Twisted Malevolence

Chapter 5: Precision and Anticipation

Hercule Satan hadn't realized days ago when he'd watched the young Super Saiyan fight Cell that he would ever have to personally fight the boy.

And he had not anticipated the severity of the stakes.

'If I don't find some sort of way to beat this kid, I'm done for!' Mr. Satan thought to himself.

He then heard a group of some among the crowd give him an extended cheer.

"Satan! Satan! Hercule! Hercule! No matter what we call you, we know you rule!" they chanted.

"Oh yeah; I'm the champ!" Mr. Satan yelled in reciprocation, as the cheering among the widespread crowd intensified in volume.

'They're going to catch me in this big old lie for sure!' Mr. Satan thought to himself. 'Cell's about to make a laughing stock out of me!'

Closer by the courthouse, Cell was in the middle of taking a breath of fresh air when a thought occurred to him. He briefly chuckled.

"You know, if I was still sadistic, I would be intensely enjoying this moment more than I should," Cell said to Hardin as the two walked down the courthouse's outer stairwell, accompanied by guards that flanked them on either side.

"From what I've gathered, you're banking on Mr. Satan not being all that he's claiming to be," Hardin said. "If that's the case, then you should be enjoying that the truth is about to be revealed."

"Well, I didn't say I was going to forgo enjoyment of this little bout altogether," Cell said, noticing that the improvised ring forming within the crowd had now widened to about 100 meters. "I'm just saying that if I were my former, maniacal self that I'd be taking great pleasure in the pain and humiliation that Mr. Satan's about to receive."

Not too far from the ring, a certain Saiyan prince was smiling.

"That buffoon is going to show the world how much of a dolt he really is!" Vegeta said to Goku and Chi Chi, who were walking next to him. "I can't wait to see your son show these people how little of a challenge he'll have in decimating that pathetic fool."

"There's no doubt about this being one for the books," Goku said.

"Definitely," Trunks said, as he caught up to them and looked ahead.

The armed personnel created as much of a perimeter as they could around the circle's boundary with the crowd.

Judge Brian arrived at the edge of the circle and saw that Gohan and Mr. Satan had also been able to get there.

He noticed that Mr. Satan seemed a bit on edge, and not just literally.

He took up the megaphone he'd been provided and announced the preliminary procedures.

"Mr. Satan, please take your place in the ring."

Hercule found his way to the center of the ring, while trying as best as he could to center his emotions.

"Gohan, please do likewise."

Gohan was about to enter the ring when Krillin tapped him on the shoulder.

"Have some fun out there, okay Gohan?"

With a smile back, Gohan replied.

"Sure thing."

Gohan entered the ring.

Mr. Satan's eyes lit up.

An astute observer would have found Mr. Satan's ki signature to be emanating an indication of great distress.

All who could readily sense this felt it strongly.

And while he couldn't discern this feeling as clearly as those who'd been trained in the art, Mallow had a bad feeling about this.