Chapter Text
Goku had left to meet with the Kais, and shortly after, the rest of her family had finally met the twins. It had to happen so that Kim could go on her mission. Everyone crowded around the two cribs, wanting to get a good look at the new additions to the family.
James was particularly emotional, shedding tears at the sight of his grandchildren. His wife had to console him. He had already known he was a grandfather because of Junior and Cedric, but seeing the two babies, he couldn’t help but feel an enormous sense of pride. He sent his teary gaze towards his daughter.
“Oh, Kimmy. They’re absolutely beautiful.”
Despite the urgency of their situation, she couldn’t help but smile, her own emotions coming to the surface as tears. She quickly wiped away at her eyes. “Thanks, Dad. They… they really are.”
Junior curiously poked his head over the two cribs, already observing every single detail of his little brother and sister. He noticed how tiny they were. He was familiar with how small Hana had been when she was adopted into the Stoppable family, but man, his new siblings were even tinier! He felt oddly protective of them, wings twitching fervently behind him.
Her brothers looked over them as well, but something else caught their eye.
“Hey, why didn’t you use the cribs we made?” Tim asked indignantly.
“I can’t believe that’s what you’re concerned about right now,” Kim returned with a frown.
Jim came to his brother’s defense. “It’s a fair concern! We worked all night on them!” His eyes moved to the twins again, who were currently snoozing softly. “So, which one’s Cedric?”
“Yeah, which one is he?”
Kim had forgotten to tell her family that the twins were Cedric’s older siblings. Her mother connected the dots after helping with the birth firsthand, but everyone else was still in the dark about it.
“Neither of them,” Cell answered for her, head tilted downward as he observed them, the tiniest hint of affection in his eyes. “They’re his older siblings.”
Tim and Jim, as well as her father, balked at what he said.
“So, Cedric isn’t a twin after all?”
Kim averted her eyes for a moment. “No, uh… he still is.”
They stood there, their brows shot up, and wide-eyed. “Back-to-back?!”
“That was my reaction, too,” Kim returned a bit sheepishly, but then she shook her head to get back on track. “Anyway… we’re running low on time, and long story short, it’s a save the world thing, and I…” She visibly hesitated before continuing, “I have to go for a while.”
James looked at her worriedly, paternal concern evident in his face. “Already? Honey, yo-you just had them. Surely, some things can wait.”
Kim’s face contorted from turmoil, wanting nothing more than to stay just a little longer. “I know… but trust me. I have to go. If I want what’s best for them, then I need to do this. They’ll be in your guys’ care while I’m gone. I know they’re going to be in great hands.”
Her father didn’t seem too on board with this, especially since not only had she just given birth, but she wasn’t the healthiest right now. But if his daughter looked so conflicted like this and knew she had to leave… then he knew this was a matter of utmost importance. This wasn’t her choosing the world over her children—this was her surefire way of protecting them.
Although concerned, he nodded firmly, with the rest of her family looking reassuringly at her, expressing various faces of determination.
“Of course.” James wrapped an arm around his wife. “We’ll see to it that they’re taken care of. Possibles always stick together.”
Kim’s face softened in relief. Her eyes fell onto the twins again, her chest tightening for the nth time. Repeatedly, she had to tell herself she’d just have to work quickly in order to return to them as soon as possible.
“And pardon me for asking, but when did Ronald get here, and why is he blue?” James asked, gesturing vaguely at Ron.
Ron had stood there the whole time in his astral form while everything went down, waving awkwardly. He wasn’t noticed at first because his form was gradually becoming more transparent the longer he strayed from his physical body.
“Hey, Possible-fam!” he greeted back. “Erm, just got here actually.”
Junior beamed at the sight of him, running toward him just to pass through his form with a befuddled look. Tim took a few strides and waved a hand through him, all while Jim put a hand to his chin in thought.
“Dude, you’re transparent.”
“Yeah, it’s astral projection! Mystical’d so hard that I soul-jumped.”
“Anyway,” Kim cut in urgently. “We have to get going. It’s, uh… also related to Cedric, so we can’t waste any more time.”
“I understand, Kimmy… but you don’t want to hold them one last time?” Ann gently placed a hand on Cera’s head, the baby making a soft sound in response. “You’ve barely had time with the twins.”
Kim had to muster all her strength to ignore the pain spiking in her chest and the maternal instincts screaming at her not to leave, like every cell in her body was adamant about being glued to her babies. Swallowing hard, she shook her head.
“N-no, I… uhm, I think if I do that, I… I don’t think I’d be able to go. Anymore.”
She was content just seeing them off, but content was putting it nicely. Holding them while saying her goodbyes was going to make her even more of an emotional trainwreck, and she was sure her resolve would die right then and there. Even now, she fought every urge to forgo her plans just to be with her children.
Staring at them, the new lives she had worked so hard to bring into this world, lives that were hers, and nurtured with her body and energy… her little, innocent newborns not even a day old… she couldn’t help herself.
Her eyes glistened, filling readily with tears. Tears streamed down one eye for a split second before she wiped at both of them, trying to remain composed. Sniffling once, she glanced away at Ron, forcing herself into mission mode.
“Ron, we need an idea of where Wade is, and quick.” Her eyes perused his fading form. “I don’t think you have a lot of time left to astral project.”
Ron glanced at himself, noticing his blue hue becoming fainter. Guess he was still an amateur at this mystical stuff; his astral projection hadn’t lasted as long as he wanted.
With what time he had left, he went into detail about where Wade was kept. Similar location to L’s old containment room, but deeper and more reinforced. Nothing she was unfamiliar with. Despite being weaker than before, she was still a whole lot stronger than the average human. Although she wasn’t sure if she was stronger than L. Probably not anymore.
Kim thought about the Kaio-ken, but considering her current state, she might be playing with fire. Too risky. It already took a strain on her body when she was perfectly healthy. Now? It might really kill her.
Ron’s form faded completely, but in his last few seconds, he sent her a look she couldn’t quite describe. Worried? Pained? Bittersweet?
Happy she was okay, that things had gone well regarding the pregnancy. But pained for… what?
She had a clue, but dismissed the thought. Forced herself to, at least. There were matters more paramount than old drama.
