These updates are just getting further and further apart, aren't they?
Sorry about that, but I'm not on my computer as much anymore so it takes me
longer to update. Geography homework takes me a while to process. ^_^() But
I'm still happy because you know what? My no-good uncle and his dumb wife
and kids have finally moved out of my house. After six sickening months,
they're gone. GONE! Poof, just like that. To some high-rent apartment. But
they're not in my house, and that's all that's important to me. ^___^ Free
sodas and candy for everyone! *showers everyone with goodies* I'm feeling
very generous today for that. ^_^ And this chapter is longer than the
others so I hope you enjoy. ^_^ On to the reviews!
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SSJ4 Goku: I guess so. Aw, I'm touched by it! ^_^ Yep, especially ones like Vegeta's. O.o Mmm... Eggos... I am so hungry... ^_^ They're stuff is not my business nor do I want them to be. I'm just happy with people like you. At least it's a good embarrassing feeling; not the kind where you trip and fall in front of your whole school. No, that's a bad embarrassment. I'm happy to make you feel that way! It is. Who me? *looks behind her* Uh... I never thought about that. But what about you? You're certainly fit for the job. ^_^ It's not harmful... yet. ^_^() I'm always around walls and plushies... O.o But I won't be the one to start it if I ever do that. The plushies always start it! That's good. Yep! Yes, he is... Like a shadow... Only once though! And probably for the last time. Uh... I'd say, since it's so frightening that he could actually be right about something, that it's a bad sign... And I hope I never do. I'd be going even lower than Cell if I did. . I don't? Well, you're the boss! ^_^ You can keep me in line so if you think I need a thesaurus beating, you just go ahead and whack me, 'k? ^_^ Aw, thanx. *sniffs and takes the tissue* Thank you... Definitely of joy... Uh-huh, he had to get there sometime. Yep! ^_^ He isn't, but that is what makes him fun to play around with. Yep, that dumb fish-face... She's learning, all right! Oh, yeah, they are... *shudders*
Masquerade: Yep. Ack! You're too smart! You're changing MY ideas 'cause I think yours is better. But I'm kinda mixing and playing around with things here now. Experimenting, I guess you could say. Really? I'm glad! ^_^ Wait no more now. The evil uploader finally let me post this chapter. Yay! ^_^ And I will!
ElysianAmazon: Yeah, went a bit slow, but then again, I'm a slow person. ^_^() I am! No way am I stopping now! Aw, thank you! No more waiting for now. The next chapter is here! ^_^
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ^__^ Ack! I've got to get ready! I have to fix my hair! Where's my "1-2-3 Easy Kissing Guide" book?! Or my "Bye-bye Clumsiness" pamphlet? *trips* I'm okay! *goes off to a miracle worker*
kyro: Yay! New person! ^_^ Yep! She is! I'm happy that you're happy! ^_^ I will, don't worry! Ooh, really? THAT bad? *whimpers* She doesn't? *faints from all the talking* *wakes up to hear kyro still talking* Ah... Too much... Thank you, Vivien! *bows down to Vivien*
Pen Dragon: Aw, lost? Ki does come in handy. But I'm happy that you did find one! ^_^ Wow, I never want to go splat... 40? All close to you? Eww... You should. I'm cheering you on for that. All right, you're... somewhere else. ^_^() I don't have a good sense of direction, 'k? So you should know that. Cell plushie?! Gimme! Gimme! Ah, I want to be where you are... Well, maybe not. You can adapt! ^_^ I think...
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: I hope not! That would really mess up my writing plan... Moreso than it already is... What am I saying?! I have no plan! *cries* Okay, I'm done now. O.O No, I've killed another innocent soul! *cries again* Okay, I'm done again. Have fun with him!
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Disclaimer: DBZ is copyright of Akira Toriyama. Any other characters not with the show are mine.
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Seventeen
"Here goes nothing..."
Sekai shut her eyes and focused her energy outwards. As she expected some kind of reaction, nothing happened. Not to be discouraged so easily, she concentrated harder to push it out. Still nothing happened and she began to wonder what she was doing wrong.
*You're not focused completely. You're pushing your ki out, but you're not telling it what you want it to do. Make it push your body upwards.*
'Did I ask for your help?' she snapped. No way was she taking orders from a psychotic spirit.
*No. But you need it and you know it.*
'Who says? I just like to take my time sometimes, got it?' she lied. She did need help, but she wasn't about to admit it. Especially to this guy.
*Whatever you say. Now are you going to get moving or wait until the whole world is doomed?*
Sekai growled. 'Just shut up and go away! I don't need your help, and I don't want your help. Can you understand that little thing, hmm?' The voice growled and pulled another pressure surge on her. She cried out, grabbing her head.
