Chapter Eight
Resolution
It was before dawn when Rowan woke. She packed her house and started walking. She needed to find a shop soon. She was running out of food.
It was just before noon when she crested the top of a rocky hill and saw a small rural town set out below her. She saw the glints of cars moving and smiled relief. She picked her pace up, heading down the main road.
People had evacuated to the towns in the rural areas once Cell had announced his tournament. They had figured it would be safer away from the cities. She had found out the extent of the populations fear from the shop keeper she had done business with. People were terrified, doing stupid things in their fear. Con artists and Scammers were making big money, leaching off of peoples fear, promising the impossible.
If Cell really wanted to kill someone, they'd be dead, no hesitation. Nothing could stop him. She thought to herself. She had paid for her provisions with her savings she had stored away for emergencies. She couldn't think of a more warranting emergency as the end of the world she thought bitterly to herself. An eatery was open in the town center. It was small, but warm and cozy. She spared her loose change for a cup of hot coffee and sat back to enjoy it.
The first sign of trouble was the screaming. Followed closely by the running people and the hysteria as everyone panicked.
He was here.
The people in the eatery were frightened. The waiting staff disappeared into the kitchen, the customers following suit. Rowan remained where she was, although she felt anxious and somewhat annoyed. Her last meeting with Cell had left the stony cold android in obvious distress. She sipped her coffee, keeping one eye on the street through the window. It had become oddly quiet as everyone had hidden themselves away. She heard his metallic footsteps approaching, crunching against the loose stones on the gravel road.
He came into her field of view, keeping his gaze in front of him. For a moment, she though he was going to walk right past her, but he stopped in the middle of the road, arms folded across his chest. His expression was unreadable, but he didn't look quite natural either. Slowly his eyes met hers and he turned completely facing her. She calmed herself and gave him the best smile she could. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he fell at ease, his lips arching into his trademark smirk. She released the breathe she hadn't realized she had been holding.
It was odd to watch without moving as Cell simply walked through the window of the eatery, the door being a little too confining. He stood over Rowan, staring down his nose at her. She sipped her coffee again, glancing at the shattered glass on the floor.
"Seru." She said casually. He stared around the eatery.
"Pathetic creatures." He muttered as he caught sight of one of the waiters glancing around the corner at him. He quickly disappeared again. Rowan glanced at where the waiter had been then back at Cell feeling suddenly anxious.
"Your not going to hurt them... Are you?" She was hesitant, the thought of watching humans dying needlessly in front of her suddenly making her loose her desire to drink her coffee. His face contorted as he fought internally before settling into a frown and he glared at the door where the humans hid. He turned his glare to her. She saw, for just a second, the disgust he harbored for them, but he masked it before she could question him. He turned, ducking back out of the eateries window. He stopped in the middle of the road, his back to Rowan. She sighed, left what remained of her change on the table next to the half drunk coffee and stepped out of the window frame, following Cell.
He glanced down at her before he began to walk slowly down the street. He didn't speak and he kept his arms folded. She watched him, noticing the pride he had in himself. It made sense suddenly. If she had damaged anything last night, hurt anything, it would have been his pride. She sighed suddenly, stopping. He stopped, turning to stare at her. He was struggling to hide his emotions from her and she smiled at him weakly.
"You need to let it out. Bottling it up won't help." She said, trying to sound sincere. He frowned.
"Hardly." he said dryly. He turned his back on her again. She stared at his wings and could see her own reflection in them. She stared at herself, and felt foreign.
"I'm sorry if I upset you. I was just acting on impulse. Can't we at least talk about it?" She said after a while. He didn't move and she sighed heavily, getting the message. "Well why did you come then? You didn't have to. You could have stayed in your arena." She regretted it instantly. He turned, his eyes full of anger.
"Point taken." He snarled. She opened her mouth to protest, but she was blown back by the force he took off with. She scrambled back to her feet, staring at the speck in the horizon.
"Jerk!" She yelled as loud as she could but she felt her throat tighten and her eyes sting. She dusted her clothes off and sat down on the verge, finding suddenly that she lacked the strength in her legs to stand. She felt horribly bitter. She couldn't honestly say why.
It was a good fifteen minutes later before people began to emerge. Mostly it was just faces in the window, but eventually they started to emerge. One of them approached her, sitting down gingerly next to her. She looked at them and recognized him as one of the waiters from the eatery. He smiled warily at her, looking a little confused. She smiled weakly back.
"Is... Is he a friend... of yours?" He asked after a while. She stared him in the eyes. He cringed. "I'm sorry, I had to ask!" He blurted out. "He was there! At work! We saw him. He came here for you." She sighed heavily and hid her face in her knees.
"Yes." She said after a long while. It was muffled. "It's a long complicated story." She added.
"He... Hurt you?" He asked. She looked up, biting her bottom lip.
"Not physically." She said. She felt the prickling of tears at the corners of her eyes. The waiter gave her a genuine smile.
"I'll make you a tea. We can talk Get it off your chest. It'll help." She felt a little flustered but he sounded genuine. She let him lead her back to the eatery.
Cell stood in the heavy rain at his arena. It was cold as ice but incredibly refreshing. Not that he minded. He enjoyed the cold. His mind was numb. He had spent several hours mentally abusing himself.
Sort yourself out! He reprimanded himself. Your a disgrace. He sighed to himself nasally. He opened his eyes, staring at the stark white marble arena in the heart of a baron landscape before closing his eyes again and turning to his thoughts.
What do you want? What do you truly want? He asked himself.
A challenge.
