Disclaimer: No DBZ is owned by me. *Tra-lala*
I really don't know how to thank you enough.
I don't mean to seem unstable, but the reviews you leave me are what keep the thoughts pouring into my head to type more. I'm sorry this couldn't be out sooner--I've been extremely busy lately, with my school term for this year just ending and the summer open before me. I also just did something depressing; I discontinued my original DBZ, Cell included fiction, 'Collision'. You can still find it, but it's on hold. But anyway, enough with that. This installment is going to pick up the pace, and your ideas are ALWAYS welcomed. Thank you!
'Synthetic' by Spineshark is the theme song.
I don't mean to make this long, so--ciao!
Synthetic
Installment 3
~Synthetic solution
Synthetic, I'll become
Synthetic, if it makes this go away ...
... I have become synthetic.~
The smallest rays of the sun were boldly pouring through the one window that let light into Urami's bedroom. Mumbling incoherently, the woman turned over in her bed, causing the sheets to tangle around her limbs. Nuzzling her pillow, it would have almost been bliss.
PING! Bzzzttt...brrrriiiiiinnnngggg....
But alas, it wasn't. Opening an eye to peer at the room in distorted vision, Urami fumbled around in her bed to pull at a small alarm clock. It was five a.m., and time to go to work.
Turning the aggravating alarm system off, Urami tossed it half-hazardly back into the sheets in whence it came. Un-tangling herself from the sheets, the young woman crept out of her bed and stretched her sore joints and muscles. Glancing across the room to a mirror hanging on the wall she took in her frazzled hair and drooping eyes laced with sleep. Urami glanced down at herself, then cursed her stupidity at having worn her nurse's dress to sleep. It was wrinkled and folded with lines everywhere--it would never do.
Stumbling over to the closet, Urami located an identical suit and began to undress. She pinned her name-tag on the new suit as she buttoned up the front of her shirt. Realizing time was passing with every moment--and she REALLY didn't feel like being late today--the young woman snatched the brush off of her nightstand and stumbled into the main room. Locating her high-heels thrown against the wall she stuck them on, meanwhile attempting to pry the brush through her un-cooperative hair.
She had planned on having a quick breakfast of oatmeal, but she was already pushing the limit. Upon entering the kitchen Urami splashed the cool sink water onto her face. She would have put on make-up, but she simply didn't feel like it. She hadn't slept well last night, and her face showed it. So, her colleagues would know it as well when she entered the office looking like a zombie. But that wasn't their problem so, either way worked.
On her way stumbling through the living room, a sharp pain shot through Urami's foot. Looking down, she grumbled as she picked up her cell phone. Digging through the cushions of her couch she located an old, simply plaid purse. Sticking the cell phone in there amidst other things that had been and that purse since it had been shoved in the cushion, Urami slung the purse over her shoulder and surveyed her apartment.
A mess. But it was home.
Briefly listing the things she needed to make sure she was completely ready, Urami headed towards the door. Opening it, she took in the faint gray and orange streaked sky that welcomed her.
"...."
For a moment, as she closed and locked the door behind her, Urami wished it was still raining. THEN she could blame her appearance on the rain. Besides...the rain still reminded her...of that day.
Why she found remembering that day soothing, Urami herself wasn't sure. It just was.
Urami made her way across the balcony of her apartment, the rain soaked concrete splashing along her high heels as she descended the steps. The city was still asleep at this time of the morning, and it was more quiet. She liked that. It almost gave the city a vacant feeling.
Little did she know of the havoc that would soon follow.
-_-_-_-
Cell was perched on one of the highest rooftops the city had to offer. He looked surreal, a deadly bird of prey watching and waiting for the perfect moment to swoop down in a blaze of ethereal proportions...
His tail was curled around his feet, which were fitted with serrated talons. Idly the tip was knocking against the metal edge of the building as Android 21 kept his arms crossed evenly over his knees.
The city was waking, but it wasn't fully awake just yet. The perfect time to strike.
And as all birds of prey, this hunter was fully prepared to take flight and descend upon the unaware.
-_-_-_-
"Miss Iakes, you have a call on line four!"
Urami made her way into one of the main offices, pulling out her familiar chair as she sat, trying to organize the heap of papers she was just handed by a fellow co-worker.
"Who is it?" Urami asked, still trying to wake herself up as she reached for the nearby coffee maker.
"Hold on--it's a Mister Stratton!"
"Get him on hold!"
"Alright!"
Urami looked around her messy desk, coffee mug in hand as she tried to gather her thoughts. Glancing over her schedule, she noted she had an appointment at seven with a little girl name Breanna, and at eight she had to attend one of the weekly meeting sessions...and did she have all those patient papers filled out for her superior?
"Miss Iakes, Mister Stratton needs to talk to you now!"
Urami felt like throwing her hands up in the air in defeat. She was familiar with Mr. Stratton. He called about headaches every other day. Urami had tried multiple times to get him to come to the clinic instead of calling so they could see if there was anything wrong with his cranium, but the man just refused. And he always requested Urami for his calls.
