A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated sooner. I got distracted drawing pictures while procrastinating on how these scenes should play out. To make it up to you fantastic people, I've made this chapter extra-long.
As with most my chapters, fair warning, this contains adult themes.
I hope you enjoy the read and Thank You for taking the time to read it! Please leave me a review to let me know what you think.
Bulma's' eye brows furrowed together as she frowned, her attention focused entirely on the monitors that glared at her from the wall. She was trying to understand the super-complex engineering of the layout of computer components within android 16s' head.
"Gero was a genius." She muttered out loud. "A complete lunatic and he was definitely deranged and evil, but still, he was a genius." She turned towards the android that was still lying on the table. His black leotard had been removed as Doctor Briefs had opened the chest cavity, and was in the process of replacing some of the electrical wiring that ran from the damaged head into the body.
16 had his face tilted to the side, allowing Bulma to work on his head, but she had stopped, taking a few moments to review the scans on the monitor, before turning back to the charred hole in his head.
"It's a shame he used his brilliance for such cruelty. Imagine the good he could have done." Doctor Briefs mumbled absently as he carefully slipped a cable into place, using tweezers to gently connect it back into the socket.
"Rowan." 16's monotone voice suddenly snapped both the briefs' from their work. They looked at 16, and then followed his gaze to the small TV set that was sitting on the bench, muted.
The image was blurred and slightly out of focus, but it was still clearly Cell, grasping Rowans' wrist, pulling her towards him as she struggled to get away. It was a still image, a single frame. Her face was turned away from the tyrant in distress. The media was selling it as a damsel in distress story.
"That… Bastard!" Bulma snarled. She put her tools down and quickly ran up the stairs.
"Wait, Honey!" Doctor Briefs yelled at her, but sighed as she ignored him. "I have no idea where she gets that spirit from." He said with small smile. He glanced back at the screen, watching as a reporters' face appeared, the still image shrinking to a small corner of the screen as the reporter talked.
Bulma stormed into the kitchen a moment later, grabbing the phone. She punched a speed dial, waiting a moment.
"Roshi, is Goku there? No? Piccolo? Damnit, what about Krillin? Good, put him on. NO, there's no time to explain! Just hurry up." Her voice was angry, and she snapped rudely. "Krillin, did you see the news? That girl is named Rowan. I need you to go to the lookout, get the others. You have to get her away from Cell. Don't ask me why, just do it! It's important. No, damnit, just do it Krillin." She hung up the phone violently slamming the receiver back in the cradle on the wall. She sighed, brushing the hair from her face and hoping Krillin would hurry up.
Bulma felt tense. She knew Rowans' secret, felt the knot of fear in her guts and hoped Cell didn't use her. He was already terrifyingly powerful, and she knew how badly the others were worried. If his power increased any more, it would be truly hopeless.
She was snapped from her dark thoughts as she heard Trunks' wake and begin to cry from his nap in the crib downstairs in the basement, and she quickly ran back down to comfort him. She had done what she could; she left Rowans' fate to Krillin and the other Warriors.
Rowan felt the stinging bite of the wind against her cheeks, made worse by the tears that freely fell. Her hair billowed around her like an auburn cape, and the sun shone brightly down on the orchards as she drove past them. It was warm and beautiful, but she felt only numb. Numb, and stupid. She grit her teeth in anger, but mostly she felt ashamed.
'Ashamed that he's under my skin'. She thought to herself. Even her internal voice was bitter and angry. 'I've never felt like such a stupid girl before. It's like I'm back in school. Only this isn't school… This is Cell. He's a tyrant. A sadistic, cruel and evil android, with world domination as his goal. Not just that, but he has the power to achieve it. He could kill me if he wanted to. But he doesn't… But Why? It would be so much easier for him if I wasn't in the picture. I suppose it's because of the energy I can give him. Or is it more?'
'I need to know... Is it me he wants or just the power?'
Rowan felt her eyes dry in the wind, and she quickly wiped her face on her sleeve. She felt conflicted, because despite all his faults, all his arrogance and pride… She still saw in him, the intelligent, kind and loving being she had become so attached to. But Cell wasn't her Seru, although some of his mannerisms and his personality traits were apparent in this new Cell. It made her chest ache as she thought about it.
Even as her mind warred within, she sub-consciously licked her lips. She could still taste him. And it was a good taste. She couldn't stop herself from thinking of the image of him this morning, holding a cup of tea in her house, his attention on the TV, but a hint of blush in his cheeks, his long and soft hair hanging loosely around his face.
"Ugh, I need to stop that." Rowan shook her head, bringing her focus back to the road. She slowed down and turned left onto the smaller road that led to the lake and the caravan park. She almost screamed, as Cell blasted overhead towards her house, his aura so bright it hurt to look at. She felt the blast of wind a moment later, not severe, but enough to make her brace the bike.
"Man, he just can't take a hint!" Rowan grit her teeth, feeling her anger seethe within herself and she throttled the accelerator, the engine roaring under her in response.
Despite her anger, she tried to maintain her control as she pulled up next to her house. Cell was standing outside the door, arms folded, cold pink eyes watching her every move as she dismounted her bike.
"You! You can't, just, go away? Leave me alone for like 5 minutes?!" She sounded more annoyed than angry, her control was surprisingly tight.
"Need I remind you that I was leaving you alone? You came to my arena, you instigated our conversation, and then you refused to give me an explanation before you stormed off." His own anger and irritation were apparent as he emphasized each 'you'. Rowan couldn't stop herself from snarling at him. She stormed closer to him until she was only a foot away, pointing her finger in his face.
"You're an insufferable jerk, Cell! I told you I was confused! I just can't deal with you right now. Go away." Cell's eyes narrowed as she vented, and as she turned towards her door, he snatched the wrist of the hand she had been waving in his face.
"You're being very rude, Rowan." His voice was quiet, but it was full of ice. It was a warning.
"I'm so sorry Cell, not everyone can be gregarious and proper. Some of us have emotions. Some of us aren't robots." One of his eyes narrowed as he frowned.
"I'm an android, not a robot."
"You're just proving my point!" She threw her un-held hand up in the air in a frustrated gesture. "You just don't…" She never got to finish her sentence. Cell's actions were far too fast for her to keep track of, as he almost lunged at her, pressing his lips to hers. At first it was a hard kiss, something to make her shut up, but it quickly turned soft as he pulled her into his embrace.
She didn't resist him as he deepened the kiss, tasting him again. He ended it quickly, licking his lips with a triumphant smirk on his face. She felt her face flush with colour at the surprisingly arousing look.
"You always did talk too much." He said smugly. He lifted one hand from her back, gently tucking her hair behind her ear again.
"Why do you do that?" She asked quietly, trying to read his face. He arched a brow, lifting the ridge of his helmet.
"Do what exactly?"
"Tuck my hair behind my ear. Seru used to do that too." Cell blinked slowly.
"You know, I'm not sure why I do that. Does it bother you?" She shook her head in reply.
"No I… Kind of like it. It's just… Well stuff like that is why you confuse me. You're supposed to be the bad guy, but so much of you reminds me of him. And he wasn't a bad guy. Not really." Cell frowned, and reluctantly, he let her go. She didn't step back, but watched his face.
"I know that it's hard for you to accept it when I say it, but I am Seru."
