuckles of her fist and gnashed her teeth. "There's a way and I'll find it if I have to kill him a thousand times!" She glared back out at the battlefield and saw Cell ready to leave. "Not yet you don't!" Ranma-chan growled, scraping up the last of the Neko-ken's power.

"Well, well, I'm rather impressed, girl. You've done much better than any of those other fighters I've met up with so far. It'll be a treat to absorb your energy." Cell powered up again for the fight with the redhead. This time he would put her down for good.

"EAT THIS!" The redhead burst out of the wall, flames higher than before. She ducked in past Cell's tail and jumped up to face level with him. "KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"

The hits were no longer strong enough to do anything but annoy Cell. His tail whipped about in an effort to swat or absorb her, but she jumped out of the way at the last second. In a sudden move, Cell brought his forehead down and connected with the redhead's face.

"Augh!" Ranma-chan dropped like a sack of potatoes. Her nose was freely flowing blood down her face. Cell didn't stop as she hit the ground. He followed through with a series of powerful hits to her stomach, face, and limbs.

Cell reveled as he listened to the sound of cracking bones that brought out more screams of pain from the girl. She had the sweetest voice when it was distorted by pain. After cracking a few ribs, Cell fractured her right shoulder blade and collarbone. Her scream was losing its strength as she began to succumb to the pain.

This was it. Ranma tried to protect herself, but Cell was too strong. The arm she used to block his hits was broken. A number of ribs were also broken and digging into organs, punctured lung, diaphragm, and who knew what else. There was no way she would survive for much longer. Her voice finally gave out and Ranma prayed for forgiveness, she couldn't kill this monster and avenge her family and friends. Please forgive me.

Cell paused and looked at the silent girl. She was no longer pretty or vibrant. Blood ran out of her nose and mouth along with a number of various points where bones protruded from her skin. There was no fun in toying with her anymore. He would dine on her energy now.

Ranma couldn't believe it as she realized Cell had stopped. But why? Her eyes cracked open only slightly and she found his tail reeling back to stab her in the head. This was her last chance then. Ranma's body hurt all over, but the pain would soon be over, one way or another. Let it be my way, Ranma prayed.

His defenses were down. Now was Ranma's perfect opportunity! In a sudden and painful lurch, Ranma-chan dodged Cell's tail and brought up both of her hands to his chest. "PERFECT MOUKO TAKABISHA!"

Cell's eyes widened in surprise as he felt the energy collide with his chest. He tried to hastily build up some ki to block the blast, but it came to late. A small portion of his back exploded with his green blood spraying everywhere.

Ranma-chan's body slid across the field because of the blast. She warily looked up to see her greatest triumph. Cell's body was lying motionless on the ground. "For you." She whispered triumphantly to her dead family. The wind picked up for a moment and brushed away the red locks from Ranma-chan's forehead.

The peace of her victory was destroyed by a deep rumbling from across the field. Not quite dead yet, Ranma looked up curiously and her face paled. Cell's body was glowing green and the rumble turned into a scream. Cell's body became whole once again and he slowly stood up once again.

"No." Ranma cried weakly and tried to drag her body away. "It can't be." She cried, clawing at the ground with one hand. "You're supposed to be dead!"

Ranma-chan was stopped short as she ran into somebody's foot. She looked up and found another green monster staring down at her. Her vision turned dark and she finally succumbed, "No . . ."

End Chapter One

* * *

Here it is, the first chapter in what will become the greatest romance between a human and a saiyajin. Thank Kazblah for the inspiration of this Chance Love Production.

Send C&C to Michael Fetter at: [email protected]

Kazblah at : [email protected]

Or visit Michael's website at: www.geocities.com/jehtek

Ja ne.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Viz video. I don't own Dragonball Z either! If any of the situations described below mirror those of actual events then you're living in a fantasy world.

A Chance Love Productions

Is proud to present

By Michael Fetter

And Kazblah

Chapter Two

Yamcha's hands shook beneath the running faucet. After finding the girl in Tokyo and watching her fight, he had trouble getting the horrid images out of his head. He ducked his down to the spout and drank in some water to roll around in his mouth and expel the foul taste. Looking back up at the mirror he saw the green shade fading from his face, but his stomach was still jumping with rabid butterflies.

Things were looking bad for the redhead. It was obvious she'd lost a few friends with the empty piles of clothing lying about. Her anger had been monumental, almost as terrible as her despair. Even Piccolo had felt a slight chill when they reached the area bathed with the girl's anguished heavy ki.

Just when it looked like they would have to intervene something had happened to the girl and she'd found new reserves of energy. Yamcha hadn't been sure, but the girl looked to have changed subtly. It was in her eyes mostly. The depression had been pushed aside to allow pure hate and anger to burn in her soul. In an instant, Yamcha was more frightened and entranced by the redhead than any other was. She was deadly beyond compare and beautiful to the same degree.

As he watched the girl rip a piece out of Cell's neck and spit out a chunk of flesh, the green blood running down her feral grin, Yamcha's stomach had turned and he couldn't help but vomit over the rooftop. Kuillin and Tien continued to watch the fight, fixated by what was happening.

With the killing blow, they each followed Piccolo to the ground and waited a few steps behind him. Piccolo was the strongest of them after fusing with Kami so they were more for back up. The redhead was knocked backward by her own blast and slid into Piccolo's feet.

Not taking his eyes off of the regenerating Cell, Piccolo spoke to Kuillin. "Get her out of the way."

The monk nodded and tried to grab the girl where she was not bleeding or broken. Yamcha watched the small man carry the redhead off and snapped his eyes away just as quickly when he noticed the state of her clothing. The green blood was still dripping down her jaw to mix with the red blood soaking into her Chinese shirt.

"Oh, Piccolo." Cell grinned, looking over the group of Z fighters casually. "I didn't see you there. That little girl kept me much more entertained than you and your pitiful friends could."

Piccolo growled and dropped into a fighting stance. "Prepare to die Cell."

Yamcha and Tien fell into their own fighting stance, unsure of what exactly they could do, but they would try nonetheless.

Holding his hands down, Cell poured some ki into the open palms. "Not today I'm afraid." The energy blasts shot out of his hands, trailing a cloud of dust in their wake. Piccolo easily swatted the blasts out of the air, but it kicked up a cloud of dust.

Yamcha coughed and started to feel around the area for Cell while he couldn't see him. He was startled to note that the energy signature had disappeared.

Piccolo's growl vibrated through his bones as he searched for Cell. The monster wasn't going to run from him again! "Tien! Yamcha! Split up and start searching. He couldn't have gotten far!"

Nodding, Yamcha headed to the right, flying swiftly over the empty city for any indication of their enemy. He found Kuillin sitting over the redhead's unconscious form and tending to the wounds as best he could. There was grimace as he set a bone back beneath the skin of her arm. Yamcha could see the pain riding through the girl's face, but she remained knocked out.

The city below looked like a post-Capsule Corps creation. The buildings were made of regular wood and concrete materials in the old fashioned square design. Yamcha actually liked these building more compared to the advanced ones because they showed more character even if they weren't as efficient or weather resistant.

A blast of tight orange energy ripped across the area and took with it a few residential houses. Yamcha altered his course to find out what had happened. Perhaps Piccolo or Tien had found Cell and needed his help to deal with the green monster. Yamcha was weaker than the rest, but right now every little bit of energy helped especially against a powerful creature like Cell.

When he landed in the area, Piccolo was rubbing his shoulder and scowling. Cell was gone. "What happened?"

"Cell sapped some of my energy." Piccolo said.

Tien landed and looked about. "Did he get away again?"

Scowling, Piccolo headed back to where they had left Kuillin. Yamcha and Tien looked around the area again then followed quietly. If Cell was able to sap some of Piccolo's energy then their enemy had just become significantly more dangerous. They landed behind Piccolo who was looking over the redhead Kuillin had been tending to.

"We have to do something or she's going to die." Kuillin stated, his hands already over the pouch containing the senzu beans. Piccolo nodded.

"Give her one."

Kuillin nodded and then blushed as he looked at the girl then the bean in his hand. "She's not even conscious. She won't be able to eat the senzu."

"Force it down then."

Yamcha's eyes widened. This did not sound like a good idea considering . . .

"Ow!" Kuillin pulled back his hand and waved it about, throbbing red. "She bit me!"

Piccolo smirked and watched the girl's body recover. Bone and skin were knitting back together better than before. Some of the scars that had been riding across the girl's skin began to fade and her features softened from the pained grimace to a more relaxed sleep. "Pick her up. She's coming with us."

Kuillin blushed further and looked between the girl and Piccolo. "Uh, are you sure that's a good idea?"

Piccolo only looked at him.

"I'll do it." Yamcha declared and stepped forward. Kuillin blinked but got out of the way. It was when Yamcha had an unblemished view that his face burned with heat and he whipped back in the other direction. "On second thought . ." He couldn't think of a good way to complete the sentence and jumped into the air flying for Roshi's Island.

Kuillin and Tien blinked then looked down at the girl. Shrugging, Kuillin picked the redhead up on his back and jumped into the air. Soon they were all heading off for Roshi's. There was nothing more they could do unless Cell powered up, and the monster had been careful about that so far.

Splashing his face, Yamcha returned to the present and turned the off the cold water faucet and wiped his face with a towel. He couldn't believe this was happening. "It's like I'm a teenager all over again." He grimaced when he heard more laughter coming from the living room and wondered if there was a hole deep enough to sink into.

~

Upstairs, in a room momentarily unattended by Chichi, the drapes were drawn to let a young girl sleep comfortably.

"Eeeeehehehe!" Roshi, an old master of the Art, crept up to the sleeping mat. His black sunglasses could not hide the sparkle in his eyes as they roamed the curvy body of the redhead with lecherous delight.

Beside him, a pig wearing clothes also grinned and stalked closer. Oolong was barely holding back his delight upon discovering this new person in the master's house. "Now this is what I call bringing home the bacon."

Roshi nodded vigorously and reached out with a trembling hand for the light covers that were draped over the girl's body. What forbidden fruits were they about to uncover? Such wonderful delights this girl must cover with bothersome clothing. It was a sin to have her covered so! It was his duty to liberate the healthy redhead of the suffocating material! Yes, it was for her own good! Oh, his friend Happousai would be so jealous of him right now! This time Roshi was getting to the girl!!!

As if sensing his motive, Ranma-chan's eyes snapped open and zeroed in on the lecherous duo. Flames burning in her eyes, she grabbed the old pervert's wrist and flung him through the air, knocking a pig through the wall seconds before the old man followed. "PERVERTS!!!"

"AAAAAA-" The water exploded with their impact and doused a portion of the small island.

Ranma continued to glare at the body shaped holes in the wall. What the hell did they think they were doing?! She didn't know either of the individuals, but she'd felt the perverted aura plenty of times before in Happousai. Why are all old men so disgusting?!

Ranma-chan growled and waved her fist at the holes, slowly coming down from the adrenaline rush. "Jerks. What the hell were they doin in my room anyway. That's all we need. More old perverts runnin through the house. Better warn Akane before-"

Blinking, Ranma looked at his fist and watched it drop lifelessly onto her lap. Akane . . She'd nearly forgotten. They were all gone now. Her body should hurt all over after the fight with Cell, but when she felt nothing Ranma had almost thought everything else had been just a terrible dream.

Her pillow woofed as she hit it with her head and stared up at the ceiling. "Akane." Ranma's eyes were starting to moisten the more he thought about her deceased fiancée. They were all gone: Kasumi, pops, mom, Nabiki, Shampoo, Mousse, Cologne. Hell, she was already missing Nabiki, Happousai, and even the Kunos. Ranma would suffer Ryouga's sudden attacks for the rest of his life if that would bring them all back again. Well, except for the Kunos and Happousai, anyway.

Grabbing a fistful of the sheets, Ranma rolled onto her side and buried half of her face into her pillow. Tears were running down her cheeks and her shoulder's shook with anguish. "Akane . ."

"It sounded like it came from up here."

"Isn't that where we put the girl?"

"You're right. You go in first."

"No way! Why should I go in first?!"

"C'mon, she isn't going to attack a monk."

"How do you kn-!" A short bald man was shoved into the room stumbling for a second until he could stop himself. Kuillin swallowed and opened his eyes cautiously. They'd seen the girl's fight with Cell and considered she may not be entirely stable.

The girl was rolled over in the bed, her sheets having rolled with her were not covering her naked back nearly down to her firm little . . Kuillin turned around with a blush over his cheeks. "Uh, are, uh, you okay?"

"Go away."

Kuillin blinked and looked over his shoulder. She still had her back to him and her shoulders had relaxed a bit. "We found you fighting Cell and brought you here to take care of your injuries."

The redhead moved her head slightly than rested it back down on her pillow. "Thanks."

Kuillin waited a few moments longer, but when nothing more was forthcoming he decided he pushed his luck far enough and tiptoed for the door. With his hand nearly on the handle, it suddenly swung open and Chichi stormed into the room, finding the short monk crushed between the door and the wall. "What do you think you're doing in here?!"

Kuillin shrank before the angry Chichi and tried to stutter a response. But the angry woman gripped him by the ear and dragged him towards the door where others were watching silently. They might have snickered at Kuillin being pulled around by Chichi, but they didn't want it to be done to them either.

Chichi tossed the bald man out into the hallway. "Don't you have any consideration for a woman's privacy?!"

Ranma-chan blinked and rolled over to look at the woman who'd come to her 'rescue'. She sounded a lot like an angry Akane, but she looked more like Ranma's mother, without the katana. The woman was about to slam the door in the face of three powerful looking fighters when a green hand caught it. Ranma's eyes snapped open and she jumped onto her feet. "YOU AGAIN?!"

Everyone was caught by surprise as they saw Ranma-chan standing in a fighting stance completely naked. Piccolo's green skin found a rosy hue with everyone else. The red hair of the Japanese girl was apparently natural.

Ranma-chan was heedless of her lack of clothing as she found herself face to face with another green monster. Cell and this one were different looking, but she was too angry to notice. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Piccolo blinked and looked to the others who had grasped their noses and tried to unsuccessfully look away. The idea became easier as energy began to emanate from the girl. Piccolo turned back just in time to receive a fist to his cheek and crash down the stairs.

Chichi watched the girl with wide eyes as she powered up and flew across the room to deliver that blow. She had barely seen the redhead move when she noticed Piccolo was hurtling down the stairs then crashing into the downstairs coffee table and shattering it. "Oh my."

Growling, Ranma-chan continued down the stairs, bypassing the motionless fighters, noting only the one with short black hair as he ran screaming fearfully down the hall and through the wall. The green monster was rolling back onto his feet as she arrived downstairs and began to fight with all that she had. Three battles with Cell, she was developing better tactics to use against the murderer.

Piccolo blinked and drew himself back up as he landed on the table. His cheek stung, but it wasn't a terribly powerful blow. He'd taken worse from Gohan when he'd first started training the boy. The fight was brought to him in the form of a naked redhead bathed in an unhealthy green light. Her hands began to flash and land solid blows against his body. Not too strong, but they were gaining in strength as she continued. Piccolo tried to block, but her technique was amazing. He hadn't been wrong when he thought she was an incredibly skilled martial artist. The control she had over her little amount of ki was impressive to say the least.

"We are not your enemies, girl." Piccolo growled as he tried to take the offensive. Her body twisted and turned out of the way and shot past his defenses to land more blows.

"Shut up and die!"

Taking another hit to his stomach, Piccolo swept his arm out in a hooking punch. She skipped out of the way of his fist, but Piccolo's arm launched her out the door and onto the beach. Oolong and Master Roshi fell back into the water and stared, drooling uncontrollably, at the nude girl bouncing, and bouncing, around the sand. Yamcha, who had been hiding outside, suddenly bolted into the sea, running across the water for a moment until gravity, and a lack of flight, dropped him beneath the surface.

The rest followed Piccolo and waited on the porch as the fight continued. Kuillin eventually shook himself out of his stupor to realize Piccolo and the girl looked like they were trying to kill each other. The redhead was hampered slightly by the sand while Piccolo levitated over it.

"Get down here, you coward!" Ranma cursed and launched a few Shi Shi Hokodans without calling out the name. The green monster continued to float out of the way or knock her ki blasts away. Despair and depression were filling her soul as she continued to attack futilely. The green aura about her body increased in size and her head and shoulders sagged.

Kuillin and Tien felt the increasing power level and rushed outside, stepping in between Piccolo and the girl. "Calm down, miss." Kuillin pleaded. "Piccolo isn't the bad guy. He's on our side."

Tien nodded. "That's right. Piccolo probably saved you from being killed by Cell!"

Ranma-chan didn't hear them and pulled the energy into her hands. She'd get that bastard down on the ground where he belonged! "PERFECT SHI SHI HOKODAN!"

