Chapter 26: Freedom

I could only think of Mirai and Gohan and how they were doing as we rode deeper into the forests of Planet Vegeta. They could be in that cave, still waiting for me, or they could be dead. I was hoping it would be the prior one.

The Namekian known as Capillary stopped in the middle of a field. He hopped off his Ayokii as we caught up with him. He was unloading bags when we all stopped and jumped off our respective Ayokii. My Ayokii, Biress Garu, had calmed down much more since our journey began.

"Here, I brought some provisions." Capillary threw a bag in front of each of us, "Its clothes and food. If you give me a minute I can remove your collars as well."

Each bag looked very similar to an overnight bag, each stuffed full with Sayjin armor of varied styles, food, and the others all had Scouters. Capillary knew I didn't need one.

"You boys can all stand around here for a moment, I believe Katrin, Pota, and I would prefer to change our clothes away from members of the opposite sex." Seripa said. I nodded as we went to the other side of the group of Ayokii.

"Armor, about time." Pota said.

"And Scouters too." Seripa added. I noticed bruises all over her body; Pota too. When I looked down I noticed how broken I appeared. I wasn't completely healed as of yet.

"You were beaten a lot in that place, weren't you?" I asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." they replied.

"Don't blame you. I was only there a week, but I was beaten hard everyday. You know that Frigyd had the gall to make me one of his whores?"

"He wanted me as well." Seripa sighed, continuing, "Bardock is my mate, and they fought. I paid for it later. I was actually hurt bad enough that I was sent to an infirmary. I made history on that."

"Sorry."

"I don't need your pity."

"I don't think she mean it like that." Pota said.

"I'm new to the way things work here, but in my universe people usually mean it when they say sorry. At least, I do. If it wasn't for her…" I trailed off into a growl. These people were her family, my family, yet she still did this to them.

Like when Raditz tried to kill me and Goku…

"You fought her and lived. No one except her traitorous robot mate has done that." Pota sneered.

"In my universe Cell was my best friend."

"Cell?" she snorted, "What about the rest of us?" she gestured to the guys and herself.

"You're dead. Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta when I was a baby. I think I was around the age of three. Only Brolly, Paragus, Prince Vegeta, Nappa, Raditz, and Kakorot made it alive besides me."

"Really? How about a little more detail?" Seripa asked.

"Well, I was supposed to become the Angel, so I was saved and sent to an alternate dimension. I never even knew I was Sayjin. Kakorot was sent to earth to take it over, but he lost his Sayjin memories. The others lived under Frieza's rule. Dodoria killed you, Toma, and Pota because you guys were getting too strong for Frieza's liking. Bardock died trying to stop Frieza." I explained.

"Wow, your universe is crazy."

"Imagine how I feel here." we laughed. I was actually talking with other female Sayjins, like me, "Um… what's it like being a female Sayjin?"

"What?" Pota asked back.

"I mean, are the males and females equal? Do females raise the kids?"

"Oh, I see." Seripa caught on and answered, "Gender really isn't an issue with Sayjins. It's all by power-level. And we do raise the kids, almost single handedly unless the males train the sons."

"I see. And how well did you know… my parents?"

"Andorra and Kanji were deeply in love. You don't see love much anymore."

"Did you know my mom was pregnant with a son before she died?"

"A son? I had no idea. Wait, how could you know that? Do you have a brother?" Seripa's eyes lit up.

"I didn't, he was never born. I just learned Andorra was pregnant when Kooler killed her. You miss Kakorot and Raditz, don't you?"

"I've gotten over that, they chose to help her." Seripa growled.

We were dressed, and apparently they were done talking with me. They walked back over to Bardock and the others, and I followed a moment behind.

My armor was an older model, the spandex under the armor was black, and I had the broad shoulder and leg covers, like Vegeta's model when he first came to earth. As I put on my boots and gloves, I remembered how my model at home was almost exactly like this set. That made me miss home and Vegeta, and all the others, even more.

I had my collar removed, and Kooler mounted his Ayokii.