*Don't show disrespect to me! You're nothing but a pawn in this game!*
"Ah... Ah..." she choked out. Everything was spinning and spots were flashing in front of her eyes. The spirit released the tight grip of pain but not in time. No longer able to keep her balance, Sekai fell headfirst over the cliff to the sharp rocks below.
"Man, I don't like doing this..." Krillin moaned. "Why is it that I'm alway stuck with the close call jobs?!"
Krillin was running around and over the many rocks covering the island. He was searching for Android 18 so that he could shut her down. He looked at the remote in his hands and sighed. So far he had no luck in finding her and since he had felt Cell's ki a while back, he was even more cautious. Well, not completely cautious. He stumbled over a small rock and tripped.
"Ow..." He got back up and looked around to see if Eighteen was anywhere nearby. Boy, would he have been embarrassed if she had seen him do that!
"Now where is she?" he mumbled.
"What was that?" Eighteen sharply turned her head in the direction behind her. A flicker of ki had made itself known and caught her attention.
'Huh?' Krillin thought. He caught sight of Eighteen and retreated behind a boulder. 'Oh, man, did she hear or see me? This isn't good...'
"Somebody is there," Sixteen replied, still in the same sitting position and staring straight ahead. Squirrels crawled up onto his shoulder and head, sniffing at the damage to his skull that had been done by Cell. Sixteen remained motionless and didn't appear to mind at all.
Eighteen completely ignored the little furballs. She was surprised that with all the damage that Sixteen had had inflicted to him, he was still able to sense and function quite normally.
"What?" she asked. "Who is it?"
"I do not know. The ki signature is unfamiliar in my data bank," he answered.
She turned her body full about to him, not caring if Cell noticed her movement or not. "Is it a danger to us? Can we fight it off if it is an enemy?" The last thing she needed was another potential danger to hers and Sixteen's existence. Whoever it was must be quite a bit strong if it were enough to catch her attention. 'It flickered high enough to get me to notice it when I wasn't even focused on an energy level,' she thought.
"It is difficult to tell. The power level fluxuated too quickly to measure accurately or locate," he said monotonously.
She let a loud, frustrated sigh out through her nose. "Just what we need. Another problem." Her sarcasm only darkened their moods further. They focused back on Cell. Only one island was left now. The island they were on.
Krillin silently listened in on what they were saying to each other. 'I don't think they're talking about me...' he thought. 'But if it's not me, then who?'
Suddenly, Eighteen snapped to attention again. Sixteen did the same from his place on the ground.
"What's that?" Two other kis were heading in their direction, and they were coming at them incredibly quickly.
Krillin stretched his senses as well to feel who was coming. 'Hey, it's them! Finally!' He nearly dropped the remote in his hands but was quick to catch it. "Phew..." he sighed. 'I really should be putting it to use now while she's distracted... But I can't seem to.' He looked at her from around the boulder. 'She's so beautiful... Wait! What am I thinking?! She's an android! I can't be thinking like this!' He shook his head to clear it of the present thoughts. 'Think straight, Krillin!'
"It's Vegeta and another," Sixteen told her. "I do not recognize the other. They are coming to fight Cell."
"And possibly us, too, Sixteen! We can't just keep hiding here forever. Someone is eventually going to find us."
"There is not much we can do at this moment. Cell is too strong and the strength of the others combined will make it even more difficult. All we can do is wait for now." Little hope sounded in Sixteen's voice.
"Wait for what?! For Cell to absorb me and kill you? For Vegeta to tear us apart?" Eighteen clenched her fists tightly to her sides and gritted her teeth. She hated feeling so helpless and weak.
Sixteen turned his head to where Vegeta and the other ki finally arrived. "Just wait."
Eighteen saw what he was looking at and tensed. 'That damn bastard... And that kid is here, too!' Unclenching her fists, she fell back upon Sixteen's command and waited.
But what were they waiting for?
Spots flashed before her eyes and then she let go of resistence and fell forwards. Only, she remembered that there was nothing ahead of her to make contact with. She just kept falling...
'What's this? Where is the ground?' Sekai thought. She opened her eyes to see blurs in front of her. And the ground coming closer and closer very quickly...
Yet that wasn't the ground. She soon figured that out as her body rotated and her back came in contact with the hard surface, making her wince. It didn't stop there. She continued to fall and, this time, her shoulder was the part to be damaged. The bone in her shoulder instantly moved out of place, breaking. Sekai didn't care though. All she cared about was finally hitting the ground for the last time.
'What is wrong with me? I have to stop myself.'
Regaining some sense, she rolled herself into a ball and went down the side of the mountain like a wheel. The sleeve of her shirt caught with a small boulder and ripped the part off. She could hear something behind her but couldn't tell what it was.
