A Final Attack - Can Perfection Die?

This is the fifteenth chapter of the What-If story: Saiyan-Made Warrior Red - The Twisted Universe

A Final Attack - Can Perfection Die?

Back on Earth, Red had returned to the Cell Games and was being congratulated for saving the Earth.

"How on Earth did you do that?" asked Krillin, "You disappeared and reappeared! Where'd Cell go?"

"Its a special technique that Kakarot knows too," said Red, "I learnt it from him a while ago when we were training for the Android's arrival. I swore him to secrecy that he wouldn't tell anyone that I came back."

"But..." put-in Raditz, "Why?"

"I like my solitude," said Red, "Kakarot helped me learn the technique and I used it to take Cell to a faraway planet where he'd cause no harm."

"So, Cell's dead?" asked Gohan.

A massive storm cloud surrounding the area interrupted the celebration. A lightning bolt shot down from it and hit the ground with such force that it split it all along the ground until it stopped at the group of fighters. A familiar figure jumped out at the group. Cell was back and very much alive.

"Surprised to see me?" laughed Cell, "So am I!"

Red was stunned to see Cell again.

"I... I thought I killed you..!" stuttered Red.

"I would have killed me," said Cell, "But as luck would have it... Even if one cell remains of my body after an attack, I can continue to regenerate. I can't die, it is impossible! And you know what else? My cell had retained the memory of me in my Perfect Form and I regenerated back into it without the need of Goku. Even better still, I've increased my strength thanks to the Saiyan cells within me! Everything's going perfectly - so to speak!"

"That explains how you survived..." said Red, "But it doesn't explain how you got back here so fast."

"That," said Cell, "I have you to thank, my dear Red."

"What?" stuttered Red, "Why?"

"A snippet of your DNA must have remained on the planet which I blew up," said Cell, "I absorbed the DNA when my cells were reforming. Your amazing strands gave me the technique of Instant Transmission that you picked up from Goku."

"I must say," said Red, "That I'm impressed with the work that Dr. Gero put in to create you. You are an interesting creature. Tell you what - Gohan can have 5 more minutes with you. If he hasn't killed you within that time, then we can fight." "Sounds interesting," said Cell, "Get warmed up though, Gohan won't last much longer with what I have in store for him..."

"You may have gotten stronger," said Gohan, stepping forward, "But you won't win against us... you're outnumbered!"

"Oh, forget the game," smiled Cell, "I've grown bored of this little fiasco... I think its time to wipe out the weak."

Cell pointed his index finger at Yamcha and shot Frieza's signature Death Beam at his chest. The beam shot straight through his chest and out the other side. Yamcha fell slowly to the floor - dead.

"Yamcha!" said Tien, running over to his friend.

"Not so fast," said Cell, as he fired another beam and killed Tien.

"No! Stop it!" shouted Gohan, who jumped at Cell furiously. Cell stood and struck a fighting pose.

"You haven't learned..." smirked Gohan, "You haven't learned that I still haven't been fighting seriously... You haven't learned not to enrage me... And killing two of my friends isn't the best way to go about it!"

Gohan smashed into Cell and the powered up android fell to the ground. He continued to hammer into Cell's gut furiously. Cell was helplessly pounded into the ground. Gohan then grabbed Cell by his leg and threw him into the air. He then fired a powerful Kamehameha wave at the android as he flew. Cell was caught in the beam and it instantly exploded, leaving Cell to fall back down to the ground. He landed with a thud at Gohan's feet. Gohan rolled the seemingly unconscious android over with his foot.

"That's what you get for underestimating me..." said Gohan, and he turned his back on the android.

Cell remained still for a moment, but soon quickly opened his eyes and jumped up. He eyed Gohan with amazement.

"I have to admit that you've done it," said Cell, "You've surpassed me in every aspect - speed, strength and overall brute force. However, the strongest fighter doesn't always win the match. And I will show you what I mean!"

Cell then folded his arms like he had done earlier against Raditz and started to glow a faint white aura.

"Careful, Gohan!" shouted Piccolo, "Cell's using the Multiform technique!"

