Chapter 5 "Hopeless"

Day 4

Mina woke up earlier than expected. She stretched stiffly, trying to remember what had happened. Apparently, she had blacked out again, as it was hard for her to recall anything. She was also very exhausted, as she rarely had the chance to eat. The vegetable soup yesterday felt like her first hot meal in a long time. Since Cell had begun the extermination of humanity, Mina hadn't been able to eat properly, and now she felt completely starved. The first thing she wanted to do was have a proper breakfast with Yasa. Yasa… Mina was grateful that Yasa was still just a normal human. Not like Mori… she had really gotten Mina into trouble… The crane… Yesterday felt like a nightmare. But with a happy ending. It was unbelievable that she had survived the attack! Alone, purely by luck, Mina was still alive! And the best part was that those people wouldn't find her here! What luck she had! She thought of all the luxury she could enjoy here, the makeup she'd stolen, the clothes, and everything else she'd find. She definitely wanted to look for some Capsule Corp. capsules since her car had been stolen by those mysterious people...
She stretched and sat up. Her sore muscles still hadn't improved, but it didn't feel as bad now that she knew she didn't have to hide here. She was thrilled about the peace she would have on the island.

She stood up and went to the window to pull back the curtains. Taking a deep breath, she enjoyed the fresh air and looked outside. Dawn was just breaking, and only a few stars were still visible. Hopefully, the day would turn out to be as beautiful as the last! It could only get better!
Mina went to the bathroom to get ready. The bathroom was enormous, with two sinks and a bathtub. The toilet was in a separate room. Like she was at home, she took off her bathrobe and carelessly tossed it aside.
She stood naked in the bathroom, searching for towels. Beside the sinks were two small cabinets, and on top of one lay a hairdryer. Curious, she switched it on to check if it still worked. It ran without issue, so she switched it off and set it back down. How could there still be electricity? Was someone still working at the power plant? How much longer would running water be available?
The thought of a dystopian future without the luxury of electricity and water hit her like a punch to the gut. What would she do in the future? Oh, right… wait… there was a certain someone... For a brief moment, Mina had forgotten that Cell intended to kill her if he won his tournament. Before panic set in, she tried to calm herself and think of something else.

She continued to look around the room. The furniture was all beautiful and of high quality. Mina opened each small cabinet, finding a variety of hair products and bath additives. "Whoa! This hotel really has everything!" she said, amazed. With these, she could style her hair quite nicely… She considered how she should wear it. Cell crept back into her thoughts.
The makeup should also match the hairstyle later…
Who could stop him?
Maybe Son Goku?
Big, playful curls, or a ponytail?
Her bangs swept to the side, as usual…
Could she beg for mercy?

A sudden knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She quickly grabbed her bathrobe, put it on, and let Yasa in.
"Oh, Mina! You're up early!" Yasa said, still sleepy.
"Did I wake you with the hairdryer?" Mina asked.
"Yes, but it's not a problem. So, what should we do today?" she asked, sitting down on Mina's bed.
"Well... first, I need some fresh clothes, and then I want to go to the Capsule store. After that, I'm not sure. I'm still totally worn out from beach volleyball yesterday."
Yasa leaned back, staring at the ceiling, thinking to herself. "Hmm... well, I was planning to dye my hair first and then get some breakfast... Do you need to go to the store right away? We could do it together later!" Yasa suggested.
Mina replied, "Actually, I wanted to have breakfast first and then go to the store to look for capsules. I need a flyer and, if possible, a car and a house. Ideally, I'd also like some storage capsules so I can take as many designer clothes with me as possible. This chance won't come around again!"
Yasa nodded and got up from the bed. "Alright, I'm going to dye my hair now so I can get that out of the way. Don't be mad at me for leaving you to have breakfast alone, okay? I don't usually eat anything in the morning," she apologized, then went to the window. "The weather will be just as beautiful as yesterday! We could lie out on the beach!" Yasa said enthusiastically, and Mina agreed. The day was simply too nice not to make the most of it.
"Okay, what time is it anyway?" Mina asked, and Yasa replied, "It's 5 a.m." It was strange that Mina had woken up so early again... Something didn't feel right. It had been the same yesterday... But no matter. She was safe here.
"Shall we meet at the bar at 9?" Mina suggested, and Yasa agreed. They said goodbye, and Yasa left the room.
Mina took off her bathrobe again and went back to the bathroom. She ran a bath and added a rose-scented bath bomb. Then she went to the sink and brushed her teeth.

