Chapter 3: The Devil's Novice
"I'm BORED!" Cell raged as he stormed around the lab.
"Find yourself something to do." Dr. Gero snapped as he tried to calculate Android 18's coordinates. "I don't have time for your mindless prattle."
"I have! Many times! But no matter what, you say it's a security risk."
"Because it is." Dr. Gero said in an exasperated tone. "Training with the Z fighters is out of the question. They can't come here because I don't want them to know where the lab is.. You can't go there because it would require repeated round trips, which are a security hazard. You can't stay there for an extended period because you're too STUPID to not say something which might make them suspicious of us."
Cell glared. The introspective Dr. Gero of three nights ago was gone, replaced by his old, nasty self. "I want to train, or do something. I'm BURSTING! I'm HUNGRY! You don't know what this is like!"
"I built you. I know exactly what you should be feeling." He continued working, but Cell was storming around, making too much noise for him to concentrate. "Cell. CELL!" The racket stopped. "I have a proposal for you."
"Shoot."
"You can train. IF you can find a sparring partner that you can disappear and will not constitute a security risk." *That should shut him up, it'll take him weeks to figure a solution. Second-level Cell has very poor logic facilities.*
Cell thought for a second, then grinned. "Doctor. Can I make one round trip to the Lookout?"
"Can you explain to them how you found it?"
Cell nodded. "I'll tell them I homed in on Yamcha. They don't have a clue as to my true power, but they know it's large. They'll think that I'd have no problem."
"Alright. Be VERY CAREFUL. I don't want your incompitence ruining everything."
Cell grinned and took to the air. Maybe there'd be something fulfilling in teaching. Certianly beat boredom.
"Android 16." Cell approached his 'sibling.' "How goes it up here?" Everyone was staring at him, even after he had been introduced.
"Nothing has happened."
"Alright. Now, I need you to do me a favor. It's in mission format, so let's swich to resonal speech."
16 nodded. The two of them bean to speak in strange combinations of high and low tones, the meaning of which understandable to only to the doctor's creations. After ten minutes, they returned to normal.
"Piccolo," Android 16 began, "I need some new clothes. Can you make me some thing that looks like Saiyan armor, and a tail?" he heaved off his green carapace.
"Why should-" Piccolo started, but Cell cut him off.
"Minor stealth mission. Dr. Gero want him to pick up some information on the Saiyans, as well as some part he needs."
"Hey, Cell, does the big guy know how to play Saiyan?" Krillin asked.
"Of course. Besides, even if he was caught, he'll self-destruct before he'll tell them anything."
Piccolo nodded as 16 was bathed in white light. The traditional Saiyan gear appeared on 16, along with a belt that looked like a tail. The andoid thanked Piccolo and lept off the lookout, speeding eastward. Cell jumped off too, heading south. Unbeknowns to the rest, he stopped at the halfway point between the Lookout and the lab. Back on the lookout, the Z warriors looked at each other and shrugged. Who could explain mad scientists?
Suddenly Yamcha looked around. "Where's Puar?"
Puar held onto the massive strand of red 'hair' for dear life. She couldn't explain it, but something about Cell's offhand comments had aroused her deepest suspicions. Shapeshifting into a flea, she had hidden in the android's hair to see what he had been REALLY ordered to do. Dressing up as a Saiyan meant that you were going to impersonate one.
Looking frighteningly normal, Android 16 cruised over the Saiyan military base near the abandoned West City.
*My time for the shapeshift is running out- I only hope he does whatever it is quickly, before I have to leave.* 16 dropped down in front of a building with an illegible sign. He walked into the reception room and spoke with the receptionionist.
*Thirty seconds- have to jump now.* Puar lept off 16's head and scurried under a sofa. With a soft pop, she turned back into the floating blue cat.
"-but you can see the selection." The receptionist was saying. 16 nodded and went through the door into the main body of the building. Puar zipped out from under the sofa and caught the door just as it was closing. Unfortnatly, she had forgotten how much a door wieghs, compared to her tiny body. For a full minute she strained at the edge, and was finally able to yank it open far enough to get through.
