The Z fighters rallied together in record time. This detail was not an error, and this time it would not be a drill. Goku had predictably arrived first, though the others had not been far behind. Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Tien, Krillin, Yamcha, 17, 18, and Future Trunks all were gathered and listening as Bulma told them the grim news.
Future Trunks had returned to their timeline once more ready to assist, though this time without the presence of his mother. Although the appearance of the two androids had at first caused tensions, he'd relented quickly under the knowledge that had been shared with him. His reaction had been the same as everyone else's.
Fear, and anger.
Cell had been detected, and with it they had received a second coordinate for Gohan's location. Bulma's machine was completing final calculations to plot a travel route as she briefed everyone.
"We can't wait anymore, we're going." Goku was resolute, unsurprisingly, and so was everyone else. As always, Bulma had to be the voice of negativity.
"I know you're all going to go, but you need to understand first that this isn't going to be a precise jump. This won't be like Trunks coming back in time to warn us, we're going to be arriving with some kind of time and distance variance from where we were aiming."
"How bad will it be?" Tien was unfaltering but inquisitive, a voice of reason amongst those who were a lot more eager to instantly act. Unfortunately, Bulma could only shrug in response.
"Days maybe? I can't tell you much about it, this is all new even with our past time travel experience. There's any number of things that can go wrong."
Yamcha blanched, suddenly hesitating in his support. "You're not saying this could be a one-way trip, right Bulma?"
"Anything can happen." Bulma's repeating did not ease his unease at all, so she decided to continue. "Listen, this uncertainty is exactly why I modified the new time machine we built."
She opened a drawer and pulled out a small lock case and removed the key from her pocket. It was a key she had been keeping on her person for years for just the right time. Unlocking it, she removed the lone capsule from inside and threw it outside after clicking the top.
There was a poof of smoke that obscured the emergence, but as the cloud blew away the new machine was visible. It was an adaptation from their spaceship prototypes built for the trip to Namek so many years ago. This ship was not only now finished, but heavily improved with advanced sensor systems, reinforced hull, and of course at its centre was the incorporation of the time machine.
Hope 2 was a ship that could travel through space and time and would be the vehicle to take the Z warriors on their mission to rescue Gohan.
"My scanner here is uploading all the data to Hope 2 that you might need. When you arrive, it has a shorter-range scanner built on board that will help you pinpoint where you need to go. You'll have everything you need in case of emergency. You've got fuel, food, directions, and spacesuits."
"Everything but a way back if something goes wrong." Yamcha muttered to himself, though not quietly enough that Bulma didn't hear him and frown.
"Well ye of little faith, we still have the dragonballs as backup for all of you if we need it."
Yamcha blushed as several pairs of eyes frowned at him. Vegeta took the first steps towards the ship. "Ignore the weakling and everyone get on board. Kakarot, go get our last member."
"On it." Goku put his fingers to his head and disappeared in an instant as the others began making their way onboard.
Bulma waited by Vegeta's side as she watched them go, holding onto his shirt to make sure he stayed behind for her. "Listen," she spoke when the last other was onboard, "I've ran every test I can, but if Cell really is on the other side then… just be careful. I know how you get, so I'm asking you as the mother of your children to just please, listen to Goku."
Vegeta grumbled, looking away as he bit back a snarl. He wouldn't say the words, but he let out a begrudging nod. Bulma smiled, happy to see him accepting her request. They had their own peculiar way of communicating, but it worked.
Goku appeared in an instant by her side, his hand on the shoulder of the last member of their expedition. It was the first time that Bulma had actually seen King Kai, but he looked just as Goku had described him, and just as uncomfortable as she had expected.
"I can't believe I'm doing this, a Kai really shouldn't be doing this…" He muttered to himself, even as he took his begrudging steps towards the ship.
Goku was pushing him gently on, forcing a smile onto his face that was clearly fake. "Come on King Kai, just remember everything we've done for you."
"I remember, I remember. If it wasn't for you all then Buu would have been released, trouble I really didn't want. Why didn't you go get the Supreme Kai? He owes you more than me."
Bulma cut in with a derisive snort. "Owe or not, I doubt that Shin guy would be willing to do something like this. You on the other hand, you're just the right kind of guy."
King Kai did not look at all reassured or flattered, only rubbing his forehead as he moaned. "Oh I'm going to be in so much trouble…"
The duo made their way onto the ship, as Bulma returned to the scanner inside. It was nearing completion, and a tv screen showed her the inside of the ship as those about to travel finished strapping themselves in place. 18 and Krillin were sat by each other, hands held together. Marron was staying with Chi Chi as the two of them went on their mission. There had been some arguments between the two of them apparently about wanting the other to remain behind, but neither had been willing to. Krillin owed Goku too much and considered Gohan as family, while 18 quite literally owed her life to Gohan.