"But you're not. Seru wouldn't be holding a tournament and threatening to hunt down and kill every human on this planet for his own sadistic pleasure if he isn't beaten. Seru wouldn't have killed all those army people. And I don't think Seru would be screwing around with me the way you are. He might be a part of you, but you aren't Seru. I wish you'd stop saying that you're Seru." Very gently Cell lifted her face to his. His eyes were full of concern and sincerity. She wasn't distressed as she had been at the arena, but a few stray tears had still escaped to roll down her cheeks as she spoke.
Gently he used his thumb, wiping away a tear. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. She accepted his kiss as he lowered his face to hers gently. It was more for comfort than to sate any desire, and she felt her arms snake around his neck as he pulled her close. She broke the kiss, and just put her face against his shoulder. She didn't cry, but she felt overwhelmed and she closed her eyes to collect herself. His arms were warm, but the shell of his chest and shoulder were cool, and it was strangely refreshing.
He toyed with her hair with one hand, gently letting her auburn waves roll through his fingers. His other hand held her close to him, and he could feel her steady breathing. He lowered his face to her hair, taking a deep breath, smelling the fain whiff of her strawberry shampoo… And of her. It was so intoxicating to him, it was like a drug, despite having lived with her for 4 years, and he still didn't have immunity to that smell. It played havoc with his mind.
Finally, Rowan lifted herself from his shoulder and looked up at his face. He stared back for a moment, before he kissed her again. It wasn't an aggressive kiss, but she could feel his need for her as it was more passionate than the last. She lost herself for a moment, loving his taste, and his warmth as he held her against his body.
Until one of his hands slipped down her waist, lifting her shirt to feel her soft and warm skin on her lower back. Rowan groaned and broke the kiss.
"No Cell, we can't." He grunted in protest, kissing her again this time more hungrily. She was almost tempted by his intensity. His hunger for her was arousing, and she could feel her own body responding to his, but her mind screamed at her.
"No, can't…" She said as he gently bit her lip. He wasn't listening to her. "Stop…" It was a feeble protest, even to her ears. He moved his attention to her neck, nibbling on the tender flesh there. She couldn't stop the moan that escaped her throat then, and his hands tightened in response. She felt herself teetering on the edge, the divide between what she wanted and what she knew was right.
"Cell, you have to stop, we can't do this." Her voice was a little sterner. There was no way she could give him more power. He was already terrifying. She could see his eyes, half lidded and clouded with his hungry desire as he breathed in her scent.
"No." He replied, not letting her go and he continued to tease the flesh of her neck. Alarm bells rang in Rowans' head as she remembered the monster's savage attack.
She had fought him, fought with everything she had, pushing, kicking and thrashing as he had pinned her to the ground. Her protest had earned her a savage backhand across the jaw. It had stunned her, just long enough for him to get what he wanted. The memories turned her heated blood to ice in a heartbeat. A shiver ran down her spine and her anger flared.
"CELL, Damnit, stop!" She had fury in her voice, and it worked. His eyes opened and he jerked his head back, looking down at her for a moment before he reluctantly, let her go. She stepped back several steps, putting distance between them. She stared at him, angry and ashamed.
"Rowan" He began. She shook her head.
"No, I won't give you more energy! You're the bad guy. I have to keep reminding myself, you want to hurt people. I can't do that. I can't be responsible. Not anymore than I already am." Cell's look of hurt was masked by a steel look that crept over his features. "I'm sorry Cell." She added quietly. She finally looked him in the eye. She could see the hurt in his eyes, despite his stony face. He gave her a small nod, and could only watch as he retreated, blasting into the sky in a flash of golden power, sending up a rain of small rocks and dust.
Rowan sighed. It had been too close for comfort. But she had stopped him.
'The why do I feel like I just did something wrong?' She asked herself mentally. She could smell herself, and she wrinkled her nose. She would have to deal with that. She stared at the lake and considered going for a swim, but she didn't have the heart to do something playful and she turned back to her house, and headed for the bathroom.
After her shower, Rowan threw herself on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She was lost in thought, and she felt terrible.
'Guilty' She corrected herself internally. 'Guilty, because I wanted him in that moment. Betrayed by my own body, because I wanted the tyrant who wants to conquer the world. Damnit. And I can't stop thinking about him.' Rowan closed her eyes and tried to think things through. Instead, she fell asleep.
She woke with a start. The light in the window was fading. It was late afternoon, early evening. She heard her stomach rumble in protest of the meagre meals of late and she finally slid off her bed, stretching as she headed out the door.
She froze, shocked to see Cell in her kitchen, his helmet off, and his hair hanging around his face. He lifted his face to look at her, a small smirk.
"Good evening." He greeted her. She was surprised and it must have shown on her face, because his small smirk turned into a wide grin.
"Uh, Hi Cell." She slowly approached him as the kettle boiled. She noticed the two mugs on the counter in front of him.
"Tea?" She nodded as she sat herself at the stool in front of the kitchen bench, watching as he brewed the tea. She was amazed at just how incredible his body was. Even something as simple as making tea was done with surprising grace. His fingers were long, but strong and his ebony nails were a stark contrast to his cream-white skin.
He offered her the mug, and she took it with a smile. Her fingers brushed against his, and she felt his warmth, a small shiver running down her back in response. She sipped her tea, trying to distract herself.
"Wow, this is good tea." She said, genuinely surprised. He smirked as he took a silent sip of his own. They sat in silence for a while, drinking their tea. Rowan couldn't hide her smile, as she mused about the fact that she was having tea with the tyrant in her house, as if it was perfectly normal.
I Suppose to me, this is kind of normal. Seru and I used to sit on the couch most nights while I drank tea and he read a book and I watched TV.
"Penny for your thoughts?" His question caught her off guard, and she realized she had been staring at the wall for several seconds as her mind wandered.
"Sorry Cell, I was just thinking about things." He arched his eyebrow, a motion that was much more effective without his helmet on. His brilliant pink eyes were surprisingly warm, and she realized that he had been enjoying the moment too.
"Oh.. Um.. I was wondering… What you're planning to do after the tournament?" She asked a little meekly. Cell hummed for a moment as he thought.
"Well, in all honesty, I'm not entirely sure. I have a lot of choices. Once the Earth is officially mine, I could rule it, or I could set out to conquer other worlds, and start an empire. Much like Frieza had." Rowan frowned at his answer.
"Who is Frieza?" She asked quietly.
"He was once a part of a family of business men that ruled over hundreds of planets. They traded resources and slaves. It was quite a massive empire, but they're arrogance got them killed. I won't make the same mistakes. Frieza and his father, King Cold, both comprise a part of my DNA. They have some rather remarkable features that now contribute to my perfection, such as being able to survive in the depths of space unaided." Cell was rather proud as he spoke, sipping his tea as he finished. Rowan let the information soak in for a moment.
"Surviving in space? That's… Pretty incredible actually. But… Well… If you go off to start a new empire, what's going to happen to the Earth?" Cell's eyes hardened as he stared at her.
"It will probably become the first planet in my empire." Rowan scowled.
"So you'll use people as slaves? We'll just be things to you!" Cell frowned.
"You aren't a 'thing' to me Rowan. And I don't think I'll trade slaves if I do start an empire. I can do a much more civilized job that Frieza ever did. My empire will be far greater." Rowan looked away, unable to stomach the sadistic delight that Cell's face was showing.
"I have a question for you, Rowan." Cell said after a while. She finally looked back at him. His face had softened and he seemed more serious.
"What?"
"You have a scar on you back shoulder. The Rowan I knew in the future had it too, so it wasn't something that happened to her in the post-android world." Rowan instinctively looked over her shoulder, even though she couldn't see the scar under her clothes. But she knew what he was talking about. "For four years I wondered what had happened to cause that scar."
