Just a small warning, this chapter contains some mature and adult themes.
Rowan awoke with a throbbing ache in her skull. She groaned, slowly picking herself up from the floor into a sitting position. She groggily recalled the previous evening, and everything that had been revealed to her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and gently massaging her temples. She had cried until she had completely exhausted herself, collapsing into a dreamless sleep on the floor.
Gingerly, she made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, glancing out the window. It was abysmally black, the only light filtering in from the few stars that peeked through the dark clouds. It was still and quiet and it felt like the hours before dawn. She looked at the little chrome clock that hung on the wall above her desk.
"4:32." She mumbled to herself. She downed the water, pouring another. She felt a little better, and she collapsed on the couch, sipping the water and trying to figure out what she should do. She rolled her head to the side, bringing the cracked open shell of Cell's larval form, still sitting in the middle of the floor, into view. Rowan stared at it as she thought about everything she had learned.
"Damn him." She muttered, more sad than angry. She flicked the TV on with a quick flick of the remote. The only thing that seemed to adorn each channel was a variety of news broadcasts, each warning of the Monster attacks, and tracking the trail of devastation, and predicting the next towns and cities to be hit and prepare evacuations.
"Oh my god…" She gasped as the expected death toll had reached into the millions. She leaned forward, staring intently at the map, revealing the scope and severity of Cells' attack. He had wiped out two cities and dozens of towns and villages that peppered the North Western area of the huge Spice District. He was slowly heading east. As the news reel began to repeat itself again, the list of towns that were advised to evacuate flashed up on the screen, Rowan let out a small gasp.
"No… Seru will stop him…" She said quietly, trying to reassure herself as the name of Sumac City appeared on the long list. A horrible, creeping thought snuck into her mind then, the possibility that the Cell she knew… Would be the one to be absorbed. That thought caused her to turn the TV off, and bury her face in her hands. She did not cry, but the thought had a heavy weight to it and she turned her attention back to the empty shell.
She realized, as horrified as she was at his revelations, she didn't hate him, and the thought of him being killed was a truly terrible one.
"No, he won't lose." She said with resolution after a while. She had witnessed his cool intellect, time and time again over the past four years, had seen him overcome problems and scheme and plan. He was smart, very smart, and she hoped he would be smart enough to avoid being eaten. He had assured her, that he had the advantage over the Other Cell, and she could only hope that what he said was true.
A sudden piercing shrill noise startled her, and it took her a second to register that it was the phone. Rowan collected herself together as she rushed to answer it.
"Hello, this is Rowan speaking." She said in her habitual greeting.
"Rowan! It's Mary." Marys' voice sounded shrill and slightly panicked. "Have you seen the news?! There is a monster attacking towns and eating people! It's horrible! And it's headed this way! Look Darl, me and my boys are packing up and getting out of town. We're gonna head to the West Coast, away from the path of the monster, at least until the army can kill the damned thing. I want you to come with us." Rowan listened with a tight frown on her face, clenching her free hand into a fist, her mind racing.
"Rowan, darl?" Mary snapped Rowan back to her conversation.
"Uh… Yeah, I guess that would be the smartest thing to do." Rowan conceded.
"Good. Pack up what you can, Darl, we plan on leaving at lunch time. Just head to the café before then and we'll pick you up there."
"Thanks Mary." Rowan listened to Mary end the phone call with a resolute click. Rowan put the phone down, staring blankly ahead while her mind raced. Running suddenly seemed like a really good idea.
"I wonder if Seru will be able to find me." She mused. She grit her teeth and frowned, not really sure if she actually wanted to see him again. Was he any different than the Other Cell that was sweeping across the country consuming everyone in his path? Cell had admitted he had feasted on people in his original time line, but would he really do it here too?
Rowan ignored the thought, looking around her house. She had a lot to do, if she was going to be ready in time. She sighed, and began, mentally listing off each task before she applied herself to any actions.
By the time the sun had risen, Rowan had already picked up all her dirty washing, running it through the machine, and hanging it up on the line outside. The clouds had cleared by the time the sun broke over the horizon, and it promised to be a cool but sunny day. She had turned to her dishes next, making sure they were all packed away. She prepared a back pack, with a water bottle, some muesli bars, a blanket, a basic first aid kit, her laptop after ensuring it was fully charged, and a spare change of clothes. Everything else in the house was packed away neatly.
Finally, she brought in the washing, folding it and putting it away, except for a single sheet that she used to cover the split shell of Cell pushing that to the side wall. That task saddened her as she turned her thoughts back to her old friend, remembering the little creature. She forced them from her mind, and headed for the bathroom, enjoying a hot shower, the last she might enjoy for a while.
