Chapter Four
Mine and Mine Alone
Gero watched with renewed interest at the transformation of the cell's beneath the microscope.
"Amazing." He muttered to himself. "Absolutely astounding." He was caught up with the liquids beneath the microscopes he had been studying. He felt it was finally time to test it.
"Come here!" He bellowed. The dog emerged from behind the wall, cowering, its head hung low. Gero snickered, grabbed the dog by the scruff of its neck and emptied the contents of his syringe into the dog's neck. It yelped but didn't move. Gero let it go and picked up a small scanner he had sitting on his desk. He activated it and watched with reserved awe as the power level of the dog jumped from 3 to 300.
"Amazing." He said again. The dog whined as it's body evolved. It became larger, muscular and more savage looking, except its eyes remained the same scared and dopey brown.
"Absolute genius!" Gero exclaimed. The dog limped away, obviously not used to its new stature as it bumped into everything along the way.
Gero had discovered and refined the formula for the rapid evolutionary growth formula. And all because of that stupid foolish woman.
"She was a gold mine and didn't even know it!" He said to himself. He moved quickly, sliding the canister of red liquid into a holder that was directly connected to his super computer. He turned to the computers keyboard and tapped violently against it. When he was finished, he turned to the empty tank that connected to the main computer.
"When you're eventually created, 21, you'll be my greatest achievement. With this little formula, you'll be indestructible!"
Rowan sighed and resigned, flicking the TV on. News bulletins flashed across the screen. The news was chasing the ruins of cities and the desolate populations of people that had been eaten. Rowan felt her stomach knot and sighed, watching with apprehension. People had caught snap shots of Cell and they were shown on the TV and labeled 'monster'.
"Oh Seru! I hope this ends soon." She mumbled as the latest five digit figure flashed on the screen, representing the death toll.
Rowan turned the TV off and let her head hang. She felt useless. And somehow all those deaths were her fault. She sighed and let herself fall to her side on the couch. Curled in the fetal position and listening to the sounds of the waterfall she had set up her home near, she let her mind wander. She thought of Cell and of Seru. She wanted to believe it was as simple as saying Cell was the bad guy, and Seru was the good guy. Unfortunately, Seru had admitted to eating people as well, which made him just as bad.
She woke with a start. She hadn't even realized she'd drifted off to sleep. She sighed and sat up, feeling the chill from the breeze. She started and leaped to her feet. Her front door was open, which was horribly unsettling.
"Interesting home you have." Cell said. Rowan cringed and felt her heart race. He was standing near her bed, his tail flicking.
"You!" Was all she could manage. He snickered.
"Me." She shifted, backing away from him as he walked towards her.
"What do you want?" She asked, her voice sounding small. She felt the wall against her back, but he came closer until he was towering over her.
"Oddly enough, you." He said, his voice cold as ice and the menace giving it an edge. She felt a shiver dance down her spine.
"Me?" She stammered. She tried to ignore his hand as it rose to her face.
"Yes. Seems I know a little something about you, you don't know." He said. His hand sported her chin, holding it up. Without warning, she found him on her, his leathery beak pressed to her lips, and his incredible strength pinning her to the wall. She tried to scream and struggle, but he held her firmly. Finally he let her go and without thinking, she slapped him, hard as she could. He snickered, but turned his face back to hers.
"Feisty." He snickered. She was flushed in rage and shame at being helpless.
"What do you want?!" She yelled this time. He grinned at her.
"I told you."
"Why me?! There are other women you could pick on!" He laughed outright this time.
"Oh yes, but my interest isn't sexual. Dear woman, I have better taste then that." His words struck her harder then his fists could have and it silenced her. He snickered again. "What do you know about your mother?" He asked suddenly. The question shocked her.
"She... She... died when I was younger." She replied, feeling bile rise in her throat. Cell snickered, lifting his hand to her face again.
"Yes, do you know how?" Rowan found suddenly she couldn't speak. "She was killed, by the good Doctor, Gero." Rowan's eyes widened.
"No, car crash..." She stuttered. Cell snickered again.
"Oh no. Your mother was killed by Gero." He said again. She couldn't believe it, wouldn't believe it.
"Do you want to know why?" He purred. He bent over, bringing his face dangerously close to hers again. She slowly nodded, but felt herself shaking involuntarily. His hand flicked a strand of hair from her face.
"I went back to where I was born yesterday. To the laboratory. Sadly there isn't much left at the moment. Rather nasty to be honest, but not all of it was destroyed. I found Gero's journals, read them and was rather surprised to find your photo in their." Rowan felt her eyes widen.
