Chapter 1

A Distortion in Time

There are trillions of timelines based what could have been. Something as small as stepping on a flower, for example, could cause the creation of other alternative timelines. The existence of said timelines are within a spectrum of each other, interactable with timelines only similar to their own through a device that could theoretically travel between them. Thus, in any given timeline, the ones they can interact with is finite, per se, the 'multiverse' would seem finite to a scholar or scientist. This could not be further from the truth.

There are many timelines, for instance, where Goku failed to transform into a Super Saiyan against Frieza. He destroyed the planet in a last ditch effort to kill Frieza but only succeeded in the death of himself. The Earthlings shared the same fate as well, as they too died at the hands of Lord Frieza and his henchmen when he made his inevitable roundabout to Earth in vengeance. Those like Piccolo, Gohan, Krillin, and Tien stayed to fight, even killed a few henchmen, but were easily cut down when the tyrant himself reared his ugly head. In the end, even Vegeta could not hide forever. He hid inside one of Frieza's many planets. Frieza personally sought him out and delivered the slow and painful death he had already rehearsed on Namek.

In other timelines, Goku saved his senzu beans instead of gifting it to a wounded Krillin and Gohan. Goku's thinking became a detriment as a more cautious Vegeta blasted the senzu beans into a crisp when Goku pulled it out after getting wounded. With Gohan and Krillin unable to assist Goku, Vegeta was eventually able to defeat the low-class Saiyan once he turned into a great ape. Yajirobe did not even show up. Vegeta finished him off and killed the other two as he retreated to one of Frieza's docking planets to recuperate. He returned days later return to Earth to cleanse it singlehandedly to make it fit for purchase.

Those were just a few of the timelines that exist. In some, Majin Buu absorbed everyone in the universe he deemed useful. In others, Vegito never defused. There are even a few in which the Arcosians used the Saiyans in a colossal war rather than exterminate them.

Timeline 11 shared an equally unique, and yet twisted fate.

"I'll...I'll kill you for this!" Trunks screamed whilst high in the air. "You hear me? I'll end you! You'll suffer for what you've done!"

Trunks, fueled by sheer anger and willpower transformed into a Super Saiyan, unbelievable even to the green creature he faced against with the beating he recently took. With his sword broken, he lunged at the thing with all the power he had left, punching him in the face. The beast collided and bore into his house, his body breaking apart the living room.

"SCREW YOU! BURNING ATTACK!"

Trunks fired a giant yellow blast that hurtled towards the creature. As the being enveloped inside the energy ball, it screamed, the sphere erupting in a massive explosion. The young lad didn't stop there though, he continued to fire more blasts until he had nothing left, creating an explosion so potent that even he was flung back.

Trunks could tell the blast obliterated the house even without being able to see through the dust cloud it created. Sweat rolled down his forehead. He slanted himself against the time machine as he panted. The time traveler had just returned from the time machine only a few minutes ago when he went to the past to give the antidote to Goku. He did not expect to be greeted already by this new challenge.

Trunks fell to the grass. Fear prevailed against anger. The creature's eerie vibe and slender, slimy figure terrified him. What frightened him even more was the fact that this is it. He cannot be resurrected back like the fighters of the past. And without Gohan alive, his death will mean the absolute end of the Saiyan race, as well as any defender of Earth. He can't let that happen.

Trunks's eyes shot up as the silhouette of the creature slowly appeared from within the smoke. Eventually, it escaped the smog and returned to their battleground, looking arguably better than before.

"But how? I put all my power into that. You shouldn't have been able to survive unscathed!" Trunks wheezed out as he tried to get back to his feet. He's lost so much stamina that even that is a challenge.

The bio-android raised his hand and pointed at the young Saiyan. A purple beam appeared from his slender finger.

This is it…

"I can't just eliminate you like that, you're far too interesting." The creature began, ceasing his beam. Trunks breathed out the air he was holding.

Trunks recollected his courage. He could still feel his body tremble in fear, but at least he could fake like he wasn't. He had too, he was the only one left now. What kind of hero would he be if he looked weak to the enemy?

"So who are you? Why did you attack me and… mother…" He clenched his fists as tight as he could at the thought.

