Chapter 27: Collateral

I jumped up, out of sleep, from that dream with the maze again. I looked around and saw unfamiliar surroundings. I was on what looked like a medical table, and all around the dark room was computer equipment. At first I thought I was in a hospital, but that didn't fit right. It was too dark and too dirty to be a hospital. One of the large computer monitors was on, and the static shining from it lit up the room. I couldn't find my sword, and I had no idea where I was. My leg was throbbing was from the blast earlier, and it was crudely wrapped in bandages.

"So you have finally awaken." I turned and saw Cell standing in the corner, watching me. In his perfect form he was at least two feet taller than I was, whereas his first and second forms were right at my height. The memories of the previous events flooded back to me.

"What happened to Trunks?" I demanded.

"That runt of a Sayjin is fine, I'd be worried about myself if I were you." Cell sneered.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"I'm just keeping you hostage, to make sure Goku and all the others come to fight me. The winner gets to decide the fate of this world. I swore to not harm you until then, and I'll keep my promise."

Just like Frieza with the ten minutes?

"So I'm stuck here with you for the next ten days?"

"No, only seven. You've been out for the past three days. You could show some respect, I did save you."

"Saved me from what?" I snapped.

"You had Cardioculus Maximus, the heart virus. The same virus that infected Goku."

"What?" I thought back to the previous days. My left arm was the first sign, and when my SG went off, it hurt. King Kai said it might have meant that two things were happening at once. And I was so tired when I fought Cell in his previous form. It all made sense.

"I guess I should thank you, but I'm suspicious. Why did you save me?"

"I was curious. I've been studying you while you've been out, and-"

"What!" I screeched.

"Child, I didn't do anything to cause such a response. I merely looked at you DNA. And its no wonder that Gero thought you'd be perfect for an android. He even had the plans all ready, see?" he walked over to a computer and brought up the file. I could see it from the table clearly. I was listed along with two humans, now 17 and 18. There were others listed too, but Gero was dead now, so it didn't matter. I couldn't fight Cell, and I was still recovering from the heart virus, so I was in no shape to fight a fully powered bio-android. As I lay there with my hands under my head, my stomach started to growl.

"What was that?" Cell asked.

"My stomach. That means I'm hungry. Got any food in here?" I said as I sat back up.

"This was a laboratory for androids built by an android, what do you think?" Cell asked as he looked through some more files.

"Then I suggest you let me go into the city and get some food."

"So you can contact your friends and escape?"

"Why should I run? You said you'd keep me safe, and you could easily catch me if I did try to run."

"I'll go with you, if you insist on eating."

"I can go by myself."

"I'm not going to let you go alone. If you want to eat, I'm going."

"Fine. There are a few essentials a girl has to have that you clearly don't have here. And besides, I need a big, strong man to protect poor, little old me." I replied sarcastically.

"Let's just get it over with." So Cell led the way out of the lab and outside. It was a bright day, but it didn't matter because the city was deserted because of Cell, so I could take what I needed.

It's not stealing if it doesn't belong to anyone and you need it to survive.

"So where's my sword?"

"I threw it to the runt, so I guess he has it."

"Why are you calling Trunks a runt?"

"Well, he is, isn't he? He was born half-Sayjin and was the last to transform in my time."

So we flew to the city and landed, and Cell followed as I found all I needed. I mostly got munchies stuff since the deserted city had rotten meat from the lack of care. Then I got first aide stuff for my leg and, last but not least, toilet paper.

"What is that? Do you eat it?" Cell asked.

"No. And since I'm a lady, I won't tell you. You ought to be able to figure it out, Mr. Perfect."

I saw something similar to recognition on his face.

"You're no lady, lady." Cell said.

"And you're not perfect, android 21."

So we flew back to the lab and went inside once more.

"You're being awfully calm about all this." Cell said suspiciously.

"Well, I trust that you'll keep your word."

"Why?"

"Because… on the show you kept you word. My SG would warn me if you tried something."

"I see. And what is an SG?"

"The Sensory Gift."

"Of course. You lower beings always have to name things, and then you shorten the names after that."

"Well, why wouldn't we? It's easier to say and write shorter things. Besides, higher being, you shortened your name from android 21 to Cell."

"Cell was the name of Gero's project, so it was a logical choice."

"Whatever." I said as I finished placing the food on the counter.

"And why do you need so much food? You're only one Sayjin!"

"Yes, but Sayjins eat a lot. And anyway, a full grown male Sayjin like Goku could eat all this in one sitting. Females like me don't eat as much."

Sleeping was hard that first night. Cell explained that he didn't sleep, so I was cautious to sleep with him awake and near. I absently placed my hand on my neck where I Bonded with Trunks. I missed him.

"Katie, can you hear me? Its me, Goku."

"Goku? I can hear you."