All of a sudden, her body stopped. She had hit something but, by the way she was positioned, the ground was much farther away than this. Her legs were propped up in the air by the object and her torso and arms lay against the side of the mountain. She panted a bit and, with effort, got into an upright sitting position while holding her left injured shoulder. A huge boulder just bigger than her balanced itself against the edge of another cliff, as she discovered. She could only see the end of the cliff around her. From the way it was propped up, the boulder would probably fall over with the slightest movement. She was only glad that it already hadn't.
Breathing quietly through her nose, Sekai considered the predicament she was in. 'Okay, Sekai, let's not panic. You've been in worse situations than this. Way worse than hanging over a cliff. So this should be a piece of cake. Yeah...'
Ignoring the burning sensation in her shoulder, she carefully hoisted herself up to the side of the mountain and mentally berated herself. 'Why did I listen to that jerk?! I knew there had to have been a catch like this, and I bet he knew it,' she thought. As she pushed herself up, she accidentally put too much pressure against the boulder she used for leverage and knocked it over the cliff. The mountain shook as it rolled down to the ground, making a final thud there. She could hear it shatter into pieces and prayed that she wouldn't be next. Sighing, she turned at got a strong grasp on her handholds and footholds once more. Yet she froze at the sight she saw.
Hundreds of boulders of every side were rolling down towards the ground, and Sekai was stuck in their path of descent. She couldn't think of anything to do. There certainly wasn't any room to dodge them, and, even so, she wouldn't be able to miss them all.
A small rock came at her and hit her in the head. She winced slightly and tried to think clearly of an escape route. "This is not good..." she murmured.
*Try to fly again.*
'You're just asking for it, aren't you? What do you think I am, stupid? I'm not about to make the same mistake twice.'
*That time it turned out to be a fluke. Now you've got the motivation to do it. Besides, do you have any other choice?*
Sekai looked up. The boulders were getting bigger and bigger to her. She could just imagine herself standing there, doing nothing, and getting squashed like a bug by one of those huge rocks. Shuddering and shaking her head, she decided to try it again.
'That would be a more fitting death for Cell.'
Focusing her energy while taking some major hits from the rocks, Sekai commanded her ki to lift her up. A light breeze blew her hair upwards slightly and ruffled her clothes. As some light of hope came into her, a rock that she couldn't handle knocked her right in the forehead. Her concentration collapsed and she slapped her hands to the bump on her head. Only, at that moment, she forgot that she was about four thousand feet above the ground and began to topple over.
Panicking, she flapped her arms about her for some balance but couldn't gain enough. She flipped over and smacked her head right against the sharp rocks. Gritting her teeth, she could feel her vertebrae bend painfully at her neck and hoped that it would snap, just to end it all. By reflex, her hands clawed at the dirt and rocks to stop her descent. Grabbing a particularly sharp one and holding it too tightly, the point of it stabbed into her palm, causing it to bleed.
Yet she didn't care. For then, another one of those enormous monstrosities of nature fell right on the small of her back, cracking it a little. Finally, Sekai couldn't take it anymore and released her hold on the mountain. She rolled down as she was pummeled with the many boulders. One knocked her clear out off the side of the mountain, away from the landslide. Free from the danger, Sekai realized that she still may be able to save herself. Once again, she concentrated to at least slow herself down.
The wind whistled furiously in her ears as she fell. Her fists clenched and unclenched in her effort while her eyes remained shut. She didn't want to see what was obviously below her. In her confusion of what was happening around her, she couldn't tell if her hard work was paying off or not. Consumed with the thought of not wanting to die, especially without defending herself, she forced her ki to push her up.
But which way was up?
All she was doing was twirling and spinning closer and closer to her death. Opening her eyes, Sekai could see the mountain larger, like she was at the bottom. She didn't have much time left.
Feeling helpless and hopeless, Sekai panicked again and could feel herself shut down. Spots flashed in front of her eyes and everything was a giant blur. Tears were flowing up out of her eyes and then she saw the direction she was looking for. Crying softly, she snapped and let out an earsplitting scream, seeing the world collapse in her eyes. Then there was light...
A loud cry was heard. Eighteen, Sixteen, Krillin, and even Cell were caught by it. Vegeta and Trunks had arrived a while before, both as Super Saiya- jins, and a battle had begun between Vegeta and Cell with Cell on the losing side. Though, they had paused at the sound of the yell and they listened, frozen by the intensity of it all.
"Wh-what's that? Sixteen?" Eighteen stuttered. She was frozen in place by the amount of ki she was sensing right now.
Sixteen himself was left in shock momentarily by the sudden fluxuation of energy. "I do not know..." he trailed off.
'Oh, man! That is a high power level!' Krillin thought, getting scared. 'It feels somewhat familiar, too...' The remote shook in his hands and it fell from his hands in his shock, making a clanking sound.
Eighteen and Sixteen turned to the sound of the fallen remote. Eighteen spotted the remote and gasped. 'That's an emergency shut-down mechanism! But who...' She saw Krillin emerge from behind the boulder, trying to hide his fear. He looked at the remote and then back at her.
