Sorry I haven't updated for a while... (I start all my chapters with that sentence don't I). But anyway... I have an excuse!!! Don't kill me!!! I was writing the first two chapters to my new fic, 'Past Lives', so check it out mkay? Good.
NB: I AM GOING TO BE AWAY ON HOLIDAYS from the 4th July to 4th August [Australian time]. YAY!!! Obviously I will not be able to update during this time but while I am away I will have plenty of time to work on my drafts. I will update as soon as possible after I get back.
ChickFlick Chapter 16
As soon as they could, they went through the little door and out of the Temple. Since they had ascended the levels of the temple, they knew they must be near the surface. They were in a tiny cavern with rough walls. In the wall opposite from the door there was a small round opening, only about half a metre in diametre. Walking over to it, Bulma gingerly stuck her hand inside the opening. Her skin made contact with something smooth and slightly slimy. She grimaced.
"It looks like it's a sort of slide." She said, wiping her hands on her pants.
"Yeah," Eighteen agreed, "it's probably to get us back onto the level of the main pathway."
"I'll try it out." Said Bulma, moving towards the slide.
"Wait!" called Videl. "We've got to try something first."
She crossed her fingers and the others watched as she floated a few centimetres off the ground. A small amount of energy started to glow from her fingers. Sighing with relief, she gently sank downwards until her feet touched the ground.
"Well, we've got our powers back." She said gratefully.
"But why?" mused Eighteen. Seeing the others looking at her she continued.
"Why doesn't Cell just take away our powers before we reach him? I mean, he knew we would come. He KNEW we would try to rescue the guys. He even took all the trouble to set up the Tunnel of Dangers for us. That's definitely not like Cell." She broke off and shuddered; she seemed now to be speaking more to herself than to the others.
"When I was absorbed by Cell, I... I could sort of... hear his thoughts. He would make it as hard as he could for us to rescue the guys. I know him too well, unfortunately. He was so damn full of himself!" Hatred was burning in her far-distant eyes.
To break up the contemplative silence, Bulma walked back over to the slide.
"We'd better get going." She said.
"Yeah," agreed Videl, forcing a grin, "we've got some guys to rescue!"
* * * * *
Bulma went down the slide first. She slid quickly to the bottom and turned back to face the slide immediately, so that she would not have to see what was ahead of her. Pan, her face set, came next, wiping her hands on her pants to get rid of the slime; then came Videl. Now Eighteen was the only one left at the top of the slide.
"Hang on Krillin. I'm coming." She whispered. And she slid down to join the others at the bottom.
* * * * *
There was a long, straight tunnel ahead of them. And at the end...
"Look! The light at the end of the tunnel!" Pan pointed, attempting a joke to calm her quivering nerves. And indeed there was a light up ahead.
"I think this is it!" said Videl tensely. They strode forward to meet their fate.
* * * * *
Goku clung weakly to the bars of his cage. The others were with him, squashed in like sardines. A special blocking shield was around them, which blocked out all sound and light, but let air pass through. He could feel his energy leaving him bit by bit. He didn't have much hope left...
* * * * *
Videl, Bulma, Eighteen and Pan had reached the 'light at the end of the tunnel'. Lots of water was dripping from the roof, and seeping through the walls. The lake was going to flood the place pretty soon. The tunnel opened up halfway up a wall, into a large, roughly circular room. All around the edges was loads of high-tech equipment, which only Bulma could ever hope to understand. They had large keyboards, and various screens showed strange graphs and information. To their right was the main computer, to judge by its size. Its back was against the wall. From the top of it a sort of 'chimney' made of wires crept up the wall and across the ceiling to the centre. Connecting to the wire chimney, and hanging suspended from the centre of the room, was something that looked like a huge steel ball, about 3 metres in diametre.
And directly below this... was Cell.
He stood there with his arms crossed, grinning evilly at them. Behind him was all their old enemies. They could see Raditz, Nappa, Frieza, Garlic Junior, Zarbon, Dodoria and the Ginyu Force (Goldo, Racoome, Jace, Burta & Captain Ginyu). [not sure about those spellings but oh well]. They stood together in a tight bunch just behind Cell, also grinning. They looked like they were hiding something.
Cell looked like he was suffering from some great personal joke. His shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. A small chuckle escaped his lips. His chuckling got louder and louder. Soon he was roaring with laughter at the top of his lungs. His goons joined in. Pan, Videl, Bulma and Eighteen hadn't moved. Now Bulma lent over to breathe in Videl's ear.
