Everyone, thank you for your reviews/faves/follows. But most importantly, thank you for your patience. I know it has taken me awhile to post a new chapter and I apologize. I had a hard time writing this chapter and I think it shows. I've been busy with life things and I've had ideas with other stories so that hindered things a bit for me too. I'm hoping the next chapter is easier for me to write and post. Thank you and please read and enjoy!

Chapter 27 Retribution

(Kaze residence – 11:30pm)

It had been many years since Orey had last felt so at ease and placid. In fact, she almost couldn't remember when she last felt so happy and perfect. It was as if she was living in the past and the future hadn't ever come into fruition. Laughter, family and good food raised her mood and made her spirit soar in joy.

She had been welcomed warmly into Tori's household. Since her reveal as Basil's long lost daughter, she was all the more received well. She was guaranteed safety, a bed to sleep in, bountiful food and beloved company. The woman almost forgot about her previous captivity and the twisted jailer. If she could maintain this for as long as possible, she would do so. Already, Orey had no desire to go back to the island she resided on. This was a paradise.

Yet at the back of her mind, something lingered. It needed to be done. She needed to tell her father the truth about everything. He was still completely in the dark about the true nature of things. She loathed saying these things to him but in her mind, her father deserved the truth. For his own good and possible welfare, Basil needed to know about her dark burdens.

Her gracious hosts had gone to bed. Sleet was off training in the forest. The farm was totally silent and most of the animals had drifted off into slumber as well. She could hear the faint whinnying and snorting of a random horse or the clomping of its hooves but nothing else. Crickets and katydids sang and a soft, gentle breeze danced atop the tree canopies…

In the distance, at the edge of the woods, she could see a few flashlights and torches. A few of the Woodsmen lingered there, speaking with her father. They were busy discussing the findings of their most recent patrols. Orey heard one of their tamed beasts, a small, predatory dinosaur snuffling and snarling gently as one of the men tossed it a piece of meat. Even the sound of the men's quiet, low voices put her at ease.

She didn't want to overhear or interrupt their business and she remained seated beneath the old, wooden gazebo. Orey remained patient and tranquil in her spot. This change of scenery was something she had no idea she needed until that moment.

Five minutes passed by and she could see the men, their lights and their animal companion turn away from the mansion. The Woodsmen made their back into their sylvan home, resuming their duties and departing from their comrade for the time being.

Orey smiled as she saw Basil make his way back to the gazebo to join her. Her heart beat calmly yet gladly.

"Everything okay, Dad?" she asked.

"No sight of any intruders or riff raff," he stated. "All is well."

"Good. I'm sure it's a relief for you."

"It's a relief for everyone, kiddo, trust me."

He sighed and took a seat beside his daughter. He smiled affectionately at her, still somewhat disbelieving that she really was sitting right next to him. It was almost unbelievable.

"Tori and her grandkids are wonderful people," she said. "I'm not sure if I can ever properly repay them for their kindness."

"It's not necessary, Orey," he asserted. "Tori's property has always been a sanctuary and rest stop for any travelers who come through. She does this out of the kindness of her heart." Basil leaned back into his seat. "She also does it for the memory of her husband, daughter and son-in-law. They died about two years after Earth went down the drain. Bandits did them in."

Orey nodded her head solemnly. It was a shame but it was a solid fact that Earthlings were no strangers to turning on one another in this era. In this day and age, desperation decided everything.

"I figured something must've happened if Tori had only her grandkids and no one else," Orey said. "Everyone alive today has lost everything or someone near and dear to them."

"But we're still hanging on," Basil added. "And we have to hang on to what we have with the strongest grips we can."

"That is true…"

"Orey, when Cixi comes back, why don't both of you come with me? We can be a family again. You know I would take care of my daughter and granddaughter. Now that I know you're alive, I can't stand the thought of you going off on your lonesome again."

It was time. She dreaded this moment but to delay it would only make it all the more perilous. That was something she absolutely didn't want.

"Dad," she started, hanging her head slightly. "I wish it was this easy. I wish I could go with you but I can't."

Basil was disturbed by what she said. He was confounded and unsettled by her words and he eyed her warily. This didn't make sense to him.

"Yes, you can," he corrected her. "You will be safe and you don't have to wander anymore. We all live deep in the woods but we're all one, tight community. We all help to take care of each other. I promise you, Orey, you won't regret it."

