Author's Note: Hi all! Thanks SO much for sticking with me and for being patient while I wrote up this second chapter. My original intent was to try and get it out before the holidays, but you can see how well that turned out. I plan on starting on chapter 3 in the next few days, probably after my dad comes up to visit tomorrow and Friday. Hopefully I can keep putting out chapters at a steady pace, and in the meantime I'll be reading over my other stories and trying to write down information that I should've done a long time ago, haha. I've been watching Season 5&6 of DBZ to brush up on my facts and taking notes, as well as watching DBZ Kai for both reasons but also to see what's different. It'd been a while since I'd watched DBZ, so I'm really glad I did!
Anyway, on to reviews, and thanks to all of you for reviewing, it means a lot! And I appreciate all of the constructive criticism you all give, as well as the love. You guys help keep me going!
JustSaiyan123: I tried to keep your review in mind while I wrote this chapter; hopefully it's a bit better and not as many word walls, if any! I tried to space out everything better and make more paragraphs overall, instead of giant text blocks, haha. Please let me know what you think, and if you think I should make the paragraphs even smaller, please let me know! I appreciate your input and taking the time to write such a wonderful review! :)
For my two guest reviews, thank you! Hopefully you both like this chapter. For the second guest review, I don't understand French too well myself, but with the wonders of the internet I was able to translate your comment and want to thank you, again, both for reading and for taking the time to review. I really, really appreciate it, thanks so much everyone!
On to the story!~
A Need Unknown
Sayah opened her eyes slowly, the burning light from the sun almost too painful to bear. She couldn't seem to register where the hell she was, much less what had happened to her. It all seemed like a bad dream, a pure nightmare, and she hoped that when she opened her eyes, she'd be back at home, probably asleep on her couch with an open book on her face. She took in a deep breath as the light finally began to slightly fade and stop burning, and she couldn't help but notice how unbearably hard the surface of her couch was, giving her the nauseating feeling that she wasn't on her couch at all.
When she opened her eyes fully, she blinked a few times and began to look around cautiously, careful to not make too much noise or movement. She realized that what lay beneath her was definitely not a couch, but instead a type of rock that felt very smooth and warm to the touch. She immediately recognized it as marble, causing her to furrow her eyebrows in confusion before gaining a little more courage to look around, noticing that quite close to her was what appeared to be a very large, tall, pointed pillar. She timidly began to turn around completely, not entirely sure if she even wanted to find out where the heck she was, much less if she had company. She continued, though, and as her eyes made their way around her surroundings, she noticed another spiky pillar before her eyes settled on what she hoped was just a jeering illusion, and not really…Cell.
She took a moment to gulp, now noticing how dry her mouth was as all the recent memories began flooding back into her mind. He was standing a few ways away from her, back turned to her and yet she could distinctly tell that he had his arms crossed, even from the other side of the arena. Her face started to lose its color as she suddenly remembered all of the breaking news stories that had entirely interrupted her music the various times she'd been listening to the radio. She couldn't have possibly imagined this happening, especially since every time those broadcasts came on, she'd taken some refuge in knowing that she lived far, so very far away from those big cities he'd hit that she almost had nothing to worry about…almost. Plus, she vaguely remembered hearing about these people, this group of men that happened to save the earth time and time again; but where she heard that and who she heard it from she couldn't possibly identify. Those pieces of information were like most of her past – evanescent, disremembered, or unknown.
She chose not to dwell on the bane of her existence for too long, especially since she had so many questions to ask this Cell, primarily being why the hell she was here. Everyone in the world seemed to cower before this…person…could she call him a person? His outward appearance didn't quite deem him human, but she wasn't one to judge a book by its cover. But besides that, she didn't understand him supposedly "healing" her, especially if he was such a ruthless murderer like she'd so often heard exclaimed over the radio. Maybe that was something she shouldn't touch upon, but she knew eventually her curiosity would get the best of her; regardless, she also knew she at least had to find out why he'd brought her here.
As she slowly moved to stand, she noticed that all of the gashes and bruises she'd had on her body were gone, and took this time to give herself a once over to ensure she wasn't just seeing things. "Well I'll be damned…he really did heal me." She thought, catching a glimpse of her clothing out of the corner of her eye during her brief self-examination. When she turned her full attention from where the wounds had been to what she was wearing, her eyes widened and her cheeks began to turn pink from embarrassment. "What, he couldn't 'heal' my clothes, too?" She thought abashedly, crossing her arms across her abdomen in a poor attempt to cover her exposed stomach. She wasn't one that enjoyed revealing her skin frequently, if ever, unless she was in the comfort of her home in the middle of nowhere, like she had been when she'd thrown on her comfy tank top and shorts for the evening.