Rowan frowned and she looked down at her hands. She didn't want to say.
"I have to ask, did your father do that to you? You very rarely talk about him. I know almost nothing of what happened to cause you to leave home so early in your life." Rowan's eyes hardened and she felt herself scowling as she remembered her father.
"So you want to know how I got the scar on my back, and how I ended up here?" Her voice was cold and she looked at Cell with an angry expression. He nodded slowly once. Rowan sighed, defeated.
"It was about 5 and a half years ago. I was staying with a friend, Keira, in her apartment while dad went through rehab for the umpteenth time. She had a ginger kitten, only 7 months old named Cherry. Dad came around from time to time while he was going through the program. Usually he was pretty good. He was trying to break the grip his alcoholism had on him and I was so proud of him for trying." She paused for a moment, remembering one of the few good memories she had of her father and it softened her anger for a moment.
"But one day, he came over and he was utterly drunk, angry at something or another. He ended up trashing the apartment and he killed the kitten. Picked her up, threw her at the wall as if she was a football. I was so furious, and I tried to stop him. He… He hit me. It was the first time he had ever struck me. Usually he just yelled and screamed, sometimes he threw things, but he never hurt me physically. I tripped over the chair and smashed through the glass coffee table. Spent three nights in the hospital having shards removed and my skin put back together and he didn't even visit me once. I went back home after that, found him drunk and passed out. I stole his credit cards, packed my things and left."
Cell stared at Rowan for a long time, as she looked down at the tea mug she still held in hands. Slowly she put it on the bench in front of her. Cell reached his hand out, placing it on top of hers. It was a small gesture, but it was comforting. Slowly Rowan lifted her face to look back at him.
"I don't know about you Cell, but I'm starved. I'm going to make some dinner, would you like to stay?" Her face lit up with a smile as she asked him to stay. Cell's eyes widened, surprised.
"I think I will stay." He said with a small smirk.
Rowan got up from the bench and headed to the fridge. She rummaged around with a small frown. She headed to her pantry and finally she rummaged in her shoulder bag.
"Well, dinner isn't going to be a grand affair I'm afraid. I don't have very much to eat. How do you feel about canned beans?" She asked, as she held up a couple of cans of beans. Cell frowned. Rowan turned back to the cupboards as she rummaged for her pots. She didn't see Cell stand up and grab his helmet, strapping it on. She didn't see him come up behind her, until he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" She objected, the move had surprised her and she was suddenly afraid.
"Just, try not to panic." He replied, tossing her over his shoulder. Rowan protested, punching Cell's shelled shoulder and wing, flailing her legs around.
"Cell, put me DOWN!" She yelled. He was stooped over as he walked out the door before he could finally stand up straight again. He made sure the door was closed before he took a few steps away from the house.
"Cell!" Rowan yelled again. He moved, pulling her from his shoulder and into his arms. She instantly tried to roll out of his grip but he held her tight.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you." He warned her with a smirk. She paused for just a moment, as she suddenly realized what he was doing.
"You wouldn't… I hate heights Cell." His smirk broadened as she froze in his arms.
"Oh but I would." Cell's wings opened and she felt his energy surround them. It made the air around her warm and gave everything a golden glow.
"Please don't do…EEEEEEEEEE" Her protest turned into a scream as he suddenly blasted off into the air. He was going fast, and she turned her face away from the wind, burying her face against his chest.
"CELL!" She screamed " Where are we GOING!?" She felt his laugh through his chest. She couldn't look up at his face without the wind blasting her, so she kept her face against his chest, her hair flying wildly around them.
It was over quickly though, as he slowed and began to descend. She finally looked up and around her. The city looked completely different from the air. It was still mostly empty, but there were a few lit windows and the street lights were still lit up, making the city look less dead. She could even see the Paprika River reflecting the star light and the two long dashes that she knew were the bridges that stretched over it.
The skyscrapers in the centre of the city loomed closer below her, and then they were towering over her as Cell headed down towards the street. His golden aura vanished as he landed in the middle of an empty road. Litter scattered the streets, and it was eerily quiet. A light breeze caught some old newspapers and empty Styrofoam cups, making them rattle as they rolled across the bitumen.
Cell finally put her down and he looked around with a disapproving scowl.
"Why are we here of all places?" Rowan thought out loud.
"Should be somewhere around here where you can find some food." He said simply. It made sense and Rowan gave a small nod.
"Right-O. But… I'm pretty sure everything would have been cleaned out during the evacuation."
"True, however it can't hurt to look. There's a grocery store over there." He pointed casually to the right, and Rowan started to walk in that direction. Cell followed her, folding his arms across his chest and closing his eyes as he walked.
"This place is kind of scary at night." She mused. Cell grunted in reply. Rowan smirked at this.
"Of course, nothing is as scary as you." She added with a small laugh. Cell grunted again, but the corners of his mouth lifted. As scary as it was, Rowan was glad the city was empty. Cell's presence in a populated area would have been devastating.
The grocery store was one of the huge ones that were usually stocked with bulk version of everyday items, only it was closed and all the lights were turned off. Rowan pressed her face against the glass to try to look inside.
"It's too dark. I can't tell if there's anything left." She said sadly. Cell approached a different panel of glass and very slowly touched his finger to it. It didn't shatter so much as it vaporized into confetti like dust that rained down on the ground.
"Cell! Someone has to pay for that you know!" Rowan said with a frown. Cell smirked and ducked his head to step inside the now opened floor-to-wall window. Rowan sighed and followed him inside. It was dark, quiet and creepy. Rowan watched as Cell lifted his hand, generating a very familiar ball of energy and casually tossing it into the air. Rowan stared at it for a while, feeling its welcomed warmth and light.
Cell frowned as he walked down the aisles, but the shelves were all empty. Rowan walked the other way, checking the fridges and freezers along the sides. They too were empty. Nothing remained.
"Hmm. Perhaps we should try the shopping complex across the road." Cell said as he joined her again. Rowan nodded and headed back outside through the open window. Cell smirked as he walked through another window, shattering it.
"Really, must you do that?" Cell only chuckled as she shook her head.
Another grocery store inside a shopping complex held much the same results. It was empty, cleared out before the evacuation.
"Ugh, this is no good." Rowan mumbled. She heard her stomach rumble and Cell frowned.
"I have one last idea." He said, heading towards the shut-down escalator. He jumped suddenly, landing smoothly on the next floor up as Rowan stared up at him for a moment, before she ran up the stairs. He stood at the top of the stairs, arms folded, and waiting with a smirk.
"If I thought it would do anything, I'd try to push you down the stairs." She said playfully. Cell spread his arms wide as he hovered off the ground, his wings outstretched. He hovered backwards, in front of Rowan as she walked, following him.
"You're such a show off." She called after him as he accelerated away with a huge smirk on his face. Inwardly however, she admired his incredible skill, envious of his ability to fly. He disappeared around a corner and she broke into a run to catch up to him.
He had landed back on the ground and was standing outside a large café. Instead of glass windows, the café was closed with a metal roller door. Cell grabbed it, crushing it in one hand as if it was nothing more than a tissue, scrunching it up and tossing it over his shoulder. The sound was horrific as the metal screamed in protest and the railing it had been suspended in crashed to the ground.
