Disclaimer: No DBZ is owned by me. *Tra-lala*

Sierrakoi: Mahaha. I'm baaaack. Thumbs-up

Chibi Sierra: Plays 'Without Me' by Eminem via radio

Radio: Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back...

Random dude: Is deeply disturbed

Last time: Foreign was visited by a strange old man, and Cell seemed to have something up his sleeve...

...And Piccolo found a loophole in the T/D!

This time: Boredom is found to be contagious, Cell and Foreign have a tense chat, and estranged family members come into play...

The Master and the Pawn

"There is only two types of power...the kind you give, and the kind you receive. And then there is force."

Creator was bored.

He had plenty of things to do, to see, to accomplish. He had galaxies to take over and stares to receive.

But, he was bored.

"Bing badda bing!" Creator chuckled. Oh, Foreign must think he was loony. LOONY! Hah! He was, indeed, loony.

"I'm a crazy old bat," Creator squealed as he spun around in his chair.

A small blob inched up to the crazed creature named Creator. It was blue with faint streaks of green. It's color seemed to change with its mood, and right now it was a passive ocean aqua. It seemed to be made of a gel substance, with jiggled and stretched as it wiggled up to the chair.

Creator saw this and looked down at the odd creature, which was smaller than him, by far. "What is it, Squeegle?"

"Squeeeee sque glegle." The voice echoed evenly from the abnormality that was Squeegle. It was oddly high-pitched but even.

Creator frowned, tapping a clawed hand on his knee. "What are you talking about?"

"Squee gel gel uee."

Creator whirled around, obviously disturbed by something. (A/N: As if he wasn't disturbed enough ^^;;)

The blob inched over to the towering control console and wiggled it's way up vertically until it reached the top. Creator was peering intently at the large screen displayed in front of him, and mercilessly pounding on the keyboard.

"Preposterous! Unimaginable! Insufficient! Uncanny!" Creator mumbled as suddenly an image of an all-too familiar android popped on his screen.

"Squck?" Squeegle chirped.

"His name is Cell," Creator grumped. "An odd twist in my original plan. He wasn't IN my original plan!"

Squeegle watched his master pout. "Gullke?"

"I'm looking, Squeegle, looking!" Creator mumbled. "Don't be so hasty! Hasty hasty, hasty kiddies never get their lollipop in the end...oh!" Creator leaped out of his seat as some odd pictures phased on the screen, followed by some unidentifiable writing. Creator scanned the information before bringing up the stats of Android Number 21. "I don't see where you..." Then Creator went silent.

Squeegle jiggled. "Squee?"

Creator's eyes enlarged. "DEAR SQUEEGLE! YOU WERE RIGHT!"

Squeegle turned a faint yellow and jiggled in a 'As usual....' way.

Creator looked like he wanted to dance while throwing various objects around the room. He did so. Including dear Squeegle.

"SKEEEEEEEEE..." Squeegle called as it flew across the room. Creator was laughing like mad.

"Sissy has joined our game!" he called out gleefully. "Sister has joined our game!"

Squeegle turned a faint red as he peeled himself off the far wall.

Creator did an odd spin and clap combo. "How I love to hate it all!" he jeered.

-_-_-_-

Foreign took a moment to examine the knife blade that was sticking out of the crack in the wall before she sighed. Houyoku was pale as death, staring at her 'companion' and the blade that had missed her by a fraction.

"Cell, my dear, either that was bad aim or I could swear it was intentional not to hit me," Foreign stated as she wrapped her hand around the blade and easily tugged the knife out of the brick. The blade had imbedded itself perfectly within the crack, which was about an inch from her neck.

A middle-aged man walked out from the shadows of a looming garbage container and smirked. He wore simple brown leggings and a white shirt, and had dark skin and hair. His eyes were narrowed darkly as he folded his arms, the smirk still playing on his face.

"That shot wouldn't have hit you anyway, you would have caught it if you had felt it was a threat," the man shrugged. His voice was uneven, as if it did not belong to him.

