Chapter 14: Gohan’s Regrets

            “You two look really cute together!” Bulma whispered to her son, causing him to blush.

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” a 17-year-old Trunks lied, stealing a glance over at her.

            “You know who I’m talking about. I know you and Pan have a thing for each other, don’t deny it!” Bulma said. “Why don’t you go over and talk to her?”

            Trunks took a deep breath and walked toward her…

            She was beautiful. She had raven black eyes and soft, creamy skin. Her hair fell into her face and she laughed as she wiped it away. She was graceful, but still very strong. How could she not be strong? She was Gohan’s daughter. Pan…he thought about that name every night as her face drifted into his dreams. His mother was right, he had always had a thing for Pan. They had been friends growing up, yet there was always something more between them. Trunks had never felt this way about anyone else…just her.

            “Hey Pan!” Trunks said, feeling a tiny blush rise to his cheeks.

            “Hi!” Pan said, her voice soft and calming amidst the noise of the annual Capsule Corp. party.

            “So, you havin’ fun?” Trunks asked, finding nothing else to say.

            “Not really,” she whispered, trying to avoid her father from hearing her.

            “Me neither,” Trunks whispered back, laughing a little bit and turning his head to look at the sunset.

            “Well, it’ll get better once the sun goes down. It always gets fun after that because all the older people have to take their Viagra and go to bed,” Trunks laughed.

            Pan laughed along with him, following his eyes to the sunset.

            “That’s really beautiful,” Pan remarked, sighing.

            “Want to get closer to it?” Trunks asked mischievously.

            “Maybe once all the older people take their Viagra and go to bed!”

            The two burst out in laughter, even though the joke wasn’t that funny. Trunks looked at Pan, a smile still slightly visible on his handsome face. Pan looked up at him and giggled. She turned her ebony eyes back toward the sunset, her face turned beet-red. The two stayed silent and watched the sunset, thinking of each other.  

            Gohan looked over at his daughter, standing with his old friend.            

            They look perfect together, he thought, and turned his attention back to Videl. He smiled at his wife and kissed her…things were perfect.

            This thought abruptly left his mind when he felt something somewhat familiar…a power so terrible and huge that it hit him right in the face.

            No! How can it be? He thought, and turned to find Vegeta.

            He searched for only moments before he found the older Saiyan observing the party from his place leaning against a tree.

            “Vegeta, I—“ Gohan began, but Vegeta interrupted him.

            “I felt it too. It’s nothing,” Vegeta said.

            “Nothing? Are we feeling the same thing or not? You know damn well who that is, and I know that he was never that strong. What the hell happened?” Gohan snapped.   

            “How should I know?” Vegeta sneered, turning his head arrogantly and going back to ignoring everyone.

            Gohan glared at the Saiyan Prince.

            “You’re scared,” Gohan said, knowing just how to get Vegeta angry. “You don’t want to get your ass kicked…just like last time.”

            “You do not know what you’re talking about, boy! You would do well to keep your mouth shut!” Vegeta snarled angrily.

            “Prove that I’m wrong. Come with me to go see if Cell has actually returned,” Gohan suggested.

            “Fine,” Vegeta spat.

            Cell looked through the supplies that his old master had left when he died. Dr. Gero was a very tricky man: he kept all his supplies hidden and it was almost impossible to find them if you didn’t know what you were doing. Unfortunately, Cell knew exactly what he was doing.

            He pressed a series of buttons and the far wall faded into nothingness. Behind it was a huge hall, shelves lining the sides, filled with supplies.  Cell approached the hall and pressed the correct buttons on the wall. A large beep was heard and the invisible lasers that guarded the hall were deactivated. Cell, now safe from the traps Dr. Gero had carefully placed, walked amidst the hall full of supplies, stopping to ponder once in a while and occasionally picking something off of the shelf. Cell, although built to kill, had obviously learned everything his creator had known. Once he had all the things he needed, Cell placed them on a table in the main lab area and put all the security back up. He pressed some more buttons and the doors to three human-sized containers opened and a puff of smoke flying into the air as the pods readied themselves for new bodies.

            Cell smirked and grabbed a single vial with a milky liquid held inside. Careful not to break the tiny tube, he clutched it gently in his hand and flew out of the lab, leaving the door just open, but still out of sight.

            Back at the party, Gohan was talking to Trunks about what was going on.

            “…I felt his power. If he is back, then we are all in deep shit. Get everyone into the hideout under Capsule Corp. and make sure you are the only one besides Vegeta and me to come out. We’ll be waiting outside,” Gohan instructed.

            Pan stood talking to Bra a little way off. Bra saw her brother talking to Gohan and walked up. She had always has this little schoolgirl crush on Gohan and wanted to see what was going on.

            “Hi guys!” she greeted, with Pan walking up behind her.