Three pairs of eyes blinked then looked up. "Uh-oh."

The resulting blast pushed back the sea for a moment, uncovering the cowering Yamcha, and ripping one of the few palm trees on the island out of the ground. When it was over, Ranma-chan stood in the center of the blast area with the three men lying on the ground. Without being powered up they were slightly battered.

Kuillin coughed, his red uniform looking a little burnt, and started to stand up. "This isn't good."

"Hey! What's going on out here?"

Ranma-chan blinked as a stuffed cat looking creature floated outside and hovered over the men then made eye contact with her. "C-C-C-C-C-C-C-!"

"You should put on some clothes while on Roshi's island." Puar stated, her blue tail swishing about.

Ranma's face drained of color and her arms began to shake. "CAAAAATTTT!!!!"

Tien removed his arms from over his head and looked up in time to see the naked girl rush back towards the house and hide behind Chichi fearfully. Kuillin was also looking back up. "She's not afraid of Cell, but a cat will send her screaming?"

Tien shrugged and decided to keep Puar close by.

~

Without much trouble, Chichi coaxed Ranma back upstairs to find some clothing after a quick bath. Ranma hadn't taken much time in the hot water for some reason. Chichi didn't ask, but Ranma seemed to be more upset over something when she finished. With a towel wrapped around her body, Ranma was set down in front of a mirror while Chichi began to go through her hair with a comb. Ranma-chan wasn't exactly head over heels about the idea, but with the adrenaline gone and rationale in control once again, the life seemed to ebb out of her pores and she was just a marionette to be guided by others.

Saddened by the look of loss in the girl's eyes, Chichi sought to improve her spirits the only way she knew how. The comb went through the red hair, catching the occasional knot. "You're a very good fighter."

Ranma's head bobbed as her hair was pulled and released. She was too lost in thought to respond with her usual arrogance. What was the point? What was being the best martial artist if you couldn't save your friends and family?

Chichi pulled some of the hair back behind the girl's ears and continued to brush. She had the most beautiful blue eyes and lightly tanned skin. Chichi had never seen such a thing among the Japanese. Her smile must be beautiful, Chichi thought.

"What's your name?" Chichi realized she hadn't even learned that. With all the excitement they'd all forgotten to ask. Goku's friends were interested in this girl for some reason and after seeing her fight Chichi understood why, but still no one had asked such a basic question. "My name is Chichi Son."

Ranma blinked. Her name? Did she even have a name? After the bath she knew there really was no longer Ranma Saotome. Ranma Saotome was gone, killed by Cell, along with his friends and family. Who was she now? She couldn't be Ranma because Ranma Saotome never loses, and she had lost everything. "Ranko," she finally answered, "call me Ranko."

"Nice to meet you, Ranko-chan." Chichi smiled at the girl. It seemed like a perfect name, Wild Child, that was certainly what Chichi had thought of her. Chichi sobered after a moment considering the circumstances of their meeting. "I'm sorry about what happened to your family, Ranko-chan. Kuillin told me something about your fight with Cell, but you can't lose hope."

Ranko's lip quivered and she stared down at her hands. "Two years I relied on hope and I still lost her."

Setting the comb down, Chichi grabbed the length of red hair and started to braid it. The pigtail seemed a sin on such a beautiful girl. "You'll see her again. I promise."

Ranko looked into the mirror and saw the woman smile at her. To see Akane again? Maybe. After she found her revenge with Cell she could see Akane again. Ranko would go and meet her and everyone else up in Heaven and tell them Cell was dead. She couldn't go see them with anything less.

Finishing, Chichi patted the girl's shoulder and looked at the clothes laid out on the bedroll. This being Roshi's Island there was very little in the way of woman's clothing except for undergarments. Ranko's clothing had been in ruins and she'd tossed them away as lost. They were too large for the small girl anyway. Chichi guessed that Ranko had lost some clothing in fights before and that was why she'd been wearing boxers and no bra. Underwear was something Roshi did seem to have. Chichi wisely decided not to inquire and picked out a few less lacy pieces that might fit Ranko. The rest were spare uniforms of Kuillin's. He was the closest to Ranko's size and had a few extra changes of clothing in the house.

"Why don't you get dressed and then meet everyone downstairs?" Chichi suggested as she headed for the door. The girl seemed very shy about the bath even though she'd been naked during that first fight with Piccolo. There was still some blood on the hallway floor from a few nosebleeds. "I'll get some lunch ready. You must be hungry by now."

Ranko was ready to deny it. She hadn't been thinking about food since this all began. Her stomach, however, decided to remind her of this and grumbled anxiously. "Anou," Ranko put a hand over her stomach and blushed, "I am kinda hungry."

Nodding, Chichi closed the door and headed downstairs. While she was at it she might as well make lunch for the rest. If Ranko was anything like her then she would only be needing a sandwich, but the men would probably consume a horse given the chance.

Looking to the clothing then the mirror, Ranko hardened her features. "Hi, Ranko. I'm depending on you now." To the reflection she nodded and picked up her new clothes.

~

When Chichi wanted to cook, she could cook. Having lived with Goku for so long she'd become accustomed to creating great feasts as though they were normal meals. For someone like Goku this was particularly true, but for the rest it would take a dozen men to finish one of Goku's meals. They thought they would never see someone with an appetite so large anywhere else.

A plate of food was suddenly cleaned spotless.

Kuillin had known Goku the longest, from their training with Master Roshi when they were kids. He'd seen his friend accomplish amazing things, one of which was his ability to clear whole banquets of their contents and still be hungry.

Another plate rattled in place as it was suddenly empty.

Piccolo never feared Goku, but was on occasion in awe of the man. Once his rival, Piccolo had found an ally in Goku. Together they had fought terrible creatures and evil. Not once failing to rise to the occasion.

A bowl of soup was drained in a matter of moments and tossed onto one of the empty plates.

Yamcha once remembered young Goku telling him he saw everything as a challenge or a chance to train. His friend loved fighting and had become a force to be reckoned with. Goku was strong and fast.

"You gonna eat that?"

Tien huddled over his food more closely and nodded his head even as he watched the redhead pointing her chopsticks at his plate. It had taken them a few moments to realize that she'd been eating off of their plates even as she cleared the table. Whoever had taught the girl to eat with such blinding speed was either a fast, fat oaf or a skinny fool.

"How can you eat like that?!" Kuillin boggled. Only minutes ago Chichi had set down a dozen plates of dishes and now they were empty.

Ranko stared Kuillin in the eyes. "Lots of training." She'd taken her words in the mirror very seriously. Cell was going to die and she was going to see to it. But she had to be better than she was now.

"Can you teach us?" Piccolo asked. Others looked at Piccolo shocked. They'd never thought to hear him ask someone to train him.

Ranko glared at the green man. They had explained to her he was a Namekian, something unlike Cell, but she still didn't like him. His aura was powerful, but it was also bordering on something evil. She grudgingly accepted his presence since he had scared Cell off and practically saved her. So she wouldn't try to kill him, but she didn't have to like him. "Doubt it. There ain't enough hours in the day."

Piccolo growled.

"We could take her back to the Chamber of Time and Space, Piccolo." Kuillin said. He'd never been in it himself, but he was told that a year on the inside was only a day in the real world. Vegita and Trunks were inside it right now, training to fight Cell and the androids.

"But only two people can go in at a time." Tien reminded the monk. A slight blush rose over their faces as they considered spending an entire year with just Ranko and martial arts. It sounded like bliss.

"Hey!" Ranko slammed her palm onto the table and glared at the other fighters. "I don't need any of you. I'm gonna beat that bastard Cell myself!"

Piccolo snorted and met her glare. "You are nothing compared to the rest of us. How could you beat Cell? You wouldn't even be able to defeat the androids."

Red ki flared about her body as she made a fist. "You want another beatin, green-boy?!" All but Ranko and Piccolo took a giant step back. The air became still with tension. After a moment Ranko relaxed and sat back down. "What do you know about these androids and Cell?"

Kuillin coughed to clear his throat and slowly sat down as well. "Well, we were warned by a guy named Trunks from the future. He's fighting with us now to destroy the androids because they destroyed the world in his reality. They were all created by a group called the Red Ribbon Army, who have been recording a fighter named Goku for his fighting data. Cell is sort of a combination of the strongest fighters in the world and he needs to absorb the androids in order to evolve into his most powerful state."

Ranko sat for long moments taking in everything she'd been told. The others were rather surprised at how easily she'd taken the explanation. "That can't be right," Ranko finally muttered.

"What?"

She looked at Kuillin with a distasteful frown. "Strongest fighters. No one ever came to me to make this Cell."

The group crashed to the floor shaking the house's foundation.

Laughing nervously, Kuillin got back onto his seat, scratching the back of his head. "Hehe, I'm sure they just thought you were too young or something."

Ranko snorted. "So where do we find these androids? This whole evolvin thing sounds bad."

"Well," Kuillin looked to the TV, which was still blank of media coverage, "we don't know."

"You don't know?" Ranko deadpanned.

Kuillin laughed nervously and nodded. "They aren't human exactly so we can't sense their kis. And Cell suppresses his to stay hidden. We've kinda been using the TV to help us find him."

Frowning further, Ranko looked around the room then spotted something in the back. "And who are they?"

Everyone whipped around and found three individuals waiting on the beach. Two looked like brother and sister, about the same size and look. The boy had long black hair, black shirt and blue jeans, and a red bandana wrapped around his neck. The girl, who was leaning non-challantly against the doorframe, had blonde hair, cut like her brothers, and a cowboy blouse and leather skirt getup. The last was a big man, nearly six feet tall, with a huge amount of muscle covered by a black jumpsuit and bulky yellow armor with red ribbon printed on the breast plate.

"Hi." The boy nodded to Ranko. "We're looking for Goku. Can you give us some directions?"

~

Capsule Corps was responsible for much of the world's advancement in the last decade. It used to be a research group dedicated to better living. After the first inventions, capsule objects, money began to roll into the company and soon they were funding their own factories. Most of their products were still expensive or experimental, but the new homes, car designs, and other basic had been improved upon to create better usage of energy.

Its headquarters sat in northern Japan, close to the sea. A small city that had grown from Capsule Corps influence.

Hunched over her workstation, one of the lead scientific minds in robotics and technology; was hard at work putting on the final touches to her specially designed remote. A few touches on her keyboard and the program ran a final diagnostic check. With a ping, the computer was finished and the scientist hastily closed the remote software link and jumped to her feet with the remote in her hands.

"And the world is saved by the beautiful and brilliant Bulma!" she cheered.

Bulma's father blinked with her newborn son. They were beside baby Trunks' crib, playing another childish game. "Finished what dear?" her father asked.

"The remote for the androids of course," she presented the metal box and antenna, a large red button on one side. Rather simple looking for something that took her so long to build. Dr. Gero had been very careful with the androids' functions, making it impossible to trip the self-destruct sequence by accident.

"Well," her father adjusted his glasses and set baby-Trunks back in his crib. "You should get that to one of your friends who can get close enough to the androids."

"You're right." Bulma skipped over to the phone and dialed a number. Baby-Trunks made a few pitiful sounds as he watched her dial the phone. "This'll be all over before you know it!"

~

"Hi." The boy nodded to Ranko. "We're looking for Goku. Can you give us some directions?"

So this is what they meant, Ranko thought as she narrowed her eyes at the androids, I can't feel any of their kis, but I know they gotta be strong. She was also learning why people got sick over her cocky smirks, Ranko had the over-whelming desire to wipe the smug look off 17's face.

Most of the Z-fighters had fallen into fighting stances except for Piccolo, standing closest to the door with his arms crossed over his chest. The Namekian seemed unshakable, and he looked upon the androids with a condescending glare.

Though he hid it well, Ranko could see Piccolo tensing and warming up his ki. If it was true that Piccolo was the strongest of the group then she should take the androids very seriously. Ranko had no beef with the Androids and usually preferred to not fight if it was possible. Her chair scrapped over the floor as she stood up and sauntered silkily over to the Androids. The blonde girl watched her carefully, but otherwise made no movement as Ranko walked up to the boy, who had kept his eyes on her.

With a smirk Ranko took his arm and walked him into the house. The Z-fighters gawked; Piccolo dropped his hands and too stared in shock. Did Ranko have some sort of death wish?

"Have a seat," Ranko smiled, pushing the unresisting boy onto the couch in the living room. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

A slight red hue crested 17's face as he watched the beautiful redhead standing before him. He almost wished he were not an android because something was lost in his sense of touch, but he could still smell the clean skin and shampooed hair. He gave an almost imperceptible nod to Ranko's request, "So, he'll be here then?"

"Who," Ranko asked, bending over slightly, the red gi showing off a good amount of cleavage.

"17," the boy responded, watching her with rapt attention, just not at her face.

"Men," the girl snorted in disgust. She strutted into the house and pointed her palm at the group of Z-fighters, a ball of white ki forming there as she faced Piccolo. "Tell us where Goku is or they're all dead."

Piccolo knew he couldn't protect everyone in the house, Chichi and a few others would surely die in the blast. Only he was strong enough to really fight the androids. "Why don't we take this to a bigger island so we can 'talk'."

18 looked between Piccolo and the other people inside the house. It really didn't matter if any of them tried to run. She was stronger and they would all die eventually. Besides, a fight would help pass the time. With a cold grin, she nodded and headed back outside. "This should be amusing. Let's go 17."

The boy Ranko had been standing in front of stood up guiltily and walked out of the house.

Seeing the redhead about to head out after them, Kuillin grabbed her by the wrist, eyes still startled by what she had done. "Are you crazy? Those are the androids. They could have killed you!"

Twisting her arm angrily, Ranko tossed Kuillin to the ground. "I could've kept them here where we could watch them if you morons had half a brain," she hissed. Ranma wasn't the brightest person, but when it came to strategy he had been one of the best. "Now I have to follow them to find Cell."

The group watched her storm out of the house. Tien blinked all three of his eyes and poked Yamcha in the side, "She is nuts". Yamcha nodded, but eventually followed everyone else out of the house.

16 and 18 were already in the air and heading off for one of the distant islands. Shaking his head of the fuzz, 17 lifted off as well.

"17-kun," Ranko called sweetly from the porch. The android stopped and turned around to regard her waving arm and bouncy form. "How about a ride?"

He blinked. "I think it would be safer for you to wait here." What was he doing?

Ranko put on her best 'give-me-what-I-want-because-I'm-a-cute-girl' pout, "But I don't want to miss the fight. Couldn't you carry me in your big strong arms?"

17 started to blush again, but he wordlessly descended from the sky to scoop the girl up. He felt cavities coming on because of the sweet looking girl in his arms. She was very . . curvy.

17 took off at a fast pace, forcing himself to not look at Ranko.

The Z-fighters began to brood as the three androids, Piccolo, and Ranko disappeared from sight. They would have liked to have gone too in case Piccolo needed their help, but against the Androids they would've been more of a liability than of help. Cell was stronger now, maybe stronger than the Androids, but at least there was only one of him.

The phone rang in the background as Kuillin, Yamcha, and Tien just stood on the beach.

"You don't think she enjoyed being carried by that monster, do you?" Yamcha asked nervously.

Tien considered the redhead and hoped she wouldn't get in Piccolo's way.

"Kuillin!" Master Roshi hobbled out of his house with the phone in his hand. "It's Bulma. She wants to talk to you."

"To me?" Kuillin accepted the phone and listened to the woman on the other side. After a moment his eyes went wide and he cheered. "A remote detonator! That's great Bulma! Haha! I knew you could figure it out!"

The others turned to watch the bald monk jump up and down, listening intently to the phone.

"I'm on my way to pick it up now!" The phone was passed back and Kuillin jumped into the air. "Bulma finished a remote detonator. I'm gonna go pick it up. I'll be right back!"

Tien nodded, "Hurry, Kuillin. We may not have much time."

The monk nodded and shot off into the sky at his fastest pace. After days of watching Cell and the Androids kill millions it looked like things were finally going their way. Just a press of the button and only Cell will be left.

~

It's hard being the only rational mind among the androids, 18 thought. As they passed over islands and seas, she gave 16 a glance and saw him staring absently to the ocean, following the movements of dolphins and whales. He seemed sensitive to the world and yet empty-minded at the same time. He was more like a dog than the killing machine he was designed to be.

18 frowned and turned to 17. He still held the redhead in his arms, and if she hadn't known better, 18 would say her counterpart was blushing. He was either one of the cruelest men in the world or he was actually interested in the little tramp. The girl cooed in his ear again and 18 watched 17 begin to lag behind farther.

"This is far enough," 18 spat and descended to a nearby island. She touched down the same time 16 and Piccolo did and began to tap her foot as 17 continued to take his time.

