Disclaimer: No DBZ is owned by me. *Tra-lala*
I'll save all my rambling for the end note this time ^^;. Along with a new question for the chapter. See you there!
Synthetic
Installment 4
~Synthetic solution
Synthetic, I'll become
Synthetic, if it makes this go away ...
... I have become synthetic.~
"Six humans trapped by happenstance, in bleak and bitter cold,
Each one possessed a stick of wood, or so the story's told.
Their dying fire in need of logs, the first man held his back,
For of the faces 'round the fire, he noticed one was black.
The next man looking 'cross the way saw one not of his church,
And couldn't bring himself to give the fire his stick of birch.
The third man sat in tattered clothes, he gave his coat a hitch,
Why should his log be put to use to warm the idle rich?
The rich man just sat back and thought of the wealth he had in store,
And how to keep what he had earned from the lazy, shiftless poor.
The black man's face bespoke revenge as the fire passed from sight,
For all he saw in his stick of wood was a chance to spite the white.
The last man of this forlorn group did naught except for gain,
Giving only to those who gave was how he played the game.
Their logs held tight in death's still hand was proof of human sin,
They didn't die from the cold without—they died from the cold within."
Urami set the book of collective poetry and various other writings down on the table next to her hospital bed.
~They died from the cold within.~
Something about that statement chilled Urami. Because she knew that she, too, was cold within.
Was she one of those men, sitting around a fire, unwilling to sacrifice their wood?
'It's not important...'
Urami shifted her weight, frowning at the IV that had been inserted in her vein.
'Who cares?'
She closed her eyes again, letting her head sink into the soft pillow. She had been transported to a neighboring clinic on the other side of town for treatment. The few remaining people from the clinic had found her, bloodied and nearly unconscious in the old lobby. And they had brought her here to help heal up her wounds and see if she had any possible brain damage from the blow to her head.
As far as Urami knew, she was fine. The doctor had mentioned she might need stitches for her lip and jaw but Urami blatantly refused. She insisted she would be fine and not work the muscles on her face much to ensure the wounds would heal faster and more completely.
It was ironic. She was a nurse and now she was the one in need of treatment. She was to be released the following morning if her cranial X-rays came out okay.
The bitter, nearly paper-like clothing that Urami had to wear itched at her skin. Shifting around some more, Urami tried to find a nice position to lie in. After a few more tries she found it. Sighing softly into the sheets she let her mind drift into slumber.
~They died from the cold within.~
"Miss Iakes?"
The voice was from outside the door. It belonged to one of the janitors.
"Miss Iakes? Are you still in your office? We're closing up in ten minutes."
The voice was persistent, even when there was no answer.
"Well, tell me when you go so I can lock up." There was a jangle of keys and then the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall.
Urami looked up from her perch by the window. Her makeup was streaked down her face, her mascara smeared over her cheeks. Her eyes were filled with newfound tears, welling up and spilling over her lids. Somehow she found her voice and muttered a whispered 'Okay...', even though she knew the janitor couldn't hear her now.
The woman buried her face in her arms again, sobs wracking her body in chilled shivers as her hands clenched at her knees until her knuckles were white. The darkness of the room made the faint moonlight spilling through the window illuminate her form in an almost eerie glow. And outside, the rain continued to fall in steady rhythm as the young woman continued to cry in silence and solitude.
On the end table beside her was a tear-stained, crumpled piece of paper...
The sound of someone opening the door woke Urami from her sleep, and the dream she had been having.
'Not a dream. A memory.
Face the facts...'
"Dr. Juran?" Urami asked, surprised as she managed to sit up and briefly straighten her hair with a free hand.
The aged doctor chuckled, pulling up a chair so he could sit by Urami's bed. "Call me Morte, please, Miss Ia-...Urami."
Urami studied the doctor for a moment. She was a little agitated that he just decided to drop in, but also a bit...relieved?...that he had.