Still using her arms as makeshift clothes, Sayah sauntered her way over to Cell, trying to hide the hints of fear that kept nipping at her entire body. At the same time, she didn't know exactly why she felt some 'confidence,' if you could call it that; she just knew that it was not in her nature to show fear in the face of danger. As she approached, moving closer and closer, she took a deep breath and released it, trying to calm any frazzled nerves threatening to run amok and possibly giving away how she really felt.
She approached Cell from the right, moving to stand in front of him and his crossed arms. She slowly moved her arms back to rest at her sides, waiting to see if he would say or do anything to acknowledge her, and when he didn't, she sighed and realized she'd have to be the first to speak.
"Cell," she asked, her tone slightly louder than normal just so she could make sure she got his attention, "Where are we?"
Cell, who'd been aware of all of her movements since before she even woke up, didn't bother to move nor open his eyes before quickly responding, "Area S point 5, 28 miles east of Eastern City."
Sayah's eyes widened in surprise at how easily he gave up the answer. She had been trying to think of a barrage of questions to ask him to try and pinpoint their location, so she was pleasantly surprised when he answered her without any extra effort. But, she'd been so busy trying to think of those questions, that now she wasn't entirely sure what to say or ask; so, she asked the first thing that popped into her mind.
"Why did you bring me here?"
At this, Cell immediately opened his eyes, trying to think of an answer to the question he'd been asking himself since before their arrival. He kept his eyes from looking at anything other than her face, and he stared directly into her emerald hues before replying with a smirk, "You simply piqued my interest, that's all."
Sayah felt her cheeks flush as soon as his gaze landed directly on her. She didn't know what it was, but she couldn't help thinking about how gorgeous his eyes were. "How can something so beautiful belong to someone so supposedly evil?" She thought, using the word 'supposedly' since she'd never actually seen him do anything bad through her own two eyes. Well, unless punching a giant hole through the side of her house counted…yeah, that should probably count.
"Piqued your interest, huh? And what do you suppose we do while we're here?" She retorted, making a motion with her arms to signal the entirety of the arena, "Play cards? Checkers? Put a puzzle together?" She never moved her eyes from his, as much as she wanted to. She couldn't exactly place it, but something about his smug air of superiority was just rubbing her the wrong way.
Cell immediately frowned at her response, both angry yet surprised that she'd have the courage to speak to him in such a manner. A small part of him wondered if she really, truly knew the extent of his power, or if she only had this bravado because she'd never actually seen him in action. Regardless of what it was, she would quickly learn just how further down on the food chain she really was compared to him. "You'd be wise to watch your tongue," he spoke in an icy tone, to tell her he meant business, "Your pathetic human life means nothing to me, and it won't bother me any to sever that pretty head from the rest of your body." He brought a devilish smile to his face, showing her that he had less than negligible regard for human life.
Sayah felt a shiver go down her spine at his words, but the pompous air he gave off only served to make her even more irritated; and even though she was pretty scared at her core, she knew that anger was starting to win out by a long mile. However, she also knew that she had to keep her head cool, or she really might just lose it. She didn't want to get so angry she'd say, or worse, do something she regretted, even if it probably wouldn't feel but nothing more than a mosquito bite to someone of his caliber.
"Is that so?" She mused, moving her hands to her hips, "Then why did you bring me here, then?" She asked, smirking; she knew she had him there, since he himself had said her life was unimportant.
Cell watched as she moved her hands to her hips, seeing her tattered clothing and hastily moving his eyes back to meet with hers. He couldn't help but laugh loudly at her statement; did she really think she could outwit him in a battle of words? Little did she know he had thousands of years of knowledge, which easily included dictionaries in various languages, at his disposal; he could answer her in Latin if he wanted to. "And you think because I brought you here that makes you special?" He couldn't hold back another laugh, "Senseless girl; I merely figured you'd be entertainment for the next few days until my tournament begins. And once it does, I assure you, you will be properly disposed of." His voice was low and menacing, that same devilish grin from earlier playing on his lips once more.