He stopped and hovered about a foot off the ground, his arms still cupping Ranko beneath the legs and back. She giggled at something and whispered in his ear. For some reason 18 felt her anger rising after seeing this.

On the other side of the field, Piccolo stretched out his neck and arms, watching Ranko and the androids carefully. He wasn't going to stop fighting because of her, or worry if she was hurt. It had been Ranko's choice to come along and she would suffer the consequences associated with that decision. "Well?"

18 gave 17 another disgusted look. He'd finally placed the girl, far too gently, on the ground, but she held his arm. The starry gaze she was making for 17 was obviously put-on, but 17 was dense enough to fall for it. This really is pathetic, 18 thought, our plans to takeover this weak little world are being ruined because 17 doesn't know which head to think with.

18 flicked her blonde hair behind her ear and pressed her mouth into a line of agitation. "All right, Piccolo. This shouldn't take too long."

Waves rolled up against the island and brought a spray of water up the side. The falling water shimmered with the sunlight and disappeared back into the sea. There was a little wind that rustled the grass and trees on the island, a good two miles wide. They had landed in the valley on the far side of the island, surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs.

Ranko made eye contact with Piccolo and tightened her hold on the android, which he mistook for some trepidation for the fight. Piccolo nodded only slightly. She would hold off the other androids as best she could if they decided to join the fight early. Ranko didn't like the Namekian, but she'd give him a chance to change her mind. If he believed he could take on these androids and destroy them, she would hold the others off with her life if need be. Just one destroyed android could mean the difference for Cell's invulnerability.

"AAAARRRRHHHH!" Piccolo crouched into a deep fighting stance, the muscles along his arms and back tensing up as a bright corona of white power enveloped his body. The ground shook beneath his feet and dirt was caught up into orbits about his body until he resembled a chemistry drawing of an atom. Beneath his feet, a depression began to form then spread as his power jumped higher. In a sudden flash Piccolo was floating two feet off the ground in the middle of a fifteen-foot circle formed by the pressure of his ki.

"Piccolo has become more powerful than he was before," 16 announced. There was no emotion in his voice, just a statement of fact.

Ranko watched the big man as she leaned against 17. Besides the one sentence, he seemed uninterested in the fight. 16 stared out into the sea and raised his hand for a bird to land on. A sparrow twittered on his finger, chirping pleasantly for the android. At the moment, 16 looked like no threat at all to Piccolo. Ranko still glanced his way to check if anything had changed, but throughout the fight the large android hadn't moved an inch.

"So, how did you get caught up with that bunch of losers," 17 asked, following the fast-paced fight with his eyes. Once things had begun between Piccolo and 18 did he begin to forget she was even there.

Ranko looked to the sky, only seeing the fight because of her experience with the Chestnut Fist and its speed. At times it was too fast for her to follow, but the constant breaks in the sound barrier and blasts striking the earth helped point out there new positions. Another blast struck the ground not far from where she'd been standing with 17, and a rush of wind carried some dust past their feet.

Grabbing his arm with both hands, Ranko leaned against the android more firmly. "And who says they caught me?"

The boy blushed and remained silent.

High over the ground, traveling at speeds that left after-images, 18 had her hands full with fighting Piccolo. He was not the pathetic pushover he had been before. She couldn't figure out how the Namekian could have boosted his power so fast, but it had surpassed the strength of the Super Saiyajins she'd faced so far. Vegita had been a toy compared to Piccolo now. Still, while he was stronger, Piccolo did not have the unlimited supply of power as the androids did.

18 lashed out with a fist, passing through Piccolo's face. The image vanished as the last two had and she felt the fighter strike her over the back with a double hammer fist. The wind screamed past as she plummeted to the ground. With the finesse one could pull from such a speedy descent, 18 flipped and touched down feet first, her body digging into the earth like it were made of crackers.

"He has gotten stronger," she drawled, wiping the back of her hand over her mouth and removing a smudge of dirt. "This may be a much more interesting fight than I'd first thought."

Piccolo snorted as he dropped to the ground again, unharmed and barely sweating. "This is where I bury you androids," he said.

"You're sweating, Piccolo," she smiled, "and I'm still as fresh as ever."

"Fresh fish," Ranko muttered. 17 heard it and chuckled, quieting again when he saw 18 glare in his direction.

18 turned back to Piccolo with her nostrils flaring with her heavy breaths. How dare that little hussy call me a fish! She won't be making jokes when I start using her as shark bait once I'm done with Piccolo! "C'mon, Piccolo! Let's get this over with!"

Despite himself, Piccolo grinned. Ranko's comment had been perfect for throwing off 18's confident mood. The android came swinging at him more wildly than before and made it easier to dodge. Ducking one crescent arm, Piccolo lifted the blonde off the ground with a solid uppercut to the chin. He caught up with her quickly at about twenty feet and sent her back down to the pot-holed island with an over-the-head ax kick.

18 pounded her fists against the ground in her impact crater. Her vest was ripped, her hair was mussed, and there was another layer of dirt on her cheeks. "DAMMIT!"

Piccolo jumped back as the ground was rent open further and 18 came floating out of the cracked earth. While she could not display an aura, the way her face was screwed up in a scowl did its own work to repel people. "Maybe next time I should give you a bath," he suggested, nodding to the sea.

Still hanging onto 17, Ranko smirked. The Namekian was starting to taunt the androids on his own. He learned fast for a green monster. She watched the two combatants exchange energy blasts, an interesting one being Piccolo's spiral blast. They were tearing down whole cliff sides without much effort, a far greater amount of energy being tossed about than what even Saffron or Herb had used. Compared to these fighters, Herb and Saffron were bush league losers.

She checked on 16 and blinked. The armored android was still sitting peacefully with a few more birds sitting on his shoulders, all oblivious to the explosive battle being waged only a few meters away. Ranko had to shake her head at that. Besides having a little temper, and a desire to kill this Goku character, the androids seemed like nice enough people. Hell, she'd gotten more attitude from Akane, the tomboy.

No, I didn't mean it, Akane, Ranko shut her eyes and prayed. I never meant any of those things I said to you. I didn't mean to make you angry or cry.

"Something wrong," 17 asked, noticing how Ranko had closed her eyes and began whispering something he couldn't hear.

Ranko looked up and shook her head, a new smile on her face, "No, I was just feeling the energy from those . ."

"What?" 17 watched the redhead fade off and stare past his shoulder. Her smile faded and turned into an angry scowl that brought energy to her eyes. 17 glanced in the same direction, "what is it?"

There was only one thing that caused so much hate and anger to well up within Ranko. Cell stood on the other side of the valley floor, a cocky smirk on his face as he watched 18 and Piccolo continue to battle, unaware of his presence. Energy swirled about Ranko's form and she bared her teeth with a growl, "Cell".

16 stopped what he was doing and followed Ranko's line of sight to the green monster flicking his tail one way and then the other, like a snake preparing to strike.

Maybe Ranko couldn't take on the androids very well, but she'd beaten Cell once before. She'd just have to do it again, and this time she would do it right. "DIE!"

Cell blinked and ducked down to the ground as a pair of vacuum blades cut through where he'd been standing. "Oh, it's you again."

"That's right!" Ranko started building up two blasts in her hands as she caught up with Cell. "You're going to pay for the hell you've put me through, Cell! DOUBLE MOUKO TAKABISHA!"

Cell slapped the blasts out of the air and laughed, "I think not, little girl." His tail curled around his leg to slap Ranko across the side.

She avoided the tail with a quick flip, landing on her hands and pushing off again to dodge the follow-up that would be coming. He was faster now. Ranko had felt the tail skim her feet as she barely avoided it.

"Get lost, pest," Cell held out one hand and watched a ball of condensed energy gather there. He released it with a laugh; the ground Ranko had been standing in was a cloud of dust in less than a second was. "Too bad. She was very amusing."

"You obviously don't know how to treat a lady," 17 sneered. He hovered overhead with Ranko in his arms. She gasped, having never been saved like that before. 17 quickly distanced himself with Cell and set Ranko down out of the way. "Maybe I'll teach you a lesson while 18 deals with Piccolo."

"So, you're one of the androids," said Cell. He hissed like a snake, grinning a little as 17 approached and dropped into a fighting stance. "You should just join me. Together we will become a perfect being and our power will be unrivaled."

17 snorted, "What's so great about becoming an overgrown toad?"

"You're about to find out!"

The sudden build-up of power caught the attention of 18 and Piccolo where they had been trading another series of energy attacks. 18 broke off first and glanced over her shoulder to see what was going on. The energy signature was familiar, but mottled, like it had been patched together with pieces of a million different people.

Piccolo called off his energy blast as he found 17 and Cell beginning to fight one another. "NO!" Piccolo launched past 18 and began firing energy blasts like mad at Cell to hold him off from 17.

Cell had to jump back from his fight with 17 before the blast hit. "That was rude, Piccolo," Cell said.

"You must not fight Cell," Piccolo shouted at 17. "If he absorbs you he'll become strong enough to destroy the planet."

"Absorb me?" 17 quirked a smile, "No one is going to absorb me. I'm the best fighter on this miserable little planet."

"You talk big, but can you back it up?" Cell hissed again. "Maybe you'd like to hide behind the girl some more," he chuckled and pointed at Ranko, who stood on the edge of the fight, growling in frustration.

17 glanced in her direction then set himself against Cell. "I don't need some girl to protect me. You're nothing compared to me."

"17, don't. He is more powerful," 16 informed them again. "He would defeat you."

"Oh, lizard man is going to beat one of us? You should get your power meter checked, 16," 18 had a wry smile on her lips as she watched 17 finally forget about the redhead and focus on the fight. "Make this quick, 17. We still need to find Goku."

17 nodded.

Piccolo cursed again and dropped into a fighting stance. If he couldn't stop the androids from fighting Cell, then he would have to help them and make sure Cell didn't absorb them. Before 17 could move, Piccolo was flying straight into Cell with his right hand cocked back.

Cell dropped to the ground and caught Piccolo with a flick of his tail, "Too slow, Piccolo!"

17 was only a fraction of a second behind and cleared Cell's tail, launching a number of punches that were blocked or dodged by the green monster. "Stand still!"

Cell laughed and sidekick 17 in the chest. He dodged out of the way of Piccolo's ki attacks and rushed the Namekian while he listened to 17 crash into the side of the cliff.

Without a distraction Piccolo was having trouble dealing with Cell. The monster's iron fists were sneaking past his guard and beating against his chest. His forearm was beginning to hurt as they blocked punches and kicks. Energy began to build up again in Piccolo's body as he was feeling his second wind.

"RAAAARGH!" Piccolo forced his way past Cell's arms and landed a hard punch to the creature's stomach.

Cell coughed and staggered backwards for a moment, just in time to have 17 come back, barreling into him.

"Perfect," Cell grinned and positioned the spine of his tail over 17's body.

"I don't think so," 17 growled and grabbed at the tail. With a malicious glee, 17 began to swing the creature in a wide arc before releasing Cell in the direction of the mountain. "HA!" a blast of soft blue energy streaked over the ground and impacted where Cell had landed against the dirt.

18 laughed, "He wasn't much of a challenge, was he?"

"Cell is not dead," 16 responded while reviewing energy statistics.

18 turned back to the cloud of dust at the base of the mountain. It only took a moment for the coastal wind to brush away the dust and leave Cell, still ready to fight.

"I haven't come this far to be beaten by some walking calculators," Cell growled and charged his body with more energy for the fight. "Your mine, android!"

~

"Daddy?"

Goku sat on the edge of Kami's island feeling for the battle Piccolo was fighting against Cell. "Don't worry, son. Piccolo can handle himself."

In truth, Goku was worried about the Namekian. It was a big risk to let Piccolo fight with Cell and the androids. He had definitely become stronger after fusing with Kami, but it may not be enough to really deal with these monsters. What was worse, if Piccolo were to be killed in this fight then they would lose the power of the Dragonballs and all the people who had already died could be lost for good.

Near the steps of Kami's home, Gohan shifted back and forth, eyeing a large double door made of bronze. "How much longer?"

Goku looked over his shoulder at his son. Gohan still wore the outfit he'd gotten from Piccolo. It still looked new since Gohan had had to carry Goku off of the battlefield when the heart disease hit him. It had taken Goku more than a day to recover from that, but he'd still been able to feel Vegita's fights with the androids and new he needed more training before he had a hope of defeating them. Hopefully, a year in the Chamber of Space and Time he and Gohan could become strong enough to fight the androids, or possibly Cell if it came down to it.

Looking away, Goku stared back down to the earth miles below. "Not long now, Gohan."

Clouds drifted by without feeling for what was happening nearer the ground. Goku saw these as mocking their plight. They should be dark and storming with the monster his friends were facing.

"Will Piccolo last that long?"

"Have faith, son," Goku asked emphatically. If Gohan started to lose focus he may do something stupid. Right now the earth needed all the fighters it could get and Gohan was one of the best they had. "Piccolo will be just fine."

Gohan's eyes remained concerned, but he tried to look strong like his father, "All right, dad."

They both became silent again and felt the battle auras of the people below them contesting their enemies. By the way Cell's energy suddenly sky rocketed, they could guess one of the androids had been absorbed. Nothing could be said for Piccolo, which, for as much as they could tell, had fallen off the map.

Goku heard his son sob once and try to maintain his cool, but it was hard. Piccolo had meant a great deal to his son, as mentor and friend. Two others joined the fight against Cell. Goku could tell one of them was Tien, but the other was small. He didn't recognize it.

"Piccolo," Gohan was on the verge of tears as he strained to feel for the Namekian's power.

Goku too tried to find the aura of his once rival. He didn't need to look back to know Gohan was ready to jump off the island and fight Cell himself, but his son simply wasn't ready for it yet. First he had to get his son into a Super Saiyajin level. "Gohan," Goku stood up and placed two fingers against his forehead. "Wait here."

Gohan watched his father vanish from Kami's island.

~

Cell roared in anger and charged through Piccolo, who was blocking his path to 17. The two exchanged some blows, but Cell was focused and powered by his need to finally evolve.

"Out of my way, pest!" Cell ran his fist into Piccolo's jaw and knocked the Namekian beneath the waves a hundred feet away.

Ranko and the androids gasped as they watched the powerful Namekian disappear into the sea. She'd seen the fight and knew the risk of becoming involved, but she couldn't stand on the sidelines any longer and allow Cell to become any more powerful. "CE-!"

"NO!"

Ranko spun back around at 18's distress. Cell's spine had inflated into a cone being pressed down over 17 from above. She was shocked and she was too late. They all were.

18 had barely taken one step in Cell's direction when 17 had disappeared into the tail. His body made a bulge in the narrow tube, but they could all see it slowly being pulled further into Cell's body until, at last, it disappeared. The whole process had taken less than half a minute.

Gasping, Ranko turned back around and started running for the other two androids. She could feel the result of Cell absorbing 17's body and it shook her nerves like a strained guitar wire. "Get out of here," Ranko yelled, "run!"

18 barely registered the redhead, still gaping at the monster Cell had become. She'd never thought there would be any real danger to herself or 17. They were the strongest, most powerful androids ever built. Not even Trunks and Vegita could stand up to them, and here this creature had so easily swallowed one of them whole.

"We should do as she says," 16 grabbed a hold of 18's shirt and began dragging her away from Cell.

"Going somewhere?"

All eyes snapped around to find Cell standing in front of them. He'd moved faster than they'd ever seen before. Cell's body had changed with 17's absorption. He was bigger, muscles bulged everywhere on his body and his face became more defined. A green crown grew on his forehead and his lips had taken shape from his chin. Cell's voice was deeper now, like a bullfrog and thunder rumbling in the clouds.

Gritting her teeth, Ranko stood before the two androids, her little frame barely blocking the two larger people. "Get her out of here. I'll hold him off."

"You do have spirit, I'll give you that," Cell laughed. "But none of you will be going anywhere."

"We must run," 16 urged the blonde android again.

Cell scoffed, "I have no need of you." A yellow lance of energy shot across the field and penetrated 16's head. The large android fell over backward, electricity shooting from the broken head plating.

"16!" 18 cried and dove beside the fallen androids side. "Get up, we have to run!"

"Didn't I say that before," Ranko muttered.

"HA!"

An explosion rattled the ground where Cell had been standing. High above the ground, Tien had come to a stop with his hands pressed together until he was looking down through the diamond arch. "Ranko, find Piccolo. I'll hold off Cell."

Ranko turned back to the androids. "Get out of here, ya stupid bitch! If you get absorbed by that monster we're all done for."

18 was pissed at her, but knew better than to argue with the redhead this time. She grabbed 16 and put his arm over her shoulder.

"Leave me."

