Hello guys, thank you for the review/follows/faves! Sorry for the long break in updating but I've been dealing with a lot of stuff lately ranging from work, life stuff, writer's blocks and little health issues. It might still take me awhile to post/update chapters because life and my schedule is a hectic and fickle thing. Sorry to inconvenience you guys but I'll try to be more consistent.
This chapter is going to be another long one but hopefully it won't disappoint. This one is also on the darker side and shows how much of an evil bastard Cell can be when he wants to be. I won't spoil too much and I encourage you to read on and see what you think. Don't be afraid to review either; I'm more than open and welcome to your thoughts and I will take constructive criticism happily. I promise I won't get butthurt and go into "über RAEG M0DE". But most of all, please enjoy!
Chapter 7 Red Waves
(the next day)
Sleep did not come so easily for the child. Her mother had slept soundlessly and motionlessly while she tossed, turned and could not find ease. Cixi's mind was running wild with fear and disbelief since her thoughts were centralized on Orey's desperate suggestion. All night, the little girl feared that the next day may very well be her last, especially if Orey did finalize with carrying out the final and ultimate escape plan. Normally, Cixi would seek comfort with her but at this time, she no longer felt as if she could trust her.
It was an hour before sunrise that she finally gave up on trying to sleep. At this point, it was all for naught. Cixi sat up on her cot and looked out one of the makeshift windows. It was still dark out and she could spot some stars pocking the sky but it also appeared that it was beginning to lighten with each minute that went by. The perpetual droning of the ocean waves still persisted as usual and Cixi was now used to the permanent background noise. Save for the sound of the sea, all was quiet yet she knew who lingered outside and she was not looking forward to even stepping out of the seeming safety of her beachside hovel.
Cixi glanced over at her mother, seeing that she was still fast asleep and in the exact same position she was in when she first lied down on her cot hours earlier. For as long as she looked at her sleeping form, she was reminded of the slap she was dealt yesterday. There was a bruise where the handprint once was but it no longer stung her anymore. It was more of an emotional wound than a physical concern to her anyway. The training she was forced to endure was what put a strain on her tiny body.
More than anything else, her knuckles still pained her and they were now crusted over and sore. Cixi could hardly clench her hands together to form a fist without feeling the wounds split open and ooze blood. Tiredly, she massaged her scabs and stood up onto her feet. She pondered between the only two choices she had; remain inside with her mother who urged that suicide was the way out or go outside where the bio-android lurked. It was perhaps the hardest choice she was met with for the day and at this point in time, she felt that she could not trust either of them.
Her eyes still remained on Orey while her emotions swelled up. Her heart screamed at her to stay by her mother's side since she was her sole companion and family member in this ruined world. Cixi wanted to stay with her more than anything else but she had struck her and it was becoming disturbingly possible Orey might end up killing her own daughter. Never did she think this would become a reality but when Orey had insisted death was the only way to escape Cell, the young Human knew her mother was not acting herself and possibly be going insane.
"I'm…" Cixi felt her throat constrict and her eyes burn. "I'm sorry. I can't trust you right now, Mommy. I have to get stronger to protect you. I won't let you die…"
Without uttering a single word, she made her choice. Sighing, Cixi tiptoed away from her mother's side and made her way to the curtained door. Silently, she pushed it aside and stepped out onto the sandy ground outside.
Her breath was stolen from her lungs when she surveyed her surroundings, spotting Cell in his usual spot on the beach. She knew he would be there but it still startled her to see him standing there quietly. What spooked her the most was that his back was not facing her and rather, he was looking right back at Cixi. She froze in her steps, looking a lot like a prisoner caught in a spotlight while trying to make a break for it.
"You're out and about again early, aren't you?" he said.
She had no idea what to say at first or what to do. Cixi made her choice and now she had to face the consequences. Talking to Cell was certainly one of those results despite her deep seated hatred of the bioengineered abomination.
"I can't sleep," she explained.
"You haven't rested much at all," Cell added. "Since I arrived from my little retreat yesterday, I noticed that something seemed off. There seemed to be some kind of tension or strife both you and your precious Mommy were going through."