"Oh my god Cell, you can't just destroy stuff like that!" Rowan protested as she stared wide-eyed at the balled up roller door. It was the size of a basketball now and he had done it so effortlessly. She knew he was powerful. She had seen the destruction he could do with his energy, but she had never seen him so physically powerful. She would have struggled just to lift the door when it was on its rollers, but we he had just done was mind boggling.
"I would have knocked, but that seemed redundant." He said almost sarcastically as he turned towards her. He made a deep bow suddenly, welcoming her inside the dark café. Although it was done out of his showy-personality and as a playful jest, she felt her face flush as he looked up with a proud smirk. He was being gentle-manly, but with an evil twist, and she hated how that made her feel aroused.
"Well, let's try not to break anything else, okay?" She said kind of hurriedly, trying to cover up her moment of weakness. Cell arched his eyebrow, standing back up to his full height, and following Rowan inside.
She headed to the kitchen and exclaimed as she opened their large walk-in fridge.
"Yes, they have food!" She said loudly before she headed inside the fridge. Cell poked his head around the door. The fridge was stacked with a variety of foods, from fruits and vegetables, to pre-prepared sauces and condiments, to a huge selection of cold meats and cheeses and a variety of deserts, Cheesecakes, muffins, pastries and pies all stored neatly in their assorted containers.
Cell only watched as Rowan went through the dry-store selection in the giant pantry as well, before she decided to make spaghetti. She seemed happy as she sliced up some tomatoes and onions, adding them to the pork mince and garlic she had browning in a pan. She had the spaghetti in a pot with some salt, stirring it occasionally.
"Such good fortune to find this food. I hope they don't mind, but some of this food will spoil in the next few days." She looked over her shoulder at Cell as she worked. "Thank you, Cell." She added with a sincere smile. He slowly walked over to her, unfolding his arms as he did.
"You're very welcome." He said quietly. She stirred the sauce as Cell circled his arms around her and lowered his face to her hair. He nuzzled her gently as he moved his face lower, finding her ear lobe and nibbling on it. Rowan groaned, feeling the rush of blood as his electric touch shot through her. One of Cell's hands wandered lower, sliding underneath her jeans.
She felt her body tense up as he teased her through her panties. She moaned softly, leaning back against Cell's chest, her eyes closing as she lost herself in the moment. She almost dropped the wooden spoon she was using to cook with, and the food was almost forgotten. The hiss of water as the pasta boiled over snapped her back to reality. He was kissing her neck hungrily when she lifted her hand to his face.
"Cell… You have to stop this." She said quietly, but with as much conviction as she could muster. It was hard when he was so close, making her body tremble with his touch. It was like she had no control over what her body did anymore, and it was making her a little scared. There was so much at stake, she knew. It was the only thing that stopped her. If there was a way for them to enjoy each other without him gaining so much power, she knew she wouldn't be able to resist him at all.
Cell slipped his hand out of her jeans, and let her go. She went from being supported and enveloped in warmth, to standing alone and feeling suddenly cold. Part of her ached to have him back, but she fought bitterly to keep it down and she turned back to the food.
It took her a while to dare to look over her shoulder at Cell. His face was flushed lavender, and his eyes were dark. Something was going on behind those eyes, something that made his jaw tense. She could see the vein in his neck, throbbing and she realized how potent he felt their attraction, and how hard it was for him to restrain himself.
"You'll have to excuse me, I'll be back in a few minutes Rowan." Cell's voice was heavy and she could hear that potent husk to it, a product of his desire. She nodded, unable to look him in the eye as he strode out of the kitchen. She heard his footsteps fade away.
Rowan let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and she strained the pasta and dished herself up a decent serving. She was hungry and she had made a great deal of food.
Rowan was sitting at a booth in the main part of the café enjoying her pasta when she heard his footsteps returning. She had served him up a plate and she gestured for him to join her.
"No thank you." He said quietly. His face was unreadable as he leaned against the side of the booth and watched her eat.
"So where did you go?" She asked casually between mouthfuls. He smirked at this suddenly and suddenly tossed something at her. She dropped her fork, catching the small box in her hand. She looked at it, a little surprised.
"I didn't know Capsule Corp made condoms." She mused out loud.
"I can't really say I'm surprised. Consumerism. Slap a giant corporations name on an everyday product and you can sell it for twice the price." Cell said as he folded his arms across his chest again.
"Do you really think using one of these will work though?" Rowan asked as she opened up the plastic seal on the box, looking inside. Cell frowned.
"The theory is sound. Your gift seems to come from the chemical your body produces. It acts as a super fuel that reacts within my body, and generates a monstrous amount of energy rapidly. My body consumes it. If none of your fluids can enter my body, then it stands to reason that I won't be able to get any benefit. Except for the pleasure of it."
"That actually makes sense. Treat it like an STI." Rowan realized that sounded far too happy as she said that, but Cell's eyes narrowed as his smirk turned into a grin.
"I am glad you approve." He said with a tone that oozed arrogance. Rowan held one of the small foil packets in her hand and frowned.
"It's still a huge risk. It would be better if we didn't. What if it breaks?" She sounded disappointed, but she was being realistic. Cell's grin disappeared and his eyes turned stony.
"I suppose that is true. There is a risk." His voice rang with utter annoyance and he sounded quite angry. Rowan nodded and slowly put the packet back in the box. She stared at Cell for a long time, trying to understand him. The silence stretched between them until she sighed.
"Do you regret it Cell? You know, being forced to be attracted to me?" Cell's eyes narrowed at her question, but he didn't answer straight away. She could see him considering it.
"No, not regret. Encoding my DNA with a natural attraction to yours was a stroke of genius. It stops me from hurting you, and gives me a drive to protect you. I don't regret that fact. I do however, regret that the urge is too strong at times and I find that it can be difficult to maintain my self-control." Rowan's eyes widened at his admission.
"The drive is really that powerful?" Rowan asked with surprise. Cell nodded slowly.
"Yes. It is."
Another silence as they both stared at each other, lost in their own thoughts. Finally Rowan broke the moment by gathering up her plates and heading towards the kitchen. She dumped the plates in a large sink in the chrome bench that ran around the room.
Cell's arms snaked around her then.
"What are you doing to me?" He asked softly, his breath warm against her neck. Rowan's body was already responding.
"I don't know, but you have the same effect on me." She could hear the heavy desire in her voice. One of his hands slipped down her jeans again, as the other lifted up her shirt, finding her breast. He took a deep breath of her rich scent against her neck, his body tensing in response.
"We really shouldn't do this Cell." Rowan said. Cell grunted in reply, but made no effort to move. His fingers were masterful and she couldn't stop herself from moaning softly. His skin was warm against her own and she felt her will giving way under his tender touch. Her body was responding in ways she hadn't known before, ways that she didn't understand. She reached up, one hand touching the side of his face, the other touching the back of his hand that held her breast.
"Cell… Risk… Can't do it…" She gasped.
"Risk it Rowan, I need you." He groaned against her neck, his hands gripping her a little tighter. His words did it and she gave into his desire, groaning loudly, as her body trembled under the intensity of the pleasure.
"Good. You're mine." His voice was rich and quiet as he breathed into her ear. She could hardly think at all as he slid his hands free, and quickly undid her jeans. She helped him slide them off. He paused as he dropped them down, breathing in the incredibly intoxicating smell. It took all of his willpower not to taste it, knowing that would give him the energy boosting benefit. He lifted himself back up to his full height, feeling his own arousal becoming increasingly uncomfortable in it's confines.