"You're coming with me," 18 growled and took off into the air. She was moving slower with the extra weight, but they should be able to make some good distance before Tien tired of his attacks against Cell.

Ranko ran to the edge of the island where she had seen Piccolo fall. Hopefully the fighter had held his breath, if he was still alive that was. She took a deep breath and jumped in, the cold water didn't quite reach her body as she was surrounded by her own aura, which refused to die down while her adrenaline was so high. It wasn't just the anger that made her this way; it was fear. Ranko had never thought she would face anything more terrifying than Cell, but this evolved version had made her chest clench painfully.

Above the water she could hear Tien send off another one of his blasts. The water currents wavered for a moment while they absorbed some of the impact. Ranko kicked herself deeper, keeping her eyes and senses open for Piccolo's body.

She found him slowly floating upwards on his back. His shirt purple uniform was torn, revealing his green chest and one of his legs. Ranko grabbed a hold of one of Piccolo's arms and started dragging him to the surface. She needed to get back up to the surface for air, not just for her own sake. He was heavy and it slowed her down a little, but she climbed higher.

"C'mon, Ranko," Tien murmured as he held his hands in front of him, aimed straight down to the pit he was carving into the island in order to keep Cell pinned. He wasn't going to be able to last much longer. Each blast took a great deal of energy to even hold Cell back for a moment. "HA!"

Ranko's hand reached over the edge of the island and she began hauling herself and Piccolo back up. She grunted with the effort until she had a knee to the ground. "You better not be dead after what I just did for ya."

Tien sighed in relief as he watched Ranko rush Piccolo behind a few boulders to check on his condition. Only a little longer then he could run for it.

Ranko brought her ear to his mouth and waited to feel his breath, nothing. She placed two fingers against Piccolo's neck. There was no pulse. "Dammit. I didn't take CPR for this." With his nose pinched and head tilted back, Ranko pressed her lips against Piccolo's and breathed in some air once before pressing against his chest five times. "You are so goin ta owe me for this."

She repeated the process a few more times, very aware of how Tien's ki blasts were weakening slowly. It wouldn't be long before Cell would be on them and then after the androids. They needed to get out of here quick. Ranko expelled another breath into Piccolo's mouth and then pulled back as he suddenly coughed up some water. She sighed with her work done. Piccolo was still unconscious, but he would live.

Tucking the Namekian's body up against the wall, Ranko ran back around the boulder and closer to the fight. She'd have to wait there until someone came to fly Piccolo away. Until then, she would cover for Tien in case he ran out of energy and was too exhausted to fight Cell any other way.

Tien's body was beginning to feel numb from all of the ki blasts he was sending off. Veins were sticking out all over his arms and he noticed himself drooping lower in the air. A small energy signature told him Piccolo was safe now. Ranko must have resuscitated him; that ought to be a good one to tease the Namekian about later. If there was going to be a later.

The crater he'd made was the size of a large pool now. Cell kept trying to push against his blasts and was beginning to make some headway. Tien was about to fall out of the sky when he was suddenly grabbed from behind. "Goku?"

"You did great, Tien," Goku nodded. They disappeared from the air and stood upon the island then next instant. Goku set his friend down carefully and looked around. Piccolo wasn't in the sea any longer. A quick scan, Goku found his other friend resting behind a couple of boulders.

Cell screamed as he finally flew out of the crater. His eyes blazed with a green unholy light. Turning about quickly, Cell spotted Goku and Tien a little ways off. "So, you've finally come, Goku."

"Cell," Goku responded.

Smirking, the green monster rushed forward, eager to fight the man he'd heard so much about. This was why he was created; to destroy Son Goku utterly. His grin slipped as his foot sailed through Goku's head. The after image faded a second later. "What?!"

Goku and Tien reappeared behind the boulders. He picked up Piccolo and soon they were all off for Kami's island again.

"I will kill you, Goku!" Cell roared to the empty sky. That had been no simple illusion Goku had performed. They were all gone, just gone. Well, they had to return sometime to face him.

"MOUKO TAKABISHA!"

Cell's head rocked forward as the ki blast hit. Scowling further, he turned around to see who had dared . . "Little girl, you just don't know when to quit. I like that in a victim."

Stepping out from underneath the few trees left on the island, Ranko smirked in return. From her hiding spot she'd seen the man called Goku appear and take off with Tien and Piccolo. She'd been left behind. That didn't matter though. She wanted Cell for herself. Ranko's knuckles popped as she ground her fists together. "Guess I'm just another stupid girl then."

Cell smiled, he settled onto the ground and adopted his own fighting stance. He could take this girl without a problem, just a blast of energy and she would be dead, but he just liked her cocky attitude too much to make her death that quick or painless.

Ranko flared her ki in expectation as she faced off against Cell.

Suddenly the space behind Ranko grew heavy and a man appeared. Goku dropped his hand onto Ranko's shoulder and put the other against his forehead. "Almost forgot about you," he laughed and they disappeared together.

End Chapter Two

* * *

I know, you're upset that the fighting scenes aren't as complete as in the first chapter, but if we went into that kind of detail for every fight that would happen in a DBZ crossover the story would never be finished.

Just a few notes, neither Kaz nor I were certain how old the characters were so we guessed and/or manipulated the data. Goku and his crew are in their thirties (mid to late). Gohan is a little older than maybe he should be, fourteen. And Ranko was born a fully developed eighteen-year-old girl.

Send C&C to Michael at: [email protected]

Or Kazblah at: [email protected]

Or visit the Temple of the Creative: www.geocities.com/jehtek

Ja ne.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Viz video. I don't own Dragonball Z either! If any of the situations described below mirror those of actual events then you're living in a fantasy world.

A Chance Love Productions

Is proud to present

By Michael Fetter

And Kazblah

Chapter Three

"Protect the weak" that is the first rule of the martial arts, and Ranma's personal motto, something he held dear in his heart. Ranma knew this rule very well and had often gone to great lengths to preserve it. He suffered humiliation, losing the cure to his curse, and almost his life on a numerous occasions. Eleven years of his life he had spent training, sacrificing, working beyond his own physical limits. Ten years of a training trip that took him around the world and away from a mother that he barely remembered, having faced off against things of tales and fables told to little children at night. A tale of magic and adventure, of curses and dragons and a string of fiancées, and he lived it every single day of his life! Day in, day out, he lived, slept, breathed and fed martial arts. He paid blood sweat and tears working to become the greatest martial artist.

Ranko had a motto too: "If you can't defend, avenge!" Everything that Ranma was, the honor and passive nature of a man who held fighting as a last resort, they were the morals of a dead man. Ranko was building herself up around the things he couldn't handle. Leaving mother when he was young, learning the Art, to steal, to cheat, the Neko-ken, the fiancées, to win no matter what the odds; she would be a better warrior than what her old man had tried to mold her to be, better than the fighter Ranma had been. She wished to embrace the very nature of what it was to be an agent of vengeance.

Feeling the hand on her shoulder and watching the world flicker and disappear; Ranko closed her eyes and saw the things that made her what she was. It was people like Cologne and Happousai, the old masters that trained her and tested her to push her limits. Enemies like Taro, Herb, and Saffron testing her resolve and will to remain a fighter, someone that would not kill, who had also wiped that ideal away. Others like Ryouga, Mousse, and Tatewaki who bombarded Ranma on a daily basis with new techniques and secret attacks. And it was Ranma's fiancées: Shampoo, Ukyou, Kodachi, and Akane, who gave him something worth fighting for. These people, memories now, had been building a fighter, and with Cell her last hold of the fighter's spirit was removed. All that remained was the warrior.

The desire to fight, to kill, had never been so strong since she had looked upon that monster, and tasted his blood. He was coming at her now, green-black body flying with a bright aura. She saw his hand held back for a great punch, knowing a dozen ways to counter, avoid, or subdue the straightforward technique. Cell was far stronger than Ranko now, but it never occurred to her to be afraid, only pleased that her chance had finally come. No matter what the outcome might be, she would embrace it fully.

-

The last image Ranko had of Cell was of his fist only a few scant centimeters from her face after passing right through her flickering arm.

"Wha?!" Ranko stumbled forward slightly as her world righted itself again and she discovered herself literally standing above the clouds. There were others, staring at her, and Ranko blinked for a moment. What had happened to Cell?

There was still the hand on her shoulder and she looked over at the taller man smiling down at her. Ranko narrowed her eyes. "BAKA!"

The floor of kami's palace cracked as Goku was smashed into it. He never could avoid being hit by angry women that well.

Ranko seethed in anger as she stared at the man easily shrugging off her blow. Goku Son merely blinked at her in confusion, paying no mind to the hit at all, which did make her that much more angry however. "What do you think you were doing?! That was my fight!"

"Sorry," Goku replied with a smile, "but you couldn't have beaten Cell anyway. He's much too powerful for you."

This had not been the first time Ranko had ever heard someone say that to her. Ranma Saotome always wins at the end, right? How many times had she fought against impossible odds, against opponents who were stronger and faster than her, and still come out the victor?! No one got in her way because they knew she would win! She was a force of nature! An unstoppable hurricane that wiped away everything in her path! And when she wanted it most, needed her vengeance, this macho, arrogant, idiotic pervert thought he could tell her she couldn't win?!?! "NO ONE BEATS RANKO SAOTOME!"

Goku was still smiling dumbly at her, but blinked as the area suddenly became warm and bore a dark red glow. Without calling out a warning, Ranko dashed forward to attack Goku in all of his vital organs.

Shrugging, Goku realized again that he would never understand women. Though Ranko was a good deal more skilled and faster than any other was he'd faced, but she was nowhere near the level of power necessary to even give him a bruise. As fast and as precise as the attacks came, Goku blocked each with simple move of his hand and refused to be pushed in any direction, which seemed to only make Ranko angrier.

On the edge of Ranko's warm red aura, the other fighters watched with stunned, nervous eyes. Most of Goku's friends started out as enemies, but this time the Saiyajin had saved someone and she was still fast becoming his enemy. Though for the spectators this event was a little more entertaining since Ranko's movements, more fluid than anything they had ever seen, somehow made her more attractive than before. Yamcha, as it was, had to run off for the far side of kami's island to avoid passing out.

Piccolo was silently watching the one-sided fight with a stoic face. If they had the time, Ranko could teach them her Art and he knew they would all benefit from it. Their own was too restricted and often more counter-offensive than anything. Ranko's form whipped like fire and flowed like water, barely a hole left in her guard. This was true art, molding and reshaping at a moment's notice. If it weren't for the fact that any one of them could push past her defenses with brute force, Ranko would be the best fighter in the world. So skilled in the Art and yet so innocent looking. Piccolo's mind drifted back to the hazy images of someone bending over him after being resuscitated by their full lips, the color of rose blossoms and tasting like . . . Piccolo shook his head and grumbled into his chest.

Gohan's head snapped back and forth, trying to decide what scene was more unexpected to watch. On the one side, his father was defending himself against the young woman he'd brought back from where she'd been about to fight with Cell, and the other had Piccolo, watching the fight between his father and the girl, and blushing into his green skin. All the fighters were acting a little strange actually. Gohan had never seen Yamcha run off like that, and Tien was bouncing his head a little while following Ranko releasing her anger on Goku.

Gohan came to the slow realization that Ranko was wearing a uniform his father and friend, Kuillin, wore to display their training backgrounds. As this piece of information filtered through his mind, Gohan also noted that the outfit was a little loose around the hips and . . . tight in other areas.

"Damn it! Fight me for real!" Ranko screamed as the infuriating man blocked another one of her combos. How could he be so fast? Was Goku reading her moves somehow? She noted he had returned to that stupid smile of his, one that said 'I decided to block only as an after thought'.

As another of her leg sweeps slammed into Goku's leg without causing the slightest tremor, Ranko's tenuous control of her fury snapped. Taking a small hop backwards, she got herself ready and ran in again, "This time for real!" Her fist flew through the air missing Goku's face. Though she had left three bleeding, horizontal marks across his face. The scent of the blood filled Ranko's nose and urged her on. Becoming more wild and unpredictable, even managing to get a few more shots in then before.

Piccolo's eyes widened as the girl just suddenly switched styles in the middle of the fight, it wasn't a particularly unusual thing. She wasn't using any more ki then she was before. The ki was different though, Ranko was getting more shots in, and it was suddenly getting a lot warmer too.

"KACHUU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" hundreds of blows started to rain down on Goku, but Ranko was tiring from all the attacks. The fight began to wind down after a continuous barrage of a few thousand punches. Ranko was panting, exhausted, and angry that no matter how hard she pushed herself, only a few punches made it in.

"That was great," Goku complimented the breathless girl. "You must be even better than Master Roshi and he's a Martial Arts Master!"

Ranko snorted. She could beat a demi-god, Cologne, and the old pervert, and Goku thought being better than that hentai Roshi was good?

"I bet if you had trained the real fighters then we would have had no problem beating Cell!" He continued with the same smile.

It was said innocently, but Ranko found reason to glare at the man for the statement. What was it with men when it came to her girl body? If they weren't trying to ogle her breasts then they wanted to keep her out of fights. She wasn't some delicate glass sculpture that would break with a touch. Without even thinking about it, Ranko reached back into subspace and planted a new mallet over Goku's head

Grumbling, Ranko stomped off for the side of the island to look for a way down and then find Cell. Behind her a young Namekian and his attendant walked across the courtyard to the male fighters. Dende found his friend turned away from a girl with his cheeks flushed a bright red, similarly Piccolo and Tien. He'd passed Yamcha on the way here and could only wonder, "Did I miss something?"

~

This wasn't her fault. It was his.

Ranma had spent the last half-hour searching around the perimeter of the floating island for a way off. Down below was her destiny, where the revenge she held in her heart was to be driven. Cell was not her enemy. For what he had done, Cell was Ranko's ultimate goal, to feel the blood on her hands again, his breath in her grip slowly fading; this was her lifeblood, the waking of her dreams, the catharsis of her story.

Cell had been within her reach until 'he' had gotten in the way. Ranko shot another glare across the way to where Goku stood with the rest, looking over the edge like they could see what was happening miles below. Sitting against a pillar near the entrance to kami's home, Ranko thought over all the pain she would make Cell experience before he escaped into the beyond. If there were a way, she would make the monster suffer then bring him back to do it all over again.

Kami, Ranko snorted. He was a child, and another alien like Piccolo. A number of the people here were alien, Ranko discovered. Saiyajins and Namekians. The world wouldn't be in trouble if they hadn't come here. It was their fault some group calling themselves the Red Ribbon Army had created the androids and Cell. If not for them the world would not be in danger, she would not be stuck as a girl, and Akane . . .

Ranko swallowed back the bitter taste in her mouth. This was not the time to cry over the past, but to think on the present. She wasn't strong enough. Fighting Goku a while before had made that point clear. If someone like him was using next to nothing of his powers in their brief spat, then the danger Cell represented was far more than Ranko could handle now.

No matter how much she wanted to kill Cell with her own hands, that didn't look possible. Despising the idea, Ranko needed these people to fight for her and her family. If she had time, maybe; some warning, "It wouldn't have made a difference."

"What's that, Saotome-san?"

Goku's son, Gohan, stood before her. He had been frightful and worried as he stood beside the other fighters, feeling the tremendous energy Cell was casually tossing about in his search for android 18. Ranko had seen them all tremble, herself included when the monster began destroying whole islands in his pursuit. Such a great force of destruction, she felt each blast like a stab in her heart.

Gohan nervously looked over his shoulder every other moment as a new wave of Cell's power fell upon the earth. He was so young to be here, fighting with this group, but Ranko had discovered he was also powerful.

When she first sat down, one of the men, Tien, walked over to ask her trivial things, make small talk as a distraction from the destruction they had no way of preventing. Tight-lipped, Ranko ended up listening to Tien introduce the others by pointing them out and how he knew them. She only half-listened, too angry about being stuck here, away from where Cell was.

The young Saiyajin shifted on his feet, and Ranko lifted her head to stare into his eyes. He was scared and wanted someone to help him feel better. Around a group of men, who each appeared to be seasoned fighters, Ranko probably looked like the most comforting.

Ranko nodded to the spot beside her, "Wanna sit down?"

He nodded appreciatively and sat down, making sure they were not actually touching. "What were you thinking about before, Saotome-san?"

Ranko stared out over the side of the island to clouds floating below them. Her elbows were resting on her knees as she leaned back against the stone pillar. Ranko thought for a moment that the day should be darker. "Why I fight," she finally responded.

Gohan had been watching the redheaded martial artist as she remained silent. The muscles in her arms and jaw sometimes twitched and her chest rose and fell in deep breaths. He wasn't sure what to think of her. His mother, Chichi, was a strict and rather reserved person who you used to make the martial arts a part of her life. Bulma was a strong, opinionated woman just like his mother, and like her mother she used her mind more than her muscle to solve problems. This was probably what set Ranko apart; she did not yell and make arguments over fighting, but put up her fists and fought. It was the reaction of a Saiyajin.