But once again her heart hardened and blew away the emotions that welled up within her.
"Why have you come?"
Morte dismissed the rather blunt statement with a warm smile, scratching the side of his head with a gnarled finger. "Why else? To check on you. To make sure you're doing okay. You ARE doing okay, right?"
"Of course I am," Urami snuffed.
"That's good. In a state of shock?"
Urami frowned. "What is this, A Thousand Questions Time?"
Morte grinned sheepishly, fiddling with a button on his coat. He was wearing normal clothing; a pair of maroon breeches, a white shirt and brown overcoat. "Well, you did survive that monster's attack..."
Realization hit Urami with the doctor's words. "Dr. Ju--I mean, Morte, how is the clinic?"
"The back hall's wall is out. The stairs are a mess. The old lobby door is extinct. The walls have burns all over them. At least none of our main areas was harmed." Morte stopped, suddenly looking grim.
Urami knew there was more. "And?"
"We lost Jake and Rebecca."
It took a moment for that to settle in with the young woman. "The two new clerks we had?"
"The monster got them. All we have is their clothes. Their family was told not long ago." Morte took off his glasses and polished them with his shirt, sighing heavily.
Urami was silent for a moment before continuing. "What about the stairs incident?"
Morte blinked, putting his glasses back on. "Oh, so you remember...your doctor was afraid you'd suffered a memory lapse but it appears not."
"My memory's fine. What of it?"
"Six people were reduced to ash," Morte said solemnly. "Three more of our personnel suffered severe burns. Kionu lost his left hand."
"What about the city itself?"
Morte chuckled. "What is this, A Thousand Questions Time?" he teased.
Urami frowned, not in the mood for humor. "Well?"
Morte sighed again, shifting his weight. "Melancholy...half of our city population has been killed. This is almost like another Nikki Town incident, but the monster left before he could take all of the city."
-_-_-_-
Cell was perching in a nice, shady tree when he heard the helicopters whizzing by overhead. The branches shook, some leaves fell, but Cell was not surprised. Rolling his slanted eyes up, he watched the black underbellies of the helicopters disappear from view. He'd seen this before--in the Nikki town and South city 'incidents'. The army, police forces, helicopters, the works--all charging into his latest crippled city to see if they could repair any damage and find survivors.
Cell continued to lounge, letting his tail hang over the limb as his clawed hands were folded over his chest. He was thinking, or more-so plotting or scheming. He couldn't let his entire reputation of being a mass murderer of entire cities go down in flames just because he had failed to destroy all the humans in his latest attack.
So, coyly the android decided he would attack again. But when?
Surely the Z Senshi would expect him to attack at some point or another. He had barely avoided them in escaping. Cell also knew Piccolo had it in for him.
'I'll attack tonight.
They won't expect that.
The security will be tighter. The Z senshi will be more alert. Of course they won't expect me to attack again so swiftly--and the same city, for that matter.
I'll go in from the east, where I cleared out the humans. There will be policeman. But since when did the human defense force ever pose a problem to me?'
Cell's beak twisted into a smirk.
'Besides, I still have to kill that human who caused me to have to leave so early anyway.
I'll give her apartment a little...visit.'
The excitement of an oncoming hunt sent adrenaline pumping through Cell's body. Restlessly he sat up in the branch, tail curled and leaped, disappearing into the undergrowth with his speckled hide.
-_-_-_-
"Goku! You really shouldn't be stressing yourself so!" ChiChi screeched as her husband made his way to their dinner table. "You just got over a heart virus for Kami's sake!"
Goku put on that trademark Son grin of his. "But ChiChi, I feel fine! Besides..." His face immediately contorted into one of solemn anger. "That monster that Krillin told me about--Cell--he's still alive and still killing more innocent people! I have to get ready to face him!"
ChiChi sighed at her husband's stubborn will. After Krillin, Tien and Piccolo had come back from South City, they had told the newly awakened Goku about the monster Cell and his deadly rampage. Krillin had had a personal close call himself.