Carefully, she stepped into the tub and quickly relaxed in the warmth of the water. She couldn't believe it. She was lying in a bathtub with rose petals floating on the water's surface! It felt like it had been ages since she'd last experienced this dream of luxury. The water was wonderful... It was a miracle that everything was still functioning! Electricity and water were still available... But why!? Cell had already destroyed so much… Mina didn't understand.
As she enjoyed her bath, she thought about the possible opponents. Was there anyone who could take down Cell? What about Son Goku? Tenshinhan? Where could Cell be now? Was he still standing in the ring, bored? Why… why didn't she feel as terrified anymore? Cell wanted to kill her… Would he?

Yes.

...

no

...

Or would he?

Strange. Mina still wanted to talk to him. What did he know about the world? What kind of person was he... oh right. She almost forgot for a moment that Cell was two meters tall and green. How could his behavior be so human-like? He could articulate himself better than many others... Lost deep in thought, Mina didn't notice that the skin on her fingers had already wrinkled.
She stood up and let the water drain. Then she used the hair care products and rinsed off in the shower.
Her hair felt incredibly soft thanks to the conditioning treatments, and Mina wished she could always use the same products. Why was she suddenly getting everything she had ever wanted in life? Her dream of financial freedom had been practically granted… thanks to Cell. She dried herself off with a towel and reached for the hairdryer. On the lowest setting, she carefully dried and styled her hair. The hotel even provided hairspray and mousse in the bathroom, allowing her to get ready properly. Her hair was gathered into a casual updo, and only afterward did she realize how much she resembled her mother with this style.
She wondered what her parents were doing right now. Hopefully, they were safe.
Even though the hotel had everything… Mina was missing fresh clothes. Either she would wash what she'd worn yesterday, or she would visit a boutique to get something new.

She remembered that she also wanted to go to the Capsule store. If Cell lost his tournament, a Capsule house could come in very handy for Mina.
The white dress she'd worn the day before wasn't something she wanted to wear again, but she didn't have any other clothes, so she reluctantly put it on. She grabbed her new bag with her makeup inside and applied a subtle look to match her hairstyle. Then, she packed her bag and headed to the shops. She could grab breakfast on the way or have it later.
What look should she go for today? Maybe jeans with a fitted shirt? Or perhaps a miniskirt instead? What would go best with her hairstyle?
Lost in thought, she strolled through the shopping district, glancing at the window displays. Too many choices! The weather was still a bit cool, and Mina looked up at the sky, now tinted pink. She wondered what color Yasa had chosen for her hair. Suddenly, Mina felt an urge to dye her own hair, too. If she didn't have much time left to live, she should absolutely do things she'd usually never do. Normally, she preferred a natural look, and even wearing makeup felt like too much for her, but when you have only a few days left, you can let go of some of your principles. Should she do it? What color?
The thought of having the freedom to do absolutely anything made her feel butterflies in her stomach. Her life had completely changed. And all because of Cell! …Should… should she actually thank him!? Mina stopped and stared at the ground.
Should she thank him? Was that sensible? No. But then she'd have an excuse to talk to him again… Her hands started to tremble, and she clenched her fists. A broad grin spread across her face, because the thought of talking to him again thrilled her. It felt so… forbidden. He didn't want it… but Mina went to him anyway… like it was a game with a single question that had to be answered: when would he finally have enough? What could she ask him? What could she do with him? Would he… oh, never mind. She thought back to the day before yesterday.

xXxx
"You're here again!"
"You've really lost it, haven't you!"
"Why does it matter to you?"

xXxx
She found it funny that they bickered and he didn't just get rid of her. Mina chuckled but quickly fell silent again. Right… why didn't he? Why didn't he just do it? She realized she was recalling something Cell had once said to her about it, but it was vague. What had he said? There was something…
She noticed she was just standing there aimlessly, so she quickly stepped into the shop in front of her. She looked around. Everything was pure white. A bridal shop.
She backed out again.
Never.
With anyone.
Not in a million years!

