Eep! I am so late on this! I'm sorry! I hadn't expected this update to be
so late, but the world has been against me all week. First, the SAT9's
ended, then preparations for finals began, and then it started raining and
thundering. The thunder and lightning scared me and I was forced to take
shelter in my room(which doesn't have a computer ~.~). ^_^() I also have a
geometry test to study for and take tomorrow... But it just hurts my
head... Can you believe that I haven't gone online in over a week? O.o
Something's wrong with me! I love the internet! I just cannot stay away
from it! Eh... Sorry about that little moment. ^_^ Oh, well. C'est la vie.
Anyways, on to the review responses.
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ElysianAmazon: Thanx. ^_^ That's how I would react, too. I'd probably break whatever's left of my nails if I did that. Owie... Wait no more! Hey, I'm just stating the truth. Your fics aren't just about the lemons; they have PLOT. And that's really important to me in a fic. ^_^ The prittiness never ceases to amaze me...
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: Uh-huh! They do! Yeah, just the way she was brought up. But she'll be showing a whole different side to herself in this chapter... I will!
Masquerade: Aw, thank you. =^_^= Yeah, some bad luck. Here it is! After so long!
lilmissgoten: Yeah, and I don't think it's anywhere near the end... It'll probably be like Masq's fic, Silent Prince. But this one will go on and on and on... like those Energizer batteries... Ooh, good luck. (But now it's two weeks left, right?) Yep. O.o Ahh... That's creepy. Kinda like one of my many nightmares... Yes, he is! Finally! ^_^ Hey, violence is cool! As long as it's not aimed at me... ^_^ Thanx!
SSJ4 Goku: I am so far behind on stories... I just can't read and review them all at once. ^_^() Hey, take your time! No problem at all (especially for me ^_^()). ~.~ Nothing's getting to be free anymore... Yeah. I'd really like to visit this site of yours. ^_^ Hey, don't be hard on yourself! I don't think I could ever start a site, let alone manage one. Really? You think? *** Yes! Don't die! But isn't it? ^_^ Aww... =^_^= Poor microwave... All right! ^_^ Yay! Ehehe... Not really. ^_^() But I'm working on it! Well, who better to turn to than you? I don't deserve so much... (Ah, you make me blush!) It would be. Simple is good. You don't have to think so much on simple things. They just pop up and make sense. ^_^ I like simple things... Guilty? Whatever for? You're welcome! Sorry for this extra-long wait, but it's here now! No way... *** *eye twitches at scanner companies* *** Yeah, but then again, I wouldn't be able to think up a clever and technical loophole... Nah, they're not for me... Yeah, something about them, but I don't know what exactly. True; and some people don't like to read stories with lemons in them. A lemon in this would probably spoil their enjoyment of the story. *** Keyword: Maybe. But with Vegeta, that never seems to work. ^_^() Well, who really does? It'd be kinda boring... PRETZELS! I love pretzels! ^_^ Mm-hmm. Yeah, he really shows his Vegeta side when he's perfect (definitely). Maybe because he's so confident because of his achievement. Top-notch? Mine? Uh, are you talking to me? Action scenes are my second worst in writing next to humor. She will... but it won't be easy for her, I guarantee it. She is. But the question is how tough? ^_~ I tried. Now it's up to luck with the grading of it. My work for it is done. Of course I enjoy your comments and opinions. They're not really ramblings to me... *** I haven't! I didn't die! (No matter how much it looked like it from my absence...)
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thankies! ^_^ Well, he's gloating rather much... But I'm happy still! ^_^ Thanx again!
kyro: No, he didn't... But that's him. Me, too... That'd be so embarrassing... Looking all helpless like a hamster in a cage... Later!
Raija Darknight: O.o Umm... I don't know! I forgot! Read the chapter 'cause I have a short-term memory. ^_^() Hehe, yep, that's him...
Pen Dragon: Yay! You're back! ^_^ Ooh, that sounds really technical... Heh, get out the heavy artillery. ^_^ Made by WHO? O.O HIM? Er, goodbye, my friend. (Note to all: Always check where the product is made before buying it.)
