Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dance With Death ❯ The Breaking Point ( Chapter 15 )
[ 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: 4 | Words: 7.7K | Visits: 304 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.19.2004 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.7K | Visits: 304 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don't own DragonBallZ or any of its characters, I just own Comet.
"Dance With Death"
by A.C
Chapter Fifteen
The Breaking Point
This chapter is dedicated to Hochuuami. May she recover from the demons that plague her of the time being, and show us all how to learn from her strength and wisdom. She's always been an important figure to me - a considerate friend, an insightful writer, and an astounding role model.
---`---,---@
Several weeks passed in a curious manner. Comet found herself unable to draw back and to lurk amongst her dark, mingled feelings that had been haunting her practically ever since meeting Cell. It was as if a part of her was tired of being perpetually depressed and was forcing her to regain a bit of her spirit. Telling her to awaken from the drugged state of mind she had existed in for the past few days, that fruitless training had failed to banish, and to face the harsh reality that, with Cell's arrival, had planted itself firmly in front of her. She had to keep her wits about her now, she had to stay alert. The enemy was close. Much too close.
'The enemy', she repeated to herself sardonically. At the moment, she hung suspended from the golden frame of her canopy bed, her knees folded over the bar and tensed, holding her to it. She paused in the midst of her sit-up's to check on Cell's location. The first few days within his company had been a constant, hellish strain on her nerves. Every waking moment was spent watching him closely. Maybe a little too closely. It had almost been an obsession. She figured that if she knew where he was every damn second of the day, she would, by some abnormal magical miracle, be able to 'predict' his moves. Thereby keeping a step ahead of him and his evil plotting. Or something.
Every sleeping moment was of a light doze, anxious and always ready for the curtains to be drawn back, or of a strange presence invading her space...
After about a week of this, she realized he wasn't trying anything. Not yet, anyway. And it was with this new information, along with a mental note that a good night's rest was more important to her, that she mentally kicked herself for being paranoid and resumed training as normally as she could, under the circumstances. Although it wasn't necessarily 'normal', it wasn't like a constant battle of the sexes, either. Now, making sure she knew where Cell was positioned was simply habit. If she couldn't find him right away, she'd shrug it off. It was only if he happened to disappear for several hours that she would probably get worried.
Well, worried wasn't exactly the right term. She wasn't worried for his safety - of course not. She was merely concerned the bastard may have found a way out of the place and hadn't let her know.
Yes, that was it. That was why she was keeping him around. While she could spend her valuable time training so she could hold her own against him one day, he could stand around and 'ponder' on how to escape. That was his purpose. He was her repairman, and once his duty was served he would be of no further use.
Right?
Comet snapped out of her musings when she realized her face was burning and all the blood was rushing to her head. With a slight groan and a faint curse at realizing she had forgotten what number she was on, she pulled herself up one last time and grabbed the bar with her left hand, simultaneously relaxing her legs and nimbly swinging over backwards to land on her feet. She straightened up and looked around, green eyes scanning the brilliant horizon for a sign of him.
Yet her eyes only met the white abyss beyond. His shadow wasn't to be seen anywhere interrupting it. She frowned, automatically glancing at the other four-posted bed she hadn't slept in. A second later, she chided herself for doing so. He never slept before. Why should he start now?
A quick glance in the direction of the kitchen showed nothing, and she saw the restroom door was open. Frowning more heavily, the Earthling took a couple steps out towards the tundra, raising her chin to scan the area above her. Still no sign of him.
"Okay," she murmured aloud, placing her hands on her hips, "I don't care if this place stretches on for an eternity, there still is only so many places he could have gone. Where IS he...?" she trailed off, dropping her arms as she looked around again, gazing around the columns at each side of the 'room' they slept, ate and showered in.
"Looking for me?"
"Yes, dammit," she replied angrily after jumping half a foot in the air at the sudden sound of his voice almost directly behind her. The Earthling turned and scowled, meeting his blank pink stare. Cell stood behind her, looking like nothing had happened and he had been there the whole time.
"Why?"
She was silent for a moment. Outwardly, anyway. Inwardly, she had already begun to answer his question; 'I was worried you might have -' before she realized what she was thinking and stopped almost immediately. He might have what? Gotten HURT? Why should she care? That was just it, she didn't care. Worried was not the correct terminology. Suspicious was more than correct.
"I thought perhaps you found a way out and decided to skip on back to the other dimension without letting me know," she retorted coolly, giving him one of her better snobbish looks. Unfazed by her immaturity, Cell merely gazed evenly at her, and then strode on past, saying as he brushed lightly by;
"I would never leave you here."
She dropped her pose, turning to watch him as he continued to walk, stepping down onto the luminous white 'floor' of the tundra. He didn't even flinch as the gravity jumped upwards, but walked a few paces away and dropped his head in his typical meditation pose. 'Oh, but you have no problem raping me, right...' she mouthed bitterly at his still form. She didn't care she was being catty or childish. She disliked him and had to remind herself of that every so often, because lately she had been having less-than-aggressive thoughts towards the Android and she didn't like it.
Shaking her head, Comet ran a hand through her dark hair and folded her arms, staring at the floor for a moment. And just for that moment, her mind was blissfully blank. Everything drifted above and by her, just for that moment. A sort of rift in concentration, where she was almost thinking of what to do next, and yet not in any particular hurry to get it done. The moment soon passed, though. She figured she ought to return to her training.
Just as she was about to start forward, however, Cell's rich voice once again broke through to her. It always seemed to have the power to do that, no matter the situation.
"Spar with me."
She raised her eyes to him, blinking once, then twice. A puzzled frown flitted across her features. Apparently, he either hadn't been meditating like she had thought, or his trance had been an awfully short one, for his head was up, piercing eyes fixed solely on her.
"Excuse me?" she questioned, thinking perhaps she hadn't heard his question correctly. He had to have been joking, if anything, for it had been rather random.
He didn't even blink, or hesitate. "Please. Spar with me."
Such an innocent and politely stated request seemed unreal coming from him. Surely there was some ulterior motive he had in mind? He wanted to train with her? Why? What was he planning? No answer to her questions came to mind right away, but she was positive there was something more he wanted. There was always something more he wanted. There was always a goal he was working towards, so she would play it safe until she could know what his goal was this time.
"I train alone," she responded, turning away from him and striding away from him in the direction of the blank horizon that made up the Time Chamber. She felt his eyes on her, but he remained silent, watching as she stepped down onto the almost invisible floor. Because she knew he was watching her, she was determined to keep from showing even the slightest trace of weakness. Meaning she couldn't afford to flinch or even brace herself for the increase in the gravity.
And yet, when she took the first step down, her knees buckled. Her mind snapped, momentarily stung by panic. She felt herself going down, but threw out both arms and shifted most of her momentum forward with a slight push from the tiled floor of the living quarters. Doing such, she managed to push herself into a hand-stand, rather than crumple to the ground. She locked her elbows and froze, staring wide-eyed at the white beneath her, slightly aware of her legs waving slightly, stretched above her.
