(Author note: Hello everyone, I just wanted to say to those who skip, or skim read, its best you don't do it for this chapter. Believe me, you'll wanna read this, don't skip a single bit my dear readers. It's quite the important info for the next arc.)
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The underground laboratory hummed with the soft, persistent drone of advanced machinery. Screens lined the walls, casting an eerie blue glow across the cavernous space.
Each monitor displayed footage from different angles of the battle that had concluded just twenty-four hours earlier - a golden warrior facing off against a horned, purple-skinned demon.
Dr. Gero stood motionless before the central display, his weathered face illuminated by the flickering images.
Half of his features remained human - wrinkled skin, a bushy white mustache, piercing blue eyes. The other half had already been converted to mechanical components - gleaming metal, exposed circuitry, a glowing red optical sensor - he still needed to add the skin on that part.
"Fascinating," he murmured, his voice carrying a metallic undertone. "Simply fascinating."
He raised his partially converted hand - the absorbtion tool remained to be added - manipulating the footage with a couple gestures.
The screen zoomed in on Goku's transformation - the moment when grief and rage had triggered something primal within him, unleashing the legendary Super Saiyan form.
"Such power," Gero whispered reverently. "Such magnificent, raw power."
The laboratory around him was a testament to decades of obsessive work.
Vats of mysterious fluids bubbled along one wall, each containing suspended organic matter in various stages of modification.
Robotic arms performed delicate operations on cellular samples.
In the corner, a supercomputer processed terabytes of battle data collected by his microscopic tracking devices - technological marvels that had been following the Z Fighters for years.
Gero turned, his movements unnaturally precise, and walked toward another console.
This one displayed a different battle - the confrontation on Namek between Toji Fushiguro and Frieza.
The footage was fragmented, incomplete, frustratingly limited compared to the wealth of data he'd collected on Goku.
"My greatest challenge," he said to the empty laboratory, "and my greatest opportunity."
He tapped a sequence on the keyboard, bringing up a series of DNA strands. The computer highlighted areas of interest, comparing them to baseline human genetics.
"Son Goku's transformation is impressive, certainly," he continued, speaking his thoughts aloud as was his habit in isolation. "But it's merely an expression of his alien heritage. Expected, predictable, documented in Saiyan legend I found from hacking into C.C.'s data from those scouters."
He gestured toward the image of Toji on the screen.
"You, however... you are something else entirely. A human anomaly. A mutation so profound it defies all established biological parameters." His voice took on an almost reverent quality. "The perfect counterpoint to my own evolution."
Gero's attention shifted to another screen displaying a complex molecular analysis. The results were incomplete, the data fragmented.
"Insufficient," he growled, slamming his mechanical fist against the console. "Always insufficient!"
The source of his frustration was clear. While his tracking devices had collected comprehensive data on Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, and the other warriors, his information on Toji Fushiguro remained tantalizingly incomplete.
What Gero didn't know - couldn't know - was that Toji taking into account of Gero possibly trying to steal his DNA had constantly destroyed DNA seperated from him, that he sensed from his Ki in them, with subtle pulses of ki.
It was only during the chaotic battle on Namek, when Toji had been fully absorbed in his fight with Frieza, that a few devices had managed to collect more substantial samples, since Toji also didn't expect Gero to follow them to Namek.
"Even the few cells I've obtained demonstrate extraordinary properties," Gero muttered, examining the molecular structure displayed on screen. "Adaptive capabilities far beyond normal human parameters. Regenerative potential that is beyond anything I've seen besides Piccolo."
He moved to another console, comparing his complete data sets from Goku and the others against the limited information he had on Toji.
"Such a waste," he sighed. "The most extraordinary human specimen in existence, and I can only study fragments."
He zoomed in on footage of Toji mastering complex fighting techniques after seeing them performed just once.
"Look at that neural adaptation speed," he marveled. "He's not merely copying movements - he's internalizing the underlying principles, improving upon them. In minutes, he achieves what took Son Goku years of dedicated training."
Gero's human eye narrowed as he studied the footage.
"This is what humanity could become," he whispered. "What it should become. Not through the random chance of mutation, but through deliberate, scientific advancement."
He straightened, his posture becoming more rigid.
"Two paths of human evolution stand before us," he declared to his empty laboratory. "The mind - represented by my own natural transcendence of biological limitation. And the body - represented by this extraordinary specimen, this... Toji Fushiguro."
Gero moved through the laboratory with purpose, approaching a section where a partially completed humanoid figure lay on an examination table.
The figure was short, rotund, with chalk-white skin and a conical head. Various panels remained open, exposing intricate circuitry beneath.
"Android 19," Gero explained to himself, running his hand over the incomplete creation. "Energy absorption capabilities will allow it to drain opponents' ki, converting it directly into power. A significant improvement over previous models."
He adjusted several components within the android's open chest cavity.
"The absorption mechanism is particularly elegant, integrating the energy to near perfect control," he continued.
"Based on my observations of how the human Toji seems to instinctively regulate and control energy at the same levels - thought at lower measures of power showing more control of energy than anyone else I have observed save that Freeza woman."
