Chapter 62: Torment
We stayed in the room together for a few hours, and in the before mentioned time our breakfast was served to us. Raw meat and bread, and milk. Boy, was that delicious.
Here's another fun fact about Sayjins: we go cabin crazy very quickly. Before long we were all pacing the rooms like caged animals. I decided to calm down and I meditated. I used my SG to look into HFIL, to see if Cell meant what he said, and he did. The crystal ball had our images on it, and it looked like everyone in HFIL was watching. I checked on Otherworld too, and it was the same. They were all watching and praying that I'd win, but no pressure. At one point I focused in on Cell and his little gang from the last time I was in HFIL. They were talking about me.
"She couldn't possibly beat this thing. She's only a monkey." Frieza said.
"Take that back, a monkey beat you, remember?" Cell ordered.
"Why should I take it back? What are you going to do about it?" Frieza began to laugh.
"I'll snap you're neck."
"You sound as though you admire that monkey girl. The Perfect android Cell, in love with a monkey!"
Cell grabbed him by the neck and lifted him into the air.
"Katie will beat this thing. She is destined to beat it, and you are going to cheer her on. Do I make myself clear, lizard breath?"
Frieza could only nod, and Cell dropped him.
"She is a beautiful warrior, and she has a strength you could never see. I have seen her soul."
"If she does fail, why should it matter to me? I'm already dead!" Frieza snapped.
"If she fails, we're all doomed. That thing will destroy this dimension an all the dimensions afterwards. And that includes us." Cell hissed.
Thanks, Cell.
I got up and stretched my legs, moving around a little. Vegeta kept pulling at his collar, and Goku was licking the last of the food off a plate. Mirai was just sitting by the window, staring out into the endless sky.
Cell's right again. No wonder he thought himself as perfect. If I lose, that's it. This dimension is doomed. If I lose, I pray that would mean I wasn't the one and the real Angel will stop him.
Then the door opened, and that elf was back.
"Lord Roxx would like an audience with the young woman."
"If she goes, we go." Goku said.
"I'll be alright, guys. Besides, I can still use Ki, even with the collar, remember?"
"That was only a fluke, I assure you." the elf said.
"I'll be fine, you don't have to protect me anymore." I said.
"Be safe." Vegeta said. Then I followed the elf out of our cozy little room.
"So, do you have a name?"
"Akuman. Your name is Katie, correct?"
"Yeah. Akuman is Japanese for Satan, you know."
"That's why Lord Roxx gave me that name. He loves his mythology. That's why he built his castle like it is."
"Intriguing." I said, rolling my eyes. An eccentric shape-shifter who has unimaginable power, great.
I followed Akuman to the Throne room and he opened the door for me and gestured me inside.
"I am not allowed in Lord Roxx's throne room without his permission. You are on your own."
"Just my style." I walked in, head held high, up to Roxx's throne.
He had a different form this time. At first glance I was shocked, but it wasn't that much of a shock. He picked another form I knew well; he was Cell.
"I like the new form, Roxx."
"Isn't it interesting? This primitive form was powerful once. How quickly it became a… factory reject, I believe that is how he once said it."
Cell must be loving this if he's seeing it.
"Why did you want to see me? I don't think this was merely a social call, and I don't think you want to fight me just yet."
"How insightful you are. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting such an intelligent potential before."
"I'm the real thing. I have too many people counting on me to fail."
"All the potentials say that."
"What do you want, Roxx?" instead of getting mad, Roxx shifted around in his seat, laughing. That wasn't a good sign.
"I get bored so easily, you see, so I am going to torture you and your friends now."
"What! Do you honestly think I'll let you hurt me or my family?"
"You don't have a choice, dear girl."
"I don't care if you give me the choice!" I charged, and then the pain hit. He had the controller in his hand and he switched it on. I fell in mid-flight, screaming in agony.
"As long as I have this controller, I can do anything to you that I wish. Like this for instance…" he pressed another button.
Vegeta jumped in the way of a large Ki blast. The blast was ripping him apart, and I saw a smirk on his face as he looked at me before his body disappeared.
"What was that?" I said, still gasping for air from the shock.
"That was one of you worst memories, was it not? Let's see… oh, how about this…"
"No, go away!" a woman screamed as I walked toward her. It was dark and the scent of blood filled the air. The city was on fire and it was all because of me.
"But all I want to do is kill you."
"Get away!"
"No." I stepped closer, and as the woman stepped back she tripped on her own shoe.
"Why are you doing this? You use to protect us!" I looked closer to see the woman was Bulma.
"I use to, but not anymore. I killed Vegeta, and Goku, and many others. And now I'll drink your blood as well."
