Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based story. DBZ is owned by Fuji TV, Toei Animation, Funimation, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the original manga and animation releases.
Chapter 7
It was hard to sleep again. Cell's attempt to get information from me yesterday rattled me more than I thought it originally did. I had spent the rest of the day on the opposite end of the house, anticipating another interrogation round, but it never came. So when I started to feel drowsy, I quietly panicked at the idea that I might wake up to something horrible in his attempt to get me to confess something that not only was useless to him, but devastating to me.
Shrugging off my fear was tough to do, but eventually I dragged myself from my bed and went about my usual day and stopped in the kitchen for breakfast and my latte. Some movement in the backyard caught my eye and I leaned over to look out the window.
Cell was out back again, but he was not meditating this time. Instead the movement I caught was him in the middle of several kicks that literally had him airborne for a moment before landing smoothly in the grass. His movement kept pace as he threw several punches and kicks in a rhythm that looked almost unreal. I have watched plenty of choreographed marital arts videos and they can be breathtaking to see, but having it right in the backyard was a whole new experience. He was without a shirt again and his back was facing me, so I was able to enjoy from a distance without feeling so guilty this time. I felt I got away with watching a lot more than I probably should have. His arms suddenly took a stance I didn't recognize and I watched as his body shifted into a backflip that looked effortless. I wondered how limited his training must have felt without being able to fly or use any specialized techniques. My drink poured into the cup and I looked away for a moment to get the ice cubes to cool it down, but by the time I grabbed my drink and looked out the window again he had stopped and was standing in his cross-armed pose yet again. Feeling somewhat relieved that I got to see him in motion without him noticing I took my bagel and mug in my hands and headed to the couch in the other room. That little bit was amazing to watch and I wondered what he was still capable of even in this state without his powers. I didn't go so far to think what a fight would look like since there would be no one on this planet to give him a worthy challenge, but could he dodge bullets? I laughed at the idea as a scene from The Matrix played through my head.
A handful of minutes passed with nothing other than the sound of the dogs bouncing in the room until it was interrupted by the back door opening and closing. I held still for a moment, realizing that I was in the room he spent the most time in and the odds of him bothering me again were higher than I liked. I didn't even have to look up as I heard him step around the corner and into the room, walk past me and ended up sitting cross-legged in front of the fireplace again. I dared to look up and saw that he wasn't in a meditative state, so I gathered all of my nerve and decided to engage.
"Morning," I squeaked not quite as calmly as I wanted it to sound. His facial expression never changed.
"Morning." My drink suddenly seemed very interesting as my eyes dove down to stare into it. Causal conversation usually came easy to me but with him it always seemed either too awkward or tough to find a common topic to start with. An odd sound came from him and I realized he might actually start the conversation today.
"I noticed you watching from the window. Enjoy the view?" I choked on my drink as I sipped it, completely taken aback from the line and the lascivious tone hidden under it. After I got my breathing under control I looked up at him, still stifling a few coughs with my hand. I felt a tear formed in the corner of one eye out of my coughing fit. My eyes dared to lock with his and I noticed the small grin on his face.
Oh, he knew well what he was doing.
"Well damn…thought I got….away with that one…" the coughing wouldn't stop when I tried to get the sentence out. A few more coughs and I finally straightened myself up. "Seriously, you never faced the window. How?" I could not get enough of the devious smile that crossed his features.
"The backflip was strategically placed. I caught a glimpse." I glared back at him feeling caught red-handed with the idea that he probably knew I enjoyed the view. I dared to take another sip from my drink, hoping he didn't have another line tucked away to surprise me again. But he stayed quiet and I was able to enjoy my drink safely. Moments passed and he settled in with his eyes closed but his arms still crossed. At first I guessed he was actually going into meditation again, but the feeling in the room wasn't the same, so I finally just gave up trying to figure it out and relaxed despite his overwhelming presence. My curiosity finally won out and I gave in that he saw me watching earlier.
"Is the training even worth it now without your power? It can't feel the same…" I looked up lightly from my drink to see his eyes open again.
"It has a different effect on my body now that I have to work against gravity without my powers. I've calculated a very slim probability of my power returning during my training, but it is so improbable it almost wasn't an option." I tilted my head at the depressing notion.
"Almost wasn't?"
"Otherwise I would get bored quickly, and while I promised not to harm you I can't promise I won't become destructive in my boredom." My eyes widened at the thought.
"I'd really rather you didn't. By all means, train to your heart's content." At first I almost corrected myself with my word choices, but the intrigued look he gave me after completely took my mind off of it.
"You don't seem too bothered in my attempts to obtain my power. With your original concerns I assumed you would at least attempt to prevent me from training." I stopped sipping on my drink and my eyebrows went straight up out of shock.
"As if I could stop you?" My voice was a bit higher pitched than I liked, but he didn't appear to be bothered by it. My lips turned up a bit in a quick grin as I quickly added more. "Besides, I could be just as excited about your powers returning as you are." This time it was his turn for his face to light up.
"Are we now? What would you benefit from me gaining my abilities?"