She shouldered her backpack, and headed outside. It took her several minutes to disconnect the water and electric systems, as she had only done it once before. After that, she activated the tiny console on the side of the house, punching in her pin number and activating the Capsule technology, watching as her house, and everything she owned, collapsed into a tiny metal capsule the size of her thumb. She slid the capsule into a small metal case that secured it for transport, sliding that into her back pocket.
With a last hesitant and regretful sigh, Rowan turned down the gravel road, realizing that she was for the second time, on the run for her life.
Mary was running late. Rowan considered heading to her house, but decided against it, settling on the wooden steps of the porch that led to the stylized café. She stared out down the street, feeling her stomach tighten. All the stores were closed. There were no cars parked in the streets, not tables and chairs set outside the dinner across the road, no brightly coloured chalkboard signs on the pavement to welcome people inside. The entire town was deserted, and it was eerie.
The minutes stretched on until with a resolute sigh, Rowan stood up, brushing the dust from her jeans and headed off down the road, towards where Marys' house was. She had barely walked a few dozen steps when she saw the minivan crest the hill, driving into town. It slowed down as it spotted Rowan, and the side door opened up. Mary's husband, Peter and one of her 3 sons were sitting in the front; the other two boys and Mary were in the seats in the back, squished in amongst a huge collection of stuff.
"Hey Rowan hun, I'm so sorry we're late, but packing was a nightmare." Mary said with an exhausted sigh. She had deep shadows under her eyes, and her hair was frayed, sticking out in all directions. She looked exhausted. Mary gestured for Rowan to climb in, squeezing over to make space on the seat. Rowan was hesitant, not exactly eager to spend the next day or two travelling in such confined spaces. But she stepped into the van anyway, squeezing down besides Mary, closing the door behind her. It was a long and bumpy ride, but Rowan participated in Marys' attempts at small talk in an attempt to pass the time
.
The afternoon stretched on, slowly painting the sky in golden hues as the sun dipped below the horizon. Finally, the van slowed as they entered a township. It was larger than Sumac city, although not by much.
"Oh no..." Mary gasped as she looked out the window.
"It's Coriander Town." Peter said with a grim face. "It's been hit by that damned thing." Rowan leaned over to look out the front window. Rowan could only stare in horror, at the crumpled piles of clothes, some catching on the breeze and blowing through the streets, almost like ghosts silently gliding across the road. Cars were everywhere. Some had their doors opened with clothes falling out of the seats, others had their windows smashed. There was one with the driver's side window shattered, and blood splattering the inside of the windscreen.
Mary's youngest son, Tom, began to cry, and she pulled him into her lap, shushing him gently. Rowan couldn't stop staring at the blood splattered windscreen, and the image burned into her mind, even after Peter navigated the parked cars and managed to slip out of the town.
Everyone sat in silence for a long while after that, watching as they passed the occasional empty car. Each person sat in silence with a different expression on their face. Mary and Tom were afraid. Peter and the oldest boy, Jon, were angry. Rowan just felt grim, worried and contemplative. The van slowed down again as Peter turned off the main road, pulling over into a small rest area. There was a public toilet here, with a picnic table and benches under a tree and a large, grassy clearing.
Rowan helped Mary with dinner while Peter de-capsuled two large and comfortable dome tents in the grassy clearing. Dinner was a simple, but satisfying affair, consisting of hearty vegetables and some pork sausages in a thick soup with a couple of slices of buttered bread. Conversation was minimal, with the reality of the situation still hanging over them. It was one thing to see the devastation on the news, but it was another entirely, to see the empty clothes with your own eyes, and know that the slaughter was truly real.
Mary, Rowan and the young Tom shared one tent, while Peter, Jon and Dillan shared the other. Rowan stared up at the domed roof of the tent, wide awake and knowing she would not sleep tonight. Despite how long the day had been, she couldn't stop thinking of the blood splattered windshield. She wondered who had been driving, and if they had seen their end coming. She could only imagine how truly terrifying it must have been for the victims, to be stalked by a ruthless monster, only to have that needle tipped tail pierce their flesh and drain their bio essence.
Rowan shuddered, not wanting to think about it. She closed her eyes, trying to force herself to get some sleep, but it was pointless.
A sudden ruffling of the bushes on the other side of the clearing caused her body to panic, the hairs standing on end and her heart to race. She froze, listening intently. There was a gentle breeze, but this wasn't the light ruffle of leaves, this was something heavy moving through the undergrowth.
She heard the sound again, moving slowly, surely, around the camp site clearing. Rowan swallowed the lump in her throat, looking across the tent at Mary and Tom. Tom was asleep, hugging his mothers' chest, her arms around him protectively. Both were fast asleep. Rowan forced herself to breathe, to think.
