[11] Bra, Vegeta, and Cell

[Burter Jr]

9. Cell
16. Bra
22. Vegeta

End the fight, then an event will come.

[Sammah]

The ground caved in beneath Vegeta?s feet, and the aura around him exploded into a fitting rage. There was nothing left for this beast, his death was inevitable. A scream of power echoed throughout the hospital?s parking lot, and Vegeta?s body rocketed forward. Maleficus didn?t know what he was dealing with, a Saiya-jin prince, determined to protect his children, and his pride. With every passing day, with every passing fight, Vegeta could feel his abilities growing stronger and stronger. Every battle was a test for his new features, and every time he found happiness and joy at his accomplishments. Fighting is what he lived for, and losing was never an option.

?Die!? His voice was blurred with the intensity of his rage, there was no anger, yet the power that consumed his very soul took control on his temper, that?s just who he was. The demon brought up his guard, and took the full blunt of Vegeta?s punch into his remaining arm. A loud popping noise rang out, and his arm snapped, the top half flopping downward and hanging at an angle it wouldn?t usually be at.

?Fuck!? Was all this creature from hell could shout as he felt the pain rip through his arm. It was broken, useless just as his other arm which wasn?t even there was. ?Damn you!? Vegeta jumped back a few feet, and crouched down. His eyes observed this beast holler and scream vicious intent towards the Saiya-jin prince. It was then, that Maleficus did something of great disturbance. The beast stopped his rage filled tone, and stood calm. His face leaned down towards his arm, his mouth gaping open wide.

?What the fuck?? Vegeta spoke to himself, watching as his opponent bit down on his own arm, gripping it so tightly with his teeth. Blood began to ooze out of his wounds, running down his arm at a quick pace. The prince couldn?t for the life of him tell what this move was going to accomplish. With one more cry of pain, Maleficus jerked his head upward, and his entire arm came ripping off of his torso. Blood began to spew out all over the battlefield that once was called a parking lot. Vegeta?s gag reflexes almost took into effect, but he held them back. His head turned to see his daughter and Cell, both gazing on with a curious awe struck face. There was no way he just did what everyone saw him do.

?Ah! Now you die!? Maleficus threw his arm onto the ground, and now he stood with only a head on top of his shoulders.

?You can?t be serious.? Vegeta stood up, now erect and standing as if he had already won the fight. ?How do you expect to win without any arms?? It just didn?t calculate within the Saiya-jin?s mind.

?Who needs arms? You pests are nothing but bugs to step on!? With that a strange dark aura began to hover around Maleficus. The power that he held was slowly increasing, and Vegeta could feel it. Somehow though, it didn?t feel like natural ki. It was something else, something he?s never felt before. There was an odd power fused and intertwined with the creature?s power, something was different. In a flashy representation of fire works, the beast exploded into a fiery rage. Literally sparks of fire was burning off of his skin and onto the ground.

?What is this?? Vegeta questioned to himself. He was sure that there was no way his opponent could continue this fight, let alone hold his own in an argument. But before he could think any longer, Maleficus was in his face throwing a power kick into his skull. Vegeta?s body reacted with the blow, and he was tossed to the ground. His body made a crack within the cement below upon impact, it was devastating.

?Father!? Bra shouted as she wished her eyes deceived her. She ran up to the fallen Vegeta and helped him get back onto his feet. ?Are you ok?? She questioned as her eyes shifted over to the disembodied beast. Vegeta seemed to not know his left from right. Confusion swept across his mind, and he didn?t understand why.

?There?s something different about that fucker.? Vegeta cursed, stumbling back down onto his ass. His head was spinning like crazy, but that was impossible for just one strike to his head. The deep muscles with in his body were vibrating; it was definitely something of supernatural descent.

?Damn it!? Bra shouted, remembering something about what their opponent had mentioned to her earlier. ?Shadow magic?? She mumbled. Vegeta grunted and looked up at her. ?He mentioned something about shadow magic. I don?t know what it means, or what it is, but somehow it doesn?t affect me.? His daughter began to take a few steps forward, taking her father?s spot on the battle field.