Quickly enough, she composed herself, and sprang back to her feet much more gracefully this time, her body remembering what movement under increased gravity felt like. She was a bit nervous from the stunt she just pulled, but refused to look at Cell. She could no longer tell if he was still watching her or not, and didn't want to check. And so, she began training attempting to act like she didn't care if anyone was watching while trying to be impressive and graceful at the same time.
As a result, she got absolutely nothing done. By means of pointless kicks and rapid shadow boxing movements through the air. She really needed to work on some of her ki attacks, like a mock of Vegeta's Final Flash and her fluke Kamehameha. She also wanted to test out some feinting techniques she had been thinking about lately, but those would seem trivial and non-impressive to Cell. And while she reproached the feeling of having to 'impress' him, something about her just wouldn't allow him to think of her as foolish or wasting her time in here.
After a while of this, she had soon managed to push the Android from her mind for the most part and could concentrate more efficiently on what needed to be done. She lowered herself back to the ground, focusing on bringing her ki back up to her upper body. She paused, fists lightly clenched, taking a couple deep breaths. She could feel her ki rising steadily as it circulated more freely through her, like a second pulse. It was a refreshing feeling that brought strength to her muscles, loosening them so they could be worked more strongly. It also had a sort of a calming feeling, allowing her to gather her concentration to prepare for she was about to do.
She thought back to Goku, and the many times she had heard the familiar chant. What had his body position been? In a slight crouch, arms out in front. She couldn't remember the exact position his hands had held. Was it... palms open and held together at the base, like his hands had been on a hinge? It felt awkward. She sighed. 'If only I could watch him do it again!'
"Kaaa..." she slowly began the chant, pushing her ki into her arms, blocking it off at the shoulders. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see everything glazed in a scarlet hue. Her aura had unexpectantly flickered to life - not uncommon when her ki was activated. "Meee... haaaaa...." Comet now worked on pinpointing her ki into her hands, compressing it as best as she could. Working it towards the palms. "Meeee.... HAA!" With her last yell, she released it, while pushing it outwards as best as she could. The resulting beam shot out a good twenty feet, a rich shade of red, before vanishing. It was perfectly straight.
She stood slowly, a disappointed look on her face. Somehow, she just couldn't seem to capture the exact replica. Her beam was supposed to curve, but how was she supposed to do that if it only went a short distance? She knew if she put more ki into the attack, the beam would simply thicken, which was also incorrect. It was supposed to be narrow and long. What was she doing wrong?
Cell had watched the entire proceedings with a bored eye. When Comet landed, he had merely looked over to see what she was going do. He watched as she crouched in a somewhat familiar pose. It wasn't until the chant began that he realized what she was up to. It appeared Goku had taught her the Kamehameha wave as well, which only surprised him a little. She was, however, not doing it correctly. There was something curious about the product, her ki.
"Your Kamehameha is slightly incorrect," she heard Cell's voice speak up. How acute of him to notice. She hid a slight sigh, glancing over at him. His pink eyes bore into her's.
"It's not a Kamehameha," she shot back. When he narrowed his eyes, confused, she continued to explain. "It's sort of a mimic. Designed to fool the opponent into predicting my attack, but causing him to predict wrong. I never learned the genuine article."
'A clever strategy,' Cell noted. It had almost gotten him. Almost, except for... "However, to an opponent perfectly aware of the battle stance of a Kamehameha, your flaws are obvious."
Comet merely frowned at him. Well, of course. It wasn't like she actually knew how to do the Kamehameha. If she had, she wouldn't need to waste her time with flukes. She knew plenty of other deceptive maneuvers. Recently, that had become a strong idea in her - deception. Many fighters didn't bother with it. To them, there were only so many elements in a battle - strength, speed, defense. Comet preferred studying the broader view. Even the slightest feint could cause a stumble in an opponent and open an opportunity for an attack. It was just the littlest thing needed to tip the scales in her favor.
Unfortunately, Cell did have a point. If the opponent didn't believe her Kamehameha was going to work, they wouldn't be taken off guard and could quite easily figure out what was up.
"KT-CHT, KT-CHT, KT-CHT -"
He walked over, closing the short distance between them, unfolding his arms as he did so. "Show me your stance again," he instructed, watching her calmly. Comet hesitated, blinking at him. And then, feeling somewhat foolish, she dropped into the crouch. Cell was silent for a moment, his eyes sweeping her figure.
"Your weight ought to be shifted onto your back leg, with the other leg out in front. Hunching over slightly, over your hands, will also help."
She made the adjustments quietly, still trying to get a mental image of Goku's pose as Cell instructed her. As she shifted to her hind leg, her center of gravity changed abruptly, and she felt herself stumbling. Instantly, a firm hand pressed into her back, interrupting her fall. She froze, startled, and then found her balance again, her face burning in embarrassment. Cell straightened up again. "Divide your weight between both legs, favoring the back. It will help you find your center of gravity more quickly, as your body isn't so taken aback."
Mindful to not completely ease pressure on her front leg, she leaned more heavily on her back, and found what he was talking about. "Yes, that's good," he nodded. "Your feet have already moved themselves into position. Being mindful of your center of gravity and weight distribution will do that. Now, your arms ought to be tense, and held back a bit more. The position of your hands is highly important. You had it close the first time, but your arms should be almost perpendicular, your palms tightly together. This will help stabilize and focus your ki."
She glanced down, making the changes as he described them. A part of her was in disbelief. He was... teaching her? But she shoved the thought aside. This was an opportunity she had every intent to take. She struggled a bit to keep her arms at the correct angle while holding her palms steadily together. And then, before she had realized it, Cell had stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, helping guide her.
"This body position helps only for charging up the attack," his deep voice murmured, right in her ear. She felt his head slightly over her shoulder, distinctly aware of how close he was to her. Her breathing quickened, shivers trailing down her spine. Yet, oddly enough... she wasn't afraid. She felt absolutely no fear, just... butterflies?
"You can lower your right-hand palm a bit more," he continued, reaching around to gently move it for her. He was curiously warm... "Now, begin your chant. Don't necessarily try to push all your ki into your hands - let it flow there and build."
She cleared her throat, also trying to clear her mind. "Kaaa..." her voice was weak at first, quiet, and trembling. Furiously, she forced herself to ignore Cell's closeness, and the sound of his voice. "Meeeee... haaa..." her voice gained strength. She obeyed his instructions and merely focused on her cupped hands, feeling a sort of warm starting to blossom within them. "Mee...."
"Straighten your arms," he whispered, under the rushing in her ears from her building ki, "Align them as you straighten your arms out. Only allow the ki to leave from the meeting point of your palms."
"HAAA!" she yelled, throwing her arms out as he instructed, and this time narrowing the ki to flow only from her focal point of her palms. Her hands felt like they were on fire, but she ignored the feeling - it often happened when she learned new attacks. A narrow beam of scarlet energy burst forth and laced across the tundra, curving slightly as it raced forward sixty, seventy, eighty feet...
At least ninety feet away, the beam finally lost its brunt and faded away. Gasping for breath, green eyes wide as she stared after it, Comet lowered her arms. She was standing more upright again, for she had leaned forward without even realizing it. Cell was still right behind her. He hesitated, still leaning over her shoulder, and then straightened up. She turned towards him, meeting his knowing smirk. "Now look at that, you don't have to pretend anymore. Isn't that easier?"