"Are you okay? I've been trying to contact you. Has Cell hurt you?"

"No, in fact, he saved my life."

"What!"

"I was struck with the heart virus while I was fighting him, and he noticed that and saved me. Of course, I'm still his hostage, but I'm as good as I can be right now."

"Tell me where you are, and I'll come get you. None of us could sense your Ki, so we all thought you were…"

"No, I'm fine. And no, don't come after me. I'll try to find out a weakness while I'm here. Besides, Cell is here, and he doesn't sleep. Someone could get hurt. I'll see you in a week, Goku."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"You'll be the first to know if I'm not."

"Alright, be careful."

"I will. And give Trunks a message for me, tell him I miss him. And don't say anything to this about Vegeta."

"Sure, they both have been worried about you, though Vegeta wouldn't admit it. I'll keep it secret, don't worry."

I ended transmission with Goku and finally fell asleep.

Cell kept me locked in the room most of the time. Apparently this place was Gero's back up lab.

"Cell, Trunks told me that he and Krillen broke your embryo in Gero's lab. How'd you survive that?"

"Don't you ever shut up?" Cell snapped.

"I'm bored." I replied. Cell sighed as he began.

"That embryo wasn't me. I was born in this lab. Gero made a couple of attempts in creating me, and that one wasn't satisfactory. It had been terminated years ago. I was Gero's fifth and final attempt."

"So were they like your brothers or sisters?"

"They were prototypes, and nothing more."

That's kind of sad. Cell has always been alone. We're alike that way. I'm an only child, too, and the few friends I did have back home never seemed to like me that much. Though I'm really not alone anymore.

Cell left then, locking the door behind him. He was gone for hours, so my thoughts drifted to random thoughts since there was nothing else to do.

That's kind of pointless, if I wanted out I'd knock the door down.

I don't want to stay, so why don't I try to escape? Cell would kill me.

But shouldn't I at least try? And when am I going to find a weakness?

When the time is right, when I have more of his trust.

So the days went by pretty boringly, and finally Cell's boredom got the best of him.

"Wanna go blow something up?"

"No. It's no fun without someone there to run." I said sarcastically.

"You have an evil side, did you know that?"

"It's the Sayjin in me. But I have a better idea. How about we fight? Just a sparing session."

"That's sounds like a good idea. Follow me." So I jumped off the table and followed Cell out of the lab into the arena for the Cell Games. He had been working on it at night, and since I was asleep, he couldn't irritate me. He respected the concept of needing rest.

So we got into the arena and took our places.

"Any rules?"

"Ring outs apply. Of course, I won't try to kill you. I'd break my word if I did that."

"Sounds fair." I bowed and took my pose, and Cell took his pose. He didn't bow, he said it was an inferior creature's custom and he'd have no part of it. I took that as he wouldn't do it because he thought it was dumb.

I decided that to make it closer to even I'd power up to SSJ. But Cell didn't power up at all.

"No challenge at all." Cell said with a smirk.

"I'll give you a run for your money." I replied, also with a smirk.

I charged first, and feigned a right punch, but at the last second I moved behind him and tried to kick him in the head.

But to my surprise, he had turned around and grabbed my fist. His smirk widened and then he threw me toward the edge of the ring. But since his arena had beams at each corner, I grabbed the nearest one and swung myself back into the arena toward Cell. My foot hit right on his chest, but he barely stumbled back at all. He then punched me in the face and sent me flying to the arena floor.

"You're good, but I can keep this up all day." I said as I got back up.

"Really? Do you realize how much power I'm repressing?"

"Yes." since he knew of my origins, he was surprised to see that I wanted to keep going.

"Why do you wish to continue when I could beat you? I could kill you."

"Why are you worried?" I replied.

"I don't want to break my word. You're just collateral to me."

"Yeah, well, lets go again. I'm just getting warmed up."

Of course, Cell beat me. After I tired, he powered up some and threw me out of the ring. But how cool would it have been if I did beat him? We went inside to rest, there were only three days left until the Cell Games would begin.

That night Cell left to feed. I guess he didn't know I was awake when he left. Yes, Cell feeds, and I'll give you three guesses on what his prey is. But he was gone, and that gave me a window of two hours. He had a routine, when he goes to feed at night he always comes back after two hours, and during the day, it was three. It was easier to feed at night because of the unwary prey that remained on the streets. During the day he had fun with the townspeople. That reminded me of a vampire in some ways.

But since he was gone, I took my chance and hacked into the computer to look up his files. I typed in the keyword Cell.

Project: cell

This was way too easy…

Summary: an android built by the DNA of the world's best fighters, along with my, Dr. Gero's, own niche of mechanical components. To be known as Android 21.

Subjects for DNA construction: Son Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Tien Shinhaun, Yamcha, Krillen, Frieza, King Kold, Son Katie, and myself, the great Dr. Gero.