Cixi chose to ignore his observation. All she did was continue to maintain eye contact with him and approach him. As far as Cixi believed and knew, he had no desire to kill her just yet. Although he had already explained to her why he chose to train her she got a hunch there must've been another reason or two as to why that was the case. As unbelievable as it was, she felt she could actually trust him more than Orey. At least he seemed to not be outrageous and distracted as she was.
"Quiet today too," he noted while flashing an arrogant smirk. "Have you accepted reality yet?"
"Yes," Cixi confided. She stopped a few feet away from his position.
Her eyes studied him from the top of his crest to the tips of his feet. Cixi would never admit it but he looked handsome and kingly. Since he was so evil and destructive, she expected him to look unforgivably ugly and monstrous but when she at long last encountered him, this was proven to not entirely be the case.
"You are smart for doing so," he said. "Your acceptance of your fate will also make your life easier."
Cixi still persisted in remaining as quiet as she could be. Averting her gaze from him, she brought her attention to her knuckles that throbbed lightly. There wasn't much she could say to him anymore. He was more than aware of how much she disliked him and she had unhappily accepted that she was going to become a warrior.
"Something troubles you, little one," Cell continued to press on.
"It's none of your business!" she snapped at him.
He snickered at her reaction, delighting in her becoming annoyed by his persistence. Cell took no offense to her curt reply.
"Ah, there's that fire," the android said in a mocking voice. "You ought to know better than to mouth off to adults. Your mother reminded you of that, didn't she? I saw that swollen cheek of yours when I came back. But I will not strike you for that…I would kill you if I did." Cixi growled in annoyance. She continued to ignore him and she refused to look him in the eye. "Do you want to tell me why she did that? It is not like your dear mother to hit her precious daughter without some sort of serious provocation."
"It's my problem, not yours," Cixi snapped as she decided to remain stubborn. "You're not my family member so it's none of your business!"
"It very much is of my concern. Look at me, Cixi."
For a few seconds she delayed his command. Then she obligingly lifted her head up, to stare back at him. There was no condescending or amused grin on his face. He appeared to be totally serious and commanding.
"I told her 'no'," she told him. "That's all that happened."
"Okay, well I have a good reason to believe there's more to the story than just that," said Cell.
"Why do you care?!"
She raised her voice loudly when she presented him with that question. Cixi felt as if he was torturing her by insisting on identifying the source of the strife he sensed between her and her mother. The child had no desire to tell him what had happened but she felt that he would not give up until he had an answer. The memory of that tense and difficult moment replayed in her head and she was starting to soften before Cell.
Cell was determined to not relent. It was obvious to him that whatever was on her mind could prove as a distraction to the progress of her training. He would not take kindly any disruption, especially if it was on Orey's part. Already, he was becoming weary of her interference and she had only been residing on the island with him for a few days. He was also irked that she had struck Cixi; it was possible that Orey could end up killing her child in a fit of rage if she had hit her too hard. If that had happened, Orey would certainly pay a hefty price for that offense.
"To be entirely frank, I don't," he said. "But what does concern me is that it is distracting you and that affects your progress with your training. So please, don't be shy…do tell me. Besides your mother, I am your only other companion. I know how much Humans crave companionship and contact with other souls so I encourage you to speak. You will be spending the rest of your life with me anyway."
It was then that she was suddenly struck with an idea. Cixi hated it at first but the longer she dwelled on it, the more tempting it became. If she did disclose to him that Orey had urged her to escape him via suicide, she and her mother would be saved. Cell would most likely prevent it from happening and Orey's plan would be foiled.
"Can you make a promise?" she wondered if it was even worth asking him.
Cell blinked. He raised a brow in curiosity.
"Maybe I can," he replied.
"Promise me that you won't hurt her." Cixi folded her hands together in a pleading gesture. "Don't hurt her, please…"
His intrigue grew upon hearing her words. Along with that intrigue, he felt his suspicions surface. Cell had a gut feeling this was no light and trivial matter. He believed that his attention may just have been needed by her.
"What did she do?" his gaze intensified. He wrinkled his nose. "Tell me right now. I have no more patience and you have fully caught my attention."
"She wants to escape," Cixi said. She began to cry. "She wants me to escape with her. She said there was no other way. I'm afraid and I don't know if she'll end up hurting me. She wants us to die so we can escape!"