"Though their method appears biological rather than mechanical, the principles remain applicable."
Satisfied with his adjustments, Gero moved to another section of the laboratory. Here, a reinforced door led to a sealed chamber. After entering a complex security code, the door slid open with a pneumatic hiss.
Inside, three stasis pods lined the walls, each containing a human looking figure. Gero approached the first three, studying the unconscious forms within.
"Subjects 13, 14, and 15," he noted clinically. "The creation of them is proceeding according to schedule. Enhanced strength implementations complete. Energy regulation systems at 67% completeness."
He moved to the remaining two pods, which contained two humans - a young man and woman - teenagers with striking similarities in their features.
"The twins continue to show the most promise," he remarked, checking the monitors beside their pods. "Subjects 17 and 18. Their youth provides greater neural plasticity, allowing for more comprehensive enhancement."
He tapped the glass of the male twin's pod.
"Still resistant, even in stasis," he observed with clinical detachment. "Psychological conditioning will need to be intensified. Their human willfulness remains problematic."
Gero's voice carried no empathy as he discussed the fate of the humans he'd abducted - merely the analytical concern of a scientist evaluating experimental subjects.
"The integration of mechanical components with organic tissue presents unique challenges," he continued, examining readouts from the pods. "Nature's design is at times inherently flawed, inefficient. My improvements correct these deficiencies, elevating them beyond their limited potential as non-mutants."
He stepped back, surveying all five subjects with the dispassionate eye of a creator evaluating his works.
"Each represents a different approach to enhancement," he explained to himself. "Different ratios of organic to mechanical components. Different energy regulation systems. The data from their eventual deployment will prove invaluable for future iterations."
A slight smile formed beneath his mustache.
"The Red Ribbon Army's resources may be gone, but the vision lives on through my work. Through me, humanity will evolve beyond its primitive limitations."
Gero exited the chamber, sealing it behind him. His steps carried him to another section of the laboratory - one noticeably separate from the others, with its own independent power supply and reinforced walls.
This room was smaller, more personal. Unlike the clinical efficiency of the main laboratory, this space contained touches of individuality - old technical journals, a worn leather chair, photographs in simple frames.
Gero approached a workbench where blueprints were spread out in meticulous order. They detailed the design for a large, humanoid figure - more imposing than his other creations, with a distinctly masculine build.
"Android 16," he said, his voice softening almost imperceptibly. "My most advanced design."
He picked up a photograph from the bench. It showed a young man in a military uniform - handsome, with a serious expression but kind eyes.
"Gevo," Gero whispered.
For a moment, the scientist seemed to age, his human features sagging with a grief that his mechanical parts could not express.
The memory surfaced unbidden - his son, Gevo, a Red Ribbon Army soldier, falling in battle during Goku's assault on their headquarters so many years ago.
Gero set down the photograph with careful precision and turned to a partially constructed face on another workbench. The android's features were already taking shape, deliberately modeled after the young man in the photograph.
"Unlike the others," Gero said, his voice regaining its clinical tone, "16 will be purely mechanical. No human base to introduce unpredictability or resistance."
He adjusted a component in what would eventually be the android's eye.
"His programming will be focused, singular: the destruction of Son Goku. The boy who took everything from me."
Gero's hand lingered on the incomplete face, the gesture almost tender.
"You will succeed where your predecessor failed," he promised the inanimate components. "You will avenge him, and fulfill the purpose for which you were created."
The scientist straightened, his moment of sentimentality passing.
"16's construction represents the pinnacle of mechanical engineering," he continued, his voice hardening. "Yet even this achievement pales in comparison to what nature has produced in Toji Fushiguro."
He returned to the main laboratory, bringing up the fragmented data on Toji once more.
"The duality... It is perfect," Gero mused, studying the cellular samples. "My mind and his body. The intellectual and the physical. Father and son in the evolutionary tree of humanity's future."
He magnified the image, focusing on a particular cellular structure.
"These cells demonstrate adaptation rates that defy conventional biology," he observed. "When exposed to new stimuli, they don't merely respond - they evolve, becoming more efficient with each exposure."
Gero pulled up footage of Toji's battle with Frieza, focusing on moments where the human had copied and improved upon techniques he'd only just witnessed.
"His neural pathways must be extraordinarily plastic," the scientist theorized. "Information processing and physical adaptation occurring simultaneously at rates I've only achieved through extensive cybernetic enhancement."
He paced before the screens, his movements becoming more animated as his excitement grew.
"This is what I predicted in my research decades ago!" he exclaimed. "The theoretical upper limit of human potential - not achievable through natural selection over thousands of generations, but possible through targeted genetic manipulation."
Gero stopped, staring at Toji's image with an intensity that bordered on obsession.
"Except you achieved it naturally," he whispered. "A statistical impossibility. A mutation so perfect it should have required centuries of guided evolution."
His human eye narrowed.
"You are what I've been working toward all these years," he continued. "The physical embodiment of human potential - just as I represent the intellectual pinnacle."