17 was of the same mind. He had only barely been able to be resurrected thanks to Cells self-destruction, so he more than almost any other knew just how close he'd come to being dead and trapped forever.
Piccolo's motivation was of course obvious, as were the others. Loyalty to Goku or love of Gohan, either way each and every one of them was willing to do whatever it took to save Gohan. And now, after years of preparation, searching, and waiting, they were finally going to act.
All readouts confirmed that the data had been transmitted, and Bulma clicked the transmit button.
"All right guys, the coordinates are set and the ship is ready to go. Instructions are on the ship if you need them but otherwise you're all set. Any last minute questions?" Bulma watched as each of the Z warriors set a determined expression on their face and prepared themselves for travel. With a final sigh, Bulma turned on the timer. "All right then, Hope 2 is ready to jump. I'll see you all soon I hope. Ready for travel in three, two, one."
Hope 2 hummed as it hovered slightly off the ground, clearing the tether of the planet and quickly the tether of time itself as it flashed out of existence. Just like that, the ship was gone, and now all Bulma could do was wait.
Wait, and hope.
Eren and Mikasa stood by themselves in the distance, watching from the shadows as Gohan explained in a panic to Mike and Levi. The two of them were in disbelief but taking Gohan's words very seriously. For Eren and Mikasa, it was a heavy weight that was settling down upon them.
"You were right again." Mikasa hadn't doubted him, but she had perhaps hoped that he was wrong. That what Eren had told her had been wrong, that something had changed. But it hadn't.
Eren didn't say anything at first, sombrely accepting the reality before him. "What comes next will be worse, you remember that right?"
"I do." Mikasa shuddered as she remembered. Their careful plan two years in the making had warned them of so many horrors. Their time together had been peaceful, loving, but borrowed time only. Eren reached out his hand instinctively, Mikasa returning the gesture and interlinking her fingers in his.
Gohan no doubt knew they were there but was far too distracted to actually look at them. If he did, he might have seen the trepidation each of them had. The couple swallowed it down however, vowing to stick the course just as they had decided to years before. And so, they stepped forward.
"-he's going to continue killing people and growing stronger. If he's limited like I was then that might be our only chance. If his power is returned to full then I just-… when we were brought here, we were about equal in strength. I only won because of Vegeta's intervention. But now…"
"You've gotten stronger though, right?" Levi had his arms crossed and eyes narrowed, his concentration unyielding as he thought through Gohan's words.
Gohan frowned and rolled his head non-committedly. "I have, but the fight with the King did a lot of damage to my body that I just can't heal from here." He held up one of his hands and began to clench his fist, only making it most of the way as some of the digits refused to fully close. "Cell can heal from anything except total obliteration. If there's even a single cell left of him, he'll regenerate back to full. And it's not slow like a Titan, think near instantly."
"I understand what you're saying Gohan." Mike held up a hand placatingly. "So, what's your plan, what do you need?"
"He needs to find Cell." Eren cut in, stepping up to the table with Mikasa. "He needs to find him and face him now before he gets stronger. But Gohan can't find him or Cell will just hide."
"He's right." Gohan admitted unhappily. "Cell can sense energies better than anyone aside from maybe myself, and he can suppress his own strength well enough that I'd never be able to find him. The only way we ever found him before was by waiting until he started a fight. Problem is, any fight will be on his terms, so what do you think we should do?"
Eren hid a reflexive grimace at what his next words would be. "We need to lure him out."
"Lure him out? But how, he won't come if he senses me."
"Not you." Mikasa stepped forwards. "He's going to hunt down humans, sources of Ki that won't pose a threat to him. Population centres, garrisons, transport ships. If we're going to lure him out then we need to give him something he'll want more than them. Us."
"You two!?"
"Not just us." Mikasa made a pointed look out of the window and towards the other Paradis soldiers. "All of us. Every Ki enhanced soldier would be a buffet in a small package for Cell. He'll be tempted."
"He'll kill you." Gohan corrected. He looked horrified, more openly but no less so than Mike and Levi. "You're talking about deliberately feeding people to him! We can't do that, it's monstrous."
"Gohan is right." Levi shook his head at the very idea. "You can't forget that we're still at war right now as well. Gohan is powerful but if he's going to be busy focusing on Cell then we'll need as many soldiers as we can for what comes after. Even if Marley's military are willing to surrender, the people aren't. We're going to have to be putting down riots and standing between them and the Eldians we're trying to protect. Liberio isn't the only internment zone, we're going to have to police an entire continent."
"Marley isn't even going to exist if we don't stop Cell!" Eren's ferocity and determination took them off guard. They would have expected such an outburst from Gohan, but Eren seemed unusually obsessed with Cell as well. "There is no other path for us, we have to focus everything on Cell. If we wait, Cell will grow stronger and stronger as he devours the entire world. If that happens, Gohan might not be able to stop him, and Cell will kill us all. No matter what it costs us, we need to stop him."