Unexpectedly, Cell found himself slightly shocked by her revelation. He knew how much Orey had loved and treasured Cixi and to hear that she had considered suicide and pressuring her daughter into the act had caught him off guard. His eyes widened a little as he processed her words, disbelieving that Orey would really consider putting such a plan into motion. Cell also could find no reason why Cixi would come up with such a story if it was in fact a lie. To him, it was all just too strange to be dismissed or ignored. There was too much fear in her voice and her tears were too real in his opinion; this was no act she was putting on. The android knew of the child's contempt towards him but she had set it aside temporarily since she feared her mother would do the worst in their greatest and most desperate hour. The very fact Cixi went to him and told him this convinced him that Orey was determined to carry out her deathly plot.
"So you come to me for help," he said, frowning and raising a brow at her.
"Please," the younger female begged. "Please, you have to help me! She's not thinking right and I don't want her to do this! I'm afraid! She won't listen to me… Stop her from doing it!"
"What else did she tell you?"
"Nothing! She wants us to die, that's all I know! I don't want to die and I don't want her to kill herself!" Huge tears were streaming from her eyes now and there was no sign that she was going to be stopping anytime soon. Cixi tried to wipe away what tears she could but they were quickly replaced by more. "Ever since I killed the man, I saw that I'm stronger than Mommy now. But I can't hurt her!"
Cixi was still completely ignorant of the relationship she shared with Cell but the android himself was mindful of that connection. The few days he had spent with her and Orey on the island was the longest he had even interacted with both females but he had watched and monitored them from afar for nearly a decade. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Cell had discovered a possessive mindset he developed particularly towards the child. She was his daughter and in his mind, he alone dictated what would happen to her and how it would go about. Upon seeing that Orey settled on taking their offspring from him permanently, he became increasingly angry with each second that went by. To him, it was simply unacceptable. She was intentionally attempting to sabotage and impede his schemes as she always tried to do and at this point, it had gone on far enough.
"I have had it with that woman!" He thought to himself. "I thought I was capable of breaking her stubborn will but I see that I cannot. Perhaps she is too stupid and bullheaded to quit… All I know is that she has gone far and she has tried my patience for the final time. I was going to kill her further down the road when Cixi became stronger but for as long as I let her live, she will continue to disrupt my plans and make my life unnecessarily difficult. I may just have to kill her earlier than planned. She shortened her own longevity by attempting to coerce Cixi into suicide. She is sorely mistaken if she thinks she can interfere with my machinations and deny me of my wishes…"
Lightning began to spark and crackle around his body for as long as his anger built up. His power started to leak to the surface and his cold gaze fell upon the shack where Orey still slept.
Cixi's eyes widened immensely, completely taken aback that electricity seemed to be magically emanating from him. She took a step back and stared at the tall, green humanoid with awe. She knew he had to have been powerful if he could destroy the world and travel to other planets to destroy them but when she saw a miniscule sample of that strength, she had no idea what to think.
"Of course, Cixi," he said in a surprisingly calm voice. "I will help you. I won't let her lay a harmful hand on your little head." His eyes then fell upon her. The electrical field dissipated as he lowered his power level. "I'm very sorry you can no longer trust your own mother and that she had placed such fear into your fragile and impressionable heart. What kind of mother does that to her child?"
"Cell?" she trembled as a horrible feeling developed in the pit of her stomach.
"Yes, little one?"
"Please, don't hurt her… I love her. You just need to tell her she can't do it and she'll listen."
"Listen to me very carefully, Cixi." He paused for a few seconds, making sure she had his complete attention. "Your mother is trying to kill you. She's not thinking right and she is a danger to you and herself. For as long as she is alive, she may try to kill you again even if I stop her and let her go. You cannot trust her. You see, unlike her, I want you to live. I will not kill you. You may believe that your dear Mommy is an angel but I can promise you, she is not as pure and wonderful as you think she is."
"You're evil! You've killed so many people and you never felt sad for doing it!"
