Rowan had known for a long time that eventually, one day, Seru would mature. He had told her on several occasions, although he was vague on the specific details of how or when. Now he had and it had been sudden, and had taken her completely by surprise.
What's more is she hadn't been expecting him to look like what he now did. She had often wondered what he would look like, thinking he would look more like a larger, less bulky version of his current form, more slender and refined, but she hadn't been expecting him to be… Well… He wasn't a man, but he was bipedal, had the same general shape. She could see the muscles in his torso, arms and legs, and they were very much man like, but that was where the similarities ended.
His body was covered in strange leathery armour, in different shades of earthy green and marked with dark speckles. His abdomen, beak and skull were segmented and bright orange. His head crest had shrunk, becoming more spread out then upright. His wings were longer now, rigid and rounded like a beetle, and they hung from his shoulders like a cape. But the most distinctive thing was the long, thick and muscular tail that originated from between his wings. It curled around behind him, moving like a snake, the strange needle tip made him look truly menacing.
"Hello Rowan." He said with a gravelly voice. Rowan laughed a strange sound to her ears.
"You… You can talk…" She said quietly, hearing the disbelief in her own voice. He smiled, a strange thing to see, the corners of his beaked mouth pulling back. It was not unkind. Although his eyes had become less rounded, she could still read them and saw only warmth there.
"Yes. I've waited a long time to say your name, Rowan." She felt a rush of heat to her cheeks, and knew she was blushing. His voice was surprisingly sultry. He was incredibly tall, and had to stoop slightly to avoid hitting the ceiling, which only made him seem even larger. He stepped around the cracked open shell of his previous body, closing the distance between him and Rowan with surprising grace. She was amazed at how easy it was for him to move around already.
She didn't back away from his approach, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she felt her body tense. There was something in his eyes, a hunger that made her nervous. He lifted one hand to her face, very gently tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. His touch was warm and gentle, and she shivered as his fingers brushed the side of her face.
"This is incredible!" She finally said after an awkward silence. She slipped from his gentle touch, and circled him, taking in all the details of his new body. Cells eyes followed her, although he didn't move as she examined him closely. She touched the rigid shell of his wings, noting the smoother texture than the leathery skin of his tail. She gently poked the armour segment on the back of his arm, feeling the firm, sinewy muscle beneath. She grabbed his hand gently, turning it over in her own, comparing the differences.
"That is quite ticklish." He said softly. She looked him in the eye, surprised at the look he gave her. It was similar to the look he gave her when his larval form was hungry and she presented him with a delicious feast for dinner. Only this hunger looked more intense, and she felt her breath catch and her belly tighten. That look was dangerous, the look of a predator stalking its prey.
"So, this is your final form?" She said nervously, letting his hand drop as she stepped back and made another circle around him, breaking the intense stare.
"Not quite." He said after a moment. His voice sounded a little flatter, 'Disappointed' she noted. "This is my matured form, but I have two more transformations to attain before my body is complete." She stopped circling behind him again, gently picking up his tail in her hands, feeling the firm and thick muscles that gave his tail its snake like movement. He watched her over his shoulder as she made a show of inspecting him.
"This is really remarkable." She said, more to herself, "What do you mean complete?" She glanced at Cell as she asked this. Cell hesitated for a moment and she could see a strange darkness flash across his eyes. He was internally debating, she realized.
"I… I suppose it's only fair I tell you the truth, Rowan." His tone was darker, and he seemed almost… sad. Rowan swallowed as he slipped his tail from her hands and turned to face her. He was careful and slow in his movement, but as he turned and lowered himself down to a squat, all she saw was the same grace as a big cat would have when lowering itself down to a stalking position. His focus on her was just as intense.
Rowan swallowed her uncertainty, reminding herself that this huge creature was still her friend and companion of the past 4 years. She sat herself down on the couch opposite Cell, her eyes glancing for a moment, at the cracked open shell of her old friend that still sat on the floor to the side of the couch.
"My real name is Cell, not Seru." He began. This sudden nugget of truth shocked Rowan more than his sudden evolution had.
"What?! Cell? Why would you…" She stopped as he held up his hand.
"Let me tell you the whole story, and then you can ask questions." Rowan struggled to contain herself, but finally she sighed and nodded, her shoulders slumping as she pouted. Cell only smirked at this; it was something he had always found strangely appealing.
