Surprise: Well, I decided to catch up with posting completely. This was the last chapter I had completed to this point (actually, I haven't started 8 as of now) and figured aw, heck, let them have it. Actually, handing this one out leaves less of a cliff hanger—although those of you who are trying to remember what will happen next can just go and read the original story. I believe this chapter coincides with chapter 9 on the original? I'm not sure—I forgot since this morning ;) Anyway, that's it from me. Enjoy your weekend!

Chapter 7: Reconciliation

I couldn't bring myself to say anything to her. Her last statement kept repeating itself over and over through my head and I couldn't understand why. I was complete—I had absorbed the humans I needed to gain enough strength to absorb Android 17. And then I was able to get 18. I was in my final form…my perfect form. I was the ultimate being, the best thing to ever walk the Earth. I had no flaws.

Yet…this pitiful little girl claimed I wasn't complete or perfect. She said I lacked…emotion. What the hell would I, Cell, need something so useless as that? Though after thinking of my own thoughts going through my head, if I asked myself why I would need it made her allegations possible….Preposterous.

"What, cat got your tongue?"

I focused my sight on her again since I had somehow blacked her out of the images in front of me.

"Well I'm not going to stand around until you decide to break out of your coma," she said and started to move away.

My arm instinctively jumped out and pulled her right back into the corner. I searched her for some sort of answer to my questions so I didn't have to ask her myself. But it seemed I was doomed to let her know that she had gotten me on this one. "I want you to explain to me why you believe I have no emotion."

"What the hell for?" she asked rudely.

"I want an explanation for your accusations," I said. "You say I have no emotion other than anger. Why say such a thing?"

"Because it's true; you don't have any emotion. The only thing on your mind is yourself. Everyone else around you either doesn't exist or you care nothing for them other than a good time if you take their lives."

"You are mistaken."

"No I'm not. Don't you start that 'I'm so perfect' thing again. If that's the only thing you can go on about, then what I've just said is true—you care for nothing but yourself."

"And what if I said I cared for you?" Why did I just say that? What in Hell pushed me to let that out? I hadn't even been thinking it and somehow, from somewhere it shot through my mouth before I had a chance to think it over carefully.

"You don't care about me."

"What makes you think that?" I said, trying to recover from my mistake.

"No, what makes you think that Cell?"

She was starting to pull me out of this odd trance I had found myself in. "I'm growing tired of you answering my questions with ones of your own, but very well. I've allowed you to live, haven't I? My amusement with you has grown to the point I want to get as much out of you as I possibly can. I care to see what makes such an average woman tick." What I had said was unlike me…I cared nothing about how a human woman ticked; not to mention the way I stated it was horrible. Thankfully, though, she didn't notice that end of it.

"That's a bunch of bullshit," she said with a slight laugh and I was inclined to agree with her. "It doesn't even make any sense! That's not how you should care for someone."

"I brought you to Nikki Town and allowed you to eat and bathe—that's care enough for me."

"Then obviously you were never 'programmed' with the emotions you claim you have. Caring for someone means you love them and want to protect them. It means that you'll do anything for them no matter what the consequences."

"This love thing you speak of is nonsense," I said truthfully. The word made me sick. "It's what makes people weak and vulnerable, which makes me all that more powerful."

"Which means you have no emotion," she finished. I let her walk away this time, and I remained in that position for several long moments after.

She had relocated herself as far away from me as the ring's size allowed. I returned myself to the center, as usual, and thought of how she claimed I was predictable. I took offense to that statement, but I let that lead to the result that she knew and understood nothing. I was the perfect being and no one could tell me otherwise. Foolish human girl…

However, in the very far distance I noticed a mass of objects moving towards my general direction—things in the air and on the ground. I squinted my eyes, focusing them to closely take in what was approaching. A smile curled on my lips the moment I realized that it was an army.

The closer the machines drew the louder they became, naturally, and eventually the girl woke up and jumped to her feet. Her eyes were wide, but I laughed at her as she jumped around, waving her arms and yelling hopelessly at aircrafts flying overhead to turn around and go back.

"Maybe they're here to rescue you," I said with a slight snigger.

"Shut up," she said and turned away to watch the mass of vehicles and more aircrafts swarm the area. I glanced up at one what I believe was called a helicopter by human terms, hovering in one spot with two men leaning out. Ah, they brought the media, I thought. How nice.

I looked around for the best place to relocate. Obviously these men were armed with many devices aimed at me and the last thing I wanted was destruction to what I considered my property.

"Look, all these men still playing with toys," I said out loud to myself. "Time to move, darling," I told her. I triggered a questioning glance from her, which is what I had aimed for, but she had no time to reply to me. I picked her up with both my arms and flew towards a plateau a few miles away. As I expected, the military turned and followed.

"What, are you scared they might get you?" She asked when I put her down.

"Please," I said. "I just don't want those idiots to ruin my ring."

