Failey

It had been a very long night for Failey so far. After the initial attack by Saida, she had found it difficult to stop running. Her legs were convinced, they could not carry her far enough away. She had complied, and ran, her heart racing, her mind numb with the sudden energy rush and every muscle, screamed with adrenalin and agony as she abused her very limits. She had never been so frightened in her entire life, two creatures threatening to destroy her in one night.

Finally though, she had stopped and collapsed on the ground somewhere in suburbia, far from where Saida and Cell were fighting. As she stopped, and sat down, panting furiously to regain precious air, her mind shifted from the numbing state of pure chaos, to the mode where it took her body and began to calm it down. Her body, simply too exhausted crashed instead, shutting down all the motors and she fainted.

-

Saida's massive eyes glinted, momentarily catching the shine from the street lamps before she hid back behind the house. Her face in the shadows, she watched as Failey fell to the ground, her body completely spent. Saida remained hidden for a few minutes, her long ears erect in the night air, listening attentively for any approaching unwanted guests, before she let her ears slip back against her thick neck and she made her way into the street. The houses around her were silent and dark but she remained alert, not wanting to be photographed or noticed in any way.

She crouched low to the ground besides the fallen Failey and sniffed her twice, her massive snout gently nuzzling the fallen woman. Saida curled her lips back, snarling as if expecting that to stir Failey from her exhaustion. When Failey made absolutely no attempt to move, Saida gently opened her mouth and scooped the body effortlessly into her jaw, holding it tight enough to stop it from moving, but loose enough, so her massive fangs did not pierce too much flesh.

Suddenly Saida stood to her full height, her ears erect in the air again, completely motionless. Failey hung limply in her joules, sweaty and bloody from the fights. Saida's nose twitched frantically as she snorted the air. Her calmness returned to her as she came to the conclusion of what had happened to alert her, and without a sound, turned and bound smoothly into the shadows of the nearby houses.

Cell appeared moments later, not bothering to stalk anymore, and was tearing into every house he came upon, absorbing the inhabitants whilst they slept and leaving to go on to the next house. This was cheating, and dishonorable, he knew, but he had little choice, with the massive beast that had made such short work of him running around, he had to think outside the square.

He lost count of how many humans he slaughtered that night, but the numbers were ridiculous, and so too was his power level.

-

Failey woke with a heavy groan and the sickening feeling of complete body exhaustion. Her body twisted and with the heavy fatigue from severely over doing it, she turned her head to the side, convulsed, and then threw up. She lacked the energy to move, and she was just so tired. Her mind registered that there was filth to her side. Her mind registered the heavy shudder against the earth, very close by that symbolized another presence. But her mind registered as the top priority, that she was not well.

Saida stood besides Failey, drawn to her side as she groaned then threw up from over exhaustion. Saida did not show any signs of moving, or that she even cared. She watched as Failey's head fell back to the damp earth below her and she was once again, unconscious.

Saida watched the human for a moment, before turning her head towards the sky. It was beginning to grow light as morning began to break. She had stopped her bounding journey as the massive powers seemed to roar across the horizon. They had stopped for a few moments now though, and instead, Failey's awakening had distracted her from the fierce but short battle that had taken over the boundaries of Nikki Town. Saida knew she had done right to trust her senses and run when she did. She glanced back at the limp Failey. She did not know why she had saved her in the process though.

Something about Failey disturbed Saida. Failey was just another human, just another blundering slow and seemingly pointlessly easy-to-hunt pile of meat. Easy pickings. So why had she saved her, twice in fact? Saida, not being a creature to loose herself to unstable thoughts and considerations, quickly blamed the selflessness the young girl had, and that solely was what had saved Failey's life. Saida turned her back on the girl, striding into the covering forest, pushing through the trees with relative ease, causing a few roots to show amongst the loose soil as she did so.

Failey woke at this point in time, convulsing again. But instead she gagged, coughing up the disgusting sour and bitter taste of bile from her completely empty stomach. She coughed for a while, a chesty and dry cough that seemed to scream into the otherwise silent dawn. Finally she looked around with heavy eyes, trying to grasp exactly what had happened. All she could remember was the brutal fight between two massive predators, and then the body crushing exhaustion that had blackened her spirits and caused her to stupidly pass out in a suburban street.

