"You need to hide," Krillin said to 18, practically pushing her out the kitchen and into a long hallway. "You need to go now."
"But..." she looked around — she didn't know where she was now, let alone where she should be going. "I-"
Before she had a chance to finish, Chi-Chi had her firmly by the arm, dragging her down a long corridor in the Capsule Corp., building. 18 felt Chi-Chi's nails sink into her skin, and while it didn't hurt, the pressure made her feel a sense of desperation she couldn't quite explain.
"C'mon," Chi-Chi grunted. "You're coming with me."
"I thought that-"
"Well," Chi-Chi said. "You thought wrong."
The women quickly emerged out the back of the house, tearing across the lawn and toward the laboratory. Once Chi-Chi realized 18 would go with her willingly, she released her hand, hustling as fast as she could go.
"Where are we going to go?" 18 asked. Chi-Chi grimaced and her fists clenched.
"I'm not sure yet," she confessed. "But if you stay here, he will find you."
"I should fly then-"
"No," Chi-Chi said, her tone alarmingly calm. "He will see you."
They rushed into the laboratory, slamming through the door and moving with such calculated calm that 18 was unsure this was real or a dream. As 18 stood in the doorway breathless, Chi-Chi made a beeline to Bulma's laboratory, clawing through a desk drawer and revealing a capsule holder.
"Can you fly a car?" Chi-Chi said, still rummaging through the drawer.
"No."
"Well, no better time than now to learn," she shut the drawer and popped open the holder. In one quick motion she retrieved a capsule from it and tossed it toward 18, who caught it with ease.
"You're going to pop the top, there," Chi-Chi pointed. "There's a car inside. There's a start and stop button, a wheel and pedals on the floor. This is important — right is gas, left is brake. To go up and down, push the throttle near your right hand. Forward goes high. Backward goes low."
18 stared at Chi-Chi, a look of shock on her face. For Chi-Chi, it stirred in her a mix of emotions. She owed nothing to this monster — a woman who had killed innocent people and wanted to kill her husband. But it was not in her nature to leave someone who needed help behind. Despite her tough exterior, underneath was the heart of a woman who wanted peace more than war.
"You're going to leave through the back door," Chi-Chi turned around and motioned to the hallway where the corridor continued on. "It's the opposite way we came in. Run down the street, get as far away as you can on foot, then get in the car and just...just drive. Go anywhere."
"I don't know of any place to go," 18's voice was small. Her stomach twisted and her mouth was bone dry.
"Well," Chi-Chi inexplicably laughed. "You know where I live. Why don't you go there?"
Looking down at the capsule in her hand, 18's head spun. The kindness these strangers had showed her today and the day before was beyond comprehension. She thought back to those days in Gero's lab where he proselytized about the evils of humanity, of his bloodlust for revenge, of his plans to destroy the man who took everything from him.
Now that man's wife was standing before her, extending her hand to help. Could a man so horrible deserve the love of a woman like that?
Without saying goodbye, 18 tore off in the corridor, following its curved path a few hundred feet before getting to the back door. When she emerged, she heard yelling coming from the yard and concealed herself behind the building. It was Krillin — and Cell.
"Just tell me where she is and I won't kill you," A wicked grin slicked across his face.
"She's gone!" Krillin yelled. He was in a fighting stance, but 18 knew he was no match for Gero's monster. A pit formed in the bottom of her stomach. "And you won't find her!"
"You keep saying that, but I think you're lying," Cell said, still grinning. "Because I happen to know for a fact that she is here — or, at least was."
Krillin crouched down deeper. His hands were shaking and his heart was racing. There was absolutely no chance he could win a fight against Cell, not even by a little bit. Cell's tail errantly slithered in the air.
"You see, when you ran away so quickly yesterday, I figured out your little plan," he said. "But I also knew Gero was tracking me, you see. And that Gero was tracking them. Because he knew before the sun even blessed us with morning yesterday that I was going to absorb them, and he wanted to see the show."
The realization hit Krillin like ice water on his skin. His breath caught and his stance faltered. Gero...had been there...the whole time?
"You're lying!" Krillin shouted.
Cell shook his head.
"I found him not long after I left," Cell said. "And just as I suspected, he knew exactly where to find the androids — well, android."
Krillin's chest dropped. Cell had known yesterday that the Z Fighters would try and hide the androids, and he knew that Gero could easily find them. Gero had made it so Cell could absorb them, so that they would never be free of him. Of course he was watching all this as it went on. Wasn't he doing that all along with the Z Fighters? Wasn't that how he had found the genetic material to make these monsters?
He paused on the word "monster." From what he could see, 18 wasn't a monster. On the day Bulla had first come to their time, Krillin was convinced that the androids were monsters, and as they ripped through cities killing innocent people for their own twisted desires, he still believed it. But in just a few short days his heart clashed within. Monsters are created, Krillin reasoned. They are beings who know nothing other than the world that has been forced upon them, whether it be of nature or of something else entirely.