?No! Don?t do it Bra, there?s something different about this one.? Vegeta tried to convince her out of it, but the stubbornness that ran through their blood prevented her from taking heed to his warning. Her body erupted into golden power once again, and she short forth the unarmed monster. Cell had arrived next to Vegeta, grabbing a hold of his arm and lifting him back onto his feet. Both warriors gazed on as Bra began to exchange blow for blow into the creature?s body. The only way for Maleficus to not get hit now was to either dodge it, or block using his legs. Now his movements were quick, so using his knees and legs were definitely working for him.

Bra was throwing punch after punch into his face and body, but the effects weren?t as much as they?d hope for. She would have to use more power in order to create more of a weakness into their opponent. This demon wasn?t going to go down easy, but then again, pain was barely even a factor for him after ripping off his only remaining arm. Vegeta spat on the ground, watching as his daughter fared off better than even himself. Her power radiated off of her tiny body, and popped into large explosion every time her fists connected with the demon. Maleficus received another blow to the head, and his body went tumbling along the ground. His actions were quick, and he leaped back onto his feet.

The young girl was already on him though, and flung her leg into his ribs. Her opponent keeled forward, and she brought both hands clasped up above her head. With another crushing blow, she forced all of her might into bringing her human made hammer down onto the back of his head like a large mallet. The sheer force of the collision caused the demon?s face to come crashing down into the cement, creating a crater in the shape of a face amongst the deck. A smirk appeared on her face, and she brought both hands to her sides. Balls of immense energy began to swirl and emanate from her fists. They glowed with the precious light of expensive gold. In an instant, she brought her hands forward, and the blast took life from her hands, rocketing downward at point blank range. Her attack exploded, and sent both her and her opponent reeling backwards in opposite directions.

Vegeta was able to stand up on his own will now, the effects of the one blow finally fading from his being. Cell was taking it all in, the fight, the techniques and the maneuverings. He was learning, and sometime in the future, he knew what he saw today would come in handy. An android was something of great uniqueness, something that took such intelligence to create a being to simulate the very movements of living tissue. Dr. Gero was a genius, no doubt about it.

The prince looked over towards the landing spot of Maleficus, and saw his body lying limp on the ground. Smoke was steadily rising off of his back, yet Bra was on the ground as well, not moving an inch. ?Damn.? Vegeta noted that Bra was too close to her own attack, she should have backed up in order to get a good distance between her and the eruption. His heart found him racing towards Bra, so he did the same. Upon arrival though, he noticed that she was fine, nothing to worry about. Only her clothes were a bit charred, yet there wasn?t too much harm done to her from the explosion. Just like a princess of the Saiya-jin race to conduct a show like that.

?Vegeta.? Cell?s voice was coming from behind him. The prince turned to see what the perfected android had to say. ?Look over there.? His eyes pointed towards Maleficus?s position, and Vegeta followed in the same manner. He noticed that the disfigured body was moving, slowly yet surely the beast was coming to. There was no doubt though that he was having a hard time pushing himself up when he had no arms. Vegeta returned his gaze down towards his daughter and noticed that Bra was already awake and sitting up, grinning the family trait towards his father. Vegeta just smiled back, feeling foolish of ever doubting.

?Kill him.? Bra smiled. A great sense of pride overcame the Saiya-jin warrior and he looked back over at Cell. He gave the android and quick nod, and Cell returned it in the same fashion. Vegeta?s body vanished, his speed taking complete control of his movements and reappearing next to Maleficus?s torn and weary body. His eyes were staring down at the pitiful excuse from a fighter and it seemed that the demon knew Vegeta was behind him. He felt him, it ached in his heart, yet the demon was not afraid.

?Are you ready to die?? Vegeta hovered the question above the beast?s head, yet only a grunt came in response. Their opponent maneuvered his legs underneath him and sat up on his knees, finally figuring out a way to get up without using his arms.

?Is that what you think is going to happen?? Maleficus?s voice was low; obviously the loss of blood was at last taking an effect on him. His right leg moved forward, placing the bottom of his foot on the ground, and with perfect balance, stood up, placing his left back onto the ground. His breaths were deep, and now his face looked pain struck. It was about time that this beast was getting weaker, after all this time of acting as if nothing would stop him. The fact remains that everyone has a weakness, it just takes that special something to bring it out. In this case, the special something was a 12 year old girl.