"But here you are, imploring me for help. Besides your mother, I am the only other person in the universe that holds any sort of sway in your life. Your mother yearns to kill herself and pressure you in joining her because she wants to escape me. You do not want to die and I have said that I will stop her from carrying out that plan. Little one, you have no one else to turn to and trust. However…you are more than welcome to place your trust in me. I will not abuse it. The training I am subjecting you to will make you stronger and in time, you will be stronger than many others."
Cell saw an opportunity in winning her over and he was seriously considering utilizing it. If he did it, she would not be restrained by the bond she and Orey had and she would be even more compliant with the training. The beauty he saw in this situation was that he would not even be required to lie. There would be no need to weave an elaborate and intricate web of lies that would mask the truth.
"Cixi," he continued, "contrary to what you may believe and what lies your mother has been feeding you since you could first walk and talk, I am indeed speaking the truth. True, your mother does love you and I cannot tell you she does not. But, she is also lying to you. She has been doing it all this time because she believed it was for your own good. That is not the case and instead, it is making you confused and conflicted."
"What are you talking about?!" Cixi never felt more alone in her life than at that moment. She was afraid of turning to her mother for comfort and safety and now she was faced with the choice of placing her trust into the creature that had ruined the Earth. "She would never lie to me! You're the one lying! Please, just make her stop! Don't kill her, talk to her! We'll talk to her together!"
Cell let a small smile grace his face. He set a hand on the crown of her head. His fingers sifted through her black hair, massaging the top of her cranium.
Instantly, Cixi ceased her pleas and froze up as soon as he placed his hand on her skull. She had half expected him to crush it effortlessly with it but to see him caress her caught the child completely off guard. Cixi did not stir or attempt to distance herself from him. Instead, she found herself becoming more mellowed for as long as he kept on stroking her. What surprised her was that he was amazingly gentle despite his infamous and deadly reputation.
"Don't worry," he said as he still maintained the soothing strokes of his hand. "You have nothing to fear from her. I will sort this situation out. Trust me, Cixi, better days are ahead of you."
"How am I not fully Human?" the little Earthling didn't even know where that question came from. She remembered he had told her that earlier and that had sent her into a fevered panic. "And how do you know us so well? Mommy said you absorbed her students when you first appeared but I don't know…"
Cell's hand moved from the top of her head to her mouth. He set the tip of his thumb on her lips, wordlessly silencing her. His smile still remained.
"Do not trouble your mind anymore that it already is," he said. "It is all so unnecessary." Then he removed his thumb, trusting her that she would listen and ask no more questions for the time being. "We will wait for your mother to wake up and then we will talk to her about this issue. I promise that I will not kill her."
Cixi felt a massive amount of relief when he said that he would not end Orey's life. She was only happy that the problem was going to be solved.
"Thank you…" she murmured. Cixi sat down on the sand at his feet.
"No, I won't kill her," Cell finished what he wanted to say to the privacy of his mind. "I'll just scare her so badly that she will never even consider such an idiotic escape plan again. I'll remind her who is in charge."
(…)
Her daughter was not beside her; that alone made her heart start to race.
"Cixi, honey?" she softly called out.
Orey sat up on the cot and looked around the building. The child was nowhere to be seen which meant that she could be in only one other possible place. Luckily, she could not hear any anguished screams coming from Cixi. Instead of that, she heard nothing except the pounding of the waves. Although she heard no wails and cries, the inactivity made her fret and stress and caused her mind to run wild with all sorts of possibilities and scenarios.
"Cixi," Orey called for her daughter again.
As she almost half expected, there was no reply. She'd need to step out of the structure and head outside. The woman forced herself to try to calm down and not let herself become too overwhelmed; if suicide was not going to take her, a heart attack was the next best candidate.
Orey left her cot and walked over to the makeshift, cloth door. She pushed past the curtain and treaded upon the sand. Her eyes looked ahead, expecting to see Cell standing in his seemingly permanent spot but he was nowhere to be seen. Her daughter continued to remain elusive and invisible to her on the other hand and it was starting to worry the widow more and more.
"Where is she?!" she yelled. It appeared that she was left alone on the godforsaken droplet of land in the middle of the sea but Orey could feel his presence. It was an unmistakable sensation and the air around her was tense and almost difficult to breathe in. "I want to see her!"