Sayah listened closely to his words, trying to keep her anger and now considerably heightened fear under wraps, "So he brought me here simply because I'm the lucky one he happened to come across on his way to this place," she thought bitterly, her hands, now at her sides, clenching into fists, "I was stupid to think that there was a reason behind me being here, and now I know I definitely have nothing against him to keep him from killing me without even thinking twice about it." She bit her lip, an idea suddenly popping into her head, "Well, if my fate is sealed already, I can at least choose to do what I can about it while I'm still able," She released her lip, the corners of her mouth turning up into a coy smile, "And if I'm stuck here with a 'supposedly,' since I haven't seen it myself, cold-blooded killer, I can at least annoy and frustrate him as much as I can…even if it kills me. Well…kills me sooner." She held back a giggle, managing to see the confused look on Cell's face, brief as it was. Oftentimes, she herself didn't understand why she did the things she did, much less where these ideas came from.
"Well look, if I'm going to be stuck here with you for the next few days, can you at least take me somewhere so I can get a change of clothes? And something to eat?" She wasn't necessarily hungry considering the situation, but she knew she'd eventually need something to stay hydrated and keep up her energy if necessary, especially if she was going to be here a while. She moved her hands back to rest on her hips when she saw him taking his time to consider it, "I know you probably can't tell but my clothes have been torn to shreds, and I also don't think you'll want to deal later tonight with a woman who is cold, hungry, and thirsty all at the same time. I don't think I have to tell you that it won't be pleasant." She added, seeing as his gaze first narrowed at her sarcastic comment, but he shortly after uncrossed his arms, which she responded to by moving her arms back to her sides. She didn't know what he was going to do, but she hoped it had something to do with getting her some new clothes.
Cell recognized that there was some truth to her words, and from what little knowledge he had on the subject, he knew that human females weren't particularly pleasant under the conditions she'd stated. To save himself future bother and annoyance, he decided that it probably would be in his best interests to concede to her request…for now. And if he was going to allow this, then they would only go about it only one way: his way. He would take her somewhere where they couldn't be bothered by other living beings and where she could gather the items she needed quickly and without any intrusions nor interruptions. And, in order to get there, they would use the most efficient way currently conceivable to him – flying, whether she liked it or not. Now, whether he liked it or not was a different matter…he wasn't particularly keen on the concept of having to be close to any human, particularly this certain one that he had more questions about than answers, the main one being why she seemed to be, as much as he'd denied it earlier and for lack of a better word, special.
"Fine. I'll take you somewhere where you can collect the items you require." He took a few steps closer to her, closing the gap between them and trying not to laugh at the surprised expression on her face, "Make sure you hold on tight to me. In the unlikely event that something happens and I have to let go of you, I won't swoop down to save you if you fall." He added, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling at the back of his head that told him he'd just boldfaced lied to her. If there was something he absolutely wouldn't do it was lie, but he couldn't help it if it happened without him purposefully doing so. Either way, he didn't want her to get any ideas about trying to test if he meant what he said.
He reached one arm out and wrapped it around her waist, trying feverously to ignore the feeling of his skin touching her bare flesh, and took off into the sky without warning.
Sayah's eyes widened when he stepped closer to her, but she didn't have time to move away before he'd wrapped one very strong arm around her and taken to the air, the sudden jump into the sky knocking the wind out of her. It took her quite a few seconds to regain her regular breathing pattern, yet even still she couldn't say it was completely regular since the air around them felt so dense. Her hair whipped wildly about her, and she didn't bother to think twice before wrapping her arms around Cell's neck, unconsciously pressing her body against his as if it would keep her from falling.
"Holy shit!" She yelled, glancing down and seeing the vast landscape below her. Her face started paling and she gulped, wrapping her arms tighter around Cell's neck, if it was even possible. "Slow down!" She managed to scream, shutting her eyes tight and trying to bury her face in her arm, which still happened to be around Cell's neck. She'd flown before, and she truly didn't mind it…as long as it was within the confines of a plane's sturdy metal walls.
"What was that? Did you say speed up?" Cell responded, smirking and picking up the pace a bit. Although not too much, he didn't want her to get sick and vomit on him or close to him. After a few more seconds of torturing her he finally slowed down, his main reason being that he wanted her to move her face away from his neck as quickly as possible, especially since her hot breath on his skin was making him lose the slightest bit of focus. He had to get her away from him as quickly as possible.
Once he slowed to a decent speed, he smirked when he saw the spot he'd been headed towards barely off in the distance. There wasn't a hint of any living presence in the town, which was just the way he'd wanted it. It didn't take long for them to reach the desired location, and once he found a spot that appeared to have various businesses along a strip, he began his descent and landed in the middle of a road. "Here we are. Now hurry and gather what you deem necessary; I'd like to get back to my ring as soon as possible." He spoke dryly, crossing his arms in his usual fashion and staring at her with impatience.