"I'd be the first one in this world to see it!" I piped happily. I couldn't hold back the huge grin on my face at the idea of his powers returning now that I felt the most dangerous part of our deal had already passed.
"Not dreading the day it returns anymore?" he taunted. I shrugged back, not really having a clear answer anymore whether his powers would be an issue or not. If I could trust his word that he wouldn't go out and destroy the world, then I would be ecstatic for that day. If not, then I would rather it waited. I took another sip from my drink and thought out the possibilities of what else could happen that day.
"I'm hoping to get some answers too. Why you got dropped here, what took your powers, and hopefully get you returned to your own world without anyone else in this world finding out you even existed." My tone dropped quite a bit at the fact that while I haven't minded him being here, it couldn't last forever. Not with his sadistic side possibly hidden under the cordial front he put up for our agreement, and certainly not with the fact that while I lived alone, I still had family that would eventually wonder why they weren't allowed at the house anymore. He couldn't stay hidden forever and to get him to live a fake life would never happen, not even under the best of deals we could make. He was way too proud to be anything other than the perfect weapon and make sure the world knew it.
"Has your offer of letting me stay in your residence started to waver?" I immediately regretted saying that how I did, but the look on his face was clear he expected me to answer truthfully. I thought it over before responding.
"Not really, but I do understand that while you've been more respectful than I expected, it can't go on for very long. There is nothing in this world for you. No opponents worthy of fighting you and definitely no access to more power. And if the wrong person ever found out you were here, I think I know what I'd wake up to the next day…" His expression only changed slightly.
"What do you really think could happen? Would anyone in this world even believe that I existed, even under the most unlikely of circumstances?" My mind started wandering to horrible thoughts of what would happen if the right media channel got ahold of the news of his existence.
"Well, if I woke up to half of the US military on my doorstep, then I'll know I 'done fucked up'." He seemed interested in the subject of our military as soon as I mentioned it.
"Would they even know what it would mean to take me hostage? They will have signed their own death warrants and their entire base would be wiped out the day I got my power back. What is your level of military up to, nuclear power? Hydrogen perhaps? Those pale in comparison to pure energy." I suddenly felt my pulse rise at the idea of our military being so rash. I frowned as my thoughts turned more political.
"Lately there have been tests done with anti-matter, but not much is known right now…Our military is run by money-driven idiots that would jump on the idea of a pure energy source without a second thought. You'd be taken out of here and hidden on some classified base and experimented on to levels I don't dare think of." His expression changed slightly at my outburst. "A biological weapon built successfully and with the power to destroy entire worlds? Hell yeah they'd risk it all to figure you out, and I promise you wouldn't like one second of it. You wouldn't be a guest; you'd be a science experiment." It was quiet for a bit. I even had to steady my temper after thinking how quickly and easily something to that level could happen.
"Your concern is something to take note of. But I can assure you, I have no plans of making myself known until I know I can prevent such extremes. I have no interest in becoming anyone's experiment." His tone was dead serious, but it was clear even he was nervous of being put in that kind of situation. A half-hearted smile barely came to my face and it was almost forced, but I had to admit a bit of relief from his declaration.
"Well, if it means anything to you, thanks for laying low and staying fairly cordial… It keeps me out of trouble as much as it does you." The silence settled over the room again and I could hear the dogs coming back from playing in the other rooms. I stood up as soon as I saw them to keep them from jumping on Cell again and dropped the dishes at the sink before feeding everyone. After that I was outside taking care of the beasts out back and letting the dogs get their fresh air. Upon locking the gate I leaned my arms over the fence and stared out across the green fields. My mind would not get off the idea that while Cell admitted he would lay low, I still feared something stupid happening and he would get ripped away and I'd be deemed a terrorist for harboring an alien weapon.
My fears were interrupted when I heard the door again. I didn't move from my spot. I waited as I felt the pressure of his presence right behind me.
"I do not typically care for humans or their well-being, but if you have concerns for your safety because of me, we can part ways. I agreed to a deal to not harm you, and that does include any indirect harm from an incident due to your government." His tone wasn't harsh, but it did feel like he was giving me an option because he didn't want to be responsible for me, not because he was concerned for me. I breathed in deep and let the ideas of worst-case scenarios play through my mind before I turned to face him. I finally let a small smile break through and leaned back on the fence.
"Nah, I think I'll take my chances." His smirk came back, proud as ever.
"You don't believe a situation will arise that will put you in any form of danger?" I shrugged my shoulders.
"To be honest, I think as long as no one else recognizes you, the odds of your power coming back are much higher than the government kidnapping you. So then if they do figure out you exist and show up, it sure would be fun to watch you put them in their place." I laughed as he shook his head in disbelief.
"You are certainly more interesting when you willingly engage with me. Yesterday was quite boring." I felt myself clam up at the reminder of his attitude yesterday. Was this how he was going to interrogate me again? It was well done if it was; he lured me right in with a very casual conversation and I found myself being more passionate about the topic than I should have been.
