18 studied the room she was sitting in, the one she was confined to now. It was painted a light blue and had wispy white curtains that drifted lazily in the breeze. The humidity had started pouring in, and she could smell the sweet summer air permeating the room. It had been a full 24 hours since her fight with Cell, and no matter how hard she tried to envision literally anything else, she couldn't stop seeing Cell's face as it contorted into something even stranger than before.
She watched as the sunlight peeked through the window—a peaceful scene, no doubt—but couldn't shake the anxiety building in her chest. Despite her overwhelming instinct to flee, the trauma of seeing her brother sucked up by that...that monster...made her accept the fact she was hiding out amongst her former enemies.
When she arrived at Capsule Corp., the day prior, she was greeted by two women (who she now knew as Bulma and Chi-Chi). Their eyes widened as the bald-headed man explained who she was. They hadn't had much of a chance to chat on the way over, he was too focused on flying as fast as he could without raising his energy too much, and she was too tired to ask where they were going.
He was still holding her in his arms as he explained the situation to the others.
"Have you lost your mind?" Chi-Chi screamed at him. "She's trying to kill my husband!"
"It was your husband who told me to bring her here!" Krillin retorted. "She's injured—she needs a place to stay. If Cell gets her, we'll-"
"This is crazy, Krillin!" Bulma hissed. "This is absolutely nuts!"
18 studied the blue-haired woman's face. It was remarkably like that of the female warrior traveling with Vegeta. She wondered if it was her sister, cautiously trying to figure out whether she, too, was powerful.
"Look, I know this is insane," he said, trying his best to calm them down. "But this is what we have to do-for now. Okay?"
Bulma crossed her arms, shook her head and begrudgingly agreed. 18 was too weak and confused to argue as Bulma pointed toward a building off to the left. Krillin hustled with her in his arms, and as they walked inside, 18 felt her heart jolt—it was a laboratory, like Gero's. It was much cleaner and way more organized, and there were actual windows that let sunlight in as opposed to the damp, dank basement where Gero toiled over his creations. But it was a laboratory nonetheless—filled with baubles and strange wires and boxes upon boxes of stuff. Who was this woman?
Bulma patted a work table, and Krillin gently laid 18 down. She barely had a chance to sit up before Bulma scurried away to a cabinet in the back, pulling out a metal box filled with gauze and other medical solutions. She set the box on the table next to her, splashed some solution onto a cotton ball, and pressed it down onto her skin. The android winced and the smell burned her nostrils.
"So, explain to me exactly what happened," Bulma said, her voice peppered with annoyance.
"Cell ambushed us," Krillin said, his eyes fixated on a window—he was scanning to see if Cell was coming this way, but he couldn't feel him. "He absorbed 17 and was heading for 18 before everyone stepped in to stop him."
Bulma flicked her eyes up to meet 18's gaze.
"I've been reading about you in Gero's journal," she said. "Quite an interesting man."
"Wait," 18 asked. "How did you get his journal?"
"My daughter ransacked his lab," Bulma said, a smirk forming on her face.
"That blue-haired girl is your daughter?"
Bulma nodded and smiled to herself. "Yes, she is. Impressive, isn't she?"
18 surveyed Bulma up and down-—maybe she was powerful—and awfully young to have a daughter that age. Or maybe the girl was younger than she thought? If there were two powerful people in this family, and if they had a laboratory here, she needed to remain on guard.
"So, you have his journal?" 18 gingerly asked, still watching Bulma's hands with an eagle eye.
"It's hard to make out what exactly he was writing about," she confessed. "His writings are very cryptic and…"
"Conceited?" 18 interjected. "He's a bit of an egomaniac."
"You know, for being a killing machine, you sure are calm," Bulma observed, her eyes washing over 18 in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. "Unexpected visitor change your plans?"
18 bristled at Bulma's words. That was an understatement. Never in a million years did she think she would be sitting in enemy territory receiving care from someone whose daughter had threatened to kill her not even days ago. Yes, it was true that for the past few days she had been thinking about joining them in an alliance, but now that she was behind enemy lines something about it made her skin crawl. Blood rushed to her face and she looked away from Bulma in shame.
"Look," Bulma sympathized. "I'm not going to say anything you did was okay. Killing innocent people is beyond screwed up. But you're here now, and if Krillin is to be believed, you need a place to stay safe. No one is beyond saving. No one is beyond redemption."
18 rose her head to look at Bulma, her eyes so soft and kind.
"I…" 18 stammered. "I don't know what to say, really."
"You don't have to say anything right now," Bulma smiled at her. "Just know that if you want to fix what you've done, you can start by helping us understand the threat we're up against."
18 spent the rest of the day telling Bulma everything she knew about Gero. She told her about the earrings, about Gero being able to track them through the jewelry. She told them about where they had left him the previous day—after they left the lab—and was worried Gero might find Cell and together they would find 18. She described the experiments he'd do, and they poured over his notebook to see if they could decode his ramblings into useful information.