Kim observed herself, tugging at the bottom of her shirt with a hand and realizing she needed an outfit change. Her entire wardrobe was back at her house… and no doubt, Dr. Director had probably seized everything.
For a moment, she was tempted to ask Bulma if she had some kind of suit on hand. A remembrance of staying at Gohan’s place reminded her of that little detail. He mentioned something about asking Bulma to make him another suit…
Capsule Corporation seemed to have everything, and Bulma was adept at technology like Wade. Chances were, she’d be able to make a mission outfit similar to the ones her dad and brothers had made when she ruined her old one. Kim banked on the fact that Bulma was a woman and would actually create something fashionable, unlike the fashion disasters of the past when her dad and brothers were involved.
Cell stared curiously for a moment, and, as if reading her mind, he raised a hand and attempted to recreate Piccolo’s technique on her. He had before when he tried to remedy his mistake last year. Immediately, her clothes transformed into her recently used mission clothes. Nearly identical, obviously a little thinner, with an added touch.
Spots? It was subtle. Along the purple streak running down the lateral sides of her pants were his black spots. They had to be; they were in the same shape and pattern. Whether it was subconsciously or on purpose, Kim didn’t know, but she couldn’t help but smile slightly in amusement when she noticed. Well, she wasn’t a fan of spots in her wardrobe… but she’ll let it slide for now. Still, she wasn’t aware that he had such a technique. But questions for later.
Kim glanced back at her family again, face twisting for a split second. This wasn’t goodbye. After saving Wade, they’d be coming right back to Capsule Corporation. Then… then she’d be able to see her little ones again, even if it would be for a short moment. Because she knew she’d have to go once a device was created to stop Cedric… should it come to that.
“We’ll be in and out before you guys know it,” Kim said finally, determined.
Casting one last glance at Cera and Ceru, her heart ached. Just focus on the mission, Kim. You’re doing this for them.
Kim turned to Cell, gesturing with her head that it was time to go. Moving quickly, they left Capsule Corporation.
It was a major adjustment. They landed elsewhere, somewhere far isolated, and Kim had to ground herself for a moment, hand on her head. Man, it really had been a while since she last flew like this, as long and as fast as she did.
“Are you alright?”
Kim nodded, recovering quickly. “Yeah, I guess it’s been a hot minute.”
The Senzu bean could only do so much. Technically, all her energy had been replenished, but the long inactivity, along with her body practically wasting away for a good amount of time, had reduced her amount of power quite a bit.
But nothing like a little flight there to get the blood rushing.
Kim tried to recall some of Global Justice’s secret entrances, one that wouldn’t give them away right off the bat. Maybe an old entrance in an abandoned part of their headquarters. If they moved fast enough, they could be in and out in a flash for real.
Go City came to mind. A sewer hole near where Hego’s alter ego worked. Unfortunately, he was dead again, but fortunately, as messed up as it was… that meant they wouldn’t get caught. And as much as she wanted Cell to use Instant Transmission to barge in there, she didn’t want to risk exposing themselves. With L working with Dr. Director, she was unsure of just how fortified Global Justice had been after Cell’s massacre. They might be expecting that.
Kim couldn’t help but send him a disapproving look as she remembered the incident, but brushed it off as it wasn’t important anymore. Wow, Kim. Really? It was barely four months ago when all those people were murdered so ruthlessly. She knew she overlooked a lot of his unforgivable acts, but to see herself dismiss it firsthand like it was nothing… man, she was ferociously whacked.
About him, at least.
Cell looked bemused at the reproachful look he was given while she was formulating a plan for their way in.
“Why are you—”
“There’s an entrance in Go City,” Kim interrupted, not registering him. “It’s old, and they might’ve forgotten about it.” Her eyes flitted toward his. “Too risky to use Instant Transmission. You don’t happen to know where Go City is, do you?”
“I know where it is.”
“Okay, good. Makes things easier.”
Kim momentarily practiced concealing her energy to get a hang of it again, and before long, they made their way across the planet toward the United States. On the way, she described an abandoned sewer hole near Mucho Grande Bueno Nacho. Cell didn’t hide his disgust at the name, and it was easy to understand why. He must’ve made the connection between it and Ron.
Go City wasn’t a pleasant sight, to say the least. Cell’s other self did a number on it when he first made himself known in this timeline. As far as she knew. Kim grimaced as she thought about that alternate version. Chances were… they’d have to make another device for him too. No, scratch that—they had to.
But she didn’t like the idea of it. The mental breakdown she had after using the containment device on her Cell was hard to forget.
The only good thing that came out of the other Cell’s actions here was that everyone evacuated, giving them better chances of not getting caught.
They landed behind the restaurant in an alleyway while keeping a low profile, and lo and behold, there was the abandoned Global Justice entrance, looking identical to a sewer hole. Kim ripped off the top, revealing an old, rotten, yawning tube that went straight down. The bottom couldn’t be seen, stretching into pitch black.
There was no way anyone didn’t know about this. It was behind the biggest restaurant in Go City. Or maybe Team Go, or more specifically, Hego, had an arrangement with Global Justice regarding it. Not that she knew anything about it.
Back when she was a secret agent working for them, she was still kept in the dark about most things. So, aside from sanctioned missions, she kept herself busy with things no one really worried about. Like taking note of all the necessary entrances, whether they were abandoned or utilized the most.
At least her time there wasn’t wasted.
“This is it,” she confirmed, preparing to step in.
“Hold on a moment.”
Cell reached out, hand warm on her shoulder. She tensed only for a heartbeat before easing into his touch. A gentle hum of energy passed through her, a subtle surge that ended sharply. Her energy was easy to conceal before, but now it felt like something was about to burst.
“Whoa,” she breathed. “That… felt different from your usual heal.”
His lips curved into a faint smirk. “I didn’t heal you. I gifted you a very, very small fraction of my energy. Consider it an eco-boost.”
Kim raised an eyebrow, half amused, half skeptical. “Very, very small, huh? Why so stingy?”
“Any more and you’d spontaneously combust.”
“…Noted. Next time, a warning label would be nice. Alright, so it’s down the tube, then a hard left at the junction. It leads straight under security’s radar. After you.” Kim swung her legs over and dropped into the darkness.