"I'll take it!" Urami called above the yelling and chattering chaos of her office as the sound of phones ringing echoed through the entire clinic.
Reaching over, Urami snatched up her desk phone and clicked it to line four. "Hello?"
"Hello, Miss Iakes! Earlier I was feeling-"
"Headaches again, Mister Stratton? Look, please just come to the clinic we can-"
A sudden loud static roar overtook the phone. Urami flinched, pulled her head back a little, then held the phone to her ear again. "Mister Stratton, are you using a cell phone? You're breaking up on me."
The static stopped. Silence. Then suddenly a click.
Silence.
Urami frowned, setting the phone back on the hook. His phone must have went out. 'Well if he needs more help, he knows where to get it. Stubborn old man. If all the patients cooperated we wouldn't have so much work to do.'
An hour or so passed. The day was flowing fairly smoothly. Urami didn't have many calls to make, and the phones had nearly ceased ringing. She found that odd, and couldn't help for a small chill to inch its way down her spine. But determined not to slack in her work, she brushed her doubts away as she made her way down one of the back halls. The coffee maker had to be refilled, and they had run out of filters directly on-hand. She had to get some from the back room. Heck knows, coffee was the only thing keeping her going.
Urami pulled out her keys, facing the door in front of her to the storage and supply room when she heard a scuffle. Her curiosity was perked as she semi-turned, looking back down the hall in search of the location of the noise. All was silent again.
'Some of the personnel, obviously. Don't be so uptight,' Urami berated herself. She turned to the door again.
A crash almost made her drop her keys. Adrenaline flooded her veins as fear began to kick in. Stooping down Urami snatched up the keys, shoving them in her breast pocket as she whirled around to look down both ends of the hall again.
That crash had come from a nearby room--it sounded as if it were coming from the south.
Taking slow, deep breaths, the woman inched her way down the hall. Her fists were clenched, her knuckles were nearly white. She was being stupid. She shouldn't be running to the noise, she should be running away.
Ahead of her, to the left, Urami saw the door to one of the old lobbies. It was cracked open, which was unusual because hardly anyone ever went in there. It was rumored though that the lobby was used by personnel lovebirds to 'nest' in.
Urami calmed herself down. It was probably just two new workers having a 'romantic getaway'. But she was a professional, and behavior like this on the job was inexcusable. Fixing her skirt, Urami stood straight and composed herself as she reached for the door. She had to be professional.
She was already preparing a speech to give to the lovebirds a she shoved the door open.
But as soon as she saw what was inside, absolutely nothing came out of her mouth. Not even a scream.
-_-_-_-
Cell was just cleaning up his mess. He'd already trekked his way through the eastern quadrant of the town, taking out everyone in the apartments and establishments there. It had taken him a few hours but he had down a wonderful job. No one had sounded an alarm, no one was suspicious, and no one was left. He had taken humans by surprise; some had still been sleeping, some were getting ready for work, he had even caught one old man while he was on the phone. But something was bound to happen sooner or later, and the Z Fighters would come running, looking for the diabolical android causing this. Cell had to get as much energy as he good, as silently and secretively as he could.
The android had finally made his way to this hospital, or more-so clinic. It was the first larger establishment he had come across in this city as of yet. It would be easy to take energy here, there were sick humans all through the building. But the security was also tighter. He had decided to come in from the back and work his way up, sweeping over the bottom floor and then moving to the upper stories.
His first meal had been two humans in this old lobby. He had taken them utterly by surprise, before they could even scream an alarm. Now, he just had to keep this up...
The android was so caught up in taking his latest prey that he didn't note another human was in the vicinity until the woman herself shoved the door open.
Cell was crouching on the floor, his claws digging lightly into the flooring as his tail was curled dangerously above his back. He flared his wings ever-so slightly as his slitted eyes burned deep holes into the human who had dared interrupt him. One of the coldest, most villainous smirks overcame his facial features as he saw her body completely freeze up in fear, her eyes widening in terror.
"That was rude," Cell chuckled icily in the raspy, hunter voice he possessed. The woman continued to stare, and as much as Cell tried he couldn't read her thoughts through her eyes. It was like there was a door between he and her inner thoughts.
There was a brief silence as the woman suddenly took a deep breath, her arm dropping from the door like stone. It was then Cell recognized her as being the woman in the apartment from last night.
'Well, this is a pleasant first...'
-_-_-_-
"That was rude."
Urami felt her heart skip several beats then speed up as she worked to choke out something...something in retaliation to this...monster.
But she had only a split second. Even as terrified as she was she saw the monster's muscles tense, his weight shift. He was preparing to pounce. His tail was raising. Oh God, that tail...
Urami did what her instincts told her. As soon as Cell launched himself from the floor at her, hissing savagely like a panther in a rage, Urami stumbled backwards, grabbed the door and slammed it shut in Cell's face.