Was this guy conceded or what?

So I guess I really am a Son family member now.

Primary Function: to become complete by absorbing Androids 17 and 18. When completing this task, the android 21 will have powers beyond imagining, and finally destroy Son Goku.

Then there were summaries of the others and a blue print for Cell. His schematics were encrypted, so I tried for a while to read them for any weak points in his body. I recognized android 17's and 18's absorption phases and how that worked. Gero wrote the plans in a form of Latin, so I was making progress. His overall design was like a dragonfly, with a nymph stage and the different stages of maturity.

"Having fun?" I turned to see Cell less than a foot behind me.

Why didn't I sense him? Why didn't my SG go off?

"Cell, I-" Cell walked up and backslapped me away from the computer.

"Shut up, I saw what you're doing. Clever girl. Can you read Gero's plans?" he walked toward me, and shot his tail out into the computer, destroying it. I sat there on the floor as I responded.

"Yes. Its true, you are perfect. You have no Achilles' heel. Only a being much stronger than you could destroy you."

"Fool, no one is stronger than me. Unless there is something you'd like to share." It wasn't a question. He moved his tail into position so it was pressing into my neck. There was still dried human blood on the pointed tip.

I have to think fast.

"No man can defeat you." I said absolutely confidante. I used the Odyssey/MacBeth tactic, knowing that a little Sayjin boy would be his killer.

"As I thought." He'd bought it, but he didn't move his tail. "You had my trust for a while, Katie. But I see I've been too lenient with you. Now I'm going to have to treat you like the collateral you are."

Cell grabbed me by the throat and threw me headfirst into the wall, and knocked me out. When I woke up a few hours later, I was in a 10x10-glass chamber. Cell was watching me.

"Do you have a fetish for watching people sleep?" I snapped as I got to my feet.

"I wanted to see your reaction when you woke up."

"Why do you care? And do you honestly think this can hold me? I'll show you, no cage will hold me unless I decide to stay in it."

That sounded so stupid, yet it reminded me of something Vegeta would say…

I began powering up, but a shock went through me and I fell to my knees.

"Foolish child." Cell said in a laugh, "You're in a Ki-suppressing chamber. Right now the chamber is set so your Ki level is 5. You can't power up above that level, so you're as weak as a normal human. You cannot use Ki attacks, either."

"I can still break the glass." I punched the glass, but another shock went through my hand.

"The perimeter of that chamber is electrocuted. There is no way you can escape. Think of it as punishment."

I didn't argue as I sat down in the empty chamber. I knew what he meant by punishment, and he had been far too easy with me. I was lucky to be alive because of him. I was still lucky to be alive.

"Cell, why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" he snapped as he turned to face me. He walked closer to me at that point.

"By all means you should kill me. I broke your trust, and you don't need me to get the others to fight you. They would die to save this planet."

"I didn't need you. There was another reason I took you." He turned from me as if to leave. He was trying to avoid the subject.

"And what is that?" I asked, stopping him. He turned back to face me.

"Part of my programming. Though I've resisted to a point, since you belong to another-"

"What are you talking about?"

"Haven't you figured it out yet? Gero had decided not to turn you into an android because he programmed me to absorb you like I did 17 and 18."

"What!"

"He thought that a more powerful machine could be made if I had your Sensory Gift and your future sight. He programmed me to absorb you for my own when I became perfect. I would possibly transform once more, but Gero wasn't sure. He didn't get to finish my final designs on that fact."

"Then why haven't you absorbed me?" I thought back to those days I was unconscious. He could have done it then.

"You had bonded to another. I have more honor than Gero's programming."

"But you still could have obeyed your programming, or killed me. Why didn't you?"

"I admire your passion. You fought me even as you were dying from the heart virus, and you tried to keep 18 away from me. You didn't give up. I even considered letting you go free, but you're recent actions are starting to change my mind. But absorbing you will wait until I beat Goku."

"But you have everything you want. No –man- can kill you. And you're powerful enough to get whatever you want. Why keep fighting?"

"Because I want to see it through. No one's destiny is certain."

"How true that is." I sighed.

"But you do know, don't you?" he said, stepping closer to the glass.

"Somethings not even the best oracle could predict. Like this, for instance. Who'd think that the great Cell would spare the life of a pest like me? Or not use my abilities for his own use? Not that I'm complaining."

"I know your abilities aren't reliable. Get some rest, you'll need it."

Cell left the lab area then, off to who-knows-where.

This is quite an enigma. Cell knows of my abilities, so why not absorb me? My SG would let him know when the DBZ timeline isn't right. I guess I shouldn't complain, he is letting me live.

But what did he mean by 'get some rest, you'll need it'? What is he planning?

He is really confusing. A paradox.