The armour of his perfect body was very different from his imperfect form. In his previous forms, his armour had been apart of his body, something that was like a very thick skin. His testicles had been internal and his phallus was tucked away within a sheath. However, in his final form, he had become much more human. His armour was no longer living tissue, but rather a hardened extra layer and his testicles were now external. The black shelled cup had become a rigid defence in response to this new vulnerability, but the fact that it was rigid, was now making it unbearable.
He turned Rowan around to face him, kissing her hungrily as he grabbed her waist and lifted her suddenly onto the bench. Her hands found his face, and she deepened the kiss, just as hungry as he was. It only made him ache harder. Finally, unable to contain himself, he broke the kiss and stepped back. Rowan watched him as his muscles all flexed and he began to glow golden.
"Cell?" Rowan's voice was uncertain. He gave her a very arousing smirk, before he roared. His armour cracked and suddenly disintegrated, leaving only a fine dust to fall to the floor. Cell was left completely naked and exposed in front of Rowan. She stared, taking in his perfection.
His wings and tail were still attached to his back, permanent features, as was the triangular black shelled piece on his chest. But otherwise his skin was smooth and warm white, although his shoulders, arms, sides and legs all bore a scattering of dark grey-green speckles, much like the pattern on his armour.
"Wow." Rowan exclaimed as Cell flexed for a moment. "You are gorgeous." This made Cell smirk in a wicked way, something that sent an electric bolt down her spine.
"Why thank you." He said huskily. He came at her then, hungry, and it took everything she had to hold her hand out to stop him.
"Protection." She whispered. Cell watched her grab the packet off the bench, and tore open a small foil packet. It was an awkward moment, but Cell decided he enjoyed having her hands around him as she rolled the small piece of latex down his shaft. Finished, he embraced her, kissing her hard, and hungrily. Her hands ran through his hair, loving the softness of it as she tasted his mouth. She sucked on his bottom lip, something that caused him to groan. She could feel his every muscle move under his smooth skin as he pulled her rear forward on the bench but leaned over her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, inviting him in.
He slid inside and trembled at the tightness. She groaned into his mouth, which only excited him more. One of his hands grabbed her backside firmly, supporting her as he thrust himself inside of her, building a rhythm. She broke the kiss, dropping her head back with a moan. Cell kissed her neck tenderly, breathing in her heavy scent. It had become incredibly potent with her climax and it was almost unbearable to him. His desire was too strong, and she was too ready for him and he gave into the pressure, feeling his body become paralysed with the overwhelming pleasure as his climax took him. She gripped his head, pulling his face against her chest as she kissed his hair gently.
He breathed heavily against her, catching his breath,
"Did it work?" She asked quietly. Cell nodded and lifted his face, kissing her clavicle.
"It worked." He said quietly. He didn't want to let her go. She held him and he held her, resting against the chrome bench of a kitchen in a café in an abandoned city. It was surprisingly peaceful and as Rowan rested against the cool metal, she felt she could stay like this forever. It felt right, even though she told herself it was wrong. Something she could think about later. For now, she just enjoyed the moment.
A long while passed before Cell was willing to move, finally sliding himself out of her with a grunt and turning away. Rowan stopped him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling his back against her. She kissed his ear lobe gently and he turned his face to hers. They kissed tenderly, a show of affection instead of hungry desire.
Finally she let him go and she slid off the bench to dress herself. She heard the snap as he pulled the now offending item from his body and she looked up. He was staring at it in his hand for a moment, a shadow of some dark thought or another flashed across his face before he disposed of it in the trash.
"I bet the military would kill to get their hands on that." Rowan said absently. Cell glanced back at her for just a moment.
"Good point." Rowan flinched as Cell levelled a sudden small and controlled blast at the trash can, obliterating it and everything it held. Rowan didn't say anything; she just stared at Cell as her fingers absently buttoned her jeans.
Cell's muscles tensed as he flexed, his energy flaring around him for just a moment, before his armour re-grew from his skin in a splatter of green. Cell smirked as he turned to look at her, his body completely covered again.
"Better." He said with a smile.
"You don't like being naked?" Rowan asked. Cell grunted.
"It feels strange not to have my armour. It's as much a part of me as the nose on my face." Rowan couldn't help but giggle at that.
"In your last form you didn't have a nose!" She exclaimed. Cell smirked at her merriment.
Eventually, Rowan grabbed a large plastic tub and headed into the large walk-in fridge. She took as much fresh food as she could, stuff that wouldn't last until the owners returned. She also took some basic ingredients and a few of the tasty pastries, stacking it all neatly in the plastic tub. Lastly, she raided the freezer for some cuts of meat and finally the pantry for some other bits and pieces. When she was satisfied, she hoisted the heavy tub onto her hip against her side and she headed out of the café. Cell, followed her out. The two walked silently, but they both wore smiles.
Rowan stopped at the foot of the stairs, listening.
"Did you hear that?" She asked quietly. Cell turned and listened. He focused his senses, scanning the area. There were dozens of golden dots that represented people in various places close by, but the closest was a pair of people inside the shopping complex.
"There appears to be two people inside some of the shops up stairs. It's best if we get moving Rowan." Cell said quietly. Rowan looked upstairs where Cell had indicated, hesitating for just a moment before she finally nodded and she quickly headed for the main entrance.
She stopped before she stepped outside, watching as a car went flying past on the road outside the shopping centre. She hesitated, before she saw another go flying past, this one had people leaning out, yelling and screaming with a variety of weapons.
"Thugs." Cell said quietly. Rowan nodded. They disappeared quickly, but she could hear them yell as shots were fired from their weapons. The distinctive sound of a car's tyres' skidding before the horrific scream of metal as the car crashed. More screaming and yelling followed but it sounded distant. Rowan frowned and she quickly headed outside. She ran down the sidewalk with her plastic tub bouncing against her hip. She stopped as she approached the intersection and she poked her head cautiously around the corner she could hear the yelling coming from.
The first car had been shot and had spun out, crashing into a light post. The light post was down, crushing the car under it. The second car had stopped and two of the thugs were inspecting the car. They seemed to find nothing of interest and returned to their friends in the car before it screamed against the bitumen and roared off down the street, away from Rowan.
Rowan waited a moment before she put the plastic tub on the floor and ran towards the car. Cell sighed and followed, clearly annoyed.
Rowan gritted her teeth as she heard a man groaning in pain.
"Hello? Are you okay? Can you hear me?" She said as she tried to inspect the wreckage. The car had flipped onto its side and spun around before it had crashed into the pole. The pole was pinning the doors shut and the front engine was crushed up, blocking the wind screen. Rowan had to clamber onto the side of the car to see the man. He was middle aged with grey curly hair and a thick moustache.
"Hey, can you help me get out?" The man asked. He had a gash across the top of his forehead and small abrasions on his nose and hands.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" Rowan asked as she tried to push the pole off the car. It was bent, almost pinning it in place.
"I think… I think my leg might be broken." The man said with a grim face. He looked pale and possibly in shock. Rowan nodded.
"Don't worry, we are going to get you out of there, just hold on."
"We?" Cell asked. He was standing a few feet from the crashed car, out of sight of the injured man, holding the plastic tub full of food. Rowan frowned at him.
"You could help him out. It would be nothing to you." Cell frowned.
"I'm not much of the helping type, Rowan."
"He's injured! He needs help." Cell didn't move. He just glared at Rowan. Rowan tried to move the pole again, straining against the twisted metal.
"Come on, move, you stupid piece of junk!" Rowan grunted as she shifted position behind the pole and tried to lift it off instead. She was getting nowhere fast.