Bulma began working immediately on removing and destroying the earrings, which were essentially soldered onto 18's skin, and was able to free her by using microscopic welding techniques and general anesthetic. Despite the numbing, the sound of metal on metal sent a horrifying jolt down her entire core. Smoke billowed out as the sparks floated in a dancing stream, smelling hot and metallic and sour.
Now, 18 was sitting on a bed in Bulma's house. Her fingers rubbed her now-empty earlobes and she felt as though she might truly be free. But in her heart she knew it was only a matter of time before Gero found her. He would know the last location of her earrings. If he was able to find Cell, they would go to the lab, trace where she was, and come here to claim her. How long would that take? A day? Two?
And what if he didn't find her? How many stones would he overturn? How many people would die? Blood already soaked her hands. Even if she found a way to escape him now, he would never stop looking for her; never stop yearning for her complete submission and devotion to him.
She hadn't come out of the room since Bulma managed to take off the earrings. As morning broke through her window, she had difficulty coming to terms with the events of the days prior. Her mind floated to her brother, the look of horror on his face as he was sucked up into Cell. Before she was whisked away, she made sure to look into Cell's eyes—her brother's eyes. What was she going to do without him?
A knock at the door made her shoot up straight. She readied herself. For what, she wasn't sure. Being here made her on edge. Another knock, then, someone cleared their throat from the hallway.
"Hey." It was Krillin. She hadn't spoken to him since she left the lab. "Just checking in on you. Are you okay?"
"Go away," she hissed.
"Uh, well," Krillin fumbled. "This...this might seem like a weird question, but...I mean. I didn't know if...if androids...ate?"
His voice cracked slightly as he asked. He cleared his throat again.
"So...if you...do eat, I mean, like people food—not that you're not a person!" he stammered. "I just mean, I don't know if you...require food."
"I'm not a machine," she snapped. "I have a human body."
Krillin let out a nervous laugh from the other side of the door. "Of course, of course!" Another long pause. "Well, since you do eat, there's lots of food downstairs. I can also bring a plate up to you if you'd like?"
18 had grown quite hungry. She was used to going a long time without food-a perk of genetic mutation, her body could adapt to a lack of basic needs. But she did need sleep and water—and food, eventually. Even when she was shut in her pod in a comatose-like state, she was still attached to a feeding tube. A growl from her stomach forced her to open the door and address the man on the other side.
She sized him up. He was puny and not at all intimidating—and overly courteous. He made her nervous in a way she couldn't quite describe.
"Oh!" he laughed. "Well, hello!"
Her face remained motionless.
"So…are you...going to come?"
Without responding, she set off down the hallway. Krillin jogged to catch up to her but she refused to address him. He studied her face—the face of a stone-cold killer—and tried to read through her expression. Maybe she was scared to be in this new place, he reasoned. Or maybe she was always this prickly.
They made their way to the kitchen. At the table sat Chi-Chi, who was reading a magazine with what looked like extreme boredom. When she saw 18 in the doorway, she glowered at her, stood up without saying a word and stormed out of the room.
"Don't mind Chi-Chi," Krillin awkwardly chuckled. "She's just mad because you want to kill her husband."
18 continued to ignore Krillin as she sat down to the table. There was all sorts of food there—and it smelled delicious too. Bowls were overflowing with meats, brightly colored sauces gleaming off of them as if they were almost sparkling. There were mountains of egg rolls and plates piled high with dumplings. And the aroma—oh, the aroma—it made 18's mouth water. The last time she ate was when they were destroying Copper Town. After ransacking a clothing store for a new outfit, she and her brother decided to take in a local restaurant's fare. While it was nothing particularly spectacular, it was better than the gruel Gero usually fed them.
She leaned in and drew a deep smell. A smile formed across her face, but quickly fell as soon as she realized Krillin was watching her.
"Do you need something?" she hissed as she pulled an empty plate toward her.
"Oh me?" he laughed. "No, no. Just...sitting here!"
"You're babysitting me, aren't you?" She piled on some steaming hot rice to her plate, reaching for a bowl full of delicious smelling chicken in a rich brown sauce.
"Is it that obvious?" he rubbed his neck. "It's not every day you have a homicidal killer under your roof!"
He paused.
"Well," he added. "I guess that's not true, considering Vegeta lives here."
18 cocked an eyebrow, tucking into her food. "This is Vegeta's house?"
"Well yea," Krillin answered before realizing he really didn't know much about what she knew. "Bulma is Vegeta's...well gosh, I really don't even know how to categorize their relationship to tell you the truth."
"Enough with the soap opera," 18 reached across the table to grab an empty glass before pouring some water into it from a pitcher. "I don't care how any of these people know one another."
"Oh…" Krillin quieted.
A few moments of silence passed, the only sounds being 18's fork clanging against the porcelain and the ravenous slurps she emitted with every piece of food she consumed. Krillin watched her very closely, never once grabbing a plate for himself. She started going in on a second helping when Krillin started talking again.
"I know it's really not my place to say," he started, his voice cautious and quiet. "But what Bulma said yesterday, about redeeming yourself. She meant it, and I know Goku probably would feel the same way. He has a knack for making friends out of his enemies."
