Save the Day
I don't own DBZ.
Warning: Fav Character abuse and death. Oh, I have given up on the humor aspect of this story altogether if you hadn't noticed.
Chapter Three
He hesitated to open his eyes. He refused to acknowledge the presence. Some where in his mind it was screaming…scratching and clawing to be heard. He ignored it. He savored the smell of the trees. The odor of the on coming rain. The sounds of the remaining animals that had dared to witness the impending atrocity. He ignored the rustle of fabric. The proof that his intended had come. The ones he wished could see that this was futile.
Why would they do this? Couldn't they see? They were going to die and neither they nor their 'enemy' would be able to do anything to stop it.
His head hurt. The voice was getting louder.
"Move!"It demanded. "Open your eyes!"
He heard a growl. It was not his own. He opened his eyes reluctantly. The vision before him was blurred by the water in his eyes. He grit his teeth in frustration, razor sharp canines breaking the skin of his pale lips. He could not will his mouth to move.
"You are so weak!" the voice boomed.
Then suddenly it hit him like a freight train. His mind reeled with the imagined impact. And suddenly he found him self mentally pushed aside. He wasn't in control any longer. He had come back, leaving him trapped on the inside looking out. He felt his tongue licking at the blood that stained his lips and cringed mentally at the metallic taste.
"Ahh, Prince Vegeta." He heard an unfamiliar voice croon. "And if it isn't the Namek. It's been a long time."
But…it was familiar…then again…it was not. It was his voice…wasn't it?
"Cell." The green warrior, the one called Piccolo spit back with undying vehemence.
Cell could feel his face pull in to a dangerous smirk though he had no hand in it. The flame haired man eyed him apprehensively. He seemed to be in a sort of silent surprise. Cell felt the arms that were previously hanging down at his sides raised and folded neatly across his chest.
"So…It really is you?" The Saiyan Prince replied.
"How ever did you guess?" He replied.
Vegeta growled menacingly.
"How could I forget such an ugly mug?" The prince said. "Though I must say your design has improved greatly since the last time I saw you, Android. But who was the idiot that recycled the parts?!"
"Don't trouble yourself with useless questions, little man." Cell barked in that oh so annoyingly superior tone of his. "Besides, you won't live long enough to meet her anyway."
The brown haired prince scoffed at the threat.
"Ha! That idiot woman must have forgotten your brain or have you already forgotten." Vegeta said as he fell in to a battle stance. "We defeated you once, Android; we can certainly do it again."
Cell mentally winced as his consciousness was flooded with the most bitter hatred that he had ever experienced in his short life. The person controlling his body however erupted in a hearty laugh causing the Namekian to grimace slightly at the sound.
"It would seem that you are the one who has forgotten, Vegeta." He said finally. "You were not the one to defeat me."
"Well Kakarot's brat isn't here right now!" The prince growled. "But I will be more than happy to kill you again myself."
"Vegeta!" Piccolo barked. "Don't be stupid. He's much stronger than he was before."
"Well so am I." Vegeta replied icily.
A laugh even more chilling than the pervious one echoed throughout the clearing.
"You are quite perceptive, Piccolo," Cell's mouth moved to form the words, his traitorous tongue helping to create the syllables. "Just as I remember you. I might just kill you after I finish with the prince here."
This of course pried a primal scream from said Prince.
And before anyone could say anything, the irate Prince was flying at the Cell in untamable fury. Piccolo watched in a mix of horror and fear. He knew. Cell could tell by the look on his face. Piccolo knew that his new look was not just external. Their eyes locked briefly…Cell fought to let himself be known. But just as quickly as he pushed through he was shoved back down by the other presence.
"What are you going?!" He snarled. "You're going to get us…"
Whatever his former self had tried to say was interrupted, quite brutally I might add, by a vicious left hook that sent him hurtling into a row of trees.
When his eyes opened again, he saw nothing but an angry grey sky. There was a dull ache in the right side of his face. Cell's mouth opened in a silent gasp.
