Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dance With Death ❯ The Realization Starts ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Angel Katarina aka AC 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.19.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 308 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.19.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 308 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don't own DragonBallZ or any of its characters, just Comet.
"Dance With Death"
by A.C
Chapter Four
The Realization Starts
---`---,---@
Comet finished eating in silence and brushed herself off, climbing to her feet. She had eaten slowly and thoughtfully, so by the time she was finished the sun was already high in the sky, almost to the point where her shadow ran to hide directly beneath her. She looked around her for a few moments, and then glanced behind her at Cell.
The Android was, of all things, meditating again. Did he *ever* do anything else!? He never told her, like Piccolo did on the occasion (she had to beat it out of him), what came up during his meditation. He just awoke without a word or expression to give a hint as to what his mind had been dwelling on, and he would sink back in without concern.
There also was, constantly lingering in the back of her mind, the thought of escape. Once again, she compared Piccolo's meditation to Cell's. She had tried to escape before with Cell, but he had heard her, seen her... she didn't know. But when Piccolo meditated, he was knocked out and could nearly stay like that through a tornado, although he was quick to wake if trouble came. 'Only one way to find out...' she decided, nervously edging towards the Android.
She had never come this close to him of her own accord, and her entire body was drawn up in the fear he would suddenly awake and grab her or something. Her every muscle was so tense it was hard to move, and if he did suddenly open his eyes or move, she felt like she'd have a heart attack. Willing herself to go closer, she stopped right next to him and, chewing her lower lip, waved her hand in front of his face.
Nothing.
She swallowed, regaining her courage, and waved it more energetically. Still nothing. She slowly began to lower her hand, trying to think of some other way to test him.
"Can I help you?"
Comet jumped so badly she was certain, for a split second, that she did have a heart attack. The human stumbled back, gaping at him. His facial expression hadn't changed at all. He hadn't even opened his eyes! But it was undoubtedly him who had spoken. She stared at him for a moment longer, and then turned to storm away, annoyed and frustrated. Behind her back, Cell opened one eye to watch her.
As she neared the other side of the arena, her footsteps resided from stomping to walking, and her fists gradually unclenched. But she was obviously still annoyed and even a bit frustrated, for she folded her arms across her chest and leaned her head back to stare directly into the sky above. He wasn't sure what she was looking for, and even glanced up himself, but decided she was thinking.
"Yeah, actually, you can," she spoke up suddenly, easily heard from all the way across the arena - her voice was strong and clear. "Is there a lake or a pond somewhere around here?"
---`---,---@
"Okay, thanks. Now... go into the woods."
Cell stared at her, raising one eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
"What, you think I was going to let you stand there and WATCH me!?" Comet demanded, making sure there was a good distance between them. "I know your not going to go back to the arena, but you can at least give me SOME privacy!" She paused, glaring at him, while he looked back, halfway between exasperation and amusement at her determination. "So... go into the woods," she finished.
The Android closed his eyes with a sigh and shook his head slightly, but a smile still curled the corners of his lips. Finally, he turned and walked into the nearby forest. They had flown quite a distance to find some body of water Comet found suitable. But this wasn't a plan for escape - even if she tried she knew he'd still catch her. She just wanted a bath.
After making sure she couldn't see the Android watching her from behind a tree or something, she quickly undressed and slipped into the water. For it being a large lake, it was surprisingly warm. Certainly not bathwater, but it would have to do. She swam around leisurely for a while, and eventually forgot that Cell was holding her captive. Just before she forgot all about her problems, she reminded herself; two days left.
The water seemed to wash all of her worries away, and a relaxed state came over her as she floated. Careful to keep concealed under the water, she rested on her back and gazed at the sky above. There were no birds, only the serenity of the fluffy white clouds above, outlined against an azure sky. This... was nice. She allowed herself to sink under and re-surface, brushing her wet hair back so it didn't hang in her face. She carefully checked through her hair, grumbling in annoyance for lack of shampoo.