After 18 had gone to sleep the night before, Krillin and Bulma stayed up agonizing over the notes in his journal. In sick detail, Gero described everything about the progress of 18 and her brother, including the gut wrenching abuses and experiments they endured. On one page in particular, he kept a tally of how many lashes they could withstand. They were only 14.
If a heart could survive that kind of torment, it was no wonder how it could be shrouded in evilness. Who among them would not be susceptible to the cruelty?
"Am I boring you?" Cell chimed. "I haven't got all day."
"Why didn't you come yesterday?" Krillin said, trying to make his voice as intimidating as possible.
"Well," Cell cackled. "It was actually the old man's idea. He loves a false sense of freedom."
18 peeked her head from beyond the building. She wished she had been shocked by Cell's words, but she wasn't. She knew her captor's twisted soul. He loved playing games like that. Giving them a long leash only to pull violently back was one of his favorite things to do, and he particularly loved to watch her struggle against him. Her fingers ran over the smooth surface of the capsule, its cold metal burning against her flaming palm. All she needed was a chance to escape and she could free again, at least for a little while longer.
But what would that bring? A few precious moments of respite? No. If she ran away, he would just hurt innocent people, endlessly searching every corner of the Earth until he found her. On a planet where both she and Gero lived, she would never know freedom — not truly.
"I won't give her to you!" Krillin yelled. "I won't hand her over!"
"You're a fool," Cell said. "You are no match for me."
Krillin knew that, but it didn't stop him from charging Cell. It didn't stop him from throwing out his fist, aiming right toward Cell's head. In no world did Krillin have any chance of winning a match against Gero's creation — but he had to try.
With a swat of his hand, Cell struck Krillin with such force 18 swore she heard a bone crack. The blow was so brutal, it sent Krillin sailing into a wall of one of Capsule Corp.'s many buildings. Plaster peppered his clothing and blood was coming out of his nose. Slowly, he got back up to his feet, his legs shaking from pain and his core throbbing from Cell's powerful punch. He tried to steady himself and prepare for another hit, but Cell was behind him so quickly, the fighter barely had a chance to throw up an arm in defense.
He bent his leg, leveling his foot with Krillin's back, and kicked him forward. Krillin went flying once more, coming to a skidding halt on the ground. His body was badly injured, and 18 watched him convulse, a ripple of pain sounding through his voice. He turned his head looking over in 18's general direction, and while she wasn't sure, she thought he might've been staring right at her.
His eyes were calm. Blood and dirt covered his body and face, but 18 swore she was mouthing 'Go' to her.
This man she had just met — who she had threatened — was the one coming to her aid. He was putting his life on the line to help her escape. For so long, Gero had made her feel as if she was not worth saving. Being alive was to serve one purpose — to exact Gero's revenge — and now that she knew of Cell, she realized what she should've known all along.
She was created to kill Goku, and once she did, she had no purpose. She was useless. Gero had always planned to kill her, one way or the other.
Cell was going to take her. If he didn't get her now, he would find her soon. And there was no doubt in her mind that when he did, she would suffer the same fate as her brother. Ultimately she would remain a pawn in Gero's sick and twisted game. What difference did it make if it was today or tomorrow?
She stood up straight, taking a deep breath. From out behind the building she walked, bringing herself into full view for Cell to see. His eyebrows shot up and a wicked smile formed across his face. Slowly, his head tilted down and he gave her a menacing look, surveying her as if she was his next meal.
"No…" Krillin sputtered. "18…"
A soft breeze cut across 18's face. Just this morning she had woken up to that sweet, summery smell as it whirred through her window. How did it seem like it happened so long ago? A small part of her had felt like this was the start of a new opportunity — a chance to regain her humanity. But she was wrong. As long as Cell lived, she would never be able to feel human again.
He would never relent. So neither would she.
"Been hiding back there long?" Cell chuckled.
"Let's end this," 18 said, her voice powerful and clear. "I'm sick of all of this and...and I just want it to be done."
"We shall see about that," Cell responded.
The two exploded in a flurry of light and power. A glowing aura reverberated off of them both as they faced one another, their eyes fixated on where the other stood. Despite the power flowing through her veins, she knew the outcome of today's fight — she would join her brother as part of Cell.
"18!" Krillin yelled. "You can't do this!"
"Thank you for your kindness," she said. "It was something I did not deserve."
Cell was up in the air in a matter of seconds, moving across the lawn like a blade. His new limbs moved effortlessly, almost like he was dancing, and 18 had to catch herself from getting lost in the sight before he closed in on her. Flinging her arms across herself she managed to block a powerful punch aimed right at her core.
She shot back, but quickly caught herself on the grass and steadied. Cell was coming back for round two, and 18 knew she had to do something more than block. She jumped up into the air, and like he'd planned it himself, Cell was right on her, following her as she soared high up into the sky.
His tail whipped toward her on the left, but she managed to dodge it, continuing to climb higher and higher. Suddenly, she stopped, pushing herself downward as Cell soared past her. It caught him off guard — just like 18 had hoped — and she formed her hands into a ki blast. The ball of energy flew toward Cell, but it didn't matter. As soon as it even came close to him, he had already put out his hand to deflect.
