Eeee... I didn't think I'd be able to get this chapter out today, but I
did! It's been so busy on ff.net that I couldn't even log in! Plus, with me
being sick and all, this chapter might not be as good so just bear with me.
I've also got finals in two of my classes tomorrow and the day after. Yet
I'll keep trying to post my chapters at this pace for all you awesome
people! ^_^
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Masquerade: I like her, too. She's hard for me to figure out and that makes it all the more fun to uncover her secrets! ^_^ We'll just see what he does... Don't worry, I will! I've reached the point of no return... O.o()
SSJ4 Goku: I guess that's true. You can make anything happen if you try hard enough. I don't think there is any reasoning to flaming either; they're just dumb remarks that are totally without thought. That's why I never give flames. There are a few fics I've seen way back in the past that aren't so great like the one by Squeaky... *shudders* I just don't review if they're that bad. Well, you did! You truly are an inspiration to me. ^_^ And with all that you say about me, I just hope I don't get such a bloated ego. ^_^() I'll go read IMTU as soon as I can! ^_^
mae: It's easy to overlook, I know. Especially since I'm not all that known except by the people who have been reviewing this whole story so far. But I'm glad it caught your eye! ^_^ Eee... More dosage for the ego... Gotta control it... Ah, there it goes... I have posted it as fast as I could and will try to keep doing so in the future! ^_^
lilmissgoten: It is scary, isn't it? Makes me paranoid... Yeah, but you've got to sleep some time, you know. Whether you like it or not. ^_~ I will!
SSJSkaterTrunks: Yes, he was, the little sneak... Well, maybe 'little' is off the mark a bit... But you know! ^_^ Thank you! And I'm glad I'm keeping those thumbs up! Ah, Cell is getting a little ahead of himself... And keep standing up to him! With his ego, you probably have nothing to worry about. ^_^
Pen Dragon: All right! ^_^ I guess I'm still doing my job right then.
LadyBuG: Thanx, I try. I use lots of different fics for reference and just jam 'em all together, like... yours, Masquerade's, SSJ4 Goku's... ^_^ You're all such great writers and it only makes sense to learn from the best. Yeah, Cell just loves to spy and eavesdrop. ^_^() He's a stalker... O.o Me neither... We'll just have to find out...
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Disclaimer: DBZ is owned by Akira Toriyama, not me. Sekai and her parents are mine but that's all. Has anyone noticed that this is the first time I mentioned the creator's name? I kept forgetting to mention him before, but after nine chapters, I finally did. ^_^ 'Yay' for me.
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Ten
She opened her eyes to bright sunlight. Immediately, she shut her eyes again to the feel of it and waited for them to adjust to it. Opening them again, Sekai sat up and looked around. Something felt strangely different.
The first thing she noticed was that her stuff was gone. They were nowhere to be found, no matter where she turned. Also, it was as though she had been moved to a different location. The forest was looking much more lively than it had been last night.
A sudden clap of thunder sounded and dark, heavy clouds hid the sun with rain beginning to pour down. She looked about her and started to run under a tree for some shelter. As soon as she reached the shade of one, it morphed into a hideous, black beast. Growling, it reached to snap her body in two in its enormous jaws...
Sekai screamed and dashed away through the woods. Evil cackling echoed through the trees and she felt her body burn. She looked to her arms to see that the rain hissed and steamed in contact with her skin. She looked up and felt the rain burn on her cheeks. It was acid. A drop of the acid came into her eyes and she screamed at the fiery sensation. Running blindly to get away from this terrible place, she bumped into something hard and fell onto her back. Agonizingly, she opened her eyes to see what it was.
She forgot all about her physical pain in that one moment.
Although the mysterious figure wore a heavy black cloak, it was easy to tell that it was a human male. All Sekai could see of the man was his nose and jaw. As if sensing her fear in him, the man smiled cruelly and brandished her silver dagger.
The moment Sekai saw the weapon, the man's form began to change and his cloak tore away as his body started to stretch. The transformation completed and there stood Cell, sending down his bulky arms to stab her with the very object that had been given to her by her father in a gesture of love and pride...
***
She awoke, soundlessly startled.
