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Cell touches down on Earth.
The state of things are... not good, to put it nicely.
His old training ground is overgrown with new growth, but with new decay as well, as if something died here recently. He doesn't necessarily care about the source, so he leaves elsewhere for something more interesting.
He arrived at Goku's home.
No one is around. The state of the house is terrible too, there is an old foreign beacon sticking out of it. Not only was it gigantic, it was also in a poor state as well as the rest of the planet. Whatever this was, it might've been one of the reasons why the Earth became this way.
Not that he really cared. He was more disappointed if anything because there wasn't anything strong to fight.
He arrived at Capsule Corporation.
There are more familiar beacons spread across the city. One or two sticking out of Capsule Corporation. Cell uses two fingers to detect any energies and fails to find any here. Same as Goku's humble abode. He even went to the Kame House and no one was there.
Well, there was a submarine, but the energy signature was so pathetic he didn't waste his time.
He flew across the planet in places he knew the old Z warriors would frequent. None of them were there. It was like a ghost town everywhere he went. Similar to when he was in his imperfect form and he took out all life in the area in pursuit of power. He even went to that school in the mountains to see if that old man was there, as well as that blasted woman who put the device on him.
Hell, he even went to Area 51 and no one was there. Not even Sorgel of all people. That was the most unbelievable out of anything. She was like a roach that kept coming back, and to see her energy signature fall off the face of the Earth was more shocking than anything, really.
But also relieving at the same time.
There didn't seem to be a point in staying on this planet much longer. With the way things were going, he probably wasn't going to find anyone, nonetheless anyone interesting for that matter.
He arrived at Kami's Lookout. It was just as he predicted. Desolate and arid, just like the rest of this mudball.
Cell decided to give the Earth one more sweep before leaving. He encountered strong fighters out on his journeys in space, but none as strong and exciting as Son Goku and those of this planet. He couldn't find another source of exaltation besides Goku of all beings, and to see he was gone was.. well, disappointing to say the least. He looked forward to another round to make up for his loss prior.
He didn't find any substantial energies for his own entertainment. He frowned slightly and decided to blow up the planet. Why?
Just because. Should there be a reason to?
With the way life was still continuing on this planet, it was bound to die out soon. Fragmentation of humans were great, they were bound to go extinct anyway. He was doing them all a favor.
He stopped at a random area and a glow enveloped his hand. Before it could grow any bigger, a familiar energy signature stuck out to him. He didn't know why since he remembered it being so insignificant, but then he recalled their past interactions.
Well, no reason to blow up this planet just yet. Not when there was a source of entertainment. After that, well, it was adios.
He flew to his destination and found himself of front of a fragmented sign.
WE C M T ID LET N
He didn't care to decipher it. It was obviously a sign announcing entrance to yet another worthless human town.
Cell strolled through the town, noticing the damage was far greater here compared to any human town he encountered thus far. It was like a category five hurricane hovered the area for a year straight. To top it off, there were even more beacons surrounding this area, as well as...
Plants? Mostly vines, it wasn't unexpected but the way they grew here were.. unusual. As if, intentional.
He continued onwards.
The chimera came across many buildings he couldn't put a specific name to because of how substantial the damage was. As well as the many years that went by.
How long had it been anyway?
As he thought about how many years it had been, he made it to his destination.
It was... a pile of rubble.
Obviously, there was a house here. Used to be anyway. He couldn't find the energy signature though. Did it move? He pondered this until he came across a familiar color belonging to someone he once knew.
Once tormented to be specific.
Out of everybody, he did not expect her to be alive. Goku hadn't, so why would she? She really was the luckiest human on the planet. Too bad that luck ended today.
With a grin, he hovered a few feet off the ground as to silent his footsteps. He got closer and closer until he was directly behind her. With the placement of the sun, his shadow shouldn't be enveloping her. He was stealth as he observed what she was doing.
There was a small makeshift tombstone in the center of the rubble. Not on the rubble, but it seemed there was a flat ground in the center of all this mess. Considering the state of this town, he wondered why the hell she would stay here of all places.
Satan City was by far the town least affected by the state of things. With how long it had been, she should've known better than to stay here and go there instead.
As he's thinking, he doesn't realize she turned around and is looking at him with her mouth agape, utterly incredulous.
"Oh, my apologies, was I intruding?"
Kim jumps back and grips something unknown behind her back. Now that she turned around, he can finally see how much she's changed.
Man, she was old. Or maybe the stress of the events on Earth accelerated her aging. He didn't know which. Has it really been that long?
"You.." she started, her voice apprehensive and much deeper than he remembered. "What are you doing here?"
"Now, before I answer that, I am curious of one thing," Cell returned, descending to the ground fully. "How many years has it been?"
"..What?"
"You heard me, how long has it been?"
Kim shifted uncomfortably at the question, but she answers reluctantly.
"30 years, give or take."
So that would make her like what? 50? It definitely showed. Her ginger hair seemed to be getting overpowered by gray hairs.
"30 years..." he repeated, thinking deeply. Has it really been 30 years? It honestly didn't feel like it. Felt like much, much longer.
"Now answer my question," she demanded, her reluctance disappearing. "Why are you here?"