'But I was in a suburban street.' Failey thought to herself. 'What am I doing in a forest clearing?' Failey sat up and concentrated on breathing properly as she observed her new surroundings. It was late autumn which gave a chill to the air and made frost hang on the branches of the hundreds of pine trees around. The soil was rich and black and loose, giving it a moist texture. Pine cones and small rocks littered the leaf and pine needle covered ground. The clearing itself, was scarcely 6 feet wide and only 9 long. Somewhere not to far off, a yellow crest called once, twice then fell silent. Something was spooking all the wild life into silence, especially at this time of day.

Slowly as to prevent any unwanted outbursts, Failey crawled to her feet, using a nearby pine tree to help her gain her balance. She noticed as she spared her aching body a moment's rest that she smelt horribly like vomit and she could feel her hair and her face crusted in drying flakes. Her eyes were horribly out of focus, and she realized, she would be an easy target for wolves and wild dogs and the Saurian's that dwelled on the planet now, as a result of strange experimentation on fossilized fragments.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, her body making its horribly aching limbs and starving, empty stomach known to her. She limped along slowly, holding onto trees as she passed them. The crunching of the pine cones, disturbing and she seemed to envision them as being human bones...

-

Saida cocked her head to the side, watching from under the cover of the trees opposite Failey, a small bundle of cloth dangling loosely from her lower tusks. She waited till she could no longer see Failey, before she trotted across the clearing, following Failey's rank scent.

Saida was impressed. She knew Failey was sick and severely fatigued and hungry, yet still she managed to limp, crawl and drag herself a good two miles, in less then an hour to the nearby lake and crawl in. She didn't have the energy to remove her clothes, and simply floated along, her eyes closed as she relaxed. Every movement Failey made was an agonizing torment to her already abused body.

Saida sat on her haunches, forepaws on the lake shore, watching the bobbing lump of living flesh gently drift towards the center of the lake. She lowered her head, dropping the bundle on the pebble beach and began to clean her forepaws with her thick and long tongue, much like a cat, only slower and without taking her eyes from the unobservant Failey.

Failey was oblivious to everything. All that mattered was that she relaxes and recovers the efficient usage of her muscles. She was unaware that the very same creature that had scared her into the damaging sprint last night, was on the yellow stone pebble beach of the silver lake, watching her now. She was unaware that fish were nibbling her clothes, chomping on the small chunks of flesh and blood that had been tossed there during Saida's first mauling of Cell. She was unaware that a larger reptile like creature was ever so slowly, swimming lazily beneath her.

Saida was relaxing in the morning sun. It was not too hot, considering the jet black fur and the massive mane she sported around her thick neck. She was sitting, watching Failey. For some strange reason, she liked this human woman. She showed determination and courage, although not exceptionally, it was in such a perfect balance with a hint of fiery personality, that Saida felt she had adopted her. Not as a child, but more as a companion, to keep her company in the lonely nights. If anything... a friend. She felt that Failey's selfless attitude would be a much needed relief. All Saida wanted to do, was talk to someone.

Saida's ears suddenly flew into the air, and she leapt to her feet, fully alert. She had felt that same indecent stab of power, if only for the briefest moment nearby. But where? Saida's hawk like eyes skewered the surrounding shrubbery of the lake and found nothing that would suggest where Cell was hiding. Her attention dramatically distracted to the sudden howl Failey gave, thrashing madly in the water, her eyes widened with fear, before she vanished below the surface. Saida threw her head back, giving a terrifying howl of shock and rage and leapt, her massive wings spreading and hoisting her across the lakes surface with only three beats. She dove suddenly, her massive talons on her forepaws, diving deep beneath the surface of the water.

There was a thrashing of water and a struggle of soaked wings as Saida tried hard to stay above the water, and kill the creature beneath the surface. Her talons sunk into flush and there was an almighty howl from a massive Aligaur, a crocodile like Saurian. Saida had dug her talons deep into the nerve bunching at the base of the creatures' spine, at the exact point where the tail joined. It howled, thrashing madly in the water, unable to move its thick tail, which it used to propel itself through the water. Failey screamed as she was shoved under the water by the thrashing Aligaur. Saida snarled, desperate not to loose Failey, and everything she could mean. She dove, her massive neck thrusting her head forward, her jaws locking shut. Her shoulders and neck seemed to lurch madly as she shook the 14 foot Aligaur by the throat, its blood squirting into the water. Failey broke the surface of the water, coughing madly on the water that had poured into her lungs.