"His name is Cell," Piccolo had stated.
"Cell..." Goku stared hard at the table, for a moment even ignoring his dinner that ChiChi had prepared for him. "You'll....pay for this!!"
-_-_-_-
It was getting dark again.
Urami pulled the coat tighter around her body as a chill wind swept through the city. The sound of sirens echoed in her ears as she buried her head into the soft material of her coat. Morte had been kind enough to offer Urami his coat.
"It's going to be chilly tonight," he had said. "You'll be going home soon, so take this."
Why did Morte persist to be so kind and generous towards her? If he was trying to earn her trust he was heading toward a dead end.
'Hnph.' Urami padded up the stairs to her apartment, pulling to her keys and flipping through them before inserting the correct one into the slot and opening the door. 'The kind think they can take advantage of me with their good-nature and talks of kindness and warmth. They think they can change me?'
Urami jerked out her keys and shoved her foot into the door, causing it to swing open violently.
'They can't!!'
The young woman stood for a moment, catching her breath before entering her apartment and slamming the door shut behind her.
-_-_-_-
Cell prowled through the alley, his eyes taking on an unnatural golden glow as his gaze flickered from shadow to shadow, attempting to catch any movement.
He'd been correct. There were task force and policemen swarming the city. He had already taken down 16--and counting.
The familiar sight of the apartment building greeted Cell as he slipped from the alley and made his way to the back of the building. Some of the windows of various rooms were lit up. Contemplating his situation, Cell snuck to the side and peered around the front. There was a single guard standing, a cup of coffee in his hand. Smirking, Cell knew this would be no problem. It would be easier for the android to sneak up the stairs from the front, so he wouldn't alert or be seen through any windows. If he WAS seen through a window, then he would have to kill the human as quickly as possible. Which meant breaking the window. Which also meant a lot of noise.
This way was quieter.
Besides, the night was dark and everyone was inside. The humans were scared of the 'monster' that loved to prey on their loved ones.
If there was one thing Cell hated, it was being called a monster.
'Monster? They know not of what they accuse.
I am perfect.
They are imperfect.'
Cell smirked again, a low, husky laugh thumping from his throat as he crept behind the guard.
'Humans are the monsters.'
Cell's tail was utterly silent as it struck through the air.
'Pathetic, widely distributed creatures.'
The man never had an opportunity to scream as the sharpest tip of Cell's tail pierced through the back of his neck.
'How have they survived so long?'
Cell's eyes warily fled from corner to corner, street to street and building to building as the main part of his body was pressed low into the shadows. The guard was on the soggy ground, choking silently as his bio-extract was taken from him.
'I'm doing them a favor.'
Cell grabbed the man's clothing and shoved it against the side of the building where it couldn't be directly seen. Taking a moment to dwell in this new power he had acquired, Cell slipped around to the front and spotted the metal stairs to the right corner of the apartment. Slipping under the light of one of the office doors, Cell frowned. The stairs could prove a problem. His talons would cause a noise on the smooth metal.
Dismissing the stairs, Cell looked for another way to get to the third floor.
"Mister Iyaku! I demand you get back here! You're not fit to drive!"
Cell's head whipped around to the office door. A middle-aged man stumbled out, a bottle in his hand. His face was flushed a deep crimson red.
Cell frowned, slinking over to the shadow's under the stairs. 'A drunkard.'
"Mister Iyaku!" One of the apartment personnel ran out after the man, a notepad in hand as he attempted to get the man's attention. "Under policy, if I know you are drunk I'm not allowed to let you drive! Please sir just go back to your room!"
Cell's frown deepened. These two twits' yelling would alert every human in the building!
Faster than any cheetah could hope to be, Cell's body blazed like a bullet, tail lanced.
The drunk man stumbled, turning around just in time to see Cell's deadliest weapon shoot through his chest and even past him into the personnel standing behind him.