It might’ve been a bit risky considering she was rusty, and she had literally brought two new lives into this world not even an hour ago. But the freedom… the feeling of being in the air again, of going on a mission herself physically, was a relief both exhilarating and satisfying, almost in a primal sense. She felt like a bird that was released from a cage after being imprisoned for so long.
Maybe it was a little too exciting when she considered what was at stake. She didn’t consider herself an adrenaline junkie… but saving the world came with its own scratch for an unscratchable itch she had.
And it certainly helped fight the powerful, maternal instinct to stay with her twins.
Her heart spiked with pain again. Ah… she really had to remind herself, did she? Their tiny, squishy faces forcefully manifested in her mind’s eye. The memory of them in her arms, after they were just born, while she fed them, while she had to leave…
Kim had to vigorously shake her head as she descended to the ground gracefully, taking a deep inhale to focus herself. They were going to be fine. They were with family, after all. In a secure location that her enemies wouldn’t know about… unless Cedric or that other Cell blabbed, but…
Cell landed directly next to her, observing the area briefly before snapping his eyes to her. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” she answered quickly, eyes skirting around him, “just… you know, postpartum stuff. I think.”
“They’re going to be fine.”
“I know, it’s a uh… human thing. I can’t really help it.”
He gave her a firm squeeze on the shoulder, her eyes meeting his as he did. His expression was calm, steadying, with a ghost of a smile. She couldn’t help but return it.
“What’s next?”
“Well… security should be pretty low around here,” Kim mused, mind zeroing on their mission as she inspected the vicinity. “No cameras, but only around this place.”
It was an old, abandoned room that connected to several junctions. Yes, it was “abandoned” in a sense, but not completely unsecured. The second they would make a hard left, there was bound to be some kind of security in place, whether it was cameras or patrolling agents.
Kim closed her eyes and tried to pinpoint Wade’s energy signature. Surprisingly, she found it. But… she couldn’t sense their enemies. L, Dr. Director, or even Daema. She couldn’t tell if that was a good thing. That didn’t mean they weren’t here. Better play it safe.
She also sensed Ron’s energy somewhere around the agents’ quarters. They were far apart. She was tempted to ask Cell to just teleport in to grab Wade and his mom, and get out, but she was unsure if there were countermeasures in place. Ron could only tell them so much about Dr. Director and L’s plans.
But if they brute forced it, they’d also get found out. So, speed was the key to achieving this. Move so fast no one could perceive Wade’s rescue.
“How fast could I go with the energy you gave me?”
Cell smirked. “No one would be able to see you.”
Kim grinned. Okay, perfect. If this was anything like the speed she displayed using the Valkyrie 1000 shoes years ago, then she’d be able to return to Capsule Corporation sooner than expected.
“Spankin’.”
The second they left the room, security was heightened as expected… but no one had noticed them. While concealing their energies, they breezed through the place, past many, many unsuspecting agents, rooms, and hallways until they made it somewhere familiar. A junction that Ron had described.
Finding Wade at that point was a cinch.
Rapidly traversing the areas Ron had described, agents became sparse until there were none. They happened upon two large, highly secured metal doors. This complicated things a little, but she knew at one point they had to bust something in.
Right as Kim was about to punch it open, the two largest power levels she’d ever felt spiked on Earth, causing the entire planet to shake violently. Both of their heads snapped in the direction of it as the room quaked. A dread squeezed her chest like a vice.
“Oh my God,” she breathed, turning away and taking a step toward it. “Th-that’s Cedric and—”
“And me,” Cell confirmed, sensing himself far off in the distance, a dark twist to his energy that made them distinct. He grimaced upon feeling just how dense and suffocating the energies felt. This other version of himself was stronger than him.
Kim blinked rapidly, deciding now would be the perfect time to break Wade out while things were chaotic.
Mustering her strength, she busted the doors open with a loud smash, and she charged to the nearest entrance that led deeper underground. Cell followed closely from behind, deciding to speed things up by grabbing her around the waist and using Instant Transmission.
If Kim had known this would happen, she would’ve told him to use it in the beginning. Cedric and this other version of Cell were fighting each other despite being on the same side. Which meant that this variant had his own agenda, and Cedric posed a threat.
They reappeared right in front of Wade, making his eyes bulge out at the sight of them. He choked on his spit, struggling to register her sudden appearance.
“K-KIM?!” he screamed incredulously.
“No time for reunions, we have to move now!”
“W-wait!” Wade fumbled with his words, still in shock. “M-my mom. I don’t know where she is.”
Kim sensed the area real quick and found her. Interrogation room. Cringing, she hated to think what she might’ve endured in Global Justice, given how Ron described it. Dr. Director planned to threaten Wade with harming his mother, and she didn’t know if she was successful.
But worry later. They needed two new containment devices now.
Minutes prior…
“Are you ready?”
Dr. Director hesitated. They were recently informed by the monster himself that things would be developing shortly. The insect thing literally teleported in, said he was going to create the perfect opportunity for them to put the device on the Time Breaker, then abruptly left.
They planned on creating a new device while he was gone, so that when they stopped the Time Breaker, they could stop him too. But Kim’s tech aide refused to do a single thing. Even when his mother was threatened.
Which meant they only had the one.
“…Is this really how things are going to play out?”
L scowled, clenching her fists tightly, her anger hadn’t subsided at all since their last confrontation with the fiend. “We don’t have a choice, Betty.”
There was still one last desperate backup plan.
Sorgel.
But the scientist was clearly working against Global Justice. She had orchestrated Cell’s bloody campaign in headquarters; who was to say she wasn’t going to do it again?
Betty gritted her teeth, shaking in place for a moment. Snatching her radio, she brought it to her mouth. “Get me the chairman of the Middleton Space Center on the line. Now.”
She moved as she spoke, stalking to the back of her office and pressing a few buttons on the wall. A compartment swiftly opened up, revealing the containment device. It sat there idly, glowing blue.
Shoving her radio back in her belt, she took the device and offered it to L, along with a pair of gloves.
“Here,” Betty said in a low voice. “Put these on. You choose who to use that device on. I trust your judgement.”
L stared intensely at it, stomach churning. She grabbed the gloves, slipping them on. Her gloved hand reached for the device, pausing briefly in place out of hesitation. Grabbing it, she held it in her grasp, her grip tightening.