"Well then," It began. The fact that he knew his name made Trunks even more terrified. "I, am Cell, Dr. Gero's final creation. He comprised me of DNA extracted from every fighter Goku had ever fought or allied with in his lifetime. I was meant to save the Earth. I was going to rid the world of the androids. However…"

Cell's face slipped into bitterness and anger. Trunks winced at the thought of his intentions.

"However, you've destroyed them. My brethren. Am I correct?"

Trunks, at first, kept his mouth shut, both because he was too petrified to say anything, and because he didn't want to satisfy the monster by replying. It was only when the creature hit him in the stomach when he gasped out that yes Cell wanted to hear. Bulma created a self-destruct device for the androids weeks ago. With a smirk, Cell continued.

"Absorbing the androids wasn't my only task. In order to ensure my continued existence, I had to eliminate every individual who had supported my creation, including Doctor Bulma Briefs, who I would assume to be your mother."

Trunks, with what little power he had left inside of him, clenched his fists. He didn't care. Had he some strength left in him, he would have torn into Cell with all he had, even if it would kill him.

"You're a damn liar! My mother would never even consider creating a monster like you!"

Cell's eyes shot up at the information he received. The boy was never a priority target, per se, just an obstacle he could make into a meal before he could get into the time machine. He never knew for sure that the two were related, though the similar unique hair color made more sense.

"True," Cell shrugged "She never directly assisted in my development, though she did collaborate with Doctor Gero in the creation of some of my functionalities, like my tail and regeneration abilities. She had assumed that the project would benefit humanity in some, but the good doctor had other plans."

While Cell walked closer to him, there was nothing Trunks could have done except to accept his death. All that beating anger in him quickly left his body. In a response to keep him from impending danger, the Saiyan instincts of his heightened his senses and awareness to keep him going. But it was useless if he could barely get up from being so exhausted. It only resulted in things being even more vividly terrifying.

"My mother... what happened to her? Where is she… or… at least her body? Please?" Trunks meekly wept as the imperfect creature stalked ever so close to him like a predator closing in on his prey.

"Do you know what I find interesting about you, boy?"

Cell pierced Trunks's chest with his tail before he could react, condensing his innards into delectable bits to make it compact enough to smoothly glide through it. Trunks was helpless to stop the thing from literally eating him from the inside out.

"You're quite strong, and yet… I do not have any knowledge of you. Let's fix that."

Trunks's body through the absorption process began to narrow to the point when skin touched bone, his hair becoming brittle enough to fall with the slightest touch. His mind was an echo chamber of panic and the utterly terrifying feeling of the trepidation. Darkness surrounded his vision. The vast unknown scared him. Gohan taught him how to fight the androids but never told him about that feeling of inexplicable dread you would feel before you even fight them. No matter how strong he got over the years, that dark feeling always affected him, especially when Gohan was not around to help guide him through it.

He lasted as long as he could, but even Trunks dissipated into nothing, leaving his battle-damaged clothes and a broken sword as his only items to give to this world. Once absorbed, the power Cell gained from it exhilarated him, tinting his aura slightly more greyish.

"So," He thought aloud. "His name was Trunks..."

Cell threw the boy's Capsule Corp jacket to the side. He not only gained his strength, but his knowledge as well, which allowed him to envision the events of Trunks destroying the androids with a self-destruct as if it happened right before him.

"Interesting. No wonder he wasn't as strong as the androids."

Cell flew over to the time machine and forcefully opened its dome-like hatch, tightly fitting himself in. Remembering the date in which Trunks had used last, he typed in to go specifically 20 years in the past. The machine processed the information and closed the top entryway to prepare for launch, shuddering before it completely closed as if it knew that a vile creature was sitting inside of it. The machine flew him out of the ground and into the atmosphere for a final view of the planet, in which Cell entirely disregarded. The androids caused this planet to look such a ruin, not him.

The ship began to fade out of the timeline, a spectacle for everyone below to see. Little did those people know, however, that the last potential problem for a long time was about to make its one-way exit. Their future is safe, but the next one isn't.

Timeline 231

"Ready to go mom?"

"Sure thing Trunks, soon as you help me put the boxes into the time machine, remember?"

"Oh, sorry!"