"M..Me?" She couldn't hide the shock. Cell grinned, narrowing his eyes to slits.
"Oh yes. I thought there would have to be something special about you for that impostor to have such an interest in you. Now I know." She felt the resolution steel her.
"Why?" She demanded. He chuckled again but instead of telling her, he closed the gap between them, and kissed her again, it was short lived, as she squirmed from his grasp and dove under his arm. He let her.
"Now that wasn't very nice of you." He purred. His tail twitched threateningly. "And here I was doing you a favor." She swallowed her fear.
"I don't want your favor. Your probably lying anyway." It sounded pathetic, even to her. He snickered.
"Suit yourself, I won't tell you. But I'm going to take what I came here for, one way or another." He advanced and she felt her knees turn to jelly. She turned, and ran through the door, not looking back.
She crashed suddenly into the hard leathery skin of Cell. She stared up at his face and smiled relief. The little smiley face she had drawn on his crest was still there.
"Seru!" She exclaimed, he glanced at her and smiled, but turned his attention back to Cell who was standing in the door to the house.
"Get away." Seru snarled quietly to Rowan. She nodded, let him go and took for the trees. She stopped just out of the way, hid behind a tree and watched.
"You ruined my fun." Cell hissed. Seru grinned.
"So sorry." He said sarcastically. They both mimicked each other, slipping into a fighting stance.
"I see you've gotten a little bit stronger." Seru said. Cell smirked.
"Of course. I see you haven't been taking advantage of your toy." Cell replied. Seru frowned.
"Doesn't work like that." Cell smirked.
"I'll find out." Seru fell deathly angry.
"You'll have to get past me first." Cell laughed.
"That won't take much!" Cell charged and Seru met his punch with a block and countered with a kick. Cell growled, whirled and landed his elbow in Seru's face. Seru stumbled, regained his composure and dodged a flying kick, leaping into the air. Cell followed, and the two began a volley of violent attacks against each other.
Rowan watched with awe. She had never seen them fight like this. It was almost impossible to watch as they danced in the air. With a sudden flash of light, Cell blasted a beam of energy at Seru, who knocked it tot he side. Rowan watched a mountain in the distance explode and disappear as if it never was.
"Oh my god." She whispered, stunned. They could level whole towns without trying. She had never truly grasped how powerful they were.
It was clear Cell had the upper hand. Seru was looking beaten and bloodied, where as Cell only had a few smaller cuts and bruises. Already they were healing, but Cell wasn't giving Seru a chance. Finally, and with sudden speed, Seru dropped to the ground, landed smoothly and charged at Rowan. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the trees.
"No you don't!" Cell roared. He blasted a beam of energy at the ground in a trail that followed Seru. Rowan watched as the trees behind them were incinerated without any real effort.
"Seru! Were it's going to catch us!" She yelled. The sudden intense light blinded her and she felt herself collide with a tree and with a grunt, she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Cell landed, staring eye to eye with Seru, who looked worse for wear.
"Your problem is your sentimentality." Cell said bluntly and gestured to the unconscious girl slumped at the base of a tree. Seru frowned.
"Your problem is your lack of control." Cell laughed.
"Bah. I don't need control. I'm the strongest creature in the universe, and I'm about to become the ultimate perfection." Seru snorted defiantly.
"What is your plan when you've achieved that level?" Seru asked. Cell smirked.
"Destroy Earth. What's yours?"
"Conquer Earth. What's the point in destroying it?" Cell laughed.
"You actually care about these pathetic creatures?" Seru laughed back.
"Of course not. But why destroy the whole planet? You could have so much fun here." Cell turned his gaze to the unconscious girl.
"You are sad." Cell said simply. He turned back to Seru. "You came here, found her, by accident or not, and you've been with her for several months, at least, and not once, not once have you used her for what she was created." Seru snarled.
"No. I haven't. But that's my choice." Cell shrugged.
"Our situations would be reversed if you had." Seru stared at Rowan, eyes narrowed.
"You can't. It's... complicated." Cell laughed out loud, ridiculing Seru.
"You care for her. You sad pathetic creature. You actually care for something." Seru glared at him.
"What are you going to do now then?" Seru asked. Cell shrugged simply.
"Absorb you." Seru nodded slowly.
"Get it over with then." Cell snickered.
"As you wish." Seru glanced at Rowan as Cell approached...