?It?s over.? Vegeta said. His hands were crossed over his chest in the same manner as always.

?No?it?ll never be over!? The beast?s mouth gaped open, and a ball of dark ki began to form within the darkened hole. Vegeta?s eyes flinched and moved to the east with the quickness and returned towards his opponent, a smug grin giving away the future. Maleficus took notice of the movement and turned to look, but by the time he noticed what was happening, it was too late.

?Destructo Disk!? Cell?s voice rang out like the condemning of a death sentence. His arm was extended forward as he hurled the spinning blade of fatality towards the creature, slicing a clean cut right through the neck of the beast. The attack continued on, flying farther until it collided with a large boulder, cutting it into two and exploding. Blood slowly began to ooze from an invisible line in the demon?s throat. It?s eyes slowly rolled into the back of it?s sockets, and the head of this creature, departed from the stem, falling gracefully to the ground. The body which stood motionless soon followed, falling lifeless to the cement next to the head, as if they were meant to be together forever. Vegeta spat on the dead body, and nodded a look of approval towards Cell.


(Post 1, hope I didn't ruin anyone's plans.)

[Burter Jr]

EVENT

It's about to begin...

That sweet, cute, feminine voice rang through the minds of the three warriors. Cell recognized the voice of the ghostly girl immediately, but she was no where in sight.

The three exchanged glances. The voice was gone faster then it had arrived.

"Now what?" Bra asked, cocking her eyebrow in confusion.

[Bra]

She could hardly see through the dazzling light show that was her ki wave as it engulfed the disfigured Maleficus directly in front of her. The girl?s expression became one of dread, as she knew full well the mistake she had made. The explosion was nothing short of catastrophic, and during the points where her eyes were open, everything was dark and ridiculously blurred. Bra?s eyelids became heavy once more, shutting against her will. This happened a few times, and each time the princess forced them open, the distorted scenery had changed, until finally everything stood still just after a gut-wrenching THWACK!! The super saiyan?s head collided viciously with the charred pavement, marking it with a fresh smear of blood. Bra was completely immobilized, but she soon felt her father?s presence before her.

Cell had said something which distracted Vegeta for the moment, prompting his daughter to force herself up into a seated position, despite the throbbing disco which now inhabited her skull. The elite warrior?s gaze fell back upon Bra, who weakly flashed her father?s trademark smirk up at him. Vegeta couldn?t help but return the look; perhaps he meant more to the girl than he thought.

?Kill him.? powerful words from a child, but they had been spoken nonetheless. In a moment, the golden haired princess watched her father nearly disappear from the plane of sight, just barely managing to track his movements as he raced in for the final few blows of the fight. Bra nearly gasped as the prince came to a complete stop, hovering just over the fallen demon-knight.

?Are you ready to die?? he demanded, his eyes growing cold and lifeless. Vegeta was preparing himself. Maleficus made a reply, but his voice fell short of Bra?s earshot, leaving her unable to pick out his words. The savagely wounded hellion somehow found his footing and stood, chest heaving, staring down at the full-blooded saiyan before him.

The princess smiled widely. Apparently her last round with the monster had taken more of a toll on him than she had thought. A sense of relief began to wash over her; there was no way Maleficus could take her father or her friend anymore. Now it was only a matter of crushing him and moving on.

?It?s over.? the words spilled from the powerful warrior like those of a hangman. He crossed his arms, standing eerily still opposite the profusely bleeding beast. The monstrous demon began to shake with a combination of fatigue and rage, his eyes growing wide with hate.

?No... It?ll never be over!? he roared, opening his mouth wide, beyond the limits he should have reached, and began to form another of those frighteningly dark, soul-sucking orbs of energy. He fired the malevolent pillar, which shot past Vegeta as he easily bobbed to the side, his arms still crossed and his smirk growing much more confident. Maleficus? eyes widened again, this time in fear.

?Destructo Disc!? Cell roared, his voice conveying the complete finality of the next few moments. A circular saw made of pure energy sheared through the air, passing right through the hulking devil as though he wasn?t there, before continuing through a rock inside which it exploded.