Red Ribbon no Pink Technician: Well, hello! Ah, well, thank you for reviewing! I appreciate it. ^_^ Thanx. He didn't. He had already died and had assimilated with Sekai's body, thanx to her powers. So really, everything was destroyed. He is human as well, but he denies it now because he feels betrayed by them. He's really been brainwashed by hate. ^_^ I hope that made sense. If you have any more questions, just ask. I'm happy to help in any situation. ^_^ I'll try! (Cool title. ^_^() *sigh* They just never leave us people alone...)
O2: Aw, sorry. It's coming. I'm not sure if this chapter is considered to have romance or not. *shrugs* Guess it's kinda like flirting... Thank you. ^_^ Ohhhh... Okay! ^_^ I'll give it a shot. Oh, it's not really a pain... Just a bit more to do for a lazy person like me. ^_^() It's here! Happy reading! Hmm, not a bad idea... I'll try for it, but a lot of the chapters (like 99% of them) are spontaneously written so they might not stick to the list. But I'll keep it in mind. Thanx for the idea. ^_^
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Disclaimer: DBZ and characters are not mine. Everything else is.
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Twenty-Two
Vegeta turned around just in time to see a pair of fists clench together and land painfully on the top of his head. He couldn't even cry out; it was so quick and hard. His eyes literally bugged about half an inch out of his head and, right after, his body rocketed towards the ground below.
"Father!" Trunks cried, swooping down to aid his fallen father. Cell simply watched for a moment before deciding to take off. His work was done here.
"Hmph, I've got much better things to see to than this," he grumbled, shooting off without passing a second glance to the two Saiya-jins.
Trunks stared off and debated whether to go after Cell or stay behind and check up on his father. He took the latter choice and landed by Vegeta, checking on his vital signs. He would only need a moment to inspect him, and then he would go after Cell.
He breathed a sigh of relief. Vegeta was alive, all right; he was just unconscious. Yet his ki was too far low to sense easily, and that worried Trunks. His head shot up to feel another ki source. It was much weaker than Cell's so he wasn't so stressed about it. He strained his eyes to see who it was and would have grinned had it not been for the current situation.
"Hey, what happened?" Krillin grunted out. He held his side in pain and carefully floated down to Trunks's side. He had a few scratches and bruises but otherwise appeared fine.
"Hey, Krillin. Glad to see you alive. A lot has happened while you were out," Trunks's eyes dimmed slightly. "Cell became perfect."
Krillin lowered his head. "I should have known. No way could Cell's power have increased so much unless he became perfect. So Android 18 is..." he trailed off, a sad look crossing his features.
Trunks didn't see the hidden meaning behind Krillin's expression. "Yeah, he got her."
Krillin sighed. "Well, where is he now?"
"He went off beyond the mountain somewhere. I was going to go after him, but I chose to check up on my father first. And then you came," Trunks explained.
"He just left? Without even seeing if he finished off Vegeta?" The monk looked surprised.
"Yeah, it confuses me, too. I mean, what could possibly make him just leave so carelessly?" Trunks wondered.
"Well, whatever it was, we've got it to thank. Otherwise, Vegeta would be a goner," Krillin said.
"Yeah, can you go on and fight or do you have to go back to Kami's Lookout for a rest?"
"I think, in any case, I'd better stay behind. Anyways, I'd just get in the way of things. But are you going to be okay alone? Once you find Cell, anything can happen, you know," Krillin asked, concerned.
"Yeah, you just go on. I'll be fine. You just make sure to get back safely, okay?" Trunks reassured.
Krillin looked unsure but agreed nonetheless. "Okay, if you think so." He began to float up into the air to leave. "But, Trunks, I've been wondering. You haven't been fighting at your best. I know you've got much more power hidden within you."
Trunks blinked, surprised at Krillin's revelation.
"Yeah, I know. But what's the deal? What are you waiting for?"
"I couldn't release my power before. My father would never forgive me for it," Trunks bowed his head. "He would never accept the fact that his son, a half- Saiya-jin, had ascended beyond his own power. So I just stayed back and let my father have his moment to shine."
"But Trunks, you've got to let out your power and fight. The planet's fate depends on it."
"Now that my father isn't able to see it, I will. I just couldn't show him my power before. And I won't show it to him. Not as long as he isn't ready to accept it," Trunks shook his head.