Her bath didn't take long. As soon as she was tired of swimming around or floating, she looked up to the woods around her. The blissful bath-time spell had left her, and once again she was acutely aware of why she was bathing in a large lake in the middle of nowhere rather than her own tub at home. Thankfully, Cell was nowhere to be seen.
She crept out of the water, attempted to dry off as best as she could and eventually pulled on her clothes again. After pulling on her boots, Comet stood and gazed around at the forest again. Still no Cell. She thought for a moment of calling to him... and then stopped herself just in time. Was she thick or something? This was the perfect chance to get away - or at least get a head start! Knowing how much of a gentleman Cell could (sometimes) be, he wouldn't emerge until she had told him it was safe. How far away could she get before he grew impatient and emerged, only to find she was gone?
A smirk curled her lips. 'Heh, heh, heh... So long, Cell. It was nice being terrorized by you... NOT!' With that final thought, she crouched, flared her ki and had instantly shot into the sky. Soon, the lake below was hardly a puddle, the forest beside hardly a patch of green, and her worries hardly anything to be worried about. She did a loop the loop, silently cheering, and then started off, rising higher as she did so.
'Okay. I don't give a damn how hard it will be - Cell will find me anywhere BUT the Lookout. If I can sense Goku and the others, I'll know which direction to go. But I'm still not sure how high I can make it...'
She rose higher into the air and paused, glancing down. The lake, the forest and even Cell's arena were no longer visible. The Earthling looked back up and around, extending her senses for Goku's amazing power, or Vegeta's - which wasn't all that less. But no... nothing yet.
'Ah... they're too far away. Shit, this is a lot of flying I'm going to be doing today...'
Hoping she wasn't going the wrong direction, she took off again to the West.
---`---,---@
Usually, Comet's luck seemed to enjoy not playing in her favor; as her saying went; "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all." But this time, she was heading in the right direction. Yet it was quite the distance the Earthling would have to go before arriving at Kami's sacred palace in the sky.
Vegeta and Trunks had spent an entire twenty-four hours, equivalent to a year, training within the Hyperbolic time chamber before finally emerging. They both looked somewhat older - Trunks' hair was longer and pulled back in a loose ponytail, while Vegeta didn't look all that much different. Goku had spent the entire time pacing anxiously between the palace and the edge of the Lookout, as if waiting for something or someone.
Piccolo tried to consol him, but in vain. So when the pure-hearted Sayain and his son's turn came around, he didn't have much a response other than once last futile look over the edge, a quiet word with Piccolo making the Namek promise to never let Comet leave the Lookout if she arrived, and then finally headed inside for his turn along with Gohan.
So, with Goku no longer making everyone tense with his constant pacing, Piccolo took up the post. He spent the entire morning on the edge of the Lookout, meditating or staring off into the clouds for hours at a time, waiting. His patience was bountiful, his hope even more so.
Noon came and went, as the sun shifted positions above them and began sinking down the opposite horizon, and still no sign of the only missing member of the Z Senshi. Piccolo spent the entire afternoon meditating and snapping at anyone who disturbed him, so when the others gathered for dinner, no one was brave enough to approach and ask if he was hungry.
Night was well underway before Piccolo abruptly snapped from his trance and headed immediately to his bed, without a single word to the others.
No one asked what had caused the troubled look on his face.
---`---,---@
She wasn't in the mood to sing.
Typically, she liked to sing when she flew, but her nerves were stretched such - from hurriedly searching for the lookout, always afraid Cell would show up at any minute - that she could hardly produce a sound, except for her frantic muttering. Day had come and gone, and night had fallen upon her and still no sign of the Lookout. She didn't want to go back and try the other direction, but there was no sign of anyone or Kami's palace.
Flying all day was a good way to suck one dry of your energy. She knew that, soon, she would have to land and find a place to stay for the night. But hiding from Cell was almost fruitless, and she felt that the only way she stood a chance was if she kept moving.