Gohan's eyes became concerned as he watched the way Ranko seemed to stare at nothing and experience so much pain. What did she see? "Why do you fight, Saotome-san?"

Closing her eyes for a long moment, Ranko turned herself to face Gohan and give him a little smile. "Call me Ranko, Gohan-chan. I ain't old enough to be Saotome-san."

She looked at the boy, beyond just the cursory glance. Ranko saw scars people gained through training and fights. They were numerous, but they were also small and faded, maybe a result from the senzu beans the boy had likely taken before. He was still a preteen, maybe ten or eleven, and yet his body and the look in his eyes told Ranko the boy had been arduously trained for some time. Though she hadn't seen it, Ranko could believe the boy was strong enough to be among these fighters.

"There are lots of reasons for me to fight," Ranko continued. "I used to fight because I had to. It was the policy of my school. Anyone who challenged me I had to fight and win."

Ranko thought of her father who had made that point clear to her. As the heir to the Anything Goes school, she had to meet every challenge or face dishonor. If she lost, then she would have to train until she could beat whatever new technique or ability had been pitted against her.

"Then I fought for the people, my friends and family. They counted on me and I had to keep them safe."

"Until Cell," Gohan whispered. Cell, Frieza, Vegita, Raditz; they had all come to take something from him. They each came and took away someone he loved and cared for. Gohan could understand that the reasons Ranko had mentioned were things of the past.

"Until Cell," Ranko repeated. She felt the pressure of two little arms around her waist and a head pressed against her chest. Gohan wasn't sobbing like a child, but in another time he might have been.

Ranko put an arm around the boy and stroked back his spiky hair. Across the courtyard she could see Goku turning around to watch them, his eyes sad and concerned, but not quite sure how to express these things with his son. In a way, Goku reminded Ranko of her own father. It made sense why Gohan was here, he wanted to prove something to his father.

Another presence appeared before her. Ranko turned her eye to the young Namekian, who claimed to be the new kami of earth. The other man, Mr. Popo has moved off somewhere into the building, mumbling something about the time.

"Is Gohan alright?" Dende asked, setting down his staff as he knelt beside his friend.

7 The boy in question pulled his face away from the side of Ranko's chest and turned around slightly in her hold. Gohan kept her arm over his shoulder and smiled weakly at his friend then croaked, "I'm fine, Dende."

"He's worried about what Cell will do if we can't stop him," Ranko spoke. She felt herself worrying about the young Saiyajin, him and his friend actually. She worried about his future if Cell truly became unbeatable. The boys were too young to be fighting this kind of battle, to lose their families if something went wrong. Ranko already knew too many others who had lost their parents or had their lives destroyed at a young age.

"I'm worried too," Dende admitted with a little grin. "But you have to believe in your father, Gohan. He saved my people and defeated Frieza. He will win here too."

"But Cell is so strong, Dende," argued Gohan, "I don't see how-"

"Sometimes," Ranko thought of her own fights, which people had assumed would be impossible to win. "Sometimes you have to believe without seein, Gohan. Hopin’ in a kami that'll see things through for ya. It's called faith."

Dende smiled as he caught her glance when talking about kamis.

"It's time! It's time!" Mr. Popo exclaimed as he rushed for a large bronze door on one side of the temple grounds. Gohan perked up noticeably at this and stood up, wiping at his eyes.

"Maybe Trunks and Vegita will be able to take care of Cell," Gohan hoped with a smile. With a look he thanked Ranko for her words and rushed off to see how powerful the two Ranko had yet to meet had become.

Pushing off against the wall, Ranko stood up beside Dende. "Let's go see these two Saiyajins everyone's been waitin fer."

Another pair of arms grabbed at her waist and Ranko found the young kami hugging her tightly. "I hope they can stop Cell from killing all those poor people."

Staring sadly at the Namekian, Ranko placed a hand on his back briefly while another part of her felt Cell release another volley of blasts no doubt destroying whole populations in seconds. The life of a woman is fraught with peril.

The group of Z fighters had gathered around the large bronze door by the time Ranko and Dende arrived. The doors were opening, a white light behind them leaving them as silhouettes to the rest. With slow, powerful steps the two men exited the Chamber of Time and Space with expressions that were both grim and smug.

The first was shorter, maybe an inch or more than Ranko's father had been. He wore a blue body suit that covered his legs up to his chest beneath a strange, flexible looking body armor that molded itself to his chest. His eyes were filled with contempt for others and pride in himself. Dark hair was swept back into the air like he were flying forward with the wind in his face.

The second, a young man with silver white hair, was slightly taller. He wore more casual clothing with emblems marking himself as a member of the Capsule Corps. Leaner than the older man, his muscles were more easily seen with only a black tank top covering his chest. The khaki jeans were torn in places, making him look all the more rugged and powerful.

"Wow, you two feel real strong," Goku enthused after inspecting both men.

"More powerful than you shall ever be, Kakorotto," the first man sneered. Ranko could guess that this was Vegita after hearing about his rivalry with Goku from Tien. "I will deal with this Cell and prove myself as the strongest fighter in the universe once again!"

Now who did this remind Ranko of? She quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. Despite Vegita's attitude he did seem like their best option at the moment.

"Let's go, father," Trunks interjected, passing his glance over Ranko for the moment. "We have to go stop Cell."

"Good luck you guys," Goku smiled and turned to his on. "You ready to begin training Gohan."

"Sure, dad," the boy answered.

Vegita snorted, "A waste of time."

As the large bronze door closed again Vegita and Trunks started walking over to the edge of the island and scanned the world below them for signs of Cell. It was easier than they would have expected. Both flared their auras for a moment and jumped into the air, or one of them did.

"Hey," Trunks objected to having his ear pulled down on. He turned in the air to look at who had stopped him and swallowed when he met the redhead from before, only much closer. An eyeful was not giving her the credit she deserved. "Uh, what?"

"You are taking me with you," Ranko demanded.

Trunks stared at her dumbly then looked back to where his father was already miles away. There wasn't time to argue it, and from the look in Ranko's eyes it seemed she wasn't going to give him the chance anyway.

The remaining Z fighters watched the two Saiyajins fly off with Ranko in Trunks' arms. Tien could only shake his head at the reckless ways of the redhead. "She sure does get around."

~

Cell was down to the last island in the area android 18 could have gotten to in such a short amount of time. He knew she was here somewhere with 16 and that it was only a matter of time until he found her and finally became complete.

Floating only a few hundred feet over the last island, Cell began a methodical search of the whole island or would have until he felt an enormous source of ki tracking down his location. By the feel of it, he considered it might be Vegita, a weaker fighter than Piccolo was. He was proven correct as the blonde prince of Vegita, the Saiyajin home world, and came to a stop only a hundred feet away.

"Oh?" Cell smirked and looked down on Vegita like he were an insect. "And what can I do for you, Vegita?"

Vegita growled and began to power up.

~

"What is that?" Ranko gasped as she stared out ahead to where Trunks was taking her.

The platinum haired boy's brow furrowed. "Father is fighting Cell," he stated with a determined look in his eyes and pushed himself a little harder to catch up with the older Saiyajin.

"It feels," Ranko had never been so close to something that truly felt like a god, but Vegita, even from this distance, his ki level was nothing short of breath taking. It frightened as well as excited her. Cell would die for sure this time. "It feels incredible," Ranko finished with a whisper of awe.

Trunks gave the redhead an uncertain look, but continued on his way. Soon they arrived at the island where Vegita and Cell were trading blows. Actually, though they were both fast, Vegita was that much faster. Cell was being knocked into mountain and sea like a rag doll. Trunks floated over the island with Ranko in his arms in case a blast destroyed the area. He smiled with pride, watching his father knock Cell around with such ease.

Ranko's smile was a little more malicious, but no less fixed upon the battle. She wished she could be the one with so much power, to beat Cell into a bloody mass beneath her fists. Though, she could settle for just watching in this case. Ranko would take Cell's beating any way she could get it.

After putting a large crater in the island by knocking Cell into the earth head first, Vegita backed off a bit and smirked. "Not so high and might now, eh Cell?" the Super Saiyajin sneered arrogantly. "This fight is boring. You're hardly worth the effort. How you could ever you think you would beat the prince of all Saiyajin is pathetic."

Cell grunted and lifted himself off of the ground. "Not bad, Vegita," he brushed the back of his hand over his bleeding lip, "but if I had my complete form you would never have lasted so long."

"Ha!" Vegita crossed his arms over his chest and stared down on Cell from where he floated overhead. "You keep harping about this complete form. I'm almost tempted to let you absorb the android just to prove how pathetic you really are."

"Father!" Trunks gasped. He wouldn't, would he?

Ranko saw the Saiyajin and Cell glance over to where the blonde android and the larger, broken 16 stood. Behind them stood the bald monk, Kuillin, a pile of twisted metal at his feet. Ranko's eyes went wide as she began to believe Vegita may just let Cell absorb 18, and they would be destroyed because of his pride.

Vegita glanced at the android then to Cell and finally nodded, "Make it quick. This had better be good."

Cell was not the only surprised person on the island. 18 began to back up as the green monster approached. Trunks sputtered in shock and wavered in the air for a moment. It was a short moment.

Ranko tumbled out of the air then righted herself enough to land on her feet on the island. Her heart was beating harder as she glared at Vegita and hoped for success when Trunks intercepted Cell.

"No," Trunks slid in front of the green monster, already changed into his Super Saiyajin form, arms wide. "I won't let you. Father, just defeat him and let's finish this!"

Cell stopped when confronted by Trunks. If Vegita could increase his power level so much in just one day then it was likely Trunks would be just as strong. He glanced over his shoulder to the other Saiyajin, "Vegita?"

"Get out of the way, stupid boy!" Vegita ordered, the he looked more amused than upset. "It's not like a weakling such as yourself could take on Cell anyway."

"No, Father." Trunks turned a determined gaze onto Cell and started building up a little more energy. "This is wrong. I'm going to prove you wrong!"

A new battle was suddenly taken up, and Trunks and Cell were bounding about the island, tossing energy blasts and physical attacks. The fight was on a more even scale than what it had been between Vegita and Cell. A lucky hit dropped Trunks into the sea, but the youth quickly recovered and blasted back into the air to return the favor. Cell made a larger splash as he hit the sea with help of Trunk's double hammer fist blow.

"What are you doing?!" Ranko yelled, enraged at the older Saiyajin. Vegita only gave her a glance. "Get over there and kill the monster before he hurts anyone else!"

Vegita laughed, but he was growing tired of watching this pathetic battle between his future son and Cell. In a flash he disappeared and stood before his son a moment later, fist firmly planted in Trunks' gut. "Now hurry up," he ordered Cell. "I'm not waiting all day for a decent fight."

Cell backed off a few steps, then turned and ran for android 18, not allowing time for anyone else to get in his way.

"NO!" Cell was fast, but Ranko was still closer to 18. She got in the green monsters direct path, ready to fight as hard as she could to prevent Cell from becoming any stronger. A hard energy blast from Vegita was her reward for trying to protect humanity from this creature, its extinction.

"Stupid girl," Vegita scoffed and dropped his son on the ground.

Rolling with the blast when she touched the ground, Ranko picked herself right back up and rushed after 18 while Cell was momentarily distracted. With a quick swoop, Ranko had the fear-locked 18 in her arms and she was bolting for the protection of the forest. It was not to be.

Cell had paused as Vegita's energy blast past him to knock away the redhead. He'd never thought Vegita was this eager for a battle with a stronger opponent. Now the redhead had the last piece to his ultimate revenge against the world. Racing faster, Cell's tail lashed out for her back, "Drop the android, girl!"

Ranko cried out in pain as she lost grip of 18 and was sent hurdling towards the mountain, speeds where she would be lucky to survive with just a broken bone or two.

"I've got you!" Kuillin called out, catching Ranko before she hit the mountain and reducing the impact with his ki. Together, their impact punched a hole in the mountain.

18 held off for a few moments, but Cell quickly had her wrapped up in his tail. "Now then, where were we?"

"You were on your way to hell," 18 grunted as the tail constricted. She tried to kick, but Cell was feeling none of it. Her doom came with a cone descending over her head, and she was powerless to stop it. "Let me go! Let me go! Let me-!"

Cell smirked at her muffled screams as she was absorbed through the tail and then closed his eyes as a new rush of power overwhelmed him. An electrical storm raged through his veins and struck the world around him like an entity that dominated its space and pushed aside all else. Here was power that rivaled the sun. Here was the energy he needed to claim his superiority over the universe!

"Ahahahaha! No power in the galaxy is great enough to stand against me now!" Cell arched back and released great gales of laughter, flexing his new body, the white skin defended by green and black armoring. His wings hung down from his shoulders to compare to those of a large cockroach's back. The long tail that had brought him this fate pulled in tightly to his body, no longer needed. His was now absolute perfection, the greatest of all things.

Smirking, Cell looked back up t where Vegita floated in the air, waiting for his next battle. He could see the bit of surprise on the Saiyajin's face and knew it would be worse still once the extent of his new power was revealed. The arrogant Vegita would fall from his self-proclaimed throne and would rot beneath his feet. "Are you ready now to face my complete form, Vegita?"

Growling, Vegita fell into a concentrated fighting stance. This time the fight would be far more interesting.

~

The water about the island shimmered as if the land had just been dropped within the sea. Trees swayed to a breeze generated by one being. A crater beneath Cell's feet grew quickly to encompass a twenty-meter radius. Trunks felt his chest tighten with this show of power. For someone to become this powerful . . Cell truly was a monster.

Trunks was paused before the hole in the mountain where Kuillin and Ranko were stuck. He could feel their ki and knew they were fine so he kept his eyes on the new fight. It began almost immediately. Cell stood there a moment while flexing his new body and grinning at himself and then he was off, back to physical blows with his father. Things were not looking so good this time.

"Damn you, father," Trunks cursed. "It's your Saiyajin heritage that let Cell get this far. Now it's probably too late."

Cell dodged a combination of kicks and punches, phased out, and reappeared behind Vegita. Then next moment Vegita was plummeting for the earth, the wind rushing by screamed like a comet's backlash. Vegita's body dug a hole in the ground so deep and wide that the whole island shuddered and divided.

"I hope this isn't the best you can do, Vegita," Cell taunted the fallen Saiyajin.

Trunks watched his father's aura flare even brighter, his body expanding a little, and then punching out of the ground with a roar. "No one beats Vegita!"

Cell laughed and knocked away the golden ki blasts coming at him faster than a machine gun could fire. A cloud of dust developed about Cell's body as the blasts continued to pile up and explode over the green monster's body.

Breathing deeply, Vegita smirked at what he assumed would be a pile of ashes falling out of the sky. He'd just delivered more power in those last blasts than what had been previously seen on this earth. Cell was dead, nothing could survi-

"Hahahahaha!" Cell's new golden aura brushed away the dust to reveal his body whole and unhurt. "A good try, Vegita, but now it is my turn."

Energy shot forth from Cell's right hand. Vegita attempted to negate it with another of his own, but Cell's energy overwhelmed the defense and hit Vegita squarely in the chest.

"Father!" Trunks cried out in alarm. Vegita was dropped into the water this time and his bright golden aura was impossible to make out at the depths he had been pushed.

Still smirking arrogantly, Cell descended to the island to wait out Vegita's return, if he returned. "That was too easy, Vegita! Were you all bark and no bite?"

Trunks waited for agonizing moments while his father resurfaced from the water. There was no way his arrogant, egotistical father could have been killed. Since coming to the past, Vegita surprised Trunks one time after the next. He'd originally come to warn Goku, his mother believing Goku Son was their true savior, but his father's power had been putting that theory to the test. Now, after training a full year with his father, Trunks knew Vegita could not be put down like this; Vegita was meant for greater things. Trunks could see it in his father's eyes.

The mountainside crumbled and shifted slightly and a slide of dirt revealed Kuillin pulling himself out. In his arms was a coughing redhead, who spat out dirt and shook her head of dizziness. "Hey, Trunks," Kuillin greeted the Saiyajin weakly. "How are things going?"

"Not to good, Kuillin," Trunks replied, still focused on the sea. There was something there, his father maybe, but what was he waiting for? "Cell's power has grown a hundred times of what it was."

"That's bad," Kuillin agreed and hoisted Ranko out of the dirt completely. He held her in his arms as they floated high in the air and looked out to the battlefield where Cell stood patiently, waiting for Vegita's return.

"It's coming," Trunks whispered.