"Listen to me, Dad," she said lowly. "I wanted to talk to you privately about something. While no one is out here, I want to take advantage of this."

"What's wrong, honey? Talk to me. Don't be afraid to tell me anything."

"Tomo isn't Cixi's father."

Basil's eyes widened once he heard those words. He fell silent and stared back at Orey, his shock steadily rising. Dread started to swelter within him and he got a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"What…what happened, Orey?" he finally spoke after a moment of silence.

"You have to believe what I tell you," she said sternly. "You have to tell no one about this. Please, keep this a secret from everyone. I'm only telling you because you're my father and I love and trust you. Tomo knew this too. Cell is Cixi's father."

This had to have been some twisted joke. There was simply no way that this had to have been possible. Basil wanted to believe it was some morbid jest more than anything else. It was impossible.

He stared back at her in uneasy silence, waiting and hoping to see her suddenly smile and reveal it was a prank. Her face was grave, her eyes solemn and her posture vulnerable. Orey was wholly serious with her declaration. His daughter was not one to pull such sick jokes…

There was nothing he could say to her wild claim. Basil was floored and he was reeling in disbelief and horror.

"Dad, I wish I was lying," she said mournfully. "I really, really wish I was. But it's the truth, okay?"

"How?" he managed to finally choke out. His voice sounded small and rattled.

"I made a deal with Cell in exchange for Tomo's life. He had this grand idea to produce a fighter and a potential, future challenger. If I didn't agree to help him, he was going to kill Tomo."

At first, he was thrilled with the knowledge that he was a grandfather. He was so happy for his daughter for she had finally gotten the child she wanted for so long. But such a blessing was granted maliciously. She had been taken advantage of.

Basil felt sick to his stomach. He felt as if he had been hit in his abdomen with a sledgehammer. Along with that pain and revulsion, anger started to burn deep within him. Though he considered himself to be a rational and level-headed individual, Basil wanted nothing more than to utterly annihilate the monster who defiled his daughter. He was becoming increasingly livid and the older man could feel his cheeks flush hotly.

"Dad," Orey said with a stern, calm tone, "listen to me." She set her hand on his shoulder and leaned into his frame. "Cixi is good! She is no monster! She's hardly anything like Cell. The only things she got from him are her fighting spirit and her strength. Don't be mad at her, don't judge her. She already feels disgusted and guilty over her own existence and I don't want her to experience more shame over it. A child should never be ashamed to be alive!"

Basil said nothing. All the Woodsman did was pull her into an embrace and hold her closely. His form shuddered as he sobbed into her hair. The only thing that mattered to him was keeping her close and letting her know he still loved her despite what happened. Her pain was his and he lamented over everything that had happened. He only wished he had been reunited with her years earlier. Maybe, somehow, things would've been different.

"Eventually, we'll have to go our separate ways once again," she told him. "I'm afraid he'll kill you if he finds out who you are."

"Hell," the man sniffled. "I don't care. I'm not losing touch with you ever again. I want him to know who I am."

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, Orey. I'm not afraid to die. This whole mess made me stronger and a better person. Now that I reunited with you, I feel like I can take on anything. I have my daughter to look after and protect and I'm not going to let him get away with this…"

"What's done is done!"

Orey broke free from his hold and cupped his face with both hands. She looked into his eyes, seeing the tears dripping from them. Tenderly, she kissed his cheek and she sighed deeply.

"Dad, I love you," she said. "I can't let him hurt you. When it's my turn to go back to the island, I want you to stand down. I've lasted this long, I can survive a bit longer."

"The Blessed can't find out about you, Orey," he stated. "Those crazy, depraved freaks will kill you if they get a whiff of the truth. You're lucky we ran them off recently."

Orey had heard hearsay and rumors of a fanatical cult over the years. She wanted to disbelieve the tales but when she came across one of their sacrificial sites when Cixi was an infant, she knew they were all too real. The carving of the locust, the blood… They were a terrifying presence and it was one she had tried her damndest to avoid exposure to. They also could never afford to figure out their beloved deity had a child. She could only imagine what they'd do to her. She shuddered to imagine that they would either view her as a perfect sacrifice or a demigoddess. Those were chances she would never be willing to gamble with.