"As I said, my real name is Cell, and I was created as a bio-mechanical android by a man named Doctor Gero. He was, if nothing else, a genius. He was also obsessed, and dedicated the majority of his life to the eradication of his sworn enemy, a young man named Son Goku." Rowan fidgeted, gently scratching the back of her hands absently, a nervous habit she had. It was obvious she was struggling not to interrupt him.
"He created several mechanical androids in his pursuit of vengeance. However, none of them were considered to be successes. Deciding to take a new approach, he programmed a very powerful computer with a calculating AI and gave it the sole task of engineering a biological android, one that would encapsulate the embodiment of power."
"You?" Rowan asked, unable to stop her. Cell grinned, almost menacingly at this.
"Yes. It took 24 years for the computer to successfully gather the genetic samples from a variety of alien sources and engineer me."
"Alien… sources?" Cell leaned forward, ever so gently stroking the side of Rowan's face, just for a moment.
"You need to be quiet and let me finish." He purred at her. He grinned as her face flushed at his touch, but he continued his story. "Alien sources. Earth is not the only habitable planet. Nor has it been isolated the entire time. As a matter of fact there are several aliens living on Earth, even as we speak. The man whose very existence was the purpose of my creation, Son Goku, is an alien, a species known as a Sayain. His own DNA is a part of my own, along with a few other species. "
"That explains so much!" Rowan suddenly burst out. "I mean, when I first asked you what you were all those years ago and you hesitated on alien, and now how strange you look. If you're comprised of so many different species…" She stopped as Cell's face came dangerously close to her own.
"If you interrupt me again, I'm going to have to silence you." He said with a sadistic grin. Rowan blushed, lowering her face away from his. She was silent.
"By the time I was finally completed, the good Doctor Gero had been killed. The computer that had created me, also gave me an immense wealth of knowledge, programed into my very being. By the time I finally emerged from my bio-tank, I was armed with everything I would ever need to succeed at the purpose I had been given." Rowan fidgeted again, but did not interrupt, hanging on to every word that Cell spoke.
"I was programed with not only the eventual goal of killing Son Goku on Dr Gero's behalf, but with the powerful hunger to obtain my completed form. The computer informed me, that the only way I could achieve my perfect form, was to absorb the androids number 17 and 18, two earlier models of Dr Gero's. These two androids had the specific power and genetic material that my unfinished body needed." Cell paused for a moment, watching as Rowan fought to keep her curiosity in check. His tail curled around him loosely.
"Unfortunately, when I emerged, the laboratory was mostly destroyed. The computer and my tank had survived because it was on a deeper level, safe from the destruction above. But my androids were gone. I proceeded to hunt them down, tracking their path of destruction that had left the world bleak and shattered."
"Eventually, after a great deal of time, I learned that both the androids and Son Goku had perished, and my burning desires would go unfulfilled. This was, of course, an immense blow to me. It is the very essence of my being, the very reason for my existence, to achieve my completed form."
"However, by sheer and utter luck, I discovered the source of the androids' destruction, a young man named Trunks, a half Sayain hybrid, had utilized a time machine, built by his mother, Bulma Briefs…"
"I know her!" Rowan blurted out. "Her father is the owner of the Capsule Corporation and considered to be one of the greatest minds of our generation…" Rowan was cut short by the very sudden and unexpected movement, as Cell's hands suddenly cradled her face, and he brought his lips to hers in a firm, but gentle kiss. Rowan's body tensed up at the sudden movement, but she didn't turn away, feeling his warmth, and breathing in his familiar earthy smell, mingling now with a natural musk.
Finally, Cell let her go, easing himself back to his crouching sit. Rowan knew she was blushing, and brushed her stray hairs behind her ear, looking away. When she finally looked back at him, he was grinning, that hungry look in his eye again.
"I wasn't finished yet." He purred at her.
"Sorry." She managed after a while, struggling to regain control. After a moment, she took a deep breath, and gestured for him to continue.
"As I was saying, Trunks had utilized a time machine, to travel into the past in order to warn the warriors of the Earth of the impending android attack. I did not hesitate when I learned of this, feeling the pull of my desire, and I liberated the time machine from Trunks. However there was a flaw in my plan. In my current form, I was far too large to fit inside the time machine without damaging the delicate console instruments. I was forced to regress, back into my larval form in order to use the machine."