Someone to use this on…
Dr. Director turned away, her eye closing shut. “Go. I’ll keep trying to find a way to recreate it. This might be our only chance.”
L’s breathing quickened. Trembling slightly, she swiveled in place and exited her office in a hurry.
A few seconds outside of her office, she bumped into a random agent. Likely someone who arrived to brief Dr. Director on something important.
“Ah… my apologies.” They spoke formally. “I’ve come with an update on the scientist from Area 51.”
That caught L’s attention. Somehow… she was suspicious of this. This could’ve been relayed to Betty through other means, a faster way. An indirect way. Her icy gaze observed the agent, her sight blurring. Why… why was the face obscured?
L stared at a face, feeling the tiniest bit of familiarity flare up… but couldn’t for the life of her point out any distinguishing feature.
“The scientist was last seen heading towards Capsule Corporation. C̴̖̟̃ȏ̵̭͙͝ú̴̼͆l̴̪͗d̸̺̆ ̸̖͂͌y̷̺͇͆͌o̶̻͋u̷̲̍ ̵̪̱̓r̵̠̉e̶̪͒ḻ̵̊̿a̶̱͗̔y̴̩͌ͅ ̸̹̕͘t̴͈͚̒h̶̳̺̿ĩ̴͈͗s̴͙̈́̾͜ ̴̟̿͜͝t̷̥̉o̶̡̟̿͊ ̵̱̾͜D̴̞̾̃r̴̬͠͝.̸̮̀ͅ ̷͙̪̑B̴̤͐̒e̶͙͑ṱ̶̰̏ț̴͛͝ý̶̱͐ ̶̨̚͝ͅD̸͈͆i̸̘̤̕r̴͉̉̚e̵̫̿̒c̵̢̈́t̷̙͆o̵̜̐̿r̶̰͆̑?̶̻̮̂”
None of the words registered. It was like she was under a spell. But something stuck out. Something snuck into her mind.
Sorgel. At Capsule Corporation.
Sorgel, who followed Cell all the way to Michigan. All the way to Middleton.
Somehow, for a reason unknown, Sorgel was headed to Capsule Corporation.
The idea was planted into her mind, and as she left Global Justice HQ, the agent’s form vanished, and in place was a tall, menacing figure. Thin, eerie. A long, dark cloak reaching down to the ground. Turning slightly, they faced the direction in which she had left, revealing a white mask with two black, crooked lines running down the sides.
In the next second, they were gone, and any proof of their existence was the rotten flooring where they had once stood.
Goku had escorted the group of Kais to planet Earth, and they all stood upon the lookout. Thanks to Baba, King Kai was given 24 hours to visit the land of the living, considering he was still dead. He only came because Goku promised he’d wish him back to life when this entire thing blew over.
Along with King Kai, who was known as North Kai, there were the South Kai, West Kai, and East Kai, and that was excluding the Supreme Kai and Elder Kai.
Piccolo was on the lookout with Dende, surprised to see the number of people arriving in a quick manner. They had known the Kais were part of their plan, but it seemed things were getting a move on now.
Dende approached them, eyes wide in surprise. “Oh, you’re here already.”
“They’re starting the ritual now, is that right?” Piccolo asked firmly.
“Yep,” Goku returned happily. “They’re gonna purify the Earth. Hope the Time Breaker doesn’t notice anytime soon—”
As if on cue, two large power spikes cut him off. Everyone’s heads swiftly turned in the direction of these energies.
“Oh.”
Dende panicked. “Oh no. It’s the Time Breaker and Cell, they must be fighting!”
Goku frowned. “Looks like it’s the other Cell.”
This may have looked like a bad thing, but it might be a blessing in disguise. While the Time Breaker was distracted, they could pull off the purification without any trouble! Maybe even without a fight!
Goku felt a bit disappointed.
Elder Kai set down several crystals all around the lookout, all at an equal distance from each other. He explained that the darkness building up on the Earth should collect into these crystals. They looked larger than the ones he used last time. Then again, the last purification ritual was for one person rather than a whole planet.
“Let us begin.”
“Fuck!”
Betty threw her monitor across the room with a loud growl, the sensitive portion hitting the sharp corner of a nearby table and shattering. The screen fractured, cracks proliferating rapidly across.
Kim herself had pulled off Wade’s rescue. The footage proved it. She had taken both him and his mother. There wasn’t a response from Sorgel after contacting the Middleton Space Center. That meant… that meant—
There was no chance. No time.
Slamming her fist on the table, she couldn’t contain the frustrated scream she let out. When had she given birth? How… How did she know where he’d be? She knew they had some method of teleportation, but her sister had put measures in place so it couldn’t be performed from afar. That meant they had to have been inside Global Justice when the teleportation was done.
How did she know?
Who told her?
The gears in her head were turning. Cell was with her. Cell was also with Ron. Ron. The stupid kid lied to her. The monster must’ve leaked that she’d captured Wade, and in return, he had to have told that monster something more in the North Pole. He was keeping secrets from her. As always.
But how could he have known where Wade had been? Ron was inside Global Justice all this time, limited to his quarters for the vast majority of his time spent here, save for going to the restroom for five minutes.
Think, Betty. Think.
Whipping out a new monitor, her hands moved quickly and with precision. Betty pulled up recent footage of Ron in his quarters. He said something to his naked mole rat before sitting cross-legged on his bed in a meditative position.
…
…
…
Her mind went to Daema, L’s collaborative. His meditative position was the same. And right as she was arguing with her sister, her attention was seized by what she assumed was her old teacher in Yamanouchi.
An old man who also happened to be Ron’s teacher.
Her jaw snapped shut like a steel trap. Her hands trembled—just slightly—but her eye was cold as ice as she practically flew in a rage to Ron’s quarters, each step pounding in her ears.
Within what felt like heartbeats, the door hissed open. Ron looked up, startled.
“Dr. Director—?” he began, confusion warping his features.
Before he could finish, Betty’s fist connected with his jaw in a sharp crack. He reeled backward, fingertips flying to his cheek, and careened into the mirror in his room. Glass shattered in sparkling shards around them.
