A/N: Things may get a tad confusing, but all will be explained in due time, no matter how strange it seems. Read and review! There will be digital cookies for those who can find the meaning of Kameko's name ;)

Chapter 3: Hating You, Missing You

FLASHBACK

"Child, are you sure you want to do this?"

The old Turtle Hermit looked worried at the girl who was about to enter the time machine.

"Hey, don't sweat it. I'll get in, blast that stupid egg and get out in time for dinner. Piece of cake!"

"But what if something goes wrong?" Bulma asked, concerned. "For Kami's sake, get out of that thing, Kameko! Let Master Roshi or Chi Chi go!"

"Bulma, please, I really want to do this." the girl smiled at the older woman. "You've treated me like a daughter… the least I can do is save your son."

"Well, you're not going alone… Oolong! Get your butt over here!"

"W-What?!" the pig squeaked, his eyes widening.

"The time machine isn't designed to hold more than one person, you're the only one small enough to fit in there with her!"

"No way, Bulma! I aint gonna fight no psycho androids, even if one of them is a total babe!" Oolong panicked, backing away. "Forget it!"

"You won't be fighting anything, you wimp! You're just going to help Kameko find Cell's egg and destroy it before he hatches. Or do you want her to go alone?"

The pig hesitated. Everyone knew he had a soft spot for the Turtle Hermit's daughter. After all, they were nearly Siamese twins. Oolong couldn't remember the last time they had been apart for longer than a few hours. Still, traveling back through time in one of Bulma's untested (and no doubt explosive) contraptions to a time where the androids were still alive… What little courage the pig possessed, was now being stretched to its very limits. He needed one more little push, an… incentive, to properly motivate him.

"You'll get five minutes alone in my underwear drawer," the blue-haired scientist whispered in his ear. "And you'll get to keep a souvenir."

"Y-you mean…" the pig stammered, not believing his ears.

"One pair of panties," she purred seductively. "No strings attached."

"Even the pink one with the lacy frills?" he drooled.

"Even the pink one," she nodded, but the pig had already climbed into the time machine, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Come on, Kameko! What are we waiting for?! Let's go show that thing who's boss!"

END FLASHBACK

The two visitors from the future stood eye to eye in the deserted streets of Nicky Town.

Oh yeah, this was definitely one of my dumber idea's, Kameko though to herself when the android flashed her a malicious grin. But still… getting to see him again…

"Who are you, my dear Kameko?" Cell asked. "I've analyzed your voice, your facial structure, even the prints you left behind after you so rudely punched me in the face during our battle. Yet I could not find a single entry about you in my database."

She tried to hide the pang of disappointment. It was stupid, she knew very well that there was no possible way he could know her. But still… it hurt to hear him say it.

"And your last name… Roshi…" he continued. "I find it hard to believe that at his age, the old Turtle Hermit could still have…"

"I was adopted," she quickly said, sweatdropping. Oh, she so did NOT want the android to go there.

"Oolong found me as a baby, buried under the remains of a city that was destroyed by the androids, when he was out looking for supplies." She smiled wryly. "Trunks had destroyed the Terror Twins two weeks earlier, so I must have been lying there for quite a while. If he had not heard me crying when he did…"

"So that is why do not have any data on you," Cell said, more to himself than to Kameko. "You were only three years old when I…"

"Killed Bulma's son and stole his time machine," she snapped, narrowing her eyes in hatred and disgust. "Don't even think for one second you're going to get away with it. It took Bulma a long search, but she managed to trace your steps back to Gero's little basement of horrors. No doubt Oolong and the Z-fighters are on their way right now to destroy your present self and prevent you from ever being born!"

"Perhaps," he chuckled, amused by her short temper. "But killing my past self will not stop me from killing Trunks in the present."

"Not on my watch," she growled, baring her teeth. "He's going home after this, you hear me?! And when he wants to come back to tell everyone he has destroyed the androids in his own time, no monster lurking in the shadows is going to break his neck! You may have killed the Trunks from our timeline, but I will create a new one! A better timeline, where Trunks will return safely to his mother with knowledge of the danger that's ahead." The girl smirked triumphantly. "He'll be able to prepare himself now, Cell. You won't catch him by surprise a second time."