"You came back in time?! You… You mean you're from the future?" Cell leaned close to her face again.
"You really want me to kiss you again, don't you?" His words had an immediate effect and she blushed deeply again, her cheeks turning scarlet and she looked down at her hands, struggling to hide her smile. Cell gently lifted her face to look at him, and he gave her a quick, gentle kiss on the nose before letting her go.
"Yes, Rowan, I am from the future. It would take 4 years for my body to reach its matured state again, 4 years I could either spend buried under ground, absorbing the nutrients of the world, or 4 years I could spend in relative comfort, absorbing the knowledge of the world. I chose the latter." Rowan looked like she would explode and he knew she wanted to pepper him with questions.
"However, as it turns out, there is a setback in this time line." He continued, ignoring her obvious discomfort. "For some reason I cannot figure out, the Cell of this time line has emerged, several years earlier than he should have and I was forced to initiate my evolution a few weeks earlier than I had planned. I refuse to let all my efforts go in vain, and lose my chance at obtaining my perfect form, by letting a different Cell absorb the androids before I do." Cell finally finished, giving it a moment for all he had said to sink in.
"You may speak freely now." He said with a small gesture.
"That monster on the TV was you? I mean, not you, but another you, the you of this time line?" Cell gave her a curt nod.
"That is correct."
"And you're from the future? A future where the androids Gero created destroyed the world?"
"Not completely, but life on Earth had changed dramatically."
"That's horrible! Gero sounds like a terrible man, creating monsters and machines to kill people." Cell frowned at this, the word monster cut him deeper than he had expected.
'Although it is true.' He thought to himself. 'If she knew the full extent of my actions, she would be truly horrified.' He recalled the countless number of people he had consumed.
"Is the time machine close?" Cell looked back at Rowan.
"Close?"
"Yeah. I mean, it must have been sheer luck that you ended up with me instead of anyone else. Other people probably wouldn't have reacted quite so generously to you so I'm guessing the time machine landed somewhere close…" She trailed off. Cell frowned.
"It wasn't luck that brought me to you, Rowan." He paused, considering the full extent of what he should and should not tell her.
"What?" She sounded truly surprised.
"In the future… When I was at my most vulnerable, after discovering the androids were gone, I… I met a rather remarkable woman who accepted me despite my terrifying appearance. She befriended me, and gave me comfort when I truly needed it." He lowered his head as he spoke, but watched Rowan's face from the corner of his 's mouth opened in a small and silent 'o' as the realization of what he was saying sunk in.
"You mean…" She gestured to herself.
"Yes. We were…" He hesitated, struggling to fully admit it to himself, let alone to her. "Lovers." He finally added. Rowan closed her mouth and stared at him for a long time.
"What happened?" She asked quietly. Cell suddenly felt small under her gaze.
"You… No, she was sick. She died from the fall out of the bombs that the army had used against the androids."
"I see." An awkward silence fell between them, with Rowan staring intently at Cell, mulling over everything she had learned. Cell had gone from being arrogant and proud, to small and sad.
"There is… Something else I should tell you about, Rowan." Cell finally began after the silence had stretched on for several minutes. He lifted his face back up, seeming to regain some of his certainty in the process.
"It's about your mother." Rowan's eyes widened at this.
"My Mother?"
"Yes… The computer gave me a huge amount of information, all the data Gero had collected on all his previous experiments, even those not relating to the androids. When he was first hunting down candidates for the android experiment, he stumbled across a strange woman with an incredible bio-signature that marked her as exceptional. Gero was a curious man, and he set out to capture her. She was not without her exceptional gifts, however, and she escaped shortly after she was captured, leaving Gero with only a small sample of her blood."
"Wait… what?"
"The DNA sample he had collected was more complex than any of the previous alien species he had discovered. He attempted to decode it, as he had done with the other alien species, hoping to add it to the collection that would eventually become me. However, it was too unusual and complex and he died before he could complete the decoding. He did however add the data to the computer, which eventually resulted in the information that the unknown species of alien, possessed some rather remarkable attributes, the most notable being the production of a very complex chemical compound that greatly increases their partners' energy during the act of sex." Rowan stared at Cell, in complete confusion and disbelief.