'I can't do it... She's so... pretty. And if I shut her down, then she'll be left defenseless against Cell. I'll have to destroy her, and I know that I can't do that,' he thought. He could feel Eighteen's gaze on him, and he kept his eyes on the remote, making a final decision. Walking to the remote, he raised his foot and brought it down hard on the device, shattering it.
Eighteen gasped again, and her eyes widened. 'Why did he...'
"Get out of here. It's not safe for you two to be here. Please, you must go," Krillin told them, trying to remain calm. 'That must have been the dumbest thing I've ever done! And all over a pretty girl!'
Eighteen couldn't respond and Sixteen didn't feel the need to. Rumbling was heard from the site of the energy, getting all their attention again.
Cell, very much bruised and beaten, was looking to the other side of the island, trying to figure out what the energy was or who it belonged to. A light was emitting from the area of the ki level. "I have never sensed anything like it, except for..." He gasped. "But that can't be! Even her power level didn't go up this high!"
Vegeta, not one to have his attention grabbed so easily or for so long, turned to Cell, losing interest in the new ki burst. "What the hell are you talking about, Cell?" He crossed his arms and sneered at Cell, who ignored him and stared out at the area from which the energy came.
"That scream... It sounds like..." Trunks trailed off. His mouth hung open as he floated.
Vegeta turned to him next. "Now what are you talking about, boy?"
Trunks stuttered,"It's Sekai... Sh-she's doing that..."
Vegeta blinked. "Who? Do you mean that girl you told me about in the Room of Spirit and Time?"
Trunks gulped and nodded. Nothing more could be said before they saw Cell shoot off towards Sekai's energy.
"Cell, where do you think you're going?!" Vegeta sped off and cut off Cell's path. Trunks joined up with the two.
Cell growled. "Stay out of this, Vegeta. I have some business to take care of with that girl," he said.
"You have some business with us, too. And we're already here so deal with us first. Don't run away from what you've already begun," Vegeta smirked, referring to himself and Trunks.
Eighteen, Sixteen, and Krillin turned to where Cell and the Saiya-jins floated in the sky. They had heard a little bit of what Cell had said but had heard nothing of Vegeta's or Trunks's conversation with him. Then Cell had tried to fly off, but then Vegeta stopped him. All were left more than confused.
"What's going on, Sixteen? Can you hear anything?" Eighteen was beginning to feel overwhelmed with this turn of events.
"No. And I am not sure what exactly is happening now. I haven't quite sensed a power level this high until now. And its signature is unfamiliar to my memory bank. I believe that Cell wants to investigate it," he answered as best he could.
"It's a girl whom the Z-senshi and I found a few days ago. She came to fight Cell, I think. But she has this strange power that she has no control over and it causes her to... go insane, kind of," Krillin explained.
Eighteen stood with her mouth hanging open slightly. Then she turned to Sixteen. "We can't stay here anymore. This new ki is only on the other side of the island. This girl will certainly find us. And we have no allies so she will probably try to attack and kill us both like she wants to kill Cell! We're not exactly the good guys here!" she yelled at him, a little too loudly. Krillin and Sixteen couldn't shush her in time.
Cell was about to retort a remark to Vegeta when he thought he heard something. The other scream had died down but the light still remained. He looked about for the other voice and spotted something that he thought he would never have found.
Eighteen.
She was there.
Immediately, a plan of action formed in Cell's head. He would absorb Android 18, kill off the girl, and then destroy all the Z-senshi and world. Simple as that. A smirk formulated on his face, but Vegeta's voice brought a frown on.
"Well, Cell. It's about time you returned to the world of the living. Let us continue this," he said impatiently.
"Uh..." Cell blinked, trying to think of a way to convince Vegeta to act on his advantage. He smiled beguilingly. Trunks payed close attention to anything Cell might try. "Vegeta, I can tell that you're not really challenged with fighting me in the state I'm in. But this isn't my final form. I have one more form that, when achieved, will make me even more powerful than I am now. If you will let me achieve that level of power, then I will promise you a challenge that will be worth your while."
Vegeta's expression looked indifferent. Before he could respond, Trunks intervened.
"No! Father, don't listen to him! He's trying to trick you!" he cried futilly.
"Silence, boy!" Vegeta snapped. He fell silent, considering Cell's offer.
"Please, you can't be serious to actually consider it!" Trunks tried again.
"I may," he smirked. "I am a Saiya-jin and it would be hardly me, as a Saiya-jin, to pass up a challenge."
"But then you won't be able to beat him!"
"Quiet!" he growled. "This is my decision, and it will be whatever I say, understand?"
"Please, reconsider..."
Cell watched the father and son silently, once in a while glancing at Eighteen. 'Hurry...' he thought.