But he'd be able to find her easier if she just passed out from exhaustion - not to mention the bump she'd feel the next morning when she awoke.
'Looks like I'm out of options,' she thought to herself, arching in midair and diving back down beneath the clouds. Slowly, the land below appeared once again, and it didn't take her long to find a city. With a heavy heart, she sank down and landed easily on the outskirts.
But as she walked into town, she noticed something very different. And very unnerving.
The city was empty.
There were no bodies, no blood, no feeling of ki, no clothing or anything left. It was as if aliens had come and peacefully abducted every single citizen. Her heart rose as it came to her that the city might have evacuated and everyone gone safely... until she realized something wrong with her guess.
It wasn't quite so 'peaceful' after all.
Windows were shattered, doors were ripped off their hinges and scattered. Glass, paper, metal and debris littered the city streets, along with fallen lampposts, crashed cars and heaps of rubble as builders broke off chunks. Various trees were uprooted or burnt, and a fire hydrant had been ripped clean off the sidewalk. The water had long stopped gushing, but a puddle still remained, flooded into the street. Cars were toppled on their sides, the doors crashed in or fallen off. A single bike was poking out of the bottom of a huge pileup, and even parts of the street itself were uprooted.
Had an Earthquake hit?
"Yeah, it had," she reminded herself fiercely, "Earthquake Cell."
Had he completely disintegrated the bodies? She didn't know, but the place was an utter wreck. At first she was disgusted and ready to take to the air again to find somewhere that death couldn't be found, but then logic settled back in.
"Wait a minute... if he's already hit... that means he won't come back," she reasoned. "He'll move on! And he won't find me!"
And amongst the rubble of the street, she found a reason to smile - and even laugh.
Comet checked herself into an empty hotel and headed for one of the nearby rooms, where she gleefully greeted a hot shower and a warm, cozy bed. Free from the tortures of being held hostage by the newest threat to the Earth.
---`---,---@
Cell, meanwhile, wasn't enjoying himself quite as much as she was. He had waited patiently for her signal that she was decent. Five minutes, fifteen, a half hour... but her voice never came. Eventually he grew fed up and stormed out, demanding that she finish up instantly...
Only to find his hostage had disappeared. She had escaped him yet again, by means of a simple and VERY old trick!
That WHELP!
Utterly furious, Cell had taken immediately to the air and blasting off to find her. Each city he came to was instantly subjected to his new and unfathomable power, the inhabitants destroyed completely. He knew that once she heard the ruckus, she would come out or he'd find her. But three cities had already been tarnished and no sign of her.
His fury hadn't subsided at all with time - on the contrary, each lost attempt to find her only fueled his rage more. How dare he let her get away! How dare she trick him like that, and even dare to escape! Once he caught her, she'd learn... oh, she would learn...
It was already midnight when he landed in his fifth city and wasted no time in killing the nearest bystander. The screams started up immediately after as he progressed swiftly, taking each and every one down as fast as he could. He didn't find amusement at their pain or enjoyed himself, only felt more and more frustrated as time went on and still no sign of that beautiful Earthling.
He was beginning to deeply miss the sound of her voice; either soft and quiet, agitated and loud, furious and comical, witty and pleasant to hear... no matter the mood, her voice was always music that inpenetrated the hellish silence.
He snapped out of his daydream as he finished his work. Comet wasn't here, either. He reached out again, in vain, for her ki... but again, she was hiding it. That damn little Earthling! She was almost too smart for her own good! Well... almost. Intelligence was something he prided, and meeting someone who could be as cunning or as coy as her was a relief from the annoyance of human stupidity.
Argh! He was going to go insane if he didn't find her soon!!
With an inhuman roar of rage, he whipped around and shot back off into the night, in the direction he had come. He would search for her in the desert, this time...
---`---,---@
Author's Note: Was this one shorter than the others? 0o Ah, well, dun care. Time might have flown between chapters, it seems... but I was getting impatient, 'cause we're almost to the good part!! Read and review, 'cause here comes chapter five!!