It's probably nothing. She tried to tell herself. An animal, attracted to the smell of food. Maybe one of those cute little dragons that live in the area? Or even a dinosaur. It doesn't necessarily have to be one of the Cells… She strained, keeping every fibre of her being tense, but motionless as she listened. She heard the footsteps this time, carefully moving over the dried leaves.
Okay, this is bad. She stared over at Mary and Tom again, wondering if she should wake them. No She decided. I can handle this… Maybe I can lure them away from Mary? But what if it's Seru and not the other Cell? He won't hurt them. But what if it is the other Cell? Will he kill me, or does he have the same pre-programmed instinct as well?
Rowan heard the footsteps moving again, closer, this time on the grass. She heard the very faint raspy grumble, and she was certain now, that it was one of them.
"Seru?" She whispered, barely, audible even to herself. The footsteps stopped and it felt like an eternity, before she heard his voice, a whisper, no louder than her own.
"Rowan." She finally let the breath she had been holding out and quickly sat up, trying to be as quiet as possible, she unzipped the tent. But no matter how slow she went, the noise sounded deafening.
"Mmm, Rowan, hun is that you?" Mary mumbled, lifting her head.
"Uh, yeah Mary. I'm just going to the bathroom. I'm sorry I woke you." Mary mumbled something in reply, before shifting her weight a little and settling down again with a heavy sigh. Rowan quickly stepped out and zipped the tent back up, looking around for Cell.
She could barely make him out; his natural camouflage was so good. He was stooped low, covering up the orange segments of his abdomen, hidden under the shadows of the tree. His eyes glinted pink in the star light. He smiled at her, and beckoned for her to follow him and she quickly jogged after him, as he turned and headed into the forest.
He led her a small distance away from the camp, to where a huge tree had fallen down long ago, creating a small clearing. He perched himself on a boulder opposite the huge downed tree trunk. Rowan clambered up onto the trunk, feeling the warm moss under her fingers. The trunk of the tree was huge, and it was wider than a small car.
The stars were bright, but it was hard for her to see him clearly, and all she could do was stare at the pin pricks of light reflecting from his nocturnal eyes. She shivered, wearing only her thin pyjamas. There might have been very little breeze, but the air was cool and she felt her teeth begin to chatter. Cell lifted his palm out, surprising her as a sudden ball of golden light appeared in his hand. He tossed it up casually above them, and it hung suspended in the air.
It was not a brilliantly bright light, although it did illuminate the clearing nicely. It was however, warm and she could feel it take the chill out of the air, stopping her from freezing. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, and as she looked at Cell, she gasped in shock.
Cell's face was crusted with dried purple blood from several huge gashes, and one eye looked swollen and tender. The gashes already looked like they were days old, closed and healing. There was another wound in the vulnerable orange of his abdomen that had also leaked a lot of blood, but it too looked mostly healed.
Her anger towards him had been a truly terrifying thing. It had flared and clawed at her insides ever since he told her the truth. But when she looked at him, saw him injured, saddened and caked in his own blood, her anger disappeared instantly, replaced only with concern.
She couldn't stop herself, sliding off the tree trunk and rushing over to where he sat on the boulder, taking his face in her hands as she inspected the wounds.
"Seru… What happened? You look terrible." His hands grabbed her wrists gently lowering them away from his face.
"It's nothing. I'm already healed. I just haven't had a chance to wash yet." He grumbled. Her face fell and she looked ready to start yelling, but she kept herself in check.
"Did Cell do this to you?" She asked quietly, her face full of concern. This surprised Cell somewhat, expecting her to be angry, not full of worry.
"Yes. He is unusual. He is more animal than warrior, and his fighting techniques are savage and primal. He was unpredictable, and I must admit, as shameful as it is, that I was unable to best him before Piccolo interrupted our fight."
"Piccolo? Who's Piccolo?" Cell frowned and sighed.
"He's a Namekian warrior, another alien." He started. "He has been on Earth for a long while. Originally he tried to conquer the world, but after he was defeated by Goku he now chooses to fight to protect Earth. He is a seasoned warrior, and his power is worthy of respect, even if he is an annoying irritant." Cells face fell into a scowl and he looked to the side in annoyance as he spoke the last few words.
Rowan couldn't help but smile at this.
"So… Does that mean Cell got away? Can you still beat him?" Rowan asked carefully. Cell turned back to face her, looking her in the eye.
"Yes he got away, No I cannot beat him in a straight up battle. He has since consumed a monstrous amount of energy, and I no longer carry the advantage." Rowan stared at Cell for a long time, studying his face. She knew it must have cost his pride dearly to admit his weakness, even to her. Although she wasn't a fool either.
She knew why he had come back to her now. He needed her. But could she give herself to him freely? She stared intently at the savage wounds across his face, and she reached her own resolute answer, although it was still hard to accept it.