"Don't tell anyone about this," she begged. "Please, don't tell a soul."

Of course he would do this for her. Such nefarious information needed to be carefully guarded and hidden. It could very well endanger her life and possibly Cixi's as well. Basil wouldn't so carelessly neglect the safety of his surviving family members.

"You have my word, sweetheart," he promised. "But I can't guarantee that I will forgive him for what he did to you. And I also can't promise that I won't say anything to him about it."

(Desolus – ten days later)

It was hard to tell if there was a marked improvement but no longer did the planet seem so harsh. It became easier to breathe and the heat no longer beat down on her back so strongly. She had at least adjusted to Desolus' environment and for that, she was relieved. If she could adapt to the planet, then she would finally grow stronger.

The past few days had been almost too quiet and she didn't like it. Most of the time, she meditated, biding her strength and anticipating Cobalt's next impulsive, vengeful attack. Cell mainly kept his distance, only urging her to focus and make wise use of her time. The eyes of her brother and father were on her constantly and it somewhat unsettled Cixi. Even when she couldn't see them, she always sensed them. They were never too far off.

She had sparred with Cell a few times but before it could even get started, he would end it. It seemed to her that he was only evaluating and measuring her strength. The little warrior was unsure of what was going on exactly but she knew she had to be poised for whatever the future held.

Her thoughts often strayed to Earth. She pondered over her mother and her friend, only hoping all was well. Though she often wondered over such things, she tried to put it out of her mind. Cixi knew it would distract her and she only trusted that they were fine. She couldn't lead Cell on to believe her focus wavered at times. It would surely agitate him otherwise…

She had longed to return to stock up on supplies but Cell forbade it for the time being. Her rations were running low so she chose to eat less whenever she wasn't actively fighting or training. Undoubtedly, this was some part of his regimen and she would abide by it.

When she wasn't training with her family members, she honed her skills by herself. She practiced her Kamehamehas meticulously, determined to make them more powerful and perfecting the legendary technique. Her fists shattered rocks and canyon walls with the intent to test and manipulate her energy manipulation and power. She sharpened her sensing capabilities, always attempting to keep tabs on the two Cells.

Whenever her thoughts drifted back to her mother, Sleet and home, she tried her best to push such things out of her mind. Cixi was determined to use her desire to return as fuel for her improvement. If she wanted to see them again, she would train hard and not give up. There was no other choice that she had.

"Hard at work, I see," said the voice.

Her concentration was snapped but she could sense him approaching. Cixi glanced over her shoulder, spotting Cell.

"I'm not wasting any time at all," she answered.

"Good," the bio-android answered. "But that's enough of punching rocks into dust for now, kid. I have a new technique I want to teach you."

"And what is that?"

"It should be considerably easier to execute than a Kamehameha. You see, I initially taught you a more difficult technique to learn to gauge your capability. You've done well with that so this one should be a walk in the park for you."

"But I'm still trying to perfect…"

"Oh, you know what I mean. Now, come on. Let's do this."

"Okay, I'm ready."

Cell raised a single finger and pointed it directly at her. His smirk was cruel and his eyes were narrowed.

"You know what this is," he remarked.

She most certainly did.

Cixi's blood chilled and she could feel apprehension crash over her. She absolutely hated this attack.

"I…" she hesitated, feeling her pulse start to race. "I don't like this move."

"And why is that?" his smile still lingered.

All she could think about was Cero's torture and death. His agonized cries echoed in her mind and she would never forget it. First, his knees had been lanced by the insidious purple beams. Then his chest had been ruptured, leaving the Arcosian rebel leader to flounder about in his misery and own blood. His demise was anything but kind and merciful.

"You know why I don't like it," Cixi retorted, her tone becoming defensive.

"Don't tell me you're still upset over me killing that weakling's uncle," Cell said.

"Cero was Sleet's family member and you tortured him with that move until you decided to incinerate him! I don't want to use it!"

"Cute argument but you'll do as I say, girly."

Cixi's hands clenched into tight fists. A snarl of frustration came from her and she smiled unpleasantly at the news.

"You'll do it if you want to go back to Earth," he reminded her.

"Fine!" Cixi exhaled sharply. "I'll do it."