Sekai stared up at the top of her tent, seeing that it was still late into the night. The moon was out; she could tell by the distorted shadows of the blowing trees.
'Wait... Blowing? I don't feel any more wind than I did earlier,' she thought. Becoming suspicious and frightened, she began to turn to her side to reach for the dagger under her pillow. Her dream returned to her at that thought, and she shut her eyes to block it out. She went to get it but realized something.
Her body wouldn't budge. It was frozen from her shock.
She could feel the rapid beating of her heart and the sweat beading on her forehead. She could hear the slightly quick breathing from her lungs. Her muscles were taut and tense. Everything was tightly wound up inside her body.
'Just great. What could be worse?' she thought in annoyance. The rustling of the trees and bushes to her left came to her ears. 'Where is this wind coming from? I don't feel anything. I guess I'm just numb.'
The noise seemed to be getting louder and closer, unusually. It was like there was something out there walking through the brush and trees. But who or what?
Sekai concentrated her mind to sense for anything strange. A ki flickered and faded. She concentrated harder and felt the fluxuation again. It was trying to hide itself.
'But there's no animal intelligent enough or bothersome enough to want to hide its ki. Except probably some strong human or...' Her thoughts faded as she figured it out. Yet she had no time to react as the shadow of the being came into her view and its lethal tail ripped through the fabric of her tent and struck at her...
... And missed by centimeters. Before it could have a chance to strike again, Sekai put all her effort into moving her paralyzed body. Managing success, she dove out of the tent and somersaulted to the forest floor. She turned right side up and stared as her tent collapsed and Cell jumped on top of it. He smiled almost pleasantly.
"Well, hello again, is it 'Sekai'?" He rasped in amusement. Sekai got up and backed away a bit.
"Why are you following me? What do you want from me?!" she yelled. She didn't like the idea of being stalked every minute of the hour.
Cell narrowed his eyes and smirked in glee. "You know what I want from you."
"No! I don't know what you want from me! You're just giving me these stupid riddles that can't be figured out. I can't find anything out from those," she huffed in frustration. Yet she knew that Cell wanted her to lose her temper. He found it amusing. 'I've got to calm down before I do something I'll regret. That's just what he wants me to do. To make a mistake.' She smiled at the irony. 'Too late. I already let my pride and honor get to my head, and now look what it's gotten me into... But I can't back out now.'
"... isn't my fault that you humans aren't intelligent enough to figure out simple puzzles."
She realized he had been speaking while she had been thinking. 'Darn! I might have missed something really important to figuring him out.' She had to know what he had said. Perhaps he had let something slip out. With luck, he might let that something slip out again...
"What did you say? I didn't catch all of that," she asked politely. She didn't want to offend him from the question and have him take it the wrong way.
Unfortunately, he did.
"Don't mock me, little girl," he hissed, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "You are already treading on thin ice as it is so you better watch what you say."
A little idea played in her head and she decided to try it out. It wasn't anything that could really help her, but she wanted to see just what his response would be.
"What? What did I say that was so wrong?" she asked innocently.
"You know precisely what you said 'that was so wrong'. Don't play dumb," he crossed his arms.
"Actually, I don't know. Could you spell it out for me? I'm not as smart as you are, O Wise One," Inwardly, she was laughing her head off even though she knew that she might lose her head at any moment. She just had to face him now or live in fear for the rest of her days, which might not be long.
Cell's eyes widened at her subtle insult. He calmed himself before he blurted something impolite to her. "Well, you've just proven the intelligence level of the average human."
"Ah, but not all humans are the same. Each one is unique with his or her own talent and special intelligence. You, of all people, should know that, Cell."
"Yes, I do know that, but your theory is weakening and proving itself to be faulty and unclear. Now, you humans are better in stupidity and self- indulgence more than anything," he stated.
"And what makes you so sure of that?" she inquired.
"Data filed into my memory and observations."
"Data? From where?" Her mind clicked to discovering the answer.
Cell straightened up proudly and flourished his arms to show her a full view of himself, as if he thought of himself as some priceless and beautiful artwork. "I am an android. My entire being was created by the scientist, Dr. Gero. He designed me in such a way that is nearly flawless and perfect. While I grew in the liquid tank that provided all the nutrients I needed, the information that Dr. Gero felt I would need was transferred into my memory bank and I learned about all the beings my cells were made up of."