18 dipped an egg roll into some sauce before violently shoving it in her mouth. She side-eyed Krillin. Even if what he was saying was true, 18 really didn't know what a life without Gero would look like. If Cell was somehow defeated, there were still so many unanswered questions. A normal life might seem fine, but she was far from normal. Where would she live? What would she do?
"Life isn't so bad here," Krillin smiled at her. "And you could join us! Be part of our gang!"
"Fat chance," Chi-Chi swept back into the kitchen, her eyes lasered in on 18. The android shifted uncomfortably.
"Chi-Chi!" Krillin shushed her. "If she agrees to be part of us, that means she won't kill Goku."
"I don't care what it means!" she huffed. "What's done is done, and that's the end of it!"
Krillin stood up from the table, his fist balled so tight his knuckles were white.
"Oh, so you can forgive Piccolo for trying to kill your husband—and stealing your son for that matter—but not 18?"
"That's different!" Chi-Chi snapped.
"How?" Krillin laughed. "Tell me how that is different."
"It just is!" Chi-Chi huffed, stomping her foot and defiantly throwing her hands in the air. As quickly as she had come back in she flittered off once more.
"Don't mind her," Krillin turned to 18. "She's always like that."
"I can still hear you!" Chi-Chi yelled from the other room. Krillin made a face and stuck his tongue out.
18 wasn't used to people joking around. The time she spent outside of her pod was normally for training purposes, and she was usually monitored by Gero every second she was above ground. When she was very little, she and her brother would sometimes laugh and play, but Gero made it very clear that he thought children should be seen and not heard. Honestly she couldn't remember the last time she laughed out of joy—not because she was being mean-spirited.
Looking at Krillin now, hearing the lighthearted repartee, she felt a laugh bubble up in her belly. Suddenly she found it uncontrollable. She was laughing—not chuckling, not giving a breathless "ha" to be polite—but actual, joyful laughter.
Krillin sat there looking stunned, but as she continued, he started laughing too. They continued like that for a while until Bulma appeared in the doorway.
"What's so funny?" She curiously smiled. 18 took a deep breath, her grin positively feline, and she steadied herself and wiped a tear forming in her eye.
"Oh, nothing," Krillin said. "Nothing at all."
"Alright," Bulma's curved grin still painted on her face. "Well, I thought I'd let you know that I worked all night and thanks to your help 18, I think I know how we can stop Cell."
"Really?" A light flickered in 18's eyes. "How?"
"I haven't worked out all the details," Bulma confessed. "But, I think I have a good idea. It looks like Cell was made up of a bunch of DNA—kind of like you had different DNA injected into you—and that possibly whatever genetic material he was gathering from the Z Fighters to create you, he used the same material to create Cell."
Pulling out the notebook from her lab coat, she flipped through several pages and plopped it down on the table.
"See?" She pointed to a page that had several mathematic equations that both 18 and Krillin did not understand. "He was trying to figure out how to make an android without having to use a human base. Literally building a mind so he didn't have to worry about his creations rebelling against him."
"Because we were such bad kids…" 18 whispered, palming the pages. Bulma and Krillin gave each other a sympathetic look before Bulma placed her hand on 18's shoulder.
"You were just a little kid when Gero took you," she said soothingly. "You weren't responsible for his bad choices."
18 didn't respond. Her eyes fixated on the page and she wished she knew what it all meant.
"Anyway," Bulma continued. "I have a theory that Cell must have a weak spot. Somewhere where all that power he is stealing is stored in his body—like a nucleus of a cell. He's made to absorb power—and apparently whole people—and to do that he would need to have one single core that evenly spreads the power through his whole being. It's not like he eats humans for strength and then….digests them out. They literally become him."
"I'm not following," Krillin admitted. Bulma rolled her eyes.
"If you destroyed a central power source, wouldn't all the lights go out?" Bulma said. "If you can figure out where all of that data is centrally stored in his body, you could disable his abilities. Destroy his core and you could destroy him."
"But you're not sure where that is yet?" 18 asked. Bulma shook her head.
"No, not yet," she tapped a finger to her chin. "My dad and I will figure it out though."
"Well while you guys work on that," Krillin stood up from the table. "18 and I are going to Master Roshi's. If Gero can find Cell, they'll figure out that we're here, so we need to find somewhere else to go."
"Right," Bulma smiled. "And we'll hold down the fort here."
"But what if Cell comes here and he destroys this place anyway?" 18 pondered aloud.
"Well," Bulma shrugged. "A risk we have to take."
For the first time in her life, 18 felt optimistic. Maybe if she helped them, she could convince them she was worthy of their friendship and alliance. If her brother could see her now, he would hang his head in shame for being a traitor. But the fact of it was that he had been absorbed by Cell, and that absorption looked pretty permanent to her. She was past the point of no return.
As she stood up from the table to join Krillin on their journey to another location, she saw his eyes flicker to the window, his brow becoming curved. Bulma saw it too, and looked at her friend with concern.
"What?" She asked. "Is it…"
Krillin nodded his head and clenched his fists.
Cell had found them.