Cell watched her strain against the pole. It was making him angry for some reason as she tried so desperately to help a stranger. She finally stopped trying, visible exhausted from her effort. She panted as she glared daggers at Cell.
"What do I have to do to get you to help? Do you want me to beg?" Rowan was getting angry too. Cell scowled.
"He doesn't want my help Rowan."
"Please, if you can hear me, I do want your help!" The man yelled from the car. Cell's eyes narrowed and he moved towards the car. Rowan watched him as he came right up to her. Even though she was on top of the overturned car, he was still at her eye level. The injured man gave a frightened yell as Cell came into his sight.
"C…Cell!" Rowan ignored the man, locking eyes with Cell. It felt like a battle of the wills, each one angry, and unrelenting.
"You have to ask him to move the pole, sir." Rowan said with a flat voice. She didn't take her eyes from Cell. The man whimpered.
"Sir, please, tell me, do you want Cell to help you get out of the car?" Rowan asked, trying a different tactic.
"Y…Yes…" He stammered. Cell's eyes were shinning brilliantly with the fury he felt. Still holding the tub in on hand, he reached out with the other, unblinking, and still staring at Rowan as he grabbed the pole. He lifted it up and tossed it aside. It became a massive metal spear as it pierced through several buildings before landing on the opposite side of the city somewhere in a cloud of dust and debris.
"I helped." Cell's voice was as cold as ice.
"Thank you." Rowan replied with just as much venom in her voice. Cell snorted and turned, breaking their eye contact. He walked out of the way as Rowan managed to open the now freed door and reached in, trying to get the man out of the car. It was hard to do, since the man was too scared to move for several moments.
Finally though he was out and with Rowans' help, he was eased to the ground. Cell was several feet away with his back to them as Rowan sat him down on the ground.
"Is there anything bleeding? Do you feel like there might be any internal injuries?" Rowan asked as she inspected the mans' leg. It was swollen and bruised from where it had been caught on the underside of the dashboard. The man never answered her. He kept staring at Cell's back.
"That's Cell…" He whispered after a while. Rowan nodded.
"I know. Don't be afraid of him please, he won't hurt you." She said quietly.
"But… What's he doing here, why is he with you?" Rowan smiled meekly.
"Cell's my friend." She said with sincerity. "I've known him for a long time."
"Friend? How can you be a friend with that… Thing? He's evil! He's a monster…" Rowan frowned as she helped him back to his feet, letting him use her as a support.
"I know what he's doing is wrong, but, that doesn't mean he's all bad. He's actually very nice. He even helped me look for food, its why we're in the city." The man was quiet, as Rowan helped him across the road. She grabbed a milk crate from an alley way and ran it back to the man so he could sit down with his back against the wall.
"Thank you for helping me." The man said meekly. Rowan nodded.
"You should thank Cell too. He did move that pole so you could get out." Rowan suggested. The man frowned.
"You want me to… Thank, Cell?" Rowan nodded with a broad smile on her face. The man shook his head. "If it wasn't for him, the city would be back to normal. There would be police and people everywhere, none of these thugs would be riding around, stealing things and doing terrible things. I can't thank Cell." Rowan frowned at the mans' words. Even though she knew everything he said was true, it still hurt her to hear them from someone else.
"Rowan." Cell's sharp tone snapped her attention to Cell. He was looking over his shoulder at her, an angry expression on his face. "We have company." Cell looked up. Rowan followed his gaze.
Standing on top of a large building was the green skinned man, known as Piccolo. He looked furious. Rowan heard the injured man give a squeal of fright as he spotted Piccolo too.
"What the hell is that? Another Cell?"
"No, he's an alien named Piccolo. He's one of the people trying to stop Cell. " Rowan explained quickly. "We need to get out of here, let's get you inside that office building. We should be safe until we can get help." The man nodded meekly, and he leaned against Rowan again as she put her arm around him.
They hobbled towards the office building. They were suddenly blasted forwards by an intense shockwave. Rowan lay sprawled on her face for a moment dazed. She turned to look at what had happened. Cell was hovering in the air, only a few feet from her. He had his arms crossed across his face, and there was smoke coming from his arms.
"Cell?" He glanced over his shoulder.
"He's trying to kill you." Cell warned quietly. She had never seen a fury so intense as she saw in his eyes. His voice might have been calm, but Cell was anything but. He turned back to Piccolo.
Rowan scrambled back to her feet, realizing with the full weight of what Cell had just said. Piccolo was trying to kill her.
'Because he's realized I'm the real threat now.' The thought turned her feet to lead and her stomach to ice. For a tiny moment, she regretted her actions in the Café. But it only lasted a moment. Nothing had happened to Cell's power.
Another monstrous blast of hot air, but this one wasn't from an attack. Cell's fury had burst the dam, and it exploded out of him in a fiery golden aura as he charged at Piccolo.
The shockwave that came from Cell's attack on Piccolo made the previous ones look like nothing. She was knocked from her feet, and slammed through the window of the office building. The man had managed to crawl inside already, and he was cowering behind a table.
"Crap." Rowan exclaimed as she forced herself gingerly to sit up. Shards of glass had cut her hands where she had landed, but what worried her, was the small shard sticking out of her side. Her shirt was blossoming red as it soaked up the blood from her wound. She grabbed the shard carefully and with a grunt, she yanked it free, making it squirt more blood. She quickly inspected the wound. It was a deep cut in her side, just above her hip, but it wasn't fatal, just messy.
The ground below her shook violently and another blast of hot air slammed into her. She skidded back on the slippery shards of glass, but managed to keep herself upright. Hot pain flushed from her side and her hands stung, but she forced herself to take shelter against the wall near the broken window. She dared to look outside, just in time to see Cell slam Piccolo into the road outside. His power was truly monstrous as the yellow energy lashed out with random static discharges, tearing thin lines of destruction in the environment around him where the discharges struck.
Piccolo was completely outmatched in power, and he barely had a chance to get back on his feet before Cell's boot connected with his belly and kicked him back into the ground with enough brutal force that the road became a monstrous crater, swallowing part of a building and causing it to rumble and sway before it very slowly began to collapse in itself. Rowan could only watch as the building collapsed, sending monstrous waves of dust and debris into the air. But it didn't make it to her, the wave struck the huge golden bubble of power that engulfed Cell, and was vaporized.
Lightning flared out from him, one striking just outside the building where Rowan cowered. She saw the arch of electricity strike like a whip, leaving a thin, but deep gash across the pavement.
"Holy cow... He's going to kill Piccolo…And probably destroy the city in the process…" She realized.
Rowan grit her teeth and ambled outside, each step sending another wave of pain shooting up her side and back.
"CELL!" She yelled, but Cell didn't hear her, or simply ignored her. Piccolo was lying on his back in the bottom of the huge crater, unable to defend himself. Cell had one of his boots on the Namekians' chest, and his open hand held up. The snarl on Cell's face was more terrifying than his power.
"Cell… Stop this." It hurt to move, but she forced herself to the edge of the crater. With a grunt, she fell to her rear and slid down the side of the crater.
"CELL! STOP!" She screamed as she struggled to her feet. She held her wounded side, aware she was making the injury far worse. Cell finally heard her, and he tilted his head to the side to stare. And instantly his scowl vanished. He kept his hand aimed at Piccolo, his boot on his chest, his power flaring, but he was focused on her.
She approached him, a frown on her face.
"Don't hurt him Cell."
"He was going to KILL you!" Cell snarled, infuriated.
