Disclaimer: Uh…if I -ACTUALLY- owned DBZ or anything in relation to it or any of its characters…well, I wouldn't be writing this fic. I would out there, spreading the absolute cool-core essence of DBZ everywhere with my big-arse advertisements and…well, you get the picture!
CHAPTER ONE ( Or Prologue): Burning Embers
'Define the night from the day...and through the eyes of dark you can see fragments of the light.'
The Earth hung suspended, a blue sphere encircled with strokes of white and green. Outside of the small, round window only a fraction of it could be seen as the pod was so near to the 'Blue Planet'. Strangely, there was no moon that could be seen.
It wasn't a saiyajin pod; it was much larger, though not by more than a few fractions. It was silver, though doubtfully it was the metal found on earth. The sides were bare, only a few strange markings that could have been a language, mere insignias on the side. There was one small window near the top and centered on the pod. There was also a door, clamped tightly closed against the endless, merciless space that surrounded the small machine as it continued its trek to the planet. It hardly made a sound, and there were no flames behind it or any form of energy echoing from any 'motor'. It would seem the pod was simply falling toward the earth, falling with great accuracy. It had a fast pace, yet was taking its time as seconds, minutes, hours ticked by. Whatever it was, it was in no hurry.
But the pod was not all in itself the only thing moving in the dead of space. The creature inside lifted its head, turning its fiery gaze upon the solitary window and peering at the planet below. It was the first move it had made in a while, slow and planned. It wore white pants which were tight and gripped onto its legs. There were boots, black with a red streaks down the sides, tied into place with white rope. Up from the leggings came a tunic, hanging low in front and in the back. The tunic was blue, a buckle with fastens in the front to fit the users preference. The tunic was secure with a belt, black, with a silver fasten. The neck of the tunic was V shaped, red traced its edges. The tunic arms ended abruptly at the shoulders, but the same white material as the leggings continued to travel down the arms of the creature and, too, were fastened at the elbows with rope. The thing that inhabited the clothing breathed, black hair with red and white streaks pulled away from the face with a fasten. The hair wasn't long, only reaching just to the shoulders. The creature's skin was tan, muscles rippling in lethal grace with each solitary movement. Then there were the eyes: One was green with a yellow tinge, the other was blue with a yellow tinge. Perched over the eyes were cynical eyebrows.
There was a small lurch in the movement of the pod , which disturbed its inhabitant. It moved a bit more, then stood from its seat and walked to the main console, decorated in buttons, levers, and switches, not to mention lights. Every move was destined, determined, and with a form of silent strength that echoed from the nameless being. The being flipped some switches, a few lights flashing on as it did. Then there was a slow, soulless mechanical voice that echoed from the main console, the screen mounted above it flashing slightly.
"We are entering earth's atmosphere," it drawled. "Pod precaution steps being taken- low lights off. Vacuum sensors on- scanners on standby."
The inhabitant flipped another switch. "Give me a swift scan." Its voice held a monotone stance. Hardly any describable flicker of emotion was echoed through it.
"Affirmed," the console responded. There was a small 'beep' as the screen flickered again. The lights in the pod went dim, almost off, then powered on again. All the while the creature stood completely still, watching the approaching planet out of the corner of its eye, through the window. It took only a few minutes as the console's mechanical voice came online again.
"Scan completed. What would you like to view?"
"Everything," the being responded levelly. There was another 'beep', then a buzzing sound. A second later letters filled the screen, numbers, calculations, any information that could be gathered from the planet with the pod's swift scan.
The inhabitant knew it was only a small trace of what the planet had. Carefully it viewed the information that had been gathered, rather hastily, and summoned all of it together.
-Stable environment. Low gravity, perhaps a category two pressure. Plenty of nutrients, sufficient water and plant life. Heavily populated by its native species. Planet age: moderate. Interesting. Doesn't look very exciting though,- it thought wearily.
-Then again,- it added with a wry smirk, -That's why I'm heading there, isn't it?-
-_-_-_-
He hated it
He hated the smell, the sight, the very essence of it!
Life.
The android growled, menacingly low within its throat. One moment the ground was the sky, then the sky was the ground…whenever he placed a clawed hand on the soil he merely toppled again, pain sizzling within his mind and soul.
