The air was so tense that it almost seemed visible. Cell raised his
hand and folded his thumb in towards his palm. Someone was coming.
He could feel their ki even now.
"Someone's ready to die," he said as he narrowed his eyes. The
figure appeared on the stone arena and looked around. She had no
idea where she was, she just knew she had to get away from him. She
hadn't meant to hurt him; she had just been frightened when he
opened the door.
"Don't tell me you're here to challenge me," Cell said and Loren
looked at him.
"I don't even know who you are," she replied.
"Really? How is it possible that you missed the transmission? No
matter. You have two choices. Fight to the death or just death."
"Are you the one that's going to destroy this world?"
"If you want to call it that, yes."
"It figures that I'd meet death himself. No matter where I go, death
always follows."
"I see you've made your decision. I'll make your death quick."
"You can't," Piccolo said and Cell glanced up. "She's a contestant.
You can destroy her at the end of this week. Let's go."
"I'm looking forward to this match, Piccolo. But why are you
protecting her? I thought Nameks were incapable of feeling love,"
Cell said and Piccolo turned away from him, ignoring the baited
remark.
"Let's go," he said and took Loren's hand.
"Why did you do that?" she asked after they had flown a good
distance off.
"I don't think death was an option that you wanted to use. I don't
know much about you but I know you're not stupid. Also, Bulma
demanded that one of us look for you and I got volunteered," he said.
"Why are you all so concerned about me? I haven't been here a full
day and you're being nice. That thing back there is going to destroy
this planet. I'm sure I had something to do with this."
"You remind me of someone."
"I'm sorry."
"THERE you are. Let me tell you something. Running off and scaring
everyone is NOT a custom on this planet," Bulma said and Piccolo let
go of Loren's hand. Even her scent was familiar, but why? He tried
searching his memory for an answer but found none. He watched Bulma
lead Loren off and frowned. Why did he feel like he knew her?
********************************************************
"Father..." Trunks said and Vegeta glanced at him.
"What do you want?" he demanded.
"Well you had said that you may have run into her when you were
younger."
"My past is none of your concern."
"But..."
"If you want to spend your training time practicing mating rituals,
I don't care. Just don't expect me to catch you when Cell beats you
down."
"Did she actually beat you?"
Vegeta said nothing as he turned his attention back to lifting
weights. Trunks sighed and turned to leave when Vegeta set the
weight set down.
"I don't remember that point in my life. Satisfied?" he asked.
"How...?" Trunks asked and Vegeta glared at him.
"I came here to train and I'm wasting my time talking to you. If
you're not going to do anything constructive here then leave!"
Trunks slammed the door behind him and Mrs. Briefs looked at him.
"What's wrong, dear?" she asked.
"Nothing, Grandma. I just wish I could do something to help. She has
the same pain in her eyes that I had when I came across Gohan lying
dead in the street. I guess that helped. That reality was what I
needed to make me go super but I don't think she can use those
feelings as a tool. That and the fact Father may have a connection
to her that he's unwilling to mention."
"Please, can't I just fix my ship so I can go? I don't want this
place to end like the others," Loren said as Bulma ushered her into
the room.
"What others?" Bulma asked as Trunks took his infantile self from
his grandmother.
"You two look a lot alike."
"That's because this is me in the past. I'm from the future," Trunks
replied and she looked at him blankly. "Um...did you run into father
once?"
"Father?"
"Yes. His name is Vegeta."
She gave no signs of recognition but Trunks saw an odd flicker to
her eyes. He took her hand and for a moment, Bulma thought they
looked like an actual family. Trunks handed his infantile self to
his mother then drew Loren off in a different direction.
"Where are we going?" she asked and Trunks glanced at her.
"I'm taking you to see Father," he replied.
********************************
Vegeta angrily hit the wall when the door opened.
"What in the Kai's name do you want now boy?" he demanded.
"Kai..." Loren said, her voice faltering at the single syllabled
word. She stood behind Trunks, obviously not wanting to see the
Saiyen prince.
"Did you know one?" Trunks asked but she didn't respond.
"Get out of the way. I want to see this terrified creature," Vegeta
said and Trunks stepped away from Loren. Vegeta's eyes pulsed in
recognition as he formed a ball of ki in his hand.
"You! You shape shifting demon! You took advantage of me and made me
return to my home as a failure. How DARE you show up on this world?
Do you plan to take the glory away from the righteous victor yet a
second time? This is for putting me to shame in front of my father!"
He released the ball and Trunks stepped into the line of fire. His
muscles tensed as he tried to direct the ball to a window.
"Get out of the way boy and let her die the way she should have gone
when we first ran into each other."
"No Father! I won't allow this unjust attack!" Trunks cried. "What
are you doing?"
Loren walked around him and laid a hand on his. The ki dispersed
evenly throughout the room and disappeared.