"We'll go deep into the mountains, hook up with the rebels." Bardock started as he placed the food bags on his Ayokii.

"I'm going home." Kooler corrected. He turned and was about to start off on his own.

"Kooler, wait a minute." I ran up to him.

"What is it?"

"I want you to know that I don't blame you for not helping me earlier. I get it, so don't carry that on your shoulders."

"Right. And Katie, one more thing. You may have noticed Frigyd and most of the inmates jumped when you called Frigyd an arrogant fool."

I remembered, he stopped laughing at me while we were fighting.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I can't sense Ki, most people in our universe can't, but when you snapped like that, I know I felt something from you. Whatever that was, use it against the Empress." He took off without another word.

"Thanks Kooler! Good luck!" I waved at him until he hit the trees and then walked back to the others.

"Where are you going, Katrin?" Bardock asked.

"I'm teaming up with Capillary." I stated.

"Fine. Here," Bardock took off the angel pendant and tossed it to me, "You're the Angel now, take this with you. Defeat my niece, it's the only way to stop her now. Give it to her then."

"I'll do my best." I replied as he mounted his Ayokii. They'd take Capillary's and my Ayokii to draw the attention away from us. Soon they would dump the Ayokii all together.

I looked down at the angel pendant. One wing was broken, as I said earlier, and the crystal was scratched. She sat on her knees, long hair covering a bare body. The wings were outstretched wide, like an eagle in flight.

Bardock and his team took off, heading toward the northeastern setting sun. I prayed they'd get away okay.

"Shall we?" Capillary said, starting off into the air in a third direction.

"You can drop your disguise now. We're alone." I said as I flew up next to him. He smirked and reveled himself.

"You knew it was me all along." Cell smirked.

"I'm still a Sayjin, and I'd never forget the scent of my Teela-hreth. Of course, you're not my best friend." I replied.

We started off south, back toward the caves where I had left Mirai and Gohan a week prior. I hoped they didn't go far, but I knew they were too smart to stay in one place for very long.

"Aren't you curious as to why I'm helping you?"

I kept my eyes ahead as we flew, looking for danger.

"Maybe a little." I replied.

"It's our son." He responded.

"My son."

"Right, your son." He paused as he thought about his mistaken comment, "I thought he was under my control, but he isn't."

"Codie is still himself?" I stopped, wanting to know more.

"Foolish child, don't stop!" he grabbed my hand and we continued flying, "If you want to stop like that, wait until we're bedding down for the night. We can't stop yet."

We started moving south again. I noticed he hadn't let go.

This isn't right. Cell is holding my hand and whisking me off to safety. I know it isn't right… it isn't.

"You can let go now."

"What? Oh." He let go and put his hands to his sides.

"Cell? …Thanks."

"For what?"

"Rescuing me. The Cell in my universe did that too, but… well, they say no good deed goes unpunished."

We stayed silent as we flew. I don't know what made me say it. I had always found it easy to talk with Cell. He listened and could understand. Chi-chi was right, I do seem to like the mean ones, and no one was meaner than Cell in a bad mood. Or even worse, a good mood when he was still evil.

I kept my eyes on the forest floor, looking for the caves. I finally spotted the opening to the one we had stayed in.

"There it is. Stay up here, if they see you they'll shoot first."

I landed and walked inside.

"Mirai! Gohan!" I looked around, but there was no sign of them. I couldn't catch their scent, either.

"No! Mirai! Gohan! Where are you!" I ran inside deeper, but I still could find a trace of them. I ran to the mouth of the cave again. I was frantic, they could be dead and I wouldn't know. A million different theories ran in my mind, and most weren't good.

"Mirai! Gohan!"

"Katie! Shut up!" Cell fell to the ground and ran over.

"They're not here! I can find their scents, Mirai!" Cell put his hand over my mouth to shut me up.

"Do you know how many animals would find us pretty tasty right now? Or worse, soldiers? Your yelling will attract them to us."

I pushed his hand away.

"I love him, and he isn't here! I can't smell Gohan or Mirai, so it has to have been a few days." Finally I had tears flow down my cheeks. Cell looked intently at my face.