"Dance With Death"
by A.C
Chapter Four
The Realization Starts
---`---,---@
Comet finished eating in silence and brushed herself off, climbing to her feet. She had eaten slowly and thoughtfully, so by the time she was finished the sun was already high in the sky, almost to the point where her shadow ran to hide directly beneath her. She looked around her for a few moments, and then glanced behind her at Cell.
The Android was, of all things, meditating again. Did he *ever* do anything else!? He never told her, like Piccolo did on the occasion (she had to beat it out of him), what came up during his meditation. He just awoke without a word or expression to give a hint as to what his mind had been dwelling on, and he would sink back in without concern.
There also was, constantly lingering in the back of her mind, the thought of escape. Once again, she compared Piccolo's meditation to Cell's. She had tried to escape before with Cell, but he had heard her, seen her... she didn't know. But when Piccolo meditated, he was knocked out and could nearly stay like that through a tornado, although he was quick to wake if trouble came. 'Only one way to find out...' she decided, nervously edging towards the Android.
She had never come this close to him of her own accord, and her entire body was drawn up in the fear he would suddenly awake and grab her or something. Her every muscle was so tense it was hard to move, and if he did suddenly open his eyes or move, she felt like she'd have a heart attack. Willing herself to go closer, she stopped right next to him and, chewing her lower lip, waved her hand in front of his face.
Nothing.
She swallowed, regaining her courage, and waved it more energetically. Still nothing. She slowly began to lower her hand, trying to think of some other way to test him.
"Can I help you?"
Comet jumped so badly she was certain, for a split second, that she did have a heart attack. The human stumbled back, gaping at him. His facial expression hadn't changed at all. He hadn't even opened his eyes! But it was undoubtedly him who had spoken. She stared at him for a moment longer, and then turned to storm away, annoyed and frustrated. Behind her back, Cell opened one eye to watch her.
As she neared the other side of the arena, her footsteps resided from stomping to walking, and her fists gradually unclenched. But she was obviously still annoyed and even a bit frustrated, for she folded her arms across her chest and leaned her head back to stare directly into the sky above. He wasn't sure what she was looking for, and even glanced up himself, but decided she was thinking.
"Yeah, actually, you can," she spoke up suddenly, easily heard from all the way across the arena - her voice was strong and clear. "Is there a lake or a pond somewhere around here?"
---`---,---@
"Okay, thanks. Now... go into the woods."
Cell stared at her, raising one eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
"What, you think I was going to let you stand there and WATCH me!?" Comet demanded, making sure there was a good distance between them. "I know your not going to go back to the arena, but you can at least give me SOME privacy!" She paused, glaring at him, while he looked back, halfway between exasperation and amusement at her determination. "So... go into the woods," she finished.
The Android closed his eyes with a sigh and shook his head slightly, but a smile still curled the corners of his lips. Finally, he turned and walked into the nearby forest. They had flown quite a distance to find some body of water Comet found suitable. But this wasn't a plan for escape - even if she tried she knew he'd still catch her. She just wanted a bath.
After making sure she couldn't see the Android watching her from behind a tree or something, she quickly undressed and slipped into the water. For it being a large lake, it was surprisingly warm. Certainly not bathwater, but it would have to do. She swam around leisurely for a while, and eventually forgot that Cell was holding her captive. Just before she forgot all about her problems, she reminded herself; two days left.
The water seemed to wash all of her worries away, and a relaxed state came over her as she floated. Careful to keep concealed under the water, she rested on her back and gazed at the sky above. There were no birds, only the serenity of the fluffy white clouds above, outlined against an azure sky. This... was nice. She allowed herself to sink under and re-surface, brushing her wet hair back so it didn't hang in her face. She carefully checked through her hair, grumbling in annoyance for lack of shampoo.