Sayah released her arm's iron hold around his neck when she felt the ground beneath her feet. She hadn't dared looked around while they were in mid-flight for fear that she would get sick and "accidentally" hurl on Cell, although as funny as it would've been, the consequences would've probably been much more painful than the short-lived laughs she'd have gotten. She glanced at him briefly before deciding to look around, wondering why he seemed so smug until she began taking a good look around the place.
There were clothes and shoes everywhere, as if the person inside of them had simply vanished in the midst of walking, driving, eating, or whatever else they appeared to be doing. Her mouth opened slightly, her eyes widening as her mind was barely able to register what the hell had happened here. Her body froze in shock as she stared at what appeared to be endless piles of clothes all around them, even purses and belts that the owner had left behind. What the hell happened here?
"This…this isn't Eastern City." She managed to croak out, her entire body trembling as the weight of the situation finally dawned on her.
"Of course not, girl. I didn't want any interferences, so I brought you to the place that I felt best suited the situation at hand – Ginger town. Now you don't have to worry about anyone getting in your way and much less about having to pay for the items you claim you need," He smirked, chuckling at her horrified expression, "So hurry. I won't wait on you for long." Cell added, watching as she gulped before taking in a deep breath. The horror in her eyes had yet to dissipate, and his eyes never moved from her form as she shakily began to step forward, trying feverously to avoid stepping on any clothes.
"Oh god, Ginger town…" She thought, remembering the news reports of a green monster that had caused the entire city's population to disappear without a trace. She could barely keep her eyes off the ground as she walked around any clothes she came across, trying hard not to let any tears brim her eyes as she moved. After a while she took a moment to look around, spotting a quaint little café in the distance, and a clothes store that was not too far from where she stood. She made her way to the clothing store, and as she approached the doors her eyes widened and a blush immediately formed on her cheeks. "Are you kidding me?!" She exclaimed, her blush deepening as she walked through the double doors. "It wouldn't surprise me if he did this on purpose…" She thought, trying to keep her composure as she walked up to the pay counter and looked for some bags to put the items in. She found a few large ones and let out a deep sigh, saying a quick 'I'm sorry' to the clothes behind the counter that had most likely belonged to whoever had been working at the time.
She then began to make her way through the store, thanking the heavens that there were regular clothes on the other side of the store, not just lingerie. She then looked through the racks quickly, grabbing a few sets of bras and panties in her size, noticing that there were a few items that caught her attention solely because of how cute and sexy they were. She stared at them for a few seconds before muttering a quick, "Well at least I'll have sexy undies when I die," and grabbing the last few items that were her size.
"Ugh, what is wrong with me…" She whispered, making her way to the other side of the store that contained t-shirts, sweatpants, yoga pants, and other workout items as well as some regular everyday clothes and various types of shoes. She used the remaining bags to stuff them with these items, grabbing some PJs from this side of the store since she'd grabbed some from the other side of the store as well. She didn't know how long she'd have to be out there, so she grabbed quite a few items, especially since she was pretty sure she wasn't going to be able to do laundry anytime soon, and at the last moment spotted some blankets on a shelf near the door and grabbed a few of those as well. When she had finished taking what she figured she'd need, she then left the store and tried to hurry to the café that she'd spotted earlier, which was now quite a few feet closer.
She bit her lip and set the clothes bags down near the door, again moving behind the counter and grabbing some bags that she could fit some food and snacks into. She noticed that they also had some cold bags to put fridge or frozen items in, and she grabbed a few of those before making her way through the back doors to grab what she could out of the stockroom. She tried to ignore the clothes and half-prepared pastries that were on the counters nearby, and grabbed a few plastic utensils that she stuffed into one of the food bags she had in her hand. After getting what she expected would last her a week, she grabbed a sturdy bag and filled it with plastic water bottles that were in one of the fridges in the front. It was heavy, but she'd be lying if she said it slowed her down any, especially since she'd lived in the middle of nowhere for so long and had gotten used to dragging heavy stuff around by herself. She didn't think too much on it as she made her way back out to the street with her other bags, looking around for someplace she could shower and frowning when there wasn't a hotel, gym, or any other place with a shower nearby.
She sighed and started making her way back to where Cell was, making a mental note to tell him to take her somewhere she could get cleaned up and changed. As uneasy as the thought made her, it made her even more uneasy to be covered in dirt and sweat for any longer than she'd had to.