"I can't see Chichi or the guys anywhere."
"Me neither," Videl whispered back, "but keep your eyes open.
All through Bulma and Videl's whispered conversation Cell had been laughing. Now he finally stopped and over-dramatically, he pretended to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Please forgive me, my dear ladies. It seems that I was suddenly overcome by the amusing quality of the moment. Please, won't you come down and join us?" The girls were still standing in the opening halfway up the hall. Now they cautiously flew down to face Cell. But still they remained silent. Cell grinned strangely again.
"Allow me to welcome you here. I hope you had a good journey?" The girls looked at each other, confused. What was he trying to get at? He continued.
"Ah, my dear Videl. Foiled any crimes lately? I heard you were quite good at stopping criminals in their tracks. But I suppose you haven't had much time recently... with all your training and all." Videl just glared at him.
"And Miss Bulma, the 'genius'. I often thought that you and Doctor Gero should have become partners. Just think of how much you could have accomplished! So pleased to have made your acquaintance!" Bulma just raised an eyebrow.
"And who's the cute little one?" asked Cell, directing his gaze at Pan "Surely you don't expect her to fight? Preposterous!" He scoffed. Pan turned slightly red in anger and Videl placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.
Something flickered in Cell eyes as their icy stare swept across Eighteen's pale face; something that looked remarkably like greed.
"My favourite android; the delicate flower. How have you been without me? I hope you didn't miss me TOO much." Eighteen cringed back from his words like they had physically wounded her.
I noticed you made your own entrance to my little hideout." His face darkened with annoyance. "You DID overdo it a little. You blasted the whole area. This whole cavern may collapse! But I don't need much longer. No..." He chuckled and grinned evilly. "Soon... soon I will be ready." The mad, hungry glint in Eighteen's eyes sent a chill up Eighteen's spine.
Bulma decided that they had remained silent long enough. Stepping forward determinedly, she proclaimed to Cell:
"We're here for our men!"
"Men?" he asked, the perfect picture of innocence, "what men? I don't see any men!" Bulma ignored him, and continued.
"We came for Chichi too,"
"I don't think we have what you're looking for. After all, I can't see any of your requirements around here." Bulma glared.
"Well, if your gonna be like that, don't expect us to give in without a fight!"
* * * * *
Author's Notes: I know that wasn't a really good place to stop. Oh well. Sorry. I've gotta go do my piles of history homework now. Bye!!
NB: I AM GOING TO BE AWAY ON HOLIDAYS from the 4th July to 4th August [Australian time]. YAY!!! Obviously I will not be able to update during this time but while I am away I will have plenty of time to work on my drafts. I will update as soon as possible after I get back.
ChickFlick Chapter 16
As soon as they could, they went through the little door and out of the Temple. Since they had ascended the levels of the temple, they knew they must be near the surface. They were in a tiny cavern with rough walls. In the wall opposite from the door there was a small round opening, only about half a metre in diametre. Walking over to it, Bulma gingerly stuck her hand inside the opening. Her skin made contact with something smooth and slightly slimy. She grimaced.
"It looks like it's a sort of slide." She said, wiping her hands on her pants.
"Yeah," Eighteen agreed, "it's probably to get us back onto the level of the main pathway."
"I'll try it out." Said Bulma, moving towards the slide.
"Wait!" called Videl. "We've got to try something first."
She crossed her fingers and the others watched as she floated a few centimetres off the ground. A small amount of energy started to glow from her fingers. Sighing with relief, she gently sank downwards until her feet touched the ground.
"Well, we've got our powers back." She said gratefully.
"But why?" mused Eighteen. Seeing the others looking at her she continued.
"Why doesn't Cell just take away our powers before we reach him? I mean, he knew we would come. He KNEW we would try to rescue the guys. He even took all the trouble to set up the Tunnel of Dangers for us. That's definitely not like Cell." She broke off and shuddered; she seemed now to be speaking more to herself than to the others.
"When I was absorbed by Cell, I... I could sort of... hear his thoughts. He would make it as hard as he could for us to rescue the guys. I know him too well, unfortunately. He was so damn full of himself!" Hatred was burning in her far-distant eyes.
To break up the contemplative silence, Bulma walked back over to the slide.
"We'd better get going." She said.
"Yeah," agreed Videl, forcing a grin, "we've got some guys to rescue!"
* * * * *
Bulma went down the slide first. She slid quickly to the bottom and turned back to face the slide immediately, so that she would not have to see what was ahead of her. Pan, her face set, came next, wiping her hands on her pants to get rid of the slime; then came Videl. Now Eighteen was the only one left at the top of the slide.