            [A/N: Remember, Goku and Chichi are dead. There is no Goten…]

            “Hi Bra. Look, can you get everyone over here, now? It’s really important that they get over here immediately, we have to get them to—“ Trunks began to say, but was cut off sharply.

            There was a brief sound of glass breaking and a white cloud surrounded everyone.

When the smoke cleared, the entire group of people who had been outside was coughing.

            “What *cough* happened?” Videl stammered.

            “I don’t *cough* know,” Gohan tried to say.

            They looked around, trying to see if everyone was there.

            “Where are Trunks and Bra?” Bulma said, looking up.

            “Yeah, and Pan?” Videl asked, getting worried.   
            “NO!” Gohan screamed, and took off.        

            “Gohan! Come back!” Videl pleaded.

            Gohan paid her no heed as he headed off in the direction from which Cell’s power was coming.

            “Gohan!” a gruff voice called from behind him.

            “What is it, Vegeta?” Gohan growled, whipping around angrily.

            “What are you going to do? Just barge in and say to Cell, ‘Oh, please, sir, could I have my daughter back? I’ll be really nice to you!’ or are you going to come up with a plan? Honestly!” Vegeta spat.

            “I don’t have time for a plan!” Gohan yelled, spinning around and tracking Cell once again, but something was wrong.

            “He’s hidden his power!” Gohan cried out loud.

            “You should pay attention more!” Vegeta scolded. “Can’t you feel your own brat’s power? She’s raised it!”

            Gohan snapped his head around and breathed in sharply when he felt it.

            He didn’t need any more from Vegeta. He flew off as fast as he could toward where the power was coming from. The power was surprisingly large though…was this really Pan?

            Cell arrived at the party minutes after he left the lab. He snuck into the trees and waited for the right moment. When all three of the brats were gathered into one area, he threw the vial onto the ground next to them. It broke and sent a white cloud around them. Cell rushed into the cloud and grabbed the three brats, knocking each of them out. He flew off with them before the smoke could clear and made for the lab.

            About halfway there, the black-haired girl awoke. She looked at her friends and screamed, then without any thought started to beat on Cell’s arms, throwing little ki blasts at him.

            “Put me down! NOW! Let me and my friends go!” she screamed.

            Cell was amazed at this girl’s power. She powered up so much, it was extremely unusual. He sped up and headed toward the lab as fast as he could go…this girl might wear him out before he could get her into the pod.

            A moment later, the lab came into view. Cell threw down the unconscious ones and kept holding the girl.

            “Shut up now, or your friends won’t be breathing!” Cell threatened.

            Pan stopped yelling, but didn’t calm down. She glared at the android and spat in his face.

            “I know who you are. You’re Cell…what, my father didn’t beat your ass enough last time or something?” she snarled.

            “You are Gohan’s daughter…” Cell stated, not intending a question.

            “Yes, and he’ll come and kill you as many times as you want…that’s only if he gets here before I kill you!” Pan warned.

            “My, my, such spirit! You will make a lovely little android,” Cell said, taking Pan’s chin in his hand.

            Pan bit Cell’s fingers and spat. She glared at him, her power level rising by the second.      

“Little bitch!” Cell shouted, and knocked her out.

            He picked up the other two along with Pan and brought them inside the lab. He shut and locked the security on the door behind him and put the three brats down.

            “Now, if only this would take a shorter time…I’m pretty sure Gohan will be here soon enough,” Cell thought aloud.

            He pressed some buttons again and the pods opened up.

            “Time to serve me, little Saiyans,” Cell laughed.

            He put Pan, Bra, and Trunks into one pod each. He closed the doors and pressed a button on each, turning on a little red light and filling the pod with smoke. Tubes snaked into the pods and attached to the young Saiyans. A time meter began to count above them: only 5 minutes left until three new androids entered the world and Cell could absorb them…he would become even more perfect then he was now and these three would make it happen.

            Gohan began to get more impatient as he flew nearer to where Cell was holding Pan, Bra, and Trunks. He picked up speed again and stopped abruptly.

            The power was faint now, but it was there. It felt so close, but there was nothing around him but cliffs…so it seemed.

            Where could they be? Gohan thought.

            He knew then. The power was coming from behind a rock wall, rising off of a ledge. There was something wrong about the rock behind it…it seemed to be a lighter color and it was slightly different from the rest. There was a small, almost invisible, line around part of it, creating a round shape.

            Vegeta was trailing behind slightly, but he caught up with Gohan.

            “What is it? Why did you stop?” Vegeta demanded.

            “Look at that piece of rock there. Doesn’t it seem different from the rest?” Gohan asked, pointing to the rock.

            Vegeta studied it for a moment, not saying anything. He didn’t need to say what he thought of it, though, because the answer was made clear. A scream was heard from behind it, followed by another, and then silence. This was where Cell was holding Pan, Bra, and Trunks…and, without a doubt, he was doing something to them that might not be reversed…ever.