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Well, there it ends for now. I think this is my longest chapter so far, but I wanted to make it up to you all for the wait. ^_^ Everything seems to depend on Vegeta's decision. What will happen? What will he decide? Um... I'll try to figure out what. ^_^() Anyways, the next chapter will be out in a few days! Later! ^_^
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SSJ4 Goku: I guess so. Aw, I'm touched by it! ^_^ Yep, especially ones like Vegeta's. O.o Mmm... Eggos... I am so hungry... ^_^ They're stuff is not my business nor do I want them to be. I'm just happy with people like you. At least it's a good embarrassing feeling; not the kind where you trip and fall in front of your whole school. No, that's a bad embarrassment. I'm happy to make you feel that way! It is. Who me? *looks behind her* Uh... I never thought about that. But what about you? You're certainly fit for the job. ^_^ It's not harmful... yet. ^_^() I'm always around walls and plushies... O.o But I won't be the one to start it if I ever do that. The plushies always start it! That's good. Yep! Yes, he is... Like a shadow... Only once though! And probably for the last time. Uh... I'd say, since it's so frightening that he could actually be right about something, that it's a bad sign... And I hope I never do. I'd be going even lower than Cell if I did. . I don't? Well, you're the boss! ^_^ You can keep me in line so if you think I need a thesaurus beating, you just go ahead and whack me, 'k? ^_^ Aw, thanx. *sniffs and takes the tissue* Thank you... Definitely of joy... Uh-huh, he had to get there sometime. Yep! ^_^ He isn't, but that is what makes him fun to play around with. Yep, that dumb fish-face... She's learning, all right! Oh, yeah, they are... *shudders*
Masquerade: Yep. Ack! You're too smart! You're changing MY ideas 'cause I think yours is better. But I'm kinda mixing and playing around with things here now. Experimenting, I guess you could say. Really? I'm glad! ^_^ Wait no more now. The evil uploader finally let me post this chapter. Yay! ^_^ And I will!
ElysianAmazon: Yeah, went a bit slow, but then again, I'm a slow person. ^_^() I am! No way am I stopping now! Aw, thank you! No more waiting for now. The next chapter is here! ^_^
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ^__^ Ack! I've got to get ready! I have to fix my hair! Where's my "1-2-3 Easy Kissing Guide" book?! Or my "Bye-bye Clumsiness" pamphlet? *trips* I'm okay! *goes off to a miracle worker*
kyro: Yay! New person! ^_^ Yep! She is! I'm happy that you're happy! ^_^ I will, don't worry! Ooh, really? THAT bad? *whimpers* She doesn't? *faints from all the talking* *wakes up to hear kyro still talking* Ah... Too much... Thank you, Vivien! *bows down to Vivien*
Pen Dragon: Aw, lost? Ki does come in handy. But I'm happy that you did find one! ^_^ Wow, I never want to go splat... 40? All close to you? Eww... You should. I'm cheering you on for that. All right, you're... somewhere else. ^_^() I don't have a good sense of direction, 'k? So you should know that. Cell plushie?! Gimme! Gimme! Ah, I want to be where you are... Well, maybe not. You can adapt! ^_^ I think...
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: I hope not! That would really mess up my writing plan... Moreso than it already is... What am I saying?! I have no plan! *cries* Okay, I'm done now. O.O No, I've killed another innocent soul! *cries again* Okay, I'm done again. Have fun with him!
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Disclaimer: DBZ is copyright of Akira Toriyama. Any other characters not with the show are mine.
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Seventeen
"Here goes nothing..."
Sekai shut her eyes and focused her energy outwards. As she expected some kind of reaction, nothing happened. Not to be discouraged so easily, she concentrated harder to push it out. Still nothing happened and she began to wonder what she was doing wrong.
*You're not focused completely. You're pushing your ki out, but you're not telling it what you want it to do. Make it push your body upwards.*
'Did I ask for your help?' she snapped. No way was she taking orders from a psychotic spirit.
*No. But you need it and you know it.*
'Who says? I just like to take my time sometimes, got it?' she lied. She did need help, but she wasn't about to admit it. Especially to this guy.
*Whatever you say. Now are you going to get moving or wait until the whole world is doomed?*
Sekai growled. 'Just shut up and go away! I don't need your help, and I don't want your help. Can you understand that little thing, hmm?' The voice growled and pulled another pressure surge on her. She cried out, grabbing her head.
*Don't show disrespect to me! You're nothing but a pawn in this game!*
"Ah... Ah..." she choked out. Everything was spinning and spots were flashing in front of her eyes. The spirit released the tight grip of pain but not in time. No longer able to keep her balance, Sekai fell headfirst over the cliff to the sharp rocks below.
"Man, I don't like doing this..." Krillin moaned. "Why is it that I'm alway stuck with the close call jobs?!"