---`---,---@
"HAH!"
Her kick was met abruptly with an upper block, her leg striking the hard shield of Cell's arm. Comet switched direction instantly, pressing her weight into his block so as to change her momentum, this time bringing the other leg up for a square kick in the chest. Cell moved fluidly with her, however, releasing the one leg to block her attack with both arms, without so much as a blink. Comet flipped once in mid-air and paused, hovering a little ways back.
Cell took this opportunity to shoot forward, arms freeing themselves and raising to attack. Her role abruptly thrown to defense, Comet raised her own arms and waited for him to engage, which he did so with a rapid series of straight out powerhouse punches, mostly at her face and upper shoulders. She blocked them as best as she could, biting back her pain when one escaped through and sent a crushing blow to her shoulder. Another punch came spiraling at the other shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she opened her palm and caught his punch, cushioning the blow. She wasn't entirely strong enough to stop the attack completely, but she had slowed it down enough so he couldn't make contact anymore as effectively as he would have liked. So he threw his other fist forward, which Comet also caught - with difficulty.
Immediately, her hands moved to wrap around his wrists, and she threw herself backwards, using his stability in mid-air to help her in her backwards flip, her legs coming up for a sound double-kick to his chin and upper face. Her attack hit-home, but she was still upside down when Cell ripped his left fist free and swung his right arm around, effectively catching her off-balance. She released his wrist immediately and spiraled away, coming to a break, upright once more.
"You're slowing down," he informed her coolly. She merely watched him, chest heaving. She was too busy regaining her breath to respond. Whereas Cell wasn't even out of breath. Not in the slightest! She felt a sick swoop of frustration in her stomach. His endurance was endless. They had already been training for hours. Comet was almost certain it was late at night, although she never could really tell in the Time Chamber.
"Come on," he announced, spreading his arms and clenching his fists as he faced her, "Attack me again."
She hesitated, gazing at him. There was a part of her that desperately wanted a break, but her pride wouldn't allow her to. Not against Cell. She was determined to at least see him breathless. This time, however, she would lure him. Time to test her evasion skills. She straightened up, watching him steadily, and then raised a hand and beckoned.
A faint smirk flitted across his features as he took the invitation. He bolted forward, almost taking her aback by his speed. She waited, watching his arms closely, and just as he was about to close in with what looked like a sideswipe punch, as his arm came racing forward towards her cheek, she focused all her ki and shot back as fast as she could. The punch grazed, but she avoided the worst of it. Cell switched almost immediately, coming forward with the other hand. Comet ducked as it went sailing over her head, and then had to twist to avoid another hit. However, all of these dodges were too close, and she wouldn't be able to keep up for much longer.
A kick came from nowhere, striking into her side. She choked and flew sideways, propelled by the strength of his hit. Her gaze blurred momentarily, blinking with dark spots, and then something collided heavily with her stomach. A faint groan escaped her lips, and then she knew she had to fight back. Shaking her head desperately to clear it, she spotted him coming at her again. She threw both hands back, charged quickly, and hurled forward a ball of red ki that exploded in his face. Similarly, she tossed the other forward.
Cell wasn't effected in the least. He came barreling through the scarlet explosions, his face stoic, ready to engage again. Comet barely had time to throw up her arms, blocking as many of his attacks as possible, feeling herself backing up. She was waiting, looking for an opening. His right arm was too low - there! She threw her fist forward, putting as much of herself behind it as she could, almost landing a heavy punch on his shoulder. He raised his hand and caught it, however. Unfazed, she switched arms, this time going for his neck. He caught that one too.
And before she had realized it, he was pressing on her hands, flying forward and pushing her back. She clenched her teeth, unable to break away and unable to move.
SLAM. She winced as her back crashed into something solid, but she was still upright. He had her pinned against one of the columns of the living area. A few bits of plaster rained down around her. Her back was throbbing. He had hit hard. Her gaze swimming, she glared up at the pale face dancing above her.
"This seems to be a position you often find yourself in, does it not?" he questioned mockingly, leaning forward. Her stomach twisted. Arrogant... bastard....
Her arms were pinned above her head, and he was standing close, smirking down at her. Unable to think of a response at the time, she drew her leg up in an attempt to kick him away. He slipped around it and leaned forward, pressing against her, using his weight to immobilize her legs. "Ah, ah, ah," he chided, "You can't escape that easily."
"Get off of me," she hissed, struggling to pull her arms free. They held fast, however, under his iron grip.
"You allow yourself to be cornered so easily, m'dear," he remarked, ignoring her demand. "It isn't a pleasant feeling, is it? Being trapped and helpless?"
She gave a sharp thrash. "When I'm HELPLESS, you'll know it!" she snapped.
"What if I were to kill Goku right here, hm? What would you be able to do to prevent that?" his smirk was fading slowly. "Would you be able to prevent it?"
"Shut up!" Another abrupt thrash.
"You wouldn't, would you?" his voice lowered. "There would be nothing you could do. There is nothing you can do."
She bucked against the wall, eyes fixed furiously upon him. "Get AWAY from me!"
The emotion in his eyes, she couldn't place. But they glittered with a sort of determined ferocity, boring into her own, oblivious to the sick, bubbling feeling rising in her stomach. She knew his words to be true. She was helpless, for the most part, and if he did kill Goku - no, when he killed Goku - he would get her in a position like this... he knew how to do so well... and all she would be able to do was watch.
"All right, then, what about Vegeta? I know you hold some regard for the Prince. An underlying respect for his honor? A friendly affection? I almost killed him once, I'll gladly do it again."
He wouldn't even see it coming. He'd be blinded by his determination to be better than Goku. He'd put his life on the line... again...
Why couldn't she lay a hit on him? Why was Cell so powerful? He had avoided most of her hits before, blocking a good number as well. Her hands were throbbing, partially from his grip on her wrists and from sparring. It was like beating her fist upon a steel surface, cold, immobile, unyielding... why, dammit, why...?!
"Little Gohan... how old is he, now? Thirteen? Such a young age, don't you think, to die...? He hasn't gotten a true taste of the world's evils, perhaps I'll educate him before putting him out of his misery."
"Bastard!" she snarled, writhing furiously, her hair falling in her eyes as she twisted and squirmed with a newfound energy. "Lying bastard! You couldn't kill them!"
"Oh? But Comet, love, I think you know as well as I..." he leaned forward, his one free hand grabbing her chin and forcing her head still, his eyes locking on her own. "That I can. And I do intend to."
She couldn't beat him. She had been sparring with him for hours on end, and tiring, while he remained strong. Despite her efforts, she couldn't beat him. She wasn't good enough.
"How does the relationship between you and Piccolo stand? You tease him in a friendly way, of course, and he puts up with it. He does appreciate your determination. However, the Namek shows little affection for anyone, friendly or not; perhaps Gohan is the one exception. There's a powerful bond between student and teacher, isn't there?" His thumb began stroking her cheek, "Perhaps a bond like ours. After all, I've taught you, haven't I? And there's much I've learned from you."
He was going to kill her friends. Every last one of them, just as he was naming them off here and now. Slowly and purposefully, before her very eyes, to prove to her just how strong he was. And there would be nothing she could do about it. Absolutely nothing. Her stomach churned. Hopeless...