“Wh-what are you—”
“Shut the fuck up!” she snarled, dragging him forward by the collar. Her voice was low, venomous—too calm, far more dangerous than a scream. “You think you can play me for a fool? You think you can just betray GJ like this with that bullshit act of yours?”
Ron swallowed. “I-I’m not—”
She slammed him against the broken mirror, metal and glass digging into his back. He gasped, pain flaring.
“If you think you’re walking away from this unscathed, you’ve lost your mind,” she hissed, nostrils flaring.
“But you have no proof! My contract is intact, and you—”
Her scornful laugh cut him off. “Proof? I am the law here, Stoppable. Your silence won’t save you.”
His wide eyes locked onto her one eye, panic blooming in his chest. Rufus popped out, snaking up her arm and biting where her forearm met her arm.
Betty hissed in pain, swatting with all her strength at Rufus, sending the poor creature flying and hitting a wall with a sickening smash.
Ron stared in horror at what she’d done, rushing to check on him. In one fluid motion, Dr. Director plucked a needle from her belt. Before he could react, the needle pierced his arm. Ron tore at the spot, the sting burning hot.
“Ow—Dr. Director, what the heck!” he yelped, stumbling backward. His eyes flew worriedly to Rufus, frantic.
She ignored his outrage, pulling a sleek radio from her pocket. “Agents—now,” she ordered, voice clipped. “Escort Agent Stoppable to interrogation. He’s staying until he confesses his betrayal.”
The door burst open. Four agents flooded the room. Ron’s eyes darted frantically. Without hesitation, he summoned his Mystical Monkey Power—electric-blue aura exploding outward, shoving the agents off their feet. For a glorious two seconds, he stood triumphant… until the energy sputtered and died.
He staggered, jaw slack. “Wh-what… happened?”
Betty’s expression never wavered. She stepped forward, iron resolve in every measured movement, and yanked Ron’s hair, forcing him to his knees. He cried out, head snapping back.
“Stop your whining!” she snapped, tossing him bodily toward the agents. They converged on him like a net, clamps snapping onto his wrists.
Ron’s wide-eyed glare flicked to Dr. Director. She hovered above him, her arms crossed.
He managed a shaky breath. “Dr. Director… please—I can explain—”
She raised a single brow. “Not interested. Betrayal isn’t overlooked in Global Justice. You’ll be processed immediately.”
As she turned on her heel and strode from the room, Ron’s panicked voice followed her.
“Betty! Please, you’ve got it all wrong!”
She paused without looking back, voice cool over her shoulder. “Believe what you like, Agent Stoppable. Global Justice doesn’t require your version of the story.”
Her heels clicked away as Ron was hauled out, his pleas echoing against the cold walls and Global Justice’s verdict closing in like a steel trap.
It didn’t take long for him to be shoved into a small holding cell… different from their usual interrogation rooms.
Ron’s stomach twisted as the heavy cell door slid open without a sound. The narrow beam of the corridor light cut through the gloom, and Dr. Director stepped inside alone—no guards, no backup. She carried a sleek, black stun‐rod crackling with pale blue arcs of energy.
“Stoppable,” she said quietly, voice low enough that it felt like a knife against his spine. She closed the distance in three strides, the stun‐rod humming louder with each step. Ron scrambled back, his shoulders scraping the cold wall.
Betty paused just out of reach, her eye cold fire. “You’ve disappointed me more than you know,” she hissed. With a sudden pivot, she slammed the butt of the rod into his ribcage. Ron’s breath exploded from his lungs in a painful whoosh. He hunched over, sweat beading on his forehead.
He tried to summon his Mystical Monkey Power again, but it sputtered weakly.
“Why?” Ron groaned, clutching his side with a hoarse gasp. “I—”
Betty pressed the tip of the rod to his throat, the crackle of electricity vibrating against his Adam’s apple. “Because traitors deserve more than a medal,” she said, leaning in close so he could smell the antiseptic on her uniform. “You think you can just slip secrets to Kim and I wouldn’t find out?”
Ron’s eyes darted, heart hammering against his ribs. “Betty, I—”
“Dr. Director,” she corrected with a hiss. She drew back, searing him with a single arc that scoured his uniform but left his flesh intact. He staggered sideways, coughing. “Do you know what I plan to do with you?” she whispered, rotating the stun‐rod’s tip to glow blood-red.
“N-no…”
“I’m going to make it my life’s mission to ruin your future—both of your futures.” Betty glared fiercely at him, utterly pissed off with her circumstances. “You have no fucking idea what you just did!”
Ron swallowed, tears stinging his eyes. “I didn’t betray Global Justice,” he rasped.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Keep spouting off that bullshit, no one’s going to believe you. No one ever does. Who would ever believe the buffoon who lost his girlfriend to a monster?”
Ron stiffened at her words, and realizing this wasn’t going to go his way no matter what, he dropped the act. He didn’t meet her gaze, but his voice was firm, tinged with the pain she inflicted on him.
“I trust Kim.”
Betty smirked, letting out a disbelieving laugh. “Oh, I get it now. You think being her good boy is going to get her to like you again? You think you’ve got a place in her life now?” She leaned in, her weapon crackling with electricity again. “Your only place now is here. Global Justice. Outside of that, you’re nothing.”
Ron shut his eyes tight, turning away. “That’s not true. I’m not falling for that again.”
“What do you think is going to happen when she wins?” She slammed the butt of her rod into his ribs again, pressing hard. “She’s going to live happily ever after with him, and he’s just going to keep killing, and so will that thing she birthed.”
Pain exploded in his chest again, his head going foggy from agony. Throughout his pain, his mind flashed with the short memories he had of the twins. The pure, raw maternal love and affection in Kim’s eyes as she held them, a look to her that said she would do anything to protect them.
Ron crumped on the ground, clutching his side as he wheezed, fighting to steady his breathing. “Yo-you don’t… know… anything.”
Betty scoffed, and after a beat, she couldn’t resist brutally shooting her foot into his gut, forcefully expelling a pained wheeze from him.
“I know enough.”
His mind raced. Onto other things. Other important things. Someone important.
Gulping, he fearfully asked, “Wh-where’s Ru-Rufus…?”
Her eye narrowed. She was under the assumption that he could perform astral projection. If he so wished, he could use that method to locate him. If he was asking her now, it meant the needle worked as intended.