"-completly intolerable." she heard 16's voice saying. There were three corridors, and he was in the one farthest to the right. Floating higher into the air, she moved through the archway and towards the voices.
The corridor was lined with cells. Each one was about the size of a prison cell, but with one door and no bars. From the windows set in the doors, she could see that each one contained six or seven human children, looking miserable and malnourished. *A slave dealer! But what would 16 be doing here?* Her mind answered itself. *Cell's dirty work. Yamcha and the others must know- but what's Cell doing this for?*
She had caught up with 16 and the dealer. The latter was short, balding, and had a huge grin plastered on his face. Puar had known the kind among humans: used car salesmen.
"Well," he said, drawing both himself and 16 to a halt, "did you like anything you saw?"
"I didn't." 16 replied. His metallic voice never showed any emotion, but Puar could swear that she heard anger. "They are all mistreated and poorly fed. What's in those last few cells? More of the same?"
"Honestly, people are so hard to please these days." The scummy Saiyan huffed. "It's all the humans' fault. If they didn't breed like rabbits- never mind. To answer your question, no, the last dozen cells have misceginations. Saiyan fathers and human mothers. Not a good investment in my opinion, they're uppity. And since you're Mister Particular, I figured that it wouldn't even be worth you while."
"Half-saiyans? Now I am intrigued."
The dealer rolled his eyes as the tour continued.
Puar hid behind a corner as Android 16 looked in the few remaining cells. Finally, the dealer snapped.
"ARE YOU FINISHED? I have an auction starting in ten minutes, and if you don't wrap this up soon, I'll have you thrown out! I've never MET such a picky customer!"
"I would not recommend violence against myself. However, I am quite finished." He walked over to the second to last cell. "I'll take him. The one with the orange hair and black eyes. He seems the least atrophied."
The saiyan's expresion of disgust turned into one of shock. "Good eye! He's only been here ten days. Sold to me after his mother tried to kill him." He grinned. "Seems that her relationship with his father was... thorny, if ya know what I mean." He opened the door. "You! Brat! Get over here- no not you, get away from me, you-" he dragged the half-Saiyan out. "Say hello to your new owner- whatever your name is. 120 zenni, if you don't mind."
Android 16 paid him and slung the child over his shoulder. Puar ducked behind a light until he passed.
Back in the reception area, 16 set the child down. "Wait here. I have some things to get, then I'll take you home."
The child's face lit up, then slumped again as he realized that 16 had a different 'home' in mind. 16 walked out.
As soon as she was sure he had gone, Puar floated up to him. "Hi! Whats your name?"
"What's it to you?" he sneered at her.
"Hey! Don't be rude! I'm not going to hurt you. Mine's Puar."
"You're a blue, flying, talking cat."
"Long story. And you have a tail." She giggled, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"Short story."
"Let's hear it."
"My father was a Saiyan." he leaned closer. "Say, do you know what's wrong with that guy who bought me? his voice sounds really weird. And what's his name?"
Puar quickly adlibbed. "Oh, he got hurt a few years back. Had to get a mechanical voice box implanted. Apparently, someone just ripped the old one right out. His name is- uh- Juurokugou."
"Whao! He got it ripped out? And survived? Cool!" his face scrunched up "Why is he named after a number?"
"He was the sixteenth child and his parents ran out of names." Paur mentally sweatdropped. She was going to have trouble keeping her stories straight. "But you never answered MY question. What's your name?"
"Akula."
"Funny name. How old are you?"
"Ten."
"What your old home like?"
"I don't wanna talk about it." The small face fell. "What's my new home gonna be like?"
"To tell the truth, I don't know. I don't live there."
"Why are you here, then?"
"I'm a friend of his." Just then she heard the massive footsteps coming towards them *Gotta hide! Can't let him know that I've been spying on him!*
"Wha- Puar, where are you goin'?" Akula yelled as Puar ducked under the couch. The door opened.
"Puar?" 16's voice demanded.