"Krillen... rumored to be the strongest Earthling alive. Standing against you, I'm not sure how the statistics change, but I'd say you stand a fair chance against him. He is so much weaker than I, poor, foolish little man." Cell's voice adopted a malicious tone, now. "Remember the look on his face when I absorbed Android 18? Did you see it?" A dark chuckle escaped the pale lips hovering a short distance from her own. "Priceless. As if I had absorbed his very soul...!"
"He loved her," Comet heard herself hissing, staring with a sudden, almost frightening intensity back at those strong, pink eyes, "You murdered the one he loved, and you take pride in it..."
Hopeless.... hopeless...
"I did?" the Android sounded innocent, "Oh dear, well, I didn't mean to do that. What's to be done, what's to be done? We simply can't have him living on a broken heart." An evil sneer broke free, his bared teeth grinning skeletally at her, "I have an idea! I'll kill him, too, and then he can join her!"
Hopeless... her situation was hopeless... she was hopeless...
"Trunks. My, oh my, his second chance ran out. What a pity. He tried so hard to save the planet, didn't he? Both in the future and in present times, in the past. The silly little boy thought he was helping... well, I won't say that, quite. Because, after all, he did help, didn't he? He helped quite a lot! He gave me that time machine, he allowed me to return to this past and absorb the Androids... why, if it hadn't been for Trunks, I wouldn't have met you...!"
She thrashed again, abruptly, like a lion straining at the chain, snapping through the bars. Her heart was roaring in her ears. Hopeless, hopeless... She was useless! She was weak! And this bastard was getting the better of her and relishing every moment of it...
No, no... no, she couldn't let him do that... no...
He'll kill my friends...
He'll destroy everything on the planet, leaving me... perhaps he'll destroy me too...
After ripping apart my soul, first...
He already has. It's too late.
No... I still have... I still retain myself...
I will not become his...
I won't let him...
I refuse...
"I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY ME! I'LL SURVIVE YOU!!"
She gave an animalistic scream, throwing her head back and howling to the heavens. Cell's eyes widened slightly as she began thrashing, more strongly than before. He could sense a change had come over her, but he couldn't place what. His temperature was rising - no. He could feel a steady building heat, the source having yet to be determined. But it didn't take long. It was coming from Comet.
He released her hands and took a step back, watching the Earthling in suppressed amazement as her red ki roared to life around her, leaping to the skies around her, throwing a bloody hue over her features. Her dark hair was caught in the whirlwind of her energy, eyes clenched shut with her fists. Her body compressed, trembling with the exertion of ki, and then with another scream, her limbs straightened out. A deathly strong expulsion of ki radiated outward from her like a bomb, throwing Cell back. He soon regained his footing and straightened up, this time not bothering to hide his shock.
Comet was hidden from view now by a glowing scarlet sphere of energy, crackling and burning. Every so often, more shock waves would radiate outward, throwing red patterns of light across the white surroundings of the tundra. And still, Comet's ki continued to skyrocket at an alarming rate of the likes he had never witnessed. It was almost fatal, how quickly the power was encompassing her body.
A snarl of flames quite close to him brought Cell back to the reality of his surroundings. Startled, he looked quickly around. What was going on - where was he? It was as if a rip had opened up in the floor of the chamber, and Hell had come racing up from its depths. He was surrounded by fire and flames, licking at his armor hungrily. A short distance away, Comet's hidden form re-emerged, as Cell spotted the silhouette of a figure hovering, upright and quite still.
The heat was astounding. Measurements in his head rang with the escalating temperatures, climbing and passing at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit. All of the Android's attention, however, was focused on the slowly clearing form of Comet. Her hair was blowing gently around her, as if in a soft breeze, but as the ki died down to the regular flickering aura, another wave of blistering heat washed over him.
And then, as he stood watching her in quiet interest, her eyes snapped open and locked on his instantly. They were glowing an eerie, brilliant red, seemingly bottomless, and blazing strongly. Radiating one emotion and one emotion alone.
Rage.
But where had the fire around him come from?
Cell barely had time to react. He was so fixated on her surreal eyes that had hardly time to notice when she shot forward, keeping her head low, her body streamlined. He didn't even have time to dodge as she rammed brutally into him, engaging right with a vicious body slam. The best he could do was brace against it, and as she took off with a series of punches and kicks, he was able to regain himself and parry them. Yet as the battle continued, he found himself actually straining to keep up with her, staring numbly into her endless eyes. She never dropped his gaze, hair whipping around her as her body twisted left and right, fists flying agilely in every direction.
To his amazement, a powerhouse punch slipped through, sinking deep into his chest. He involuntarily took in a short gasp of air, and doubled over. Another crushing blow sailed into his shoulder, and then, at once, Comet brought her knee up into his chest, holding her fists together and slamming them onto his back at the same time. Feeling both hits at once, Cell gave a faint growl of pain.
He managed to right himself with a back flip, only to have Comet come at him again from the front. Teeth gritted, eyes bulging slightly, he darted left and right, trying in vain to keep ahead of her. It was as if an outside spirit had possessed her body, for her eyes continued to glow that unearthly shade of scarlet, lip curled back in a snarl, teeth bared. She moved much more smoothly than before, and so much more quickly.
And then, suddenly, she was gone. Taken aback, the Android turned, just in time to be hit with a sideswipe right to the cheek. He reeled, and then tried to hit back, but his fist struck empty air. Meanwhile, from his other side, her feet drove into his side, and then struck rapidly in succession at his shoulders and neck.
This time, he was able to react, reaching and snaring the Earthling's ankle in his grip. Like lightning, two heavy blows collided with his temples, throwing stars into his sight. Dazed, he felt her tug her ankle from him, and then one right after the other, her fists began working away at his chest. One-two-one-two-one-two-one-two... he lost track of the steady, shockingly fast rhythm, the bursts of pain merging into one ache that slowly traveled throughout his torso, numbing him.
Finally, he managed to phase away, his chest and temples throbbing. He hardly even noticed the warm, wet feeling of blood trickling down from his headpiece. Comet was coming at him again, the heavy breeze still whipping her hair around. Cell also flew forward to meet her, drawing his fists back. Just as he was about to strike with a punch, however, a wave of flames suddenly cascaded over him, throwing him back. He cursed against the heat, raising his arms to protect his face.
And then Comet was at him again, this time letting her legs do the work. Her arms twisting in mid-air to counter-balance, her legs kicked back and forth, ricocheting off him, striking through his chest and whipping around to knock twice into his neck. He abruptly pulled back, buying himself just enough time to dart forward, ready to slam his fist into her stomach, but another torrent of flames licked at his body, diverting him enough to crumple in pain. A painful strike to the back, and he was falling...
Cell caught himself in time, looking up as Comet held out two palms towards him. The heat in the air flickered, and began to rise even higher. As he blankly watched her building ki attack, a faint thought registered in his consciousness.
The fire was coming from her.
A scarlet beam of energy was lacing towards him, hot enough to burn, to melt... he raised an arm and managed to knock it away, but only before realizing how weary he felt. Could he knock away another one like that without feeling some pain? Was he actually weakening?