Bra could see little else until Maleficus? head fell from it?s perch on his shoulders, hitting the ground with a disgusting splat. His body soon followed, crashing into the ground, causing it to spider-web outward before sinking into a shallow depression around the demon?s girth. Crimson fluid began to fill the depression, oozing outward into the cracks and imperfections in the surface of the parking lot. It was undeniable. Maleficus, a Greater Demon, had fallen.

The halfling?s golden locks quickly lost their rigidity and aureate luster as the hue of her eyes shifted back to her deep blue. She breathed a sigh of satisfaction; it felt as though she had passed a trial. More importantly, it almost felt -for the first time in a long while- as though she deserved her royal title. Still... she knew there was more to be done. She would earn the right to represent her people. She would earn the right to rule with her father.

She climbed to her feet, brushing the debris off herself. The young hybrid sighed. She had cuts and scrapes everywhere, particularly one which stung painfully on her cheek. She gingerly ran her fingers over it, tinting them red with her own blood. Her clothing was no better off. Her left glove was so raggedly torn that it was little more than a designer crafted rag now. She grunted in dissatisfaction, tearing the garment off with a swift tug, before allowing it to drop to her feet. The cyan haired girl discarded her remaining glove as well, opting for a sense of symmetry despite the fact that the second article of clothing had sustained very little damage. The rest of her clothes were more or less alright. Little tears and burns were present, but it was to be expected in a situation like this.

The demi saiyan made her way to her companions, offering a small wave as she drew near. ?That was awesome!? she excitedly declared. ?But still... I can?t help but wonder why we?re fighting instead of those angels. Y?know what I think?? Bra continued before anybody could answer the question. ?I think they?re hiding something from us. I mean, yeah, the demons are evil, but what if these angel dudes aren?t really...?

?You think Gabriel?s manipulating us for something?? Cell questioned, hinting his interest toward the subject. The princess nodded, confirming the perfect android?s suspicions.

It?s about to begin...

?Who-?? the half-blood cut herself short. The sound had come from nowhere. There weren?t any ki signatures anywhere and no place to hide where one could speak that softly and still be heard by the group. She exchanged uneasy glances with her allies, before breaking the uncomfortable silence. ?Now what?? the girl cocked her eyebrow, unaware of the expression she made; it was a nervous habit.

?...I recognize that voice,? Cell revealed, eliciting a gasp from both members of the royal family. ?We have to go to Beta Labs. It?s the last place I heard it. This is a clue, it has to be.?

?And just what is Beta Labs?? Vegeta demanded, his hand forming a fist.

?Inside the hospital,? Android 21's speech became noticeably disheartened. ?There were zombies inside the last time I was here, and I would wager that there still are those who took shelter from Gabriel?s... technique... inside.?

?What are a few zombies if we just took out some demon?? Bra retorted, still feeling the adrenaline rush and accompanying cockiness that came with her ascension to super saiyan.

?And what if there?s another one waiting for us inside those walls, girl?? the genetic anomaly spoke condescendingly, but not so much so to warrant any interference from the prince. ?We go inside... but we stay alert.?

?Fine. You lead the way,? Vegeta pointed at Cell. ?You said you?ve been there before, so you?ll find it fastest.?

?Agreed.? it was all that needed to be said. The ultimate creation of Doctor Gero trekked up the ruins of the ambulance entrance, punching through one of the glass doors of the derelict building. It shattered with little effort, granting ingress to the android and his companions.

The foul stench of death and decay hit all three at once. Bra wrinkled her nose and furrowed her brow in disgust. The smell was so thick, the child almost thought she could choke on it. Caked blood was everywhere. On the floor, smeared onto the walls, on the administrations desk, and even spattered about on the ceiling. Badly decaying bodies had fallen haphazardly all about the lobby, some with sizeable chunks of flesh missing from them. Flies had gathered over each of corpses, their buzzing drowning out any ambient sound that may have been made.

?...I fucking hate this rock.? the cyan haired girl muttered, taking in the atrocious sight as best she could. The sole clock which hung loosely on the wall was had faded from white to yellow, was covered in dust, and was badly cracked. It didn?t work, which didn?t surprise the 12-year-old, but, oddly enough, the clock had stopped at exactly noon, not a second sooner or later. Disregarding the oddity, the halfling followed along behind the others as they continued down a dark hall.