Breathing more heavily with each second that went by, Orey jogged off to the grove of palm trees that sat off to the right of the shack. She meandered through the slender and almost lanky trees then made it through the other side of the cloister of flora. Orey nearly tripped over a coconut or a fallen palm branch once or twice in the process but emerged unscathed.
On this side of the collection of palms, there was a rocky shore. The water pounded off the boulders loudly, even more so than it did on the sand on the eastern side of the isle. Stray sea water sprayed onto her face and into her eyes as she stood along the rugged, slippery precipice. She looked down into the shallows below her, seeing a small patch of corals and some unidentifiable yet vividly colored fish swimming amongst the living rock. If she had not been held here against her will and under such horrifying and nightmarish conditions, perhaps she would be enjoying what was before her.
"Cixi!" Orey called out once more.
She climbed atop a rock so she could get a good look of her surroundings and locate her beloved daughter. Fortunately, when she did this, it did not take her long to catch sight of the little girl. Orey spotted her hunched by a small pool of water and gazing into the little bowl it was crafted from in between two rocks.
Cautiously climbing down from the slick boulder, the elder female hustled over to where Cixi sat. She nearly slipped a few times on the damp rocks and she almost wanted to curse the child for choosing such an odd and risky place to run off to. The soles of her feet were jabbed by the rocks beneath her and she was receiving small, bloody cuts as a result of this venture. The salt water had also stung and sterilized her open wounds, albeit painfully, but she pressed on with approaching her daughter.
Cixi finally noticed her mother's presence when she was only a few feet away. Fearfully, she shrunk back from her and scooted away from Orey as she came closer. Earlier, she was looking into the pool of water, observing a small group of tiny fish that had been trapped when the high tide retreated a few hours earlier. Now she was studying her mother, wondering if she still had her mind set on death.
"Cixi, what are you doing out here?" Orey pressed. "Don't you realize it's dangerous? You can fall and split your head open!"
"You needn't to plague her with any inquiries," Cell unexpectedly spoke.
Orey looked over her shoulder, spotting the bio android alighting onto the rocks alongside the Humans. His arms were folded across his chest and there was a heavy frown on his face, marring his charming and fair features. Cell's magenta eyes peered directly back into her blue orbits, sending a chill down Orey's spine and making her subconsciously tense up in intimidation. It was obvious to see that he appeared to be quite angry. More than once, she faced him while being incensed and she managed to live so Orey was confident that perhaps he was just in a grumpy mood for some reason that she did not care about.
"What?" she hissed. Her eyes narrowed at him venomously.
"You shouldn't be asking me any questions either," he replied. "Instead, I have some questions for you."
"You might as well… It's not like I have any place to go to."
His stare hardened and he gritted his teeth. A low growl elicited from his throat and Orey very briefly thought about abandoning her defiant and rebellious stance and outlook.
"Cixi," Cell addressed the young Human, "how are you feeling?"
"Scared," she said almost instantly.
"Keep her out of this," the woman asserted. "Whatever is going on, it's between the two of us."
"She is involved in this matter," he corrected her. "Cixi is the only reason why I am talking to your right now."
Suddenly, she became very worried for Cixi. Orey turned around and took a few steps closer to her. A firm and strong hand then clamped down on her shoulder and pulled her backwards. She barely had time to process what was going on before she was then turned around to forcibly face Cell. That same hand then cupped her face, pressuring her to look him directly in the eyes and focus on nothing else.
"Do not touch her," he snarled.
Cixi hid her face in the palms of her hands as she refused to look at what was happening. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rocked back and forth in her spot.
"W-w-what is g-going on?!" Orey stuttered. "L-let me go!"
"You are not going anywhere," said Cell. "You are a threat and you must be dealt with accordingly. Your child came to me this morning and told me that you proposed a most heinous and cowardly escape plan to her. She was terrified out of her mind and the sad thing is, she came to me for protection and help. Typically, our roles would be dramatically reversed but you could imagine my surprise when she told me what you wanted to do."