Sekai interrupted his little lecture for a moment. "What do you mean by the beings your cells were made up of?"
Cell chuckled. "My design was formed from the cells of the greatest fighters in the universe. You may know some of them. I have the cells of the Namekian Piccolo, Tien, Krillen, the Saiya-jin Prince Vegeta, the Saiya- jin Gohan, and the Saiya-jin Goku along with the cells of the tyrant Frieza and his father, King Cold and a few insignificant others."
"Like all the people you killed?"she asked angrily. 'And could that be where your name comes from?'
"Oh, no, my dear. The humans were only absorbed for their life energy. Only their energy was transferred into my body, not their cells," he corrected.
"I see..." Sekai contemplated this new discovery and knowledge. She still had one more question that needed to be answered. "But what is your reason for killing so many people? You're already the strongest creature on this entire planet."
"Well, that is a good question. I'm glad that this hasn't been a total waste of time. For you, I will answer it." He tapped his tail in indifference. "You see, the energy I need is to overcome a larger and more specific source of energy. The form you see me in now is not my final and perfect form. I need this specific power to attain my ultimate perfection."
"Ultimate perfection?" Sekai blinked.
"Yes, my ultimate perfection. My final form is estimated to be thousands of times stronger than the form I am in now. But in order to reach that form, I need the energy of two other androids."
"There are more androids out there?!" The thought of more creatures like Cell nearly made her swoon from the danger of it all. It was just so overwhelming.
Cell smirked. "Yes, there are. But they are not as dangerous or strong as I am. I need the specific power of Androids 17 and 18. They are my steps to perfection."
"Androids 17 and 18..." she whispered. 'They might not be as strong as Cell, but they still must be pretty strong if Cell needs all those humans for energy,' she considered. 'But maybe these other androids aren't evil like he is...'
As if reading her thoughts, Cell dashed her hopes. "These androids have caused much damage in my time. And they have done so here in this time as well."
"Your time? What do you mean?" Things were getting very confusing and complicated. Exactly how much could a sixteen-year-old take?!
"I am from the future. I traveled here in a time machine to find these androids. They had already been killed by the boy, Trunks, whom you saw earlier. He is from the future as well. Do you see how crucial these androids are in my existence? I would travel through time and space to absorb them into my body and become perfect."
Sekai looked at him for a while, taking everything in. Then she asked, "Why are you so obsessed with becoming 'perfect', as you call it? What's wrong with the way you are?" 'Besides your ugly looks,' she thought but didn't say it aloud.
Cell growled. "This form is not the one I am meant to keep. I have been created to achieve what no one else may. Perfection. Having no flaw or fault. Do you think I would pass up an opportunity like that? Would you?"
She was taken aback by his question. She hadn't expected him to start interrogating her. Not processing everything quick enough, all she could blurt out was syllables. "Uh... I... Um..."
"I wouldn't think so," he said. "Perfection is such a valuable and difficult thing to attain. And if I have the chance of reaching it, well, it wouldn't be normal to just let it pass by."
'I hate to admit it... But he's got a point there. I probably would go for it if I was able to,' she thought. "I guess it would be kinda foolish to give it up..."
"Yes, it would. Now that all that has been said, do you have any other questions?" Sekai could tell by his posture and the excited lashing of his tail that he enjoyed talking about himself.
'Just a regular, egotistical jerk,' she frowned and spoke. "No, for now. All my questions have been answered for the moment."
"Very good then. Now we can get to the main reason I came here for. You have a strangely high power compared to the other pitiful humans of this planet, and I must have to aid me in my quest." He uncrossed his arms and positioned himself as if he would pounce on her. Sekai rolled her eyes.
'Why is this not surprising?' She heard him take steps off the fallen tent towards her and anticipated anything that she might be capable of.
But the question that both didn't know the answer to was just what exactly was she capable of?