"Have you eaten anyone, Seru?" She asked quietly. Cell frowned.
"No." It was a small answer, but she could hear the truth in it. She could hear the bitterness in it to. Cell matched her gaze, and the two sat in silence for a long while.
Rowan could feel the warmth of the energy from the small orb above her, and as she stood there, on the mossy, leaf covered ground, staring intently at the bloodied creature that was sitting perched on a rock, no more than a foot in front of her, she slowly came to accept things. Cell was a monster. He had been created with a terrible purpose, and an insatiable hunger to accompany it. But, he had also been her friend, shown her kindness and given her companionship for the past four years. Years that had been difficult on her as she had struggled to live with the fear of her fathers' wrath. She wondered for a moment, how things would be if Cell hadn't shown up when he had.
She pushed the thoughts from her mind, absently tucking the loose strands of hair behind her ear. A hungry light flashed in Cells' eyes, and she couldn't help the sudden flush of colour to her cheeks. She looked away from him, breaking the moment.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Your face is a wreck." She finally said. Cells' eyes narrowed, but he smirked, slipping from the boulder.
Rowan followed Cell, walking in his footsteps, as he led her through the underbrush to back to the camp. Cell stayed at the edge of the clearing, the golden ball of energy that had been following them, disappeared with a fizzing sound as the focus Cell had over it, disappeared. He stooped low, and almost completely vanished as his mottled green blended in with the undergrowth perfectly. A hand to the face hid his distinctive beak. Rowan walked back to the tent, glancing back at the two pin prick eyes before she unzipped the tent, crawling in.
She apologized to Mary who stirred again, but barely even registered the disturbance before falling back to sleep again. Rowan grabbed her backpack, and slid back outside, zipping the tent back up. She waited a moment, listening, and smiling as she heard Mary's snores, before she finally headed back across the clearing to Cell.
He led her in a different direction this time, the two walking in silence for several minutes. Finally, he stopped at the edge of a small creek. It was barely knee deep, and Rowan could jump over it easily, but the water was crystal clear, and running gently down the slight incline of the hill.
Rowan unslung her backpack and knelt down to rummage through it. She gave Cell a smile of thanks as he generated another ball of warm energy to hover over them. He turned to the water, squatting down and splashing the cold water on his face.
Rowan pulled out the small wash cloth she had packed, before heading over to Cell, placing her hand on his shoulder. He turned to face her, as she knelt on the leaf-strewn ground in front of Cell. She dipped the cloth in the icy cold water of the creek, soaking it, before she wrung it out. Gently, she dabbed the cloth at Cell's face, wiping away the blood. The gashes were mostly closed, but she could still see just how brutally the other Cell had attacked.
Cell sat on his haunches, his eyes focused entirely on Rowans' as she dedicated herself to her task. Her hand was gentle as she held one side of his face while the other wiped away the dirt and blood. When her cloth was dirty, she turned back to the water, rinsing it out, and repeating the process.
In the dim, golden light of the energy ball, with her focused expression and small, concerned frown, she looked to him, truly remarkable.
Cell lifted his hand suddenly to Rowans' face, and she started. She hadn't been expecting the sudden touch of his hand against her cheek. Without warning, he leant forward, pressing his mouth to hers in a tender kiss. He let her mouth go, only for a moment. Her face flushed with colour and she bit her lip, but she looked away, down at the bloodied cloth in her hand. He let his hand drop away from her face. They sat in awkward silence for a moment, before she turned back to the water, rinsing the cloth out again, and turning back to his face.
"You really shouldn't travel in a group." Cell said conversationally. Rowan looked him in the eye as she wiped the last of the blood from his bony cheek.
"Why not?" She asked, rinsing the cloth again.
"He can sense the energy of people. The more people, the brighter the energy will appear. He is attracted to dense populations of people, and is more likely to attack a group than an individual."
"And you know this because of experience?" Rowan asked, unable to completely mask the bitterness in her voice. Cell frowned.
"Yes. I only say this for your benefit Rowan. I don't want you to fall victim to him. He is an animal, running almost entirely on instinct. I doubt he would hesitate to attack you, if he saw you."
"You think he'd attack me? I was wondering…" Rowan's voice trailed off.
"I'm actually not sure. I don't know if the attraction to you is instinctual or not. It could be clever genetic programming. Or it might not. I don't actually know. Either way, it's safer to assume the worst with him." Cell said with a slight hint of colour to his cheeks. Rowan grinned as she wrung out the cloth.
"Stand up for a minute, please." She said, as she herself stood up. Cell obliged, watching her as she set to work on the dried blood from the wound in his belly. She put her free hand on his side to give her leverage as she worked. At least she didn't have to look him in the eyes this time. He was too tall when he stood up to his full height like this. She barely came up to his shoulders when she stood up straight.