The young heiress? eyes shimmered with fear, but she remained absolutely silent. She refused to come off as a scared little girl. When her eyes fell upon one of the several doors along the corridor, however, she couldn?t help but emit a shocked whimper. Cell and Vegeta both stopped sharply, whirling around to see whatever Bra had seen. On the door, scrawled in blood, read Your Time Has Come.

?Someone?s screwing with us,? the ebony haired prince growled, turning away from the door and glaring about for any sign of the culprit. ?Typical.? there was noone in sight.

?We should keep going.? the android decided, pressing on through the darkness of the hallway, his body rigid, constantly prepared to strike out at some unseen foe.

[Bra]

The hospital was a testament to the grotesque adulteration of reality that had taken place. Blood and gore had been strewn about everywhere, and this deep into the building, no wall was without a thick streak of the red substance. Cell led the trio into what appeared to be an operating room, parts of which were literally overtaken by what appeared to be flesh and bone. It was like some kind of sadistic interior decorator had decided to put up walls of skin and muscle, and supported them with dozens of bones, many of which stained with even more of the spilled blood. These walls of tissue pulsed, as though some horrible form of life had been given to the sickening architecture.

?H-help me! Th-they?re coming! Oh God, help!? Bra didn?t even notice the doctor who hung from the ceiling by a noose which had somehow failed to kill him. A razor sharp, metallic rod protruded from his chest, the wound staining his clothes with his own blood.

?Oh, fuck!? the princess shrieked, trembling uncontrollably against the intense trepidation she felt for this place, ?What?s next??

Cell stepped forward, into the room. Bra couldn?t bring herself to accompany him, and Vegeta seemed more concerned with the girl than he did with the android, so he, too, remained behind. The artificial warrior looked up at the doctor, who began to convulse as he approached.

?They?re here! Burn in hell! All of you!? the victimized physician roared, his voice twisted and filled with some kind of hellish contempt. Without warning, his body exploded, raining flesh and blood throughout the room, drenching the bio-android with the substance.

?Damn it all.? he spat in frustration, smearing the thick, foul fluid off his face. He shook the blood from his arms, and did the best to remove it from the rest of his body, but knew that he would ultimately be defeated until he could find a source of water.

?This place just keeps getting better, hm?? Vegeta scoffed, stepping into the room with a scowl of dissatisfaction. He didn?t appreciate people playing mind games with him. Bra followed her father, staying close to the man as she tried to keep her whimpers of fear as quiet as she could.

?...The Beta Labs are close. We should keep moving.? the black speckled creature replied, heading toward the door across from the one they had entered from. The cyan haired hybrid tightly wrapped her arms around herself, as though she were huddling herself from some unfelt chill. They descended a sloping hallway, which led them into another series of corridors, but they never once stopped at a junction, as Cell?s deft leadership was ceaselessly advancing.

?N-No way.? the halfling stammered as they rounded another corner. Stalagmites appeared to have had shot upward into the air, each one impaling a lab coat-clad man or woman. The entirety of this corridor had been overtaken by the sickening, living architecture. A proud banner suspended from the ceiling had been obscured by fleshy tendrils which had extended from the perpetually beating ceiling of flesh. A spray of blood suddenly fell from the ceiling, splattering all over the floor, which squished disturbingly beneath their feet.

?This is the entrance to Beta Labs...? Cell paused, taking in the vile scene that awaited them. Bra had taken to the air, refusing to come into contact with the ghastly surface. The young heiress? eyes nervously darted about the area as she bit her lip with uncertainty.

?Th-they?re talking again!? she whispered sharply, frightfully scanning the region in hopes of finding something to attribute the noise to. The disembodied threats were getting darker, more horrible. Tears began to well up in Bra?s eyes, but she blinked them back, fighting desperately against her own emotions.

?Get out!! Leave this place at once! We?ll swallow your souls!!? the voice was deep and guttural, with a deep sense of rage. It was as though everything they were to face from now on would inevitably be ridiculously pissed off.