"Katie, what happened to you?" she screamed as I reached down and grabbed her by the neck, quickly I snapped it, shutting her up.
"Why? Why did you do it?" I looked and saw both Trunks and Mirai No Trunks. I immediately dropped Bulma, a forgotten dolly.
"Fresh meat." I said as I stepped closer.
"That was one of your worst fears, yes?"
"Yes. What are you doing?"
"This is only the warm up for the real torture." Roxx said with a smile.
I was returned to the room 3 excruciating hours later. I was literally tossed inside the room because I was so weak from pain and exhaustion. By now I was beaten and bloody, and I could barely keep my eyes open.
"Katie, are you okay?" Mirai was at my side at once.
"Get her onto the bed." Vegeta said. They lifted me up gently as they could, but I was in so much pain it didn't matter.
"What happened?" Goku asked.
"It was Roxx… he tortured me for hours… he'll do it to you, too. He said he would."
"If we only had the Zinzu beans." Mirai said to himself.
"It wouldn't help. He specializes in causing pain without injury."
"What did he do to you?" Mirai asked.
"That can wait, let her rest for now." Vegeta said.
"No, you have to know what to expect." I tried to sit up, but Mirai pushed me back down.
"You can talk laying down, if you insist on talking."
"First he used the collar on its highest settings to shock me. Then he flooded my mind with my darkest fears and worst memories. Lucky for me that's a short list." I started to cough; one of my lungs had been deflated and then resized again. I imagined that there was some blood caught in it.
"You're shaking. Rest for a while, you can tell us later." Goku said.
"No! He'll come for you… at any moment. I have to warn you. After that, he cut me slowly with… with… I don't remember what it was. Then he held my head under water until I nearly passed out, then he let me up just long enough to fill my lungs with air again. Then he used the collar again. I can't remember anything else, but it was painful. All I can remember is the pain."
"Rest, Katie. We'll worry about what he's going to do to us later."
"It was so bad…" I must have fallen asleep, because when I woke up it was dark outside.
I slowly sat up and looked around the room. Goku, Vegeta, and Mirai were all scattered around the room, bloody as I was. Ignoring my own pain I checked on them all. They were all alive, but weak like me. But I was overworking my body from the torture and I fell onto the floor, asleep again, but comforted just by being near them.
I felt something cold and wet on my face, and instinctually I grabbed it. I opened my eyes to see what appeared to be a female elf, like Akuman. The sun was up as well now.
"Please, I was only trying to help." she squeaked. I let go and sat up, still on the floor with the others. They all had been turned onto their backs and had blankets on. I noticed I had one, too.
"Who are you?" I asked, my head pounding and stomach churning.
"My name is Sarah. I know who you are, and I want to help you."
"What about your master?"
"He killed my family, and my brother Akuman is crazy because of him. I respect him for saving me, but he has to be stopped. I pray you are the one and can show him his errors."
"I thank you for your help. How are they doing?" I said, motioning to my friends.
"They were tortured like you, but not as severely. Lord Roxx tortured you worst than any other Potential Angel I have ever seen."
"Why did he do that?"
"He didn't break you. He breaks all the potentials the first time, but not you."
I remember him ordering me to scream. When I didn't he beat me that much harder. And then there were the needles… the hot pokers… and that was only day 1. What if he kept this up for years?
"I won't let him tell me what to do."
"Lord Roxx will continue to torture you until you break. But your friends bored him."
Did he break them? How long could I last?
"I won't stand for this. I will stop him."
"I know you will. I can sense you are different from the other potentials. You may be the one." She patted my hand very motherly, but turned quickly to the door scared, "I must go, Lady Roxx expects me soon. Please, don't tell that I was here."
"I won't, Sarah. Thank you for your help."
"I'll be back. He wants to torture you again today. I only wish I could help more."
"You have done all you can. Goodbye." Then the little elf named Sarah left. I was feeling much better, so I cared for the others. Soon enough they were awake.
"Katie, are you okay?" Goku asked as soon as he was awake.
"I'm fine. You guys are lucky you're still alive."
"If you can call this luck." Vegeta said. He seemed shaken.
"You don't understand. Sources say you guys bored him and he won't torture you anymore. But I still have a long time to go. He wants to break me. Looks like I finally beat you two in strength." I said to Goku and Vegeta.
"You beat us in strength a long time ago, you just didn't know it." Vegeta said, holding the side of the wall for support. Goku couldn't stand, and neither could Mirai.
"He's going to take me again today."
"We won't let him take you again." Mirai said as he tried to get up, but he fell back onto his back.
"I'll be fine. He won't break my spirit, and I will challenge him as soon as I can get this collar off of me. I have a plan, but it will take time."
"We're with you, just tell us what to do, fearless leader." Goku said.
