AS22: Okay, here we go again! R&R, please!
Chapter 8: Shadows
"So, what do you think? Isn't black just so slimming?" Empress Katrin asked, laughing in a high pitched squeal.
"I wouldn't really know, what do you think of this color?"
"Well… it looks so… heroic." She smirked.
"Good, that's what I'm going for. I'm the new protector of earth now."
"Yes, Goku elected you, didn't he? Oh, and who exactly is Goku?" she asked.
"You haven't figured it out yet? Goku is Kakorot."
"What!" she snapped.
"Yeah, we have a few surprises in store for you guys as well." I laughed.
"Bet some of ours will be more shocking for you, considering how different we are."
"We're not so different." I said, looking away.
"You were… once raped as well?" she said, lowering her voice. I could only nod, remembering the illusion. I may not have been raped in reality, but it was real enough for me, "And tortured?"
"You know about the legend of the Angel power better than I do. That thing I was destined to beat tortured me for a week straight. That's nothing compared to how long you were beaten, but it was so hard… so awful. He showed me things, dark things about myself. Things that scare me even now."
"You're scared of being like me." she laughed.
"Yeah, I guess so. By the way, did you fight some sort of threat to your universe?"
"Nah, not me. I guess that was just a job for you." then she charged at me, not wasting anymore time.
We finally began our fight. The expectation of the pain was exhilarating, and the fact that I had an equal was even more exhilarating. She had the same limit as I had, but together we could push past that and excel.
I decided enough was enough, so when she came at me I got rough at the start. She went to punch me, and instead of blocking or dodging, I just ducked down and kicked her in the face, stopping her cold. It jarred my leg, making me fall, but I rolled and got right up. But Empress Katrin didn't move.
She sat there on the ground, holding her nose and looking at me. Everyone else had stopped. My friends looked confused as their counterparts stood and stared at Empress Katrin with wide eyes.
"You hit her… you actually hit her…" Dark Kakorot said, stumbling back and falling on his butt.
"She hasn't been hit in over 20 years." Dark Cell said, backing away.
"From the way they're reacting that can't be good." Gohan said.
"You have no idea." Dark Gohan said, glancing over at his double.
Dark Katrin stood up slow, not looking at anyone. The lack of emotion on her face was disturbing. Her eyes were hard and cold, deep red with anger and power. Her arms were tense, and her tail twitched from side to side, like a predator stalking prey. Even her hair seemed on edge.
I looked at the Darklings. They looked scared, and the Sayjins had their tails between their legs.
Then to everyone's surprise, she laughed. She looked at her hand, covered in blood from the gash across her cheek my boot had made.
"I haven't seen my own blood in years…" she laughed again, then licked her hand clean. Her Sayjin comrades eased up a little, wrapping their tails back around their waists and lowering their shoulders. Kakorot finally got up.
Empress Katrin dusted off her butt and the back of her legs, then she looked right at me. Her eyes were still dangerously dark.
"No one has been brave – or foolish – enough to hit me since… I can't remember when I was last attack, to tell you the truth. Well… attacked in an actual fight, that is. Allow me to show you why…" Her arms snapped around in a circle and I felt my body go stiff, "Demon's Halo!"
"What!" I cried. My body was wrapped tight in bands of Ki. It was one of my SSJ4 attacks, "How are you so fast?"
"I used Super Sayjin four to conquer the universe, so I had lots more practice than you apparently had." She laughed, powering up an attack I recognized. I struggled to try to break free, though in the back of my mind I knew it was futile.
The attack turned purple as she started to charge it up. I knew this would kill me if it hit, I had been playing around with a similar technique for the past year, preparing it for use.
The blast started as large as a beach ball and it pulsed, from purple to red, and as Empress Katrin held the ball with both hands, electricity cracked between her fingers.
"Sorry dear sister," Empress Katrin laughed, "But I can't play with you all day. Armageddon Strike!" she spread her hands apart, widening the size of the blast. Instead of round, it was oval shaped, an idea I had that it would hit and move easier with this shape.
The large blast started to descend, and my struggles became more frantic. I couldn't move, and to make matters worse I fell over.
"Mother!" Codie jumped on top of me, shielding me.
"Codie, no!" Mirai cried.
"The fool!" Dark Piccolo said.
"No… Codie!" I screamed, raising my Ki high enough that I broke the Demon's Halo. I got up, but little too late. The light from the blast was already letting the night sky take its place.