She turned her head to the side and watched in horror as the Aligaur thrashed, its roar gurgled as it drowned on its own blood. Saida's massive wings beating frantically, soaked through and splashing the water everywhere as she tried to keep aloft. It was a strain as the water weighed her down, as did the 400 pound Aligaur in her mouth. It was dying; she could feel its life slipping away as its thrashing began to subside. She squeezed her jaws a little more, before using her massive talons to twist the neck, snapping it and killing the Aligaur quickly.

Failey scrambled through the water, her muscles in agony, but her mind numb to it, endorphins rushing through her blood stream mixed with adrenalin, causing her to panic, but her muscles just wouldn't work, and she ended up in a disorganized mess, thrashing through the water, the Saida beast, always seeming to be looming behind her. She envisioned, the massive jaw snapping around her body, crushing it as she had done the Aligaur, tearing her flesh apart, the massive talons crushing her ribcage...

She cried out involuntarily, the water in her lungs choking her, and she spluttered, her arms and legs flailing in the water. At best, all she was achieving was the complete and utter evacuation of all fish in the local area. Slowly the endorphins and the adrenalin were draining and she could feel herself falling beneath the broken surface. She spluttered again, but she couldn't find the surface, her muscles shutting down on her again, the screaming agony of minor cramps from the lactic acid build ups, the complete exhaustion, the frantic panic roaring at her to get away from the Saida beast... It all dragged her under, her heart racing and her lungs choking...

Everything happened in slow motion. Saida's massive wings beat the water, sending torrents into the morning sky. Her neck twisted harshly, tossing the massive Aligaur high into the air. Her wings beat against the water again, her body's weight throwing her towards Failey as she vanished beneath the waves. Saida's wings threw themselves against the water again, sending torrents of silver drops into the sky.

Without warning, the water directly in front of Saida broke, Failey flying into the air, scooped into the bridal position in Cell's arms.

Time leaped back up to speed, Cell snarling and twirling in the air, all his power centered as he side kicked Saida's face, her weighted wings, buckling at that moment, and she fell into the water, vanishing in the splash for a moment, before her face flew from the water, and she latched onto Cell's leg, just as he turned to take wing. Cell's aura erupted around him and he forced his strength beneath him, inching slowly into the air. Saida latched on harder, and she pulled back. The water around Saida was too deep though and she had nothing the grip onto, and so her weight was useless.

She snarled angrily, her jaws digging deeper into Cell's leg. He snarled, the agony painted on his face as he fought against Saida's will. His olive blood squirted from the gaping holes her serrated teeth were making, streaming down his calf muscles and into the water, in small torrents.

Cell threw Failey into the air, caching her again over one shoulder as he used his free hand, open palmed at Saida to gather energy. Her eyes narrowed, and she bit harder, her wings free from beneath the waves, began beating again, giving her some pull, although it was a strain. Her neck muscles suddenly contracted in random masses, making her head thrash, like a dog, Cell howling in response, his leg tearing free.

He flew straight up with out any form of hesitation and powered up his ki blast, throwing the ball of searing white energy at Saida. Her roar pierced the morning sky and the explosion of the blast tore high into the sky, water erupting easily a half a mile into the air. Cell turned tail, bursting off through the skies, his right leg severed above the knee cap, blood squirting from the torn and ragged flesh.

He landed a few moments later, tossing Failey to the side with little consideration. She was still unconscious, and as far as Cell could see, or care, drowned. He stood on his only leg, focusing his energy into his re-growth. A splatter of acidic slime on the ground announced the limb as it burst through the severed flesh. Cell flexed his new leg a few times, convinced it was perfectly fine. He rounded on Failey, picking her up by her neck and dropping her on her back, on the surface of a nearby boulder. He watched her for a moment. She wasn't breathing.

