Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon belongs to Takeuchi Naoko, Koudansha, TV Asahi, Toei Animation, and DIC. Dragonball Z is owned by Akira Toriyama, Bird Studio, Toei Animation and Funimation.

Part 10: The Training Ends

Universe FC-1
The Hyperbolic Time Chamber
Day Two, Hour 23 (1 Year, 11 months)

There was nothing for miles. Literally nothing, except for an atmosphere composed of oxygen, nitrogen and other trace elements, as well as some kind of ground. Before coming here, Phil had thought he had known isolation, growing up on the go, never able to make many long-term friends. However, here there was no life of any kind. No plants grew in the whiteness, and there were no animals to feed upon them. As far as he could discern, there were no bacteria or viruses either, based on the fact that their food hadn't spoiled in the two years they had spent there. The next time he heard somebody arguing that life will find a foothold anywhere, he would tell him or her of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

Somewhere in the nothingness, there stood two warriors. Each brandished a lightsaber, one with a blue blade, and one with a yellow. In the two years, GoChibi had grown from age ten to age twelve. Yesterday had been her birthday. Instead of coming up to Phil's waist, she was now level with his chest. After much trial and error, her hair now was about shoulder-length. No bands held the hair in place, since it always came undone during training. The proportions of her limbs were closer to that of an adult, which had forced Phil to modify his fighting style. He still had a reach advantage, but she was swiftly closing the gap.

In the year since Phil had begun streamlining various attacks, he had discovered that only a member of the Physics Police could have developed this technique. It required his in-depth knowledge of the laws of physics to know how far he could bend them, and when he could break them. He now needed about one thousandth the energy he had required before to reach the same level. His power level had not risen significantly since he had begun his efforts. However, he was squeezing as much energy from his powers as he physically could. Phil's new technique was also stealthy, since it limited that amount of energy radiating from the body. One could really be at level ten thousand, and read as a level two.

Today was the final test of Phil's improved techniques. If all went as planned, they would be almost on par with a level-one Super Saiyan without any chi enhancing techniques. In this exercise, the lightsabers were on full power. With the strength of the wielders, they could easily eviscerate each other. However, Phil had been coaching GoChibi in her technique, and his own prowess had improved greatly. Phil grinned. "All right, GoChibi, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we can go home."

"Is that your surrender, Phil-san?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. Ready, set… Go!" The two began trading lightsaber strokes. Phil was running purely on instinct. Block. Duck. Strike. Block, block, block. Kick, kick, kick. With the Force flowing through each of them, both could anticipate the moves of the other. Had a casual observer been watching, they wouldn't have even seen movement. All they could do was feel a strong breeze blowing their hat away, and occasional flashes as the lightsabers struck. Even one of the Z fighters would have had difficulty tracking them.

Phil purposely let one of her kicks through. It knocked him back, and he used the distance to his advantage. Couldn't very well do this at point blank range. "Improved Kamehameha!" He curled the fingers of his left hand into the shape of a gun. He simply pointed it at GoChibi, and jerked it backwards as if he was shooting with a pistol. Although there was no visible light, Phil's hand glowed a bright blue. An instant later, there was a deafening roar as the beam superheated the air around it. Following the roar was an explosion that engulfed GoChibi. When the dust cleared, she stood there as if nothing had happened. An attack that would have split the earth in half had had no effect on her.

Phil closed in again. The two began to duel with their lightsabers. After several minutes, neither had gained any ground. Phil stepped back, and pocketed his lightsaber. GoChibi followed suit.

"That was a good warm-up. Improved Kaio-ken times one hundred!" As opposed to the explosive burst of red light that would have accompanied this maneuver a year ago, a faint red aura now surrounded him. He pressed the attack, using his superior strength to force her back. Suddenly, a vague yellow aura surrounded GoChibi.

Once again, the two were matched for power. Both began firing nearly invisible chi bolts at each other. An equally powerful bolt intercepted each attack. After several hours, it was obvious that neither was making any headway.

"Truce?"

"Truce." The auras faded, and they flew casually back to the living quarters. The area where they had fought was pockmarked with massive craters. Had that battle occurred on Earth, there wouldn't be much left of Earth.

Outside:

Piccolo sat meditating before the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He had returned with Ecks only three hours prior, and would occasionally fall asleep. After over a day of efforts, he had returned with small, laminated piece of plastic that allowed him to do what he did naturally. In his photo, he looked as tired as he had felt, and his left antenna was drooping. It unknown why, but of the entire multitude of universes, with trillions of beings inhabiting each, nobody had ever been pleased with their license photo. Piccolo was no exception.

When he wasn't sleeping, Piccolo was attempting to read the energy emanating from the Chamber. It was a frustrating task, because each hour within lasted about a fraction of a second outside. It was necessary for an advanced level of power to be maintained for long periods of time in order for somebody on the outside to accurately read it.