“Still alive.”
Blood pounded at his temples. “Wh-what does th-that mean?”
“Means he’s still kicking,” Betty continued acidly, “and whether that’s still true is up to you.”
Ron panicked. Eyes bouncing everywhere, he tried to reason with her.
“Dr. Director, pl-please… he’s my friend—he’s family. Please, h-he didn’t have… anything to do wi-with this…”
Betty perused him for three seconds. Reaching into her pocket, she activated a recording device.
“Then confess. Confess to every lie, every betrayal. Admit you chose a monster over your duty. Admit you chose Kim Possible over saving the world.”
Ron hesitated, closing his eyes against the pain. He pictured Rufus held in some tiny cage, cold and isolated. Hurt. Battered. Alone.
His voice, when he spoke, was hollow. “I… betrayed… Global Justice for… Kim Possible.”
“And do you still trust her?”
He met her gaze, tears blurring his vision. “I love her,” he whispered.
Betty was almost sympathetic, and actually would be if she wasn’t so pissed off. Alas, what Ron had done had lasting consequences. Without a second containment device, without Wade… either their world was doomed… or she and her sister were.
She turned off the recording device.
“I’ll bring your little rat in.”
That’s if this world’s still here.
Leaving him crumpled on the ground, she left. And he just lay there, tears streaming down his face. A weak attempt to summon his power failed, with no sputtering. No flicker. Just nothing.
And all he could do was wait for someone to come, the small cell rumbling before quaking violently.
A large, blinding blast hit a city, incinerating everything—the buildings, infrastructure, and all the way down to the people who lived there.
Cedric was unsure of which city, but he couldn’t bring himself to care to find out. Cell was actively launching another attack at him. He shot both arms out, palms open, and caught the blast. With a grunt, he dispersed it, with many particles flying out. His palms were burnt red, the burnt flesh regenerating a second after.
This bastard wasn’t holding back any punches. He wanted him dead.
Cedric focused on the darkness accumulating. Almost there. Just have to hold for a little more. Drag the fight on for as long as possible.
Cell flashed behind him, throwing a fist at him. He caught it, of course, but in his moment of distraction while checking on the Earth, he felt a knee connect with his gut. Cedric doubled over with a fierce glare on his face, eyes boring holes into the monster.
The bio-android merely offered a mocking smirk before sending him crashing into the Earth with a backhand. Cedric landed on his back, backflipping onto his feet as Cell stomped onto the empty crater, making it larger from his impact.
God, they all fight the exact same way.
He scoffed. “You’re so fucking predictable.”
“Am I now?” Cell returned, shaking off some crumbs from his feet. “If you think I’m anything like that weaker variant, then you’re only fooling yourself.”
Cedric only glowered at him, managing a hateful smirk. “Then I guess you’re just gonna be the next Cell I’ll kill, and you certainly aren’t gonna be the last.”
Cell narrowed his eyes, a sinister, purple glow enveloping his body. A faint, red light emerged from his eyes.
Towa made her move.
Faster than he could react, Cell launched him into the ground, engraving a path that was several hundred miles long. Despite how far he had gone, the path was created in an instant.
Cedric shot out to lunge at him, only to get slugged right in the face. His back hit the ground again, creating a small crater. Before he could get up, Cell stomped down on his throat, and he choked, a strangled cry escaping him.
His throat burned, the merciless pressure bruising his neck and vocal cords. He let out a stifled grunt, choking out blood. His lips were stained one part red.
Let him think he has the upper hand.
Let him think he’ll win.
Just let him.
“Oh, it almost hurts treating you like this, it really is a shame that you look so much like your mother,” Cell sneered, twisting his foot further. “I almost don’t want to kill you.”
He leaned down to bring his face into a better view for the young man struggling beneath him. His voice was lower, unsettling. A harsh sound meant only for him.
“Almost.”
Cedric snarled, ripping his leg away from his throat with an angry growl. He got to his feet, the sheer power of his energy pushing his enemy back. There, they stood a few feet apart. Eyes focused on the other.
95% now.
The time was nigh for the spell to be cast.
Then—another blinding flash tore through the smoke-choked air—and they were upon each other again.
No pause. No breath. Just raw savagery reborn.
Fists collided with flesh, with chitin, and shockwaves rippled through the ground like distant earthquakes, ripping the Earth apart little by little. Every strike was meant to maim, to end—blows laced with venomous precision. The landscape bore the scars of their fury: craters erupting from missed strikes, shards of stone whistling like shrapnel as they were flung from collapsing cliffsides.
Their movements blurred, a symphony of violence barely contained by the laws of physics. Energy flared and cracked with each impact, coloring the scorched battlefield in flashes of blue and violet.
This wasn’t combat.
It was annihilation in motion.
It was almost reminiscent of his last fight against his father, when he tried to make him look bad. The difference was, he was holding back for other reasons.
Going all out now would destroy the Earth. The conduit. If the conduit was destroyed, so were his chances of succeeding with his mission.
You’ve already failed.
A familiar icy voice whispered into his ear. Towa’s mocking cackle echoed throughout his head, her voice splintering through him like shards of broken glass, cutting through his heart and his head. Simultaneously, he felt his body slam into the window of a building, shattering the glass and destroying everything else from the impact.
He wasn’t going to fail.
He wasn’t going to fail.
Cell had managed to grab hold of the hair on his scalp, shoving his face into the ground as his grip twisted in every direction possible, lifting his head just to repeatedly smash his face down. His face received a few cuts from the multiple impacts, blood oozing out yet sizzling away from the raw energy bursting out, cauterizing the wounds.
Somehow, he didn’t feel like he was here anymore. In the present. During this fight. Instead of the pain his father inflicted on him in this moment, he regressed to a time when he was a child—when it was just him and the one person who cared. He didn’t feel his hateful grip on his hair. He felt the gentleness of hers.
The phantom sensation of a hand running softly through his hair as he curled up in his mother’s lap. The night sky of a planet that wasn’t Earth. Looking up at her fatigued face as she stared off into the sky.
“I don’t want to go home.”
Her eyes fell on him, a weak smile on her face.
“It’s okay. We don’t have to.”
“Can we please stay for just a little while longer?”
