Notes: This chapter is sufficiently darker than any of the others and begins the clarification of the mystery surrounding Cell and Faye's unfortunate bonding. It was somewhat disturbing for me write, and I can only hope I wrote it well. Also, can anyone guess where I took the name used at the end of the chapter? And as for the ending, believe me, I'm not going Original Character crazy. As with everything written so far, there is a method to my madness. One that will be explained in given time.
Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and its characters are the property of Akira Toriyama.
Chapter 9: Yumemiru
There was nothing save the all-encompassing darkness. No sound, nary even the taking in of breath did occur. Yet despite the unchanging night, a consciousness stirred.
Where am I?
Whether spoken or merely thought, the reaction of the words was instantaneous. Light filled the area, before separating into colors of numerous shades. Distinct shapes emerged from the blurry shadows, slowly reforming into emerald flora and coppery woodland.
What the…?
Within seconds, the scene had been set. The sounds of chirping filled the air and added the cornucopia of forest's natural noises.
Faye could see everything. It was like a dream, but one she was aware of and held no control over. Faye wasn't sure when the passage from awareness to sleep had taken place, though she had a less than pleasant feeling that the method of her escape with Goku had caused her to faint.
She was in a forest, that much she was sure of. And when trees, animals and plants began what looked like a backwards procession; Faye understood that she was moving. But how she
was moving, why she was unable to see herself and her place of destination still was as of yet unknown.
The forest soon gave way to a town. A small, bustling area, it would prove a perfect location to suit his purpose.
Purpose? What purpose?
As his continued onward, his feet were forced to adapt to shift of a rock-filled dirt path to the smoothness of a recently repaved road. The sounds familiar to a city, shouting, the screeching of automobiles assaulted him, causing him to give a hissing laugh.
That isn't my voice… What the hell is going on?
He then paused a moment to glance at his reflection in a passing window.
Oh my God.
Covered in spotted green armor, with magenta eyes slit like those of a cat, an orange beak for a mouth, clawed hands and the imposing headcrest and wings reminiscent of a form of insect, the creature staring back from the slightly dusty window was the very definition of a monster.
This isn't possible, this isn't-Am I in…Cell's dreams?
A sudden crash and a horrified screech captured Cell's attention. He gazed at the perpetrator, a beefy male who smelled of grease and machine oil and managed to form his beak of a mouth into a smirk.
The man stared at the Cell in a horrified fixation. Trembling in terror, the human shrank close to the wall of the house, as though it would provide him some form of protection. He was however, sorely mistaken.
Before the man could move any further, Cell materialized in front of him. Still smirking evilly, the android raised his tail, the end tipped with a cruel, syringe-like appendage. Without hesitation, Cell plunged the jagged end deeply into the human's tender chest, pushing it in as deeply as it could go. Then came the sucking sound.
She felt sick. Unable to close her eyes, and unsure if she had any to begin with, Faye watched as Cell calmly drew the human's innards and soon skin into his tail. The scene was sickening, yet gave her the idea of someone sucking the insides from an egg roll as a comparison.
Though only seconds past, it seemed like forever before Cell retracted his tail and a simple pile of clothing fell to the ground, the entry hole in the shirt present.
This was how he killed them? How can you do that to a person?
With his usual callousness, Cell stepped on the clothes of his victim as he continued onward.
From that moment on, it was like a horror movie to Faye. Cell entered houses, buildings and even hunted solitary humans that strayed out into the open. Fluid, sleek and ruthless, he was the deadliest of hunters. Begging and cries of mercy went unheard and any type of self-defense was rendered useless. In only a short amount of time, the entire town was nearly empty.
Rendered numb and barely functioning by her horror, Faye almost didn't realize that Cell was standing in front of a familiar house, until the he scraped his sharp nails against the wooden door menacingly.
The sound of things moving and muffled cursing were distracting, yet it wasn't until the door of the house was hastily flung open, that Faye's attention was captured.
A tall man possessing wiry black hair, pale skin and assorted paint stains smeared across his face stood in front of the door irately.