Houyoku looked thoroughly confused, so she scampered behind Foreign and peered around her leg. Foreign cast her an annoyed glance but the android kept her focus on the man before her.

Foreign looked the man up and down, then absently tossed the knife to the side. "You don't have enough tricks up your sleeve, so you decide to steal mine?" she asked the man with a slight sneer.

The man chuckled. "Using your hologram technique was merely to disturb you. And besides, I would hate to cause a ruckus in such a peaceful human city..."

The unknown android tossed her hair over her shoulder, letting her body tense for any trouble. So, he had searched for her ki signature and had recognized her through her human disguise. Interesting. Foreign realized it was becoming easier to sense Cell's ki signature, ever since she had been absorbed by him.

"Don't even pretend like you care about preserving the peace," Foreign groaned. But Cell's words did sting her.

He had acquired her ability to perform the hologram technique when he had absorbed her.

How much more did he acquire?

....

-How much more does he know?-

This question started to plague Foreign's mind. When she had been inside him, she had acquired a tad of his strength and had browsed through the memories that had popped in her mind. Had it also been the other way around? Has Cell peered into her consciousness?

It was strange, the notion that he knew more about her than she did.

But, being her stubborn self, Foreign mentally refused to even ask him about it. Heck, if she started asking him about herself she might as well wave the white flag.

But studying him was interesting. The human form he had taken was considerably smaller than his original form. Thus was the trick with holograms, in this case- it was an illusion. The picture of this man was merely a trick to the eye. It was well-played, even an android that understood it herself wouldn't have known it had been Cell unless she had sensed a bit of ki. (A/N: Yes, if you're wondering, the hologram Cell took IS that of Garter from chapter two)

Cell noticed Foreign peering at him and frowned. "What are you looking at?"

Foreign blinked, and tried to think of something to cover up her lapse of defense. "...A lie," she responded, smiling with a hint of challenge.

Cell uncrossed his arms. "Ah, you have deeply hurt me, my dear. I'm afraid I'll be emotionally scarred," he jeered.

Foreign twitched. She DID not like being mad fun of.

-They all used to laugh at me, they didn't believe me...-

The thought came and went. Foreign felt her hand flinch. Another hint of a memory had passed before it. Now there was a total of two.

-Who is Creator? Who used to laugh at me?- Foreign wondered absently.

Keeping her thoughts to herself, Foreign controlled her temper. "Such an insult, Number 21," Foreign snapped back. "What exactly is your purpose in coming here?"

Cell seemed to think. Then smirked.

"I was bored."

For once in her life, though she did not know how long that had been, Foreign could think of absolutely nothing to say.

Bored.

Those words...that word...she just couldn't picture them coming from the android known as Cell.

Before she realized what had happened, Foreign giggled.

Cell frowned, his human brow creasing. "What's so funny?" he barked.

Foreign mentally slapped herself. What was that all about? She had GIGGLED. She never giggled.

She felt Houyoku moving about a little behind her. The child must have gotten restless and after seeing her companion and this man talking and had decided it was okay to come out.

Cell, for the first time, really noticed her.

"A human?" he scowled.

Houyoku blinked, edging closer to Foreign.

"Don't make this any more difficult," Foreign grumbled. "This child is clinging to me like its last breath. I can't make the blasted thing go away."

Cell got a wicked idea.

-Let's test that theory...- the android chuckled menacingly. Cell held up his human hand and extended his fingers, a flash of sadistic pleasure in his eye.

Foreign watched, saying nothing.

"Allow me to remove the child from your presence," Number 21 offered coldly.

Houyoku, afraid and confused, knew that the scary man with the smirk was talking about her. And what he was saying was bad. She didn't understand, but she squeaked and ducked behind Foreign again.

"If you remove yourself from that spot, I'll have a better chance of hitting her," Cell drawled.

Foreign was facing a mental battle. She WANTED Cell to blast the human into oblivion, which was something that, for some reason, she couldn't do. Then again...