"Well, okay. But just face Cell and fight him at your best. You just may be our only chance if Goku doesn't show up," Krillin advised.
The Saiya-jin nodded. "I'll give it a shot. But I don't think I'll be needed once he does arrive."
"Hey, have some confidence. Goku is a great fighter, but he's not the only one. Give yourself a chance."
"I will."
"Good luck, man. And hold up against Cell," Krillin waved and flew off in the direction of Kami's Lookout.
"Bye," Trunks said. He turned to the large mountain before him and his expression became stern. 'Now it's time, Cell. No more running away...' Trunks flew up and after Cell's form that had long gone.
CLACK! CLACK!
Sekai aimlessly tossed pebbles at the rock wall. For the past ten minutes, she had tried scratching and climbing her way up the walls of the pit until her fingers bled. Digging in handholds and footholds didn't work; the rock was too thick and rough for her brittle fingernails. Even her silver dagger was worn down to the sharpness of a butterknife from constant scraping into the wall. Now she sat on the soil floor, trying to think up a way to get out.
However, her mind wasn't on any plans at the moment. She just kept thinking about what was happening on the other side of the mountain. She was missing too much, that much she knew for sure.
"Huh?" Sekai thought she felt a large power up on the higher ground behind her. She got up and backed to the opposite wall as far as she could to get a possible view of whatever she sensed. But just as quickly as the ki had come, it went.
She blinked. "Maybe it was just my imagination..." she murmured. Then she heard what sounded like a squeak. A very peculiar squeak.
'Does some squirrel have tonsilitis or something?' she quirked an eyebrow. She heard the squeak again, and then again and again. It sounded like it was getting closer and closer to the pit.
'Great. Another victim to join me?' She stretched her senses to feel out what it was. She became suspicious. Whatever it was was trying to hide its ki. 'That's no ki and no friend would try to hide his ki from me...' Her pupils widened a little in anxiety and she lowered her body to the ground a bit.
She caught the sight of something green. More precisely, a green head crest. A green headcrest with dark green spots.
'Oh, God, no...' she thought in dread. 'Not him. Not while I'm stuck here.'
"Well, what do we have here?"
'Hey, wait a minute...' Sekai finally got a view of him towering above her from the high forest floor. Her eyes practically bugged out of their sockets at the sight of him. What had happened to him?!
Cell frowned slightly as moments passed and Sekai just stared at him from her low viewpoint with her mouth hanging open. She just stood there, not even blinking.
"Well, don't you have anything to say?!" Cell growled, fed up with the silence.
"Did you just go through puberty?!"
"What?!" Cell literally fumed. How dare such an insignificant being say something so rude to him!
"Well, you do look different and your voice is much smoother..." Sekai trailed off and gave an expression that clearly stated, "I'm serious. Answer my question." Cell cleared his throat and tried to calm down. No sense in blowing up and wasting his breath on her.
"Well, I suppose I should have expected a similar answer from an insane, hyperactive child," he blandly said.
The first two adjectives went by her, but the last caught her attention. "Hey! I am not a child! I'm sixteen years old. Anyways, you're one to talk. You just went through puberty," Sekai put her hands on her hips and wished she could just fly out and strangle him. Yet one thought hung in the back of her mind. 'At least he's not as ugly as he was before. Now his face doesn't make me want to puke; it makes me want to gag, though. But not puke.'
A vein began to throb on Cell's head crest. "I did not go through puberty! I became perfect!"
"Perfect?" Sekai blinked.
"Yes, but I suppose you need a better look to see that. Let me help you out," he grinned and reached into the pit for her before she could object. He easily grabbed her by her head and pulled her out while hanging on to her head and yanking on strands of her hair.
"Hey! Ow! That hurts! Put me down!" she yelled, hanging on to his arm so her hair wouldn't be pulled so hard.
"As you wish," he said and let go of her. She fell flat on to her face in the soil and her face reddened in humiliation. He just tossed her around like she was a doll!