The more Piccolo sensed, the more upset he became. As time went on, he noticed that they had made minimal progress in the time he was monitoring them. They were, in fact, growing weaker. He felt the occasional tug at the energy field that surrounded the one known as Ralph, but the drain was minimal. It was rather frustrating; he had been bullied into allowing them in, and they were doing… nothing!

The door opened. Phil and GoChibi stepped out. And Piccolo could now confirm that they were significantly weaker. Rage etched on his face, Piccolo faded into nothingness and appeared directly in front of Phil.

"What the hell were you doing in there? What, did you just feel like watching TV and living off me for two years? I'm not welfare, pal, and you're going to pay!"

"You will be fully compensated for your time and resources. As for your accusation that my Goddaughter and I have been lazing around, would you like to try me?"

The Namek grinned. "Sure, I could use a good laugh."

"Start whenever you feel ready." Phil didn't adopt a ready stance, nor did he remove the large backpack that carried his personal possessions.

The grin still on his face, Piccolo lashed out. Just as his fist was about to impact Phil's face, the alien found his hand in a viselike grip. It turned out to be Phil's. Piccolo powered up to maximum strength, but was still unable to remove his hand. He was considering ripping it off and regenerating another when Phil casually threw the massive Namek through a wall.

Casually, Phil walked over to the hole. "Now, who's been slacking?"

Piccolo stammered, "This isn't possible! There's no way you could have gotten this strong and still been able to hide it!"

"Tisk, tisk. You see, Piccolo, you technically are stronger than me. In fact, you're a lot stronger than me. You simply are rather inefficient in how you use your energy. While in there, GoChibi and I determined the most efficient way to store and utilize chi. Goodbye." Phil began to walk away. Piccolo staggered to his feet. "Oh, and Piccolo: don't mention this little occurrence to your friends. I have no interest in world domination or destroying the planet. I'm just doing my job." Phil flew towards his teammates, followed closely by GoChibi.

"Ralph, Ecks! Good to see you! It's nice to have somebody more adult around for once!"

"Hey!" GoChibi's face contorted into a pout.

Phil didn't respond. "Now, where is Usagi?"

Ralph and Ecks were still in a state of shock from what they had just witnessed. After a few moments, Ralph stammered, "S-she's with Mr. Popo."

Phil sighed. "Look, guys, you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm just the same as I've always been. Heck, I could teach you if you like. Now, let’s go see Mr. Popo."

As they walked down the opulent hall, Ecks was using a Dragonball Z model Scouter on Phil and GoChibi. The readings made no sense. According to the device mounted over her eye, Phil was only as strong as he had been during his fight with Kerrigan, and GoChibi was a shadow of her former self. Yet, she had seen him casually toss about a being with about the same power level as a Super Saiyan. It just didn't compute!

Phil looked over his shoulder. "Don't bother with that antique. It's really easy to fool."

Mr. Popo was in his room. It was a spartan place, with only a small television to indicate any changes within the last century. A few rugs dotted the ground, and it had his bed was roughly queen-sized. Mr. Popo was asleep.

"Hey, Popo! Wake up!" Phil poked him roughly with the butt of his lightsaber.

He snorted a few times. "Huh, what… Oh, hello. How are you?"

"We're leaving, and we need to take Usagi with us."

"Very well, she is in the bottle. We found it after we beat Garlic Junior. It is very useful for keeping people from leaving." He nodded, indicating a bottle that was reminiscent of "I Dream of Genie". Inside, a miniature Usagi was hitting the side in a vain attempt to free herself. Phil pulled the cork, and she left in a puff of smoke. When she rematerialized, she began beating Phil's chest in the same manner as she had the bottle.

"Let me out!"

Phil sighed. "You are."

"Oh." Then she remembered who he was. "Foul villain! In the name of the Moon, I shall punish you!" She pulled a silver dollar from her pocket and yelled, "Moon Compact Transformation!" She began to spin around. Predictably, this only served to make her dizzy. She finally came to a halt, and collapsed. "Oh… I don't feel so good."

Ralph pulled her compact from his pocket. "As you may have noticed, we went to the liberty of removing this from your person. And we aren't villains; we're just heroes with a different agenda. Want another sniff of the chocolate drink?"

"Yes!" Again, she shoved the bottle of ACME brand chloroform up her nose, snorted it, and was rendered unconscious.

Phil addressed Ralph. "How many times has she fallen for that?"

Ralph counted on his fingers. "I'd estimate about… twenty times. Which goes to show that one doesn't have to smart to run a planet."

"George W. Bush wasn't enough?"

Usagi was curled up in a fetal position, with a look of pure bliss on her face. You see, she actually thought it did smell like chocolate. "I do not want to think about the fact that I'm looking at my future Queen." Oddly enough, it was GoChibi who said this.

Five Minutes Later:

SU5 was flying away from Piccolo's place. Once again, an unconscious Usagi was in Ralph's arms. Ralph was complaining, "Why can't you or Ecks take her?"