Earlier, she was completely ignorant and clueless of why he was angered with her but now she knew of the source. Cixi had informed Cell that she planned on committing suicide. It made sense considering Cixi was opposed to her plan and had said she would not do it. But what really shook Orey to her core was that her daughter had flocked to the destroyer's side and did not appear to trust her mother anymore. As the reality sunk in, she felt horribly burned by this betrayal. Her heart thumped hollowly beneath her sternum and she wanted to cry but she could not.
"Cixi…" she choked out. Her gaze was still glued onto Cell's sneer. "Why did you do it? Don't you want to escape this Hell?!"
The girl did not answer her mother nor did she remove her hands from her face. She remained silent and unmoving save for the subtle rocking motions she was doing on the ground. More than anything else, she just wanted to tune out everyone and everything. Cixi only focused on ignoring all over their words and busying herself with thinking about nothing.
"I am most shocked by what you planned to do," Cell resumed. "What sort of mother coerces her own child to accept death as an escape? Tell me, Orey…did you plan on killing her and then yourself?"
"What kind of father terrorizes and abuses his child and tries to force her to become something that she is not?!" Orey screamed, countering his rhetorical question. "Answer me that, Cell!"
Without warning, he levitated up into the air, bringing her up with him. Orey flailed around in his superior grip but it did nothing except give her more discomfort. Cell flew about four hundred feet away from the shore and closer to the deeper waters.
Upon hearing her mother's struggles and distress, Cixi at last looked up. He had promised her he would not kill her mother and now it looked like he was going against his word. She scrambled across the rocks and only stopped when she saw she could go no further. Cixi could swim but she did not trust herself in the turbulent waves and she could not fly after him to rescue her mother.
"What are you doing?!" she wailed. "You said you were going to talk!"
Cell paid no heed to her words. He lowered himself down a little so that he hovered about ten feet above the water's surface. Then he raised one of his fingers and began to cut Orey with an onyx colored fingernail. She cringed from the pain of the slicing but he pressed on, making a long slash from the upper right corner of her hairline just above her ear, down to the corner of her lip. The green android drew his finger away from her face and flicked his finger, allowing some droplets of her blood to fall into the seawater below.
"You seem to forget that I and I alone hold the decision of whether you live or die and at what time," he coldly chided her. "I will remind you who is in true control of things."
He dropped her into the cerulean colored water as she still screamed. She submerged and then came back up a few seconds later. Her wound continued to seep blood and ran into the water. The droplets of the red fluid began to disperse and diffuse, spreading it through the seawater.
Cell kept his eyes peeled for anything that would break the surface. He had given her that cut for a reason. In truth, it was a gruesome dinner bell of sorts.
"Mommy, swim!" Cixi caterwauled. "Swim! Get out of the water!"
Thankfully, Orey could swim but the waves had forced her under more than once, making her spit out water and rub her eyes to combat the irritation the salt caused. She ignored the icy stare Cell was directing to her and started to swim back to the treacherous shore.
"I put you in this situation and now only I can remove you from it, Orey," he uttered. "You seem to think that you alone control your ultimate, earthly destiny. You think that you can undermine my will and wishes. The only thing you've managed to do, in reality, was anger me and make things worse for yourself."
Orey persisted in disregarding all his words and instead focused on swimming to where her daughter eagerly waited for her. She took no spare moments to gaze down at the various corals she was swimming on top of. At the back of her mind, she had a nagging feeling that she knew why he had cut her and dropped her into the sea. She picked up her pace and moved at a quicker pace now. More than anything else, she did not wish for Cixi to witness her dying a horrible, bloody, violent death at the jaws of a maritime predator if she truly were to die on this day.
"Oh, I would hurry if I were you, Orey," Cell said almost in a bored tone. "It seems as if a fin broke the surface about a hundred feet away from you. No doubt the beast caught the scent of your blood. Isn't it interesting and almost commendable that a shark can detect a few drops of blood from great distances? They can detect it from a few miles away and I'm sure there are more around here who may want to join in on the feeding frenzy." He chuckled throatily and a twisted smile formed on his face. "You have yearned for death…but is this fate what you want? Do you really want your child to watch you be torn to pieces by sharks? That would truly be a traumatic and horrific last memory of her mother that she would carry with her for all time."