He placed his thick hand against her neck gently. Weakly and barely noticeable at all, there was a slow and irregular hear beat. Cell snarled, revealing his four hooked fangs and quickly arranged her in a more stable position, flat on her back. He hated this human, but more so, he hated the Saida beast and knew this human would make sufficient bait. He pressed his hands against Failey's soaked chest and pressed firmly against it, causing water to filter like a fountain from Failey's mouth. Still she didn't breathe.

Suddenly his acute hearing picked up the sounds of a massive thundering beast. The vibrations in the floor were closing in. Saida knew where he was. He turned back to the seemingly dead Failey before turning tail and bolting, deciding she wasn't worth it after all.

Saida burst into the clearing and stopped as she spotted Failey, dead, on the boulder. She raised her snout into the air, sniffing twice before she turned back to Failey. Failey hadn't moved. In her exhaustion, and her panic to escape the creature that had been trying to save her life, she had inevitably drowned. Saida knew what this meant and slowly she approached Failey, her eyes darting around, just in case.

Failey's mouth was opened and she was completely soaked. Saida cocked her head to the side, contemplating for a moment before she rose onto her back legs and gently, using one massive fore paw, pressed into her chest. Once, twice, three times and then Failey sprang to life, her body convulsing again as she gagged and coughed, throwing up the water that had been in her lungs. Saida took a few steps back, falling to all fours again and watched. She herself was soaked, making her feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, her massive wings partially extended at her sides, to make them dry faster.

It took Failey a few moments to realize that she was still alive and in one piece. Her eyes barely even open; fell upon the stone gaze of the massive beast that called herself Saida. She made no attempt to leap at Failey and destroy her, but simply watched her. Failey's brain screamed panic and flooded her body again with adrenalin, but even so, she couldn't move. Her muscles ached and she didn't have enough energy to even consider moving. Saida's ears rose into the air in a sort of curious manner as she watched Failey, curious as to what she would do.

"You saved me, didn't you?" Failey asked, her voice choked and husked from drowning. Saida nodded slowly.

"Twice, in fact." Failey stared at Saida, partially in awe, partially in fear. Saida's every inch of body, was designed to kill and hunt anything that she chose to. But yet, Failey was alive.

"Why?" Failey asked, unable to come to any conclusions herself. She had lost her manners, when her body had crumbled beneath itself, and with that, her ability to care.

"Because, I do not want you to die." Saida's voice was almost annoyed, as if the answer had been obvious all along. Failey nodded slowly and lay back down, her eyes closing as she breathed.

"Thank you." She whispered her voice scarcely audible. Saida nodded and watched as Failey's chest heaved a heavy sigh then fell into an arithmetic pattern.

Saida slowly sat on her hunches, glancing up at the sky, her ears falling back against her head. She could feel her massive, black and violet feathered wings beginning to dry in the warmth of the morning sun. She sighed heavily, the sound deep and disturbing before she lay down to sleep, her head resting on her massive forepaws. There was not a lot she could do with soaked wings anyway.

-

Cell watched from between the trees, his natural urge to rush at the damned beast and slaughter it. He stopped himself though, knowing that if he did that, he would end up waking her. She was alert, even when she slept. He could tell because her ears, although flat against her skull were outturned and her nose was twitching as it scented the air. Cell turned his gaze to Failey, watching and waiting. What would it take to steal her? He thought.

He had heard the conversation between Failey and Saida and knew that Failey would be the ultimate bait to rid himself of the damned beast, once and for all.

He rose instead, standing to his full height, his tail twitching. He smirked, glancing at the sky.

"Firstly of all though," He began, talking to himself. "Firstly of all, I find my precious androids and absorb them so not even this irritating beast can harm me!" With that, he leapt at the sky, his wings opened as he blasted into the air.

Saida lifted her head, her eyes unblinking, watching the vapor trail vanishing over the trees. She grinned to herself and rested her head on her forepaws again, this time, slipping further into sleep.

A/N: Thank you to all who have taken their considerable time to review. Secondly of all, I want to apologize. I know that up until here so far, there have been few Cell scenes. This is due to character development, and because of the plot, but it should begin to take on my adventure in the next chapter. Thank you again.

Ryau.