"Yesterday was a bit…overwhelming. Not that I'm afraid of you, but you can still be very intimidating when you want to be."
"I do not mean to use any aggressive measures for information considering how much you've willingly given me, but withholding anything will perk my curiosity. So while I do apologize for my lack of restraint, know that I will not stop asking either. Persistence usually pays off in the end for me; else I would have never obtained this form and instead wandered a dead timeline for the rest of my life." These moments were mind-boggling for me. Again he had left me at a loss with the little bit he was willing to share. I almost felt convinced to tell him right then and there that the biggest reason I wanted to help him was because I absolutely loved his character and story and became my favorite.
Almost.
"Well, as long as persistence doesn't include beating me for information that means absolutely nothing to you, then I won't be so defensive next time. I'll just get better at changing the subject," I laughed.
"I'll be the one that decides if any information has any meaning. And there are much better forms of persistence than physical abuse," he warned with a grin, but I wasn't afraid of it. Instead it almost sounded like a bit of a challenge. But I didn't get a chance to react as I heard the dogs start barking and run around the garage to the front yard. I looked up to Cell with a nervous look.
"Might wanna head back inside and keep out of sight. Didn't think I was expecting anyone," and with that I took off running to the front yard. I hoped he took the advice and hid. As I rounded the corner I noticed a huge white truck out front and breathed a huge sigh of relief. The mangas finally showed up! I met the driver coming up the driveway and took the heavy box from his arms and signed for the package. After apologizing about the dogs, he went off and I called them back into the house and headed to the main room where Cell was waiting in his usual place. I plunked the box down on the couch and started to break into it.
"Are these the books you said you obtained?" his brow rose as I grinned happily and I pulled the tape clear off.
"Yup! My day is complete. And now," I pulled out the top book, the first volume still wrapped in the clear plastic, and tossed it to him, "you have the entire story." He ran one of his nails along the edge, ripping clear through the plastic, set it aside, and opened the manga. I laughed as I saw him open it from the wrong end. "Japanese mangas read from right to left. You're at the end of the book." After giving me an odd look, he corrected himself and started flipping quickly through the pages. Several minutes later he stood up and sat on the other side of the couch and handed the book back to me. I found the next volume and handed it to him. He repeated the process and, a bit slower this time, went through the pages. I took the time to pull them all out and stack them in order. I pulled out the last few at the bottom and kept them close to me. He was done with the second book by the time I had ripped the plastic off of the first dozen volumes. He set it down but took notice of the books I still kept in my lap.
"Any particular reason those books are withheld from the rest?" I was hesitant at first, but after a small smile I gave in.
"I'd like to read these first before you got to them." He eyed me suspiciously for a moment.
"Is that the part of the story where I show up?" I nodded.
"I've never been able to read the entire saga, so I wanted to see what differences there were between this and the two animes. Besides, I thought you didn't want to know how it ended." It felt odd being able to taunt him a bit with the books, but he recovered quickly after glaring for a moment.
"That future is no longer going to happen, so I have no need to see it." And with that he grabbed the next book off of the pile and proceeded to flip through it. Excited about being able to read the entire Android Saga without being pressured into giving it up, I ripped of the plastic and started going through the pages at my own pace.
The afternoon passed as we went through the books. The Cell Games went a bit differently compared to both animes, but I was definitely satisfied with the art style and pace of the dialogue. I never asked Cell what he was thinking through the books, but he flipped through them at a steady pace and never asked any questions. Several hours passed with the only interruption for me was to get lunch and let the dogs back outside to play. When he finished the stack I noticed him take the early books of the Android Saga and carefully flipped through them. When I gave him an odd look, he only responded with 'comparing with his original timeline' or something to that effect. I let it go and enjoyed the last book in my hand.
The evening came quickly and he took his leave first, heading back outside to dwell on the newest information he had obtained. I hoped the mangas weren't too different from what had occurred in their world otherwise my own perception could have been inaccurate, and that would make asking more questions difficult. I let the worries fade when I started to feel drowsy and set the books aside, called the dogs and headed to bed.
The next couple days were almost copies of each other. Get up, routine drink, typical chores, and Cell training out in the backyard. I only dared to sneak peaks of him in motion here and there. I would have happily enjoyed watching him for hours if I knew for sure he didn't mind and wouldn't tease or ask questions.
The third day rolled around and I went about my routine again, but glancing in the backyard I found no bio-weapon going through his paces. I leaned farther, daring to scan more of the yard, but still nothing was to be seen. While I found it odd, I didn't panic. Instead I went with my drink around the corner and half-halted when I saw him sitting in front of the fireplace again. I took my usual spot on the couch and pulled out my laptop to go through my accounts again, only glancing up a few times to see what stance he was in again. I noticed the cross-legged pose was typical, but his arms were held in a different pose, more like he was holding his sides. I paid no mind to it and continued to read through the headlines.