The same side that refused to harm her also did not want Cell to do so.

Cell's smirk widened. "I'm waiting...or should I just blast you instead?"

Thoughts whizzed in Foreign's mind.

After a moment, she gingerly stepped to the side.

Cell's smirk broadened even more as the flicker of ki flamed in his outstretched hand.

The moment of dark intentions was ruined, though as Foreign's hand snatched Houyoku's shirt and yanked her back with her.

The girl opened her mouth as if she was yelping at the strong tug and stumbled back into Foreign's legs.

Cell frowned. "What is this?" he asked waftily.

Foreign lowered her eyes, then raised her gaze to meet Cell's. "I thought you didn't want to cause ruckus in a peaceful human city. Surely a ki-blast, no matter how mild, will be recognized by someone."

Cell shrugged. "Not if I disintegrated her in the process, or discarded the body."

Foreign was a little bewildered at Cell's obvious lack of respect for life. But it was probably in-bred, he wasn't human after all and never had been. She, on the other hand, seemed to act human at times...though she did not remember ever being around any before. And with her inner structure, it was impossible for her to have BEEN one at one point...and if she HAD been one, who would have gone through the trouble to change her into an android?

No, there was something else.

Foreign scowled. "It's not going to happen, Cell," she snapped. An idea reached her mind. She smirked. "Besides, I can't travel alone all the time in the city. The Z senshi are already suspicious enough. They would not suspect a...mother and child." Foreign cast a cold glance down to Houyoku, who looked away and focused on a bug crawling along the wall beside her.

Cell sighed. "Using her as an aid in disguise. And when are you going to confront the Z fighters, dear Foreign? You know you can't avoid them forever."

Foreign frowned. "When I have to. And what about you, dear Cell? You seem so eager to get revenge on young Son Gohan."

Cell flinched visibly at the name. "When I am Perfect."

A chuckle escaped Foreign, almost mirroring the chuckle Cell was so fond of making. "Which will be...never?"

Cell turned, dismissing android turned hologram human with a wave of his hand. "Which will be when you realize who you're dealing with." With a flick of his joints, Cell sailed into the bright morning sky and disappeared over the roof of a building. He may have been under a hologram, but he still had his powers.

Foreign looked around the alley then growled, slinking out. Houyoku hastily followed, determined not to leave her reluctant 'mommy'.

-_-_-_-

Making sure no one had seen his escape, Cell strolled through Sanrioki's small but peaceful park. There were some humans here and there, milling around and doing human things. It made Cell sick to think he could do nothing but fade into their culture until he reached his perfection.

He found himself by a tree near the park's edge, sort of distant. There was a vacant bench beside him and a garbage can a little ways away. He stood there, not worrying about how nice the scenery was or how warm the sun felt. All he could do was fume about Gohan.

-Foreign HAD to bring him up, didn't she?!- Cell grumped.

"Cell, I take it?"

The android whirled around at the voice, teeth bared. His fists were clenched, and he looked like one angry human. But Cell saw no one, in fact, there was no one in the surrounding area. He could sense it.

"Don't be so jumpy. Look up."

Cell frowned and rolled his eyes upwards. There, sitting in the branches of the tree, was a raven. It was perching peacefully on the branch, preening itself.

Cell was about to make a snide comment about how he was losing his mind being around humans, until the bird spoke up.

"Yeah, the raven. The raven is talking to you," the bird said. It's beak moved with the words though it could not form them, but the voice was low and almost soothing. And oddly female.

Cell blinked, all notion of reality lost. "A bird is speaking to me. And it knows who I am," he muttered.

The bird skipped along the branch, bobbing its head. "Raven's aren't exactly native here, anyway. I've got to talk to you."

"You're doing a good job," Cell responded.

The bird tilted its head. "Was that a bit of humor I heard?"

Cell scowled. "No."

