Lucky you…no author's note…

Chapter 6: Desirable Agitation

I figured by the time I made it to the corner of the block it was safe to slow down. I was thankful that I hadn't come across any more zombies or samurai, but in a way I wondered if I'd be able to continue forward knowing that I had seen Cell and walked away from him. There were so many times in the past, (though I kept telling myself that things were better since he had been dead), that I wished I could've seen him just one more time. I suppose my wish had come true, though it had been delayed for a damn long time, but it brings to mind the proverbial "be careful what you wish for" statement. Whoever created those words in the same sentence should have their mouth sewn shut, for I hated it when people were right in cases like that.

I followed down an adjacent street from the one that led me to Cell, hoping that I'd be able to find a safe place to hide. I didn't dare enter an apartment building, for the main reason that with the way things were going I'd probably be suspected of being dead myself and trying to single-handedly invade private residences.

I stopped when I heard a few gulls fly over head. It had been relatively quiet until that point and the sudden burst of sound shocked my restless nerves. Though somehow, woman intuition, perhaps, I knew I wasn't alone. There was a reason for gulls to stir up out of nowhere when they had been most likely sitting on a nearby streetlamp.

I turned when I heard the rattling of chains. A group of six thugs had crawled out of who-knew-where and were heading in my direction. They all were dressed like something out of a movie—spiked hair or shaved heads, sunglasses on two of them, torn jeans and leather vests, each decorated with their own array of chains and rings. Three of them carried guns and the other two held some sort of club.

"Hey beautiful," the one furthest to the front said. "How 'bouts you come with us for a while, show us what its like to be alive again."

I figured that these men had at one point been killed for one reason or another—I preferred not to let my imagination run wild as to how or why. The only thing I knew is that whether they were dead or not I couldn't handle them. I was still exhausted after running from the samurai; outrunning a group of men would've been impossible.

I looked over to Cell for help, but I quickly realized I had deserted him and I was very much on my own. I was prepared to yell at him for this (it was his fault, after all, that made me walk away), but I was beginning to smell the stench from the thugs as they drew closer. The only weapon I had was my purse and I hadn't packed my brick that morning.

"C'mon, cutie," another one said, his mouth puckering up and making kissing sounds.

"Yeah, we can show you a real good time!"

Another started to inch his way forward ahead of the rest, his fingers playing with the gun in his opposite hand. "We'll be good to you—promise."

"Don't even try," I said boldly. "I've had a bad day and I'm not in the mood to put up with you creeps."

"Hear that boys?" The one handling the gun, whom I noticed had his hair died a bright orange, called out to his fellow losers.

I took a few steps back but I was still aware of the fact that I couldn't handle running like before. I don't think I could repeat such a speed even if I had been rested. "I'm warning you…" I stated, trying very hard to make it sound threatening. I proceeded to roll my sleeves up to my elbows and take hold of my purse's shoulder strap in preparation of swinging it. Hey—at least it might distract one or two of them, right?

"She's warning us!" The orange-haired man laughed audibly. "Baby, what the Hell do you think you're going to do about it?"

"I wouldn't concern yourself with what she'll do," a deep, masculine voice said from somewhere above. "But you should be concerning yourselves with me."

I looked up and shockingly saw Cell hovering several feet above me. Apparently neither the thugs nor I noticed his arrival, but I had to admit I was extremely happy to see him this time.

Cell landed on the ground, his feet making the notable squeak in front of me; his arms were crossed like before, but I couldn't see the expression he wore because I was behind him.

"I'll give you until the count of three to turn heals and run or you'll find that your second chance at life will come to an abrupt end," he said simply. Oh, how I loved it when he played this role.

The men before him laughed and the two with the clubs started tapping their fists with them. "You've got to be joking. You look like something out of a circus," one said, his laughter mixing with his slurred words.

"One," was Cell's reply.

"We'll teach you a thing or…"

"Two."

"C'mon, boys, this guy's got it comin' to him, don't he?"

"Three."

There was several sounds of gunshots; I instinctively ducked to the ground and held my head with my hands—not that that would've done anything if those shots were fired at me. I almost wet my pants, however, when I opened my eyes. A single bullet was frozen only inches from my nose. I looked up at Cell quickly and noticed several bullets were suspended in midair in front of him as well.

"What the Hell…" the man who had several piercings in his face said in a stunned manner.

"How is that possible!" Another holding his gun upright said. The gun slowly lowered to his side as he stared, like the others, at Cell.

"You foolish humans," Cell said. "Even after dying a first time you don't realize your weakness—mortal stupidity. You made the mistake of chasing this young lady and then firing at me..."

My eyes grew wide when I saw his arm rise into the air and all six men went flying up, each screaming in torment and their weapons falling to the ground. Cell, however, continued; "But you made an even bigger mistake at firing your toys at her."

In Cell's other hand, his fingers spread far apart, appeared one of those balls of energy. To my surprise, however, it formed itself into a glowing disk that spun around like a saw. I had no desire to see what the two scenarios would bring; therefore I clad my arms over my head in attempts to block out the sounds and the view.

Although I hummed loudly as to not hear anything, I heard the distinct sound of painful cries and several thumps on the road. I chanced a look and almost threw up; Cell had cut each man in half and their severed bodies lay on the street.

"Pathetic," was all Cell said and he turned his attention to me huddled on the pavement. "I think a thank-you is in order."

"You just butchered them!" I said, my eyes unable to tear away from the pieces of thugs twenty feet in front of me.

"Well what did you expect? Did you think I'd tell them they were bad and shoo them away?"

"I didn't expect you to do that, Cell! That's totally horrific!"

"You have changed, Layrial," Cell pointed out. "I'm not sure if it was for the better."

What the heck was he talking about? How could I have changed? I just witnessed him cutting people in half and letting them fall to the ground! How is that my fault? My thoughts, however, paused when all pieces of the men blew up in a puff of smoke and disappeared.

"Cell, you really are a monster," I said and got to my feet. "I don't know why I let myself linger on you for all that time."

I was waiting for the questions to hit me after I just said that, but he seemingly ignored my statement of what could've been taken as flattery. He crossed his arms again and looked at me coldly.

"Then you're saying that I wasted my time following you and saving your paltry life?" His words hit me like they were made of sharp icicles.

I was embarrassed. I had acted very childish towards him. He had saved my life against men that would've probably raped, beaten and then killed me. I bowed my head in shame and put one hand to my forehead while the other hugged its arm's opposite side. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I…I didn't mean it."

Cell looked over his shoulder then, I looked up, and we both saw a heard of samurai heading towards us on foot. I knew he could easily defeat the lot of them with little effort and I was waiting for the moment he lashed out.

Then for a moment I wondered if he was going to just leave me there for them to take as their own. I continued to stare at one ancient man in particular, his masked face looking as if it were boring into my soul as he approached.

"Do you want me to attempt a second rescue effort or would you rather this monster leave you be?" He asked his voice not as harsh this time around.

"I'd greatly appreciate it if you acted as the hero again," I replied.

Just before the men were in range to swing their swords and spears, Cell had lifted me up off the ground and carried me away, his arms holding me close to his well-structured body.