************
Well, there was chapter ten. Wow, I'm getting far. Hope it was okay... I just had a big dose of Nyquil... But before I conk out, I just want to say this: Spring break is next week! Woohoo! That means faster updates most likely and lots of reading and reviewing(for us all. ^_^). Next chapter might be out by Friday or Saturday. I'm kinda busy this week, so... just try to be patient!(But I know that can be hard... ^_^())
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Masquerade: I like her, too. She's hard for me to figure out and that makes it all the more fun to uncover her secrets! ^_^ We'll just see what he does... Don't worry, I will! I've reached the point of no return... O.o()
SSJ4 Goku: I guess that's true. You can make anything happen if you try hard enough. I don't think there is any reasoning to flaming either; they're just dumb remarks that are totally without thought. That's why I never give flames. There are a few fics I've seen way back in the past that aren't so great like the one by Squeaky... *shudders* I just don't review if they're that bad. Well, you did! You truly are an inspiration to me. ^_^ And with all that you say about me, I just hope I don't get such a bloated ego. ^_^() I'll go read IMTU as soon as I can! ^_^
mae: It's easy to overlook, I know. Especially since I'm not all that known except by the people who have been reviewing this whole story so far. But I'm glad it caught your eye! ^_^ Eee... More dosage for the ego... Gotta control it... Ah, there it goes... I have posted it as fast as I could and will try to keep doing so in the future! ^_^
lilmissgoten: It is scary, isn't it? Makes me paranoid... Yeah, but you've got to sleep some time, you know. Whether you like it or not. ^_~ I will!
SSJSkaterTrunks: Yes, he was, the little sneak... Well, maybe 'little' is off the mark a bit... But you know! ^_^ Thank you! And I'm glad I'm keeping those thumbs up! Ah, Cell is getting a little ahead of himself... And keep standing up to him! With his ego, you probably have nothing to worry about. ^_^
Pen Dragon: All right! ^_^ I guess I'm still doing my job right then.
LadyBuG: Thanx, I try. I use lots of different fics for reference and just jam 'em all together, like... yours, Masquerade's, SSJ4 Goku's... ^_^ You're all such great writers and it only makes sense to learn from the best. Yeah, Cell just loves to spy and eavesdrop. ^_^() He's a stalker... O.o Me neither... We'll just have to find out...
************
Disclaimer: DBZ is owned by Akira Toriyama, not me. Sekai and her parents are mine but that's all. Has anyone noticed that this is the first time I mentioned the creator's name? I kept forgetting to mention him before, but after nine chapters, I finally did. ^_^ 'Yay' for me.
************
Cat and Mouse: Chapter Ten
She opened her eyes to bright sunlight. Immediately, she shut her eyes again to the feel of it and waited for them to adjust to it. Opening them again, Sekai sat up and looked around. Something felt strangely different.
The first thing she noticed was that her stuff was gone. They were nowhere to be found, no matter where she turned. Also, it was as though she had been moved to a different location. The forest was looking much more lively than it had been last night.
A sudden clap of thunder sounded and dark, heavy clouds hid the sun with rain beginning to pour down. She looked about her and started to run under a tree for some shelter. As soon as she reached the shade of one, it morphed into a hideous, black beast. Growling, it reached to snap her body in two in its enormous jaws...
Sekai screamed and dashed away through the woods. Evil cackling echoed through the trees and she felt her body burn. She looked to her arms to see that the rain hissed and steamed in contact with her skin. She looked up and felt the rain burn on her cheeks. It was acid. A drop of the acid came into her eyes and she screamed at the fiery sensation. Running blindly to get away from this terrible place, she bumped into something hard and fell onto her back. Agonizingly, she opened her eyes to see what it was.
She forgot all about her physical pain in that one moment.
Although the mysterious figure wore a heavy black cloak, it was easy to tell that it was a human male. All Sekai could see of the man was his nose and jaw. As if sensing her fear in him, the man smiled cruelly and brandished her silver dagger.
The moment Sekai saw the weapon, the man's form began to change and his cloak tore away as his body started to stretch. The transformation completed and there stood Cell, sending down his bulky arms to stab her with the very object that had been given to her by her father in a gesture of love and pride...
***
She awoke, soundlessly startled.
Sekai stared up at the top of her tent, seeing that it was still late into the night. The moon was out; she could tell by the distorted shadows of the blowing trees.
