Everyone's mood was pretty shaken up after Vegeta's death, Gohan was hollow eyed seeing one of their 'own' die, and the fact that he couldn't attack Cell right away made him clutch his fist in anger.
He was feeling how he would have felt watching Videl fight spopovitch, forced to watch something you want to stop immediately.
A horrific feeling.
*Thump*
The explosion slowly dissipated from the stage and Vegeta's body fell to the ground with a thump.
'Is that.. never mind.'
Raditz's eyes twitched watching the familiar pose Vegeta took.
But the z fighter's weren't given time to think, Cell had already pointed towards Vegeta's corpse, which released a telekinetic burst, throwing it off the stage.
*Crash*
Vegeta's body landed on the ground before the z fighters, and Raditz didn't want to let it stay in the dust, so quietly picking it up he gave the body to Nappa.
"Keep him safe, we will get him back sooner or later."
Said Raditz, hearing which Nappa nodded and went towards the camera crew, he wanted to borrow some storage capsules.
After taking care of his fallen teammates the Saiyan way, Raditz huffed and looked at Cell for a second.
Cell was threatening him time and time again, and he wasn't about to just suck it up and die.
If Cell thinks this strategy of his will work for long, he had another thing coming.
"Next contestant, come on up, tick tock, times ticking~"
Cell spoke in a tone which simply showed he was treating this as a game, and them as animals performing in this sick game.
The fighters also knew they had to go now, and it was Goku who was about to go up, but before he could, Krillin gripped his fist and said.
"Everyone, Is it alright if I take this one?"
Goku scratched his head and looked a little awkward, then said to Krillin in a mild way.
"Well... He is a little too strong."
This was Goku's way of saying that Krillin will get dusted if he steps into that ring.
But Krillin had different plans, except Raditz, nobody knew he was now an android, he was tougher, more resistant to fatal damage and most of all, he still wanted to show Tights how cool he was.
So he wanted to take this opportunity to take Cell down a peg and look good before his semi girlfriend at the same time.
"Don't worry Goku, I got this."
*Swish*
Krillin vanished from his position and appeared in the middle of the stage.
This made everyone look serious instantly, the speed at which Krillin just moved, it was comparable to Piccolo's!
But Cell disregarded it, it didn't matter to him if or not Krillin had become powerful, he was still stronger.
"Is it you this time, Krillin."
"Go, play with him for a while, let's see what he came up with."
Cell told another Cell junior, who giggled and jumped onto the stage.
"Alright Cell, this one's for Vegeta..!"
With a swish, Krillin vanished and appeared before the Cell junior, smiling at the shocked face of his opponent, Krillin kicked his chin with full force.
*Crack*
Which launched the Cell junior into the air and cracked his chin along the way.
"Take this!"
Charging up a scatter Kamehameha, Krillin fired it into the sky.
*Whoosh*
And just like intended, the Kamehameha scattered into multiple miniature Kamehamehas and attacked the Cell junior from all directions.
*Booom*
Even when the blast obscured the vision, Krillin didn't stop and chased into the smoke screen.
*Bang*
*Booom*
*Bang!*
Constant fist to fist sonic booms were occuring in the skies, and the z fighters were shocked at the spectacle.
"Incredible."
Tien praised, he couldn't even sense Krillin right now, but he knew Krillin had far outclassed him, because he not only cannot sense him, he cannot even follow the fight.
Which means Krillin can speed blitz him and he won't even know.
"Wow, Krillin's become so strong!"
Yamcha exclaimed, Chiaotzu and Gohan also looked on with amazement.
But it was Piccolo, Goku and Nappa who smelled something off.
"Huh, why can't I sense him."
Goku rubbed his head while making a confused face, and Piccolo straight up narrowed his eyes.
"He gives me a feeling similar to number 18."
As if a part of the discussion, Cell spoke out, in semi amazement and semi irritation.
"You, you are an android too."
Cell confirmed Krillin's situation and this once again raised the shock value amongst the z fighters.
"No way, Krillin was a robot this whole time!"
Chiaotzu exclaimed, as if making a massive discovery, which caused everyone to sweat drop, and Krillin to almost stagger mid air.
"Hey! I am a human! Not a robot-"
*Bang*
"Ouch! Hey that hurt!"
Krillin countered the Cell junior who took this time to punch him in the face, and again started a hearty battle.
He had been slapped around since the day Raditz arrived on Earth, now he was finally back in the game again, and he had infinite energy to boot.
He was learning more about his new body in this battle as well, and he was liking every second of it, becoming an android has completely brought out the potential he normally cannot use as a human.
"Uhh, then he isn't a robot?"
Chiaotzu asked while scratching his head, but this time around Raditz was the one who replied.
"Krillin is a human Chiaotzu, he has been transformed into an android by Bulma two days ago."
"Krillin felt he was getting left behind, so he decided to become an artificial human, and look at that, it paid off."
Hearing this every z fighter had a solemn expression on their face, they respected Krillin for this, not everyone had the courage to forgo their bodies they worked so hard for to plunge into the unknown, just for a shot at greater strength.
Yamcha knew he couldn't take the risk, he didn't have the guts to change his body permanently, and looking at the rest of the z fighters they understood the sentiment as well.
But this didn't discourage them, it only showed them that there are other ways to get stronger, Krillin has found his way, they just had to find theirs.
But this semi bubbling atmosphere was broken by a low voice, a voice from their strongest fighter, Raditz.
"Listen, in a few moments, get ready to attack Cell."
Piccolo looked at Raditz with narrowed eyes and asked in a low voice too.
"Are you sure? Your family is in west city right now."
The z fighters also looked at Raditz, they didn't want to do something drastic which can cause Cell to explode west city.
But Raditz himself looked certain, he slowly but surely said, in a determined voice.
"We cannot go on like this, trust me, attack him, west city will be fine."
Goku blinked, then looked at Raditz for a final confirmation, which Raditz gave with a light nod.
This made him smile with confidence, now that his brother was taking charge for west city, he can go all out against Cell.
Now all they had to do was look for a chance, as soon as Cell let his guard down, they will strike.
Let's see what he can do without the threat of an explosion hanging on their heads.
Advanced chapters ahead on patréon
www.patréon.com/ImagineMaker