Mikasa stepped forwards and pointed at the map that was already laid out on the table before them. "This is the area where Gohan found Cell. If we position some teams nearby and hide Gohan in one of them, he'll be in a better position to respond."
"Respond after someone dies." Levi pointed out. He looked to Gohan for confirmation. "Tell me if I'm wrong, but none of us will have a chance against Cell in a fight. He'll kill any of us in an instant."
Gohan grimaced. He didn't want to say it like that, he was proud of their progress and they truly were strong compared to everyone else in this world and would be notable compared to most even in his own world. But he also couldn't deny it, and his expression confirmed Levi's presumption.
"Anyone we send out will be killed by Cell before Gohan can act. I'm not throwing away the lives of our people without reason."
"They're right though Levi." Mike cut in, the man himself sporting a grim but considering look on his face. "If we need to draw Cell out, then that will be the best way. I don't like it any more than you, but this is what we might have to do."
Levi shook his head. He wanted to object more, but he also knew it would be pointless. "It's not our decision anyway. I'll get on the radio and inform Erwin, we'll need his orders before we do anything this drastic."
"Agreed."
"What are we going to do in the meantime?" Gohan pressed. "We can't just sit aside and wait."
The first time Cell had appeared in his world, they'd been forced to do just that as they'd been unable to hunt him down and had to wait for him to show himself. But his world had dragonballs. Here, the longer he waited, the more and more people would suffer, doomed to an eternity as part of Cells biology.
Mike and Levi looked to one another in silent communication before Mike spoke up again.
"We'll send a message to the Marley forces still outside the city, tell them we need to talk. They need to know one way or another about what's going on and I don't want the guns to start firing again because you're flying off and around the continent."
Gohan nodded quickly, readily accepting the sign of progress. He was buzzing, wanting to act but unsure how, at least now he had something.
Eren and Mikasa dismissed themselves as Mike set to work preparing the message and Gohan moved to meditate and sense out what he could. The couple moved through the impromptu base that had been established in the internment zone, making their way out from the main area and garrison buildings. Entering into the city itself, the two of them strolled past numerous now empty homes.
The majority of the internment zone had been evacuated, as had much of the surrounding homes in Marley, albeit in opposite directions. Those who had remained were sticking to their homes, only interacting with the Paradis forces when they accepted food deliveries to keep them stocked up.
Eren and Mikasa ignored them, there purpose wasn't to talk with those who remained. Instead, they were searching for a few specific arrivals. They saw Zeke and Dina talking from a distance, which was a good sign. The two of them hadn't repaired much of their relationship even over the last two years, but it was enough that they were managing to speak again. The two of them went quiet as Eren and Mikasa came near however, both waiting on their arrival.
"So?"
"First step is done." Eren began. "We've suggested teams for scouting. They've got to discuss it first but be ready."
Zeke nodded. Zeke and Dina had both been brought into the premonitions of Eren, though at different stages. Needing to know more about Eren's strange abilities, they had gone first to Dina. If anybody would know the most about Titan abilities, it would be someone from outside of Paradis Island. Ymir would have been too unlikely to be helpful, her time outside of Paradis Island was spent as a sheltered and worshipped child. There was also too much risk that she would tell Historia, unwilling to keep such a secret from her wife.
Reiner was of course out of the question, the man too unpredictable and untrustworthy to share such a secret with. Dina and Zeke had been left as the main options, and in spite of any familial relationship with Zeke, Eren hadn't trusted him. Pieck was too young to likely know much at all. So, they went to Dina. She had known some, holding more knowledge about the various Titan abilities than what they presently understood. However, she had been insistent on bringing Zeke into the fold, claiming that as leader of the warriors he would know the most.
It had been obvious that she had also wanted to repair her relationship with him, but they hadn't been in a position to argue. He had explained more, how the Attack Titan's powers could allow one to see the future when connected to a person of royal blood. With his help they had begun formulating a plan.
"I'll need to be there for the meeting." Zeke interjected as Mikasa filled him and Dina in on their discussions. "You need to convince Willy more than anyone else, and if he sees me safe then that'll be the best way to progress."
"I can convince them of that." Eren agreed. "It won't be too hard, it's a good plan."
"Are you ready for what comes next?" Dina asked. Eren was not her son, and she hadn't tried to treat him as such, but she was still a mother and couldn't help but feel a bit protective of him and to an extent Mikasa. Eren was in a sense, the child that she and Grisha Jaeger could have had. "A lot of people are still going to die. Friends…"
He and Mikasa shared a grimacing look. As the time grew nearer, it was getting harder to accept what was going to happen. But they had laid this course themselves, and they would see it to the end.