Kuillin closed his eyes to feel for the energy. It was deep below the surface of the ocean. A massive buildup of energy was beginning to boil the water and the source was climbing closer to the surface. In his arms, Ranko kept an arm around his neck and was looking over to watch events unfold.

The water parted at the force of Vegita's aura as the Saiyajin continued to rise into the air. His ki flow was immense, larger than what it was before. Golden flames burned brighter and higher to look like a second sun. Vegita's body could only be seen as an outline as he roared for more power to build up in his body.

"Oh?" Cell looked up, unimpressed. "And what are you planning now, Vegita?"

"Now you die, Cell!" Vegita's body drank in the golden aura and forced it all between his cupped hands. Taking a deep breath, Vegita shot forth his hands and screamed, "BIG BANG ATTACK!"

~

The once beautiful island was now ransacked of the nature that had made it. The valley was desert where once had been fields of lush grass, flowers, and trees. There was nothing now but the brown desolation. Not a sound but the wind winding into the energy carved valley. Not a sound but the wind and laughter.

"Hahahaha!" Cell had lost his arm and leg, but he still felt in the mood for laughter. His enemy lay on the ground, wasted of his own energy. "That was pathetic. I am now the perfect, invincible warrior and you thought you could destroy me with that pitiful attack?!"

Cell's laughter rang through the valley, echoing loud into the sky.

Further off, the sands shifted and some heavy sections of earth were toppled over. Trunks stood up after having to protect Kuillin and Ranko with his body from his father's attack. With a shove, he tossed aside another boulder. The two humans were dirty, but unharmed.

This destruction should never have happened. If only, "Father."

"That's it," Kuillin stuttered and fear. "Cell's won."

"No." Trunks stood up straighter, tightening his fists and he turned to look on Cell. "I'll kill him."

"But Trunks, Vegita-"

"Was nothing compared to me," Trunks put in.

Kuillin gasped. The statement had not gone unheard by Cell either. All eyes turned to the younger Saiyajin as he strode further into the valley, His eyes hard and focused on Cell. "During training father pushed himself harder than I'd ever seen anyone train. He got to where he is now after only six months. He stopped there and began to train at that level every day afterwards."

Trunks' eyes went over to where his father lay in his normal state, black, spiky hair wafting in the wind. "But where father stopped, I went on. I didn't have the heart to tell him, but now that he's unconscious I don't mind showing you Cell!"

Cell was a little startled then his mouth curved into a cocky smile. "You're bluffing."

"You think so?" Trunks blinked out from the area and reappeared before Cell with his fist firmly planted in the monster's gut, sending the creature skidding across the ground. "Think again."

"Wow," Kuillin awed at the sight. "Trunks has gotten really strong." Ranko nodded in agreement.

Shaking his head, Cell slowly picked himself up. "Not bad. This should be very interesting."

"Count on it," Trunks answered heatedly. Still facing Cell, Trunks braced himself and began to gather his full power. Unlike his father, Trunks wanted this fight over as quickly as possible. He'd seen enough destruction and death in his own timeline, he wouldn't let it happen again.

The ground began to shake and whole clumps of dirt began to rise with the energy. Kuillin circled his arms around Ranko's waist and pulled her to the air. He could tell this was going to be a massive ki battle if Cell lasted long enough. "Go get him, Trunks! Yeah!"

"Yes, Trunks," Cell taunted as he watched the Super Saiyajin continue to climb in power. "Come get me."

Super Trunks' arms and legs exploded outwards with greater muscle tone that increased his height and girth by a number of inches. His forearms alone looked like tree trunks. "You'll pay for all the pain you've caused, Cell."

Cell only smirked and waited.

Finished with his buildup, Trunks broke his concentration and focused on Cell again. With a sneer he rushed forward to slam his fist into Cell's face.

The punch came and passed by harmlessly.

Cell continued to smirk and dodged further attacks with ease. "You're a bigger fool than Vegita."

"What?!" Trunks pushed himself harder, but he continued to miss. "What is this? I can't even touch him!"

Back on the edge of the battle, Ranko shook her head at this latest failure. "Baka."

"What is it?" Kuillin asked, concerned.

Ranko glanced back up at the futile battle. Trunks was definitely strong, but his training had been a waste of time. Vegita must have seen this and that's why he really stopped. "He's too big."

Kuillin looked to Trunks and then back, "So?"

"So his bulk is getting in the way." Ranko sneered. She'd thought Vegita was a bullheaded egotist like Ryouga, but here was Trunks proving himself even more so. From experience, Ranko could say that strength was not everything. "He's too slow now."

The point was being driven home into Trunks' body at the same time. Cell finished dodging and moved in to attack. No matter what the Saiyajin did he was too slow, and Cell returned to toss him into mountains, the sea, and hit him with powerful energy blasts.

"Father," Trunks croaked at the unconscious form of his father. "Why didn't you warn me?"

"So you see the futility of this now?" Cell laughed and backed off. "It was a good try Trunks, but you should know now that you are no match for the perfect warrior!"

Trunks began to descend, powering down as he finally came to rest on his knees, staring at the ground. He'd lost without even landing one hit. The world was doomed because he hadn't seen what was so obvious to his father. He was a fool! "Damn. Damnit! DAMNIT!"

"Don't worry. I won't be destroying the world yet." Cell floated up a little higher. "I'll give you ten days to prepare for my tournament. Ten days and then the fate of this planet will be decided."

"Hey!" Trunks' face slammed into the ground as Ranko rushed in and used it as a catapult. "Aren't you forgetting someone?!" Her lower body rose over her head as she turned herself into a downward kick.

Cell blinked in surprise and gave way for a few feet, but remained in the air.

Unable to fly, Ranko fell back down to the earth in a ready stance. Her leg hurt like hell from the kick, but she'd take more just to hurt Cell a little. "You ain't leavin here till I've kicked yer ass!"

Trunks recovered and put his hand out to ward Ranko off, "You can't-"

"Shove it, you coward!" Ranko glared at the young Saiyajin then turned back to the amused Cell. "I don't give up just because someone is stronger than me! A true martial artist fights because she has too, not because she knows she'll win!"

"Ranko!" Kuillin called out fearfully. He'd been to intent on the fight between Trunks and Cell that he hadn't noticed when she escaped his grasp. The crazy girl was going to get herself killed facing Cell now.

With a grin, Cell descended from the air and set down softly on the ground. "You should listen to the girl, Trunks. Alone she has already killed me once, which is far more than any of your friends have been able to accomplish."

Trunks blinked at that and looked at Ranko again. She certainly didn't look that powerful. In fact, she seemed weaker than Cell was in his first form. Almost killed him? How? This weak fighter?

"And I'll do it again as many times as it takes to get rid of you for good!" Ranko cried out, raising her fist at the murderer of her family and friends.

"I believe you would try," Cell laughed.

He laughed? Laughed at her? Ranko's left eye twitched. She was not weak and she always kept her promises. If she said she would kill Cell, then she would kill Cell! "I may not be the strongest fighter in the world, but I'm still the best god damn martial artist and I'm gonna shove that straight down yer fucking throat!"

"You're no longer worth my time," Cell chuckled as he looked down on her, "little girl."

"THAT'S IT!" Ranko screeched. So much hate, so much anger, it pumped through her body until it all felt like one big flexing muscle. She would teach Cell to take her seriously. It didn't matter how strong Cell got, Ranko was still anything but a weak little girl! "I'LL," Ranko dropped into a slight crouch, "DESTROY," ki claws shot out of her hands the color of thick blood, "YOU!"

Cell lost his smirk as he watched Ranko take off at speeds that should not be possible for someone so weak. It was nothing near what he was capable of, but the fact itself was enough to draw his attention and take her more seriously. "Fine, you want to meet your fate sooner rather than later? Then you shall have your wish!"

Unlike Goku, Cell was easier to anger. Ranko continued to spout insults, some of which made Kuillin and Trunks cringe. Cell's incredible power was overwhelming, but she would where a pink dress before running in fear. In her mind, Cell's days were numbered and the clock was running out.

Ranko rushed in with her ki claws ready. She watched him rear back with a reverse punch. Though the speed Cell could now move at was invisible to her eye, Ranko knew form. In the momentary flash of movement, Ranko also knew that Cell was off balance.

"Ha!" Cell's fist ripped through the area he'd expected Ranko to end up. He felt nothing and was surprised to see she had sidestepped and stopped just within his reach. Her hand was already around his wrist and using his momentum Cell found himself planted in the ground. "What?!"

Ranko wasn't going to give him the luxury of examining what had just happened. The cat in her wanted blood and urged her to pounce. She jumped into the air after Cell immediately after letting go and came down with a ki charged sidekick. The power of the blow knocked Cell's face a few inches deeper into the ground.

"Damnit," she mentally cursed herself. Ranko had forgotten how hard Cell's body felt now with all of that ki reinforcing his frame. It was like striking steel and she only had pool cue. Well then, she'll need to use the point a little more.

"Little girl!" Cell growled and jumped back to his feet.

Ranko rolled away in time and poised herself for a new attack. This time Cell charged in. He flew in like before on the island Goku had taken her away from. Cell's fists were already flying, but she wasn't concerned about his fists this time.

Smirking, Ranko suddenly ducked and came up with a hold on Cell's feet. His momentum again brought him face down in the dirt. Ranko had used his legs as leverage to get him there. This time she pushed off immediately and gathered her ki into her hands. "Mouko Takabisha!"

The blast hit and kicked up another cloud of dirt. Ranko's smile almost widened until Cell came flying out of the dust cloud, obviously pissed. From his other battles, Ranko knew where Cell would place himself for double hammer blow. She quickly flipped and prayed he'd be there and kicked off.

Cell jerked in surprise as he received a mouthful of feminine heel. "You little . ."

Tumbling out of her fall, Ranko jumped to her feet and began taunting him again. "What's wrong, Cell-chan? Is a little girl like me giving you troubles?" She added on a little giggle for effect and was pleased to see Cell's rage increase, as well as his aura.

"You die!" Cell's hands came together for a powerful blast, which struck the ground at Ranko's feet.

For a few moments the area was silent as everyone watched the settling dust cloud. Trunks and Kuillin had been gaping at the small fight since it started, stunned to see Cell being tossed into the ground almost casually. To the other side, Vegita was able to turn his head to watch the fight. He'd expected Trunks to be in the losing battle, only to find the redhead from before giving more than she got.

"She's . . She's . ." Kuillin hoped, prayed that his feelings were wrong, but Ranko's ki . .

"She's gone," Trunks finished sadly. Ranko had contained amazing skill, but against someone as powerful as Cell, skill could only take her so far.

"Pity," Cell dusted off his hands, "I was starting to like her."

"That's very sweet, Cell-chan."

"What?!" Everyone looked around for the source of the voice. The Z-fighters were once again dazzled by Ranko's skill as they watched Cell once again tossed into the ground by his wrist, but Ranko was nowhere to be seen.

Cell growled and looked about the area. He closed his eyes and looked harder. "There is no ki here. Where did the little girl go?"

"What did I say about the little girl thing?!" Ranko's voice screamed from behind the monster.

Cell tried to turn and fire off a ki blast, but his left foot was kicked out from beneath him and he ended up slamming the energy blast into his own torso. Shrieking scratch marks appeared over his back, but his body was too strong to be pierced by Ranko's invisible cat claws. He stood and was again tossed in another direction.

Flaming golden aura bursting about his body, Cell stood up solidly, willing himself not to be thrown again. "When I catch you . ."

"Who said you could catch me?"

Cell's hand shot off a quick blast that struck against the far mountainside.

"That was way off!"

He shot again.

Ranko's voice came again and it giggled with insult, "Nope, try again!"

"DIE!" Cell growled and shot a blast into every direction. If the area was barren before it was utterly devastated this time. Kuillin and Trunks had to fly off a distance to avoid the random blasts. The whole island was surrounded in a dust cloud. When it was over Cell stood in the same spot breathing hard through his nose and glaring in every direction.

"That was good, Cell-chan. Now it's my turn."

Cell gasped and took an involuntary step back as Ranko suddenly appeared ducking at his feet and rising up with an uppercut.

"HIRYU SHOUTEN HA!"

The perfect warrior looked at the small fist for a second when Ranko missed by over a foot. He looked down to her smirking face and sudden gale of wind lifted him into the air. "You bitch!"

The Z-fighter's jaws dropped at the size of the tornado developing. They could see Cell's aura rolling around in the wind and could even see it get brighter with every moment as he attempted to force himself out. Unfortunately for Cell, every time he increased the strength of his aura, the hurricane increased its hold to keep him there. It was a cycle that lasted so far that the hurricane base could touch every edge of the island at the same time.

Water was drawn up from the sea to enter the funnel along with rocks, trees, and anything else that was not bolted to the planet. The hurricane lasted another five minutes before Cell's energy level dropped of completely and suddenly.

Without the energy being provided by Cell, the winds fell away to nothing. Everything that had been drawn up into the hurricane began to fall away also until all that was left was a slowly spinning Cell, gravity beginning to reassert itself brought him down with a heavy impact against the ground miles below.

Over the edge of the island, Ranko reappeared, spitting up some seawater and dragging herself back onto dry land. "Wow. Didn't think it was gonna get that big." She rung out some water from her pigtail and looked around for Cell.

His landing kicked up a sizeable amount of debris that had been caught up in the hurricane. Cautious, Ranko used the Umisenken again and disappeared from view.

Cell knocked away the rocks and tree limbs in his way and stood up straight. "An interesting technique little girl," he yelled to the empty valley. "But it would take years for it to completely burn off my power!"

"Can't blame a girl for trying."

The monster glanced about the area more carefully this time. "This invisibility technique is also quite interesting, but there is a flaw."

"Oh?"

Cell nodded. Smirking, he quickly turned about and caught a hold of an invisible hand about to strike the back of his knee. "It leaves a space of complete emptiness."

Ranko eeped and found herself flying through the air without the help of having learned the ability first. She hit the mountainside hard and cried out with pain. Her back felt like it had been broken in a hundred different places and her limbs all felt numb and lifeless. Unable to stop herself, Ranko fell out of the hole and landed face first on the ground. The only thing her broken spine did for her now was holding off the excruciating pain she knew her body would normally be feeling.

Watching after the redhead for a moment, Cell took off for the air. When he was high enough he looked back, "Ten days and then any who wish may enter my tournament."

Tears ran down Ranko's cheeks as she wept softly into the dirt. She didn't even have the ability to roll over and take her face out of the ground. It had taken all of her skill, speed, and power just to pull off that short battle against Cell. And all he did was brush it off, brushed her off, like an insect barely worth noticing. "You weak, little girl."

End Chapter Three

* * *

Michael's piece:

Whew! That took a little longer than I expected, but that happens when you have finals. A few notes:

Cell could feel the emptiness of ki to see through Ranko's invisibility technique. Think of it as there is ki, life force, in everything, even the air. It would take someone with a huge amount of ki to even 'see' this (Cell for instance) so he would have to look very hard to see where the air is absent of ki.

The fight scenes with Cell vs. Vegita and Cell vs. Trunks were very cool and Kaz and I agree, truly epic. But if you want to see them then watch the DBZ series. It would be a waste of your time for us to explain those fights that we all know and have likely seen repeated on Toonami a dozen times before.

Notes from Kaz:

I hope that this chapter was enjoyable! I didn't get much input this time because it's hard to get internet access when your homeless! Yes folks, that's right, homeless. . . I've been leading a

nomadic life for the last two weeks, no home, no internet. Don't know

where i'm gonna end up the next day, I'm starting to know a little

on how Ryoga feels, or something. I'll be on the road for about another week so I can start back into the writing!

Give Mike a round of applause for his work on this chapter,

and hope to see you next time, same Cell time, same Cell channel!

Send C&C to Michael at: [email protected]

Or Kazblah at: [email protected]

Or visit the Temple of the Creative: www.geocities.com/jehtek

Ja ne.

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Viz video. I don't own Dragonball Z either! If any of the situations described below mirror those of actual events then you're living in a fantasy world.

A Chance Love Productions

Is proud to present

By Michael Fetter

And Kazblah

Chapter Four

As Cell disappeared into the horizon, a more subdued group of fighters headed for the fallen redhead. The island was a complete wreck after her battle with the might Cell and it was mirrored in the condition of her body. There were cuts from the rocks, blood rolling down her arms and forehead. The girl's face was mostly in the dirt, tears cleaning tracks down her dirty cheeks. But the worst part was not her physical injuries, but the fiery spirit, which had been crushed against the same mountain.

Kuillin came forward to roll the girl into his arms so that her head was held against his shoulder for support. He didn't like the feeling. Unlike the first time, Ranko's body was completely loose, like he had lifted a truly dead body. "Hang on, Ranko. We'll get you taken care of."