Marriage and kids just weren't her thing. Mina saw herself as someone who lived solely for money. Money would give her a position of power… and with that, respect and envy… maybe then her parents would be proud of her? They were proud of her brother. And he was a manager or something… something important. What was his name again? Honestly, she didn't really know him. She had seen him once. The fact that her parents had another child at that age… They never missed an opportunity to remind her that she was an accident, that she'd never really belong. Everyone in her family was something special.
All of them successful.
All of them respected.
And Mina?
Nothing. That wasn't her. Too clumsy and scatterbrained in everything she did. She only obsessed over makeup because she'd learned that pretty women often had an advantage. Mina had always resisted, until she tried it once, and wow, what a difference it made! From that point on, things started looking up for her. She got every job she applied for.
She realized her thoughts were drifting, and she tried to focus on what outfit she wanted to wear. Stop thinking about it! That previous life was over!
The next store was just her style.
She stepped inside and looked around.
Everything.
Absolutely everything!
Mina had to have it all!

She left the store and headed for the Capsule Corp. shop, since storage capsules would help her clear out the store. She wanted to take everything she liked with her!
The capsule shop had shattered windows, and shards were scattered everywhere. Hopefully, there was still something worth taking... She entered the store, and several shelves lay overturned on the floor, with all sorts of things wildly strewn about. At first glance, Mina couldn't find any capsules. Crouching down, she carefully searched for something useful. Frustrated, she stood up and looked around again. Behind the cash register was a door marked "Employees Only." As Mina walked over to it, she continued to scan the room. Suddenly, she spotted a capsule box under a shelf and rushed over to it. The box wasn't large, but the question was whether it contained anything at all. She crouched down and felt around under the shelf until she found it. Hectically, she pulled it out and opened it. Unfortunately, the box was empty, and in frustration, Mina tossed it aside. She stood up and headed straight for the door. When she reached for the doorknob, she heard a familiar sound. A noise that paralyzed her legs and sent her to the ground. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she whimpered for help. The sound of a helicopter... Was it the people from yesterday? How? Was it really them? Shocked, Mina tried to get up and ran to a broken window to look outside. The helicopter was landing not far from her.

Panic.

It was them.

The crane.

Mina recognized where they were landing.
Right next to the hotel where she had recently been.
For a brief moment, everything went black. How had they found Mina? She was completely terrified and ran to the door, slamming into it as she tried to push down the doorknob. It was locked.

"No!" she gasped, gasping for air. She tried to push the doorknob down as hard as she could, but it remained locked. Mina stepped back and kicked it, but she was too weak. She broke down in tears and, in distress, murmured for help. What now? "Help!" Her cries grew louder.
"Help!" What was she supposed to do now? She looked around the shop in panic but found no capsules. She'd take anything right now! A car, a plane, a boat! It didn't matter! Just one thought; the back way!

She quickly ran out of the store and stopped for a moment. Where were those people? She saw no one. To her left was a long row of shops, and to her right... an alley! Frantically, she dashed into it, searching for the back entrance of the store. She saw a few doors but wasn't sure which one was the right one. Tense, she continued walking and finally found the employee entrance of the Capsule Corp. store. She hurried over but saw that the metal door could only be opened with a key. She pressed down on the doorknob, but the door was definitely locked. Her stomach tightened, and her legs grew weak. There was no way out. Without a capsule, she couldn't escape! Wait... the plane she had come in on! But... that was still in the hotel room! Damn it! That was where the people had landed! Her thoughts raced. Should she run to the pier and look for a boat? Or what... no. She took a deep breath. Focus! What was the problem now? She needed to flee. To do that, she needed a capsule. Whether by land or water, she could pilot both. The back area of the store seemed not to have been looted, and to get inside, she needed a key... Where would one find a key!? The employees! ...but no one was there. "Where? Where? Where? Where?" she murmured to herself. Where would Mina keep a key? Hmm... at the register? The key might be at the register! She quickly ran back. Just as she was about to enter the store, she heard gunshots. Oh no! YASA! She started to cry again but tried to keep her voice down. There was nothing she could do. If the men had really shot at Yasa, it was already too late! She remembered how she had hidden under the hedge from the men and knew that only silence could save her. But maybe the men were smarter this time than before!? Maybe they had tracking dogs with them this time!? If that were the case, Mina absolutely had to leave the island! She stormed into the store and looked for a set of keys but found none.
Quickly, she went over to the register and opened all the compartments and drawers. Just paper, books, and office supplies... THERE! Mina found a set of keys under a pile of receipts and hurried over to the door. She examined the keyhole and compared the keys on the ring by size. One looked like it might fit, and she tried to open the door. Success, but that was only a small triumph! She quickly went inside and found herself in a long hallway. There were four doors on each side. Two of them were restrooms. Confused, she walked over to an unmarked one and opened it. "Not locked, what luck!" she said, relieved, as she pushed the door open.
The room was sufficiently illuminated by a small window, and Mina could see that many boxes were stacked on shelves. Curiously, she walked over to one of the shelves. She examined the boxes in front of her, took one out, and placed it on the floor in front of her. With a key, she scored the tape and opened the box with her hands. The contents were wrapped in paper, and she impatiently tore it away. In her hand, she held a medium-sized box of capsules, original from Capsule Corp. In the upper right corner of the box was a red rectangle stating that the capsules were ready to use immediately. She turned the box around and looked at the list of numbers on the back. A small house, a small boat, a plane similar to the one she had arrived on the island with, and three additional storage capsules. Exactly what she needed right now! What luck! She removed the quality seals from the sides of the box and took a peek inside. Yes. Everything was there.
A weight lifted from Mina's heart. Tears were still streaming down her face. She took a deep breath and stood up. She absolutely had to keep a cool head! No mistakes now!