"So you don't know if you're attracted to me, or my power, is what you're saying." She said after a while, resuming their earlier conversation.
"Hmm. Not quite. I know I am attracted to you for more than just your blood. But I don't know if the computer is responsible my original attraction. As in, if it's a genetic thing that stopped me killing you in the future, or if it was just because of the data I had on your mother." Rowan stopped cleaning the blood from Cell, and looked up at him with a strange expression on her face. He looked down at her, trying to read her.
"You… You were going to kill me?" She asked softly. Cell's face was grim as he thought about the Church, so many years ago.
"I was hunting when I stumbled upon you in the future. Your smell… Her smell," He corrected himself, "gave me pause, and I instead studied her from the shadows, until I could figure out what had stopped me. When I realized finally what it was, she had already discovered me. I no longer had the element of surprise, which was how I preferred to hunt and my desire to harm her was gone." Cell had lifted his head, looking up while he recalled his memories.
"And she stopped you killing people?" Rowan asked. Cell lowered his gaze back to hers, her face was still unreadable.
"She proposed the deal. I accepted it." He said simply.
"And that's it? You haven't killed anyone since?" Cell frowned.
"I honoured my arrangement with her. I did not consume anyone, while she lived." Rowan frowned.
"But then she died."
"Yes. And then she died." He said it simply, but his voice was full of a rawness Rowan hadn't heard before. She felt saddened, and she turned back to the blood that had settled between the ridges of his orange segments. She busied herself trying to clean it out. She didn't want to ask Cell what he did after she died. She didn't want to know.
"Seru, did you love her?" She asked quietly, after a long while. She didn't look up at him, felt his belly rumble as he sighed loudly.
He didn't answer though, and after a long silence, she finally decided she was done cleaning the blood, and she went to the water to rinse out the cloth. She stood up and after a while, she turned to look him in the face. He had his face turned towards the sky, his eyes were cold and hard, and his beak mouth was curled in a deep frown.
"Sorry, that was cruel of me to ask." She said softly. He closed his eyes for a moment, regaining his composure, before turning his gaze back to hers.
His hand found the side of her face, and he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. She blushed again, unable to stop herself. He lowered his face to hers slowly, closing his eyes as he kissed her tenderly.
Despite the huge conflict of emotion, she couldn't' deny she didn't enjoy the gentle warmth of his lips against hers, and she found herself returning the kiss. His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, pulling her into a deeper kiss. Her hands found their way to his chest, and his other hand snaked around her lower back.
It was a tender kiss, gentle and full of unspoken emotion. He finally let her mouth go, staring at her through half-lidded eyes. She couldn't stop herself from smiling and licking her lips. He tasted, surprisingly good.
He still held her in his embrace, feeling the warmth of her body against his own.
"Seru…" She began. He grunted in protest, kissing her again softly.
"Seru, wait a sec." She said annoyed, but without any real force behind it.
"What?" He kissed the top of her head, faintly smelling her strawberry shampoo, mingling with her natural smell.
"I have to tell you something, it's… It's kind of embarrassing." She mumbled. He hesitated, not wanting to lose the moment, but he was curious and he finally let her go.
"What is it?" He was genuinely intrigued. She blushed, struggling to look him in the eye.
"Well.. I'm um… I… Well… I've never actually gone all the way with a guy before." Her admission surprised Cell immensely.
"But you used to stay over at their houses." She shrugged, running her fingers through her hair and fidgeting.
"I used to fool around with them and stuff, but they always seemed so pushy about sex and so I was never really comfortable." She seemed so small, like a blushing teenager than a woman grown.
"Oh." He managed after a while. He thought about this revelation, thinking back to the future Rowan, and how she had been so at ease with sex, so experienced. It had been little more than business for her when she sold her body for the things she needed to survive. He looked at the much younger Rowan in front of him, she looked almost ashamed.
She was 21 now, a woman grown. She had dated a few men in the four years he had known her, although none of them had lasted long, he admitted. Still, he had assumed when she came home the morning after a date, smelling strongly of her arousing scent that she had in fact had sex. But he had never asked what had happened. His own jealousy would stop him, and he would ignore it and move on.
Cell could only stare at Rowan for a while, still reeling from her surprise admission. She looked down, hiding her face, and her obvious embarrassment.
"It doesn't… well… It doesn't really change anything, Rowan." Cell finally said. She still had her head bowed. He lifted his hand to her chin, gently lifting her face up. He used his free hand to brush the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, and lowered his face to hers, very gently brushing his lips against hers. He could feel her breath against his sensitive skin, and was surprised when she kissed his bottom lip, gently sucking on it.