'Wait... Blowing? I don't feel any more wind than I did earlier,' she thought. Becoming suspicious and frightened, she began to turn to her side to reach for the dagger under her pillow. Her dream returned to her at that thought, and she shut her eyes to block it out. She went to get it but realized something.
Her body wouldn't budge. It was frozen from her shock.
She could feel the rapid beating of her heart and the sweat beading on her forehead. She could hear the slightly quick breathing from her lungs. Her muscles were taut and tense. Everything was tightly wound up inside her body.
'Just great. What could be worse?' she thought in annoyance. The rustling of the trees and bushes to her left came to her ears. 'Where is this wind coming from? I don't feel anything. I guess I'm just numb.'
The noise seemed to be getting louder and closer, unusually. It was like there was something out there walking through the brush and trees. But who or what?
Sekai concentrated her mind to sense for anything strange. A ki flickered and faded. She concentrated harder and felt the fluxuation again. It was trying to hide itself.
'But there's no animal intelligent enough or bothersome enough to want to hide its ki. Except probably some strong human or...' Her thoughts faded as she figured it out. Yet she had no time to react as the shadow of the being came into her view and its lethal tail ripped through the fabric of her tent and struck at her...
... And missed by centimeters. Before it could have a chance to strike again, Sekai put all her effort into moving her paralyzed body. Managing success, she dove out of the tent and somersaulted to the forest floor. She turned right side up and stared as her tent collapsed and Cell jumped on top of it. He smiled almost pleasantly.
"Well, hello again, is it 'Sekai'?" He rasped in amusement. Sekai got up and backed away a bit.
"Why are you following me? What do you want from me?!" she yelled. She didn't like the idea of being stalked every minute of the hour.
Cell narrowed his eyes and smirked in glee. "You know what I want from you."
"No! I don't know what you want from me! You're just giving me these stupid riddles that can't be figured out. I can't find anything out from those," she huffed in frustration. Yet she knew that Cell wanted her to lose her temper. He found it amusing. 'I've got to calm down before I do something I'll regret. That's just what he wants me to do. To make a mistake.' She smiled at the irony. 'Too late. I already let my pride and honor get to my head, and now look what it's gotten me into... But I can't back out now.'
"... isn't my fault that you humans aren't intelligent enough to figure out simple puzzles."
She realized he had been speaking while she had been thinking. 'Darn! I might have missed something really important to figuring him out.' She had to know what he had said. Perhaps he had let something slip out. With luck, he might let that something slip out again...
"What did you say? I didn't catch all of that," she asked politely. She didn't want to offend him from the question and have him take it the wrong way.
Unfortunately, he did.
"Don't mock me, little girl," he hissed, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "You are already treading on thin ice as it is so you better watch what you say."
A little idea played in her head and she decided to try it out. It wasn't anything that could really help her, but she wanted to see just what his response would be.
"What? What did I say that was so wrong?" she asked innocently.
"You know precisely what you said 'that was so wrong'. Don't play dumb," he crossed his arms.
"Actually, I don't know. Could you spell it out for me? I'm not as smart as you are, O Wise One," Inwardly, she was laughing her head off even though she knew that she might lose her head at any moment. She just had to face him now or live in fear for the rest of her days, which might not be long.
Cell's eyes widened at her subtle insult. He calmed himself before he blurted something impolite to her. "Well, you've just proven the intelligence level of the average human."
"Ah, but not all humans are the same. Each one is unique with his or her own talent and special intelligence. You, of all people, should know that, Cell."
"Yes, I do know that, but your theory is weakening and proving itself to be faulty and unclear. Now, you humans are better in stupidity and self- indulgence more than anything," he stated.
"And what makes you so sure of that?" she inquired.
"Data filed into my memory and observations."
"Data? From where?" Her mind clicked to discovering the answer.
Cell straightened up proudly and flourished his arms to show her a full view of himself, as if he thought of himself as some priceless and beautiful artwork. "I am an android. My entire being was created by the scientist, Dr. Gero. He designed me in such a way that is nearly flawless and perfect. While I grew in the liquid tank that provided all the nutrients I needed, the information that Dr. Gero felt I would need was transferred into my memory bank and I learned about all the beings my cells were made up of."