'Monster of Nikki Town!'
The realization hit the woman like a jet fighter. This was THE monster, the killer, the very incarnation of death!
Cell's beak crashed first into the door, then his entire cranium. Hissing in a blind rage, his body weight and momentum sent him crashing through the door, sending wood and metal splintering in every direction.
Urami had partially moved out of the way, but she wasn't fast enough. One of Cell's elongated arms blazed towards her as he flew, unable to quite catch himself in the small confinement of the hall. His hand crashed into her face.
The woman's body was sent flying into the far wall as Cell did as well, the wall screeching in protest and collapsing from the force.
Urami gasped in utter pain, stars dancing in front of her eyes as pain arched through her head and spine. Her vision was completely black, dotted with white. She could feel the wall snapping and crumbling, and desperately--on hands and knees--she pulled herself from the oncoming rubble.
She could feel blood pouring from her busted lip down her chin and neck, and she could also feel various gashes torn across her forehead and cheek from the monster's claws. She was utterly astounded at what a simple accidental hit by the monsters hand had done.
Cell had flared some ki and his wings at once, hoping the new pressure would help minimize the damage, and hopefully the NOISE of his body crashing into the wall. But the ki would also send a nice beacon to the Z Fighters to alert them of him. The falling wall didn't phase him, and he only vaguely registered that he had even hit the woman. Flinging the stone and brick off of himself, Cell surveyed the scene. The door was destroyed, pieces of it were scattered everywhere. The wall was virtually gone, sunlight was pouring through the open gaps where the rubble wasn't piled. Freeing his elongated tail, the android stood to full height. The woman who had stumbled upon him was crawling along the ground. He could tell his accidental slip of hand had caused her severe damage.
Instant hate flared within him. If that human hadn't stumbled in on him, he could have taken most of this town before the Z Fighters would notice! Now he had caused to much noise and damage to continue.
But oh, he was going to take this human out first.
With his keen hearing Cell could make out sounds of the police running down the stairs not far off. Pathetic fools, they really thought they could stop him?
Idly turning his attention away from the woman at the moment, Cell turned to face the end of the hall where the stairs were located. Immediately various personnel and policeman piled down, some screaming to others 'What happened?!'.
As soon as they took notice of him, some of the personnel screamed and attempted to flee back up the stairs. The braver ones, the policeman, stared in utter fear before hoisting up their guns and opening fire.
Cell chuckled wickedly as the bullets ricocheted harmlessly off his armor. 'These humans grow more stupid as each day passes...'
Urami slapped her hands over her ears as the sound of guns being fired nearly made her want to scream. Urgently, to avoid being accidentally hit, she lurched herself across the hall and yanked herself over the debris of the destroyed door and into the old lobby room. Pulling herself against the wall, she leaned her head against the wall--her entire mind throbbing with vicious pain as she noticed her white attire was now red with her own blood--and watched.
The guards were firing at the monster, but the monster was just standing there as if nothing was happening. Its back was to her, so Urami couldn't see its facial expression. But she could see the expressions of the men at arms.
They were confused, frightened beyond belief...and she then noted, utterly hopeless.
'They're going to die,' her mind whispered heavily to her.
'And you're going to watch it happen'.
Suddenly the mirage of bullets stopped. The men desperately tried scrounging for more ammunition. But it was too late.
Cell had been amused long enough with the pathetic display of defense. He could already feel the ki signatures of some members of the Z senshi nearing.
Raising a hand, the android let out one malevolent laugh as a bright ball of ki energy blossomed in his palm. Without as much of a flinch, the android launched the disastrous wave of energy at the men at the stairs.
Urami's held back a scream as she saw the stairs and men residing on them disappear in a blast of golden yellow. Throwing her arm up to shield her already brutalized face from the extreme light radiating off, she could see the monster still standing there, laughing.
As soon as it had begun it ended. The light faded, the remains of the stairs was crashing into a pile of rubble and mesh and twisted metal. The melted remains of guns were littered everywhere.
The monster then, un-phased, turned its head. And looked at her.
Urami froze up, her heart freezing like a cold stone.
'I'm going to die!' her mind whimpered.
But the monster appeared to be having an internal struggle. Suddenly frowning, he levitated off the ground a few inches and turned, leaping onto the pile of rubble from the wall. Pausing in front of the gap where brilliant sunlight was flittering through, around the monster's silhouette, he looked like a surreal Angel of Death.
And then, he was gone.
A/N:
Not really much to say down here this time ^^;. I just hope to hear from you readers, in whatever you have to say...thank you!
Winner of the 'Urami' Contest:
alex damioh! *Hands Alex a basket of freshly baked digital cookies* Go you! Runners up are--Demoness Yasha and Asahi Yuhi! *Tosses them a digital chocolate chip cookie each* Great job.
Urami means either; bitterness, envy, malice, grudge. Enlightening word, ne?
Now. What's the definition of...
'Shugotenshi'?