'Unemployment rising, stock market fluctuating, gold and silver was rising in value…' I scanned through the market watch page. 'I really miss having all of this explained to me…'
The room was silent, for a moment. I couldn't quite place the sound at first, but then I stopped clicking for a moment and stilled my breaths, trying to figure it out. It sounded like a light whistling sound. My mind started to flip through the appliances that it could have been, but I caught another sound that didn't match up, and I realized it was Cell. I watched carefully; his breaths were the whistling sound. I didn't mean to stare, but my instincts were saying this wasn't normal. As if to confirm my suspicions, he took one breath a little quicker and repeated the other odd sound I heard. My mouth reacted faster than my mind was thinking.
"Cell?" No response. At first I was certain I was interrupting something important, but after another minute of those odd breaths he took I tried again. "Cell!"
It was like waking someone out of a nightmare. His arms came undone quickly and hit the floor on either side of him and his eyes snapped open. After a quick gasp for air he glared up at me, and I suddenly felt the size of a fly under his gaze.
"What?!" He snapped suddenly. I held myself for a moment, almost terrified to talk to him, but after he blinked a few times and shook his head I found my voice.
"Sorry but it looked like something was wrong. It didn't look like you were in meditation this time." I really tried to sound concerned, but my tone was almost all apologetic. He huffed and brought his arms back up, but this time he crossed his arms normally and straightened his posture. His eyes glared at me again.
"It's nothing. This world must affect my body differently than mine." And with that, he closed his eyes and relaxed again. I shook a bit; that was a pretty violent reaction for something that seemed out of the norm for him. Turning back to the laptop I continued reading news articles.
Not ten minutes later I heard that sound again. Glancing over to him again I noticed something had changed. His arms had lost the form he had and they had wrapped around his sides again, almost like he was holding them up. He leaned a bit more forward and the quicker breaths were coming a bit more frequent. If it wasn't obvious a few minutes ago it was now. Something was wrong.
"Cell seriously, snap out of it!" Once again he let his arms hit the floor and he jerked up again, only I could slightly see his teeth were clenched as he glared at me.
"I said I'm fine! Why are you so persistent?" I swallowed the lump in my throat and shoved my fear back for the moment.
"I don't know if you see it but something is wrong! I get you are probably affected differently here, but that sound you're making doesn't sound healthy. Talk to me." Our eyes were locked, waiting to see who faltered first. He scoffed and looked away. His arms came up to his knees this time. "It's just a guess, but I've seen enough to say this doesn't seem normal for you." He didn't move or respond. Instead his eyes faced forward, not focusing on anything in particular but definitely avoiding eye contact with me. Several moments passed. I set the laptop aside and sipped from my drink. After setting it down quietly I crossed my legs up on the couch and leaned my arms on them. I almost tried to engage him again, but I noticed him shake his head again and take a deep breath before I saw him shift around to move. He stood up quickly but his hand went to his head in a flash. I watched with confusion and stared as he took a step sideways, and when he took his next step I saw his frame buckle at the knees and his entire body slumped forward.
"Oh shit, don't fall!" I bolted off the couch just in time to get an arm out as he collapsed forward. Throwing my weight under him I managed to break some of his fall, but his knees still crashed loudly to the floor, shaking the entire room. The dead weight of his upper body proved too much for me and he fell forward but I cradled one shoulder just enough to guide him down rather than letting him free fall. My mind froze as I realized his body was limp and his breaths were making a harsh rattling sound. I quickly moved his body enough to get him on his back, noticing his eyes were closed with a pained expression. I pulled back and sat on my haunches, giving him a bit of space and braced for when he snapped out of it, just in case he came up swinging. I waited, watching his face try to relax, only to grit his teeth again and noticed his hands trembling.
'Good god, this better not be a major emergency… no hospital in the world would know what to do with him,' my mind frantically searched for ideas. Trying to read these symptoms were only giving me human issues; fatigue, dehydration, anxiety and panic attacks. Another few moments and his eyes finally opened up and his jaw relaxed. I waived a few fingers in front of his face as he stared upward, bringing his gaze down to me.
"What…I collapsed?" All I gave him was a shallow nod and a frustrated sigh.
"Broke your fall…barely. Ready to talk? Now that we know something's wrong…" I gave him a look that made it clear I was serious. He didn't give in right away, but after bringing a hand up and seeing how badly he was shaking, he sighed loudly through his nose and teeth, looking a bit shamed.
"I didn't want to believe it at first, but it's clear now I've been getting weaker. Each day has been progressively worse. I started training believing I just needed to keep my body moving, but it seems to have accelerated it." I listened carefully, amazed he was willing to admit it freely now even though he had to hit bottom first. I actually expected him to deny everything despite his condition. I bit my lip in thought, thinking about his condition the day after he was on the couch.
"But didn't you recover when you got a chance to rest without your armor?" He nodded in a late response. "How quickly did this set in?" His eyes blinked a few times, his brows furrowing a bit before he spoke.
"Three days, I think. I don't feel at full function right now." Alright a few days after real rest and he stared feeling weak. But was it weakness or just exhaustion from a typical day?