?Shut up, dammit!!? the cyan haired princess roared as fiercely as her mostly soft voice would allow. Both of her companions realized the futility of her outburst, but decided it was better to allow her to take her frustration out on something that wasn?t them. ?W-We shouldn?t be here! We have to go.?

?No!? to the girl?s surprise, it wasn?t the android who defied her, but Vegeta. ?It?s obvious there?s something here they?re desperate to keep from us. We have to move on, Bra.?

?It?s only a matter of time before this... stuff... begins to spread outside of the hospital. If we discover something important, or at the very least, destroy the source of this abomination, we could make our lives much easier in the future.? Cell interjected. The hybrid kept her eyes on the putrid floor, assessing their arguments and knowing -in advance- that her own would fail.

?...Okay. But you go first, okay?? her voice grew weaker with each word. Her very breaths were ragged, on the verge of sobbing. She was genuinely terrified of this place, and the sooner they were done here, the better. Bra hugged herself tighter. Had it been Trunks who displayed this kind of weakness, her father would surely have reprimanded him for it. At least... he would have. Perhaps he?d changed even more than the half human half saiyan hybrid gave him credit for.

Without any further conversation, the three fighters trekked into Beta Labs, whose security doors had been burned away like paper over a flame. Corpses of scientists and security guards were strewn haphazardly about, some with deep gash marks, others bearing wounds which still contained the weapons they were murdered with. Several of the plexiglass windows which had been designed to confine adjoining rooms had been smashed to pieces, despite their literally bulletproof nature.

?Help... meee...? the trio was taken aback by a chemist who crawled towards them. Bra gasped, realizing that the researcher was missing his legs and the lower part of his torso. Entrails were dragged behind the maimed civilian, painting a horrifying stroke on the white tiles he crawled on. Finally, the horrible injuries he sustained proved too much, and his arms gave out on him. With a final, exasperated grunt, the chemist struck the floor, his own life slipping away from him.

?Something?s coming!!? Bra exclaimed. She shrieked as a jet black creature bearing fangs leapt straight at her just after rounding a corner. Frozen in shock, she could only watched as the monstrosity neared her, only to be swatted away and obliterated by a swift blast of energy from the hand of Vegeta.

?Bra! You have to keep your guard up!? he scolded. It was a strange approach to parenting, but his daughter knew he meant well, and simply gave him an embarrassed nod.

Cell continued to lead on, marching past nothing but the hideous, pulsating flesh which had become expected by now. He came to a stop upon noticing an elevator in the center of a circular room. The elevator was without doors, and the car itself had been torn out of the shaft and tossed into the room, where it was now being covered by the organic matter on the floor.

?It?s like a virus!? the princess observed, watching as bloodied tendrils continually wrapped around the derelict elevator car, slowly obscuring it from view. The android neared the edge of the shaft, peering into the darkness below.

?It looks like your ?virus? is coming from down here,? Cell observed, following the pulsating material as it disappeared into the abyss. His train of thought was rudely derailed by an ear-piercing scream.

Bra wailed uncontrollably as a skeleton fell upon her from above. Instinctually, she fiercely batted the remains away, blasting them with a powerful wave of energy, which tore straight into one of the living walls, exploding with a shower of blood. A thunderous, disembodied moan echoed from all directions, putting the cyan haired fighter even more on edge.

?Let?s go!!? she demanded, starting toward the elevator shaft, ?Let?s just get this over with, already.? Cell leapt down first, followed by Vegeta and then his daughter. As they touched down on the floor beneath, the android quickly snapped into a combat stance.

?Look at that!? he pointed toward the object of his attention; a massive, beating heart which was connected to the foul tissue via gigantic veins. No doubt it was what had been sustaining the disgusting matter.

?What... what do we do now?? the princess inquired, her initial shock fading somewhat, allowing her to at least participate in the situation at hand.

?We destroy it. It?s obviously the thing responsible for this filth around us.? Vegeta sneered, spitting on the fleshy ground at his feet.

?But why is it here? The demons can obviously survive in our world...? Cell thought aloud, while the other two eyed their surroundings.