"Do you really blame him?!" Rowan yelled back. "I'm a threat! To everyone! If I was him, I'd try to kill me too."
Piccolo grunted as he moved, lifting his head to see what was happening. Rowan stood right in front of Piccolo, glaring angrily at Cell.
Piccolo could smell the blood. It was a powerful smell. Her shirt and hand covered the wound, but the blood had soaked through her shirt and it looked serious. He could also smell… her.
"Rowan, please, move." Cell asked quietly. Rowan lowered her face down in determination, her eyes locked with Cells'.
"No." Cell snarled in frustration, before he took his boot off the Namekian. His fury was absolute as he turned from Rowan, took a few steps and then roared at the sky. The monstrous column of energy that he unleashed was absolutely immense. The entire blast was aimed up, but the heat was so intense, she could feel it blistering her arms as she lifted them to protect her face.
Cell stopped suddenly, breathing heavily. His aura vanished and he turned back to her, furious.
"Save it for the tournament Cell." Everyone turned their attention to a blonde haired man and shorter bald man who had magically appeared at the edge of the crater.
"Goku!" Cell snarled. Goku locked eyes with Cell for a long moment. Krillin ran to Piccolo, helping him to sit up.
Rowans' adrenalin failed her in that moment and she felt her knees give out under her as she fell to the dirt, exhausted and weakened from her ordeal and her injury.
"Rowan…" Cell snarled, infuriated, but he turned from Goku and strode to Rowan. He quietly inspected the wound with a deep frown.
"Do you want me to take her to Dande'? He can heal her Cell." Goku offered. His offer was genuine, but Cell was blinded with rage.
"You really think I'm going to let any of you near her? Piccolo has made it abundantly clear that none of you are as noble as you claim." Cell spat angrily.
"Goku… You have.. To get her… Away from Cell…" Piccolo grunted as he tried to speak. He was badly hurt. Goku frowned.
"Why? What's going on?" Goku looked genuinely confused and concerned. "Krillin didn't really tell me anything; he just sort of came flying down and told me I had to come straight away." Cell snorted and he bent to pick up Rowan, cradling her in his arms. Goku seemed surprised by his act.
"Wait, is she your girlfriend?" Cell snarled in reply. Goku started to laugh.
"Great, even Cell can get a girlfriend." Krillin mumbled as he helped Piccolo to his feet.
"Goku, that girl, she can double Cell's power!" Piccolo yelled. Krillin and Goku's surprise was followed by tension.
"What? Double it? How?" Goku's humour had vanished, replaced with genuine worry.
"I'll explain later, you just have to trust me." Piccolo said. Goku's face distorted from concern to a deep frown. Cell glared at him.
"You really think I'm going to give her to you?" Cell asked with a voice that sounded like death.
"Maybe not, but she looks pretty badly hurt. I give you my word Cell, if you let me take her, I'll get her fixed up straight away. No harm will come to her." Cell was so angry he was shaking. He looked down at Rowan. She smiled up at him.
"It's Okay. I'll be alright." She assured him. Goku approached Cell.
"Your word Goku. If anything happens to her, I'll rip this world a part in a heartbeat." Goku smiled with genuine happiness.
"My word Cell!" He took Rowan from Cell and grinned down at her. "Hi there! My name is Goku."
"Hey, I'm Rowan." She replied weakly. She felt dizzy and light headed. Goku turned away from Cell and headed over to the Z Warriors. They all put their hands on Goku. Rowan managed a final look between all the limbs at Cell. He wasn't just mad, he was enraged and he was sad.
Suddenly everything disappeared and was replaced with glaring white. She was forced to close her eyes to allow them time to adjust. Wherever they were, it was bright and sunny daylight. She felt Goku walking with her in his arms.
"Dande'!" Goku called out. "Dande` where are you little guy, we need your help!"
"Coming!" Rowan finally managed to open her eyes, just in time to see a little miniature Piccolo come running out of a beautiful ornate temple looking place.
"Dande` can you heal Rowan and Piccolo?" Goku asked as he gently laid Rowan down. The little Piccolo dropped to his knees besides her and held his hands out over her side.
"Hi Dande, I'm Rowan." She said. Dande` smiled down at her, he was very different to Piccolo. Rowan felt the warmth flood through her, a strange sensation. She felt her body relax as the pain faded and then disappeared.
"There, you're all better!" Dande` said with enthusiasm. Rowan sighed and sat up. She lifted her shirt, poking her side. The blood was still stained, but there was no sign of her injury. She looked at her hands and even those scrapes were gone.
"Wow that's amazing, thank you!" She exclaimed. Dande` beamed at her before he turned his attention to Piccolo who was sitting awkwardly on the white-tiled floor. Rowan stood up and looked around.
The place was beautiful. It was a huge circle shaped platform surrounded by blue sky. The platform supported rows of palm trees and beautifully tended gardens that led to the huge temple.
"Where are we?" She asked Goku. He grinned, almost dopily at her.
"It's called Kamis' Lookout, Its way up above the clouds."
"Oh, it's really peaceful looking."
"Oh yeah it's fantastic up here." Goku said with enthusiasm. "By the way, why does Piccolo think you can double Cells' power? And Can you?" Rowan frowned and looked down at the tiles under her feet.
"Yeah. I can. I'm half alien. Apparently my species has the power to double the power of people we… Um… You know… Sleep with." She mumbled the last part. Goku stared at her blinking blankly for a while.
"Really? That's pretty cool. You being an alien and all that! I'm an alien too! I'm a Sayain!" Goku pointed at himself with a big grin. Rowan couldn't stop herself from laughing. Piccolo and Krillin joined them a moment later.
"Hi, I don't think we've met." Rowan said to Krillin. Krillin grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"I'm Krillin. It's nice to meet you."
"Rowan is a traitor, Krillin." Piccolo snarled angrily. Rowan's face fell into a scowl.
"I am not a traitor."
"You were with Cell! You know what'll happen if he…"
"I AM FULLY AWARE, THANK YOU!" Rowan roared. "But I haven't given him any power and I wasn't going to, not that it's ANY of your business!"
"I think it's every ones' business! You could doom us all!"
"Um, I'm a little lost here" Krillin interrupted meekly.
"This woman, has the ability to double a person's power level!" Piccolo snarled. Krillin stared at Rowan.
"Um, that's great, how?" Rowan felt her face flush.
"It's um.. Kind of awkward." She said quietly.
"You have sex with her." Piccolo said flatly. Krillins' face went redder than a tomato almost instantly but he didn't say a word.
"Cell knows this?" Goku asked, his voice was friendly, but full of concern. Rowan nodded and sighed.
"Gero knew about my mother. He programmed Cell with the ability to um… detect my DNA. So he recognized me even though I didn't know I was different myself."
"Interesting." Goku's voice trailed off. "Well, you should be safe up here. I don't think Cell can find you easily. Is that Okay with you Dande` if she stays here?" Dande` looked lost for a moment before he finally nodded.
"Uh sure, okay."
"Great! Well, I've really got to run. I have to find 4 more dragonballs before the tournament!" Goku said with a grin. Rowan's eyes widened.
"Wait, the dragonballs are real!? Are you going to wish everyone back to life?" She couldn't stop herself from showing her enthusiasm. Goku grinned.
"Yep! See ya round!" Goku gave a quick wave before he took off in a golden blast of energy, exactly the same as Cells. Rowan watched for a moment.