If anything, Comet appeared to be getting angrier and angrier, and the more fury that burned in her eyes, the higher the temperature rose. Snarling, she shot down towards him, all four limbs working at once to inflict as much damage as possible.
"Bastard! I won't let you kill my friends!" Strike, punch, sideswipe. "I'll fight you, I'll beat you! I will defeat you!" Powerhouse, jab, jab, jab, swipe. Kick. "You can't do this to me! You can't!" Kick, double kick, punch-punch. "YOU WON'T WIN!"
She had grabbed ahold of his leg and was swinging him around. The heated air rushed past him. He felt so dizzy... and then again, he was falling, but he didn't think he'd be able to catch himself...
CRASH. Tile and dust exploded into the air around him, but all Cell could feel were the flames rushing over his body, penetrating his armor easily and seeming to set his flesh to boiling. There she was above him, coming down for another attack, tireless... endless...
The faintest grin swept across his face. He was paying, now... paying for her spirit... this was her fire....
He felt her legs connect with his stomach and retched, fighting down its contents. She flipped above him, spinning in mid-air, and came down again, her legs clearly aiming to strike his chest. He weakly managed to roll aside, and leapt back to his feet, his head swimming in the stifling temperatures. "Comet!" he shouted, but even to himself, his voice felt distant, lost in the roar of the flames climbing up his legs, eating away at him.
She raised both arms above her head, a massive, glowing ball of red energy building above her, pulsating. Again, the heat began to rise, but Cell could no longer feel it. Irritating measurements wheedled in his head, trilling off 300 degrees and rising. He was dying... she was dead, she couldn't survive this... they would die in here...
"Comet!" he shouted again, "Comet, you'll kill yourself!"
She ignored him, eyes fixed furiously on his, the matching ki ball growing ever bigger. He could feel its scorching heat on his face, almost feel his skin blistering. Everything was on fire, everything on his body was aflame... he took a shaky step forward, feeling a warm gush of liquid down his back. It was then he realized that numerous cuts and scrapes all over his body were bleeding. He hadn't even noticed.
Comet's attack continued to grow, while she herself hadn't moved. With every bone and every inch of him burning away, Cell continued to stumble forward, his own blood burning him. His only goal was to reach Comet. Even if it killed him.
From beneath him, a fresh wall of flames fired upwards, piercing through him. He bit back a yelp of pain, gritted his teeth in a fixed growl, still steadily, yet slowly, making his way towards her. She didn't move, watching him sedately, the ki attack continuing to build strength above her.
Behind her, a tower of fire leapt higher, licking at her face and hair, and yet leaving no impact. She still looked perfectly fine, not burnt, not tired. Yet her eyes, while they blazed with hatred, a rabid fury, were devoid of any emotion. It was as if the flames had burned away her soul. The fire was surrounding her, hissing protectively at Cell, encompassing her body and toying with her hair. She ignored it, every fiber focusing intently on him. The ball of energy above her shuddered dangerously, releasing a small shock wave. He braced against it and continued in his trek forward.
Suddenly, she tensed, leaning back slightly, taking the ki ball with her. She was bracing to throw it, preparing to launch her attack on him. Yet still, he kept walking. He was coming closer, only six feet away, and closing the distance. Perhaps a part of him thought she wasn't going to really go through with it. This just wasn't her. Those weren't her eyes...
He was closer. Keeping his eyes locked on her's, slowly, fighting away the flames that snarled and snapped at his arm angrily, he reached out towards her, reaching as though to touch her cheek...
She snapped. It all happened in a whirl of heat, sound and energy, so that even Cell himself didn't know what happened. The ki ball was flying at him. She was doubling over, hurling the attack towards him. His fingers brushed her cheek, and the attack didn't have far to go, colliding with his chest and face. There was a hurricane roaring around him. His wings were burning away, his headcrest was burning away. She was burning away. There was laughter in his mind, Hell had flown up to the heavens and was crashing down on him again, tearing away the wall between them, tearing it away but enforcing it at the same time. He had never felt such pain. Physical pain. Blood was exploding everywhere.
His eyes widened. Was he dying? Was it possible for him to die? A part of him had thought it impossible...
---`---,---@
Cell crumpled as the ki attack faded into oblivion, taking with it the flames. Comet stood, hunched over and panting, sweat dripping down her brow. A trickle slipped down her collar bone, her chest heaved. Her green eyes stared, unseeing, unfocused, her pupils mere pinpricks. Then her body gave a violent tremble, her pupils dilated fully, turning almost her entire eye black, and she stumbled sideways to fall upon her knees.
The Android looked up, drawing in a weak, shallow, shaking breath. His eyes focused blearily to watch as Comet collapsed. Every part of him was in pain, but even as he watched her fall, something within him constricted. Weakly, he tried to get up, to go to her, but another screaming throb raced up him. Suddenly, he couldn't breath. His lungs had burnt away, every breath was of smoke...
A part of him had thought it impossible...
A part of him had thought she wouldn't go through with it...
He had been wrong.
---`---,---@
AN: In case you're wondering... no, that isn't the end of it. C'mon! I'm not THAT evil! ::grin:: Besides, you'd know if it was the end. It'd be so much more dramatic.
"Dance With Death"
by A.C
Chapter Fifteen
The Breaking Point
This chapter is dedicated to Hochuuami. May she recover from the demons that plague her of the time being, and show us all how to learn from her strength and wisdom. She's always been an important figure to me - a considerate friend, an insightful writer, and an astounding role model.
---`---,---@
Several weeks passed in a curious manner. Comet found herself unable to draw back and to lurk amongst her dark, mingled feelings that had been haunting her practically ever since meeting Cell. It was as if a part of her was tired of being perpetually depressed and was forcing her to regain a bit of her spirit. Telling her to awaken from the drugged state of mind she had existed in for the past few days, that fruitless training had failed to banish, and to face the harsh reality that, with Cell's arrival, had planted itself firmly in front of her. She had to keep her wits about her now, she had to stay alert. The enemy was close. Much too close.
'The enemy', she repeated to herself sardonically. At the moment, she hung suspended from the golden frame of her canopy bed, her knees folded over the bar and tensed, holding her to it. She paused in the midst of her sit-up's to check on Cell's location. The first few days within his company had been a constant, hellish strain on her nerves. Every waking moment was spent watching him closely. Maybe a little too closely. It had almost been an obsession. She figured that if she knew where he was every damn second of the day, she would, by some abnormal magical miracle, be able to 'predict' his moves. Thereby keeping a step ahead of him and his evil plotting. Or something.
Every sleeping moment was of a light doze, anxious and always ready for the curtains to be drawn back, or of a strange presence invading her space...
After about a week of this, she realized he wasn't trying anything. Not yet, anyway. And it was with this new information, along with a mental note that a good night's rest was more important to her, that she mentally kicked herself for being paranoid and resumed training as normally as she could, under the circumstances. Although it wasn't necessarily 'normal', it wasn't like a constant battle of the sexes, either. Now, making sure she knew where Cell was positioned was simply habit. If she couldn't find him right away, she'd shrug it off. It was only if he happened to disappear for several hours that she would probably get worried.