"Well humans don't function very well after being awake after 24 hours either, but you're not human so I can't compare the two. Any other pains or issues I can work with? I'm stuck with only human problems if you don't have any other clues for me." He didn't try to answer me; instead he leaned and attempted to pull himself upright, but only got a few inches up before his body shook again and he ended up on his back again. His eyes shut in sheer frustration.
"This weakened body is starting to get very irritable…" he groaned in his complaint. I sat down after leaning on my knees a bit too long and looked him over again.
"Well the shaking has stopped, so that's improvement. Maybe letting you rest again will help your condition. You probably collapsed from exhaustion…" He lightly huffed out of frustration from the assumption.
"This will be bothersome if I need to rest every few days. It is such a waste; I never needed rest when I had my power…" he scoffed. I shook my head and glared at him.
"Humans have to sleep every night and many animals sleep more than the average human does. I think you're getting off lucky only needing to rest once every few days. Suck it up." My tone was solid, but I didn't feel like I was endangering myself when he could barely move. He noticed my snarky tone.
"Why do you always get braver when I am at a clear disadvantage? Do I need to remind you that I will be back on my feet the moment I recover?" I stared back, not sure how to respond to the remark other than stutter my apology.
"Sorry, but really, you should be looking on the bright side of this…I mean, if rest is all you need that's not a bad tradeoff to lose your power…" He shifted again, making another attempt to lift himself up, but he shook again. With a reaction speed I didn't know I had my arm shot out and grabbed him behind his elbow and yanked him up the rest of the way. As his body swayed in the sudden movement I felt his hand wrap around my elbow as well, steadying himself as he brought his other hand to his head again. I noted how much he put behind his grip, making sure I didn't let go. I swallowed hard when I realized what kind of predicament I put myself in. Did I feel safer helping him when he was at a point that he couldn't move? After a few moments of rubbing his head, he looked me over, noticing that he was still holding onto my arm a bit tighter than I was comfortable with. I tried to hide the fact I was nervous, but he saw through it.
"Concerned?" His face gave away nothing as he watched me squirm under his gaze. I looked down to our arms again, realizing he was testing my resolve. I attempted to pull my arm away, but he held fast. I took a quick breath in and looked up at him again.
"A…a bit. I'm not sure how much trust to put in you yet..." He still held steady, but his grip didn't tighten. Instead something crossed his face quickly and he turned away slightly.
"I know how much trust I've put with you, and as much it pains me to say it, I will need to ask it of you again." My breath slowed again as I watched the different emotions flash across his eyes again. Shame, anger, and finally a hint of fear. It was hard to watch someone so proud fall so hard. I let my hand grip his arm again.
"What do you need?" I could hear him clench his jaw first.
"Assistance. As much as you can offer to get me on my feet again…then I will try to rest…" I looked over to the couch and figured that was where he wanted to be. Glancing back to him I nodded and got up on one foot and kneeled on my knee as I braced myself. He put his other hand down and used my leverage to get him to his knees, and then from there I pushed my shoulder under his arm and helped him up again, only this time he was a bit lighter and he had his stability back quickly. Once on his feet I turned and we quickly crossed the little bit to the couch where I was able to guide him down instead of throwing him down like last time. Once he was seated I quickly grabbed the laptop and watched as he stretched over the length of the furniture again. I almost cracked up at seeing how ridiculously tall he was as he took up the oversized sectional so easily. I had noted the other day when he was standing still that he was taller than almost everyone in the family, putting him at about six and a half feet, and that was without his armor. As he settled in I took my mug off of the end table and ditched it in the kitchen. I took the moment to free the dogs from the back room and let them run around outside. Coming back into the room I knelt down by the side of the couch and noticed his breaths weren't whistling anymore. More improvements.
"I have noticed another ailment that has been bothering me." He had my full attention with that one line and I tilted my head in a bit of shock. "The feeling of something caught in my throat was what caused the sounds." He swallowed a bit harder after that line. "But it is difficult to describe." I raised an eyebrow at the little bit I saw and made an assumption.
"Thirsty?"
His face scrunched a bit for a moment. "Is that what thirst feels like?" I laughed lightly.
"I'm no doctor, but it can't hurt to try, right?" He made no acknowledgement but I went to the kitchen anyway and got out a glass and ice and filled it with filtered water. Bringing it to the room he sat up a bit on the couch when I handed it to him. He eyed the glass suspiciously.
"I've never had a need for sustenance. How does one drink without suffocating themselves?" I let the statement roll in my head for a moment, holding back my laughter at the ridiculousness of it. I cleared my throat before answering.
"Don't breathe. If you're nervous, take a breath and time it. Your body should just instinctively react. Don't overthink it." He looked back to the glass, leaned in and tipped it back. One swallow and his eyes shut as he pulled it back and coughed hard enough to make me jump, but I caught myself and braced in case he dropped the glass. Instead, he gathered his own wits and started at the glass. It was like he needed to process what happened before he took a breath and tipped it back again. No coughing this time, and in a few moments he drained the entire glass. He cleared his throat after a bit and finally broke the silence.
"That did help, but what an odd experience. Feeling the liquid being forced down…is hard to describe." I laughed and took the glass from his hands. His expression when I laughed made it difficult to not laugh harder.