That you have and then some. He was being sarcastic to himselfHe suddenly felt exasperated and tired. What do you want her to do?
Leave me alone?
...Honestly?
No. I don't. I want her. Thats whats so upsetting. I want her, I shouldn't it's against everything I am.
Gero made you that way. It's for a reason.
Gero made me that way, simply to enhance my strength, amplify my powers and expand my limits. He did not intend for all these complicated desires.
Your attracted to her. Its supposed to make sure that you protect her so she doesn't suddenly die and your left without her benefit.
I don't need the benefit. I can live without it.
So leave her alone then.
I can't leave her alone.
Why?
What?
I don't know. I'm confused. Conflicted feelings.
Why don't you just succumb then? Maybe things will become clearer if you get all these thoughts of attraction out of your system. Maybe that is what its all about. Maybe its another of Gero's little surprises. Drive you nuts until you finally crack, then it all becomes simple again, and you become more powerful.
Copulate with her then? Simple as that?
I never said it was going to be simple, but whats the alternative?
...Point taken.
So go then. Stop arguing with yourself. It's not healthy.
But...Hn...
Cell let his eyes open again. He felt calmer. He didn't have all the answers, and he was hesitant about the subject of attraction, but he felt more at ease then he had before. He stared at the black clouds above him and sighed heavily again He silently hoped he was ready for what was coming as he opened his wings. Only seven days remained...
Things for Rowan had gone from bad to horribly worse. Ben, the waiter had listened to Rowan's story. She had felt like she was lifting the burdens from her shoulders and that had been great. He had put her up in his house on the edge of town and given her dinner. But without warning half of the town had burst into the room and captured her, tying her up and gagging her, all while Ben watched with a sadistic grin. She had been thrown unceremoniously in the back of a pick up with four heavily armed men who had spent the whole of the last hour glaring at her. She had no clue as to where they were going but felt low. She couldn't rely on Cell to help her this time. He had made that clear.
"Don't know why he'd chose someone like you to be honest." One of the men said, breaking the silence. He was staring at her with a look of disapproving. "I mean, your Okay looking, but you are pretty plain really." She felt her eyes narrow with the annoyed anger she felt. It made sense. They were kidnapping her because they thought she would be worth something to Cell.
Idiots. She thought to herself. If they only knew the truth about her and what she could do to him, they wouldn't bother kidnapping her, they'd kill her outright. She pushed the thoughts from her head, trying to swallow her bitterness. It wouldn't help her now.
The pick up truck came to an abrupt stop. The four men cursed simultaneously, and Rowan felt her hip jar on the side of the tray. She cried out but it was muffled through her gag. Two of the men jumped out of the truck, the other two stood up but stayed where they were.
"Shit, it's him!" Someone yelled, the fear evident in their voices. One of the men next to her reached down, pulling her to her tightly bound feet. He pulled a kitchen knife from the belt in his pants and held it to her throat. What seemed like an eternity passed. Rowan couldn't see what was happening, but she cringed at the sudden sound of gun fire. It ended abruptly along with the screams.
The man holding her pressed the knife harder to her throat. She felt the cold blade pressing against her skin. Cell walked into view, one of the other humans hanging by his throat in his hands. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Rowan with a knife to her throat.
"It's true!" Her captor's companion whispered, swinging his 12 gage shotgun from his shoulder. Cell ignored him, keeping his eyes on Rowan's. She tried to look apologetic, but guessed it came out looking stupid.
"You better keep away, or I'll cut her deep!" Her captor suddenly yelled. She felt the pressure against her skin a little tighter. Rowan wanted to tell the man to run while he could. He didn't stand a chance against Cell's speed or strength. All she could do was muffle her words. Cell's eyes narrowed further and he let the man go. He was dead anyway, his neck clearly broken.
Rowan's captor began to panic. She felt him shake, his hand unsteady on the blade. She bit down on the rag in her mouth and forced herself suddenly backwards. The man yelled out, startled by the sudden weight against him. Cell disappeared with his sudden speed. It happened so quickly that Rowan wasn't sure if the man had cut her deliberately or if it was reflex, but she felt the sudden fiery sensation of the skin across her clavicle burst open with a spray of blood. The other man screamed, leaping out of the back of the truck and hit the ground running. Cell had the man with the knife dangling in his hand. The man made to stab Cell's hand but the blade shattered harmlessly against his skin. Cell's angry frown turned into a terribly snarl as he hurled the man into the other, now sprinting man. They collapsed in a sprawled pile. Cell pointed at them and with a defiant over use of force, they both exploded in a massive eruption.
Cell broke Rowan's binds like they were string. She instantly clamped her hand to the cut across her collar bone. She gave him a weak smile.
"I... Thanks again I guess." She knew she was loosing a lot of blood, but she also knew it wasn't a lethal cut. It had hit mostly bone. Cell said nothing but his eyes held the cold glare of anger in them as he moved her hand away from the cut.
"That needs to be healed." He said after a while. His voice didn't betray the anger she saw in his eyes.
"Don't happen to be handy with a needle by any chance?" Rowan asked trying to lighten the situation. The glare he gave her sobered her though, and she let him scoop her into his arms. She saw the carnage around her. A dozen men lay dead around the three pick up trucks that had formed her convoy. She sighed heavily to herself as Cell took to the skies once again.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews. Makes me so happy... :D I've never been a good writter, even though i do enjoy it. Failed my last English Exam. ;(
BTW, i do try to check on spelling and grammar and I do try to proof read my chapters, but I'm sorry if I miss some things.