"So much trouble for a boy you were too young to remember."

"I'm doing this for Bulma," she said, her face softening. "It's called 'friendship'… you should try it."

A look of consideration on the android's face, a flicker of hope on Kameko's. That hope was quickly dashed when the android shook his head and grinned evilly.

"No… I don't think I will."

Of course not. He's not the same… he will never be the same… and he'll kill you without remorse if you don't pull your head out of the clouds and stay focused!

"But enough of this chitchat," he said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You have already talked way too much, giving away information I had preferred to keep to myself."

"Is that so?" she snorted. "And just what are you going to do about it, huh?"

"An eye for an eye, my dear," the android answered, pointing his right index finger at her. "You hand out information on me, so I'll take back some information on you… by force!"

"And what is that supposed to…"

"DEATH BEAM!"

Kameko's eyes bulged out of their sockets when one of Frieza's signature attacks was fired straight at her. With a startled yelp, she rushed to get out of the way, flailing her arms and falling flat on her butt.

"Hey! How about being a good sport and warn me before you… EEEEK!!"

She screamed when Cell's deadly tail came rushing at her. Kameko quickly rolled to the side, a split second before the razor-sharp needle crashed into the spot where her neck had been. Glaring at the android, she swiftly jumped back to her feet and flew up into the air. Two could play that game!

"Kame…" she started, assuming the famous stance. "Hame…" she began gathering energy for the attack. "HAAAAAAAA!!"

Like her old teacher had taught her, she trusted her palms forward, releasing the powerful blast. She pushed every bit of power she had into it, just to make sure the android was completely destroyed. It would be just her luck if he regenerated and came back even stronger. It wouldn't be the first time… Well, okay, technically it would, but so far Bulma's simulations had been pretty accurate, and Kameko wasn't going to take any chances. It had been hard enough bringing herself to attack him once, she wasn't sure if she could do it again without hesitating.

She could hear the android screaming and felt herself letting go of the blast. No! She told herself. Don't hold back! It has to be done!

With a loud cry, she summoned every bit of energy she could muster, ending the attack with a final blast that leveled over half of the deserted city. Her ears ringed from the deafening explosion and she fought not to be overwhelmed by the shockwave of her own attack. Finally, the blast died down and the dust slowly began to settle.

"He…he…he…" she grinned weakly, catching her breath. "That… ought to… take care of…"

All blood drained from her face when below her, standing inside the crater that was left by the attack, stood a small, green speck. It quickly grew larger as it flew up to meet her, and Kameko could hear a strange, rattling sound. It took her a few seconds to realize it was the sound of her own chattering teeth.

"H-How?" she stammered, her pupils turning into pinpricks. "Not even a scratch…? But I… I put everything I had into that blast!"

The android just smiled deviously at her, obviously quite amused.

"Oh, you aren't nearly giving yourself enough credit," he chuckled, extending his hand. "See? I lost a pinky… oh wait, looks like it already grew back. Funny, I didn't even notice."

Kameko opened her mouth to say… something… in retaliation to this monster, but all she could produce was a frightened squeak. No… this wasn't fair… this wasn't fair!

The girl never even saw it coming. One moment she was facing the android, stunned with fear; the next she was sent flying, crashing into one of the few buildings that was still standing, on the other side of town. Snapping out of her shock, she quickly scrambled away from the hole in the ceiling as fast as her bruised and battered body allowed her to. Ignoring the pain in her broken leg, she managed to crawl under a bed before the android could catch up with her.

Kameko took a stealthy glance from underneath the mattress. Through the hole in the roof, she could see the android suspended in the sky above. Fortunately, this area was already damaged: had the other buildings been in mint condition, her hiding place might as well have had a big red bull's-eye painted on it.

"I can sense you're injured, human! I know you can't have gotten far!"

I hate you…

"You will be added to my perfection. It is pointless to resist. Why are you even bothering when you know it will only cause you pain?"

I loathe you…

"I will say this though: I admire your determination, Kameko. Even if it is utterly and completely foolish."

I miss you…