"If the dragonballs grant wishes, why can't you just wish for Cell to disappear or something?" She directed her question at Piccolo. He snarled angrily at her.
"The Eternal Dragon cannot fundamentally change a person. It is against his power to do so. You cannot wish people dead, or the powers to disappear. But you can wish for a person to come back to life." Rowan nodded, accepting the information.
"Fair enough." Rowan said quietly. Piccolo snarled.
"Look, I don't like you. You potentially risk everyone's lives! I won't apologize for trying to kill you! You're too risky to keep alive!" Rowan glared back at him.
"I know. I don't blame you for wanting me dead Piccolo." Piccolo bunched his hands into fists, trembling with his anger for a moment, before he sighed and let his anger and his energy go.
"I do have to thank you for saving me though." Piccolo turned and walked away after that. Rowan smiled wearily.
"Man these guys are all crazy." She muttered to herself. Krillin and Dande both laughed.
"So Uh…. Is there… something going on between you and Cell?" Krillin asked coyly. Rowan smiled.
"Yeah, we're um… friends. I've known him for years." She said, hesitating on what to call him. What kind of relationship did they have?
"YEARS!?" Krillin almost fell over with surprise. Dande just stared, open mouthed.
"Yep. I'm going to go grab some sleep. I'm pretty tired. Is that Okay?" She directed her question to Dande. He nodded shyly.
"Oh, I'll show you to your room. Mr Popo, the caretaker, should be around somewhere as well. He can help you if you need anything.
"Oh fantastic, and thank you! You're a very gracious host." Rowan followed Dande inside the temple.
Cell was back in his arena. His arms were folded, his eyes were closed and his head was bowed, the perfect image of calm. Inside his head he raged. His anger at Piccolo had terrified him. The only time he had been angrier was held within the memory of Seru, when he had realized that Other Cell had raped Rowan. Cell sighed, his mind racing with what he should do and what it meant.
The Z warriors had Rowan and no doubt Piccolo had filled them all in on whom and what she was. Cell's eye twitched as he thought of Vegeta. He was a proud man, but he was also power obsessed and it might be possible that he would try to use Rowan. Unlikely, but possible.
Then again, any of them might do something stupid if they were desperate. An image of Piccolo with his hand around Rowans' throat made Cell's eyes fly open in anger. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He needed to focus, figure out what was going on.
He was distantly away that there were people around his arena. All of them were quite far away, but there were people who had come to see him for themselves. Gawkers, groupies, cameramen and reporters. As long as they kept their distance, he could safely ignore them all.
His senses twinged, forcing him out of his internal struggle and his eyes opened. A strange man was standing in his arena, only a few feet away, but Cell had never felt him approach. He had just appeared.
Cell studied him. He was angry and not in the mood to deal with new people, but he was still curious and he did not recognize the type. The man was short, about Vegeta's height, with close cut silver hair, except for a long pony tail that ran from the top of his scalp and down his back. He had a small nose but a strong chin and strangely white skin. It was a similar shade to Cells', only tinted red instead of purple. His ears were more pointed than a humans' but not as large as Piccolos and he had two antennae that came from his temple and swept backwards behind his ears. He wore a white sash on a simple red robe and his eyes were piercing green… The same as Rowans'. He said nothing but only stared intently at Cell for a long while. Cell stared back. He was very curious now.
Slowly the man approached Cell. Cell could see his bare feet under his robe and his approach was completely soundless. The man stopped just short of Cell and held his hand out. His finger nails were long and clear, with the nail on his thumb looking more like a claw.
"I am Quill, a Tecktarian." The mans' voice was surprisingly deep for such a short man. "I am Rowans' Mothers' Brother." Cell narrowed his eyes but he didn't move or say anything. Quill took a deep breath but kept his hand out held. "Please, take my hand." He said gently. Cell smirked.
"Why?" He asked rather rudely. Quill gave him a small smile.
"Because I asked you nicely." Cell didn't make an attempt to move. Quill sighed and lowered his hand. "As you wish, we shall do this the difficult way."
Cell couldn't track his movements. He wasn't moving super-fast, he was teleporting. He vanished from in front of Cell and reappeared instantly behind him. Cell didn't have a chance to react before the sharp thumb claw jabbed the vulnerable flesh of his neck, just under his left ear. Cell roared, infuriated and turned, swinging a powerful punch, but Quill was already gone.
He reappeared at the edge of the arena, a good deal away from Cell.
"I could have taken your blood from your hand, but you wanted to be difficult." Quill said simply. Cell snarled and threw an energy blast at the annoying alien. Quill suddenly grinned and held out his non-bloodied hand.
The energy ball disappeared.
"You really shouldn't do that." Quill warned. Cell felt his anger grow and he held out his hand, pouring more energy into another blast, throwing it at Quill. Again the ball disappeared before it reached Quill.
"I expected you to be smarter than that." Quill said as he tilted his head to the side. His hand still held out. Quill's eyes widened and the collected power of Cells' attacks suddenly came flying back. Cell knocked the energy away from his arena, up into the sky where it exploded harmlessly.
Cell flexed and lunged again. Quill disappeared instantly.
"Stop DOING THAT and FIGHT ME!" Cell roared.
"I don't fight. Tecktarians' are pacifists." Cell whirled around. Quill was standing on the top of the arena's pillar on one foot. Cell watched as Quill all to casually, flicked one of his antennae forward, arching it over his head, and gently touched the blood-filled claw.
"Well… This is.. Interesting." Quill said after a moment.
"What are you doing with my blood?" Cell demanded.
"Checking the markers." Quill replied casually.
"What? What does that mean?"
"Every time you benefit from Rowan, it marks your blood. I'm checking to see how many and what type of markers appears in your blood. Only… This is strange." Cell scowled, feeling his anger flaring again. Quill was unfazed. His teleportation was frustrating Cell. He couldn't land a hit if Quill wasn't there to hit. And his energy attacks were ineffective if he could just bounce them back.
"Apparently… Rowan was your first, but not this Rowan. An older Rowan, one who was not in good health and who did not give you the gift of her first time and that bond. And yet also this Rowan was your first, but you forced her, and to make it extra confusing, you shared another first time with this Rowan, and this Rowan's blood shows that you were her first? How can you have three first times with two different Rowans?" Cell snarled.
"That's none of your business." Quill shrugged.
"Well I'm very confused by the readings in your blood. Regardless, I have what I needed from you. Perhaps you would be so kind as to tell me where about I might find my niece at this moment?" Quill stared down at Cell, completely unbothered by Cell's apparent rage.
"Like Hell!" He roared, blasting a monstrous beam of energy at Quill. Quill rolled his eyes and held his hands out. The energy disappeared.
"How are you doing that?!" Cell roared. Quill 's grin was full of malice.
"Surely you don't think a Tecktarians' only power lies between their legs?" Quill asked. Cell's snarl turned into a look of bewilderment and then anger. Quill shrugged.
"I guess I'll have to look for her on my own."
"I'm not finished with you yet!" Cell snarled. Quill frowned and lifted a hand to the sky. The monstrous amount of energy he had just absorbed shot straight up, once against harmlessly exploding in the sky.
"I'm not going to fight you. Mainly because you'd kill me in one hit, if you could hit me. I don't really want to risk that. Not till after I've spoken to my niece." Quill tapped his two fingers against his head in an impromptu wave and grinned before he suddenly disappeared. Cell frowned and slowly recovered his composure, before returning to his usual stance in the middle of the arena.
He was very curious as to what he had just learned, and he wondered if that would help him get Rowan back.