"See? Nothing to fret over, though I'll admit, you're the first to fear drowning over a glass of water…" He frowned at the joke.
"I did not 'fear drowning', I just didn't know of the technique. I understand the concept now…" I juggled the glass in my hands and noted the changes in his eyes and demeanor. He was definitely more alert, but I didn't want to push it.
"Feeling any better?" He nodded lightly as he flexed his hands a bit and settled back into the couch. Figuring that was going to be his location for the afternoon I stood and grabbed the laptop but as soon as I stepped around the corner I heard a small 'um' that made me look back to him. The look on his face grabbed my attention and I turned my body to face him.
"Leaving?" I was puzzled to say the least. Not ten minutes ago he was angry I was concerned for him, and now he was questioning why I was leaving.
"I didn't think you'd want to be disturbed while recovering?" His arms came up over his middle and he shook his head.
"I do not need sleep, but the rest appears to be necessary. Your presence will not be a nuisance." I rolled the idea in my head. Sure I wouldn't be a nuisance, but that didn't necessarily mean he wanted me to stay. The question formed quickly and I didn't even consider what I was even asking until I said it.
"Would you rather I stayed?" I quickly bit my tongue and regretted asking. I wasn't sure why, but I felt an unwelcome answer was about to be thrown my way.
"I believe the appropriate response would be 'do you trust me enough to stay'." It felt like he was suddenly testing my level of trust, and I certainly wasn't about to fail. Without hesitating I stepped back in the room and sat down on the floor and leaned up against the couch and opened my laptop back up and set it over my bent legs. As it came out of sleep mode I looked over my shoulder to his slightly amused look. "I recall seeing you have a small panic attack the last time you backed yourself into a similar situation." I snorted a light laugh and looked back at the screen.
"I've beat you with a rock, carried you out of the woods and lent you another hand today…I think I'm over the whole 'too close for comfort' thing now." There was that chuckle again. I felt a chill run down my spine that time.
"Your level of trust seems to be increasing with each day. I will admit I'm impressed with your bravery and ability to handle stressful situations. Your reaction time from the moment I fell was nearly instant." His tone was hard to read for me at the moment, but not being able to read his body language was part of that. I decided that it was safe to carry on with the conversation.
"Well, I've already said I'm not afraid of you. But it has been tough to judge what a safe level of interaction with you is…" I ignored the screen on my lap and looked out through the front window instead, giving me something to rest my eyes on for a bit. "And my reflexes were because I was anticipating something would happen, I just didn't know what until you stood up…." I stopped, fearing of treading on a subject he may or may not have wanted to discuss.
"You say you don't fear me, yet you still hesitate with those questions you have claimed to have so many of. I am curious as to when those questions will surface. And also, any level of interaction is safe with me, I promised you that already." I grinned a bit at my luck. If that wasn't a green light to engage, then I didn't know what was.
"Well 'any' level is up for interpretation; I certainly wouldn't try to pick a fight with you…but those questions are more about your world in general. How things work mostly…"
"Like what? Give me one of your world's 'misconceptions' you spoke of." The first idea I had rolled of my tongue quickly.
"Power levels are always argued about. Some of us think they matter while others think they don't. Whenever someone says 'who would win' and they put two fighters together, people always pick the higher power level. So even if someone had a clear disadvantage, is that what really decides a fight?" I dared to look over my shoulder, fearing of asking something that may have seemed to be common knowledge to him but was completely alien to us. His expression was certainly interesting; his brow was raised a bit and he stared back for a moment before blinking and shifting his angle so he faced me.
"Your world seems to be stuck on the mentality that power levels don't change throughout a battle."
"Well we do see that is possible; you say so yourself throughout some battles that you hold back and only bring out so much power at a time. But when it comes down to an all-out battle, would the higher power always win?" He shook his head.
"Not necessarily. Power can be concentrated and increased temporarily to get an edge over your opponent. You could say the one that has the most control over the power they do have can win the battle, even at a clear disadvantage." Scenes from the series started to pop up in my head as examples of when this was actually being shown.
"Like when Tien was able to hold you back in your previous form?" He took a deep breath and I shrunk back a bit, worried about bringing up touchy subjects, but he nodded and continued.
"That moment is exactly one of those situations. I wasn't necessarily being held back as much as I knew his body would give out eventually. I was biding my time. The technique he used drains directly from one's life force; I myself would not use the technique unless absolutely necessary, and even so there are better options as last-resort moves." I nodded in understanding, but still brought up the bigger issue.
"But even with that kind of control over his power, he couldn't beat you. It was more like dragging out the inevitable." He flashed that grin again at that statement.