"Anyway, on to important matters. I am...someone far away, who is speaking to you through this form. I...have a brother. My brother and I...are at a sort of war against each other. In this war, we move from planet to planet. Once we have a planet, we choose our players. My brother...created his own player. He has that ability. I always had to choose one. And we would play out using this creatures, and would sort of...battle each other. If my brother wins, the planet is deemed not good enough and is destroyed. If I win, the planet is spared. I...have never won."

No emotion sparked on Cell's face.

"My brother is insane, but very intelligent. And our little war...has moved to this planet. It's a shame, so much over a sibling rivalry, but...this is what it has become. My brother has moved his player here, and I chose mine."

"Me."

Cell's voice was so emotionless and stoic, the air seemed to grow still. He usually would have blasted the talking bird into oblivion, but there was something...he just believed it. No matter how unbelievable.

The bird bobbed its head. "That's right...and my brother's player-"

"Foreign."

The raven preened a wing. "That's right."

Things were beginning to piece together in Cell's mind, though there was still questions.

The raven spoke quickly. "I do hope you know we aren't controlling you, just giving you a nudge, you know...advice...I chose you, my brother just found out. I sense it. He would never have suspected I choose the villain to be the player..."

"So, we're puppets?"

-_-_-_-

...Creator watched the screen with great intensity. At first he had dismissed the essence of the android named Cell as being a mere nuisance, but now he was becoming more. ESPECIALLY with the help of his estranged sister.

"Drat Fate!" Creator mumbled, while cracking his knuckles. Then, as he always was random, he burst out laughing. "Hee-hee...I'll have to see how this works out, I will, must see how this plays out..."

Squeegle sighed.

-_-_-_-

"No, no certainly not a puppet. I don't CONTROL you, I just...manipulate you. But you still have free will. You understand I'm doing this for the greater good, don't you?"

Cell snorted. "Since when did I believe in the 'greater good'?."

The bird tilted it's head as it ruffled its wings. "Since you were revived."

Cell chuckled sadistically at the raven's comment. "Oh really?"

The raven's obsidian eyes peered carefully at the android disguised as a human. "It's hard to see that deep, Seru, but it's there. You can't look at the bottom of your feet, but the ground reminds you where you stand. See what I mean?"

Cell looked cynically back at the bird-that-really-wasn't. Even though it was odd and a bit confusing for the bio-android, this being that was speaking to him held a wisdom he could only just see. "We're nothing but pawns in the end, right?"

The bird sighed, or at least looked it. "Don't be like that. I'm just trying to protect everyone from my brother. Even you."

"I don't need protection."

The bird spread it's jet black wings, hues of blue bouncing off the sleek feathers. "That is what you say now. But when you are alone, afraid, and injured...the rains of sorrow and realization will drown you and eventually drag her under as well."

"By 'her' you mean 'Foreign', I take it," Cell replied skeptically.

The bird lifted itself from the branch, it's piercing gaze locked on the figure standing below it. "It means what you want it to mean."

Cell frowned as the bird disappeared against the sky. His attention was diverted at the sound of Houyoku knocking over a garbage can. He turned to the right, his human-ized eyes piercing to and through the mute human. "And what do you think it means?" he asked evasively.

The human looked at him blankly.

-She can give me no answer.-

Cell slid his gaze away from the girl and into the eyes of his estranged nemesis.

"You think you can play games with us, but you can't," Foreign growled.

Cell chuckled. But inwardly, he was a mass of emotions.

-I may not be the one playing games, dear Foreign...-

Houyoku inched closer to her appointed 'guardian'.

-...We might just be part of a game.-

((A/N: Whew! Since I'm late getting this out and since I felt guilty so I made it extra long, there's no T/D. (I need T/D ideasssssssssss*hinthint*) I'm pooped. *Gags on a cough drop* Down with sickness.

I HOPE YOU GUYS HAD A GREAT ( and safe) HOLIDAY!!! And a wonderful New year! No running out in the middle of fields with metal poles during storms, you hear me?

Woo-hoo. Another Japanese word-guess contest.

Twenty points to whoever can tell me what MARUZON means!))