For a fleeting second, Orey dared to look over her shoulder. It took her a moment to locate a fin that was coming straight for her like a heat-seeking missile. Her heart nearly leapt up and out her throat and she screamed briefly upon seeing it approaching at a rate that greatly worried her. Once more, she quickened her pace. The splashing she was making was becoming increasingly frantic which enticed the curious shark even more.
Cixi could scarcely believe her own eyes when she saw a something closing in on her mother. Her color had completely drained from her face and she nearly tumbled off the rocks and into the water. Cell had promised he would not kill Orey and here it seemed as if he was going to allow her to become nothing more than a morsel to a shark. Orey was still about two hundred feet away from shore while the shark was about seventy feet away from its potential prey.
She could suddenly feel that increasingly familiar influx of strength and power scintillating within her for as long as she watched her mother struggle. Her jaws clenched together and her fingers dug into the rocks. The very real possibility of her own safety being compromised if she dove into the water no longer meant anything to her as she was driven to protect her parent once more. The threat of a shark didn't even phase her and she just hoped that if she could kill a man by striking him in the neck with one powerful punch, it would be enough to scare the fearsome fish away.
"Mommy, keep swimming!" she called. "I'm coming to save you!"
Before she could even put the tips of her toes into the water, Cell acknowledged her presence. His eyes narrowed at her.
"You stay right there!" he ordered.
"Save her!" she yelled back at him. "You can't let her die! You promised me!"
"Cixi, if you do not want me to become extremely cross with you, you will stay where you are!"
"I won't let her die!"
She disobeyed her cruel mentor and leapt into the salty water. Cixi broke the surface after disappearing beneath it for a few moments. With adrenaline and fearlessness saturating every cell and fiber in her body, the determined youngster swam on. No fear of Cell or the shark was enough to deter her from carrying out her mission to protect her beloved mother. Her father had been lost six years ago to a band of ruffians and there was no way she was going to lose another parent to a violent and unhappy doom.
"Stubborn, stupid child…" Cell growled between his clenched teeth. "Where did she get that recklessness from?! And that defiance that she still clings to is infuriating!"
The shark closed in on Orey and it was now a mere thirty five feet away from her. The woman still remained shy of the shore and she almost halted her fevered swim upon seeing her daughter jump in to her rescue. Desperately, she floundered around to try to make it to her daughter and lose the oceanic hunter. It was obvious to her that Cell was going to leave her at the mercy of a pitiless and animalistic killer and it may have also been possible he would allow Cixi to suffer the same fate since she had failed to heed his command.
"Cixi, get out of the water!" Orey pleaded. Her eyes were bloodshot from the saltwater and her profuse crying. "Forget about me! You can't save me! I've lived thirty years longer than you have and I refuse to let you die at such a young age!"
"Swim, Mommy, swim!" the little girl entreated her.
Cixi only swam when it was necessary a few times in her whole life and as the water became deeper, she was becoming intimidated. Yet she kept her head above the surface as best as she could and continued on. Though she did not want to die, especially for the reason her mother had proposed yesterday, Cixi was more than willing to put her life on the line to save Orey if she was in danger.
"The sentimentality of Humans…it is their greatest strength and fault." Cell said to himself. He still hovered the ten feet above Orey's position and he carefully monitored both females and the shark that was closing in. "Though I am no great lover of their kind, I must give them credit for their zeal, determination and bravery especially when it comes down to those they cherish. While their bodies may be so easy to crush, it is not as easy to maim their spirits…much like the Saiyans. No more scare tactics for today."
The shark was now so close that Orey could see its black, lifeless eyes staring back at her. Her wound was still oozing blood and trickling into the water which encouraged the creature to press on. Its interest had been wholly captured and its primitive mind was set on one thing and one thing only; food. Its jaws began to part a little wider, displaying its rows of sharp, white, serrated teeth that were poised to bite into her and rip out a massive chunk of flesh. One bite would be enough for her to bleed out and perish before she could make it to the shore.
Cixi refused to give up and she remained relentless in her quest to save Orey's life. Both of the Humans had ignored Cell, seeing that he would allow the morbid spectacle to unfold and allow them to watch one another with anguish.