Vegita, weakened and sore, simply regarded the girl through his good eye, holding onto his hurt arm. "It was foolish of you to believe your puny power could have defeated Cell. Now look at you, you are completely useless."

Shocked by the callousness of his father, Trunks bristled, "Father!"

"Vegita," Kuillin growled, he so wanted to hurt the Saiyajin sometimes.

Ranko didn't bother to answer. She couldn't even if she had the power to. She couldn't see the man, couldn't move her head, couldn't move her lips to shout out or scream. So, what does she do now? That battle had taken all of her energy to attempt to keep up with the monster. Holding the invisibility technique had been exhausting. Ranko was surprised she could even throw a Hiryu Shouten Ha the way she did. Cell had not been the only one to be surprised. After tossing up her uppercut and waiting a few seconds in the following silence Ranko had been almost certain that she had completely failed.

"Forget it," Kuillin scowled and started floating upwards slowly, "Let's just get her back to Kami's."

"I'll take her, Kuillin," Trunks held out his hands. He felt like he needed to do this, he did not know why, only a feeling burning deep within his chest. Was it because of his father, how he mocked her when she was obviously down? Or maybe it was through his own guilt. He was by far more powerful then she was, yet backed down when it was convenient for him. Compared to the iron-willed redhead, he felt like a fool, a fake of a martial artist, a coward.

Snorting, Vegita drifted into the sky, his speed greatly reduced after the battle made him appear to be limping along. He took an occasional look back at his future son, gently cradling the girl as they flew, and contemplated Ranko's powers. He'd never seen anyone fight like that before. A girl and a weakling she may be, but still a fighter worthy of some respect.

The flight back was quiet.

On the island, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, and the rest were also silent. They had felt the battle by gauging the power levels of the fighters involved. Without being there, they knew Cell was a great deal more powerful than he had been.

Trunks landed easily in the courtyard and placed Ranko limply on the ground. Her head fell to one side and remained there, staring off into nothingness, her expression unreadable.

As the Z-fighters began to discuss what had happened with Cell, Dende kneeled down beside Ranko. "Don't worry, Ranko-san," he smiled gently and placed glowing hands over her chest, "you'll be all right, I promise."

Still Ranko stared off into the distance shutting out the world. A girl, she thought, just a weak little girl.

~

Cell smirked as he continued to fly over the earth. He was going to have so much fun toying with Goku and his band of fighters. In his perfect form there was no one capable of hurting him. He was the strongest, fastest, and most powerful fighter in the universe. He was the greatest and most beautiful too. The gene-coded instructions still forced him to confront pitiful creatures like Son Goku, but he wouldn't mind. They would be useful guinea pigs to test out his powers against.

A city rolled by and pedestrians gasped in fright as he flew overhead. Cell pulled back on his supersonic speed, the wake of destruction diminished to only a low rumbling. He continued down the streets until stopping and coming to a full rest at the building he was looking for. Z Broadcasting was written over the large revolving sign out front and several large antennas were set on the roof of the thirty-floor building. "Excellent."

The lobby broke out with shrieks as he entered. Cell calmly strode up to the information desk and gave the weak-kneed girl a menacing smile. "Which floor do they broadcast the news from? I have a big scoop."

Trembling in her chair, the woman looked at her meeting book. "Ap-p-p-pointment?"

Cell smirked again.

~

Sitting down against the same pillar as before, Ranko watched the sun begin to fall, blue skies fading to red as though the world had suffered deep cuts and now bled over the atmosphere. Since Dende had somehow treated her crippling injuries, she had drawn into herself. The battle against Cell played in her mind and no matter how she looked at it, criticized herself over it, she continued to come back with the same conclusion. This time, power decided the victor.

Ranko had never thought to admit this before. Until Cell and the Z-fighters, Ranko had always been able to believe in her abilities to somehow overcome any obstacle, but this level of power could not be circumvented with fancy moves or new techniques. What good was a new technique against someone who's body could resist pressure point attacks, brush off the most powerful ki attacks she had ever thrown, and even only been slightly irritated by her Neko-ken.

Ranko had seen it this time. Her battle with Cell, before he had completely evolved, Ranko had been unaware of tapping into the Neko-ken the way she had. It was not induced by fear like usual, but by a need from her focused rage. Rage. Maybe that was the true terror of the neko-ken. It can only be truly utilized when there was nothing left to loss. Like a wounded cat backed into a corner. No, it wasn't rage that triggered the neko-ken. It was pure unadulterated hatred. Hatred for all the bullies that picked on the weak, hatred for people who killed for the thrill of it, hatred for Cell. Ranko had never known herself to give into such dark emotions. Even against Saffron she'd only been angry for a short time, there had still been a semblance of hope within her. Now all that hope was gone.

Hope that she could save Akane.

Not this time. Akane was dead.

Her family was dead.

Her friends were dead.

Ranma was dead. All hope fled as she watched Ryouga fall before the might that is Cell.

Then this overwhelming feeling hit her, it was a feeling that she had never known until this day. It wasn't sadness, the numbness in her body refused to acknowledge sadness. It wasn't anger, she felt angry before and this wasn't it. It was a rage, an inferno in her soul, but even this did not trigger the neko-ken. It was shame; the hate she felt was directed at herself for not being able to save her loved ones when it really counted.

But now, with Cell so powerful Ranko could feel her spirit flow away in the wind, like Death had stretched out his bony hands and pulled it within his dark cloak. The rage that gave Ranko power was leaving her. Only depression and horrid sadness of her complete failure remained.

It has been said that when it really counted, Saotome Ranma did not fail, but Saotome Ranma had died. Now Ranko had been defeated and it was a fate worse than death. She had to live, to go on, reliving her failure over and over again.

The wind sifted by with a scent of food. Ranko picked up her head slightly regarding the other fighters as they gorged themselves, and found her own appetite completely lacking.

Some of the fighters glanced in her direction. Trunks and Kuillin looked at her with a worried look. They had kept Piccolo and Vegita away when they demanded to know how she had fought against Cell. What sort of answer did they expect from her? Even if she told them, none had shown the intelligence to be able to pick up her ki techniques to use against Cell. Not in ten days time.

Ranko studied the fighters again. Searching for something she had missed the previous times. Powerful though they were, and fast too, damn fast. But in terms of pure skill alone, Akane could have taken them 3 times out of 5. Of course, Akane was better than Cell too, not by much but that hadn't saved her. But these fighters, they were arrogant because of their strength. They had likely spent most of their time building their ki reserves without concentrating on how to use it more effectively. The only thing Ranko had seen were ki blasts of the same type over and over again. Sure, certain blasts were more powerful, but they were all basic, emotion-driven powers. Some of them had been interesting, like Vegita's Big Bang Attack he used on Cell, but the flaw in the technique was that it drained a person out.

Power may be a major factor in the fight against Cell, but brute force against a superior brute force was a foolish idea.

"Ranko-san?"

Ranko's eyes focused in on the world and found the platinum haired boy standing in front of her with a bowl of food. Trunks offered it to her and Ranko stared for a moment. What was the use? It was better to just let herself fade away for all the good she could do now.

"No thanks, I lost my appetite" Ranko said coldly.

Trunks frowned and set the bowl of food down beside Ranko when she turned away. Her clothes were burnt and torn in places and the pigtail had come undone partially. "Are you going to be okay?"

Vegita had watched from the table with the others. "Don't bother with the little girl. Let her cry for all the good it would do."

"Do you see me crying?" Ranko quietly replied. "I don't even have the energy to do that."

Crouching down, Trunks put his hand on Ranko's shoulder to lend some support. "I know you've lost a lot. The same happened to me, but you have to find a way to go on, until you can fight Cell again."

"Fight him?" Ranko brushed his hand away and stared into Trunks' eyes. "There is no fighting him for me. I could never become as strong as that monster."

"Just like a woman," Vegita sneered.

"Vegita," Kuillin growled as he stood up from his seat. The others were also glaring at the Saiyajin prince.

Staring hard into the older Saiyajin's eyes, Ranko asked, "Who are you to talk?"

"I am Vegita," he began with a growl and pride. "Prince of all Saiyajins."

"Great, another prince," Ranko muttered.

"Don't listen to him, Ranko-san. It's okay to grieve over your losses." Trunks spoke sympathetically.

Ranko stared at the darkening sky over her knees as she rested her chin on her folded arms. The sun continued to retreat, the stars above hidden by a canopy of dense, black clouds. She couldn't grieve for her family. There hadn't been time before and now . . . inside she felt just as dead as they were. Shaking her head, "Pathetic."

"No," Trunks said quickly, "you're not."

Ranko's shoulders began to shake. It looked as if she might start sobbing into her arms. But then she erupted with laughter, she laughed so hard she began to cough from a rough throat. Then staring up at Trunks with contempt, "You think I was talking about myself?"

Trunks took a step back from the hate in her eyes. Others at the table became disturbed by her condescending inspection.

"You think I'm weak and insignificant because I haven't got the muscle or the power you have?" Ranko laughed at Vegita's scowl. "Compared to you," her eyes went over each of the assembled fighters, "compared to any of you I'm the strongest fighter here."

"And how's that?" Vegita snorted.

Still giggling lightly, Ranko looked over Yamcha, Kuillin, and Trunks. "The first rule of a martial artist is to protect the weak. It doesn't say to protect the weak when it's convenient. You are so much more powerful than I am, but when faced against Cell, what do you do?"

Trunks reflexivly turned away.

"You hide behind a 'weak little girl'," Ranko taunted in an impression of Vegita's tone.

"Faced with a life or death battle, a real fighter goes in prepared to sacrifice everything," Ranko glared at Piccolo this time. She saw him putting 18 on the ropes with his superior power. If he had truly intended to destroy the android before Cell could absorb her, then he would have. Instead the battle had been drawn out. Piccolo had several opportunities to simply lay into 18 and destroy her.

"I may have an ego," Ranko continued, looking at Vegita, "but at least I know when to leave it behind." She could hear Vegita grounding his teeth from where she stood and smiled nastily at him. Then her eyes settled upon Kuillin. "And when it comes to saving lives I do whatever it takes to win. Rather than crush our best chance beneath my feet."

Kuillin stared wide-eyed at the redhead. "Y-You s-saw that?" he squeaked.

"What's she talking about, Kuillin?" Trunks asked.

The bald monk stared down at the ground, humiliated.

"Kuillin?" Tien repeated and then it occurred to him. "Kuillin, where is Bulma's auto-destruct remote she had finished?"

The silence was enough to answer the question for everyone.

"I couldn't hurt her."

Ranko seethed. He couldn't hurt 'her'! The android wasn't a person, it was a thing! Ranko could understand at one time not wanting to hurt a girl, but even she had foregone the principle when the situation was serious. But this was disgusting. The monk had fallen for a mass-murderer because she had a pretty design!

"Don't stroke your egos in front of me ever again." Angry, Ranko stood up and glared at the group of fighters. Clenching her fists, she kicked the food bowl out of her way and brushed past Trunks like she had less respect for him than garbage on the street.

~

With a little bit of advertising out of the way, Cell flew back out to the country where he would have some room for his tournament. It was going to be spectacular and he wanted to be certain it would also be memorable. The day he destroyed Goku, the Red Ribbon Army's most hated enemy. Not that he really cared.

Cell knew he was the strongest being on the planet now. He was designed to be perfect, a culmination of the best fighters in the world and then distilled to even greater levels of perfection. He could destroy mountains with nary a thought. What sort of opposition did Goku, or anyone, pose to him now?

Well, he'd just have to draw the fights out a bit to make them enjoyable, to lengthen the torture of Goku's final moments.

Floating over an open area, Cell chose it for the size of the open plain, the remoteness from any distraction, and the materials in the mountains that he could use.

Again, Cell's mind drifted to the upcoming fight. Only ten days hence, who would be there? Son Goku of course, to fight with him would be the pinnacle of his success, and his death would mark the true beginning of his conquests. Heh, why settle for one insignificant planet when there a whole universe out there to conquer? Vegita would be there, his pride would not let him miss it. Piccolo, yes, he would be there too, but will he be brave enough to fight, or will he cower behind the Saiyans? Trunks, yes, he will definitely be interesting, his strength was great, but will he have enough time to learn how to control it? Probably not, none of them... not one of them had what it will take to defeat him. For he was power incarnate.

Power. Vast, enormous power. Power made foolish by a little child barely able to generate a ki blast. The girl, small curvy form and red hair, had humiliated him, mocked his strength with her presence. Would she be there, this Ranko? Perhaps he'd keep her around for his amusement, watch her agony as he killed her friends and then destroyed whole cities.

Grinning to himself, Cell looked at the area and raised his hand to begin. "Now, to construct the stage."

His power plowed out square area for the arena to be set. A solid stone mountain was shaped into tiles to mark the arena's boundaries. It was quick work, easily accomplished with his power.

Touching down at the center, Cell gazed upon his work with a nod, "To think, this is where Goku shall die! Hahahaha!"

~

Ranko suppressed the groan of her stomach as she stood up the next day. After the confrontation last night everyone had left her alone. It probably wasn't smart to make them all feel even shittier about a bad situation, but she needed to vent. They weren't the real problem, she realized after some sleep. Ranko still felt sick with herself for almost giving up last night. Just give up? Her? No. She'd made a promise to Ranma and the rest in heaven. Ranko was going to continue to fight until Cell was dead or hell learned to keep her from escaping. Not emasculation, orphaning, or death was going to keep her from the battlefield. Cell would learn to rue the day he'd crossed paths with Ranko.

How will she train for ten days?

Since waking that day Ranko had spent her time standing near the edge of the platform, looking out over the world, and thinking of her last fights with Cell. Undoubtedly Cell was too powerful, but maybe there was still some way, some technique she could train the others in to fight Cell. It was too much ki. Ranko had briefly considered Hinako's ki vampire trick, but not for long. Happousai had only taught her how to negate the powers, not create them. She didn't have enough experience to find the proper shiatsu points. Besides, she didn't think that her body would be able to absorb all that power without burning her out. The Hiryu Shouten Ha worked better last time because it had been fueled by a huge amount of Cell's expended ki. She hadn't considered how tightly Cell focused his ki the first time she attempted the technique thus he was able to overpower it quickly. Perhaps there was some way to penetrate his hot ki with a blast of cold, or maybe she could learn to penetrate his impressive exoskeleton to apply the moxibustion.

Whatever, her head was beginning to hurt.

The kami tugging at her arm came as a welcome distraction. "Ranko-san?"

Ranko looked upon the youngster kindly. He was smiling brighter than before. "Dende? What is it?"

"Son Goku and Gohan will be coming out of the Time and Space Chamber soon." He nodded back to the group of fighters standing around the large bronze doors and began to lead her there.

Ranko was still unclear about what sort of benefit this chamber was to have on a person's training. It was only a day they had been in there after all. The other fighters avoided eye contact as she approached making way for the red-headed firecracker. Venting or not, Ranko wasn't going to apologize.

Looking back to the doors, Kuillin rubbed his hands together. "Oh, I can't wait to see how strong Goku is now."

The sentiment was shared by most of the other fighters. Ranko saw Vegita standing aloofly to one side, seeming uninterested. Piccolo was much the same. In a way it was kind of funny. What was with old timers and their need to look tough? They looked like they were concentrating on holding still the stick shoved up their butts.

Slowly, the doors opened, a white light again silhouetting the emerging figures. Did they forget to turn out the lights?

Ranko blinked as she found Gohan and Goku walking out, looking stronger than before and, "Blonde?"

"Gohan? Is that you?" Kuillin tugged at a tuff of blonde hair. "Man, you're mom is going to freak when she sees you like that."

"So what's been going on guys?" Goku asked jovially. He didn't seem like the type to take too much seriously even though millions of people had been killed just recently.

Piccolo looked at Goku seriously, "Cell absorbed 18."

Goku nodded. "Yeah, I can feel it."

"Did you guys fight him?" Gohan looked up at Trunks. The Saiyajin just looked over at Ranko briefly then away.

Kuillin answered. "Yeah, Gohan. He's unbeatable now. Cell even took out Vegita like it was child's play."

Gohan had followed Trunks' glance and saw how mussed Ranko's appearance now was. She'd given up on the tie that had been holding her pigtail and let fall around her shoulders. Her clothes still bore tears, one having turned her shirt into a midrif. "Are you all right, Ranko-san?"

"Just peachy." Ranko replied as she looked into Gohan's now green eyes and laid a hand on his spiky blond hair.

Kuillin, deciding there had been enough problems recently tried to cheer Gohan up a bit. "You should have seen her, Gohan. She was literally tossing Cell around in his complete form."

Staring at her in surprise, Gohan's smile brightened. "Wow."

Goku too was impressed. "That's incredible, Ranko. Who would have guessed a girl like you could fight better than Vegita!"