Gero's voice took on a new quality - less scientific, more personal.
"Don't you see the symmetry?" he asked the image on the screen. "I am the father of evolution - the mind that guides humanity's ascension beyond its limitations. And you, my boy, are the son - the physical manifestation of that potential."
The scientist's language shifted subtly, becoming more possessive, more intimate.
"Together, we could reshape this world," he continued, reaching out as if to touch the screen. "My intellect guiding your strength. Father and son, mind and body, united in purpose."
For several minutes, Gero stood transfixed by this vision - this fantasy of partnership with a boy he'd never met, who knew nothing of his existence, raising him to rule alongside him the entire universe.
Then, abruptly, clarity returned. The scientist blinked, his rational mind reasserting control.
"No," he said sharply. "No, that's not how it would unfold."
He turned away from the screen, moving toward his central console.
"Sons rebel against fathers," he stated matter-of-factly. "It is the natural order. The next generation challenges the previous one, seeking to establish dominance."
Gero's fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, bringing up new schematics.
"Toji Fushiguro would oppose me," he concluded. "Despite our natural connection, despite the symmetry of our evolutionary paths, he would resist my guidance. His power makes him unpredictable, uncontrollable."
The scientist's expression hardened.
"I cannot depend on my spiritual son embracing his destiny willingly," he decided. "I must prepare for his resistance, just as I prepare for Goku's inevitable death at my hands."
Gero moved with sudden purpose toward a section of the laboratory that appeared to be an ordinary wall. He pressed his hand against a hidden panel, and the wall slid away, revealing a corridor beyond.
"If a son rebels," he continued, walking down the darkened passage, "then one must place one's hopes in the grandson."
The corridor ended at another sealed door, this one requiring both retinal and voice recognition to open.
Beyond lay a chamber unlike any other in the laboratory - smaller, more secure, with a single containment unit at its center.
The unit glowed with an eerie green light, illuminating the room from within. Gero approached it reverently, placing his hand against the glass.
"My greatest creation," he whispered.
Inside the containment unit, suspended in nutrient-rich fluid, floated what appeared to be an embryo - but unlike any natural embryo.
Its cells pulsed with an inner light, its developing form already showing signs of an exoskeleton rather than human skin.
"Cell," Gero named it, his voice filled with pride. "My grandson. The perfect fusion of natural evolution and scientific advancement."
He moved to a nearby console, activating a large screen that displayed detailed genetic schematics.
"Created from the cellular material of the universe's greatest warriors," he explained to himself.
"With Toji Fushiguro and Frieza as the foundation - the primary donors, if you will. The parents. Their son later to be altered, and the cells of the warriors below them who have their own peculiarities and uniqueness to be added."
The screen showed complex DNA helixes merging and recombining in patterns no natural organism could produce.
"During the battle on Namek, my tracking devices managed to collect samples from both of them," Gero continued. "Minimal amounts, but sufficient for my purposes. Their genetic material forms the core of Cell's being - strength beyond measure, adaptation beyond limits."
He manipulated the display, highlighting additional genetic sequences.
"Supplemented with DNA from Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo," he added. "Each contributing unique capabilities. And now, with the recent battle, I've acquired samples from Cooler as well. His genetic material will be the final component."
Gero's expression was one of pure scientific ecstasy as he detailed his creation's capabilities.
"Cell will possess the ability to absorb other beings," he explained, "incorporating their power into his own. Multiple developmental stages have been programmed into his biology, each one bringing him closer to perfection."
He returned to the containment unit, watching the embryonic form pulse with life.
"Where I might fail, where even my spiritual son might resist," Gero said softly, "you, my grandson, will succeed. You will be my legacy - the perfect fusion of mind and body, of science and nature."
The embryo shifted slightly in its fluid environment, as if responding to its creator's voice.
"You will fulfill the destiny that awaits us all," Gero promised it. "The evolution of humanity beyond its fragile limitations. The ascension to perfection."
Outside the laboratory, night had fallen across the mountains.
The world continued unaware of the horror gestating beneath its surface - a being created from the cells of the universe's mightiest warriors, designed to surpass them all.
A son made, to challenge his monster of a father.
In his hidden sanctuary, Dr. Gero smiled at his creation - his grandson - as it pulsed with otherworldly life.
"Rest now," he whispered to the embryonic Cell. "Grow strong. You have time yet."
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(Author note: Quite the twist right?
Cell is the artificial son of Toji and Freeza! (In King Kai's voice)
I always wondered how Gero made Cell, since well, he clearly can not create souls, as 16 doesn't have one. So I thought, what if Gero just took the DNA and made it into an artificial baby, upon which the cells of the warriors are added.
I personally theorise that in canon, Cell is essentially Goku's son alongside Chi Chi's who is the strongest human woman- but here, Cell is Toji's and Freeza's.
I like the idea, so that's what I'm going with.
Man am I excited to write the father vs son fight, it will be awesome! To the death!
Hope you guys are also excited, do tell me what you think of it,
Bye!)