-I'm alive…
-Interesting.-
This baffled the android, yet intrigued him. He had died a year or more ago, judging by his internal 'sweepers' that hastily scanned his surroundings, checking out his internal system function. Age did not trouble him, for it did not affect him. But the fact that he was alive and a year or longer ahead of where he had been was very…difficult to believe.
-I was dead.
-Now I'm alive. What trickery is this?-
He felt as if he had just opened his eyes from a very deep, very long sleep. His mind was fogged, his muscles aching from lack of use. After a few more seconds of getting his bearings, the android easily flipped himself on his back. Opening one slanted eye he could identify the sky and surrounding shrubbery. Trees cast their shadows on him, keeping the bright glint of sun from his skin. Slowly he felt his programming adjust him to his sudden 'wake up call', and energy flowed smoothly into his form.
Alive.
His beak twisted into a smirk, cold and chilling. Alive!
He sat up then pushed himself to his feet. It was a bit difficult, his tendons refused to relieve their stress, but he succeeded. Casting a rather agitated glare at the forest area, he crossed his arms and immediately closed his eyes, bowing his head as he began to collect his thoughts.
-Son Gohan killed me in the Games.- Anger raged within him but he kept the flames down. For now. -I was destroyed. Every fiber defragmentated. Yet here I am, alive and well. Almost as strong as I was…- There was a sinking feeling and more anger as the android admitted what he feared, -…When I first hatched.- He did a quick sensory sweep again, just to ensure he was alone. He was. His sensors did not reach that far, for his system was still recuperating, but there was no flicker of sentient energy anywhere for miles on all sides.
-I must have been reborn again. Not hatched, re-grown. Yes, re-grown. There must have been enough energy of mine; enough essence of me to settle within the aura of the space where I died. After quite some time of shifting, meta-morphing, I was re-grown, fully in my Imperfect stage. Intriguing.-
The android chuckled momentarily. He was grateful for the good Doctors knowledge entwined with his. Though, if some were to know how it acme about- they might argue it wasn't his.
-So I am once more….-
The android continued to stand, as if oblivious.
-I am Cell once more.-
Cell went over the facts once more, processing them one by one.
Grown in an underground bunker of a secret lab, courtesy of Dr. Gero, his creator. When the good doctor had realized the project of creating the 'perfect warrior' set out on destroying his rival, Son Goku, was far too massive and would take beyond his comprehensible life span to complete, he had programmed a computer to finish the task. Afterwards he had gone about his other experiments, as mad as he was, he was still by far the most intelligent human that ever graced the planet.
Cell was finally 'born' 24 years later, and henceforth had set out to wreak havoc and find the two components that would make him complete- Androids 17 and 18 who had previously killed Gero.
He had three forms total. The first was Imperfect, strong and able to complete the daunting task of finding the first android, which would lead to his second stage. In this stage he was a bit blundering and over-arrogant, but with massive more amounts of strength enabled him to take the second android into his grasp. With both taken, he was changed to his Perfect stage- the perfect warrior. Unmarred, unmatched.
But things had gone wrong. After coming from his larva stage and to his Imperfect, Cell went about doing just that- but the two androids had been destroyed by Trunks, the son of Vegeta. But Cell was an android of vast knowledge, intelligence, strength and cunning. He knew Trunks had in his possession a Time Machine, and was planning on going back in time to kill Cell before he had a chance to grow. Nevertheless, Cell killed the young saiyajin and took the machine- but could not fit inside. He then retreated to his larva form, and took the daunting trip through time and space with the coordinates preset by Trunks.
He had reached to past, and waited four years before he became Imperfect again. And with that, he had set on his trek to find his crucial components.
Things had gone from fair to good, then from good to bad within a short time span. He absorbed entire human cities, an ability granted him to boost his strength, and ran into the 'guardians of the planet': the Z fighters. Yet even still he found the two androids, alive, and managed to absorb them using his powers of pure brutality (in which he used to obtain 17) and manipulation (in which he used over Vegeta to obtain 18). Then he became Perfect, the tyrant of the entire human race, and created The Cell Games.
The Cell Games was a tournament established by Cell himself (Courtesy of the androids- they gave him a more daunting, curious and playful side), against the Z warriors. It was mainly to lure in Goku, whom he was programmed to destroy. They fought, but Goku had given in and his son Gohan took his place. Goku had died in vain as Cell regurgitated 18 in an ill-fated blow, sending him into his second form. Threatening to explode and kill everyone, Goku used Instant Transmission to take him to the small planet of King Kai- only to be killed as he exploded. Cell had not died, though, for one cell remained and it grew until he was whole again, in his final form.