"Hang on Krillin. I'm coming." She whispered. And she slid down to join the others at the bottom.
* * * * *
There was a long, straight tunnel ahead of them. And at the end...
"Look! The light at the end of the tunnel!" Pan pointed, attempting a joke to calm her quivering nerves. And indeed there was a light up ahead.
"I think this is it!" said Videl tensely. They strode forward to meet their fate.
* * * * *
Goku clung weakly to the bars of his cage. The others were with him, squashed in like sardines. A special blocking shield was around them, which blocked out all sound and light, but let air pass through. He could feel his energy leaving him bit by bit. He didn't have much hope left...
* * * * *
Videl, Bulma, Eighteen and Pan had reached the 'light at the end of the tunnel'. Lots of water was dripping from the roof, and seeping through the walls. The lake was going to flood the place pretty soon. The tunnel opened up halfway up a wall, into a large, roughly circular room. All around the edges was loads of high-tech equipment, which only Bulma could ever hope to understand. They had large keyboards, and various screens showed strange graphs and information. To their right was the main computer, to judge by its size. Its back was against the wall. From the top of it a sort of 'chimney' made of wires crept up the wall and across the ceiling to the centre. Connecting to the wire chimney, and hanging suspended from the centre of the room, was something that looked like a huge steel ball, about 3 metres in diametre.
And directly below this... was Cell.
He stood there with his arms crossed, grinning evilly at them. Behind him was all their old enemies. They could see Raditz, Nappa, Frieza, Garlic Junior, Zarbon, Dodoria and the Ginyu Force (Goldo, Racoome, Jace, Burta & Captain Ginyu). [not sure about those spellings but oh well]. They stood together in a tight bunch just behind Cell, also grinning. They looked like they were hiding something.
Cell looked like he was suffering from some great personal joke. His shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. A small chuckle escaped his lips. His chuckling got louder and louder. Soon he was roaring with laughter at the top of his lungs. His goons joined in. Pan, Videl, Bulma and Eighteen hadn't moved. Now Bulma lent over to breathe in Videl's ear.
"I can't see Chichi or the guys anywhere."
"Me neither," Videl whispered back, "but keep your eyes open.
All through Bulma and Videl's whispered conversation Cell had been laughing. Now he finally stopped and over-dramatically, he pretended to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Please forgive me, my dear ladies. It seems that I was suddenly overcome by the amusing quality of the moment. Please, won't you come down and join us?" The girls were still standing in the opening halfway up the hall. Now they cautiously flew down to face Cell. But still they remained silent. Cell grinned strangely again.
"Allow me to welcome you here. I hope you had a good journey?" The girls looked at each other, confused. What was he trying to get at? He continued.
"Ah, my dear Videl. Foiled any crimes lately? I heard you were quite good at stopping criminals in their tracks. But I suppose you haven't had much time recently... with all your training and all." Videl just glared at him.
"And Miss Bulma, the 'genius'. I often thought that you and Doctor Gero should have become partners. Just think of how much you could have accomplished! So pleased to have made your acquaintance!" Bulma just raised an eyebrow.
"And who's the cute little one?" asked Cell, directing his gaze at Pan "Surely you don't expect her to fight? Preposterous!" He scoffed. Pan turned slightly red in anger and Videl placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.
Something flickered in Cell eyes as their icy stare swept across Eighteen's pale face; something that looked remarkably like greed.
"My favourite android; the delicate flower. How have you been without me? I hope you didn't miss me TOO much." Eighteen cringed back from his words like they had physically wounded her.
I noticed you made your own entrance to my little hideout." His face darkened with annoyance. "You DID overdo it a little. You blasted the whole area. This whole cavern may collapse! But I don't need much longer. No..." He chuckled and grinned evilly. "Soon... soon I will be ready." The mad, hungry glint in Eighteen's eyes sent a chill up Eighteen's spine.
Bulma decided that they had remained silent long enough. Stepping forward determinedly, she proclaimed to Cell:
"We're here for our men!"
"Men?" he asked, the perfect picture of innocence, "what men? I don't see any men!" Bulma ignored him, and continued.
"We came for Chichi too,"
"I don't think we have what you're looking for. After all, I can't see any of your requirements around here." Bulma glared.
"Well, if your gonna be like that, don't expect us to give in without a fight!"
* * * * *
Author's Notes: I know that wasn't a really good place to stop. Oh well. Sorry. I've gotta go do my piles of history homework now. Bye!!