"Are you trying to tell me that… My mother… was an alien?" Cell leaned closer to her, looking her square in the eye.
"Yes." He said simply. "Although the effect was greatly diminished due to your… Her illness in the future, I can confirm for a fact, that the resulting boost in energy are none-the-less astounding."
"Wait, I'M not entirely human? And my super power is being a pep-drink during sex? That just sounds ludicrous!" Cell smirked at her outburst.
"It does sound implausible." He conceded. "But it is the truth. Your natural scent, is also an aphrodisiac. Something I'm sure even you have noticed with your previous boyfriends." Cells' voice fell bitter as he spat the last few words.
"I always just thought guys were supposed to be that obsessed with sex. Like, it was just a guy thing." She replied in a small and stunned tone. Cell grinned.
"No my dear." Rowan sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair, loosening more strands from her plait, some that flicked into her face. Cell casually tucked them behind her ear again, the gentle touch catching Rowan off guard.
"Seru… I mean, Cell…" She began. He felt his face fall.
"You can keep calling me Seru, if you like." She stared at him with an unreadable mask, for a long moment.
"Is that what she called you?" She finally asked. He lowered his head slightly, as he remembered her.
"Yes. Seru is Cell, just in the dialect from the Southern Islands…"
"Where I was born, I know." Rowan frowned. Another awkward silence fell over them, the room seeming too small and the air, heavier.
"Seru, I'm not sure what you're expecting to happen…" Rowan began, "But, I'm not her. Not really, you know that, right?" He locked eyes with hers again.
"I never intended to confuse the two of you. You are both different people, although I… Uh…"
"You what?" The look she gave him then was deadly and full of ice.
"I… I still find myself attracted to you." He finally admitted meekly. Her face was unreadable for a while and he mentally berated himself for the sudden conflict that had erupted inside his own head. He was a killing machine, designed to be the ultimate being with the ultimate power and to be unstoppable. But he also couldn't help the way he felt drawn to Rowan. Her smell was intoxicating, and the power she could potentially give him was truly alluring, but it was more than that.
Cell looked at her, really looked at her. Saw the fullness of her lips, the intelligence in her bright grass-green eyes, the rich auburn of her unruly hair and the flush in her cheeks. He saw the woman with whom he had lived with for the past 4 years, the woman whose habits and personality quirks he knew so well, and he knew it was more than just the programming that drew him to her.
"Seru… What will you do now?" She asked softly. He hadn't realized he had been staring, and she looked embarrassed. He finally looked away, down at his monstrous 3 fingered hands.
"I'll track down the androids to become complete and the other Cell too. I'll absorb him, if I can."
"What happens if… If the other Cell gets to the androids first?" Cell scowled at the thought.
"He won't be strong enough to take on the androids yet. He will have to hunt, gather power by consuming the life energy of people. That will give me the advantage."
"Wait… Consuming… people? You eat people?" Rowan sounded truly horrified, and he regretted telling her that.
"I… In the future, I hunted people, absorbing their essence into my own; to gain the power I would need to absorb the androids."
"That's horrific! That's… Monstrous!" The horror and anger that twisted Rowan's face, stabbed at Cell and made him feel, for the first time in his life, ashamed of what he was. He quickly regained his composure, sweeping aside such thoughts.
"You thought so in the future too." He said quietly, his voice raw. "You… She stopped me, gave me an alternative source of power." Rowans face was so horrified at this revelation; Cell couldn't look her in the eye, and turned back to his hands.
"You… You forced her to sleep with you or you'd eat people?" Cell smiled wryly.
"No. I never forced her. It was her idea, and… And she enjoyed it." He added the last bit, thinking back to those special moments he had shared with her, so very long ago.
"I… I just can't even… I mean… What the hell… Damnit Seru!" She yelled his name, angry, conflicted and confused. "Do you expect me to just drop my pants for you too?! Just, throw myself at you to stop you eating people?" Cells' face fell flat, and he felt his anger flare at her outburst, but he kept it in check, staring intently at her.
"No. I should still be stronger than the other Cell. I shouldn't need to absorb any more people, or utilize your gifts to achieve my final form." He said flatly, hearing the growl of anger in his rasped voice. He stood up suddenly, his tail twitching in agitation. Rowan stood up too, glaring at him, but saying nothing.