"It will… be alright. We'll find them." He said. I stopped, starting to calm down, as I looked him back in the eyes. His eyes weren't as dark anymore.

"You know this how?" I asked, angry.

"What else do you smell? Concentrate, use the Sayjin genes that you're so proud of, Katie. You should still be able to track them after a week."

I listened to him this time, sniffing the air deeply.

"Water… Mirai must have found some clean water for Gohan." I said.

"Good, what else?"

I walked a little further from the cave mouth.

"Men… mostly humans… Tien, too."

"He's one of the rebel leaders." Cell explained.

"They left together, but I can't tell which way." I said, sitting down in the mouth of the cave. I leaned back against the cold stone and a yawn slipped.

"The rebels take no prisoners. Tien must know they're not my family." Cell said, stepping inside.

"You called them your family." Cell stopped and stared into the dark cave. He seemed to be thinking.

"That's what they are. My mate is very fond of Vegeta."

"That doesn't upset you?" I asked.

"… It does, but… she's just trying to block out the pain… Prince Trunks is like another son to her."

"So why take mine." I stated.

"You know, don't you? Her miscarriage 18 years ago. "

"Yeah, I figured it out." I said, "I know how it is to lose a child. No parent should go through that."

"Then you can't take Codie away." Cell said. He sat down across from me, staring at me.

"I have to. He is my son, my flesh."

"My soul. Which means more?" Cell queried.

"He isn't your son, Cell. He is Cell. The one who lost his soul to save my life." I stated.

"…He wants to go home."

"Tell me what happened."

"Fine."

3rd P.O.V.

"You went to see her again." Katrin said.

"Yes, I did." Cell responded.

"Why?"

"She confuses me. She speaks of love and of the power it possesses."

"You did so behind my back."

"Forgive me, my Empress."

"I will, my pet. This time." she responded. She never made eye contact with her mate.

"You… will?"

"This time I forgive you. Next time, however…"

"I understand. How is the boy?"

"Confused. You better talk to him."

"As you wish." He bowed and left.

Cell went down the hall, passing rooms he had never even seen opened. He sometimes wondered if there was even anything behind those doors, or if it was just brick to confuse intruders.

He got to a door with a small crack in the wood. Katrin had done that to the infant's room after the loss, trying to put the blame on someone or something. She couldn't punish Lios because he and his people were dead.

Cell opened the room to see the boy holding his head, sitting on the edge of the bed. At the sound of the door closing behind him, the boy stood and turned to face Cell, but he fell to his knees.

"Are you alright?" Cell asked.

"I'm fine, I just stood up too fast." Cell moved toward Codie, "Don't come any closer."

"Why?" Cell asked, confused.

"You're the enemy, that's why." Codie growled.

"What?"

"I'm more than just programming, father. Your hold on me isn't strong enough to break the bond I share with my mom." He said, still holding his head.

"This is impossible." Cell said, shaking his head.

"No, it's improbable." Codie smirked. He sat back down on the bed.

"Your head will stop hurting if you just give in." Cell said.

"Pain is sometimes the only way you can know for sure that you're still alive." Codie replied, squinting his eyes tight.

"Poetic, where did you get that?"

"My mom wrote it in one of her books. Damn, why am I even talking to you? Get out."

"You really love your mom and dad, don't you?" Cell asked, walking around to the front of the boy.

"I said no closer 21. I mean it." Codie raised his hand with a small Ki ball ready to fire.

"You mean business, calling me by my number. But I can tell you can't even power up yet. That blast won't be able to hurt me." Cell knelt down to eye-level. Codie put his arm down.

"Then go ahead, try to brainwash me again. I'll resist again."

"No, I have a better idea. For now though, you need to act like you love the Empress and me. If not, Empress Katrin will most likely kill you."

"Why should I trust you?" Codie snapped.

"You know I cannot lie. Others may not know this, but you know Gero made it so I am unable to lie."

1st P.O.V.

"He's safe. I know he can act." I smiled from relief.

"Yes. I started making the arrangement for your escape then, but I knew it was too risky to tell him that."