Krillin was running around and over the many rocks covering the island. He was searching for Android 18 so that he could shut her down. He looked at the remote in his hands and sighed. So far he had no luck in finding her and since he had felt Cell's ki a while back, he was even more cautious. Well, not completely cautious. He stumbled over a small rock and tripped.
"Ow..." He got back up and looked around to see if Eighteen was anywhere nearby. Boy, would he have been embarrassed if she had seen him do that!
"Now where is she?" he mumbled.
"What was that?" Eighteen sharply turned her head in the direction behind her. A flicker of ki had made itself known and caught her attention.
'Huh?' Krillin thought. He caught sight of Eighteen and retreated behind a boulder. 'Oh, man, did she hear or see me? This isn't good...'
"Somebody is there," Sixteen replied, still in the same sitting position and staring straight ahead. Squirrels crawled up onto his shoulder and head, sniffing at the damage to his skull that had been done by Cell. Sixteen remained motionless and didn't appear to mind at all.
Eighteen completely ignored the little furballs. She was surprised that with all the damage that Sixteen had had inflicted to him, he was still able to sense and function quite normally.
"What?" she asked. "Who is it?"
"I do not know. The ki signature is unfamiliar in my data bank," he answered.
She turned her body full about to him, not caring if Cell noticed her movement or not. "Is it a danger to us? Can we fight it off if it is an enemy?" The last thing she needed was another potential danger to hers and Sixteen's existence. Whoever it was must be quite a bit strong if it were enough to catch her attention. 'It flickered high enough to get me to notice it when I wasn't even focused on an energy level,' she thought.
"It is difficult to tell. The power level fluxuated too quickly to measure accurately or locate," he said monotonously.
She let a loud, frustrated sigh out through her nose. "Just what we need. Another problem." Her sarcasm only darkened their moods further. They focused back on Cell. Only one island was left now. The island they were on.
Krillin silently listened in on what they were saying to each other. 'I don't think they're talking about me...' he thought. 'But if it's not me, then who?'
Suddenly, Eighteen snapped to attention again. Sixteen did the same from his place on the ground.
"What's that?" Two other kis were heading in their direction, and they were coming at them incredibly quickly.
Krillin stretched his senses as well to feel who was coming. 'Hey, it's them! Finally!' He nearly dropped the remote in his hands but was quick to catch it. "Phew..." he sighed. 'I really should be putting it to use now while she's distracted... But I can't seem to.' He looked at her from around the boulder. 'She's so beautiful... Wait! What am I thinking?! She's an android! I can't be thinking like this!' He shook his head to clear it of the present thoughts. 'Think straight, Krillin!'
"It's Vegeta and another," Sixteen told her. "I do not recognize the other. They are coming to fight Cell."
"And possibly us, too, Sixteen! We can't just keep hiding here forever. Someone is eventually going to find us."
"There is not much we can do at this moment. Cell is too strong and the strength of the others combined will make it even more difficult. All we can do is wait for now." Little hope sounded in Sixteen's voice.
"Wait for what?! For Cell to absorb me and kill you? For Vegeta to tear us apart?" Eighteen clenched her fists tightly to her sides and gritted her teeth. She hated feeling so helpless and weak.
Sixteen turned his head to where Vegeta and the other ki finally arrived. "Just wait."
Eighteen saw what he was looking at and tensed. 'That damn bastard... And that kid is here, too!' Unclenching her fists, she fell back upon Sixteen's command and waited.
But what were they waiting for?
Spots flashed before her eyes and then she let go of resistence and fell forwards. Only, she remembered that there was nothing ahead of her to make contact with. She just kept falling...
'What's this? Where is the ground?' Sekai thought. She opened her eyes to see blurs in front of her. And the ground coming closer and closer very quickly...
Yet that wasn't the ground. She soon figured that out as her body rotated and her back came in contact with the hard surface, making her wince. It didn't stop there. She continued to fall and, this time, her shoulder was the part to be damaged. The bone in her shoulder instantly moved out of place, breaking. Sekai didn't care though. All she cared about was finally hitting the ground for the last time.
'What is wrong with me? I have to stop myself.'
Regaining some sense, she rolled herself into a ball and went down the side of the mountain like a wheel. The sleeve of her shirt caught with a small boulder and ripped the part off. She could hear something behind her but couldn't tell what it was.
All of a sudden, her body stopped. She had hit something but, by the way she was positioned, the ground was much farther away than this. Her legs were propped up in the air by the object and her torso and arms lay against the side of the mountain. She panted a bit and, with effort, got into an upright sitting position while holding her left injured shoulder. A huge boulder just bigger than her balanced itself against the edge of another cliff, as she discovered. She could only see the end of the cliff around her. From the way it was propped up, the boulder would probably fall over with the slightest movement. She was only glad that it already hadn't.