The reaction his body had from that act was electric, and he felt his blood heat and his belly tighten. He kissed her then, passionately, and hungrily, pulling her into his embrace. She snaked her arms around his shoulders then, deepening the kiss with relish, accepting that she was giving herself to him.
The light from the golden orb vanished as Cell lost his focus. She didn't need the extra warmth right now anyway, he would keep her warm.
One of his hands wandered down her side, pausing at the belted jeans. She moaned softly into his mouth as they kissed, something that aroused him greatly.
He broke the kiss looking down while he unbelted her jeans. He slid one of his arms around her back, pulling her hungrily back into a kiss. His other hand slid under her jeans, finding the warm mound of flesh.
He employed all the techniques that the future Rowan had shown him, finding her groans of pleasure incredibly arousing. He finally stopped, sliding his hand from her pants, and breaking their kiss. He licked his fingers slowly, savouring the taste, and the deep flush of colour that spread across Rowans' face. He looked around quickly, surveying the area. The ground was mostly hard dirt littered with pebbles and dried pine needles. It would also be damp from the creek. He considered a tree, but they were ever greens with unpleasant bark.
Instead, Cell cupped his wings around his back, pulling Rowan down on top of him as he rolled onto his back. She gave a small yelp of surprise, but otherwise, didn't protest. He pulled her into another hungry kiss, one hand sliding under her jeans again, grabbing her rear firmly. She sat up in protest and he grinned, letting her rear go, and instead, sliding both his hands up under her shirt.
Her breasts were fuller and softer than the Rowan of the future, and Cell took great delight in their tenderness. Rowan moaned softly, her hands on his wrists as he teased her.
Finally she forced his hands away and she leaned forward, kissing him again. He pulled her jeans down, and she broke the kiss, to stand up, and quickly pull off her clothes, until she was naked in the star light. It might have been dark, but Cell could see every detail of her clearly.
Despite her arousal, she seemed nervous, as she straddled his hips. He lifted a hand to her face, stroking her cheek. She hugged his hand tenderly.
"This may hurt." He said quietly. She nodded gently, letting him guide her face back down to his own. He shifted his hips, finding where he needed to be. He kissed her tenderly, stroking her hair with one hand, while his other rested on her hip. He hesitated.
Rowan rolled her hips, forcing him to slide inside. She gasped, breaking their kiss. Cell groaned, feeling the immense tightness. He was afraid to move, giving her time to adjust. He could see her face tense as she tried to adjust to the pain.
Finally, she leaned forward, and he kissed her again, as gently as he could, he began to move. He felt her intake of breath as he slid out then back in. He could smell her arousal, as potent as it was, and her tightness, combined with how it had been so long; he knew he wouldn't last long.
Rowan began to move with him, rolling her hips to meet each of his thrusts with one of her own. She buried her face against his neck, and he held her tightly. She groaned against his neck, but he couldn't' tell if it was in pain or pleasure. He regretted his body for just a moment, knowing that he wasn't the best partner for a first time. He was not small and even though he was trying not to hurt her, he really couldn't help it.
He held her tightly as he climaxed, groaning as the intense pleasure made him tremble and all but paralysed him. He could feel his body reacting to her gift more violently than it ever had. His energy exploded outwards, in an uncontrollable burst. Cell held Rowan tightly to his chest to protect her from the blast as he fought to regain control over himself.
Finally, his golden aura died down and vanished, and he lay where he was, breathing heavily. He was still reeling, feeling his energy still rising rapidly and he fought to keep it contained inside his body. Rowan lifted her head up, her face flushed with pleasure and pain. She looked around them and broke into a grin.
"I take it you enjoyed that." She said softly. Cell managed to roll his face to the side, seeing the accidental destruction he had caused. He had created a clearing a good 100 feet in radius, toppling over the trees and stripping the land. There was no sign of the creek.
"Oops." He managed, still short of breathe. He turned his attention back to Rowan who leaned down to his face and gave him a gentle kiss. He let his head fall back to the ground as he finally caught his breathe and managed to bring his new power under his control.
"Did it work?" She asked softly, supporting her chin on his chest. He grunted and managed a small nod. He didn't trust himself to move just yet, and he was enjoying the moment.
"Are you okay?" He asked after a while. She smiled sadly at him.
"It still hurts a bit. But it wasn't bad." She said. Cell frowned.
"I'm sorry." She leaned forward, kissing him on the beak.
"Don't be, I still enjoyed myself." She said playfully. He let her go as she moved to get up. Cell watched her as she quickly dressed herself.
His senses suddenly twinged and he snarled.
"Damn it." He said angrily, quickly jumping to his feet. Rowan stepped back, her eyes wide.
"What?"