"Well when it comes to me there are few that can keep up let alone beat me. But I do have another example where the power control mattered more at the moment. The Kamehameha Wave Goku used to catch me off-guard? He concentrated his power into a move I could not counter in time so I had to take the full brunt of the power. That was an excellent control of power level and technique, which is why I wanted to fight Goku in the tournament so dearly. His knowledge in combat is not to be taken lightly and proved to be a worthy challenge for me. Had I not been able to regenerate from the blast he would have surely won the fight. Alas, Piccolo's cells pulled through for me yet again, proving that knowledge of your opponent could be the difference between a win and a loss." I could feel myself being at ease with this conversation. His voice was still addicting to listen to despite his moments that were terrifying. More moments of fights kept flooding my head as more questions came up.
"So what about when two large blasts are competing against each other? Does power fluctuate then too?" His gaze narrowed as he was reminded of the future of his defeat. I heard his tongue click as he started.
"You must be referring to the future battle I was to be defeated in. If the blasts are similar enough in size and power, then yes they will stalemate and push against each other until one overrides the other. The control and power needed to create such a situation would have to be at a scale never seen in fighting history…" I turned away and grinned.
"Well I did say it was an awesome fight, right to the very end." I leaned a bit back into the couch, satisfied with the answers I was given, and oddly enough enjoyed every moment of it. But I heard him make an odd sound and I turned up to him again.
"Who are some of these opponents that are questioned so much? Am I on this list?" I sighed; the biggest arguments on the internet were popping up, and one always stood out for me.
"Yeah, people always seem to think Broly would beat you, though I'm completely convinced otherwise now," I laughed.
"Who is this 'Broly'? Another fighter I have yet to meet?" His tone was very curious and not threatening at all. I was feeling the same excitement from the day I was telling him of his defeat.
"You should not meet him; as far as some of us know he is not a canon character to the series. But he is another pure sayajin that survived planet Vegeta's destruction and somehow becomes a super sayajin in his own manner that 'supposedly' makes him much more powerful than the normal super sayajin transformation. So, naturally, they pit you against him and based on some made up numbers several pick him to win." The look he gave me was giving me the oddest feeling as he was clearly readying himself for another question.
"Who do you think would win?" I held my gaze with his for a moment. How should I really answer this?
"You're sitting right here; who do you think I'm going to pick?" My tone was sarcastic and I had a huge smile across my face, but it was also my serious answer. I'd pit Cell up against almost every opponent save for perhaps Majin Buu, who I hated with a passion as a villain.
"And how did you come to this conclusion? Based on power? Or other reasons?" I had just started to notice his personality starting to show up again despite his little bout of exhaustion earlier. The water must have helped more than he expected it to.
"I have my reasons. But you seem to be doing a lot better now. You might want to look into pacing yourself with your training." He shifted in his spot again, leaning his head back on the armrest and taking a deep breath, probably sorting out his condition. After a moment he looked back down to me again.
"It would appear so, but that still doesn't answer my question. Looks like you need more practice with 'changing the subject'. Now, what reasons did you have for my victory?"
"Well it's easy. You're…" I half-halted and caught myself, "the best. You come off as the more strategic fighter and Broly…well he is more like a child with more power than he knows how to handle." His brow rose a bit.
"You hesitated with that one. What other reasons?" I felt the looming feeling of his curiosity bearing down on me. I held strong and gave him the answer I felt always finished the fight.
"Well if he cuts your head off, wait a couple minutes and you'll be back in the fight. Cut Broly's head off…well, game over." And that was it for me. Cell's regenerative abilities have saved him in EVERY single overpowered battle he found himself in. I heard a light 'hmph' and he gave me a small smirk again.
"That's a fair conclusion." It was quiet for a bit after that. I pulled up the websites I wanted to browse through and he relaxed on the couch again. I wasn't sure what else to ask him about, but I did feel that much more comfortable asking him questions now. I truly feared bothering him to the point that he would get aggressive and, while not kill me, definitely put me through hell.
But it started to feel like he welcomed it.
The pressure I normally felt from him being so close was barely noticeable now. I wondered if that was more self-prophesized rather than him actually feeling threatening. He certainly didn't act like he was trying to give off that vibe. I nearly forgot about him being on the couch as I sat on the floor, tapping though the comments section on Facebook. I found myself in the middle of a debate on politics in a forum thread that had popped up in my newsfeed. With each ignorant statement I found myself getting deeper and deeper into the battles, finding my fingers flying across the keyboard and my internal temperature rising. I was typing out entire paragraphs by the end of my first debates until I was finally snapped out of it.
"You do realize hitting the keys harder does not make your argument better?" I jolted upright as soon as his voice cut through my thoughts, and my argument suddenly vanished from my mind as I looked at him.
"Ugh, sorry. I get into these kinds of fights all the time and waste so much time arguing... It's never worth it and yet I keep at it. It's like the only way to vent sometimes." I looked back at the computer, deleted the paragraph I wrote and closed out that tab.
"I find a good fight to be a better form of venting stress." I looked away from the keyboard again, but ended up looking out the front window again.
"I'm sure it is…for someone trained in fighting. For 'keyboard warriors' like me, putting me in a real fight would be a waste of time."
"A 'keyboard warrior'?" I giggled at the confused question.