"Please. All I want to do is fix my ship and leave," she said and
walked out of the room.
hand and folded his thumb in towards his palm. Someone was coming.
He could feel their ki even now.
"Someone's ready to die," he said as he narrowed his eyes. The
figure appeared on the stone arena and looked around. She had no
idea where she was, she just knew she had to get away from him. She
hadn't meant to hurt him; she had just been frightened when he
opened the door.
"Don't tell me you're here to challenge me," Cell said and Loren
looked at him.
"I don't even know who you are," she replied.
"Really? How is it possible that you missed the transmission? No
matter. You have two choices. Fight to the death or just death."
"Are you the one that's going to destroy this world?"
"If you want to call it that, yes."
"It figures that I'd meet death himself. No matter where I go, death
always follows."
"I see you've made your decision. I'll make your death quick."
"You can't," Piccolo said and Cell glanced up. "She's a contestant.
You can destroy her at the end of this week. Let's go."
"I'm looking forward to this match, Piccolo. But why are you
protecting her? I thought Nameks were incapable of feeling love,"
Cell said and Piccolo turned away from him, ignoring the baited
remark.
"Let's go," he said and took Loren's hand.
"Why did you do that?" she asked after they had flown a good
distance off.
"I don't think death was an option that you wanted to use. I don't
know much about you but I know you're not stupid. Also, Bulma
demanded that one of us look for you and I got volunteered," he said.
"Why are you all so concerned about me? I haven't been here a full
day and you're being nice. That thing back there is going to destroy
this planet. I'm sure I had something to do with this."
"You remind me of someone."
"I'm sorry."
"THERE you are. Let me tell you something. Running off and scaring
everyone is NOT a custom on this planet," Bulma said and Piccolo let
go of Loren's hand. Even her scent was familiar, but why? He tried
searching his memory for an answer but found none. He watched Bulma
lead Loren off and frowned. Why did he feel like he knew her?
********************************************************
"Father..." Trunks said and Vegeta glanced at him.
"What do you want?" he demanded.
"Well you had said that you may have run into her when you were
younger."
"My past is none of your concern."
"But..."
"If you want to spend your training time practicing mating rituals,
I don't care. Just don't expect me to catch you when Cell beats you
down."
"Did she actually beat you?"
Vegeta said nothing as he turned his attention back to lifting
weights. Trunks sighed and turned to leave when Vegeta set the
weight set down.
"I don't remember that point in my life. Satisfied?" he asked.
"How...?" Trunks asked and Vegeta glared at him.
"I came here to train and I'm wasting my time talking to you. If
you're not going to do anything constructive here then leave!"
Trunks slammed the door behind him and Mrs. Briefs looked at him.
"What's wrong, dear?" she asked.
"Nothing, Grandma. I just wish I could do something to help. She has
the same pain in her eyes that I had when I came across Gohan lying
dead in the street. I guess that helped. That reality was what I
needed to make me go super but I don't think she can use those
feelings as a tool. That and the fact Father may have a connection
to her that he's unwilling to mention."
"Please, can't I just fix my ship so I can go? I don't want this
place to end like the others," Loren said as Bulma ushered her into
the room.
"What others?" Bulma asked as Trunks took his infantile self from
his grandmother.
"You two look a lot alike."
"That's because this is me in the past. I'm from the future," Trunks
replied and she looked at him blankly. "Um...did you run into father
once?"
"Father?"
"Yes. His name is Vegeta."
She gave no signs of recognition but Trunks saw an odd flicker to
her eyes. He took her hand and for a moment, Bulma thought they
looked like an actual family. Trunks handed his infantile self to
his mother then drew Loren off in a different direction.
"Where are we going?" she asked and Trunks glanced at her.
"I'm taking you to see Father," he replied.
********************************
Vegeta angrily hit the wall when the door opened.
"What in the Kai's name do you want now boy?" he demanded.
"Kai..." Loren said, her voice faltering at the single syllabled
word. She stood behind Trunks, obviously not wanting to see the
Saiyen prince.
"Did you know one?" Trunks asked but she didn't respond.
"Get out of the way. I want to see this terrified creature," Vegeta
said and Trunks stepped away from Loren. Vegeta's eyes pulsed in
recognition as he formed a ball of ki in his hand.
"You! You shape shifting demon! You took advantage of me and made me
return to my home as a failure. How DARE you show up on this world?
Do you plan to take the glory away from the righteous victor yet a
second time? This is for putting me to shame in front of my father!"
He released the ball and Trunks stepped into the line of fire. His
muscles tensed as he tried to direct the ball to a window.
"Get out of the way boy and let her die the way she should have gone
when we first ran into each other."
"No Father! I won't allow this unjust attack!" Trunks cried. "What
are you doing?"
Loren walked around him and laid a hand on his. The ki dispersed
evenly throughout the room and disappeared.
"Please. All I want to do is fix my ship and leave," she said and
walked out of the room.