Well, worried wasn't exactly the right term. She wasn't worried for his safety - of course not. She was merely concerned the bastard may have found a way out of the place and hadn't let her know.
Yes, that was it. That was why she was keeping him around. While she could spend her valuable time training so she could hold her own against him one day, he could stand around and 'ponder' on how to escape. That was his purpose. He was her repairman, and once his duty was served he would be of no further use.
Right?
Comet snapped out of her musings when she realized her face was burning and all the blood was rushing to her head. With a slight groan and a faint curse at realizing she had forgotten what number she was on, she pulled herself up one last time and grabbed the bar with her left hand, simultaneously relaxing her legs and nimbly swinging over backwards to land on her feet. She straightened up and looked around, green eyes scanning the brilliant horizon for a sign of him.
Yet her eyes only met the white abyss beyond. His shadow wasn't to be seen anywhere interrupting it. She frowned, automatically glancing at the other four-posted bed she hadn't slept in. A second later, she chided herself for doing so. He never slept before. Why should he start now?
A quick glance in the direction of the kitchen showed nothing, and she saw the restroom door was open. Frowning more heavily, the Earthling took a couple steps out towards the tundra, raising her chin to scan the area above her. Still no sign of him.
"Okay," she murmured aloud, placing her hands on her hips, "I don't care if this place stretches on for an eternity, there still is only so many places he could have gone. Where IS he...?" she trailed off, dropping her arms as she looked around again, gazing around the columns at each side of the 'room' they slept, ate and showered in.
"Looking for me?"
"Yes, dammit," she replied angrily after jumping half a foot in the air at the sudden sound of his voice almost directly behind her. The Earthling turned and scowled, meeting his blank pink stare. Cell stood behind her, looking like nothing had happened and he had been there the whole time.
"Why?"
She was silent for a moment. Outwardly, anyway. Inwardly, she had already begun to answer his question; 'I was worried you might have -' before she realized what she was thinking and stopped almost immediately. He might have what? Gotten HURT? Why should she care? That was just it, she didn't care. Worried was not the correct terminology. Suspicious was more than correct.
"I thought perhaps you found a way out and decided to skip on back to the other dimension without letting me know," she retorted coolly, giving him one of her better snobbish looks. Unfazed by her immaturity, Cell merely gazed evenly at her, and then strode on past, saying as he brushed lightly by;
"I would never leave you here."
She dropped her pose, turning to watch him as he continued to walk, stepping down onto the luminous white 'floor' of the tundra. He didn't even flinch as the gravity jumped upwards, but walked a few paces away and dropped his head in his typical meditation pose. 'Oh, but you have no problem raping me, right...' she mouthed bitterly at his still form. She didn't care she was being catty or childish. She disliked him and had to remind herself of that every so often, because lately she had been having less-than-aggressive thoughts towards the Android and she didn't like it.
Shaking her head, Comet ran a hand through her dark hair and folded her arms, staring at the floor for a moment. And just for that moment, her mind was blissfully blank. Everything drifted above and by her, just for that moment. A sort of rift in concentration, where she was almost thinking of what to do next, and yet not in any particular hurry to get it done. The moment soon passed, though. She figured she ought to return to her training.
Just as she was about to start forward, however, Cell's rich voice once again broke through to her. It always seemed to have the power to do that, no matter the situation.
"Spar with me."
She raised her eyes to him, blinking once, then twice. A puzzled frown flitted across her features. Apparently, he either hadn't been meditating like she had thought, or his trance had been an awfully short one, for his head was up, piercing eyes fixed solely on her.
"Excuse me?" she questioned, thinking perhaps she hadn't heard his question correctly. He had to have been joking, if anything, for it had been rather random.
He didn't even blink, or hesitate. "Please. Spar with me."
Such an innocent and politely stated request seemed unreal coming from him. Surely there was some ulterior motive he had in mind? He wanted to train with her? Why? What was he planning? No answer to her questions came to mind right away, but she was positive there was something more he wanted. There was always something more he wanted. There was always a goal he was working towards, so she would play it safe until she could know what his goal was this time.
"I train alone," she responded, turning away from him and striding away from him in the direction of the blank horizon that made up the Time Chamber. She felt his eyes on her, but he remained silent, watching as she stepped down onto the almost invisible floor. Because she knew he was watching her, she was determined to keep from showing even the slightest trace of weakness. Meaning she couldn't afford to flinch or even brace herself for the increase in the gravity.
And yet, when she took the first step down, her knees buckled. Her mind snapped, momentarily stung by panic. She felt herself going down, but threw out both arms and shifted most of her momentum forward with a slight push from the tiled floor of the living quarters. Doing such, she managed to push herself into a hand-stand, rather than crumple to the ground. She locked her elbows and froze, staring wide-eyed at the white beneath her, slightly aware of her legs waving slightly, stretched above her.
Quickly enough, she composed herself, and sprang back to her feet much more gracefully this time, her body remembering what movement under increased gravity felt like. She was a bit nervous from the stunt she just pulled, but refused to look at Cell. She could no longer tell if he was still watching her or not, and didn't want to check. And so, she began training attempting to act like she didn't care if anyone was watching while trying to be impressive and graceful at the same time.
As a result, she got absolutely nothing done. By means of pointless kicks and rapid shadow boxing movements through the air. She really needed to work on some of her ki attacks, like a mock of Vegeta's Final Flash and her fluke Kamehameha. She also wanted to test out some feinting techniques she had been thinking about lately, but those would seem trivial and non-impressive to Cell. And while she reproached the feeling of having to 'impress' him, something about her just wouldn't allow him to think of her as foolish or wasting her time in here.
After a while of this, she had soon managed to push the Android from her mind for the most part and could concentrate more efficiently on what needed to be done. She lowered herself back to the ground, focusing on bringing her ki back up to her upper body. She paused, fists lightly clenched, taking a couple deep breaths. She could feel her ki rising steadily as it circulated more freely through her, like a second pulse. It was a refreshing feeling that brought strength to her muscles, loosening them so they could be worked more strongly. It also had a sort of a calming feeling, allowing her to gather her concentration to prepare for she was about to do.
She thought back to Goku, and the many times she had heard the familiar chant. What had his body position been? In a slight crouch, arms out in front. She couldn't remember the exact position his hands had held. Was it... palms open and held together at the base, like his hands had been on a hinge? It felt awkward. She sighed. 'If only I could watch him do it again!'
"Kaaa..." she slowly began the chant, pushing her ki into her arms, blocking it off at the shoulders. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see everything glazed in a scarlet hue. Her aura had unexpectantly flickered to life - not uncommon when her ki was activated. "Meee... haaaaa...." Comet now worked on pinpointing her ki into her hands, compressing it as best as she could. Working it towards the palms. "Meeee.... HAA!" With her last yell, she released it, while pushing it outwards as best as she could. The resulting beam shot out a good twenty feet, a rich shade of red, before vanishing. It was perfectly straight.
She stood slowly, a disappointed look on her face. Somehow, she just couldn't seem to capture the exact replica. Her beam was supposed to curve, but how was she supposed to do that if it only went a short distance? She knew if she put more ki into the attack, the beam would simply thicken, which was also incorrect. It was supposed to be narrow and long. What was she doing wrong?