Breathing quietly through her nose, Sekai considered the predicament she was in. 'Okay, Sekai, let's not panic. You've been in worse situations than this. Way worse than hanging over a cliff. So this should be a piece of cake. Yeah...'
Ignoring the burning sensation in her shoulder, she carefully hoisted herself up to the side of the mountain and mentally berated herself. 'Why did I listen to that jerk?! I knew there had to have been a catch like this, and I bet he knew it,' she thought. As she pushed herself up, she accidentally put too much pressure against the boulder she used for leverage and knocked it over the cliff. The mountain shook as it rolled down to the ground, making a final thud there. She could hear it shatter into pieces and prayed that she wouldn't be next. Sighing, she turned at got a strong grasp on her handholds and footholds once more. Yet she froze at the sight she saw.
Hundreds of boulders of every side were rolling down towards the ground, and Sekai was stuck in their path of descent. She couldn't think of anything to do. There certainly wasn't any room to dodge them, and, even so, she wouldn't be able to miss them all.
A small rock came at her and hit her in the head. She winced slightly and tried to think clearly of an escape route. "This is not good..." she murmured.
*Try to fly again.*
'You're just asking for it, aren't you? What do you think I am, stupid? I'm not about to make the same mistake twice.'
*That time it turned out to be a fluke. Now you've got the motivation to do it. Besides, do you have any other choice?*
Sekai looked up. The boulders were getting bigger and bigger to her. She could just imagine herself standing there, doing nothing, and getting squashed like a bug by one of those huge rocks. Shuddering and shaking her head, she decided to try it again.
'That would be a more fitting death for Cell.'
Focusing her energy while taking some major hits from the rocks, Sekai commanded her ki to lift her up. A light breeze blew her hair upwards slightly and ruffled her clothes. As some light of hope came into her, a rock that she couldn't handle knocked her right in the forehead. Her concentration collapsed and she slapped her hands to the bump on her head. Only, at that moment, she forgot that she was about four thousand feet above the ground and began to topple over.
Panicking, she flapped her arms about her for some balance but couldn't gain enough. She flipped over and smacked her head right against the sharp rocks. Gritting her teeth, she could feel her vertebrae bend painfully at her neck and hoped that it would snap, just to end it all. By reflex, her hands clawed at the dirt and rocks to stop her descent. Grabbing a particularly sharp one and holding it too tightly, the point of it stabbed into her palm, causing it to bleed.
Yet she didn't care. For then, another one of those enormous monstrosities of nature fell right on the small of her back, cracking it a little. Finally, Sekai couldn't take it anymore and released her hold on the mountain. She rolled down as she was pummeled with the many boulders. One knocked her clear out off the side of the mountain, away from the landslide. Free from the danger, Sekai realized that she still may be able to save herself. Once again, she concentrated to at least slow herself down.
The wind whistled furiously in her ears as she fell. Her fists clenched and unclenched in her effort while her eyes remained shut. She didn't want to see what was obviously below her. In her confusion of what was happening around her, she couldn't tell if her hard work was paying off or not. Consumed with the thought of not wanting to die, especially without defending herself, she forced her ki to push her up.
But which way was up?
All she was doing was twirling and spinning closer and closer to her death. Opening her eyes, Sekai could see the mountain larger, like she was at the bottom. She didn't have much time left.
Feeling helpless and hopeless, Sekai panicked again and could feel herself shut down. Spots flashed in front of her eyes and everything was a giant blur. Tears were flowing up out of her eyes and then she saw the direction she was looking for. Crying softly, she snapped and let out an earsplitting scream, seeing the world collapse in her eyes. Then there was light...
A loud cry was heard. Eighteen, Sixteen, Krillin, and even Cell were caught by it. Vegeta and Trunks had arrived a while before, both as Super Saiya- jins, and a battle had begun between Vegeta and Cell with Cell on the losing side. Though, they had paused at the sound of the yell and they listened, frozen by the intensity of it all.
"Wh-what's that? Sixteen?" Eighteen stuttered. She was frozen in place by the amount of ki she was sensing right now.
Sixteen himself was left in shock momentarily by the sudden fluxuation of energy. "I do not know..." he trailed off.
'Oh, man! That is a high power level!' Krillin thought, getting scared. 'It feels somewhat familiar, too...' The remote shook in his hands and it fell from his hands in his shock, making a clanking sound.
Eighteen and Sixteen turned to the sound of the fallen remote. Eighteen spotted the remote and gasped. 'That's an emergency shut-down mechanism! But who...' She saw Krillin emerge from behind the boulder, trying to hide his fear. He looked at the remote and then back at her.
'I can't do it... She's so... pretty. And if I shut her down, then she'll be left defenseless against Cell. I'll have to destroy her, and I know that I can't do that,' he thought. He could feel Eighteen's gaze on him, and he kept his eyes on the remote, making a final decision. Walking to the remote, he raised his foot and brought it down hard on the device, shattering it.