She pushed herself up on to her hands and knees, facing away from Cell, and shook her head and hair clear of the dirt and soil. She attempted to wipe her face clean but only made it worse by smudging the dirt around. She breathed in and out slowly to drain the anger out of her system. Anger would only cloud her judgment and, with Cell, that was something she just couldn't afford.
"Oh, don't tell me the little girl is going to cry now," Cell mocked.
Sekai whipped her head around to glare at him from her place on the ground. Cell only smirked at the sight of her. Her normally bright, clean green hair was now dirty and had a few leaves sticking out, leaves she had most likely failed to notice after she fell into the pit. Not only that but her face was nearly completely smudged with soil and dirt, along with her hands. He vaguely noticed some dry blood at the ends of her fingernails and wondered where they could have possibly come from. Yet overall, her appearance was quite amusing.
"You would make a good tree," he joked.
Sekai blinked, confused for a moment at what he was talking about, then looked at herself and understood. She gritted her teeth and her face reddened again. She immediately shot to her feet and yelled a retort at him.
"Well, at least I don't look like a disgusting insect mutated in an experiment gone wrong!"
"Be careful, little Sekai. You don't know who you're dealing with," he said, emphasizing the word 'little'.
She growled. "I am not little!"
Cell was very much amused with the furious teenager. "Okay, then. Is tiny better?"
"Shut up! Why are you here anyways? To kill me? Then get it over with! I don't have to take this crap!"
Cell chuckled. "Well, I was going to, but this is much more amusing. I think I'll take the time to see what things actually press your buttons and make you tick."
"Oh, so now I'm a little remote-controlled toy, am I? And what if I don't agree to this? What are you going to do? Squash me?" she asked sarcastically.
He let the last question slide by and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "You have no choice in the matter. Just as you never had a choice in any previous matters. Whatever I say goes."
"Oh, well, excuse me, your highness. I guess you expect me to follow your every command and bow to you, huh?" She clasped her hands together to her chest and put on an adoring face. " I'll go, 'Oh, Great Cell-sama, I worship the very ground you walk on and the very sky you fly through. What may I do to please you today?'" She dropped her hands down. "Ha! Yeah, right!" She was too tired and stressed to care about her actions now. Yet she knew that with each remark at Cell, her life was getting a little shorter.
Cell narrowed his eyes and took a menacing step towards her. Sekai stood her ground. She wasn't going to back down now; not when she had Cell silent. He stood right in front of her and she had to crane her neck upwards just to look him in the face. 'Damn, he's tall!'
"Do you know something?" he said, his face getting closer and closer to her own.
"What?" she growled, slightly nervous at his close proximity.
His face stopped nearly inches from her face as he bent to her eye level. Then he grinned. "Your pants snagged on to the side of that pit and ripped nearly completely off."
A look of horror crossed Sekai's features and she looked down to see that, indeed, only a few rags hung around her waist revealing her black polka- dotted underwear and all but the completely unmentionables. She had been so absorbed in saving her hair from being yanked out that she failed to notice everything else.
"Eep!" Her face turned twenty shades of red in two seconds flat. She hunched over and fruitlessly attempted to cover herself up as Cell laughed out loud at her. To make things worse, another guest showed up.
"Cell! It's time for..." Trunks trailed off, staring at the sight of Cell laughing. Then he saw what Cell was laughing at and blushed, turning away.
Sekai all but burst into tears. "I hate you!" she cried and ran off into the terribly hot wilderness as fast as she could.
Cell merely continued to chuckle. And Trunks? He just kept looking away.
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Well, like I promised, Sekai and Perfect Cell met for the first time! But they kinda got off on the wrong foot again...
Oh, I am so mean to Sekai! How could I do that? I've been so evil lately. First, I delay this fic and then I humiliate poor Sekai. She's got enough to worry about and this just makes things worse for her. But I wanted a humorous encounter between Perfect Cell and Sekai so, hopefully, this brought a few laughs or even cracked a smile. I'm working on my humor...
And the voice wasn't in this chapter! *gasp* He's just mad right now... still...