"Yeah, it's basically expressing opinions on the internet in a debate, only some people are less educated or less informed about the topic so it ends up turning into name-calling and getting off-topic. I am pretty opinionated about quite a few controversial topics, so I find myself going at it way more than I should. If I just ignored it life would be a lot less infuriating…"
"What particular topics? Anything actually worth fighting over?" I shook my head sadly.
"Nah, politics and economics, both of which are based on the less-popular opinion. A few side ones too, like pet ownership and personal freedoms, but obviously not worth the time fighting over. If my opinion was right and everyone agreed, we wouldn't have debates in the first place." He didn't say anything after that and I was pretty happy he dropped it. I didn't want to get into political debates with him; I'd walk away crying for sure. I kept scrolling through my newsfeed, happy to see friends and family having fun in their lives, but I quietly giggled at the thought that none of them were having near as much excitement in their lives as I was now.
"You don't come off to me as an ignorant human; if anything I've found your intellect to be quite entertaining and fairly well-informed. Course I am limited in our conversations but you seem to be very open-minded." I felt a mix of both flattery and confusion wash over me. It was such a polar opposite reaction than when he was still in the woods. I laughed and looked over my shoulder again.
"Funny, I recall the statement 'I thought your intellect showed greater promise than that' from you not too long ago," I finished with a tilt of my head and a very devious grin of my own. His own flashed back.
"That was before any…structured conversations. I've learned a great deal from you in just the way you converse with me." I blinked in my stunned state.
"Well I've been told I'm easy to talk to and very easy to read too…Coworkers always knew if I was having a rough day at work." I wasn't ashamed of it. My tone of voice can tell someone everything they wanted to know: how I felt and what to expect from me. My body language always reflected it too, so one would have to be completely blind to not know what was going on in my head. He huffed again as he made it clear he was going to engage again.
"You are very easy to read. You word your questions carefully as if you fear offending me. And you seem to be at ease more when you feel you are in control of the conversation. As soon as you feel challenged you back down immediately, which is quite the opposite of what you demonstrated in your little 'debate' on the computer." I was a bit shocked he put the two together. I didn't dare challenge him, but any other human on the planet; bring it.
"I do fear offending you, so yes, I do choose my words very carefully and will only ask questions I feel are well thought out. One wrong statement that ends with you backhanding me would land me in the hospital for a week," I laughed. He sighed loudly.
"I have made it very clear I will not harm you." I had no problem locking my eyes with his for this part.
"It's still you. And you are way too proud to take any flak from a human female, so while you can promise the world, I will still tread lightly around you. Compared to me you are far superior. I don't risk challenging you." With that I turned back to the computer again and logged out. I shut the laptop and set it aside, not really sure what to do from here. My thoughts didn't get to travel far as he cut back in again.
"Why do you respect me so much? After all I have done to humans in my world I find it difficult to understand how you don't abhor me in this world." I dismissed his idea with a light waive of my hand as I responded.
"What you have done in your world has no effect on mine as long as you keep your promise. And I can't fault you for doing exactly what you were written to do: be the villain and a damn good one too." His response started with a disagreeing groan and his tone got snarkier.
"What I was 'written' to do… Hard to believe my entire life has been following the puppeteering of a master higher than the one that created me. I thought I was following Dr. Gero's wishes; instead I was following the doomed plans of an entertainer." I did feel pretty sick hearing that depressing notion again even after he himself admitted that the plans have obviously changed since he was brought here. But the idea that everything he was doing before was not of his own ambition but of someone that wrote him specifically for their ambitions must still have been tough to swallow. Almost like how the Matrix was a world designed to cover another world.
"Well, the only reason it bothers you is because you're aware of this world now. Had nothing changed you would have followed through the fights, gotten yourself killed and no one would have been the wiser. Would you have rather not known of our world?" I looked up to him again, and his eyes looked away after a moment, contemplating his answer. He looked back with a small frown.
"I'm not sure. While I do prefer knowing I have the chance to alter the future, I am still unsure of how I would change it. Or if I am even capable of changing it at all." My face changed in a bit of shock.
"You don't think you would turn down the fight that kills you?" He was quiet. I turned back away, worried I overstepped boundaries again. I kept reminding myself he said there was nothing to worry about, but I still feared it. Out of nervous habit I bit down on the skin on my knuckle, giving me a small distraction to quell the shakes I was feeling in my gut.
"I don't know." His tone was hushed and uncertain at best. I truly did feel some sympathy for him now. This had to be the hardest situation to wrap his head around, and when he did return to his world he would be the only one that knew it. How in the world was he going to save himself from a future that may already be set in motion?
I couldn't take the uncertain air anymore. I needed fresh air and to make sure the dogs weren't getting into trouble. I stood up, stretched my legs and started around the corner before I turned to look at him. His eyes met mine for the moment and I said what I needed to say.
"I'd rather you lived. Find a way." After I took a frustrated breath he responded.
"I would rather that too." And that was it. I felt my lips go dry and I walked away, heading for the bedroom to dress and spend my day trying to think of anything other than the future that wasn't going to change.
Thanks for reading! All feedback is welcomed and appreciated!