OOC: You guys can feel free to take this wherever you want. =o

[Bra]

?Shit!? Bra shrieked, frantically stumbling back and away from the thick stream of blood which poured freely from the disgusting remains of the massive heart, ?That?s sick!?

?What?d you expect, girl?? scoffed the android, with an arrogant roll of his eyes. A sickening squishing sound filled the air.

?Look!? shouted Vegeta over the sound of the cascading, bloody shower. ?The walls are closing in! Move!?

As the entire hospital began to rumble in tandem with another of the building?s disembodied moans, the three warriors tore down a series of hallways as their options narrowed one by one; a preferred corridor closed ahead of their position so they were herded into the closest alternative. Quickly the group, led by Vegeta, was forced to take a hard right to evade the swiftly narrowing tunnels.

?Faster!? the android demanded, racing to keep up with his saiyan companions. The raven haired prince and his daughter escaped out of the tunnel into an uncorrupted hallway, hardly escaping peril, though the demi saiyan turned and reached as far into the tunnel as she could, desperately offering Cell her hand.

?Come on!? she growled, realizing the danger that the android had been placed in. The princess leaned forward, nearly falling back into the pulsating tunnel as she did her best to grab Cell?s hand and pull him free. The black speckled creature dove forward, reaching out to grasp the girl?s wrist, but was cut short by the concrete grip of a skeletal hand. He dispatched of it quickly, but was caught unawares by the five other lunging arms which pulled him to the ground.

?Cell!!? the hybrid hoarsely shouted, raking her nails across the tainted flesh which shuddered beneath her pitiful attacks. She finally drove her nails into the tissue, preparing to launch herself into the tunnel.

?Get out of here, you little fool! Death does not frighten me!? the perfect android scolded, watching as the girl disappeared behind the sealing hall. Bra could see the hands of the undead lunging and striking out at the hapless Cell, who looked up to the girl at the last possible second, ?We?ll meet again! I promise you that...!? and then the seal was closed.

?Cell...? it was all the cyan haired heiress could say. A solitary tear rolled down her cheek, but this time there was no pain. No sorrow. No, all that remained now was hate. Hate for Brim for bringing them here and killing her brother. Hate for Brim for destroying her friends. Hate for Gabriel for sending them upon yet another twisted quest. Mostly, though, her tempestuous hate fell squarely upon herself. How many times had she failed the others? How many times did everyone else have to put themselves at risk to protect her? How many people had to die just to keep her alive!? Bra screamed, outraged, before ramming her fist into a door which easily splintered under the impact, launching debris into the hall behind it. She shook her head, hands still shaking from the intense wave of emotion. ?Cell?s still alive,? she announced as her eyes took on a blushed red, confirming the android?s energy signature. ?We can?t get to him from here... but we have to help him, dad.?

?Fine. Come on, then! We don?t have much time.? her father?s words rang true, and so she hurriedly sprinted after him as they raced through the maze-like complex, their footfalls pounding up and down each corridor; each one looking worse than the last. Vegeta began to growl in dissatisfaction upon being faced with a junction, but quickly made up his mind and bolted down the one he had thought to be more corrupted, knowing that they would have to head into the thick of this atrocious architecture if they wished to recover Bra?s friend.

?Where are we going!?? the halfling called, leaping over a skeletal arm which sought to get a hold upon her ankle. She began firing quick blasts of energy ahead of her in short intervals, hoping to wreak havoc through the building?s obviously complex biology.

?Here!!? Vegeta skidded to a halt, raising his arm to his side. ?Stand back, Bra,? his warning just barely preceded the brilliant flare which leapt from the elite?s palm, crashing into the fleshy wall with a deafening explosion. Chunks of bloodied flesh hit the floor one after the other with a horrid, wet crunch. The revolting scent of burning skin filled the air, but the prince?s entrance had been formed. ?Follow me! Stay close!?

The hybrid youth chased after him, ducking beneath the torn sinew which was left from the blast. Cell?s signal grew stronger and stronger as they continued, and never did her father pause. He was constantly moving, constantly acting. The incredible skill he wielded to manage the situation... it was stunning. Bra couldn?t help but think that Vegeta possessed not only the might of a warrior, but the mind of a tactician.

But then... Daddy?s always a step ahead of me.