I gasped when I saw Codie lying on top of me. Smoke evaporated off his body as he sat up.
"Mom, are you alright?" he asked, not moving.
"Yeah, what about you?"
"Not so good." He laughed. His left arm was gone.
"Oh, Codie…" I got up and helped him to his feet.
Codie pushed me away slowly, standing on his own.
"That felt good, know what I mean mom?" he laughed.
I knew exactly what he meant. He did what he had to do to protect me and he succeeded. The smirk on his face was one of pride.
He held the stump of his arm and to my surprise his arm regenerated. The green goop splattered the ground as he shook his arm clean. He groaned in pain as he made a fist.
"You can regenerate?" I asked. It seemed logical, but he never regenerated in front of me before. He never had to until now.
"Yeah, but it hurts like hell." He shook his arm, flexing his fingers and his wrist. He clenched his hand once more.
I grabbed him and made him hug me. I was shaking from fear.
"Its okay, mom. I'm okay."
"Don't you ever do something so half-cocked again, do you hear me?"
"He risked his life for her." Empress Katrin said, staring at Codie.
"He's my son, of course he'd risk his life for me. I'd be more surprised if he hadn't done something foolish like that."
Empress Katrin kept staring at Codie. As we broke the hug, I turned back to face my evil double.
Hasn't anyone ever risked their life for her before?She snapped her fingers high in the air, and the Darklings grabbed their good doubles. Using Instant Transmission, Empress Katrin went around and grabbed my tail. Dark Vegeta had Vegeta by his tail as well. Codie was the only one free. Cell was the only darkling not holding one of us. It wasn't hard to figure out.
"Cell, get him. Its time." Dark Cell nodded and walked toward Codie.
"You stay away from my son! Ahh!" Empress Katrin squeezed my tail tighter, causing me to lose my balance, and I fell to the ground.
"Sorry Katie, but your perfect little life is about to be shattered." Empress Katrin squeezed tight on my tail, keeping me helpless.
"Codie! Don't try to fight him, just run!"
"Listen to your mom, Codie! Don't worry about us!" Mirai cried, trying to break free from Dark Piccolo's chokehold.
Codie stood stiff as Dark Cell walked closer and closer. Codie went into a fighting stance, preparing to fight even though I told him to run. He was just as stubborn as Cell.
"There is no need for that, son." Dark Cell said, waving a hand casually.
"You're not my father." Codie said.
"I'm not, but we are the same. We're Cell. You can be with me and your mother forever."
"Forever…"
"Codie!" his eyes flashed red, but went back to pink again, "Leave him alone! If you hurt him, I'll-"
"You're not in any position to threaten me!" Cell snapped at me. I froze; I realized he wasn't my Cell, but still, Cell never spoke to me like that before.
"I'll cut off my own tail to get to him."
"What?"
I may lose Ki by cutting my tail off, but I'd be able to get free.
I raised my hand and started down to chop my own tail. I'd save Codie, even if it meant I'd die by my counterpart's hand later.
"She means it!" Dark Kakorot said.
"She'd cut off her own tail? That's a sign of true devotion." I heard Dark Vegeta say.
Empress Katrin switched around and held my arms tight, standing on my tail at the same time.
"Your son will be mine." Empress Katrin leaned down to my ear level.
"Leave the boy alone!"
"No, I want a son, and yours will do nicely."
Why does she need my son? Couldn't she have a child with anyone?
"We can rule together… you can be yourself, and not hide who you truly are… you'll be free, my son."
"Yes… I'll be free…" Codie's eyes changed from pink to red and didn't change back. He fell forward.
"No! Codie!"
"He's ours, my dear mate." Dark Cell said, smirking as he held Codie.
"Good, then we'll take our leave. It'll help buy some time for the portal. I suggest you not follow, dear twin, or your son may meet with an accident."
Empress Katrin walked over and placed a hand on Cell's shoulder. He looked over at her and smiled.
"Codie!" I got up and ran toward them. Cell got between us. I stopped, looking at him with wide, angry eyes. Empress Katrin had Codie now.
"I suggest you not do that." then they teleported away. The evil doubles let go of their good counterparts and also teleported away.
"No! Codie!" I hit the ground and slammed my fist into the rocks, smashing them into gravel.
A hand touched my shoulder, and in my anger I turned with the full force of my body and smacked it away. My angry eyes landed on the form of Vegeta, holding his hand. He wasn't at all mad at my outburst.
"We'll get Codie back, Katrin."