She walked back out of the storage room into the hallway and curiously opened the second door. Perhaps it led outside? The door opened from the inside, and Mina saw that it led to the building's stairwell. Straight ahead, in front of her, was the metal door where she had just tried to enter from the other side.
Where should she go now? She had to find a way to escape the island unnoticed... If she was too loud, the men could shoot her down from the air if she tried to use her plane... Should she run to the other end of the island and take off from there? Or would it be better to escape by boat? What should she do? What was the quietest option? If she was in the boat and was noticed, the men could just shoot her down from the air... so maybe it was better to use the plane!
Mina left the building and gently let the metal door fall shut behind her. Her heart was pounding loudly, and she knew she wouldn't be able to walk the entire way, so she hurried along, carefully observing her surroundings. She felt uneasy, not knowing if she was going in the right direction, but there was no use in worrying about that now. She just wanted to get as far away from the men as possible.
Mina walked through the long alley back to the shopping street, glancing in all directions. No one around... strange. Did she... did she have enough time to stuff clothes into the storage capsules? She needed clothing, and what if she quickly went into a store and grabbed everything she could? Maybe she could also just hide in one of the shops? What to do now? She stopped. The store next to Mina had clothes that were just her style... should she go further? Fear! What should she do? The men were at the hotel... Maybe Yasa had betrayed her!? No. How would she even know them? But wait... Mina had told her about the men yesterday... So, could it be? That couldn't be! There had to be another explanation!
Mina entered the store and unpacked a storage capsule. She removed the lid and looked around the shop. She tossed everything she liked into the box. Trying things on was out of the question. No time! She packed all the clothes in her size. No matter the color, no matter the fabric, no matter the cut. The box filled up quickly, and she replaced the lid. A click, and the box could be transformed back into capsule form and put back into its case.
Mina left the store and made her way back to a secluded part of the island where she could start the plane undisturbed. The helicopter! She heard it take off and tried to determine where it was rising. She needed to find cover quickly... but it was too late. She saw it rising in the air to her left and tried to hide in a store. Would the men leave the island? Cautiously, she peered out of the shop window. The helicopter flew overhead. Unfortunately, she couldn't tell from this angle how many people were inside. Maybe one would stay behind again, like last time? The helicopter flew in the direction she wanted to go. Mina dashed out of the store and followed the helicopter. It didn't matter that she was running in the same direction; it was much faster and would disappear over the sea. Unfortunately, Mina was mistaken and realized that the helicopter was changing course. It was flying over the island... Damn. Horrified, she became aware of the situation she had put herself in. Her greed for fashion had landed her in trouble. Now she had to be careful... The helicopter was circling, and Mina set off again. Her bag with the makeup was getting heavy, but she didn't want to let it go. And again, she hadn't eaten anything! She was very annoyed at her own foolishness!
Oh, if only she had eaten at least a tiny bit...
The helicopter was now flying directly in her direction. She quickly looked around and ran up the stairs of a large shopping center. If she was seen, she could escape well from there since the building had several entrances and exits. Mina stood in the massive building, unsure of where to go.
She could hear the helicopter circling right above the building. Mina took a deep breath in and out. Oh, if only she had run away when she still had the chance! She was slowly running out of breath. The bag was far too heavy, and her stomach was empty. Not a good situation... She wandered aimlessly past the shops. Clothes. Makeup. Fast food. Restaurants. Sports. Outdoor. Everything was there. She turned around to possibly discover something useful, but there was nothing that could help her now.
She entered a restaurant to look for something to eat, but there was nothing she could grab quickly. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. She felt nauseous. As she stepped out of the restaurant, she saw a betting shop in front of her with advertisements for the next big boxing tournament. Were there people betting on Cell's tournament as well? She slowly walked over and looked at the other posters in the window. She entered the shop and imagined her father enjoying himself in a place like this. His money wasn't getting any less...