Her bath didn't take long. As soon as she was tired of swimming around or floating, she looked up to the woods around her. The blissful bath-time spell had left her, and once again she was acutely aware of why she was bathing in a large lake in the middle of nowhere rather than her own tub at home. Thankfully, Cell was nowhere to be seen.
She crept out of the water, attempted to dry off as best as she could and eventually pulled on her clothes again. After pulling on her boots, Comet stood and gazed around at the forest again. Still no Cell. She thought for a moment of calling to him... and then stopped herself just in time. Was she thick or something? This was the perfect chance to get away - or at least get a head start! Knowing how much of a gentleman Cell could (sometimes) be, he wouldn't emerge until she had told him it was safe. How far away could she get before he grew impatient and emerged, only to find she was gone?
A smirk curled her lips. 'Heh, heh, heh... So long, Cell. It was nice being terrorized by you... NOT!' With that final thought, she crouched, flared her ki and had instantly shot into the sky. Soon, the lake below was hardly a puddle, the forest beside hardly a patch of green, and her worries hardly anything to be worried about. She did a loop the loop, silently cheering, and then started off, rising higher as she did so.
'Okay. I don't give a damn how hard it will be - Cell will find me anywhere BUT the Lookout. If I can sense Goku and the others, I'll know which direction to go. But I'm still not sure how high I can make it...'
She rose higher into the air and paused, glancing down. The lake, the forest and even Cell's arena were no longer visible. The Earthling looked back up and around, extending her senses for Goku's amazing power, or Vegeta's - which wasn't all that less. But no... nothing yet.
'Ah... they're too far away. Shit, this is a lot of flying I'm going to be doing today...'
Hoping she wasn't going the wrong direction, she took off again to the West.
---`---,---@
Usually, Comet's luck seemed to enjoy not playing in her favor; as her saying went; "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all." But this time, she was heading in the right direction. Yet it was quite the distance the Earthling would have to go before arriving at Kami's sacred palace in the sky.
Vegeta and Trunks had spent an entire twenty-four hours, equivalent to a year, training within the Hyperbolic time chamber before finally emerging. They both looked somewhat older - Trunks' hair was longer and pulled back in a loose ponytail, while Vegeta didn't look all that much different. Goku had spent the entire time pacing anxiously between the palace and the edge of the Lookout, as if waiting for something or someone.
Piccolo tried to consol him, but in vain. So when the pure-hearted Sayain and his son's turn came around, he didn't have much a response other than once last futile look over the edge, a quiet word with Piccolo making the Namek promise to never let Comet leave the Lookout if she arrived, and then finally headed inside for his turn along with Gohan.
So, with Goku no longer making everyone tense with his constant pacing, Piccolo took up the post. He spent the entire morning on the edge of the Lookout, meditating or staring off into the clouds for hours at a time, waiting. His patience was bountiful, his hope even more so.
Noon came and went, as the sun shifted positions above them and began sinking down the opposite horizon, and still no sign of the only missing member of the Z Senshi. Piccolo spent the entire afternoon meditating and snapping at anyone who disturbed him, so when the others gathered for dinner, no one was brave enough to approach and ask if he was hungry.
Night was well underway before Piccolo abruptly snapped from his trance and headed immediately to his bed, without a single word to the others.
No one asked what had caused the troubled look on his face.
---`---,---@
She wasn't in the mood to sing.
Typically, she liked to sing when she flew, but her nerves were stretched such - from hurriedly searching for the lookout, always afraid Cell would show up at any minute - that she could hardly produce a sound, except for her frantic muttering. Day had come and gone, and night had fallen upon her and still no sign of the Lookout. She didn't want to go back and try the other direction, but there was no sign of anyone or Kami's palace.
Flying all day was a good way to suck one dry of your energy. She knew that, soon, she would have to land and find a place to stay for the night. But hiding from Cell was almost fruitless, and she felt that the only way she stood a chance was if she kept moving.
But he'd be able to find her easier if she just passed out from exhaustion - not to mention the bump she'd feel the next morning when she awoke.