Sekai interrupted his little lecture for a moment. "What do you mean by the beings your cells were made up of?"
Cell chuckled. "My design was formed from the cells of the greatest fighters in the universe. You may know some of them. I have the cells of the Namekian Piccolo, Tien, Krillen, the Saiya-jin Prince Vegeta, the Saiya- jin Gohan, and the Saiya-jin Goku along with the cells of the tyrant Frieza and his father, King Cold and a few insignificant others."
"Like all the people you killed?"she asked angrily. 'And could that be where your name comes from?'
"Oh, no, my dear. The humans were only absorbed for their life energy. Only their energy was transferred into my body, not their cells," he corrected.
"I see..." Sekai contemplated this new discovery and knowledge. She still had one more question that needed to be answered. "But what is your reason for killing so many people? You're already the strongest creature on this entire planet."
"Well, that is a good question. I'm glad that this hasn't been a total waste of time. For you, I will answer it." He tapped his tail in indifference. "You see, the energy I need is to overcome a larger and more specific source of energy. The form you see me in now is not my final and perfect form. I need this specific power to attain my ultimate perfection."
"Ultimate perfection?" Sekai blinked.
"Yes, my ultimate perfection. My final form is estimated to be thousands of times stronger than the form I am in now. But in order to reach that form, I need the energy of two other androids."
"There are more androids out there?!" The thought of more creatures like Cell nearly made her swoon from the danger of it all. It was just so overwhelming.
Cell smirked. "Yes, there are. But they are not as dangerous or strong as I am. I need the specific power of Androids 17 and 18. They are my steps to perfection."
"Androids 17 and 18..." she whispered. 'They might not be as strong as Cell, but they still must be pretty strong if Cell needs all those humans for energy,' she considered. 'But maybe these other androids aren't evil like he is...'
As if reading her thoughts, Cell dashed her hopes. "These androids have caused much damage in my time. And they have done so here in this time as well."
"Your time? What do you mean?" Things were getting very confusing and complicated. Exactly how much could a sixteen-year-old take?!
"I am from the future. I traveled here in a time machine to find these androids. They had already been killed by the boy, Trunks, whom you saw earlier. He is from the future as well. Do you see how crucial these androids are in my existence? I would travel through time and space to absorb them into my body and become perfect."
Sekai looked at him for a while, taking everything in. Then she asked, "Why are you so obsessed with becoming 'perfect', as you call it? What's wrong with the way you are?" 'Besides your ugly looks,' she thought but didn't say it aloud.
Cell growled. "This form is not the one I am meant to keep. I have been created to achieve what no one else may. Perfection. Having no flaw or fault. Do you think I would pass up an opportunity like that? Would you?"
She was taken aback by his question. She hadn't expected him to start interrogating her. Not processing everything quick enough, all she could blurt out was syllables. "Uh... I... Um..."
"I wouldn't think so," he said. "Perfection is such a valuable and difficult thing to attain. And if I have the chance of reaching it, well, it wouldn't be normal to just let it pass by."
'I hate to admit it... But he's got a point there. I probably would go for it if I was able to,' she thought. "I guess it would be kinda foolish to give it up..."
"Yes, it would. Now that all that has been said, do you have any other questions?" Sekai could tell by his posture and the excited lashing of his tail that he enjoyed talking about himself.
'Just a regular, egotistical jerk,' she frowned and spoke. "No, for now. All my questions have been answered for the moment."
"Very good then. Now we can get to the main reason I came here for. You have a strangely high power compared to the other pitiful humans of this planet, and I must have to aid me in my quest." He uncrossed his arms and positioned himself as if he would pounce on her. Sekai rolled her eyes.
'Why is this not surprising?' She heard him take steps off the fallen tent towards her and anticipated anything that she might be capable of.
But the question that both didn't know the answer to was just what exactly was she capable of?
************
Well, there was chapter ten. Wow, I'm getting far. Hope it was okay... I just had a big dose of Nyquil... But before I conk out, I just want to say this: Spring break is next week! Woohoo! That means faster updates most likely and lots of reading and reviewing(for us all. ^_^). Next chapter might be out by Friday or Saturday. I'm kinda busy this week, so... just try to be patient!(But I know that can be hard... ^_^())