"You worthless idiot!" The disembodied voice howled in his mind. "You could have gotten us killed!"
"I don't wish to fight them." He said aloud weakly, silently praying that his past self would listen. "I don't understand why they have to die."
He winced as he tried to move his abused jaw. The little prince could pack quite a wallop. Maybe he shouldn't have forced his power level down that way. He had left his body as well and the Android Cell's open to attack.
"They are standing in our way." The one also called Cell replied. "It is what you do with those that stand in your way. It wasn't as if they had any qualms about ever doing the same to us. Do you truly not remember?"
Mirai Cell refused to reply.
"Fine!" The android's voice continued. "Then, I will remind you."
The grey clouds faded away into and blinding white and then he was suddenly bombarded by images, noises, voices…There was yelling and screaming. A fight. He was in a fight…with the boy. The one who'd killed him…
Gohan, his eyes burned in aqua flames. His face…that was not the face of a little boy. It was twisted in rage. Rage directed solely at him. Cell had never felt so small. So utterly terrified, but his outward appearance could have even fooled him. He stood his ground. Undeterred. His arms reared to his side, behind himself and he began to gather the needed energy. A Kamehameha Wave…that technique he knew because of Son Goku. He would use on the man's own son.
But it would seem the boy had similar ideas…
The two massive amounts of energy collided in the center of their self made battle field. A foreign feeling began to creep through out Cell's body. It ached with every gush of energy he pushed out of his being into the very tips of his ebony clawed fingers. Except it wasn't enough…
And then there was the coupe de grace, the moment in time that sealed his fate. A powerful wave of Ki blasted him from behind. In all honesty, it hadn't really hurt…that much. But it was enough to get his attention. He turned his offended head and saw the prince; Vegeta was smirking down at him…
Where the hell had he come from?
Cell turned around just in time to realize that he had lost…and the blinding light consumed him.
A silent scream erupted from his mental mouth. The imaginary fingers that he had held on so tightly with were numbed now, he let go.
Lavender orbs opened again. This time he was no longer hindered by the weak willed one. He would finish what he had started all those years ago. He lifted his abused body out of the rubble of the fallen trees. Sitting up he could see two figures off in the distance. With his keen hearing he could make out that they were arguing; the precise words to boot.
"There is something not quite right about him." Piccolo said. "We should be more careful."
"Stay out of my way, Namek!" Vegeta snarled. "You've wasted enough time!"
By the time the prince had turned around, Cell was already on his feet. A grim smile plastered across his pastel features. It was almost enough to stop the rabid prince dead in his tracks. Cell noticed the moment of hesitation and chuckled to himself.
"Come now, Vegeta." He said thoroughly amused. "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts? Come on…make me suffer. That's what you promised wasn't it?"
Cell little taunt was answered by an admirable amount of Ki being flung at him, which he narrowly avoided by smacking it into the surrounding woods.
"Hmm…nice." He remarked. "Unfortunately, you're going to have to do a lot better."
The fire that had begun in the surrounding brush had given the scene and eerie light. Cell smiled at the picture…this would truly be perfect. Cell's body fell into a fighting stance and he locked eyes with a furious Vegeta. The Namek, Piccolo finally gave in and prepared for combat as well.
"Good…"The Android's thoughts projected throughout the shared mind. "Watch closely Mirai, I wouldn't want you to miss a moment."
"The both of you may attack." He said aloud. "Don't be shy!"
The fight broke out from there. The fiery willed Ouji began a melee of attacks, none of them meeting their marks. He had already powered up to Super Saiyan 2, Cell however had barely broken a sweat. Piccolo had yet to attack, trying as best he could to the circle the fight in the closed in area. Cell knew that he was looking for an opening, that or he was afraid that the enraged Saiyan Prince would mistake him for the enemy.
"How disappointing!" Cell goaded. "I would have thought that after all these years you would have made some improvement."
"Geraahhh!" Vegeta howled in frustration. "Stop your incessant chatter android and fight!"
Cell smacked away another Ki blast. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that it had nearly taken off the head of the Namekian.