Should she go to them if she managed to get out of here?
Cell... it all felt hopeless. Mina felt as if the entire world had conspired against her. Nothing was fair.
The shop had a snack vending machine, and Mina grabbed a stool and smashed the glass. She took a storage box out of the capsule case and threw in all the drinks and snacks from the machine. She put the capsule back and, as she turned to leave the store, saw a poster with the Tenkaichi Budokai ring on it. She walked closer and read that the poster was quite old. The Tenkaichi Budokai took place on Papaya Island. That wasn't too far away. She could fly there... The roof!
The building was large, and from the roof, she could see if anyone was on the ground! Maybe she could take off in a moment of distraction! If she flew low to the ground, she might have a slight advantage? Worth a try!
Hastily, she exited the betting shop and looked around. Using signs, she found the stairwell and ran in that direction. She quickly found the door and hoped it wasn't locked. It opened easily, and with a swing, Mina slammed the door against the wall. The noise echoed through the building, and she could hear voices. Shit.
Frantically, she entered the stairwell and slowly let the door fall shut behind her. She quickly ran up the stairs, gasping for air after each step, and her legs grew heavier. After what felt like an eternity, she reached the top floor and opened the door to the outside. Or at least tried to, because the iron door was incredibly heavy, and Mina had to push her entire body against it to open it a crack. She managed to crawl outside and looked around for the helicopter. Apparently, the men in the helicopter had noticed her and had parked the heli somewhere nearby. She scanned the area and saw that the roof was perfect for unpacking the plane. As she reached for the case, she wondered why the men hadn't landed on the roof... maybe they didn't know there was a door into the building? No idea. She was puzzled and tossed her capsule. The plane was blue and looked sporty. She opened the window hatch and climbed in. The cockpit looked a bit strange at first, but she recognized the markings and knew which buttons to press. She started the plane and slowly and shakily lifted off from the roof. Once she got a feel for the aircraft, she increased the speed and zoomed away. She hadn't seen anything of the men this time. Was this luck, or what was it? Whatever. Papaya Island was now her new target.
After a while, Mina wondered if she was being followed, but she couldn't spot anyone... Apparently, the men from the heli had gone into another entrance of the shopping center, and while she was starting the plane, they couldn't find Mina or run back to the heli fast enough. So Mina had, once again, incredibly good luck. If that was indeed the case...

Slowly, she approached the mainland and wanted to take a break right on the coast. She urgently needed something to eat and drink. She increased her speed again, and after a few minutes, she flew over the beach. She looked for a good spot to land.
When she found a suitable place inland, she tried to land, but it was so difficult that she needed several attempts. When the plane finally had solid ground beneath its skids and came to a stop, Mina turned off the instruments and climbed out of the cockpit. She looked around and saw only forest and meadow. She took the storage box with the snacks out of her bag and tossed it on the ground. BOOM. She sat down next to it and greedily took one of the sweet drinks, finishing it immediately. She didn't have any water, just soda. She wasn't used to so much sugar... She mustn't complain now! The snack bags were filled with nuts, gummy bears, and chocolate. She tore open the one with the nuts first and ate them hurriedly. They tasted wonderful to her because she was starving. How long had it been since her last meal? The food felt good, and she leaned back to rest.
Why did everything have to go so terribly wrong? How had those men found her? What was happening with Yasa? When the thought crossed her mind that the men might have shot at Yasa, it made her incredibly sad. Yasa didn't deserve that. Mina started crying again. She was completely exhausted and didn't want to fly like this anymore...