He was thrown into another town, his momentum creating widespread devastation upon his landing. People were scattered around, screaming in terror. The impact was great—too great. Among the terrified were those dead and mangled on the ground. Those who didn’t run only held onto the bloodied deceased and wept.
“We have to hop on the next ship soon.”
“Already? Why?”
Cell hovered across the scorched plain, twenty meters out. His arms rose slowly, deliberately, fingers curling with theatrical calm as a searing blue orb crackled to life between his palms. The light surged and hissed, casting his face in an eerie glow—a visage twisted in sadistic glee, like he was savoring the chaos before it began.
“Because he’ll find us.”
The blinding light snapped Cedric’s senses into sharp focus. The haze lifted. His breath hitched.
Blinking hard, Cedric’s expression shifted from disorientation to rage, jaw clenching. He jerked his hands forward, cupping them as his own orb flared into existence. Energy howled between his fingers, rippling outward in violent arcs that seared the fractured earth beneath him.
“You want to do this?!” he growled, voice trembling with fury. “Fine. I’ll kill you the same way Gohan failed to.”
In the same instant, both warriors unleashed hell.
Twin pillars of incandescent energy tore through the battlefield, vaporizing debris, turning sand to glass in their wake. When the beams collided, the heavens seemed to rupture—light detonated outward, a blinding cataclysm of sound and force, shaking the air itself. Tiny pieces of debris, rock, and other miscellaneous objects floated up into the air, each shattering into smaller pieces from the massive energy they released.
Just do it in one go.
Just kill him now.
Do it now.
A spiderweb of fractures erupted beneath their feet, jagged and glowing with molten light. Chunks of earth tore loose and launched skyward, the air filled with the sharp tang of scorched stone and sizzling ozone. In mere seconds, the land was no longer solid but splintering, rising in violent convulsions like it was trying to tear itself apart to escape the clash.
Cedric scowled, inwardly panicking a bit. The Earth wasn’t going to take. He rushed into this. God, he predicted this would happen and still decided to try it. No, wait, maybe he could still finish this. But—wait, if he did, then Towa might pull something. This other Cell might push back, and combined with his attack, might destroy the planet.
It was going to make all this effort for nothing.
Mom’s happy ending wouldn’t be possible anymore. He couldn’t afford to fail again.
Fuckfuckfuck! Of course, his focus, his careful thinking, would be ruined by one of the only people who was capable.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, hinting at a hidden threat lurking behind. Despite the ongoing battle of the Kamehamehas, he stiffened at the sensation. His life wasn’t in immediate danger. No one truly posed a threat to him on this planet. No one… except for one thing. Turning around almost in slow motion, his green eyes narrowed onto L’s rapidly approaching form.
It looked as if she had already leaped into the air, ready to attack him, a familiar metallic cube in her grasp. Frozen in a moment of indecision, he could only watch her close in on him.
Then… to his utter disbelief, Kim flew out of nowhere right into L, kicking her in the face with a force that sent her tumbling across the ground. The containment device flew out of her grasp, bouncing far away and disappearing into the depths of the sky from the gusts of wind. Kim searched for him immediately, and they locked eyes.
He didn’t know whether to feel relieved or horrified that his mother was here. And… and not pregnant anymore…?
Cell dropped in right beside her. The original one. Cedric couldn’t concentrate. He couldn’t think. His eyes couldn’t focus on anything in particular.
The fight. L and the containment device. His parents’ sudden appearance.
99%.
“GET OUT OF HERE!” he shouted at her, his throat bobbing. “Ju-just go! You can’t be here!”
Kim tried to get closer, but the wind hitting her from the beam clash was fierce, and it was only because of Cell right next to her that she wasn’t sent flying. In that brief moment when they made eye contact, she saw just how injured he’d gotten from this fight. Despite having such powerful regenerative ability, his clothes and his hair told another story.
But she had to stop this fight somehow. Her hand was on her pocket, a quickly manufactured variant of the containment device, built by Wade and Bulma. It might not work. It was created in such a short amount of time, and they only had time for one.
Given how this fight was affecting the Earth, waiting for a second one wasn’t a good idea. The Lotus Blade was blown away, too far to reach now.
L recovered, flipping back onto her feet. The sensation of emptiness in her hands sent a wave of panic through her. She glanced at her hands, trembling at the sight of nothing. Frantically checking all over herself, she realized her only way to defeat the Time Breaker was gone.
Flicking her eyes ahead, she stared intensely at the reason.
Kim Possible.
A familiar, deep-seated, irrational rage swept through her.
Die. Die.
You have to die.
Die.
The air thickened, humming with volatile energy that prickled her skin like static. Her fists clenched involuntarily, nails carving crescents into her palms, the faint sting grounding her just barely in the present. And only then… did she realize something.
According to the data back in Global Justice, Kim was supposed to be pregnant. Heavily. That picture that was leaked revealed it all.
But she was here.
The scientist was last seen heading towards Capsule Corporation.
A faint sense of opportunity hit her. Her knees buckled. Not out of fear… but anticipation. It was that breathless instant before the plunge. The weightless beat at the top of a rollercoaster, when gravity hesitated and your heart had forgotten its rhythm.
L stared at them all, backing away into the shadows. For a second, she made eye contact with Cell. The “good” one standing next to Kim. She only met his gaze before vanishing completely.
To him, it seemed like she retreated. Which was good for her because had she stayed any longer and tried anything, he would’ve killed her.
Kim fought to steady herself, the ground collapsing underneath them. There was the decision to use it on Cedric… but seeing him here, the look he gave her… she knew she couldn’t.
Which could only mean one thing.
Cell must’ve figured out her line of thinking, and he acted quickly. Grabbing her, he used Instant Transmission to teleport behind his other self.
The other Cell detected two energies rapidly closing in on him. Swiveling his head around, all he could see was Kim’s determined face, an expression he had missed seeing in the past. He hadn’t even registered the containment device in her grasp.
Seeing his stunned face show the tiniest flicker of pleasant surprise, Kim felt that hesitation, but didn’t halt her momentum for a second. The containment device hit him right on his upper back, and as soon as it had, her Cell grabbed her to teleport out of there.
The colliding beams dispersed just as fast as they arrived.