Being as strong as he was, the only difficulty was his balance as he held several cardboard boxes together. He carefully flew inside the open time machine and placed them down in the open space. His mother and the former head of Capsule Corp, Bulma, had done strenuous work building it over the of hassling to get the machine done as fast as possible, she took her time in programming it piece by piece. And while construction lasted a year longer than it should, it paid off with the finished machine being over twice the size of her original blueprints. It boasted even more advanced programming and competence than before. Hell, it even had cup holders.

"Careful!" She screeched, as one of the boxes Trunks was holding tumbled to the ground. Trunks flew down and frantically checked the box for any broken items. After finding nothing was destroyed, he gave her a thumbs up. She blew him a sigh of relief.

"Remind me again why we need all this?" Trunks questioned, loading the last few boxes into the time machine.

"It's all my tech, stuff the past me would kill to get her hands of. It also has the well as all the data I've collected on the androids so they know what they're getting into."

"And?" Trunks raised a questioning eyebrow. He knew all too well that his mother could go on and on without getting to the point, which was specifically the contents of the last box, one that had the Capsule Corp logo all over it unlike the bland rest.

Bulma passed over the final box, as Trunks swooped in and placed it into the time machine. At this point, the machine was cramped but could hold at least two passengers. Before she handed it to him, she took out a single item from the box, one that looked exactly like a scouter except for a more roundish shape and a Capsule Corp logo imprinted on the design. Trunks flew back down and surveyed the contraption from a distance, watching her mother put it in her left ear with a smirk on her face.

"During my leisure time, I was fixing up something called a scouter I had back when the Saiyans arrived many years ago. You remember them, right?"

"Kinda, it's been a while," He scratched his head.

"Alright, just to get you up to speed, scouters were a way for Frieza's soldiers to communicate, locate others and gauge enemies by their power level, a point assigned to individuals based on strength and skill. I think it would be more precautious of us to be able to communicate if the androids were to pounce us. two for us and the enough for rest of the gang when we get there."

"So these power levels... can it calculate mine?"

"I'm not sure actually," Bulma replied with a curious eye and a hand on her chin. "I've never tested the scouters myself. They can either accurately calculate it or blow up. Who knows."

"Oh."

Trunks flew from the time machine and lifted her mother onto the ship, saving the time and energy of getting a ladder instead.

Bulma checked the boxes behind them very quickly before punching in the destination for 20 years ago, around the time in which King Cold and Frieza will descend on Earth. The machine took a moment to process these coordinates like the waiter giving the order to the chef. Sounds of the hardware whining from the stress blasted across the small ship, annoying the two.

"That's not right..." Bulma mumbled. Although time traveling is no cake walk, she knew it would've certainly been easier and less stressful with all the upgrades she had done prior. Even the machine started to smell like burnt metal.

"The ship sounds it's having a malfunction."

"I'm sure it'll be alright," Trunks quipped, although even.

Her bickering soon ceased as the time machine lifted off the ground, its transparent hatch like dome closing in the mother and son. Once it reached its maximum height, they could see the whole known world from their vantage point. The Earth was still in shambles, but at least everyone's trying to get it back to the way things used to be. The machine did its final processing and it kicked its engines into high gear as it prepared for the hardest part of its programming. It flickered on and off like a lamp, fading in and out of their timeline for what seemed like forever before finally fading away.

As the time machine reappeared, the two opened their eyes to something they've never quite seen before.

"Look mom!"

Bulma was far too preoccupied trying to find possible errors that she didn't even notice where they were until Trunks brought it to her attention. When she looked up, she was utterly aghast at what she saw. Colors, many of which she had never even seen the likes of, spiraled around the ship like a vortex.

"It's..."

"Beautiful, right?" Trunks smiled, utterly hushed by the area's abstract beauty.

"Yes… but," Bulma's face slacked back from a smile to her usual inquisitiveness. "Not what I researched what would happen. The time machine should be instant, not a transporter to some limb- "

Both of them bore witness as the black hole suddenly appeared in the distance. The colors and light around them slowly started to spiral into this new hole rather than aimlessly like before. Even the time machine started to move in its direction.

They watched in helpless horror as the time machine was eventually enveloped into the black end of the vortex, a feat that took all the machine's computing power to maintain itself and not ripple apart.