Cell snarled, more of a growl, within his throat. Gohan! That miserable, half-pint saiyajin had managed to destroy him in all his perfection with a most-powerful Kamehameha ki blast.
And yet here he was, alive.
It had just been an error in his calculations. For sure if he had kept his bearings, not underestimated Gohan that much, and not been distracted by Vegeta's most agitating ki blast he would have destroyed the boy, and the Z fighters would have been defeated.
The android sighed daftly.
He was tall, near seven feet. His skin was green, darker where more armor was needed, with black spots, speckled all over his body. He had a large head crest that fanned above him with a black patch of armor on the front of it. His eyes were slanted like a cats, his face completed with an orange beak completed with sharp fangs. He had flexible tendons jointed between patches of his natural insect-like armor, which gave him great control of movement and dexterity. He had another black patch of armor, almost glassy, on his chest. It was meant to harbor the energies and very selves of the two androids he was meant to absorb.
He had an orange torso, green armor traveling down his legs. Attached to his back was a pair of wings, folded and purposed for accurate maneuvering in flight. His hands, currently crossed, had black palms with the same green-tone fingers with long black nails.
The most important attribute of his body, though, was his tail. Long, and seeming possessed with a mind of its own, it was used for devouring the energy from living creatures…
And for absorbing the androids.
Normally he would have been infuriated he was back in his Imperfect stage, but he knew it was only a matter of time before his internal system kicked back into full gear and morphed him straight into his Perfect one. This was merely a warm-up. He had already 'died' once and his body had saved the genetic information of his final form and returned it to him straight forward. It would happen again. Gero had been clever, for a human.
Cell uncrossed his arms, looking up at the nauseatingly blue sky above him. He had been here, re-growing for a year or more. He calculated this place wasn't far from where he died. Summoning his memories- he never forgot anything- he knew the closest town, and the fasted path he could take to get there.
-Then again,- he though carefully, -If I attacked the Z warriors will recognize my 'technique' and surely swarm upon me, and I would get nowhere. I'm sure they've gotten stronger as time has passed. I suppose I shall stick to small tidbits here and there, gain excess energy, until my final form is ready for my taking.-
The android moved, finally woken from his thoughts, and turned to the East. He sensed a small grouping of humans, now that his senses were kicking in as normally, a few miles away.
Oblivious.
-Perhaps I'll see if I've grown slack,- he thought with a malicious grin, as with effortless ease he lifted himself off the ground, wings fanning. His ki energy was in check, carefully hidden within his form. No one could sense him if he used very miniscule amounts of ki. Hovering and slow flying, for example.
-No survivors…
-As usual.-
Then he went hunting.
-_-_-_-
Son Gohan peered out the window of his room. The window was down, allowing the passage of free air to circulate through his room as he studied furiously on his books. He sighed dreamily as he watched stray leaves blow by, transported away by the winds as summer progressed. His mother was busy in the kitchen.
For a moment he remembered his dad.
He sighed, looking back to his books.
At least they didn't have to worry about that kind of situation again…
-_-_-_-
The creature was not impressed.
It did not judge beauty, in fact the idea of this form of 'poetry' was a bit revolting.
It sighed out of its nose, crossing its arms as it continued to stand outside the pod, surveying the slightly wooded area around it. The trees grew in groups, the orange sands fading into green grass as hills sloped in the distance, faint amounts of energy bustling from the nearby city. There was the annoyance of being able to sense the vast amount of humans nearby, which annoyed the being as it had told the pod to land somewhere desolate. But overall it wasn't that angry.
It felt like a small child released form the binds of a classroom, out to recess.
This entire planet was its playground!
Chuckling darkly to itself, unknown intentions dancing behind the strange eyes. It surveyed the area again. The sun was beating down on its face, but it wasn't bothered. No edible food around, but it was not hungry. It did not need to eat- period. It had not had any form of sleep for- well, quite some time, if ever. All in all, it was certainly an enigma as it looked upon the small planet it had chanced upon and smirked.
Of course…aren't all androids enigmas?