Humanity (Trunks x OC)

Part 34

Goku flies up to meet with everyone, Gohan still looking at him questioningly as his dad just told Cell that he would be fighting next. But Gohan doesn't feel all that confident in his abilities.

"Goku, stop this!" Piccolo starts angrily. "Think about what you're saying! Think about what's going to happen if you maintain this course of action! If Gohan fights with Cell, he's going to die!" he shouts. He's very upset with the Saiyan right now.

Julliet can't blame him. She's sure Gohan is pretty tough, but it really looks like Goku is throwing his son out for the sharks. This is Cell... He could very well die. What is Goku thinking?

"Listen." Goku starts to explain calmly. "Gohan has a power hidden within him that you or I can't even begin to imagine. Just think about it. Don't you see he's been keeping up with the rest of us ever since he was a little boy? I can remember back when I was his age and I wasn't half a strong as he is."

Krillin steps up. "Hey Goku, we all know Gohan is strong for his age, but fighting Cell?" he questions unsurely.

"You will just have to trust me. I wouldn't do this if I didn't think Gohan had it in him." Goku says. Gohan looks torn.

"Look at me son..." Goku says, approaching him. "Tell me something; When Cell and I were fighting back there, did you think it was hard to keep up at all? I mean, were we ever moving too fast for you to see?" he asks, making Gohan looks down in thought.

"No, I could see it all, but that is only because you and Cell weren't fighting with your full power! I'm sure if you were moving as fast-..." Gohan says before Goku cuts him short.

"I don't know about Cell son, but I was giving it my all. You thought I was holding back, because you were comparing the energy you sensed from me to your own." Goku reveals.

Suddenly it seems to make sense. And they look at the boy, wondering if he truly is as powerful as his father claims him to be.

Goku manages to convince Gohan to give it a shot and trust in his powers and they watch as he flies down to face Cell, who eyes the boy with amusement, not believing Goku's claims.

"Hey Krillin, you still got one of those senzu beans?" Goku asks.

"Yeah, sure." Krillin states, handing one over, only to look shocked when his friend tosses it at Cell.

"There you go. I think you're going to need it." he says, believing it to be fair to have him fight in god health.

"He lost it." Trunks breathes in disbelief, making Julliet hum in agreement.

With Cell back to full health, Gohan prepares himself. His power raises trough the roof as Goku observes him proudly. Even Cell looks intrigued now. It looks like there is more to the teen than meets the eye.

Trunks and Julliet share a look when Gohan declares he's ready. Both hope that he has what it takes. They would hate to see him get killed, but somehow, Gohan seems to carry with him a sense of hope. Maybe he can do it after all.

Soon, Cell sets out to test Gohan and he doesn't disappoint. He struggles a bit at first, but gets up every time and Goku cheers him on all the way.

As the fight progresses, Gohan amazingly seems to do better. Cell's attacks have little effect on the teen. Even though he's holding up well, he doesn't seem very eager to fight, not like Goku was before. Unlike his father, Gohan is more of a pacifist and because of that, he still receives a beating despite his strength.

Cell however, seems determined to bring out Gohan's anger. He hurts him, humiliates him, he tries all sorts of tricks to get bring out Gohan's hidden powers. What Cell doesn't realize yet, is that Gohan cannot be pushed to fight for himself, but only for the sake of others.

Piccolo gets riled up when he holds Gohan in a crushing grip. He doesn't care for seeing the boy he mentored suffer. "No. I can't take it." he says through gritted teeth. "Goku, you can keep standing there all you want, but I'm helping Gohan." he says resolutely, making the man turn to him.

"No you're not! You and I both know you're not strong enough to fight Cell. So wait, just a little bit longer..." Goku tries.

"For what?! For Gohan to get killed?! For Cell to rip him to pieces while we watch?!" Piccolo counters angrily.

Goku turns to look back at his son, a confident look in his eyes. "Wait until he has no choice, and then, right when Gohan is backed into a corner with no way out, he'll awaken his furious inner strength. And when that happens, you watch! Gohan will break Cell down once and for all!" Goku states, surprising the others at his unrelenting trust in the boy.

"Enough of this game Goku..." Piccolo starts up again, not caring much for the speech. "You're wrong about your son." he starts to explain. "Gohan may have that power, but it doesn't matter. He doesn't thirst for battle and mayhem! He's not a fighter like you!" he tells Goku, shocking the man.

And it's true. Piccolo has known Gohan for a long while and he too trained with the boy. However, he never let his mind be clouded with what Gohan could be capable of as a warrior and what he is actually capable of as a person.

"Do you want to know what he's thinking?" Piccolo questions, glaring at the man before him. "He's not thinking about strength or competition! He's wondering why his father is standing there, letting him die! And so your son, may be the most powerful in the world, but he is also a scared eleven year old boy!" Piccolo tells Goku, pushing his nose into the facts.

Goku looks horrified to be frank. He never looked at it that way. "I'd rather die than wait." Piccolo states, preparing to step in.

Goku finally seems to snap out of it. "Krillin, throw me a senzu bean." he orders the human. It is then that Cell releases the teen, dropping him on the floor.

Suddenly, after saying something to Gohan, he turns around and heads straight for the group of fighters. Piccolo darts forward, but his blow misses. Cell then comes to a halt before Krillin, who looks up scared.

He swipes at the man, nicking the senzu beans from him before flying back to Gohan and crushing them. Everyone is left wondering what his plan is. However, one person doesn't want to wait for it to unfold.

16 darts forward and grabs Cell into a chokehold. "What's he doing?!" Julliet shouts surprised, taking a step forward. "He's going to get himself killed!"

"No, stay back, please!" 16 shouts over his shoulder, noticing the movement. Julliet freezes at the plea. "I will kill him by self-destructing." he explains, making them all gasp.

"I have a powerful explosive embedded deep in my body. It was intended to be a last resort. I am sorry that we androids have caused so much suffering here on Earth." 16 apologizes.

"16! Don't do it! Don't be a martyr!" Julliet shouts, moving to intervene, but Trunks quickly holds her back, knowing that if the android goes through with it, the girl won't stand a chance.

"Trunks! Let go!" Julliet shouts desperately while struggling, but Trunks is too strong for her. She may not know 16 as well as she liked, but there is an understanding between them. He is someone who gets her. And now he wants to throw his life away.

Cell too struggles, but to get out of 16's grasp. He has no such luck as the tall android holds firm. They watch as 16's body starts to glow brightly and the fighters brace themselves for the blow to come. Trunks turns Julliet around to hold her against his chest so she doesn't have to watch, covering her head with one arm and shielding his face with the other.

But the blow never comes, much to 16's surprise. It seems Bulma and her dad removed the bomb when working on him before.

Julliet unburies her face from Trunks' chest, looking worriedly at the android. Now he's down there with Cell and with no strength to beat him.

Cell smirks cruelly before finding a way to fire a blast at 16, completely tearing him apart. Julliet is sure that if she could hurl, she would. Trunks tightens his grip on her in an attempt to comfort her, but also to make sure she doesn't do anything rash.

They watch as 16's pieces drop to the floor carelessly before Cell steps his foot onto the android's head before kicking it away. It just shows what a monster he is.