She looked out towards the mobilized men coming towards us. "Cell, they're going to try to kill us!"

"I'm not worried," I said. If she thought these men could actually inflict even a fracture of damage, she needed to remember my little display I gave her earlier in our acquaintance.

"Maybe you're not, but I am! I can't survive an attack!"

I heard several clicks from the machines and soon missiles were flying towards us. I smirked lightly when the girl fell to the ground as if to protect herself. I had the urge to tell her she need not worry, but it would be a waste of breath. Instead, I simply applied my energy into a protective barrier that encircled both of us. The launches of whatever weapons those men threw disintegrated before they could even touch my barrier, since I was projecting enough heat to trigger them to detonate. One question, though, entered my mind as I patiently waited for the pointless attacks to stop. Did they not care that this girl was here? Of course they thought that all their military strength would take me down, but since I took her with me it would destroy her as well. This only solidified my thoughts on just how selfish humans were. One life meant nothing to them if they could save themselves. They were so very weak. No wonder why Dr. Gero created me.

I was able to multitask (something I hadn't been given much of an opportunity to do until now) when the plateau beneath us fell away. Easily enough I was able to suspend the girl from falling, all the while containing the barrier. Then finally, the men below gave up. The girl looked around as the dust started to dissipate. "I suggest you sit still for a moment," I told her.

Without a second thought of how to punish these men for their stupidity, I raised my arm back and gathered a decent amount of energy. A small smile creeping to my face, I gave the military one last glance before I whirled my arm around, sending a ki wave strong enough to remove nearly all traces of their existence, however leaving the landscape in tact.

The dust cleared fairly quickly this time and I looked around quite satisfactorily. It was all too easy; but I wasn't going to gloat about it up here. I grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her to stand up, but the creature fell up against me, her arms hugging my waist. A strange sensation flew through me and I was momentarily blinded by her accidental embrace that lingered for far too long.

I returned her…safely…to the ground where she looked around in horrified shock. I saw this as an easy exercise that would enforce my terror on the people of Earth—they shouldn't doubt me again.

"How could you…" she started.

"How could I what? Kill all those men? Easily," I explained. "No weapon in the human world is enough to even inflict a paper cut on me. Pathetic fools."

"You just killed all of them right before my eyes…"

"So I did," I said with a smile. "Aren't you proud that you witnessed my power and didn't have to be a part of the devastation? Oh, and wouldn't it count as a form of protection since I didn't let them harm you?"

"Is that what this is all about? Protecting me?" I noticed the silly display of water filling her eyes. "You're the pathetic fool—they had no power over you! Yet you still killed them unmercifully."

"If I hadn't they would've tried attacking to get to you," I retorted with a bit of frustration showing through. She was being far too selfish and disrespectful in my presence after I kindly saved her life. Did it not occur to her that they attacked me regardless of the fact that she was here too?

"And I wish they had!" She shouted. "At least I would've known I might've had a chance to get away from you!"

Out of nowhere, though, she took off. She turned on her heel and stomped her way back towards the arena…but then she broke into a run in a completely different direction. I was a bit surprised, honestly, which was probably why I remained still and watched her. She had totally lost her mind and tried running away from me.

The foolish girl didn't have a chance—she wasn't physically fit enough to get very far. She must have known this, but yet she still forced herself to go further and further. When it finally hit me, after a few moments passed and she was nearly an eighth of a mile away I went after her. A split second later I blocked her path.

Surprisingly enough though, she changed her direction and continued. I blocked her a second time and again she turned away. Unfortunately for her, though, she tripped over something and nearly felt flat on her face. This gave me enough time to not only block her, but catch her as she regained her footing. My hands clasped onto her shoulders, but she wasn't about to give up. Her fists came storming up and pounded relentlessly on my chest. I could feel a slight prickle from her attack, but she didn't seem to care that I felt nothing.

"You stupid, android," she blurted out and I knew that she was completely lost from the sanity she held before. And though she continued with her attempts to hit me I couldn't bring myself to stop her, to yell back at her or even get angry with her. My hands still held her firmly, but I decided to let her wear out—it was the best form of defeat.

"Let me go!" She yelled out. "Just let me go!"

I could barely understand anything else she said through her endless sobs, but as I figured she started to weaken. The burst of adrenaline was dwindling quickly and my hands automatically loosened so she could drop to her knees. I made no tilt of my head, but I looked down at her until she finally gave up and just sat still.

Her energy level reduced to practically nothing—she had exhausted herself in her attempts to rid any future dealings with me. Seeing her sitting helplessly at my feet, though, urged me to do something other than kick her away. I thought about it, yes, but something in the back of my mind kept me from acting out in this way. That same something in my head somehow willed me to bend down and pick her up; her head bobbed for a moment and then lay against my chest as I walked back to my arena. And all the while I argued with myself on how very wrong this had become. I had no idea what was happening to me…but whatever it was I didn't like it.