Cell had watched the entire proceedings with a bored eye. When Comet landed, he had merely looked over to see what she was going do. He watched as she crouched in a somewhat familiar pose. It wasn't until the chant began that he realized what she was up to. It appeared Goku had taught her the Kamehameha wave as well, which only surprised him a little. She was, however, not doing it correctly. There was something curious about the product, her ki.
"Your Kamehameha is slightly incorrect," she heard Cell's voice speak up. How acute of him to notice. She hid a slight sigh, glancing over at him. His pink eyes bore into her's.
"It's not a Kamehameha," she shot back. When he narrowed his eyes, confused, she continued to explain. "It's sort of a mimic. Designed to fool the opponent into predicting my attack, but causing him to predict wrong. I never learned the genuine article."
'A clever strategy,' Cell noted. It had almost gotten him. Almost, except for... "However, to an opponent perfectly aware of the battle stance of a Kamehameha, your flaws are obvious."
Comet merely frowned at him. Well, of course. It wasn't like she actually knew how to do the Kamehameha. If she had, she wouldn't need to waste her time with flukes. She knew plenty of other deceptive maneuvers. Recently, that had become a strong idea in her - deception. Many fighters didn't bother with it. To them, there were only so many elements in a battle - strength, speed, defense. Comet preferred studying the broader view. Even the slightest feint could cause a stumble in an opponent and open an opportunity for an attack. It was just the littlest thing needed to tip the scales in her favor.
Unfortunately, Cell did have a point. If the opponent didn't believe her Kamehameha was going to work, they wouldn't be taken off guard and could quite easily figure out what was up.
"KT-CHT, KT-CHT, KT-CHT -"
He walked over, closing the short distance between them, unfolding his arms as he did so. "Show me your stance again," he instructed, watching her calmly. Comet hesitated, blinking at him. And then, feeling somewhat foolish, she dropped into the crouch. Cell was silent for a moment, his eyes sweeping her figure.
"Your weight ought to be shifted onto your back leg, with the other leg out in front. Hunching over slightly, over your hands, will also help."
She made the adjustments quietly, still trying to get a mental image of Goku's pose as Cell instructed her. As she shifted to her hind leg, her center of gravity changed abruptly, and she felt herself stumbling. Instantly, a firm hand pressed into her back, interrupting her fall. She froze, startled, and then found her balance again, her face burning in embarrassment. Cell straightened up again. "Divide your weight between both legs, favoring the back. It will help you find your center of gravity more quickly, as your body isn't so taken aback."
Mindful to not completely ease pressure on her front leg, she leaned more heavily on her back, and found what he was talking about. "Yes, that's good," he nodded. "Your feet have already moved themselves into position. Being mindful of your center of gravity and weight distribution will do that. Now, your arms ought to be tense, and held back a bit more. The position of your hands is highly important. You had it close the first time, but your arms should be almost perpendicular, your palms tightly together. This will help stabilize and focus your ki."
She glanced down, making the changes as he described them. A part of her was in disbelief. He was... teaching her? But she shoved the thought aside. This was an opportunity she had every intent to take. She struggled a bit to keep her arms at the correct angle while holding her palms steadily together. And then, before she had realized it, Cell had stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, helping guide her.
"This body position helps only for charging up the attack," his deep voice murmured, right in her ear. She felt his head slightly over her shoulder, distinctly aware of how close he was to her. Her breathing quickened, shivers trailing down her spine. Yet, oddly enough... she wasn't afraid. She felt absolutely no fear, just... butterflies?
"You can lower your right-hand palm a bit more," he continued, reaching around to gently move it for her. He was curiously warm... "Now, begin your chant. Don't necessarily try to push all your ki into your hands - let it flow there and build."
She cleared her throat, also trying to clear her mind. "Kaaa..." her voice was weak at first, quiet, and trembling. Furiously, she forced herself to ignore Cell's closeness, and the sound of his voice. "Meeeee... haaa..." her voice gained strength. She obeyed his instructions and merely focused on her cupped hands, feeling a sort of warm starting to blossom within them. "Mee...."
"Straighten your arms," he whispered, under the rushing in her ears from her building ki, "Align them as you straighten your arms out. Only allow the ki to leave from the meeting point of your palms."
"HAAA!" she yelled, throwing her arms out as he instructed, and this time narrowing the ki to flow only from her focal point of her palms. Her hands felt like they were on fire, but she ignored the feeling - it often happened when she learned new attacks. A narrow beam of scarlet energy burst forth and laced across the tundra, curving slightly as it raced forward sixty, seventy, eighty feet...
At least ninety feet away, the beam finally lost its brunt and faded away. Gasping for breath, green eyes wide as she stared after it, Comet lowered her arms. She was standing more upright again, for she had leaned forward without even realizing it. Cell was still right behind her. He hesitated, still leaning over her shoulder, and then straightened up. She turned towards him, meeting his knowing smirk. "Now look at that, you don't have to pretend anymore. Isn't that easier?"
---`---,---@
"HAH!"
Her kick was met abruptly with an upper block, her leg striking the hard shield of Cell's arm. Comet switched direction instantly, pressing her weight into his block so as to change her momentum, this time bringing the other leg up for a square kick in the chest. Cell moved fluidly with her, however, releasing the one leg to block her attack with both arms, without so much as a blink. Comet flipped once in mid-air and paused, hovering a little ways back.
Cell took this opportunity to shoot forward, arms freeing themselves and raising to attack. Her role abruptly thrown to defense, Comet raised her own arms and waited for him to engage, which he did so with a rapid series of straight out powerhouse punches, mostly at her face and upper shoulders. She blocked them as best as she could, biting back her pain when one escaped through and sent a crushing blow to her shoulder. Another punch came spiraling at the other shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she opened her palm and caught his punch, cushioning the blow. She wasn't entirely strong enough to stop the attack completely, but she had slowed it down enough so he couldn't make contact anymore as effectively as he would have liked. So he threw his other fist forward, which Comet also caught - with difficulty.
Immediately, her hands moved to wrap around his wrists, and she threw herself backwards, using his stability in mid-air to help her in her backwards flip, her legs coming up for a sound double-kick to his chin and upper face. Her attack hit-home, but she was still upside down when Cell ripped his left fist free and swung his right arm around, effectively catching her off-balance. She released his wrist immediately and spiraled away, coming to a break, upright once more.
"You're slowing down," he informed her coolly. She merely watched him, chest heaving. She was too busy regaining her breath to respond. Whereas Cell wasn't even out of breath. Not in the slightest! She felt a sick swoop of frustration in her stomach. His endurance was endless. They had already been training for hours. Comet was almost certain it was late at night, although she never could really tell in the Time Chamber.
"Come on," he announced, spreading his arms and clenching his fists as he faced her, "Attack me again."
She hesitated, gazing at him. There was a part of her that desperately wanted a break, but her pride wouldn't allow her to. Not against Cell. She was determined to at least see him breathless. This time, however, she would lure him. Time to test her evasion skills. She straightened up, watching him steadily, and then raised a hand and beckoned.