"We'll make it through. We have to."
"Or else," Zeke agreed, "end of the world."
Willy stood with his sister and an entourage of other officers as they waited outside the gate of the Liberio Internment Zone. Normally occupied by Marley soldiers, the Paradis Eldians who awaited them looked calm, yet surprisingly not smug for all that they were victors. He had been surprised to receive the message from the soldier's apparent commander, an urgent request that was worded dangerously close to a command. He would not normally have entertained such vocabulary towards them, but the invite did give them the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the interior of the soldiers conquered home.
The soldiers at the gate led them through the town and towards the docks, one of the warehouses apparently having been converted to a headquarters. Only two remained behind to guard the entrance, but Willy wasn't so foolish as to believe it wouldn't be enough. Every attempt at infiltration they had sent through had failed, and each of their soldiers held enough firepower in their impossible abilities to prevent any attempt at forced entry.
When they reached the warehouse, the headquarters had been cleared of nearly all non-essential personnel it seemed. Gohan was the only one that Willy recognised, and he was looking uncharacteristically tense. There were several awaiting them, most waiting back as two men stood waiting at the front beside Gohan, another further back, and one man who was not wearing a military uniform of any kind that seemed vaguely familiar. One of the men at the front introduced themselves as Willy and the others were directed to take a seat.
"I am Deputy Commander Mike Zacharius, this is Deputy Commander Levi Ackerman." The two were distinguished only mildly from the Paradisians regular military uniform, there was no ostentatious decorations on either of them. "Protector Son Gohan, Captain Eld Jin, and I believe you should recognise Zeke Jaeger."
It took Willy a moment, but he did recognise the man. He was shocked to see him at all. Zeke had been presumed dead along with the rest of the warriors that had travelled to Paradis, and yet he was apparently completely fine as he stood beside his captors in perfect health.
"I admit, I am surprised to see Jaeger here. He is a prisoner of yours is he not?"
"He is, however as a sign of trust we have brought him here to offer an insight in case of any doubts you may have. What we are about to discuss may be hard for you to understand, but it is true."
Willy furrowed his brow, perplexed at what else they could be referring to. After seeing Gohan's demonstration of powers, they were ready to believe almost anything.
"When you sent your request, I was expecting perhaps someone of higher rank had arrived to commence negotiations."
"Those will happen later, but right now we're here to deliver a warning."
The officers around Willy tensed even as Deputy Commander Zacharius handed over the discussion to Gohan.
"You're all in grave danger." His voice was unwavering, yet so tense it felt like he was going to break at any moment. "There is a monster that has been unleashed upon your world that you're going to be unable to stop. The only way you all stand a chance is if you help me fight against it. This monster, is called Cell."
Confused expressions were returned back to him by all save two. Willy and Lara reflexively looked between each other, a tension in their eyes that was not missed by those present. Gohan felt the breath leave his body as he looked at them in horror.
"You know…"
They started back, Willy's mind already preparing denials and a speech that was cut off as Gohan leapt over the table and lifted Willy by his shirt.
"You know! You know about Cell! What- what the fuck did you do!?"
The officers all rose in alarm. They were unarmed, yet fighting instincts were kicking in as they tensed and prepared to try and fight if necessary. Lara was stood with hand raised to her mouth and ready to bite and transform. Maybe it wouldn't do much, and yes she had revealed herself as a Titan shifter, but familial instincts ran too strong for her not to be ready to act.
"I- I don't know what you're talking about." Willy attempted, seeing how taken aback Gohan's compatriots also were by his actions. If he could convince them to make him back down, perhaps further violence could be avoided. "You need to let me go son, this act of violence will not be tolerated by Marley."
Gohan was not in any mood to listen at all. His eyes were manic as he drew in short sharp breaths. Willy could feel the mans body tense, his fists tighten as they held Willy suspended in the air, and so Willy gave a small nod to his sister. Gohan dropped him before Lara could act, practically throwing Willy to the ground before he chopped Lara in the neck and knocked her into unconsciousness.
She didn't fall to the ground however, slumping into one of Gohan's arms as the other gripped the top of her head. Several moments of tense silence followed as Gohan shut his eyes tight in concentration before he finally opened them again in a rage.
His breathing had changed, not the short breaths of someone in panic or disbelief. Instead, he was more akin to a snarling animal. He whirled back to Willy, wind already beginning to billow around them and the concrete beneath Gohan's feet cracking.
"You knew! For years you knew what he was! You fed him innocent people in your sick experiments!" The accusations were impossible, and yet entirely true. Willy's hesitant disbelief and sputtering of weak denials had the other officers looking to him in a new doubt. "Cell killed all those people, and it was you who unleashed him!"
Gohan raised his hand, and a ball of energy crackled into life. His eyes glared down into Willy's, a murderous intent was all that could be seen.