And Krillin's back! He came back and then left. Um, yeah... Just wanted to say that. I didn't forget about him. No, I didn't... ¬.¬
Again, sorry for the delay. But next chapter doesn't look to come any sooner as of yet. The schoolwork is piling up for me with the end of the school year coming. I only have about a month of school left and then it's SUMMER BREAK!! ^_^ But I should be able to update by this weekend, with it being Memorial weekend and all. So until then... Bye! ^_^
BTW, does anyone know how I can change font to italics? It doesn't seem to work correctly for me... Thanx. ^_^
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ElysianAmazon: Thanx. ^_^ That's how I would react, too. I'd probably break whatever's left of my nails if I did that. Owie... Wait no more! Hey, I'm just stating the truth. Your fics aren't just about the lemons; they have PLOT. And that's really important to me in a fic. ^_^ The prittiness never ceases to amaze me...
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: Uh-huh! They do! Yeah, just the way she was brought up. But she'll be showing a whole different side to herself in this chapter... I will!
Masquerade: Aw, thank you. =^_^= Yeah, some bad luck. Here it is! After so long!
lilmissgoten: Yeah, and I don't think it's anywhere near the end... It'll probably be like Masq's fic, Silent Prince. But this one will go on and on and on... like those Energizer batteries... Ooh, good luck. (But now it's two weeks left, right?) Yep. O.o Ahh... That's creepy. Kinda like one of my many nightmares... Yes, he is! Finally! ^_^ Hey, violence is cool! As long as it's not aimed at me... ^_^ Thanx!
SSJ4 Goku: I am so far behind on stories... I just can't read and review them all at once. ^_^() Hey, take your time! No problem at all (especially for me ^_^()). ~.~ Nothing's getting to be free anymore... Yeah. I'd really like to visit this site of yours. ^_^ Hey, don't be hard on yourself! I don't think I could ever start a site, let alone manage one. Really? You think? *** Yes! Don't die! But isn't it? ^_^ Aww... =^_^= Poor microwave... All right! ^_^ Yay! Ehehe... Not really. ^_^() But I'm working on it! Well, who better to turn to than you? I don't deserve so much... (Ah, you make me blush!) It would be. Simple is good. You don't have to think so much on simple things. They just pop up and make sense. ^_^ I like simple things... Guilty? Whatever for? You're welcome! Sorry for this extra-long wait, but it's here now! No way... *** *eye twitches at scanner companies* *** Yeah, but then again, I wouldn't be able to think up a clever and technical loophole... Nah, they're not for me... Yeah, something about them, but I don't know what exactly. True; and some people don't like to read stories with lemons in them. A lemon in this would probably spoil their enjoyment of the story. *** Keyword: Maybe. But with Vegeta, that never seems to work. ^_^() Well, who really does? It'd be kinda boring... PRETZELS! I love pretzels! ^_^ Mm-hmm. Yeah, he really shows his Vegeta side when he's perfect (definitely). Maybe because he's so confident because of his achievement. Top-notch? Mine? Uh, are you talking to me? Action scenes are my second worst in writing next to humor. She will... but it won't be easy for her, I guarantee it. She is. But the question is how tough? ^_~ I tried. Now it's up to luck with the grading of it. My work for it is done. Of course I enjoy your comments and opinions. They're not really ramblings to me... *** I haven't! I didn't die! (No matter how much it looked like it from my absence...)
SSJSkaterTrunks: Thankies! ^_^ Well, he's gloating rather much... But I'm happy still! ^_^ Thanx again!
kyro: No, he didn't... But that's him. Me, too... That'd be so embarrassing... Looking all helpless like a hamster in a cage... Later!
Raija Darknight: O.o Umm... I don't know! I forgot! Read the chapter 'cause I have a short-term memory. ^_^() Hehe, yep, that's him...
Pen Dragon: Yay! You're back! ^_^ Ooh, that sounds really technical... Heh, get out the heavy artillery. ^_^ Made by WHO? O.O HIM? Er, goodbye, my friend. (Note to all: Always check where the product is made before buying it.)
Red Ribbon no Pink Technician: Well, hello! Ah, well, thank you for reviewing! I appreciate it. ^_^ Thanx. He didn't. He had already died and had assimilated with Sekai's body, thanx to her powers. So really, everything was destroyed. He is human as well, but he denies it now because he feels betrayed by them. He's really been brainwashed by hate. ^_^ I hope that made sense. If you have any more questions, just ask. I'm happy to help in any situation. ^_^ I'll try! (Cool title. ^_^() *sigh* They just never leave us people alone...)