"Remember Trunks, if we die and have our molecules are ripped apart atom by atom, it happened because of chance, not luck. Got it?"

"Uh... okay I guess..."

The vortex ultimately absorbed the ship like it was a sarlaac pit, leaving them in total darkness before one speck of light appeared on their horizon.

Timeline 809

Central City was a place teeming with life, its vibrant atmosphere (both literally and psychologically) and long daylight times all year around made it a favorable spot for young adults to savor their best years, and for tourists who looked for something new and exciting in their lives. Even with their own gallery of super villains such as Gorilla Grodd and Captain Cold, the city had rarely seen a bad day. There was rarely a day where you do not just look at the sunset and smile because of the adventure you've had that day. And even when those dark days come, it is only the tourists who scream at the enemy, whereas the residents already know either Flash or Cyborg, the latter being the latest addition to the heroes, always had the situation under control. They were the ones to be as bold enough as to videotape an entire fight between their now comely forces of good and evil.

No one could have seen this day coming.

The machine in the suddenly appeared in the sky was a spectacle to the people of downtown Central City. Many tourists especially tried predicting where it would land and set up tripod cameras there, gathering as much video feed as possible in the hopes it would land them a viral hit. A great crowd already began to form by the time the contraption touched down in the middle of Central City's grand park, excluding the many who were already relaxing there.

"What is that thing?"

"Do you think there are aliens inside?"

"Can we just go back to playing catch?"

"This is boring!"

"We might as well give the Flash some room; he'll be here any second."

The chatter amongst the crowd ceased as soon as the glossy dome atop the machine slowly pulled open. Those who were suspicious of the green undertones within the dome were correct, the humanoid inside was exactly as they thought he was. Green, slender, and malicious. However, he was vastly different from any villain they have ever seen, and just the thought of not knowing this creature was enough to get both tourists and long-time residents frightened.

One of the older residents would murmur something about new villains never showing up in Central City, that it's too 'happy' for them.

The first shriek of terror erupted the park as the creature flew from the pod and touched the ground below. The outer crowd started to repel back those near the time machine as they pushed to get through. Perhaps it was out of pure crowd instinct, or perhaps it was a unanimous decision to use the inner crowd as a protective layer for what's about to come out.

As per usual, there was one noble hero in the trembling crowd, a young man with an ego bigger than the park itself. He wore no shirt to get the most out of this summer heat, attract some 'big game'. However, even he was cowering in fear of the unknown. His pride, however, shielded him from his mind that tried to rationalize his next move.

He took his first clumsy steps towards the still beast, as the women who had originally surrounded him disappeared into safety. Eventually, the creature and the man stood face to face as the crowd looked on.

"W-who... are you?" The man shakily asked, the sentence in his mind sounding far less pathetic than what came out.

The creature did not even bat an eye at the man. He instead scoped out the area, his beak forming a half-smile at the sizeable population that stared back at him.

"This will be a good start." He murmured.

"Uhm, for what?"

Generally, the time traveling alien would only plunge at the very most into a being's muscular veins and save them the needless suffering, but with the creature being as agitated as it was, his tail both jabbed and broke through the shocked man's ribs.

The monster absorbed the man whole while the crowd watched in horror. The only thing that remained of him were his clothes, which lied in tatters on the ground. That act was all that the people needed to run from the greatest terror they've ever seen in their lives. Parents nearly abandoned their children, being so caught up in the horror that they only thought of their survival. Many people at the beginning of the rush were either trampled to death by the unwavering mob or suffered the far worse fate at being at the mercy of the very thing they're running away from.

There was one person though who did not waver like the rest. He pushed against the crowd to reach the villain at the epicenter of the chaos, ditching his poorly worn hood overhead jacket. Had the fleeing mass of people paid attention to him, they would know who this man is.

The damage done to the park and people angered the young hero, who was now the only one alive in Cell's vicinity.

"So, it's you who's been causing all this trouble."

The creature turned to the distance to see a lone man covered in shining metal, his red, intimidating cybernetic eye fixated on him.

Unidentifiable? Is this a new villain?

"Who are you? You're unheard of from anywhere."

"Ah... you're an interesting one." The creature said in a long drawl, smashing its tail into the concrete as it studied the newcomer with eyes slit like a lizard.