She looked up at the sky and watched a solitary cloud drift slowly away. A feeling of emptiness spread through her battered body. A familiar feeling... Mina was lonely. Her wailing grew louder; she curled her legs up and cried out loud. Tears streamed down her face. She wished so much that she could talk to someone! Even if it was just Cell! She didn't know why, but she missed him. It felt like he was the only one who would keep his word. The only one who wouldn't betray her because he had already made his intentions clear! "Nonsense!" She sniffed and swallowed hard. "He just wants to kill me too!" She felt so incredibly foolish. She was doing everything wrong. Her parents were right! She was useless! Mina was very exhausted but didn't want to use her capsule house yet because she didn't feel safe, but she could sleep in the plane. She had done that in the other one too. "Oh, yes, right!" Mina remembered that the other one had the additional feature of autopilot. There must be a manual for the plane... Mina was eager to find out if the little blue plane could do that too. She went back to the aircraft and searched for the book. The plane had four seats: one for the pilot and a back seat with three seats.
She discovered the manual on one side of the front seat and picked it up to read. The table of contents listed the functions, and she flipped to the corresponding page. Mina was very happy that this plane also supported the function, so she put the manual back. Excited, she went to her snack box and put everything back. With a click, the capsule returned to its case. Mina climbed into the plane and looked to see what else she could find in the cockpit. She rummaged under the seat with her hands and also looked behind the seat. There was an atlas! Ooh. Mina took the book and searched for the coordinates of Papaya Island. She started the plane and entered the numbers she found into the onboard computer. She confirmed the autopilot, and the aircraft lifted off the ground by itself. Now she could get comfortable!
She would have liked to have a blanket, but she was satisfied nonetheless. What would she find on Papaya Island? Should she fly to Cell?
"If she comes back, I'll kill her. The same goes for you. Come to my tournament and die after my victory!"
That was not a good idea...
Would the men leave her alone now? Surely they didn't know where Mina was this time! How did they know she was in Mangold? It was so strange, as if someone had spilled the beans! It could only have been Yasa, but Mina didn't believe that... Something was off... So starting over... The men wanted to kill her because they believed Mina had stolen Mr. Crane's money. They had shown up at Mina's home... How did they do that? The men... Mina recalled how she had observed the commotion in the settlement. How they found Mina's car... and the money. She also thought about the plane. What had happened to it? Why could the men find her? Had the plane been bugged? Suddenly, she remembered that one of the guys had approached the plane and kicked the tire. She couldn't see it clearly, but apparently, the man had attached a tracker to the plane! There was no other possibility! Either that, or Yasa had... No. Yasa was not a bad person!
Mina pondered for a long time about what had happened and how she could resolve the situation with Mr. Crane, but she couldn't think of any way. Hiding forever was also not a solution...

Despite the nerve-wracking situation, she fell asleep.
Once again, she was awakened by the beeping of the autopilot, and Mina looked around. She was flying over the ocean, but interestingly, she was not alone. Hundreds of planes were trying to avoid each other, scattering in all directions, yet hundreds were coming together again from all sides. An indefinable logistical chaos. And Mina was right in the middle of it. Cell had apparently not been here yet, and the people seemed to feel safe... right in the middle of the ocean... Mina leaned forward to look out the window at the ocean below.
Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. Everywhere were boats and ships of all kinds and sizes. Mina had never seen anything like it. The fact that there were no collisions was nothing short of a miracle. It was as if millions of people had collectively agreed that they were safer on the open sea than on land.
Mina switched off the autopilot and climbed even higher with her blue plane until the airspace ahead of her was relatively clear again. Suddenly, a fireball appeared before her. Burning pieces of two planes scattered through the air and fell to the ground. In the chaos, it was unfortunately bound to happen sooner or later...
How far was she from her destination? Mina looked at the route planner and saw that at her current speed, she was still a good two hours away. Once she reached an altitude where few other planes crossed her path, she significantly increased her speed and was now moving much faster, so she could see the island of Papaya in the distance. The closer she got to the island, the less air and water traffic there was. The people probably thought Cell wouldn't be able to find them... a misconception.
When she reached the island, she immediately searched for the location where the big tournament was held every few years, but Mina struggled to find the fighting ring and circled the island multiple times. "Where the hell is that thing!?" she shouted in frustration, as her impatience overwhelmed her. The situation of being pursued by strangers frightened her greatly, and she just wanted to land and hide. While she was confident that she wouldn't be attacked this time, the fear was still there.
In her peripheral vision! There! Something white! The tournament ring! Finally, she had found the building and headed straight for it. Why did she want to go to the tournament grounds again?
She couldn't recall. It didn't matter. It was still an interesting place, as she had been there as a small child... at a time when her parents still loved her. She remembered the small ring and the exciting fights. The techniques... Cell had reminded her of something... He had reminded her that he seemed familiar. From the very beginning, he had seemed familiar to her, despite his appearance. She had seen the floating somewhere before but couldn't remember exactly where. Maybe at the big tournament? Mina recalled how fantastic the tournament had been in the past, and the participants! Son Goku... Tenshinhan... What were they doing now? Would they fight against Cell? Did they have a chance against Cell? Why did it feel to Mina as if she had already lived through all of this? Did she have a déjà vu!?
The ring was now directly below her, and she prepared to land. With the jet engines, she could go straight down, and she landed somewhat roughly on the ring. She turned off the instruments, and the plane came to a stop. Mina paused and closed her eyes.
She had survived again.