O2: Aw, sorry. It's coming. I'm not sure if this chapter is considered to have romance or not. *shrugs* Guess it's kinda like flirting... Thank you. ^_^ Ohhhh... Okay! ^_^ I'll give it a shot. Oh, it's not really a pain... Just a bit more to do for a lazy person like me. ^_^() It's here! Happy reading! Hmm, not a bad idea... I'll try for it, but a lot of the chapters (like 99% of them) are spontaneously written so they might not stick to the list. But I'll keep it in mind. Thanx for the idea. ^_^
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Disclaimer: DBZ and characters are not mine. Everything else is.
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Cat and Mouse: Chapter Twenty-Two
Vegeta turned around just in time to see a pair of fists clench together and land painfully on the top of his head. He couldn't even cry out; it was so quick and hard. His eyes literally bugged about half an inch out of his head and, right after, his body rocketed towards the ground below.
"Father!" Trunks cried, swooping down to aid his fallen father. Cell simply watched for a moment before deciding to take off. His work was done here.
"Hmph, I've got much better things to see to than this," he grumbled, shooting off without passing a second glance to the two Saiya-jins.
Trunks stared off and debated whether to go after Cell or stay behind and check up on his father. He took the latter choice and landed by Vegeta, checking on his vital signs. He would only need a moment to inspect him, and then he would go after Cell.
He breathed a sigh of relief. Vegeta was alive, all right; he was just unconscious. Yet his ki was too far low to sense easily, and that worried Trunks. His head shot up to feel another ki source. It was much weaker than Cell's so he wasn't so stressed about it. He strained his eyes to see who it was and would have grinned had it not been for the current situation.
"Hey, what happened?" Krillin grunted out. He held his side in pain and carefully floated down to Trunks's side. He had a few scratches and bruises but otherwise appeared fine.
"Hey, Krillin. Glad to see you alive. A lot has happened while you were out," Trunks's eyes dimmed slightly. "Cell became perfect."
Krillin lowered his head. "I should have known. No way could Cell's power have increased so much unless he became perfect. So Android 18 is..." he trailed off, a sad look crossing his features.
Trunks didn't see the hidden meaning behind Krillin's expression. "Yeah, he got her."
Krillin sighed. "Well, where is he now?"
"He went off beyond the mountain somewhere. I was going to go after him, but I chose to check up on my father first. And then you came," Trunks explained.
"He just left? Without even seeing if he finished off Vegeta?" The monk looked surprised.
"Yeah, it confuses me, too. I mean, what could possibly make him just leave so carelessly?" Trunks wondered.
"Well, whatever it was, we've got it to thank. Otherwise, Vegeta would be a goner," Krillin said.
"Yeah, can you go on and fight or do you have to go back to Kami's Lookout for a rest?"
"I think, in any case, I'd better stay behind. Anyways, I'd just get in the way of things. But are you going to be okay alone? Once you find Cell, anything can happen, you know," Krillin asked, concerned.
"Yeah, you just go on. I'll be fine. You just make sure to get back safely, okay?" Trunks reassured.
Krillin looked unsure but agreed nonetheless. "Okay, if you think so." He began to float up into the air to leave. "But, Trunks, I've been wondering. You haven't been fighting at your best. I know you've got much more power hidden within you."
Trunks blinked, surprised at Krillin's revelation.
"Yeah, I know. But what's the deal? What are you waiting for?"
"I couldn't release my power before. My father would never forgive me for it," Trunks bowed his head. "He would never accept the fact that his son, a half- Saiya-jin, had ascended beyond his own power. So I just stayed back and let my father have his moment to shine."
"But Trunks, you've got to let out your power and fight. The planet's fate depends on it."
"Now that my father isn't able to see it, I will. I just couldn't show him my power before. And I won't show it to him. Not as long as he isn't ready to accept it," Trunks shook his head.
"Well, okay. But just face Cell and fight him at your best. You just may be our only chance if Goku doesn't show up," Krillin advised.
The Saiya-jin nodded. "I'll give it a shot. But I don't think I'll be needed once he does arrive."