"You should know, Rowan, that you might not like what I am, and what I plan to do, but even your disapproval won't stop me. I must achieve my perfection. It is my purpose."
"You and your purpose can go to hell." She said in a voice full of venom. She pointed to the door, her fury full and savage. Cell had never seen her so angry, and as he turned to leave, he noticed that he had never seen her energy glow so potently either. Perhaps there was more to the species that Gero didn't know.
"I won't be your toy, Cell." She snarled at him, folding her arms across her chest in an act of defiance. Even in his anger, he still couldn't help but appreciate the fire in her personality.
"Goodbye Rowan." He said, sadly as he leaned down to step out the door, closing it behind him.
Rowan stared at the door for several moments, until she heard his footsteps running down the gravel path. Then her resolve that had held her together so well finally broke, and she collapsed to the floor, crying harder than she ever had, since the death of her mother when she was only a child.
"Damnit, Seru… Why did you have to be such a monster?"
Cell stood on top of a building, surveying the city below. It was eerily empty, with stalled and empty cars in the streets and thousands of sets of empty clothes, some bearing blood splattered holes, some intact.
"He's been busy, I see." Cell said with a concerned frown. He had known the other Cell would hunt but to such a devastating extent in such a short time caused him concern. Cell sighed and closed his eyes, focusing his incredibly keen senses outwards.
The Z warriors had a hard time tracking down Cell, with his incredible Ki suppression making him almost impossible to detect. They relied on the news broadcasts and radio updates to track his location, but could never reach him in time, before he supressed his power and disappeared.
But Cell's senses were keener than theirs in this form, and he looked not for the energy of the other Cell, but for the energy of people. There were still a large number of people left in this city, scattered around the outside edges, the inside radius, already being drained of life. Cell focused harder, watching, waiting.
A sudden tiny blip of energy vanished, followed by another, and another.
"There you are." Cell said with a grin, leaping from the building with incredible ease and grace, and bounded off towards his prey.
He stopped outside a huge shopping complex, and frowned. There were only a few people left inside, hiding and scattered. This was a good hunting ground, and Cell felt his hunger well up. It had been a very long time for him, but hunting never lost its appeal. The glass doors were shattered, and clothes littered the floor, the only marker that suggested people had been here only moments ago.
Boutique shops lined each other, each with their glaringly bright signage. Small potted plants and benches arranged neatly around a centre fountain in the main plaza, with the glass domed ceiling filtering in natural light made people feel welcome, while cheery music quietly rained down from the speakers. Aside from the water pouring from the fish statue in the middle of the fountain, and the soft music, the huge building, was deathly silent.
Until a sudden blood curdling scream that quickly ended in a gargle erupted from somewhere up the escalators on the second floor, snaring Cell's attention. He jumped from the plaza floor to the second with remarkable ease, landing silently in a crouch, his tail flicking out behind him. He gave himself just a second to hone in on the energy as it was drained.
Cell got his first real look at the other Cell as he emerged from a boutique clothes store, stooped over in his stalker pose, his long tail hanging over his back like a scorpion. The other Cell froze as he spotted Cell, his head tilting in curiosity. Cell narrowed his eyes, studying the Other Cell. They looked very much the same, only this Other Cell carried himself entirely like an animal. His eyes were cold, and full of hunger. Cell stood to his full height; mentally bracing himself for what he knew was coming next. The Other Cell remained crouched down, his tail quivering as it hung over his back, his arms out to the sides with his clawed fingers curled.
The Other Cell roared suddenly, a terrifying growling hiss, showing his large fangs. Cell scowled, and slid into his fighting stance, turning his side to his opponent and widening his feet.
The Other Cell was incredibly fast, getting the full benefit of power from his crouched legs, as he sprang forward with a snarling growl, arms stretched out like a lions' pounce. This surprised Cell, but he took advantage of the wide opening, delivering a powerful uppercut to the Other Cell's jaw, sending him flying up.
Cell leapt up after him, elbowing the Other Cell between the shoulders, which exacted a terrible hissing grunt as the Other Cell crashed into the floor, then through it with the power of Cell's attack. Cell quickly jumped from the second floor, landing smoothly in the plaza below. The other Cell lifted himself from the crater, sending more of the rubble that had covered him, cascading to the floor. The other Cell glared savagely at Cell, his tail whipping around in a show of anger. He was still stooped forward.