"Yes!" Akula's voice had taken a new tone. "She went right under there, sir!"
One massive paw went under the couch. Puar tried to dodge, but the big lug was faster than he looked. "Hey! Leggo!" she yelped as he pulled her out.
"What were you doing here?" The voice was impassive as ever, but the huge eyes had narrowed.
"I was just tagging along! I saw you and decided to see what you were doing! Who's the kid?"
"Go back to the lookout, Puar. Cell has need of this one." With those words, he picked up the machine parts, slung the child over his shoulder, and lifted off. Then he turned back. "This is 'the disciple.' Cell needs something to occupy his time in the lab. Please, don't tell. Cell would be furious if he knew I told you."
As Puar soared back towards the lookout, she couldn't get her mind off Cell. *What would he want a demi-Saiyan for? Experiments?" A horrible thought occured to her. *EATING?*
She powered back towards the lookout. Yamcha MUST know about his. There might be an innocent explanation, but her common sense told her not to risk it.
"WHEEE!" Akula yelled as the ground sped under him. 16 glanced up at the child. *What does Cell want with him?*
Cell had told him that he wanted a half-saiyan, but he hadn't said why. He'd implied that it had something to do with Dr. Gero, but he had never said what. The only specifics he had given was that it be half-saiyan and young enough to train. *Young enough to train! Of course! Something to while away those hours in the lab.* The eyes narrowed. *But what happens if Cell gets fed up or bored? I must make sure that he does not do anything harmful.*
Cell was hovering over the ocean as 16 flew up. "Do you have it?"
"Yes. Here's the parts you wanted, and here's the trainee."
Cell slung both over his shoulders. "So, you guessed. You're not as slow as I thought, Android 16."
"What happens if you get tired with training?"
Cell grinned. "Impossible. Dr. Gero has arranged a gravity room to make me shut up." He spun and flew off, leaving Android 16 in the dust.
"So, Cell, you're back." Gero hadn't even looked up as Cell came down the vacuum tunnel. "Is your diminutive brain still wrestling with the problem? Remember, you can't use the gravity room until you get a sparing partner that fills the requirement. Heh heh."
"Four internal condensation/cooling tubes, just like you asked." Cell threw the package that 16 had bought onto the desk next to him. "And my sparring partner."
Gero jumped and spun. "WHAT!" he saw Akula. "Where did you get that? Kidnapping makes people ask questions, Cell, and that is a security breach to end all-"
"Relax." Cell grinned. "Saiyans 'enslaved' Earth, remember, and where there's enslavement-"
"-there's slaves." Gero finished. "Ingenious, Cell, I didn't think this stage had the mental capacity for that kind of reasoning. Is it worth it though?" The eyebrows rose as Gero noticed the tail. "Even if it is a demi-Saiyan. I'll have to screen him for diseases." Akula cowered as the scary-looking white-haired man with his brain exposed stood up and walked towards him. "Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you. Cell would be angry if I hurt his new sparring partner. Do you know who Cell is?" Akula pointed one trembling finger as Dr. Gero came closer. "That's right... don't be scared... GOT YOU!" Dr. Gero's arm grabbed his. Android 20 hoisted the terrifed child in the air. "Little vermin- always hated children. Cell, get the syringes, I need to take a blood sample." There was a crack as Akula bit Dr. Gero's mechanical arm. "Brat. And I think the tooth regowth kit will be necessary too."
"So, 16, what did Cell want with the child?" Puar demanded. All the Z warriors were standing in a cricle around the huge android. 16 hung his head.
"I have failed. My mission was to not let any of you know, because Cell hates intervention in his affairs. Puar- how did you manage to track me?"
"I shapeshift." she said sourly. There was a pop as she turned into a lounge suite. Then she changed herself back. "Don't change the subject."
"Cell wants a student. A novice. Someone who he can train as a means of relieving his boredom."
"So what happens when Cell gets bored?"
"I do not think that will happen. Cell is easy to please in his current form. He may even grow fond of the child."
The Z fighers looked at each other. "Naaahhh."