Gohan braced himself for the worst that Cell could dish out. Soon, Cell had created four clones of himself that were all considerably stronger than last time. However, he didn't stop there. He had rethought about the drawbacks of the Multiform technique, so he had hatched a plan. He made his clones also use the Multiform technique, giving a total of 16 Cells. The army of androids surrounded Gohan and prepared to attack. Suddenly, they all started to use Instant Transmission to confuse Gohan. Moving fast and closer around Gohan, the Cells managed to move so fast that it looked like there was a faint green cage surrounding Gohan.

"What on Earth is Cell planning?" said Vegeta.

Gohan stood prepared for what Cell could do, but his stealth was scrambled by a quick blast from the green cage. One of the Cells had fired a Death Beam and it had caught Gohan's arm narrowly. It stung him a bit and left a cut, but nothing serious. Cell had thought this technique through well. One cut may not hurt as much, but what about 100 cuts, or even 1000? Cell put his plan into action by making all 16 of himself fire Death Beams towards Gohan. Gohan was managing to dodge a few of the attacks, but the majority of them were cutting him up pretty badly. The attacks were weak though, so none could pierce his skin directly. Cell continued to fire his attacks at the boy, when all of a sudden, Gohan left off an amazing burst of power. He broke through the green cage with his power and all 16 Cells flew off in different directions. They all landed hard on the ground and lay very still. The battle-scarred Gohan stood and looked around. 15 of the Cells were fading away, leaving one lying in the middle of the group. Cell's power returned to what it was and he stood up.

"You're still toying, boy..!" shouted Cell, "Fight like your father fights!"

Gohan was about to jump at Cell when Red teleported in front of him.

"Outta the way, Red," said Gohan, "If he wants to see how my father fights, then I'll show him."

"Unfortunately," replied Red, "Your five minutes are up, Gohan. Its my turn to fight Cell now..."

Gohan slowly stepped aside and was replaced by Red. Cell looked at Red intriguingly.

"So," said Cell, "You're a Saiyan I don't know about. How did you manage to sneak past Dr. Gero's cameras?"

"I haven't been on this planet very long," said Red, "I've been scouring the universe for the most powerful fighters I can find. I only first came to this planet 4 years ago out of luck. I trained here for a while then left again after Frieza was destroyed by Trunks. The amount of things I've been through you can't even come close to doing. I've been a survivor on a dying planet. I've been hunted down by a Legendary Super Saiyan. I've been face-to-face with Frieza and watched him die. I am the ultimate being."

"Ha," laughed Cell, "I've been a survivor of my own self-destruction. I've been hunted down by four Super Saiyans. I had Frieza's cells inputted into me when he died. I am the true ultimate being here."

"I'll show you what I mean by ultimate being..." smirked Red. Both Cell and Red suddenly vanished. The others watched as small sonic booms cracked around the area. Red and Cell were matching each other punch for punch and kick for kick. Soon, they both returned to the ground, with Cell at a slight loss of breath. Red on the other hand looked fine. Cell was very impressed with what he saw.

"Very good," said Cell, "It appears we are even in every way. This fight can go on forever!"

"I'd like to think that," said Red, "I really would. But I'm just far too strong for you..."

"You cannot be stronger than me..!" said Cell.

"What is it you notice about all the Saiyans here, Cell?" asked Red, "They all share a trait that I haven't displayed yet."

Cell looked amongst the group. Gohan, Raditz, Vegeta and Trunks were watching the fight, with Goku at their feet stirring occasionally. Cell then realised what Red meant.

"They're all... Super Saiyans..." stuttered Cell.

"That’s right!" said Red, "Super Saiyans! A form that increases their base power 50x! Now imagine what sort of power that would be when used by someone like... Oh, I don't know... Me?"

"Red can transform into a Super Saiyan!?" said Vegeta, "He's not even a full-blooded Saiyan! He's half Saibaman!"

"Well," said Raditz, "Trunks and Gohan are only half Saiyan too, and look at them. They've proven themselves against Frieza and Cell as Super Saiyans. And besides, Red's body is now 100% Saiyan thanks to the Namekian Dragon."

"That may well be," said Vegeta, "But if what Red said is true... Super Saiyan forms increasing our base powers by 50x... That would make him near-immortal..!"