The Other Cell's body glowed gold, before erupting into a flaming aura, sending the dust and debris that had settled on his skin flying away. He roared again, bursting through the air straight at Cell.
Cell deflected the outstretched claws, forcing the Other Cell's attack away. Cell used his free hand, delivering a powerful punch to the Other Cell's beaked face, sending his head backwards in a spray of purple blood. Cell followed up with a kick to the side, watching as the Other Cell went flying through a nearby coffee shop with a huge burst of glass and wall-debris.
Cell waited a moment for the dust to settle, frowning to himself. This Other Cell wasn't a warrior, he was an animal.
'He emerged far too early.' Cell mused to himself. 'He has the power and he has the insatiable hunger, but he doesn't have any of the computers' programming. He doesn't have the techniques or the fighting skills. He is little more than an animal.' Cell watched the destroyed coffee shop, feeling the energy of the Other Cell burning even stronger in his rage.
The sudden severity and power of the energy blast that burst from the wreckage surprised Cell, who had assumed the Other Cell lacked the mental focus to generate an energy blast. He managed to block the attack, but it exploded, forcing him backwards, through a wall, out of the shopping complex and into the streets. Cell snarled, annoyed that he had been caught off guard and slipped back into his fighting pose.
He could sense the Other Cell charging at him, but too late, he realized that it was from underground. Other Cell erupted out of the road behind Cell, savagely lunging at him, claws raking deep gashes across his face and chest.
Cell snarled and kicked up, throwing the Other Cell over him as he rolled to his feet. Other Cell landed on all fours, his tail thrashing over his head, his leathery beak curled back in a snarl. Cell touched his fingers to the deep gashes on his face, felt the flowing blood and snarled back. It would only take a moment for the wounds to heal, but it made his fury burn, his own energy erupting into a fiery aura around him.
The other Cell lunged again, this time stopping just short of Cell's elbow, dodging to the side. His tail lashed out at Cell's feet, tripping him and causing him to stumble. Other Cell lashed out with his clawed hand again, aiming for Cell's throat. Cell dodged it, leaping backwards, cupping his hands to his side.
"Kamehame…" He snarled, landing smoothly on the pavement. The other Cell roared in defiance, arms stretched out as he leaned forward.
"HAAA!" Cell roared, forcing a huge amount of energy into his attack. The other Cell leapt out of the way, the blast rushing down the street in a blinding flash of blue, erupting in the heart of the city in a monstrous blast that left only a monstrous crater and a cloud of debris and dust to rain down on the two Cells.
The other Cell leapt again, feigning his attacks, and slashing at Cell. Cell blocked the attacks, retaliating with punches and kicks. The Other Cell learnt quickly, ducking out of the strikes, and suddenly head butting Cell in the gut. Cell staggered backwards, reeling from the immense amount of power the Other Cell had channelled into his attack.
The Other Cell didn't give Cell a chance to regain his breath, throwing a ball of golden energy at him and lunging. Cell lifted his arms to his face, blocking the energy attack that exploded against his arms, but he was too slow to stop the Other Cell's clawed hand driving into the softer flesh of his orange ribbed belly.
Cell roared, as the pain erupted. He hammered the other Cell in his exposed back, and leapt back as the other Cell collapsed to the floor.
Cell looked down, inspecting the wound. It was savage. The force of a punch, but with the hand outstretched, driving the claws deep into his flesh, tearing at his vulnerable spot. That had hurt.
The other Cell was back on his feet in seconds, staring with a grin at Cell. He lifted his bloodied hand to his face, licking his claws. Cell snarled, disgusted.
The other Cell leaned into his predatory stance, his tail flicking out behind him menacingly. Cell's eyes narrowed, dodging a sudden strike from the needle tip tail. He bounded backwards, as the Other Cell chased him, trying to stab him with the tail tip.
"I can play your game too!" Cell roared as he dodged an attack, lashing his own tail out. The other Cell seemed to realize the sudden danger, flipping backwards out of the way.