Eighteen gasped again, and her eyes widened. 'Why did he...'
"Get out of here. It's not safe for you two to be here. Please, you must go," Krillin told them, trying to remain calm. 'That must have been the dumbest thing I've ever done! And all over a pretty girl!'
Eighteen couldn't respond and Sixteen didn't feel the need to. Rumbling was heard from the site of the energy, getting all their attention again.
Cell, very much bruised and beaten, was looking to the other side of the island, trying to figure out what the energy was or who it belonged to. A light was emitting from the area of the ki level. "I have never sensed anything like it, except for..." He gasped. "But that can't be! Even her power level didn't go up this high!"
Vegeta, not one to have his attention grabbed so easily or for so long, turned to Cell, losing interest in the new ki burst. "What the hell are you talking about, Cell?" He crossed his arms and sneered at Cell, who ignored him and stared out at the area from which the energy came.
"That scream... It sounds like..." Trunks trailed off. His mouth hung open as he floated.
Vegeta turned to him next. "Now what are you talking about, boy?"
Trunks stuttered,"It's Sekai... Sh-she's doing that..."
Vegeta blinked. "Who? Do you mean that girl you told me about in the Room of Spirit and Time?"
Trunks gulped and nodded. Nothing more could be said before they saw Cell shoot off towards Sekai's energy.
"Cell, where do you think you're going?!" Vegeta sped off and cut off Cell's path. Trunks joined up with the two.
Cell growled. "Stay out of this, Vegeta. I have some business to take care of with that girl," he said.
"You have some business with us, too. And we're already here so deal with us first. Don't run away from what you've already begun," Vegeta smirked, referring to himself and Trunks.
Eighteen, Sixteen, and Krillin turned to where Cell and the Saiya-jins floated in the sky. They had heard a little bit of what Cell had said but had heard nothing of Vegeta's or Trunks's conversation with him. Then Cell had tried to fly off, but then Vegeta stopped him. All were left more than confused.
"What's going on, Sixteen? Can you hear anything?" Eighteen was beginning to feel overwhelmed with this turn of events.
"No. And I am not sure what exactly is happening now. I haven't quite sensed a power level this high until now. And its signature is unfamiliar to my memory bank. I believe that Cell wants to investigate it," he answered as best he could.
"It's a girl whom the Z-senshi and I found a few days ago. She came to fight Cell, I think. But she has this strange power that she has no control over and it causes her to... go insane, kind of," Krillin explained.
Eighteen stood with her mouth hanging open slightly. Then she turned to Sixteen. "We can't stay here anymore. This new ki is only on the other side of the island. This girl will certainly find us. And we have no allies so she will probably try to attack and kill us both like she wants to kill Cell! We're not exactly the good guys here!" she yelled at him, a little too loudly. Krillin and Sixteen couldn't shush her in time.
Cell was about to retort a remark to Vegeta when he thought he heard something. The other scream had died down but the light still remained. He looked about for the other voice and spotted something that he thought he would never have found.
Eighteen.
She was there.
Immediately, a plan of action formed in Cell's head. He would absorb Android 18, kill off the girl, and then destroy all the Z-senshi and world. Simple as that. A smirk formulated on his face, but Vegeta's voice brought a frown on.
"Well, Cell. It's about time you returned to the world of the living. Let us continue this," he said impatiently.
"Uh..." Cell blinked, trying to think of a way to convince Vegeta to act on his advantage. He smiled beguilingly. Trunks payed close attention to anything Cell might try. "Vegeta, I can tell that you're not really challenged with fighting me in the state I'm in. But this isn't my final form. I have one more form that, when achieved, will make me even more powerful than I am now. If you will let me achieve that level of power, then I will promise you a challenge that will be worth your while."
Vegeta's expression looked indifferent. Before he could respond, Trunks intervened.
"No! Father, don't listen to him! He's trying to trick you!" he cried futilly.
"Silence, boy!" Vegeta snapped. He fell silent, considering Cell's offer.
"Please, you can't be serious to actually consider it!" Trunks tried again.
"I may," he smirked. "I am a Saiya-jin and it would be hardly me, as a Saiya-jin, to pass up a challenge."
"But then you won't be able to beat him!"
"Quiet!" he growled. "This is my decision, and it will be whatever I say, understand?"
"Please, reconsider..."
Cell watched the father and son silently, once in a while glancing at Eighteen. 'Hurry...' he thought.
************
Well, there it ends for now. I think this is my longest chapter so far, but I wanted to make it up to you all for the wait. ^_^ Everything seems to depend on Vegeta's decision. What will happen? What will he decide? Um... I'll try to figure out what. ^_^() Anyways, the next chapter will be out in a few days! Later! ^_^