Cedric moved in a flash. He stood in front of the now-immobilized bio-android on the ground, glaring down at him with an empty look. Cell glanced up at him, a deep-rooted terror hitting him.
“N-now, I know we may have gotten on the wrong foot…”
Cedric’s face twitched once. His hand flew up, palm wide open.
“Wait! Wait-wait-wait!”
He flinched, tensing on the spot. Turning around, a bit hesitant, he met his mother’s pleading eyes as she ran up to him. There she stood, a few feet away, with Cell right behind her.
“Don’t kill him.”
Cedric just stared at her. Despite the volatile nature of this area moments ago, a gentle breeze hit them. His short red hair swayed softly in the wind. The placidity of this reprieve was a stark contrast to the explosive, unstable emotions building within him.
“No.”
Kim quickly shook her head. “You’re not like this, Cedric. Please… you don’t have to do this, you don’t have to be this kind of person. You’re better than this. You’re better than him.”
Cedric’s eyes glistened with tears, and he couldn’t help but smile. His mom had so much hope in him. So much faith. And yet… she was so naive. But he couldn’t fault her for that; she was so young after all. For someone like her… seeing her own child do the very same evils she sought to end as a hero was harrowing.
Him? He was older than most mortal beings. Allowed to live when he shouldn’t have been.
100%.
Cedric’s smile didn’t falter despite the pain in his eyes, and he shook his head.
“No, I’m not. I’m my father’s son, after all.”
He swiftly turned back around, and a large swirling blast grew in size in his palm.
Kim panicked, instantly reaching out for him. “CEDRIC, DON’T!”
A second later, the blast engulfed the other version of Cell, his look of terror the last thing Kim saw. His eyes were on her, like he wanted to remember what she looked like before he was killed.
There was nothing left.
Kim drew her arm back, a hand over her mouth, horrified at how easy that was for him. He moved with practiced ease. That wasn’t his first time killing his father, and it might not be the last. He lowered his hand, not turning around to look at her.
“You don’t know the kind of person I am,” he finished in an empty voice.
It was time to complete his mission.
To prove he was still useful to his master.
Cedric focused, manipulating all of the accumulated dark energy on Earth for the final spell. It moved according to his will… swirling, and swirling, moving rapidly like a tornado and launching it upward into the sky. For a moment, this timeline’s structure fractured—until it didn’t, falling back into place like nothing had happened.
You’ve failed.
His heart sank.
What?
What…?
What? What? What? What? What?
The accumulated energy for the spell was shooting down. Faster than it took to build up. In mere moments, all the dark energy was leaving the Earth, all racing in one direction.
Whipping his head in the direction of the source, his keen senses detected the presence of several Kais on a very high point on Earth. His pupils constricted to mere dots.
“Cedric!” Kim’s voice came out raw, panicked. “Cedric, please, please just listen to me!” Her breathing hitched, and she took a tentative step forward. “Look at me—please, just… just look at me.”
At her plea, Cedric turned toward her, his eyes flicking with confusion and something like guilt.
Relief washed over Kim, but she fought tears as she forced out a shaky smile. “Okay,” she whispered, voice barely steadier than a sigh. She took another careful step, moving cautiously like coaxing a frightened deer. “It’s okay. Just… keep your eyes on me.”
Cedric’s emotions left his gaze, leaving his face undecipherable. His jaw clenched tighter this time.
“I just want to save you.”
Kim nodded quickly, biting her lip briefly. “I know. I know you do.”
“No…” His face slowly turned toward the ground, eyes staring at nothing in particular. “You don’t. I know what you’re thinking. I know what you don’t want to admit, even when it’s right in front of you.”
Her face froze, failing to keep her heartbeat in check. It thrummed violently. She could almost predict what he was going to say.
“You’re scared of me. Don’t deny it. I can see it. I can hear it. I can feel it every time you look at me and remember everyone dead because of me.”
Kim shook her head frantically. “No! No, that’s not true—”
“Stop, stop! Just stop denying it!” he shouted, anger slipping into his voice. “You’re not even good at hiding just how terrified you are!”
Kim’s legs trembled, her eyes tearing up. “I’m terrified because I—” She swallowed, her voice breaking as she spoke again. “I’m terrified because I love you, and I don’t want to lose you.”
Cell remained where he stood, not daring to speak, or all of Kim’s progress to change Cedric’s mind would just vanish. But it seemed his mere existence was more than enough for his son to move forward with his plan regardless.
The Earth was purified. Cedric had sensed it. In the distance, he could hear a celebration.
We did it! We saved the Earth!
His eyes zeroed in on Daema far in the background behind his parents. Slowly, the demon backed away into a portal, absolving himself of all responsibility for this failed mission.
Towa cackled in his head again, a cruel, hollow sound. Mocking. She wasn't a hallucination. She was watching it all happen in real time.
You truly are a failure among failures.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
No. I didn't fail.
And I never will.
A malignant purple haze snaked around him, pulsing with living intent. With a deliberate flick of his wrist, he yanked the four crystals from the Earth—each one wrenching free with a thunderous crack that sent dust and splinters skyward. They streaked across the landscape like fractured comets, converging above his palm in perfect, gleaming alignment.
In that suspended moment, the gems looked impossibly pure, clear as spring water. Courtesy of the Kais. But courtesy of his master, who had woven a curse into their essence so that only dark energy could ever collect in them in spite of any purification that took place.
He pressed his fingers inward. A network of cracks raced up each crystal, singing like violins snapping under tension. Then he clenched. Hard. Glass shattered. Bone bit glass. He tasted copper in his mouth as blood beaded at his knuckles and dripped below.
Through the gaps in his fist, dark-purple light flared, a heartbeat of feral energy that winked into being before vanishing again.
If I can't use the Earth as a conduit… then I'll use the next best thing.
Vegeta and Gohan tore through the sky like missiles, drawn by that dying pulse of ki of that other Cell as it slipped beyond the horizon. Normally, Goku’s Instant Transmission would have had them there in an instant, but his vow to guard the Kais while they performed the purification ritual kept him away.
By the time they arrived at the scene, their faces expressed varying shades of horror.
Kim practically lunged at Cedric to stop him, only to be pulled back by Cell as he took a large leap away.
Her son had created a single dark crystal, the blackest it’d ever been… before plunging it straight into his chest.