"My name is Cell, and if you could be so kind as to point me in the direction of Androids 17 and 18, I might spare your life unlike the rest. Besides, all those cybernetic parts of yours won't make you much use for me."

Cyborg sized up his opponent. The slender, insect-like look of the creature resembled more of a child's nightmare than that of a villain. He could take this one down.

"Well then, Cell," The man clenched his robotic fist so tightly that he feared the metal joints on them might break. "My name is Cyborg. And I'll tell you where they are as soon as I pound you into nothing!"

Cyborg leaped into the air as he gained velocity and oversized his fist, exponentially increasing the power of the punch that is going to go straight into the creature. If he had not caught Cell off guard, the villain would have certainly dodged the incoming attack, but instead, he paid the consequence of bearing a punch packed with over dozens of tons of force. He skidded on the floor, colliding with clothes behind him to make a small pile of apparels around once he stopped moving. This only enraged Cyborg even more.

Cyborg morphed his right hand into an energy cannon, pooling in as much energy as he could for maximum impact. With a grunt, he shot out a blast that resulted in the destruction of the entire park, and that was with condensing the explosion to as small of an impact as possible. Even so, he knew that it would have taken more than that to defeat the beast.

Do not give that bastard a chance to get up! Hit him again!

Cyborg fired another blast in succession, slightly weaker than the first but almost as devastating. He could hear the creature shriek in agony. It was heaven.

Again!

Cyborg's wires stretched out of his body to tap into a nearby power outlet from a grounded lamppost, as he took energy from the same electricity that powered most of the city.

He's still in that dust cloud, waiting to kill you and more people as soon as it clears! Again!

Cyborg did as his heart told him and blasted Cell, the blast more potent than the last as he wired himself further into the lamppost.

AGAIN!

Like a bolt of lightning, Flash entered the scene to watch an angry Cyborg charge another energy wave in his arm.

"Stop!" He wailed, as he held onto the barrel of Cyborg's cybernetic gun. "You're going to kill the man!"

"That's no damn man." He spat, shoving the Flash away with the cannon. "Matter a fact, I'm more human than that thing is."

"And so what if he isn't?"

"Look," Cyborg began, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his free arm. "That creature just killed dozens of people here, that's where all these clothes are from. Countless others are burning in buildings he directly started fires in. Our city is dying Flash! Why shouldn't he pay the price?"

It was then when the Flash took the time to truly notice his surroundings. He could hear the cries of the innocent in the distance, the slow, suffocating burn of the buildings around them, and the intense heat of the area to truly make Central City feel like hell. Flash walked up to a pile of clothes and picked up a day dress, presumably belonging to a young girl. He clenched it as if he was clenching onto dear life, and slowly placed it back on the ground.

"No matter how grim this looks, we aren't killers. I know I'm gonna sound like Batman here, but we're not stooping to his level. We'll fight him with the intent to subdue, not kill. Okay?"

The young man looked at Barry in disgust before reflecting upon his own anger at the moment. He tapped out of the power outlet and reshaped his cannon into his arm before taking deep breaths. The first few heaves were shaky and violent, but eventually, he eased down to a reasonable level, as did his mood.

"Alright alright… we'll do this the right way. I'm not sure how long aliens like him live, but I'll make sure he spends the rest of his life behind electric bars."

"Sure thing," The Flash smirked as Cell started his walk towards them. "We'll make it through this no sweat."

Author's Note:

WOOT! This story hit a milestone of OVER 4.7 THOUSAND words! The epilog of the last story I made was 700 words less and was more of setting the plot for the next never-to-happen sequel than anything.

I added the ability for Cell to gain the knowledge of individuals he absorbed to make consuming certain people more of a necessity. It makes those 'who would never spill out information even to their dying breath' a nuisance, as well as make absorption overall more useful as you'll see a side of Cell progress as he absorbs more people.

Timeline 809 is based on a bunch of DC universes I have personally watched. Timeline 231 was loosely based off the universe of the Trunks that traveled to the main DBZ timeline with many tweaks. And Timeline 11 is based almost entirely off of the universe that Cell from DBZ originated from… with quite a few personal changes.

I don't know where the hell I'm going with this story, but support will lead me to the right direction. For I am a needy teenage boy with a lot of summer time to burn.