"But I still don't get it…" I looked out at the dark sky, seeing a shooting star. I made a wish for us all to go home soon.

"I realized that… what you were saying about love might be true. If it is, I don't want to stop it." he replied.

"Really?"

"Yes, really." He snapped.

"I didn't know you couldn't lie." I admitted.

"What?"

"The Cell in my universe never said anything about that. Then again, he never lied to me or anyone else. I didn't think Gero would program something like that. Something so honorable and pure."

"Maybe your Cell could lie, I just know for sure that I cannot."

"No… I think ours couldn't lie either. You're too much like him for that not to be the same as well."

We became quiet again, each deep in thought as we stared out into space.

Cell never lied to me… he kept his word at all times. By the Kais, I miss him so much, and being here with his counterpart makes this all the harder. But I have to save Codie, find Gohan and Mirai, and get home. When I put it that way it sounds so easy.

The image of the kiss Cell gave me popped into my head again. He knew we might never meet again.

He did lie… he said he wouldn't go anywhere because he was already dead.

I looked at the stars, and I noticed another shooting star fly by.

Two comets in one night?

"Hey Cell, did you see that?" I asked, standing as another one flew by.

"The comets… there shouldn't be any comets, not for another few days. I did the calculations myself."

"Well apparently you were wrong." three more whizzed by.

"This isn't good…" Cell stared at the sky, his robotic body making all kinds of different beeping noises.

"What?"

"Look out!" he grabbed my arm and pushed me into the cave. A meteor hit right where I had been standing.

"Thanks…"

"Not yet, move, deeper into the cave." He said, helping me up and running. He sounded scared. I followed right beside him.

"What's going on?"

The ceiling of the cave was about 10-ft high here, the entrance was only about Cell's height.

"A meteor shower… the new calculations I just made have the shower hitting Planet Vegeta, all across this continent."

"Oh great! First earthquakes, now the sky is falling!" I said.

A large meteor crashed through the cave in front of us, stopping us as we felt the heat coming off of it. Another meteor hit a few meters behind us.

"Shit!" that was the first time I ever heard Cell swear.

I could feel the ground shaking as more rock fell from the sky. I got that same feeling I got back in the solitary confinement. I couldn't stay in this cave.

"I can blast us out of here no problem." I aimed my hand up as I started to gather my energy.

"No you fool, get down." Cell practically threw me to the ground.

"Hey, wha-" I was about to snap at him, but as I rolled over onto my back, Cell was over me, shielding me from the large rocks as they started to fall from the roof of the cave.

What is he doing? Why is he protecting me?

His larger frame completely cut me off from the rock fall. He had his eyes closed as rocks hit his back.

He's getting hurt… for me. Why?

"What are you doing? I could get us both out of here." I asked.

"There are 2 reasons why it's safer in here. If you use your Ki to blast us out, you'll either attract soldiers or cause a cave in."

He is risking his own well being to save me. He is putting himself in harm's way to help me. If the Empress finds out he's helped me, she'll kill him. Why is he doing all of this?

I saw a large rock break loose from the roof. Even though he was Cell, instinct took over. I blasted the rock before it hit him.

"Don't use your Ki!" he snapped.

"That rock-"

"You know it wouldn't have killed us." he said.

"No, but it could have… hurt you." I said.

He opened his eyes and stared down at me in surprise.

"You care?" he asked.

What do I say? If I say yes… if I say no… damn him for confusing me! He is not my Cell, he is not my Teela-hreth. He is a darkling.

Seeing huge rocks fall right at you is scary, more so when you can't move out of the way. The ceiling was collapsing on us.

"Cell, the ceiling isn't holding!" I screamed. Cell looked back to see, then ducked down closer on top of me.

"Brace yourself!"

AS22: Evil cliffie! Yippee!

Cell: you're not going to kill me again, are you?

AS22: (evil grin) no…

Cell: Angel…

AS22: its not like I like to kill you. You know I cried when I killed you off in New Destiny 2!

Katie: then you should have let me wish him back.

AS22: characters never get it… R&R!