'Looks like I'm out of options,' she thought to herself, arching in midair and diving back down beneath the clouds. Slowly, the land below appeared once again, and it didn't take her long to find a city. With a heavy heart, she sank down and landed easily on the outskirts.
But as she walked into town, she noticed something very different. And very unnerving.
The city was empty.
There were no bodies, no blood, no feeling of ki, no clothing or anything left. It was as if aliens had come and peacefully abducted every single citizen. Her heart rose as it came to her that the city might have evacuated and everyone gone safely... until she realized something wrong with her guess.
It wasn't quite so 'peaceful' after all.
Windows were shattered, doors were ripped off their hinges and scattered. Glass, paper, metal and debris littered the city streets, along with fallen lampposts, crashed cars and heaps of rubble as builders broke off chunks. Various trees were uprooted or burnt, and a fire hydrant had been ripped clean off the sidewalk. The water had long stopped gushing, but a puddle still remained, flooded into the street. Cars were toppled on their sides, the doors crashed in or fallen off. A single bike was poking out of the bottom of a huge pileup, and even parts of the street itself were uprooted.
Had an Earthquake hit?
"Yeah, it had," she reminded herself fiercely, "Earthquake Cell."
Had he completely disintegrated the bodies? She didn't know, but the place was an utter wreck. At first she was disgusted and ready to take to the air again to find somewhere that death couldn't be found, but then logic settled back in.
"Wait a minute... if he's already hit... that means he won't come back," she reasoned. "He'll move on! And he won't find me!"
And amongst the rubble of the street, she found a reason to smile - and even laugh.
Comet checked herself into an empty hotel and headed for one of the nearby rooms, where she gleefully greeted a hot shower and a warm, cozy bed. Free from the tortures of being held hostage by the newest threat to the Earth.
---`---,---@
Cell, meanwhile, wasn't enjoying himself quite as much as she was. He had waited patiently for her signal that she was decent. Five minutes, fifteen, a half hour... but her voice never came. Eventually he grew fed up and stormed out, demanding that she finish up instantly...
Only to find his hostage had disappeared. She had escaped him yet again, by means of a simple and VERY old trick!
That WHELP!
Utterly furious, Cell had taken immediately to the air and blasting off to find her. Each city he came to was instantly subjected to his new and unfathomable power, the inhabitants destroyed completely. He knew that once she heard the ruckus, she would come out or he'd find her. But three cities had already been tarnished and no sign of her.
His fury hadn't subsided at all with time - on the contrary, each lost attempt to find her only fueled his rage more. How dare he let her get away! How dare she trick him like that, and even dare to escape! Once he caught her, she'd learn... oh, she would learn...
It was already midnight when he landed in his fifth city and wasted no time in killing the nearest bystander. The screams started up immediately after as he progressed swiftly, taking each and every one down as fast as he could. He didn't find amusement at their pain or enjoyed himself, only felt more and more frustrated as time went on and still no sign of that beautiful Earthling.
He was beginning to deeply miss the sound of her voice; either soft and quiet, agitated and loud, furious and comical, witty and pleasant to hear... no matter the mood, her voice was always music that inpenetrated the hellish silence.
He snapped out of his daydream as he finished his work. Comet wasn't here, either. He reached out again, in vain, for her ki... but again, she was hiding it. That damn little Earthling! She was almost too smart for her own good! Well... almost. Intelligence was something he prided, and meeting someone who could be as cunning or as coy as her was a relief from the annoyance of human stupidity.
Argh! He was going to go insane if he didn't find her soon!!
With an inhuman roar of rage, he whipped around and shot back off into the night, in the direction he had come. He would search for her in the desert, this time...
---`---,---@
Author's Note: Was this one shorter than the others? 0o Ah, well, dun care. Time might have flown between chapters, it seems... but I was getting impatient, 'cause we're almost to the good part!! Read and review, 'cause here comes chapter five!!