Notes: I'm afraid that your predictions were incorrect this time KAT. Your guesses were good, but I have a habit of being more than a little unorthodox, as this chapter will plainly show. And sorry SSJSkaterTrunks about the cliffhangers, I just happen to have a flair for the melodrama. Finally, about the ending of the chapter, Faye didn't do it. She's just a normal (slightly off-balanced) human with no special powers, history, magic etc. No offense, but many created-character stories have already done those angles to death.

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and its characters are the property of Akira Toriyama.


Chapter 2: Gyakute

It was a strange feeling for Faye. Standing alone amid white marble and desolation, staring death in the face. She had expected to be afraid. Trembling in terror with tears dribbling down her face as begged for a chance to live. Any normal person would feel that way.

Instead, Faye felt hollow. Defeat left an acrid taste in her mouth as tried to process the unbridled truth. She had been unable to so much as put a nick in Cell's spotted armor and for that mistake; death would come quickly on swift wings. 

So wrapped up was Faye in her morbid thoughts, she barely noticed when Cell released the ball of light and sent it flying directly at her. Yelping in surprise, she stepped backward, crossing her arms in front her face as though it would offer some form of protection.

~*~

Cell watched the scene unfurl with no small measure of amusement. The girl-who was still as yet nameless, had been staring at him vacantly, making him all the more irritated by her negligence. He had sent the ki-blast sailing towards her, more in an effort to draw a reaction than to kill her. And judging by her lackluster form of defense, Cell knew that he had succeeded.

He controlled the burning energy sufficiently and with a single motion, sent it crashing to the ground before his visitor. By the laws of physics, as the ground shook and cracked beneath the ki-blast, the girl was sent sprawling backwards. Her body rolled across the marble again and again, before finally settling on its side.

Cell watched the girl's still form closely, wondering with callous indifference if he had succeeded in killing her. He had planned upon toying with her a bit longer, but felt no real dismay over her prospective death.

Suddenly, As if in answer to Cell's unspoken inquiry, his victim gave a strangled moan of pain…

~*~

Faye was in agony. Never had she imagined feeling pain as unbearable as what she felt. Warm blood trickled down her hairline, her nose and mouth, clouding her vision and causing her to sputter and gasp. She tried to move and nearly screamed. Something, or multiple things had most likely been broken, or so she theorized.

"You certainly are resilient." Cell's voice carried over, amused and antagonizing. "Most humans would be dead after being caught in the path of that blast. But you my dear, must have a great amount of luck to undermine your foolishness."

If she could have moved, Faye would have frowned at the jibe. She was beginning to become aware of just how idiotic her so-called plan truly was and the shame of the knowledge was almost overwhelming.

A strange scraping on the arena floor alerted Faye to the fact that Cell was moving closer. His gait was steady and unhurried, he seemed to be enjoying the fact that her life was hanging by a thread. Faye's vision had since become bleary and she was finding it harder to breathe when Cell's tall shadow loomed over her.

"Still, there is one matter that interests me," His voice seemed faraway to Faye. Of course the "Invincible and Perfect Cell" was far too extraordinary to stoop to her level.

"What precisely was the point of your poorly executed actions?" Cell asked. And once again, a wretched silence did greet him.

Faye knew that she wasn't going to survive her encounter, but she refused to give in to the biomechanical android's curiosity.

~*~

So close to death and yet still as obstinate as ever. It was a personality trait that Cell found to be most irritating. He could feel the urge to simply finish the girl and be done with things just below the surface, yet balled his fists tightly to keep from carrying it out. Instead, he focused upon quickly regaining his patience.

For there is more than one method of obtaining information, Cell reflected smugly.

"Was it some ill-conceived preconception of attaining attention?" He spoke evenly. "The pursuit of glory, as it was?"

Before Cell could continue his baiting, a furious hiss was emancipated from the girl's broken form. Her eyes widened and she seemed to make great struggles in trying to face him.

"Attention?" She rasped thoroughly incensed. "You think I risked all of this for attention?" She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I did this for revenge, you twisted freak! You killed everyone, my family, and friends, people I grew up with! I wanted to make you pay for it."  

Upon hearing her explanation, Cell began to laugh.

"Is that all?" He responded mockingly. "I must admit I was expecting to hear something with a bit more originality to it. I'm afraid my dear, that you've proved yourself to little more than a common cliché."

~*~

A common cliché. The words were almost like a slap in the face to Faye. All of her pain, hatred and sorrow had just been simplified to the most humiliating level. Waves of fury coursed through her as she stared as high as she could at Cell's shadowy form. How dare he.

Unnerved by pain and pushed forward by fear, Faye then did what those bound by common courtesy and manner would never dream of. Without inhibitions or forethought, she crudely spit blood in Cell's general direction, as she wasn't able to clearly see him.

The sudden hiss of rage and burning in the air alerted Faye to the obvious. She had finally crossed the line and Cell wasn't going to hesitate any longer. With grim satisfaction, Faye lowered her head and smiled slightly. She waited for death to come and seconds later, something did…