Cell watched her approach, noticing that she didn't seem too out of breath despite all the bags she was carrying. "The items must not be very heavy," He mused, since as far as he knew human females were even weaker than their male counterparts, and as such were barely able to lift heavy items on their own. When she was within hearing range, he moved his arms to his sides and watched her move closer. "So I take it you've acquired the items you need?" He asked, watching as she slowed to a stop in front of him and set the bags down, unable to peel his eyes away from the abhorrently bright pink bags with the corresponding store's logo on the front.
"Yeah, I believe so. But do you th—" Sayah didn't get to finish her sentence before Cell wrapped an arm around her waist and took off in a similar fashion as he had last time, with no warning or notion that he'd be doing so. She let out a quick yelp when the sheer force of their fast movement knocked the wind out of her again, and she wrapped her arms around Cell's neck and closed her eyes tight until she felt their speed begin to slow down, which she hoped meant that they were about to land somewhere. When she thought she felt hard ground beneath her feet she opened her eyes and let go of Cell, but as soon as she did so he let her go as well and she lost her balance, landing firmly on her rear.
"OW! Was that necessary?!" She yelled looking up at his looming figure and noticing the seemingly irritated expression on his face. Her eyes widened for a moment before she moved her gaze away and huffed, lifting herself up off the ring's smooth surface. She had completely forgotten about the bags until she saw them hovering around him, and after a few seconds they slowly floated to land on the ground next to her. "Ass," She muttered under her breath, picking up the bags and moving them to the corner that she remembered waking up at, self-proclaiming it as her corner of the ring.
Cell watched her, eyes narrowed and trying hard to get rid of the feeling her arms had left when they'd been wrapped around his neck. He didn't bother watching her walk back to 'her corner' of the ring, instead choosing to turn around and try and meditate any and all sensations her skin pressed against his had left during their short flight back to the arena. He kept a mental note to set her straight the next time she tried calling him a foul name; that is, if she even tried it again. He crossed his arms against his chest and let out a deep sigh, trying to focus on bringing himself back to his usual centered state, instead of the slightly frazzled one he was in now. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted in the least throughout his physical and mental training during the next few days, and he sure wasn't about to begin now.
Sayah set the bags down once she'd reached her corner, and sighed once before putting her hands on her hips and looking at them. "Well, so much for getting a decent shower…" She uttered, rolling her eyes before looking through some of the clothing bags and picking out some clothes and undies to wear. "At least it's not the first time I've had to find a place to bathe outdoors," She mused, pulling out a set of travel-size toiletries that she'd found near the cash register counter at the clothing store, "Good thing I saw these…not all hope is lost," she smiled to herself before putting all the items she'd need in one of the smaller bags and pausing to look back at Cell. "I'm sure he won't even notice I'm gone," She thought, smiling mischievously, "Lucky for him I have no idea where the hell we are, otherwise I'd be trying to high-tail it out of here…for now, my best bet is to stay here until help arrives," She picked up the bag she'd packed and started to move as quietly as possible, first off the ring and then away from the ring, trying not to make any noise as she moved. When Cell didn't move an inch she grinned in success, and once he was out of sight she began to move further into the forest greenery surrounding the arena, hoping to find any trace of a body of water nearby.
"If I have any luck, maybe some of the animals that live here will help me find one, like they did last time I went too far into the woods," She contemplated, remembering the time not long ago when she'd gotten lost in the forestry near her home, and somehow, as if on cue, a few animals had come out and approached her and helped her find a place to drink and bathe. As far as she could remember, which wasn't very far, she had to admit, she'd been in love with nature and had always had the wonderful luck of attracting animals nearby. She had no idea how, much less when this had started, and had come to learn that anytime she tried to find out more about herself or why things happened to her, she'd always end up with more questions than she'd begun, and that all seemed to culminate around one person's name, a name which she had never forgotten but couldn't seem to dig up any information on.
Author's Note: So, what does everyone think? I know it's slow right now, but I plan on revving it up within the next chapter or two. As I'm sure you all know, we have to set the place, time, and the baseline for everything before things can get, let's say, spicy. ;) Anyone have any ideas on Sayah's background? I tried putting some very subtle hints here and there, but they're probably a little too subtle unless you've watched the Android & Cell Sagas lately. And even then, they might still be pretty small, haha! Anyway, thanks to all of you for reading! Please review, and many hugs!
~SinTotchi