Orey had stopped swimming and was ready to forfeit her life. Her wish for death would be granted after all but now that it was upon her, she was horrified and no longer longed for it. But now, there was no time for regrets. Cixi would be left alone in the world with no one to turn to except for the uncaring and narcissistic android. She had failed in shielding her from Cell and her kind, innocent daughter would be transformed into a bloodthirsty, wicked demon.
The shark was now no more than three feet away from her. Suddenly, a foot had appeared out of the corner of her field of vision and had forcefully rammed into the shark's gills. A spray of blood erupted from the gills, splattering onto her face and temporarily blinding her as it went into her eyes. The shark then careened towards the sea floor twenty feet below all the while leaving a cloud of red in its wake. It crashed to the bottom where it settled and did not rise to the surface. Its blood continued to pour into the water, clouding her view of the slain creature.
Before Orey could properly process what was going on, she felt a hand grab her by the scruff of her shirt, lifting her from the water. She then found herself hovering above the sea and moving to Cixi's position.
Cell lowered himself so he could grab the child and he hoisted her up as he had done to Orey. Once he had both of them secure in his grip, he flew over to the middle section of the tiny island where the modest shack sat. Before he could have his feet touch the ground, he dropped his captives, making them land roughly onto their rumps. A second later, he joined them on the solid ground.
"I hope you learned your lesson, you insane woman," Cell scowled at Orey. "I am in control of things, not you. How much longer must I bend and twist your will before I utterly break it and have your full consent?"
Orey could say nothing in reply to him. She sat drained on the ground as she wiped the blood from her eyes.
"You mean you weren't going to let her get eaten by the shark?" Cixi questioned. "You were going to save her?"
"Like I said, I am in control of everything," the mighty android reminded her. "I kept my promise to you that I would not let her die. I let her get close to death to frighten her so she wouldn't ever try to escape me through suicide again." His eyes hardened at her. "As for you, I told you to not get in that water and you didn't listen. Would you care to explain that?"
"I-I love my Mommy. I thought you knew that…"
"Of course I knew that! I just can't believe you used that as the excuse for your brash and foolish action. Do you realize you could've died?" His arms folded across his chest. "I need you alive, Cixi. I don't need you torn to pieces and reduced to a red pool in the water. Did your mother not teach you obedience?"
"She did…"
"Then act like it! When I tell you to do something, you do it without question. You ought to listen to me as if I am your father now."
"But you're not my Daddy! He died when I was very little!"
He then glowered at Orey, pressuring her to jump in on the conversation.
"Cixi, do it," she said almost inaudibly. "Please, don't argue."
"I have to listen to him as if he was Daddy?" Cixi deduced with confusion in her voice. The very thought sent shivers down her spine and made her feel sickeningly uncomfortable.
"Yes, you have to."
She didn't tear her gaze from Cell. Despite this, she was still not going to tell the truth to Cixi. Undoubtedly, she knew it would tear Cixi's soul to pieces and make her hate herself. She would also curse Orey for lying to her for all these years. It was inevitable that the dreaded day would come but she would try to put it off if she could. There was also the chance Cell himself would break the news to her but due to her dislike of him, Cixi may not necessarily believe his claim.
"Alright then, crisis diverted and problem solved!" Cell announced triumphantly. "I think you've learned your lessons today and we've established some truths amongst ourselves. Oh and you're very welcome for the help, Cixi. I must thank you for bringing the matter to my attention. I believe it will no longer be an issue for us to be concerned about. Perhaps we will laugh about it within a few years or so."
Though his tone seemed jovial, calm and somehow personable, Orey knew that he was still seething with ire towards her. When he had ceased talking, his stern, grievous stare fell upon her again.
"Try it again, woman," he warned her. He had established a telepathic link with Orey so that Cixi could not participate in on it or hear. "I was merciful to you this time. But if you abuse my kindness and try to pull another stunt like that again, you will not be so lucky. Do not ever lay a harmful hand on her again either. I know what you did to her when I left."
"Cell…" she tiredly said back to him. "You seem to forget that a huge part of me died when I first met you in the school. I'm already marked for death and destined to die. You're only beating a dead horse."
"What dead horse still has feelings? What dead horse clings to life for one reason and one reason only?" An evil smile usurped his frown. "You are still alive and well because I did not kill you yet. Rest assured, it grows closer each and every day."