The princess smiled warmly, though the circumstances hardly warranted such an action. Somehow, though, with her father by her side, the cyan haired girl felt untouchable, as though he would never let any harm befall her. It was... comforting. She caught up to the mighty pure-blood, who was carefully searching the fleshy wall for a weak point.

?Alright. We blast the wall here, and we should blow a hole straight into the hallway that Cell is in,? Vegeta explained, preparing to form a powerful blast of his own. ?It was foolish to come back for him. When he?s freed, we?ll have to move. As fast as you ever have.?

?Okay,? the daughter of the group nodded her affirmation, shielding her eyes as the prince unleashed an effulgent torrent of ki straight through the separating tissue, eliciting a desperate shriek from that hellish, disembodied voice. A series of explosions rang out from within the exposed corridor before Cell leapt out through the exit Vegeta had made. ?Come on, let?s go!?

Vegeta leapt into the air, ascending into his super saiyan form with practiced efficiency. Cell tore after him, quickly summoning the upper echelons of power available in his perfect form, while Bra took a moment to build up the energy she needed to ascend herself. Quickly, her super saiyan powers exploded outward from her effeminate frame, and she catapulted forward, quickly gaining on Cell, whose own velocity was nearing it?s limits. Without giving the android a warning - or chance to argue - the golden haired youth clasped her hand around the genetic amalgamation?s forearm while she accelerated past him. The effect caused Cell to lurch forward under the increased momentum, nearly popping his arm out of it?s socket.

?We?re coming!!? the princess desperately shouted, propelling herself as fast as she could with her ally in tow. Following her father, she raced upward through the sprawling complex, which was beginning to look more and more corrupted, even in areas where there hadn?t been much of the parasitic flesh.

The fleshy tendrils had become aggressive, as several lashed out at them as they passed by, narrowly evading them by jolting upward or executing a barrel roll. Bra knew that Cell - who was constantly being hurled around by the girl?s aerobatics - would be intensely upset once all had been finished.

Vegeta?s approach was somewhat more straight-forward. For those he could not easily dodge, a searing blast of energy would remove it from existence instead. The princess was gaining on her father, and the two golden streaks raced in tandem through the nightmarish perversion of what once had been a bastion, a place of rest and treatment for the weary and sick.

?Look out!? the saiyan pure-blood exclaimed, cracking an elbow into the skull of one of the lesser demons which had accompanied Maleficus before his demise. Bra took a break-neck change in her course, enabling her to evade another demon?s attack, but still allowing her the satisfaction of driving her foot into it?s throat, launching it straight through a door and into an operating table with a series of ear-splitting crashes.

Finally, both super saiyans slowed dramatically, prompting Cell to thrust his arm from the girl?s hand in order to fly on his own. The trio touched down in the lobby where their exit had once been, but was now covered in the same filth that everything else had been tainted by.

?So... what now?? it was Bra who broke the silence, cautiously checking over her shoulder twice while asking the question. ?You think we can just blow a hole outta here??

?Everything else seems weak enough to-? the perfect android had been interrupted by a powerful rumbling which emanated from below. ?Something?s coming! It?s directly beneath us!!?

With a series of thunderous crashes, two horrid looking monstrosities leapt from chasms they?d formed in the grimy tiles of the hospital floor. One of the creatures appeared to be a lion, infested with zombism, while the other looked like a short, twisted version of a namekian, complete with green skin and pointed ears. His eyes, however, burned with crimson and he had fangs like that of a piranha. An antiquated suit of armor served as his clothing, and an oversized morning star his weapon. Neither of the newcomers spoke. Instead, they merely hissed their dissatisfaction at the intruders...

OOC: Whoever's next; don't worry about killing the guys. They're weak. I imagined them as some last-ditch effort to keep us in the hospital. Basically we're at the exit, but the zombie lion and ugly dude are preventing us from busting through.

[Burter Jr]

END OF ROUND

"It's done..." Cell said, breathiing deep. "No more."

Before he could say another word, the corpse of the beast erupted into a flame of ki. The walls were literally ripped apart, causing only about half to stay up. By the time the demon finished it's one last attack in the living world, one more player bit the dust.

22. Vegeta - DEAD