"Great to see you cooperating. Now, really, it's quite simple. All you have to do is focus and concentrate a powerful beam of energy into one finger and then launch it. Actually, it's not unlike forming a Kamehameha. If anything, it's exactly like it but on a much smaller scale. So therefore, it should be easier for you to produce and launch."

"I figured. Cobalt kept firing a barrage of them earlier, remember?"

"And you handled yourself well enough with that."

Cell eyed the cauterized wound from the stray Death Beam that struck her in her shoulder area. It had merely grazed her flesh but it was enough to make a noticeable, permanent scar.

Cixi felt self conscious and exposed as his eyes lingered on her scar. She merely placed a hand on that wound, concealing it from him.

"I know the form and stance," she said, extending her hand. She eyed it and then stretched out her left pointer finger. "But concentrating energy is another thing."

Though she loathed to admit it, Cell's summarization of the technique was totally simple and easy to understand. It really was just like preparing a Kamehameha but on a lesser scale. While she still had yet to completely master the Kamehameha, she managed to mostly do so. If that technique was harder to use than the Death Beam, Cixi knew it would be a walk in the park.

Yet as she kept her finger extended and tried to concentrate her energy into one tiny but mighty, purple beam, it was hard to do so. It disgusted her to even try to attempt this maneuver. Cixi couldn't get Cero's horrid death out of her head. The Death Beam was a technique used to torture. After the torturer deemed that time was up, then it could be used to kill.

"I hate this," she thought to herself repeatedly. "I hate this. It's evil and ugly..."

Cell only waited, watching her closely. Gradually and silently, his patience whittled away. Without a doubt, he knew what was going on inside her mind. His stare turned hard and icy and he glared at her whilst she struggled to focus.

"Get over it," he thought. "Don't you dare feel sorry for the weak."

Cixi could feel his hostile eyes boring into her. She found it increasingly difficult to attempt the attack. She could feel her energy migrating into her fingertip and a small, telltale glow even started to form there. But she hesitated, holding it back. The memory of the Arcosian's agony had been burned into her psyche.

"I'm not like you!" she blurted out loud.

He snapped.

Cixi had no time to even process what happened as she was backhanded clear across the other side of the canyon. She was stunned and unable to move or recover as she was sent flying. Her eyes were widened as the pain was so abrupt and intense and she could do nothing.

A few seconds later, he back collided with a rock wall. Pain encapsulated her frame and she unceremoniously crumpled into a heap and fell into the river below. Her whole body stung and her spine felt as if it had been shattered from smashing against the wall.

Another few seconds later, she was fished out of the river when she felt a hand grasp onto her hair. Terrible screams came from her as his fingers weaved through her locks and twisted, trying to maximize her pain as much as possible. Cixi's hands flew up to her scalp in a vain effort to pry his fingers out of her hair. It was pointless as his grip was firm and unrelenting.

"There are some days where I really wish I should've just extinguished you as soon as you crawled out your mother," he said.

Those words were like a knife that was shoved into her heart and twisted about mercilessly. Cixi was well aware of Cell's inability for expressing empathy and love. She expected no such things from him and knew he was a horrid parent. But there was something about those words that resonated deep within her. His tone was frigid and steely.

"You really are more Human than anything else," he noted. "You cannot let go of things and you cling onto your pathetic feelings and insecurities. I knew I was taking a risk when I opted for your conception but I had no idea I would be met with such petty defiance and maddening frustration."

Cixi could say nothing in return to him. All she could do was act on instinct and try to free herself from him. Her fingers desperately clawed at his, wrestling with them in order to escape. The girl whined loudly at the pain and tried her hardest to fight back.

"Do as I tell you, stop choking up!" he roared, hoisting her up and dangling her right in front of his face.

Her scalp felt like it was on fire. Tears dribbled from her eyes at the pain and Cixi could only look back at him fearfully. She felt small and pitiful.

Cell then dropped her, allowing Cixi to collapse to her knees. The bio-android glowered at her threateningly.

"Stand up and try it again!" he commanded. "Do it the right way! Don't fight me, don't fight yourself, just do it!"

Cell heard no reply from her, only subdued but still noticeable sobs. She was slowly standing back up onto her feet and her hands clutched at her head. Her hair was a soaked and knotted mess.

"You've suffered worse!" he ranted. "Suck it up and fire the damn beam!"

Still, she said nothing. It was almost as if she was ignoring him. His words seemed as if they had fallen on deaf ears.