"Hey, have some confidence. Goku is a great fighter, but he's not the only one. Give yourself a chance."
"I will."
"Good luck, man. And hold up against Cell," Krillin waved and flew off in the direction of Kami's Lookout.
"Bye," Trunks said. He turned to the large mountain before him and his expression became stern. 'Now it's time, Cell. No more running away...' Trunks flew up and after Cell's form that had long gone.
CLACK! CLACK!
Sekai aimlessly tossed pebbles at the rock wall. For the past ten minutes, she had tried scratching and climbing her way up the walls of the pit until her fingers bled. Digging in handholds and footholds didn't work; the rock was too thick and rough for her brittle fingernails. Even her silver dagger was worn down to the sharpness of a butterknife from constant scraping into the wall. Now she sat on the soil floor, trying to think up a way to get out.
However, her mind wasn't on any plans at the moment. She just kept thinking about what was happening on the other side of the mountain. She was missing too much, that much she knew for sure.
"Huh?" Sekai thought she felt a large power up on the higher ground behind her. She got up and backed to the opposite wall as far as she could to get a possible view of whatever she sensed. But just as quickly as the ki had come, it went.
She blinked. "Maybe it was just my imagination..." she murmured. Then she heard what sounded like a squeak. A very peculiar squeak.
'Does some squirrel have tonsilitis or something?' she quirked an eyebrow. She heard the squeak again, and then again and again. It sounded like it was getting closer and closer to the pit.
'Great. Another victim to join me?' She stretched her senses to feel out what it was. She became suspicious. Whatever it was was trying to hide its ki. 'That's no ki and no friend would try to hide his ki from me...' Her pupils widened a little in anxiety and she lowered her body to the ground a bit.
She caught the sight of something green. More precisely, a green head crest. A green headcrest with dark green spots.
'Oh, God, no...' she thought in dread. 'Not him. Not while I'm stuck here.'
"Well, what do we have here?"
'Hey, wait a minute...' Sekai finally got a view of him towering above her from the high forest floor. Her eyes practically bugged out of their sockets at the sight of him. What had happened to him?!
Cell frowned slightly as moments passed and Sekai just stared at him from her low viewpoint with her mouth hanging open. She just stood there, not even blinking.
"Well, don't you have anything to say?!" Cell growled, fed up with the silence.
"Did you just go through puberty?!"
"What?!" Cell literally fumed. How dare such an insignificant being say something so rude to him!
"Well, you do look different and your voice is much smoother..." Sekai trailed off and gave an expression that clearly stated, "I'm serious. Answer my question." Cell cleared his throat and tried to calm down. No sense in blowing up and wasting his breath on her.
"Well, I suppose I should have expected a similar answer from an insane, hyperactive child," he blandly said.
The first two adjectives went by her, but the last caught her attention. "Hey! I am not a child! I'm sixteen years old. Anyways, you're one to talk. You just went through puberty," Sekai put her hands on her hips and wished she could just fly out and strangle him. Yet one thought hung in the back of her mind. 'At least he's not as ugly as he was before. Now his face doesn't make me want to puke; it makes me want to gag, though. But not puke.'
A vein began to throb on Cell's head crest. "I did not go through puberty! I became perfect!"
"Perfect?" Sekai blinked.
"Yes, but I suppose you need a better look to see that. Let me help you out," he grinned and reached into the pit for her before she could object. He easily grabbed her by her head and pulled her out while hanging on to her head and yanking on strands of her hair.
"Hey! Ow! That hurts! Put me down!" she yelled, hanging on to his arm so her hair wouldn't be pulled so hard.
"As you wish," he said and let go of her. She fell flat on to her face in the soil and her face reddened in humiliation. He just tossed her around like she was a doll!
She pushed herself up on to her hands and knees, facing away from Cell, and shook her head and hair clear of the dirt and soil. She attempted to wipe her face clean but only made it worse by smudging the dirt around. She breathed in and out slowly to drain the anger out of her system. Anger would only cloud her judgment and, with Cell, that was something she just couldn't afford.
"Oh, don't tell me the little girl is going to cry now," Cell mocked.