"Ah, quit whining. All you've had to do the last couple of days is sit around and watch Usagi."

"Actually, Mr. Popo suggested the bottle immediately after all of you left. However, the Sailor Senshi attacked en masse yesterday."

"C'mon, there were only four of 'em."

"Actually, the Outer Senshi were also involved, so there were seven of them. I won, but it was tough."

"Well, good work then."

"Does this mean one of you'll take her?"

There was a simultaneous "No" in response.

Ecks interjected. "So, boss, what's the plan now?"

"Well, I figure we take the uber-ditz here to Hercule City so that she can meet her future husband."

"No!"

"Why not, GoChibi?"

"They told me that they met at the World Marital Arts Tournament, not before!"

"So, we have five days to kill?"

"That would about cover it."

Ecks snorted. "What are we supposed to do for five days?"

Phil shrugged. "I dunno."

While they discussed their next move, none of them noticed a tiny object flitting about them. In fact, there were three of them. Each was the size of a small insect, and shaped like a miniature syringe with wings. They had no obvious propulsion systems, so it was a mystery as to how they managed to fly. Each had a tiny insignia on it: a ribbon with two R's. The symbol of the now-defunct Red Ribbon army.

Over twenty years earlier, an evil genius by the name of Doctor Geroe had developed a small army of cybernetic and robotic warriors, which were referred to as androids. Each had possessed above human strength and intellect, and was mostly loyal to him. Along with a large number of human warriors supporting them, Geroe had planned a campaign of world domination. There was only one thing he hadn't counted on: Goku.

Although he was only a boy at the time, Goku had defeated the Red Ribbon army almost single-handedly. After that, Geroe became obsessed with creating the ultimate warriors. For the most part, he was successful; androids 16, 17 and 18 had each proven more powerful than even a Super Saiyan. Unfortunately for the doctor, his creations had turned upon him. Eventually, these androids were either destroyed or reformed.

However, Doctor Geroe had also realized that there was an alternate route. One of his creations, known as Cell, was formed from genetic materials of the most powerful warriors in existence. Goku, Vegeta, Freeza and many others were all involved. A supercomputer oversaw the operation, dispatching the probes to collect samples. The Cell defeated was from an alternate timeline, and had little effect upon this Cell. However, in this dimension, the lab in which Cell was created wasn't destroyed. Had this universe not fused with the others, Cell would have been born, and then immediately destroyed by Trunks. However, Phil's presence would have serious repercussions.

The supercomputer had discovered several new power signatures. By the time the probes had arrived at Piccolo's home, the most powerful beings had left. The sensors of the probes detected two of the signatures in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but they were unable to enter. So, the supercomputer ordered them to maintain their position. Now, with the new beings in transit, the probes went into motion.

Their sensors relayed their data back to the supercomputer. It eliminated Ralph and Usagi, based on their weak chi power levels. The others were targeted. None of them were particularly powerful, but the supercomputer still could access their knowledge and techniques.

Each probe landed on the back of the subject's neck, and inserted the syringe. Much like a mosquito's bite, the host wouldn't notice the probe's presence. Later, each would each find a lump caused by the immune system's response to the anticoagulants meant to stop a scab from forming. The syringes released a swarm of nanobots, and then drew the blood. With their weight nearly doubled, the probes flew back to base.

The nanobots, little more than microscopic transmitters, swam in a great swarm up the neck and into each subject's brain. Then, they attached themselves to the portions of the brain responsible for memory and physical coordination. They arrayed themselves to intercept the nerve impulses, and began to copy and transmit the collected information back to the supercomputer. Within minutes, the host's immune system destroyed the nanobots, but by then their work was complete.

The supercomputer was a near-sentient construct, and it was capable of limited independent thought. As the data came in, it became obvious that Ecks was a dead end. She introduced no new chi techniques, and her power was laughable compared to others it had sampled. She would not be introduced into Cell. However, the other two possessed a more efficient mode of gathering and utilizing chi. With this technique, Cell wouldn't need to absorb androids 17 and 18 to achieve his full potential. In fact, he would go beyond Geroe's wildest imagination. When the samples were delivered, they would be integrated into Cell. For now, the memories were sufficient.

Then the supercomputer determined that it could easily harness this new method to shorten Cell's gestation. The problem with Cell was that he required nearly two decades of chi absorption and growth to be a viable opponent. However, this new technique would cut the remaining maturation time to just over a month. If the supercomputer had been capable of such an action, it would have laughed maniacally.

To be continued.

Author's notes: Just a little foreshadowing. I realized that in order for an opponent to pose a threat to Phil and GoChibi, it would need to either a) be so insanely powerful that it would be more godlike than anybody I felt like creating, or b) know Phil's technique. Now, Phil wouldn't go around teaching this to random bad guys, so Cell was a logical choice. I also believe I managed to come up with a good explanation as to how Cell knew so much just from a few cells collected from various sources. Obviously, something had to be copying information from the host's mind.

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: January 7, 2006