"That’s right, Vegeta!" shouted Red, "I am immortal, and I will show you what I mean! Behold the power of the ultimate Super Saiyan!"

Red proceeded to power up. His hair occasionally flickered golden as his power grew higher. Everyone - including Cell - watched with awe as Red's power shook the planet to its very core. He finally exploded with power as his transformation came to a close.

"Much better," he said, "I feel invincible! This is the very first time I've used this form in battle, so you should be honoured to witness it."

"This timeline is incredible..." said Cell, "Vegeta, Gohan and Trunks have reached skill levels I'd thought they'd never even begin to fathom. Raditz - the brother of Goku - is as strong as his brother. And then there's you, Red - the one who seems to make all the difference. By absorbing your DNA, I know all there is to know about you. When you first met Raditz... You apparently only took him under your wing so he could never pose as a threat to you."

"That’s a lie," said Raditz, "Red took me under his wing because he saw that I had untapped potential."

"He did that because he was - like Frieza - afraid of the Legend of the Super Saiyan!" said Cell, "You know what he thought? He thought that if he befriended a Saiyan, then he would have a chance of survival!"

"Shut up!" shouted Red, "Raditz is like a brother to me, I would never do something like that! At least... I don't think I did..."

"Back when you were first created," said Cell, "When you and Raditz hijacked Frieza's ship, you thought of him as merely a pawn in your design of universal conquest. Then you trained together for a year, and you forgot your initial thoughts."

"Raditz," said Red, "I may had thought that about you back then... But I was arrogant and foolish. You know that!"

"Don't worry," smiled Raditz, "I know what you were like... Cell's just trying to play mind games... Finish him off."

"W-what!?" flinched Cell. Red turned to face the super-powered android - his aura blazing furiously.

"How dare you try and make my best friend think ill of me," said Red angrily, his aura blazing wilder by the second. Vegeta looked at the power that Red was displaying.

"His power's still going up..." he thought, "Could it be..? Is he a Legendary Super Saiyan?"

Red's control was slipping from him. He shook his head hard and his aura calmed slightly. Cell was intrigued with this display of power.

"What happened there?" asked Cell, "Your power surged even higher..."

"Its nothing," said Red, "Are we going to fight or what?"

"There's no point in fighting you..." said Cell, "I'm no match for your power."

"What?" said Red, "Then why are you trying to get me to push my power higher?"

"The Saiyan cells within me," said Cell, "The ones I've inherited from Vegeta... They're wanting to see your power."

"No-one will see this power," said Red, "Now either fight me or keel over right now."

"I'll fight you..." said Cell, "Just like I fought Gohan earlier, only this time... No-one will survive."

Cell then shot up into the air like he had done earlier against Gohan. He was preparing another attack to fire straight at the Earth. Not a Kamehameha, but another one of Goku's techniques - The Spirit Bomb. This was a technique also taught by King Kai, but Goku refused to use it unless it was a life-threatening situation. Cell had this attack incorporated into his body for the same purpose. Now the others would witness it firsthand.

"You've left me no viable option, Red!" shouted Cell, "Witness the power of the flawless attack - the Spirit Bomb!"

All of a sudden, the unconscious Goku woke up at these words. He sat bolt upright and looked straight at Cell.

"Kakarot..!" said Raditz, "You're awake!"

"What's going on..?" said Goku, "The last I remember I was fighting Android #19..!"

"I'll fill you in later..." said Raditz, "In the meantime, we've got to watch out for that Spirit Bomb!"

"Spirit Bomb..?" said Goku, looking at Cell. The mighty Android was collecting a mass of green energy above him slowly. All the others looked nervous at what Cell was planning.

"We can't stop that..." stuttered Goku, "That’s my most powerful attack... Nothing can beat it..!"

"Calm down, Kakarot," said Red, turning to face the awakened Saiyan, "You don't know what I'm capable of yet..."

"Red?" asked Goku, "Then..."

"Kakarot..!" said Raditz, "Don't put too much faith into him..!"

"He can do it..." mumbled Goku, "He has the power..."

Goku was finding himself feeling tired again, so he fell back to sleep slowly, leaving the others to deal with Cell. The Spirit Bomb had now grown so big that it could be seen from outer space as a tiny glint of sparkly light on the planet's surface. Cell was laughing maniacally.