Jerking his tail back, the two humans were swept back under the stairs. The metal spiral binding on the notepad clanked against the metal stairs.
-_-_-_-
Urami looked up from her television program. She could have sworn she heard some yelling outside. Shrugging, the young woman turned her attention back to the television. A hand of hers reached up to lightly touch the bandages on her jaw. She winced as little stings of pain shot through her.
The sudden clang of something hitting the stairs jerked her from the television again. Now angry and curious, Urami--dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a black tank top that she usually wore to bed with brown sandals--made her way to the door. If that was her neighbor's again, she would just tell them how she felt-
But as suddenly as it came, the emotion of anger left the woman. She was hollow again.
She found it harder and harder to keep any emotions inside of her, no matter how strong they were.
~They died from the cold within.~
Urami pushed open her door, looking off into the dark sky. Stars were brimming everywhere, though it was hard to see them with the city lights. The sound of sirens in the distance was still clear as crews continued to go through the city and attempt to repair the damage.
'They can repair the damage...
The broken homes and broken glass...
They can't repair the heart....
They couldn't repair mine...
Even if I had one in the first place...'
It wasn't sympathy for herself, Urami was feeling, but cold contempt.
The night was silent. The yelling had abruptly stopped. Curious, Urami walked to the edge of the walkway and peered over the railing to the ground below.
Nothing. The light from the office washed over the sidewalk and surrounding pavement, but nothing made a sound. Looking to the stairs, Urami saw nothing but shadow.
Puzzled, the young woman shrugged and backed away from the railing.
It was then the hair on the back of her neck prickled in silent warning. Taking a deep breath, Urami spun around, muscles frozen in preparation.
Perching on the railing just a few feet away was none other than the monster itself.
"Hello," it rasped coldly.
A/N:
Hey! Well, just wanted to say a few things.
For those of you who are reading, I hope you like it so far. I'm actually finding myself growing quite fond of this fanfiction...I've even updated it twice in a row.
Secondly, I can only hope interest isn't lost. If I do something wrong, please tell me. I don't want to lose any of my readers. I really rely on all of you.
I'll also begin replying to reviews at the end of every installment!
That's about it for now!
Ciao! ^^
Winners of the 'Shugotenshi' Contest
Darkness Angel! *Tosses her a basket filled with digital cookies* Great job! It means 'guardian angel'.
Runners up are: Pen Dragon, Lilmissgoten, and Demoness Yasha! Good work ^^ *Tosses them cookies too*
There's a different contest this time around. It's not really a contest as much as it is a question! ^^
What do you think was on the paper Urami seemed to be weeping over?
I doubt any of you will get it but you never know! I'd like to know your thoughts ^^ Anyone who gives an answer gets digital cookies! (Yum.)
Reviewers:
Darkness Angel - Thank you! ^^ I hope your fiction goes well, too!
Pen Dragon - Wow, really? That's good, I guess ^^ I'm updating! *Dance*
Masquerade - Sorry about that! I had the chapter up but then I forgot to add something to it, then I had to take it off and when I tried to put it back up, FF.net was on it's 'Nothing shall be uploaded' kick for a few days. Sorry ^^;
Lilmissgoten - What are you doing here??! Get out! Out! XDD *hug* Yes, Imperfect stage Cell's attitude it very catchy XD. Hss. I THREW BAKURA! I admit it!
LILBRWNGIRL2002 - Thanks!
Shogun - There are better ^^;
Demoness Yasha Helfire - Those are really good questions! I'll give you little hints now and then ^^ Can't promise anything though...^^
ReJeCtEd AnGeL - Thank you! If you're talking about Cell leaving, it was because he sensed the Z senshi approaching and he had to go. But he also wanted to kill Urami. Poor Cell-baka! *Pets him* A little too week to have nasty Z senshi double-team him just yet! But that should change ^^.
Vegeta's Personal Trainer - Here's more!
Shaouzu - I have? ^^;