"Piccolo. He must have sensed my energy." Cell growled. He turned to Rowan, and quickly pressed his lips to hers.
"Thank you Rowan. I should have the power I need to deal with the Other Cell now. Please, take care of yourself." Rowan nodded, watching as Cell suddenly leapt into the new tree line on the other side of the huge clearing he had made. He was gone within seconds.
Rowan stared after him for a few moments, lost in thought. She screamed and fell over backwards as someone suddenly dropped from the sky in front of her. She had NOT been expecting that.
She stared up at him, her heart thundering. Dawn was just beginning to break, slowly turning the black into grey. She could see him clearly enough, a tall, dark green man with huge pointed ears wearing a turban and heavy-shouldered cape. He was visibly angry, a deep scowl on his face.
"What happened here?!" He demanded in a deep and gravelly voice. Rowan could only stare. He snarled at her.
"Quick, which way did the monster go?!" He roared angrily.
"Piccolo…" She said quietly, still stunned. His face turned stony.
"How do you know my name?" His voice turned deathly quiet and full of venom. Rowan cowered slightly under his un-nerving stare.
"He went that way." She said meekly, pointing past Piccolo in a slightly different direction to where Cell had actually gone. Piccolo whirled around to look at the tree line, glancing back at Rowan with a growl, before he blasted off in a blazing aura of silver, covering Rowan in dust.
Rowan sat where she had fallen over, staring at where Piccolo had disappeared. The sound of Peters' voice calling her name snapped her out of her daze, and she gathered herself up, dusting herself off. She was filthy and she knew she would have a hard time explaining that to the others.
She quickly started back towards the campsite.
Piccolo had questions he needed to have answered. But despite his need to know more, his urge to find Cell, was stronger. He knew he had felt the damnable androids power. He knew he must have missed him by mere seconds. Cells' power terrified him. Every time he sensed it, it was stronger, more potent. He cursed him silently; his eyes and ears scanning the forest below. It was no use trying to find him as he was exceptionally good at hiding his energy from detection, and even better at hiding his huge form from sight. But Piccolo still tried, straining his senses to their limits, scanning for any sign.
Minutes stretched on, and Piccolo doubled back several times. He had to be here somewhere.
Unless the girl had pointed him in the wrong direction.
"DAMNIT!" He roared, his fury fuelling his energy as flared around him dangerously.
But why would she lie? Why would someone protect Cell? No, he had to be around here somewhere.
Piccolo flew over the area one more time, but it was no use. Piccolo turned back to where he had sensed Cell, and found the girl standing in a huge clearing. Something Cell had obviously done. But why? And why was the girl still alive? Cell didn't leave survivors in the cities he visited. He wanted to know more, and he contemplated going after the girl, finding out what he could from her. She knew something.
By the time the sun had fully risen above the mountain ranges, Rowan was back in the van with Mary and her family. She had explained away her dirtiness by saying she had gone for a walk after no being able to sleep, and had fallen over a rock in the dark. She had suffered all of breakfast being reprimanded for her stupid behaviour of wandering off in the dark. She had endured it, to finally be left to her thoughts in the van.
Sitting was uncomfortable. She still sported tender bruises in sensitive areas, something that made her smile to herself. She thought about Cell, wondered if what she had done was enough, if he could overpower the other Cell and finally stop the senseless slaughter.
"I reckon by tonight we should be there. Maybe tomorrow morning at the latest." Peter said conversationally.
"I'll try to take a nap in the afternoon hun, that way we can swap over and drive through the night." Mary said with finality. Peter nodded.
Rowan was barely paying attention, her eyes drooping. She had gotten no sleep last night, and now she was horribly tired. She yawned, feeling herself drifting off as she leaned her head against the vans' door.
"SHIT!" Peter's sudden cursive and the squeal of the tyres as the van lurched violently brought Rowan from her deep sleep to a sudden full alertness. It was afternoon; the sun was high in the sky.
Mary started screaming as Peter started yelling. It was chaos, Peter ramming the van in reverse, flooring it. As the van roared in protest, Rowan looked out the window, her heart hammering in fear. She saw him, the huge green monster.
It wasn't her Cell. It was the savage monster that had ripped a gaping hole in the population of the Spice District. He was stooped forward, his tail arched over his back, a wicked snarl baring his fanged teeth. His eyes were cold, with incredibly thin slit pupils in a sea of reddish pink.
Rowan looked at Mary and the screaming Tom in her arms, saw the fear on the pale faces, and she made her decision. She unbuckled her seat belt, and tore open the side door.
"ROWAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Rowan had a powerful determination in her eyes.
"Run! Whatever you do, just keep going!" She yelled. Peter slowed down, turning the van around. Rowan seized her chance and jumped out.