This only fed the flames of his anger.

"You little bastard!" he bellowed.

Cell raised his hand to strike her again.

Then his hand was stopped.

An audible sound of confusion came from him and his eyes widened. Cell looked closer, seeing that Cixi had raised a palm and caught his hand before it could land a blow on her. She had managed to halt it. Her palm wasn't wavering and it was strong and holding up perfectly.

He wasn't using his full power at all but it was at a caliber he had assumed was greater than hers. And yet here she was, defending herself from him. He could only look on in astonishment.

Cell didn't react in enough time as he was still stunned. He paid for this when she used her free hand and landed a blow to the side of his jaw. The bio-android was sent flying through the air from the harsh impact. As soon as he was sent reeling away, the sickening crunch of shattered bone resonated through the air. Cell let out a yell of shock and pain as she dislocated and shattered his lower jaw. A few of his teeth even popped out as well, dropping to the ground along with some streaks of his violet blood.

He roughly skidded across the red, rocky soil beneath him, eventually stopping when he was a few hundred feet away from where he was last standing. The pain was searing and intense and his whole frame shuddered from it. Blood was pouring from his mouth and he could tell that his lower jaw was dangling open. A gurgled gagging noise came from his throat.

His body heaved and trembled and he placed a hand on his mangled jaw. Cell hastily regenerated from Cixi's unexpected and harsh attack. The sound of reforming and realigning bone was loud as he popped it back into place. The missing teeth were promptly replaced seconds later. The only evidence he had been injured was the blood smeared on the lower half of his mouth.

"What the Hell?!" he exclaimed. He spat out a thick wad of blood and shook off the lingering remnants of the pain.

Cell looked back to where he and Cixi stood previously. He blinked as he saw her walking over to him. Her whole body was surrounded by a white, glowing aura. Her face was grim and purpose was engraved onto her features. The child's stride was slow but all too confident and intentional as she made her way over to him.

"I-I lowered my guard!" he deduced. "I misjudged how much energy exploded from her and it caught me off guard! That strength came from nowhere! Did she really get so strong so quickly?"

Cixi just couldn't take it anymore. Her feelings ran rampant and her power burst forth out of the blue. She didn't know where it all came from. All that she knew was that she was hurt and she was infuriated. She wouldn't let him abuse, degrade and frighten her any further.

Not only that, she wanted to shut him up.

"Hey, Dad!" she called.

Cixi finally stopped when she was about thirty feet away from Cell. She raised her hand and extended her pointer finger directly at him. An all too familiar smirk crawled across her face and she shot a purple beam out from her fingertip.

Cell was able to effortlessly deflect the beam, causing it to lance through a nearby boulder. He observed the damage it caused, causing a clean, smoking hole to appear in it.

The destroyer was forced to look away from it when he sensed another explosion of energy from his progeny. He crossed his arms and held them up, deflecting the kick she was poised to land on his face. Rage burned bright and clear in her dark brown eyes and Cell couldn't deny it. They were locked onto his and she didn't blink or break her stare. She was challenging him and she wasn't backing down.

"You like picking on people smaller and weaker than you?" she hissed. "You really are a big bully."

"Congratulations, you little shit stain, you made your old man bleed," Cell said scathingly. "That won't happen again. Don't you dare think you'll get that lucky a second time. And you finally learned how to use that Death Beam. Too bad I had to put the squeeze on you to get you to do as you're told."

"You're the only person who deserves to have that move used on them."

Cell increased his power exponentially, intending to humble and knock her off her figurative high horse. His golden aura sprang to life, blowing her back a few yards by its sheer energy. He gave her no time to recover or prepare and pummeled her into the ground. Rocks burst as she impacted with them and she was tossed up into the air multiple times, only to be knocked down again.

He would punish her for her violent outburst and inflicting the damage she had done. His pride had been hurt and he couldn't believe he underestimated her and allowed her to hurt him like she did. Clearly, her pain and anger was a great motivator for her and this was proven time and time again. Cixi had also obviously grown stronger in the near two weeks she trained on Desolus. She had grown far more quickly than he had predicted and gauged.

When she looked into his eyes and challenged him, Cell thought he was looking into someone else's orbs. For an instant, he thought he was staring back at Gohan. In that instant, he remembered fear.