"What do you think you're-"
They were the last words that man ever spoke. With lightening speed, Cell's tail whipped up and then down, piecing him through the stomach savagely. He gasped, his breathing turning swiftly to a gurgling burble.
Behind him, a woman's light voice queried curiously.
"Sano? What's going on?"
Footsteps from within the house drew closer, until a red-haired woman with green eyes caught sight of her dying husband and the monster responsible. With a keening scream she stumbled backwards, her face ashen and full of horror.
When the bodiless clothing of his victim fell to the floor, Cell glanced at the woman, curious over her reaction. He expected her to be staring at him piteously or perhaps beginning to rant and rave hysterically. Instead the woman, with tears flowing from her eyes, glowered at him hatefully before turning and running into the next room.
Cell was bemused, but only for a moment. He could detect the signature of a second ki, which along with the woman were the only two left in the entire area. Both humans were moving, thereby increasing Cell's level of interest. If his prey wished to turn what would have been a simple absorption in to a hunt, he was more than willing to go through with it. Hunting scared and helpless humans presented a form of enticing amusement.
Wasting no more time, Cell moved through the house, taking slow and deliberate steps. The dwelling was only one floor and it took him little time to reach the back door, which swung gently in the wind.
Once outside, Cell immediately detected to location of the escaping humans and smirked. The game was coming to an end. He took to the air and slowly flew across the sky, stopping when he caught sight of the woman with a male child in her arms making her way towards the forest.
Cell then released a small amount of energy in the form of a ki-blast and sent it in their direction. The golden ball of light found its mark, smashing into the ground and sending the woman and child sprawling backwards.
Feeling satisfied, Cell descended and began walking towards his wounded prey. The woman was unconscious and the child although conscious, was a mess of bruises and cuts.
"Mom?" The child whispered worriedly. When he caught sight of Cell drawing closer, he shook his mother vehemently, his voice rising in fear. "Mom, wake up!
The woman stirred blearily and struggled to sit up. Like her son, she remembered the dangerous position she was in. However the moment she tried to move, a shooting pain went through her body, causing her to gasp out in pain.
When Cell's shadow was almost above her, her son buried his face into her chest, his tears soaking into her shirt.
"You've provided me with some entertainment, but the game is now over." Cell drawled emotionlessly.
The boy cringed and clung to the woman more closely as the android leisurely lowered his tail to their level. The woman recoiled away from the appendage, her tears mingling with her son's red hair.
Moments later, the screams of a woman and a child filled the air…
~*~
The light faded and the darkness returned, but it made no difference to Faye. She wasn't sure quite what had happened, but she could actually see things on her own accord. And when she touched her face hesitantly, she found a normal nose and mouth, not Cell's horrific beak.
The tears she had been unable to release earlier came coursing down her face and she let them. Never had she expected to see the deaths of her family and from their murder's point of view. It was sick, twisted and almost indescribable. Much like the pain she was feeling as a result of it.
Cell, you bastard, she thought lividly. All of the hatred she had been feeling previously had resurfaced with an almost feral potency. Faye wasn't sure how it could happen, but she wanted to tear Cell apart piece by piece and feed him his innards.
That is hardly the way for you to be thinking.
The emptiness seemed to be filled with the booming voice. The loudness and unexpectedness of it caused Faye to jump and glance around wildly.
"What the hell do you want?" She asked irately, her fury once again clouding her judgment.
What I desire is no concern of yours, human.
"Human?" Faye repeated coldly, her blue eyes burning with anger. "Yeah, I'm a human. What are you? Some figment of my imagination? Or a windbag that gets his jollies from blowing his hot air around?"
Seconds after the words escaped her mouth, Faye knew she was out of line. But this new dilemma, coupled with the emotional and mental stress she was facing was almost enough to make her crack. And for the time being, she had given up caring.
Still, she had never expected to hear the voice shout, in a far whiner and nasal tone.
You insolent fool! How dare you speak that way to the magnificent wizard Mitchica, student of the great Bibi-di!