Cell and Other Cell locked stares, each waiting. Cell's senses warned him of Piccolo's impending approach and snarled. He had hoped to finish off the Other Cell quickly, before the Z warriors could arrive. He knew their fighting would attract their attention, something that simply couldn't be helped.
Other Cell showed no signs of noticing, his attention focused entirely on Cell. Cell wondered if the Z warriors could tell if there were 2 Cells, or if all they could sense was a huge pile of Cell's energy in one place.
His loss of focus as his mind wandered cost him dearly, as the Other Cell attacked, landing in front of Cell on his hands, flipping and landing a powerful double kick to Cell's chest. Cell grunted from the force of the attack, stopping himself from crashing through a building on the opposite side of the street. He quickly regained his composure, managing to block a follow up flurry of swipes.
The Other Cell roared as he slashed at Cell's armoured arms. Cell slashed out with his tail, smashing Other Cell in the side, sending him flying. Cell bounded after him, intending to end the fight, but Other Cell rolled out of the way as Cell's tail shattered the road where Other Cell had just been.
Other Cell roared his frustration, and Cell smirked. It might have been deadly, but Cell couldn't deny he was enjoying the battle.
Other Cell blasted off from the ground, his fiery aura burning bright. Cell met his attack and parried with his own. Cell landed a blow to the face and chest, Other Cell landed another slash across Cell's face.
Cell's senses fired again, and he knew he was out of time. He landed a sudden knee to Other Cell's gut, causing him to double over. Cell poured his power into a kick, sending Other Cell flying way up into the sky. Cell quickly suppressed his energy, and ducked into an office building. He ran up the stairs, putting his back against the wall, and peering slyly out the window.
Piccolo arrived, focused entirely on the Other Cell. Cell watched, waiting for an opportunity as Piccolo and Other Cell battled. Piccolo was thrown by the other Cell's savagery and lack of focus and Cell smirked as Other Cell landed a few slashing strikes to Piccolos face and chest. But Other Cell simply didn't have the power to overcome the newly merged and seasoned warrior of the Super Namekian.
Even if Piccolo managed to kill the Other Cell, it would work out well for Cell. If Piccolo believed he had defeated Cell, then he would be free to hunt down the androids without fear of being hunted himself. Although, he preferred if he could gain the chance to absorb the Other Cell, knowing that amount of power would be a welcome feast.
He thought of Rowan then, and he felt his chest tighten. She had been so mad at him when he had last seen her, and although that saddened him, he didn't regret his decisions. He may be a monster, but it was simply how he was created to be, and he would not regret that, least he begin to regret his very existence.
Cell snapped back to the battle, just in time to see Other Cell use the Solar Flare technique, which truly stunned Cell. He didn't think Other Cell could use such a technique, and that he had emerged too early. Cell hid his face behind the wall, avoiding taking the blinding full burst of light.
"This is curious." Cell muttered to himself, as he thought about the Other Cell. He stayed where he was, waiting for a few minutes for Piccolo to finally leave in an outburst of roaring energy. Piccolo was angry.
Cell considered his options. Other Cell was stronger than Cell had original anticipated. The two had been surprisingly evenly matched in power. Other Cell's fighting technique could only be called primal, but he had shown a remarkable ability to learn and adapt accordingly. It had been harder and harder for Cell to land attacks towards the end, Other Cell predicting and learning his moves.
He considered hunting. It would be an easy way to amass a great deal of energy in a short amount of time. But the amount he would need to match Other Cell and his insatiable hunger would be exponentially high. That option presented a great deal or risk.
He considered just going for the androids. They were being surprisingly quiet and there was no information on them, with the media obsessed with Other Cell's vicious slaughtering rampage. It would be extremely difficult to find them unless they started fighting someone else, or started destroying things.
That left his third option, which was Rowan. If he could convince her to sleep with him, while she was in perfect health, then he knew he could obtain more than enough power to easily overcome the Other Cell, the Z warriors and the androids.
Whilst the thought of such a monstrous amount of power was extremely tempting, convincing her to sleep with him would be a truly challenging task. She had made her point glaringly obvious to him, and he had no intention of forcing her.
His mind raced as he pondered his next course of action. He knew he had already decided, but he still thought about the other options while his mind churned in turmoil.
"I need you, Rowan." He said softly to himself.
-Thank you so much for taking the time in reading this. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Please leave me a review, to let me know. -