"ROWAN!" Mary screamed, but Peter floored it. The other Cell roared, leaping forward with amazing speed. Rowan ran to intercept him, throwing her arms out, and stopping.
"STOP, CELL!" Rowan roared defiant. Time seemed to slow down suddenly, as Rowan realized Other Cell wasn't stopping, his claws outstretched, his tail poised to strike her. She shut her eyes tight, expecting to feel the stab, but she kept her arms out.
Nothing happened. Slowly she opened an eye, and quickly opened the other. Other Cell's face was dangerously close to hers, his eyes wild. His mouth was partially opened as he breathed heavily. His tail tip was so close; it was almost touching the exposed flesh of her neck.
Guess that answers if it's genetically encoded or not. She thought wryly, watching as Other Cell's lips curled back in a strange gargled snarl. His tail pulled back over his head, away from her throat. His face came close as he breathed, and she knew he smelt her. His focus was entirely on her in that moment. The unfocused, wild and somewhat dazed look in his eye made her realize that he was confused and stunned.
Great, now what? She thought miserably to herself. She tried not to move. If he is an animal, then if I run, that will definitely trigger his chasing instinct. I can't stay standing here though. Oh god, where's Seru, when you need him?
Other Cell's face leaned in closer. Rowan pulled her face away from him in disgust as he slowly slipped his tongue out, licking her cheek. Her taste earned her a deep rumble from deep in Other Cells' throat and a sort of grin. His tail lashed out behind him.
God I hope Mary and the others make it to safety.
Other Cell's eyes finally narrowed and his focus returned somewhat. He slowly circled Rowan, his tail tip coming dangerously close to her face. A threat, she realized.
Other Cell poked her then, hard, in the small of the back with his hand. She grunted, and stumbled as she fell forward. She turned around to face him. He was snickering. He jumped closer, pushing her again. She struggled to catch herself, falling to her hands and knees. She was getting annoyed now, and jumped back up to her feet. He was laughing now, his tail curling around his feet. He lunged at her again, but she stood her ground.
"NO!" She yelled. He stopped just shy of actually pushing her, his face falling from an amused laugh to an angry growl. He roared suddenly, loud and brutal, spittle flying in her face. His power surged in his anger, and his energy erupted into a golden aura.
His fangs were much larger and more pronounced than her Cells' were, she noticed. His beak was a little longer, and his head crest was more swept back. Even the speckled pattern that covered his leathery armour looked more like scales than it did the random pattern on her Cells'.
Other Cell brought his face to hers, the shiny black jewel in the centre of his head crest, touched her forehead, a sudden touch of ice, but she stood her ground, glaring dangerously back at Other Cell. She wouldn't back down. He would either kill her or he wouldn't. She was gambling everything on the genetic coding to protect her now.
Cell was so furious, his lips quivered and his tail thrashed angrily, smashing up the pavement on the road below. His clawed hands bunched into fists, and he drew himself up to his full height, making himself as intimidating as possible. Still, Rowan held her ground, glaring right back at him. Inside though, she was terrified, knowing that he could kill her effortlessly in a heartbeat.
The two glared angrily at each other for a long while, until Other Cell snapped, and jumped backwards, screaming in his fury. His tail smashed a giant pine's trunk in two, sending it falling backwards into the woods. It brought a smaller tree down with it, birds flying noisily into the sky in protest. Rowan started at the sound and sight, and Other Cell instantly stopped, his eyes narrowing at her. She had broken her resolve.
"Shit." She said, hesitating. Very slowly, his beak split into a menacing grin. Rowan felt all the hairs on her neck stand on end, and her adrenalin surge. She turned tail, sprinting for the tree line. Other Cell rushed after her.
Cell's eyes widened as his senses roared. Other Cells' energy had suddenly flared, and he was only on the other side of the ridge. He hadn't expected Other Cell to be so close, or…
Why is his energy flaring? Cell focused, trying to figure out who he was fighting. Is it the androids?! Cell thought, panicking. Wait… No, not the androids. There's a small energy source…
"ROWAN!" Cell roared, detecting the familiar energy, his golden aura erupting around him in a sudden burst. He was no longer concerned with hiding.
Piccolo felt the sudden flare of energy and he whirled around, staring at the source. It wasn't that far, maybe 5 minutes away. He snarled angrily, and burst off towards the source.
"This time Cell, you're mine!" He growled to himself. His senses snapped again and he stopped, staring in disbelief. A second burst of power… the energy signature was…
"Another Cell? There are two Cells?!" He bellowed in disbelief. The new power was potent and truly terrifying as it continued to rise. It was making a bee line for the first one. Piccolos' head swam with questions, and he tried to shake them off. His energy flared again, and he rushed towards the first Cell, knowing he would find both Cells there.