"Face it, Red!" he laughed, "Even you with all your power can't knock this one away!"

"Try me..." smirked Red, as he prepared for the attack, "Forgive me if you've heard this before, but you're going down!"

"What a disappointing end this has turned out to be..." thought Cell, "He may have been much stronger than me, but I turn out the victor!"

Red stood his ground and looked into the Spirit Bomb with a fiery passion for fighting in his heart. Slowly but surely, the Spirit Bomb gained more power until it reached its peak and shone a bright lime green in front of the fighters.

"Here it comes..!" said Piccolo, "I hope you know what you're doing, Red..!"

"Relax," said Red, "Cell's as good as dead."

"Die with this planet and all who inhabit it!" shouted Cell, as he finally threw the mighty Spirit Bomb. It was quite a bit faster than the Kamehameha, but still slow.

"Let's get outta here..!" shouted Trunks, "Goku said we can't stop it..!"

"I hate to admit it," said Raditz, "I think you're right... Red, let's go!"

"You can go if you want," said Red, "But I'm going to stay here and prove my worth by bringing Cell down. Go!"

All the others had already started to fly away. Piccolo had slung Goku over his shoulder, whilst Krillin and Gohan carried Yamcha and Tien. Trunks and Vegeta were just about to leave.

"Come on, Raditz," said Trunks, "If Red says he's got it covered then that's OK! Let him deal with it!"

"Trunks is right!" shouted Vegeta, "Now let's go if you want your life intact!"

With that, the Saiyan father and son left, leaving Raditz with Red - the Spirit Bomb drawing ever closer.

"Go, Raditz," said Red, "I'll be fine."

Raditz turned his back and started to leave. He flew so far and then shouted to Red.

"You're going to die..!" he shouted.

"GO!" came Red's reply. Raditz looked very uneasy about the whole situation, but in the end, he quickly followed Trunks and Vegeta to safety. Red turned his attention back to the oncoming Spirit Bomb. It was pulsing green waves all over the place as it slowly made its way down to Red.

"Time to finish this," said Red, as he flew closer to the Spirit Bomb. He got up close to it and then put his hands out. Cell was watching happily as his attack worked its magic. The Spirit Bomb hit Red and moved no further.

"What the..!?" said Cell in astonishment. Red had caught the mighty Spirit Bomb and was bringing it back up towards Cell quickly. Cell fled in fear higher and higher as Red chased after him holding the bomb. Cell had gotten so far from Red until the Super Saiyan grew tired of chasing.

"See you in Hell!" said Red, as he fired the Spirit Bomb away from him using a powerful energy wave of his own. The bomb hurtled towards Cell on the end of Red's energy wave. Cell turned and saw his attack shooting towards him.

"You son of a..!" shouted Cell, moments before his attack enveloped him. Cell was caught right in the centre of the Spirit Bomb and slowly torn to shreds. His shreds were torn to shreds and those shreds were disintegrated. Not a single cell was left alive - Red had won. The bomb continued to fly until it burst through the Earth's atmosphere and exploded magnificently. The bright green light shone all over the planet, so the other fighters noticed it too. They were close to blinded by the light. They then noticed that a green energy shower was falling from the explosion. Segments of the Spirit Bomb were falling all over the planet and destroying vast amounts. Cities were blown to bits, thousands were killed, but Cell was dead.

Back at Dr. Gero's laboratory, the computer was still hard at work tinkering away with its last command: Plan #13. Four of Gero's last androids had yet to be fully complete, but now all four had been merged together into one being to form an even more powerful android than Cell - Android #13. The process had just been finished and #13 was being awoken. However, as the mysterious android stepped out from the wreckage of the lab, one of Cell's Spirit Bomb shards shot down from the sky and landed in front of him, exploding on contact with the floor. #13 looked around.

"Hmm," he thought, "That's one of Cell's attacks... I was only meant to be created when he was destroyed... Whatever... I'm here now. I reckon I should go find this Red guy! How sweet it is to be whole! Watch out, Saiyan. You're in for a major ass whooping'!"


 * 1) 13 then shot off in search of Red.