Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z or any of its characters blah, blah, blah don't sue me they belong to Akira Toriyama.

Last time on Dragonball Z…

Cell uncrossed his arms, his hands forming firsts. He was ready. Vegeta smiled and let out his infamous maniacal laugh. It was time for glory. "FINAL FLASH!"

Cell's eyes widened as he gasped, "What is this?"

In an instant everything was white. The blast of energy scorched everything in its path before shooting off into space.

…

Debris rained from the sky as Trunks and Krillin stared at the newly scorched path in the ground. Water had already begun to rush in and fill the void Vegeta's attack had created in the Earth. But Trunks only fixated on the giant dust cloud where Cell had been standing.

Krillin groaned and let out a sigh of relief. "That was a close one."

Trunks only smiled. "Father knew what he was doing all along. He focused his blast only on Cell." It may not be enough to impress Krillin or the others, but the fact that Vegeta wasn't willing to destroy the entire planet to win meant everything to Trunks.

Meanwhile the Saiyan Prince lowered himself to the ground. His entire body screamed in pain and exhaustion, but he would not relax until he knew that smug green bastard was dead. He had put everything into that attack – all those hours in the gravity room, the time chamber – it was all leading up to that Final Flash. "This is my moment of glory." Finally.

The Prince's iconic smirk returned to his gasping lips. "There. Did you like that?" he asked as Cell's body began to appear through the dust and debris.

A layer of sweat had formed on Cell's angular face. Vegeta relished the sound of the insect's teeth grinding in pain. "Not so tough now, little bug."

The Saiyan's eyes narrowed has he tried to assess the damage. While he was pleased that Cell was obviously hurt, he was shocked to see that there was anything left of the freak after such an attack. As the dust settled, Vegeta grinned victoriously. A gaping grey mess of muscle was all that was left of the upper quarter of Cell's body. "I'll take that as a yes."

Cell's lavender eyes widened as he turned to look where his right arm had once been. "You… You actually hit me," he growled in disbelief.

A cackle burst from the Prince's lips. "I wish you could see this Kakarot!" He yelled inwardly, as the overwhelming feeling of success washed over him. "I have done what you could not! I have finally taken what is rightfully mine!" Vegeta's maniacal laugh echoed throughout the cavern.

From above, Trunks and Krillin were also in awe of the damage Vegeta had done to Cell. "He... he did it! He whooped Cell big time!" Krillin cried.

"Yeah." Trunks smiled. "Mom, he did it. And I think, in his own way, he did it for us."

Quivering in pain and still in shock, Cell's used his remaining hand to touch the wound. "Look at this… you maimed me!"

Vegeta began to laugh again. "I'm going to do much more than maim you, you disgusting wretch."

The prince's laugh filled Cell's ears. It was enough to make him snap out of his disbelief. "STOP LAUGHING!" He shouted, his anger rising.

But his pleas only made Vegeta laugh more. It was too good, too sweet to stop. It wasn't just Cell who stood maimed before him – it was Frieza, Kakarot, 18, even Bulma – anyone who had ever doubted or looked down on him. He had conquered it all.

Cell's purple eyes sharpened. "This farce has gone on long enough," he thought. The grimace on his face was replaced by his old patronizing smile. "You're a fool," he said to the Prince.

Vegeta's gut twisted from the confident look on his opponent's face and he grew silent. "This can't be… No, it's a bluff. I did it! I was victorious! I was…"

"Have you already forgotten that Piccolo's regenerative cells are a part of me?" Cell asked.

He had. Vegeta's jaw snapped shut as he tried to contain his rage and disappointment. How could he have forgotten that?

It was now Cell's turn to laugh. Small chuckles that grew into a full on guffaw. The gaping grey wound began to bulge.

Vegeta's gasped. His body had gone rigid with dread and anxiety. "No," he thought, "this can't be happening."

Suddenly a green arm burst forth from the grey scorched muscle. And Vegeta was thrown back into the same old nightmare again. He had been in this place too many times – when he father died, when he had to retreat from his first fight with Kakarot, when Frieza had blown a hole into his chest on Namek… when Bulma had refused to believe in him instead of Kakarot. Except this time it was worse. His son would watch him fail.

Cell flexed his newly regenerated arm and asked, "Are you impressed?"

It was clear that Krillin, Trunks, and Vegeta were more frightened than impressed. It was as if nothing had happened. Vegeta's attack had meant nothing… except the depletion of all his remaining energy.

"Well shall we continue where we left off?" Cell asked smugly and walked towards the proud Saiyan.

"I will not go down like a coward." Vegeta pulled deep from within and began to power up. "I won't let it end like this!"

Blinded by rage and humiliation, Vegeta began throwing balls of uncontrolled energy towards Cell. He tried to call upon the images that had fueled him before and remember the feeling he had just felt moments ago, but it wasn't working. Dread was eating away at his mind and his strength. Cell stood before him without so much as a scratch on him.

Cell took a step towards him.

But Vegeta couldn't stop. He could not accept defeat. "I am a Saiyan Prince. This is my destiny. I will not let some science project best me!"

Cell took another step forward.

"No!" Vegeta growled and hurled more blasts into the air. Screaming in frustration, he attacked again and again and again until he was surrounded by white smoke.

The smoke began to rise until it enveloped Trunks and Krillin. Trunks looked down at his father. The proud Saiyan Prince was now prey backed into a corner – doing anything and everything to try to stay alive. "Why didn't you listen to me, father?" He closed his eyes. "And why didn't I step in?"

Cell took another step through the smoke and appeared in front of Vegeta, landing a punch across the Saiyan's face. Vegeta soared backwards into the dirt. Cell continued his steady pace towards his prey. But Vegeta still refused to go quietly and pushed himself up from the ground, wiping the blood from his face. By the time he was up, Cell was in front of him. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Cell brought his knee up into the Prince's chest, sending Vegeta soaring into the air screaming.

But Cell wasn't going to let the Saiyan's pain end easily. Vegeta had humiliated him and he had to pay. Cell phased up over the Prince's limp body and rammed his elbow into Vegeta's back.

Trunks watched helplessly as his father's eyes snapped open.

The scream was deafening.

For a moment, Vegeta knew only pain – raw and uncontrolled. There was no Cell, no Earth, no Super Saiyan birthright, no Kakarot, no Frieza, no Bulma, no Trunks, only pain. He felt pain's fingers squeeze his neck until he was suffocating and was bound by its power.

And then he was falling.

Vegeta tried to breath, but the finger's tightened; he was still pain's servant.

As his body met with the ground, The Saiyan Prince finally felt release in the dark black depths of unconsciousness.

Author's Note: I know it's been years! I apologize for not updating. I just want you to know that I have been reading all of your messages and reviews, but I have just been so busy with work that I haven't had the time to update. I am going to try to update more often – I can't promise it will be once a week, but I will do my best and I haven't forgotten about this story. Thanks for all of the support, reviews, and messages – it's the main reason I have returned to this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had to get back into the flow of the story again.