"Give up, 18," he sneered as they hung suspended in the air. "There's nothing you can do."
He was right. It was a fruitless fight, one that she was bound to lose. But she had to try. She had to at least try.
When she stoically remained, Cell knew he couldn't convince her to give up.
"You want to make this hard?" He studied her face. "You won't defeat me, 18. You will become one with me, just as your brother has. This is your destiny, why are you trying to fight it?"
"Because it's not the destiny I want," she said, her voice shaking. "I...I don't want to be a pawn anymore."
"And what would you rather be?" Cell asked. "Like those fools down there? Like that bald-headed weakling who could barely even stand after the flick of my hand?"
Tears welled up in 18's eyes. Her mind was exploding with emotion — a mixture of rage, of longing, of understanding. She would die today, that she knew for sure. But even as she stared down the one being in this world capable of taking her down, she was unafraid. She took a deep breath, drawing in the thin air from the upper atmosphere, and clenched her fist.
"I don't care what you have to say about him," she hissed. "Krillin, he —"
"Ha!" Cell barked. "So you even know his name. How adorable."
"He is a good person!" she screamed. "So are Bulma and Chi-Chi! They...they forgave me when I did not deserve it. They protected me."
"Didn't do a very good job, now did they?" Cell's eyes widened and his crooked smile grew even larger.
"It doesn't matter," 18 said. "They will find a way to destroy you."
"Highly unlikely."
An energy blast whizzed past 18's head — a warning shot. Cell's brow furrowed and he again lunged toward 18. With a guttural scream, she unleashed her power, and met him in a clash of wills. Her fist connected with his, her feet swiped away Cell's lingering tail. All the hatred that had been boiling in her body now seized her and consumed her in a way that she had never felt before.
She couldn't just let Cell win. Using her legs as leverage, she kicked off from Cell's core, sending herself down back toward the earth. With little distance between them, she unleashed an assault of ki blasts that exploded all around Cell. He emerged from the light, his legs now extended, and connected with her stomach. Falling hundreds of feet, she pummeled into the ground, creating a massive crater.
Cell was there in an instant, but he did not immediately go to her. Instead he stalked around the perimeter of the crater, his tail clicking behind him. 18 was crumpled at the bottom of the crater, but she knew she had to keep fighting.
Just then, she saw Krillin standing up, his arm extended and a ki blast forming.
No, she thought. Krillin, no…
But it was too late. Cell had caught him out of the corner of his eye, and now his gaze was squarely on the Z Fighter.
"You stupid, stupid man," Cell cackled, almost daring Krillin to launch the ki blast.
As soon as the energy left Krillin's hand, Cell was there to catch it, throwing it back at the already battered fighter, enveloping him in a powerful light. The ground rumbled and a spray of soil lifted up into the air. Debris fell everywhere.
"Alright," Cell extended his hand. "Time for you to die."
"No!" 18 cried out, popping herself onto one arm. "Please, no."
Cell's head swiveled back to her, his head cocked in curiosity.
"Please…" 18 sat up and began reaching to Cell. "Just...just take me."
Cell blinked.
"Just...just take me and leave them alone." Tears stained her dirty face. No more blood could be on her hands — she couldn't allow anyone else to die, especially those who had been so kind to her. This was her way to say thank you.
"Well, well, well…" Cell licked his lips. "A turn of events."
"I just have one condition," 18 said, her voice cracking. "If you take me now, you won't kill these people. Not now."
Cell cocked an eyebrow. Was she really trying to make him a deal? The monster had never considered this. He was not made from a human form, instead made in the likeness of man. Human emotions confused him. Other than deriving sick pleasure from watching others suffer, Cell was not engineered to feel things like sympathy. But her proposal — for a lack of a better word, it amused him, enough to the point he thought it was one worth exploring.
"Alright," he descended from the crater's rim. She held her breath as he inched closer to her, her eyes locking onto his with an intensity that rocked through her entire body. Cell wanted to believe it was her understanding her destiny and allowing herself to be used in the way she was always meant to be. And, truthfully, she did feel that way, but not for the reasons Cell thought. She would submit to him, she would become one with him — not because of Gero's masterplan, or because of Cell's strength — because for the first time in her life she had found people that gave her something to protect.
His tail hovered over her, its mouth opening up like a vacuum. 18 closed her eyes.
"No!" Bulma cried out. She and Chi-Chi were standing on the far side of the lawn, soaking in the fight. Both of Chi-Chi's arms were wrapped around Bulma's waist, pulling her back from running toward the crater. Tears flooded from Bulma's eyes as her friend tried to console her.
Air quickly moved around 18, sucking her upward into Cell. Unlike her brother she sat there and took it, her eyes closed and her lips pursed as if she were meditating.
"Any last words?" Cell asked.
"Yes," 18's eyes tightened. "This isn't over Cell."
A low laugh emerged from Cell's lips.
"Oh," he said, the hole in his tail now circling 18's head. "I think it is."