Intense joy made her tremble. She had survived again! She started giggling, and tears ran down her face. Yasa had probably not survived, and Mina was too cowardly to check on her! She felt very ashamed because no matter what was happening, Yasa was dead only because of her. Her emotions were almost unbearable, as she rejoiced in her life while mourning for Yasa. The feelings were too much. Still sitting in the plane, she tried to calm herself down again, breathing in and out in a controlled manner. The thought that the men didn't know where she was this time brought her such joy that she got an intense adrenaline rush. Mina could go anywhere! The world was open to her! Not only did she have the plane, but also a house and a boat! Unfortunately, no car, but the plane was more than enough anyway.
The breathing exercise had served its purpose, and Mina was ready to exit the plane. Before doing so, she cleaned her face of the smudged makeup and decided not to apply new makeup this time. She also emptied her handbag to the essentials. A bottle of water, something to snack on, and the capsule case were all she needed.
She opened the window hatch but had trouble climbing out. Her exhaustion had caught up with her despite getting enough sleep... Mina hoisted herself up multiple times and finally managed to crawl out of the plane. Why was she so exhausted? She had eaten something!? She felt bad but couldn't quite figure out what she needed to feel better. Dragging her feet along the ground, she made her way to the button to shrink the plane back to capsule size. She pressed it, and the plane transformed into a capsule in seconds, which Mina only needed to put back into the case.
With a loud ripping sound, she zipped up her handbag and closed her eyes again.
Mina took a deep breath and felt the gentle wind lightly moving her hair. The sky was cloudy, but the temperatures were still wonderfully pleasant. Mina jumped up. The box! She could check out the clothes she had stolen in the changing rooms! And she could shower here if necessary! Fantastic! Her mood improved again. Finally, the thought of looking around came to her. The ring was enormous. White and simple. It immediately reminded Mina of Cell's ring, with the pillars surrounding it. If she saw him again, she should compliment him for it because she thought his ring was very pretty. The spectator stands were massive. When she was little, her father had to lift her onto his shoulders so she could see something because those stands hadn't existed back then. They had been built because the Demon King Piccolo had destroyed the entire area at the second-to-last tournament... Why was she afraid of the Demon King Piccolo? She hadn't even been at the tournament! Huh!? What was going on now!? Mina somehow mixed up her memories... She had seen the Demon King Piccolo, but not at the tournament... But who else was she afraid of?
Everything was strange! She turned toward the gate through which the participants walked when they were to fight in the tournament. Curiosity filled her, and Mina walked toward it, admiring the pillars. She still recognized the decoration from before. She swallowed, and with a queasy feeling in her stomach, she stepped through the gate.

What would await her?

XXxxXXxxxxxx

Hello dear readers,

I'm sorry that it takes so long to translate. If you know someone who is a beta-reader/writer and wants to earn some money, you can suggest my FF. I'm open to discuss this further in private. I feel like I don't want to continue in english, as this ff is in my native language way to far ahead. It got 15 chapters by now and as I said very often, Cells character is depicted a little bit different, because his dialoge differs in my native languages manga to the translation into the english manga. So english people might think Cell is OoC in my ff. I don't know if he feels that much different, but for me, english Cell is different and I'm to lazy to rewrite his attitude for the english readers. I'm sorry that I don't often translate, because I'm stil hoping that someone will help me translate it in the future. For 2025, I try to translate all missing 10 chapters into english, so that english people can read more:)

Thank you and have a nice day