Sekai whipped her head around to glare at him from her place on the ground. Cell only smirked at the sight of her. Her normally bright, clean green hair was now dirty and had a few leaves sticking out, leaves she had most likely failed to notice after she fell into the pit. Not only that but her face was nearly completely smudged with soil and dirt, along with her hands. He vaguely noticed some dry blood at the ends of her fingernails and wondered where they could have possibly come from. Yet overall, her appearance was quite amusing.
"You would make a good tree," he joked.
Sekai blinked, confused for a moment at what he was talking about, then looked at herself and understood. She gritted her teeth and her face reddened again. She immediately shot to her feet and yelled a retort at him.
"Well, at least I don't look like a disgusting insect mutated in an experiment gone wrong!"
"Be careful, little Sekai. You don't know who you're dealing with," he said, emphasizing the word 'little'.
She growled. "I am not little!"
Cell was very much amused with the furious teenager. "Okay, then. Is tiny better?"
"Shut up! Why are you here anyways? To kill me? Then get it over with! I don't have to take this crap!"
Cell chuckled. "Well, I was going to, but this is much more amusing. I think I'll take the time to see what things actually press your buttons and make you tick."
"Oh, so now I'm a little remote-controlled toy, am I? And what if I don't agree to this? What are you going to do? Squash me?" she asked sarcastically.
He let the last question slide by and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "You have no choice in the matter. Just as you never had a choice in any previous matters. Whatever I say goes."
"Oh, well, excuse me, your highness. I guess you expect me to follow your every command and bow to you, huh?" She clasped her hands together to her chest and put on an adoring face. " I'll go, 'Oh, Great Cell-sama, I worship the very ground you walk on and the very sky you fly through. What may I do to please you today?'" She dropped her hands down. "Ha! Yeah, right!" She was too tired and stressed to care about her actions now. Yet she knew that with each remark at Cell, her life was getting a little shorter.
Cell narrowed his eyes and took a menacing step towards her. Sekai stood her ground. She wasn't going to back down now; not when she had Cell silent. He stood right in front of her and she had to crane her neck upwards just to look him in the face. 'Damn, he's tall!'
"Do you know something?" he said, his face getting closer and closer to her own.
"What?" she growled, slightly nervous at his close proximity.
His face stopped nearly inches from her face as he bent to her eye level. Then he grinned. "Your pants snagged on to the side of that pit and ripped nearly completely off."
A look of horror crossed Sekai's features and she looked down to see that, indeed, only a few rags hung around her waist revealing her black polka- dotted underwear and all but the completely unmentionables. She had been so absorbed in saving her hair from being yanked out that she failed to notice everything else.
"Eep!" Her face turned twenty shades of red in two seconds flat. She hunched over and fruitlessly attempted to cover herself up as Cell laughed out loud at her. To make things worse, another guest showed up.
"Cell! It's time for..." Trunks trailed off, staring at the sight of Cell laughing. Then he saw what Cell was laughing at and blushed, turning away.
Sekai all but burst into tears. "I hate you!" she cried and ran off into the terribly hot wilderness as fast as she could.
Cell merely continued to chuckle. And Trunks? He just kept looking away.
************
Well, like I promised, Sekai and Perfect Cell met for the first time! But they kinda got off on the wrong foot again...
Oh, I am so mean to Sekai! How could I do that? I've been so evil lately. First, I delay this fic and then I humiliate poor Sekai. She's got enough to worry about and this just makes things worse for her. But I wanted a humorous encounter between Perfect Cell and Sekai so, hopefully, this brought a few laughs or even cracked a smile. I'm working on my humor...
And the voice wasn't in this chapter! *gasp* He's just mad right now... still...
And Krillin's back! He came back and then left. Um, yeah... Just wanted to say that. I didn't forget about him. No, I didn't... ¬.¬
Again, sorry for the delay. But next chapter doesn't look to come any sooner as of yet. The schoolwork is piling up for me with the end of the school year coming. I only have about a month of school left and then it's SUMMER BREAK!! ^_^ But I should be able to update by this weekend, with it being Memorial weekend and all. So until then... Bye! ^_^
BTW, does anyone know how I can change font to italics? It doesn't seem to work correctly for me... Thanx. ^_^