Gohan jabbed his father with an elbow when Ranko began to scowl. "Dad."

Unminding, Goku looked about the fighters. "So what's going on? It doesn't feel like Cell is attacking anyone."

Piccolo nodded, "He's given us ten days to prepare for a tournament that will decide the fate of the Earth. Cell made the announcement through the television."

"That's nice," Goku smiled, "That'll give me and Gohan some time to relax at home."

The group blinked in shock. Even Vegita took some real interest in the discussion now. Kuillin smiled widely, "Does this mean you're powerful enough to beat him, Goku? You must be after a year of training."

Year of training?

Goku just smiled at his friend. "Not at all."

The group nearly fell at the ease Goku has responded.

Kuillin laughed as he picked himself back up and scratched the back of his head. "You're such a kidder, Goku."

"Honestly, guys. I don't think I could beat Cell in a straight fight," Goku insisted lightheartedly.

"Then-Then how can you be so calm, Goku?" Tien asked, still hoping Goku was only kidding.

Shrugging, Goku placed two fingers against his forehead. "Don't worry, guys. I've got a plan. Hang out here for a second. I'm going to check on Cell."

Puzzling it over, Ranko tried to figure out how Goku could be so confidant if he was certain he couldn't beat Cell in a fight. A plan? Like what? Bum-rushing Cell? Maybe Goku had developed some technique to defeat Cell's incredible ki reserves like she had been considering. The look on Gohan's face made that idea sound doubtful.

The area where Goku had been standing blinked again with his return. He'd gone to check on Cell and insure no fighting would start up until the tournament began. After getting a good look at Cell, Goku was more confident that he couldn't win. Did nothing remove that stupid smile from his face?

"So what's the plan, Goku?" Trunks asked.

"We'll meet up with Cell in ten days and fight him."

Ranko mentally slapped herself for almost giving Goku some credit for possessing a brain. It obviously wasn't an often used muscle.

"I shouldn't have expected much more from a third class Saiyajin," Vegita sneered haughtily. "I'll have to go back in there and train, then I will defeat Cell for you."

Goku nodded and smiled. "Sounds like a good idea Vegita. Will you be taking Trunks in with you again?"

Trunks looked up with almost a glimmer of something in his eyes. Vegita was his father after all, even if he was a big idiot. Ranko could somewhat relate.

Looking disdainfully at Trunks, Vegita barked out a laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. Training a fool like him is a waste of my time."

A number of the fighters began to glare at Vegita though Trunks tried to appear unaffected.

"No, I shall take," his eyes looked over the group and focused in on Ranko, "her."

"WHAT?!" Yamcha, Kuillin, Tien, and Trunks quickly stepped between the Saiyajin prince and the redhead.

"Why do you get to train with Ranko-san?!" Yamcha demanded, then blushed deeply.

"She's not up to your level, Vegita. You'd kill her." Kuillin added.

Ranko was slightly miffed over the way the others were protecting her just because she was a girl. She sniffed indignantly. "Like I would want to train a pathetic loser like you anyway." Ranko looked Vegita over like she was sizing him up. "You couldn't even keep up with my training."

Rather than growl angrily as the others had expected, Vegita almost laughed again, but toned it down to a cocky smirk. "It sounds to me like you're more afraid of getting in some real training. You'd rather stay content as a weak fighter. Only fools are content and satisfied."

Anger rose up in Ranko's small frame and forced out a bright red aura. Her hands clenched tightly, the knuckles popping like fireworks. Her eyes connected with Vegita's and saw them mocking her. Her aura suddenly condensed into a thin barrier around her, and with speed born of fury, Ranko lashed out at the arrogant prince of a dead race. She passed in-between the fighters easily only to have her fist caught by Super Vegita.

Ranko tucked and rolled through the air until she could right herself and land on her feet. The others watched as the blonde Vegita rushed out into the courtyard with a fist full of ki aimed at Ranko's head. With little time to balance herself, Ranko opted to jump sideways through the air and watch the fist pass mere inches from her face. At the same time her right knee came in contact with Vegita's face. Her hands flashed out at Amaguriken speed to stab at pressure points in the Saiyajin's arm.

Unfortunately she couldn't avoid the follow-up while in the air. Even Ranko could only bend so far and so fast.

Rolling onto her side, Ranko looked up to where Vegita was standing, one arm hanging listlessly to his side. His body did not have the exoskeleton Cell's did. She brushed the back of her hand over her bleeding mouth and bruised cheek while reevaluating Vegita compared to the rest of the fighters. Trunks, Tien, Yamcha, Kuillin, and even Piccolo looked aghast at the fight Vegita had just picked with Ranko.

Finding a new, if malicious, smile, Ranko stood up and nodded at Super Vegita. "This might work after all."

Vegita smirked in return and headed back for the bronze doors.

After she and Vegita trained inside the Chamber of Space and Time the others would pair up and take their own turns. Even if Goku had his 'plan' it would still be best if they trained just in case.

~

Despite the terrible events of the past week, the area around Goku's home was alive and untouched by the violence. Chichi had been by to fix the door 18 ripped off when ransacking the home, but now things had been returned to their normal semblance of peace.

Goku and Gohan flew lazily through the air, taking their time to enjoy the serenity of the mountains and the view of the nearby lake. It had been a long time since either had been home with the year spent in the Chamber of Space and Time. It would be another ten days until they had to leave for the tournament with Cell. Gohan was glad they would be spending the time just being a family for now.

"Do you really think things will be all right, dad?" Gohan asked as he touched down to the ground beside his father.

Goku stared at the spherical home for a moment before giving Gohan a pleasant smile. "Sure, Gohan. Stay in your Super form, but I really just want you to relax until the tournament. Things will take care of themselves."

"If you say so," Gohan didn't look entirely convinced.

The door to their home burst open and Chichi ran towards them with her arms ready to snatch Gohan up. "Oh, my precious little scholar! Where have you been? I was so worried."

Goku laughed at Gohan's predicament.

"And you!" Chichi turned a glare on him.

Goku's laugh trickled into a nervous chuckle. "Hi, Chichi."

"Don't you-" Chichi paused and took a closer look at Goku. "Did you dye your hair?" She looked down at Gohan, her eyes even wider. "Blonde? Oh, Gohan! Why did you dye your hair?! Oh, my little scholar was gone for a day and he's become a dunce! Damnit Goku, this is all your fault! I knew hanging out with all of your stupid martial arts friends would be a bad influence! Now he'll never get into a good college or get a good job!"

Trying to steady Chichi's nerves, Goku put his hands on her shoulders to guide her back into the house. "Don't worry, Chichi. All Gohan really needs right now is a good meal and then he can get to his studying."

Gohan blinked.

Chichi nearly collapsed onto the ground before staring at Goku incredulously. "Are you feeling all right, Goku? You didn't get hit in the head recently did you?"

"Sure," Goku looked at Gohan, "but I'm fine."

Clasping her hands together, eyes shimmering with happiness, Chichi asked, "Are you sure, Goku? Are you really going to let Gohan study for once? Do you mean it?!"

"You bet!" Goku laughed out loud and entered the house, his stomach grumbling for food.

"Well then," Chichi's attitude had completely changed and she began shooing the two fighters out of the kitchen. "You two go get cleaned up and I'll have a big feast ready when you're done!"

"That's great, Chichi! You're the best! C'mon, son."

"Uh," Gohan slipped out of his father's grip, "I'll be right there, dad."

Goku nodded and left.

For a moment no one spoke and Chichi wondered what might be on Gohan's mind. He fidgeted for a moment and it made her think there was something serious on his mind. Crouching down, Chichi tried to look into her son's eyes. "What is it, Gohan?"

"Uh, I was just wondering," Gohan trailed off, uncertain how to continue.

"Is something wrong, Gohan?"

Biting his lip, Gohan shrugged his shoulders a bit. "No, not really anyway. I was jus thinking about . . . th-there's this, uh, girl and . . ."

"Oh!" Chichi squealed and grabbed Gohan up into a tight hug. "My little Gohan has his first crush! Who is it? Is there a nice girl you met in town?"

His face burning red, Gohan scratched the back of his head and laughed lightly. "Well, I mean, uh, sort of."

"Well? What's she like?"

"Uh," Gohan stared at the floor, wondering if his face would ever cool down, "She has red hair and she's a real good fighter."

Chichi's demeanor changed again into a frown. "Oh, she's one of your martial arts friends."

"But she's real smart." Gohan knew that would get him points with his mom. "She isn't very powerful, but she was able to take on Cell and he's really strong now."

Chichi bit her lip and nodded slowly. "I guess you have to be pretty smart to fight someone stronger than you." Though in her mind she was considering how even idiots should know not to fight people who clearly outmatch you.

"Yeah!" Gohan nodded and smiled at his mother. "And she's real nice! She took care of me while we were up on kami's island and she's very pretty!"

A little more carefree, Chichi released a short laugh, "Well, she is a first crush so it can only go up from there!"

Gohan's smile fell and he looked back to the floor. "I'm just kind of worried. Vegita dragged Ranko-san into training with him and you know how he can be."

Chichi nodded. "Don't worry, Gohan. I'm sure things will be fine since they are just training. You'll see her tomorrow."

Biting his lip, Gohan nodded and then hugged his mother. It helped to hear his thoughts echoed in an adult's voice other than his father's. Gohan trusted his dad, but he was also a bit naive about things.

"Thanks, mom," Gohan released her and set off for the bath.

Chichi took a moment to compose herself when her son left. She looked at the door he'd gone out and searched her memories for this Ranko person. She could remember the redhead who had jumped into that androids arms to watch Piccolo's fight. Ranko was a bit reckless and she was a tomboy, but she was a martial artist. She was also at least twice Gohan's age. What had been happening on that island?!

Taking a deep breath, Chichi let it out all at once, "GOKU! I want to know what this Ranko did with my Gohan right now!"

~

The inside of the Chamber of Space and Time looked something like a miniature cathedral. Arched passageways led to bedrooms, courtyards, and the kitchen. Ranko took the first few step in, glancing about the area to examine what they would be given to work with. She rather expected intense training equipment of some kind to explain how Goku and Gohan grew in power so dramatically over the course of one day. There was nothing.

"Maybe a potion or something," Ranko considered. There was a strange feeling about the place. Magic could also be the cause of Gohan's new strength. "I hope my hair doesn't go blond. Look like an idiot."

Vegita snorted. "I wouldn't worry. You're simply an earthling. Hardly capable of the potential we Saiyajins can achieve." He held his arm, trying to work out the numbness that Ranko had set. It would last most of the day unless he knew how to divert ki flows or disengage the shiatsu points.

"I'll bet," Ranko smirked, wiping away a little more blood from her mouth. There was a sizeable bruise there. She knew Vegita had been holding back, but obviously not enough in the other fighters' opinions. She'd seen them, looking on with horror at their small fight, and knew they weren't good enough for her.

It reminded her of Akane, being in the position.

This was different. Ranko was a fighter. She was angry again, kicking aside the earlier depression, and feeling the need to work harder. If something in this damned chamber was going to make her stronger, she was going to take it. If she could achieve the kind of power that the others . . .

"What are you thinking?" Vegita's voice sounded harsh as he strode up to stare down at her. He was only a head taller, but the size of his body stretched like a skyscraper to loom over Ranko. He put his left arm forward. "Fix it and maybe I'll teach you something."

It hung there, his arm. Ranko looked at him a moment, narrowing her eyes. If she wanted to be taken seriously, she would have to make him act serious. Giving in to anyone was beyond her if she wanted to be strong. With a sneer, Ranko headed further into the chamber and out into what looked like a bright courtyard. "Fix it yourself, salmon."

"It's Saiyajin," Vegita growled.

It was white. White as far as Ranko could see. There was a vastness to this place the looked infinite, a vacuous realm that could suffocate a person. "Wh-What is it?"

"This," Vegita looked over the area he'd trained in only a day before, "is the training grounds in the Chamber of Space and Time." He watched her take another step, and then another, until she reached the end of the platform.

Ranko didn't see his smirk, but she felt the sudden press on her body and collapsed in a heap on the floor. She was fortunate to have not walked out further and could roll herself back into normal space. She gasped, looking out astonished at the plane the other fighters had trained in.

Nodding, Vegita stepped up closer. "The grounds beyond this temple are under a constant 3G pressure. It takes a strong mind and will to survive out there. I wouldn't expect much from a girl, so you will stay here and instruct me in your . . . Art." He made out the last part with some distaste, but wasn't about to question its use. "The chamber also works outside of normal time. A day passes on the outside, but a year will go by in here." He gestured upwards where an enormous clock hung suspended like a ghost.

Thinking back, Ranko could remember Gohan as he came out of the bronze doors. He'd looked older. It wouldn't have been noticeable except she'd placed her hand on his head and noticed the height difference.

Taking a deep breath, Ranko stood back up, continuing to stare out into the white plain. "I'm here to train. I will become strong enough to defeat that murdering bastard myself." She glared at the Saiyajin prince. "You cannot stop me."

The two studied each other for a moment, matching glare for glare. In the end, Vegita nodded and put his left arm forward again. Ranko felt along the bicep to the elbow, reconnecting the ki flows. The arm was back to normal in a matter of seconds.

"Let's not waste any more time then," Ranko grinned. Her hands were just finishing releasing Vegita's arm when she grabbed a hold of his wrist. His eyes snapped open for a moment when he noticed his arm locking straight with a twist and then he was hurtled through the air. She probably couldn't take him by surprise like that again, but it made Ranko feel a little better.

She jumped into the plain after him quickly, expecting herself to be ready for the heavier gravity. Ranko didn't quite make it to her target.

Chuckling, Vegita stood up easily and walked over to where Ranko was supporting herself with hands on her knees. "Well?" He leaned back from her kicks and punches, but the situation was too new. Ranko grew tired quickly. Vegita's smile became crueler. "Let's see how nimble you are now, girl."

~

Ranko had lasted maybe ten minutes fighting against Vegita. The Saiyajin had kept himself to normal levels to learn her martial arts techniques. The fact did not go unnoticed by Ranko as Vegita seemed to be lost more in his thoughts over her technique than the fight itself. She knew he was strong, but to be able to ignore this terrible gravity just pissed her off.

When the fight was over, Vegita had looked down on her with a smirk, hardly even sweating and just strolled off to do some more 'intense training'.

She would show him. Ranko's growl came out as a pained moan while crawling towards the free space. Beaten and bruised, she had been left a dozen meters into the white space and had to fend for herself. The smug bastard had just said it would be good for her. "I'll show him," she swore again.

Taking a last trembling step into the free space, Ranko finally collapsed in utter exhaustion. This was some sort of payback for kicking Vegita on that island, she just knew it. They had started sparring in the afternoon, with the fight only lasting some minutes, and she'd only now been able to escape the heavy gravity as it approached evening. This place would definitely make her strong if she could survive it.

Walking up to the edge of the platform, Vegita smirked down at Ranko's sweating, exhausted body and said, "Pathetic."

She could only groan in reply.

It was hours later when Ranko was finally able to work up enough strength to find a kitchen and start cooking up something to eat. The place was well stocked, but everything was in big heavy jars. Two of them had fallen to the ground and Ranko just rummaged through the debris for the food.

Her stomach grumbled.

"I'm so hungry," Ranko moaned in pain and put a hand over her stomach. Her muscles burned, her legs were numb, but Ranko's stomach had long ago become the dictator of her actions. Turning off the heat, Ranko pulled away a big meal of stir-fry and rice, grimacing only slightly. "It ain't Kasumi's."

Vegita walked in and stared at her. "Where's mine?"

Ranko snorted. "What? You think I'd cook for you? Get real."

"Maybe you'll cook for yourself then." Vegita smirked, grabbing Ranko under one arm and holding the bowl of food in his free hand.

Squawking in surprise, Ranko's limbs flailed about, trying to find purchase and attack Vegita at the same time. "Hey! That's mine! Give it back!"

Vegita laughed, not noticing the sudden blur of motion from Ranko. "This should teach you some respect, girl," he said while lifting the bowl to his mouth. It didn't occur to him the bowl was empty until he had tilted his head all the way back. ". . ."

Ranko burped and covered her mouth. Pop's speed eating technique was one of the most useful things she ever learned from the greedy panda.

"What am I supposed to eat?"

Even when he whines it sounds like he's growling, Ranko thought. She was still being held under one of his arms like a lifeless doll, but that didn't matter now that she had eaten. The rest of her body was happy to let someone else do the work. "Cook something. It's not my problem."

Vegita grumbled a bit and then set her down. "I can't cook."

Ranko stumbled off for one of the bedrooms, liking how the day ended on an up-note as she sneered at the Saiyajin. "Pathetic."

End Chapter Four

* * *

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Ja ne.