"Vegeta!" The green one yelled. "We must move the fight. There is not enough room here!"
"Oh no!" Cell smiled. "This is perfect!"
And at a speed that neither Piccolo nor Vegeta could sense, Cell had wrapped a clawed hand around the prince's throat and flung him into his green companion. Both of their flailing bodies sending burning trees in every which direction. The green haired hybrid knew that by now the easily maddened prince was livid at this point. The weakness that he had counted on, Vegeta's temper, he would use it to defeat the shortsighted Saiyan.
He was barely able to suppress the smile that threatened to bloom when he made out the blurred blue and black form that quickly descended upon him. There was a loud sound of electricity popping and that blur was sent back as quickly as it came.
The energy field. Though his favorite technique was now powered by massive amounts of Ki with his new, organic body it was still quite affective (also making it ridiculously easy to hide). The hotheaded prince hadn't even known what hit him. He was in a heap of tangled and blooded limbs not far from him.
"You disappoint me Saiyan." Cell said as he stood over the barely conscious Prince. "I do hope the others put up a better fight!"
Before Vegeta could get a word in edgewise, Cell's hand was covering his mouth.
"Hush now, sweet Prince." He said with a sinister grin. "Say no more. I will end this torment for you."
"You see Mirai…Weaklings like these are far better off dead."
The hand covering the defeated man's mouth began to glow with powerful blue energy. Cell stared into the wide brown eyes one last time, ignoring the muffled yells he discerned were vicious obscenities.
"Farewell…"
Hard ebony eyes opened wearily. He quickly realized that he was hovering above the ground. The hand he had instantly felt around his neck tightened slightly.
"Ah, Piccolo, so good that you are finally awake." Cell voice said softly.
He felt so weak! What had happened?
He looked at the face of his attacker, noting the dark crimson that stained his pale blue face. He immediately search for the Ki signature of the prince and found none. His heart sank. Cell just stared at him as if studying him. His dark purple tongue crept outward and lapped at the blood at had run down his face and accumulated on his upper lip.
"It would seem that Saiyans enjoy the taste of the blood of their own." Cell said quietly never breaking eye contact with him. "I wonder though, what does Namekian blood taste like?"
"Get your hands off of me!" Piccolo screamed defiantly. His voice cracked. His oxygen starved throat ached from the immense pressure being put on it. He pulled up a heavy hand and dug sharp claws of his own into the soft flesh of the green haired man before him.
Those pale purple hues never changed, but the mouth did. The slight smile there disappeared completely.
"I said that I'd wait to kill you after the prince." Cell finally said. "I believe that time is upon us."
A knee collided with his stomach, though Cell barely flinched.
"Nice try." He said angrily. "Now it is time for that taste, eh?"
He raised the Namek higher and then plunged him back viciously. Piccolo erupted in a loud scream. He felt himself impaled on the branch of tree; a rather large branch at that. His eyes watered, his mouth twisting in a grimace of pain.
"Through these new eyes I can truly appreciate the pleasure of the kill." Cell said softly.
The bastard Saiyan brought a blood soaked hand to his mouth and tasted.
"Hmm…" He pondered briefly. "Not as good as the Prince's. But interesting in your own way."
Suddenly, just as Piccolo had truly given up and resigned to his fate, he was surprised by how quickly the expression the other man's face changed. He wondered briefly what was about to happen. That was when he felt it.
"It would seem that a certain someone has decided to join us." Cell said with a huge grin. "Finally!"
"No…Son." Piccolo said, though it was slightly garbled.
Cell frowned.
"His power level is a bit weaker than I expected." He said completely turning his back to Piccolo. "I guess birthing a whelp has taken its toll. Though the fight might be worth something when he realizes his mate is gone."
"Won't this be fun, Mirai?" He said aloud.
A/N: This whole chapter was a flashback to like fifteen years ago if you hadn't guessed…Dammit I wish that I had actually seen the Cell Games. growls I'm going off of the cuts scenes from DBZ: Budokai.