Cell began to scowl somewhat. "I see that big mouth of yours still hasn't ebbed away with time. But since I'm such a benevolent being, I'll let that slide for today."
Since the entire planet will be destroyed by his hand before the end of the day.
"I simply returned... to visit," he answered. It wasn't a lie too. "I wondered what became of the Earth while I was away, so I came to see the state of things."
..
He didn't need to elaborate on the planet's state of things. She obviously knew of his findings.
"That's it?"
"Yes, that's all there is to it," he continued. "As much as I enjoy killing you worthless insects, I do have other hobbies of my own. Well, not as enjoyable, but they exist."
She grimaced at his response. "Right. Still didn't answer my question."
He tilted his head, puzzled. Oh, now he knows what she meant.
"I see, well, among other things, I wanted to see what became of you," he replied, looking her up and down. "...And I see time has not been kind to you as it has to I."
He hadn't changed a bit. The evolutionary failure of aging didn't apply to him, while it very obviously did to Kim. He remained exactly the same while she looked like a shadow of her former self.
Kim didn't react to that provocation. She just turned around to look at the tombstone. "That's a good thing."
"Aging?" he returned with a derisive laugh. "I really doubt that."
It was her turn to scoff, the corners of her mouth lifting somewhat. "Of course you would. You have no one to care about, and no one cares about you."
He didn't come here to be lectured. Did the years give her the illusion of wisdom? He was the perfect being, if anyone knew better it was him.
"Such naive drivel," he remarked, approaching the tombstone and standing next to her. "I see that's one part of you that hasn't changed."
She didn't answer. She just stared at the tombstone. He wondered whose tombstone it belonged to. It was a brief curiosity though, because he didn't really care.
"Since you have nothing better to do, maybe you'd like to apprise me of what happened to this planet," he suggested. He was pretty curious of that out of everything. Something he'd like to know before reducing this planet to rubble.
Kim finally looked back at him but returned her gaze to the tombstone. "Alien invasion. Lorwardians, they're called."
"Surely Goku had the strength to subdue them," he noted.
"No, he and the others vanished the day it happened," she added. "Junior too, everyone strong enough was gone that day."
Vanished? There wasn't a fight or anything? Just.. gone? Impossible, but then again, what else did he expect from this human? She couldn't even detect energies, how could she know for sure?
"Are you certain?"
Kim had an unreadable expression at that point. "Yes, L told me. She was working with the Lorwardians. Don't ask me how it happened, it just did. I don't know anything beyond that."
That blasted woman. Cell frowned at the mention of her. "Is she still around?" He hoped to kill her.
"I haven't seen her since this all happened."
"I'm surprised she hasn't killed you, I do recall that obsession of hers," he continued.
There was a cynical laugh coming from the redhead. "No, she said this was much better for someone like me."
What was much better? He looked at her with a puzzled look, but when he retraced his steps, he realized there were no humans for miles. She was the only one left. Besides a few in other continents, but she was the only one on this continent.
So that was what happened.
"I see," he finished.
Well, this was disappointing.
He initially came to torment her a little bit but she hardly reacted at all. Maybe at first, but that was mostly from surprise at his sudden visit.
"Cell," she finally said aloud, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I want you to do something for me."
The bio-android couldn't help but laugh at that insanity of hers. What to expect from an old bat?
"Alright, humor me," he answered with a smirk. "What does the great Kim Possible want from a being such as I? Hm?"
She held out her hand and it was the containment device. Every cell in his body reacted negatively and he quickly lifted a hand up, preparing to blast her away until he realized nothing happened.
She was just standing there.
"Why did you stop?"
He gazed with a puzzled look.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Kim turned to him with the device still in her hand. "Why did you stop?" she repeated.
Cell gave a short laugh. "You want to die?"
There was weak half-smile on her face that answered his question. Since L didn't do it, it seemed she wanted him to do the honors.
"You know, you could have done it yourself."
She looked down and sighed. "I know. But I want you to do it."
He looked at her like she was crazy. Well, who wouldn't be in a situation like hers?
"I... don't have anyone left," she continued with a melancholic smile. "It's just been me for the last few decades. But now there's you. I didn't think about it until now, but the only person left other than me is you."
He was silent as she spoke, not knowing what to think of her words.
"Do you remember?" she asked. "You wanted to be the one to do it. I haven't been able to do anything for anyone since the invasion, so let me do this for you. Finally, no one's in the way." She looked up at him as she said that.
She was right. Back then, everyone was always in the way. Goku, Trunks, L, and a bunch of other factors. Now there was literally no one left.
"You think letting me kill you will make me happy?"
She had a slight confused look. "You just told me you enjoyed killing people."
She had a point.
"I suppose... you have a point," he continued mindlessly, off in his thoughts.
Cell later left the planet. He raised a hand to blow it up, his hand glowing once more. Unexpectedly, the glow disappeared. He simply stood there in space, contemplating his recent interactions. There really wasn't a reason to keep the planet around anymore.
Now that there was one less human on it.
He supposed he could keep the mudball around, just as a reminder.
Despite how trivial, there was one more human he wouldn't forget.