A faint smirk flitted across his features as he took the invitation. He bolted forward, almost taking her aback by his speed. She waited, watching his arms closely, and just as he was about to close in with what looked like a sideswipe punch, as his arm came racing forward towards her cheek, she focused all her ki and shot back as fast as she could. The punch grazed, but she avoided the worst of it. Cell switched almost immediately, coming forward with the other hand. Comet ducked as it went sailing over her head, and then had to twist to avoid another hit. However, all of these dodges were too close, and she wouldn't be able to keep up for much longer.
A kick came from nowhere, striking into her side. She choked and flew sideways, propelled by the strength of his hit. Her gaze blurred momentarily, blinking with dark spots, and then something collided heavily with her stomach. A faint groan escaped her lips, and then she knew she had to fight back. Shaking her head desperately to clear it, she spotted him coming at her again. She threw both hands back, charged quickly, and hurled forward a ball of red ki that exploded in his face. Similarly, she tossed the other forward.
Cell wasn't effected in the least. He came barreling through the scarlet explosions, his face stoic, ready to engage again. Comet barely had time to throw up her arms, blocking as many of his attacks as possible, feeling herself backing up. She was waiting, looking for an opening. His right arm was too low - there! She threw her fist forward, putting as much of herself behind it as she could, almost landing a heavy punch on his shoulder. He raised his hand and caught it, however. Unfazed, she switched arms, this time going for his neck. He caught that one too.
And before she had realized it, he was pressing on her hands, flying forward and pushing her back. She clenched her teeth, unable to break away and unable to move.
SLAM. She winced as her back crashed into something solid, but she was still upright. He had her pinned against one of the columns of the living area. A few bits of plaster rained down around her. Her back was throbbing. He had hit hard. Her gaze swimming, she glared up at the pale face dancing above her.
"This seems to be a position you often find yourself in, does it not?" he questioned mockingly, leaning forward. Her stomach twisted. Arrogant... bastard....
Her arms were pinned above her head, and he was standing close, smirking down at her. Unable to think of a response at the time, she drew her leg up in an attempt to kick him away. He slipped around it and leaned forward, pressing against her, using his weight to immobilize her legs. "Ah, ah, ah," he chided, "You can't escape that easily."
"Get off of me," she hissed, struggling to pull her arms free. They held fast, however, under his iron grip.
"You allow yourself to be cornered so easily, m'dear," he remarked, ignoring her demand. "It isn't a pleasant feeling, is it? Being trapped and helpless?"
She gave a sharp thrash. "When I'm HELPLESS, you'll know it!" she snapped.
"What if I were to kill Goku right here, hm? What would you be able to do to prevent that?" his smirk was fading slowly. "Would you be able to prevent it?"
"Shut up!" Another abrupt thrash.
"You wouldn't, would you?" his voice lowered. "There would be nothing you could do. There is nothing you can do."
She bucked against the wall, eyes fixed furiously upon him. "Get AWAY from me!"
The emotion in his eyes, she couldn't place. But they glittered with a sort of determined ferocity, boring into her own, oblivious to the sick, bubbling feeling rising in her stomach. She knew his words to be true. She was helpless, for the most part, and if he did kill Goku - no, when he killed Goku - he would get her in a position like this... he knew how to do so well... and all she would be able to do was watch.
"All right, then, what about Vegeta? I know you hold some regard for the Prince. An underlying respect for his honor? A friendly affection? I almost killed him once, I'll gladly do it again."
He wouldn't even see it coming. He'd be blinded by his determination to be better than Goku. He'd put his life on the line... again...
Why couldn't she lay a hit on him? Why was Cell so powerful? He had avoided most of her hits before, blocking a good number as well. Her hands were throbbing, partially from his grip on her wrists and from sparring. It was like beating her fist upon a steel surface, cold, immobile, unyielding... why, dammit, why...?!
"Little Gohan... how old is he, now? Thirteen? Such a young age, don't you think, to die...? He hasn't gotten a true taste of the world's evils, perhaps I'll educate him before putting him out of his misery."
"Bastard!" she snarled, writhing furiously, her hair falling in her eyes as she twisted and squirmed with a newfound energy. "Lying bastard! You couldn't kill them!"
"Oh? But Comet, love, I think you know as well as I..." he leaned forward, his one free hand grabbing her chin and forcing her head still, his eyes locking on her own. "That I can. And I do intend to."
She couldn't beat him. She had been sparring with him for hours on end, and tiring, while he remained strong. Despite her efforts, she couldn't beat him. She wasn't good enough.
"How does the relationship between you and Piccolo stand? You tease him in a friendly way, of course, and he puts up with it. He does appreciate your determination. However, the Namek shows little affection for anyone, friendly or not; perhaps Gohan is the one exception. There's a powerful bond between student and teacher, isn't there?" His thumb began stroking her cheek, "Perhaps a bond like ours. After all, I've taught you, haven't I? And there's much I've learned from you."
He was going to kill her friends. Every last one of them, just as he was naming them off here and now. Slowly and purposefully, before her very eyes, to prove to her just how strong he was. And there would be nothing she could do about it. Absolutely nothing. Her stomach churned. Hopeless...
"Krillen... rumored to be the strongest Earthling alive. Standing against you, I'm not sure how the statistics change, but I'd say you stand a fair chance against him. He is so much weaker than I, poor, foolish little man." Cell's voice adopted a malicious tone, now. "Remember the look on his face when I absorbed Android 18? Did you see it?" A dark chuckle escaped the pale lips hovering a short distance from her own. "Priceless. As if I had absorbed his very soul...!"
"He loved her," Comet heard herself hissing, staring with a sudden, almost frightening intensity back at those strong, pink eyes, "You murdered the one he loved, and you take pride in it..."
Hopeless.... hopeless...
"I did?" the Android sounded innocent, "Oh dear, well, I didn't mean to do that. What's to be done, what's to be done? We simply can't have him living on a broken heart." An evil sneer broke free, his bared teeth grinning skeletally at her, "I have an idea! I'll kill him, too, and then he can join her!"
Hopeless... her situation was hopeless... she was hopeless...
"Trunks. My, oh my, his second chance ran out. What a pity. He tried so hard to save the planet, didn't he? Both in the future and in present times, in the past. The silly little boy thought he was helping... well, I won't say that, quite. Because, after all, he did help, didn't he? He helped quite a lot! He gave me that time machine, he allowed me to return to this past and absorb the Androids... why, if it hadn't been for Trunks, I wouldn't have met you...!"
She thrashed again, abruptly, like a lion straining at the chain, snapping through the bars. Her heart was roaring in her ears. Hopeless, hopeless... She was useless! She was weak! And this bastard was getting the better of her and relishing every moment of it...
No, no... no, she couldn't let him do that... no...
He'll kill my friends...
He'll destroy everything on the planet, leaving me... perhaps he'll destroy me too...
After ripping apart my soul, first...
He already has. It's too late.
No... I still have... I still retain myself...
I will not become his...
I won't let him...
I refuse...
"I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY ME! I'LL SURVIVE YOU!!"
She gave an animalistic scream, throwing her head back and howling to the heavens. Cell's eyes widened slightly as she began thrashing, more strongly than before. He could sense a change had come over her, but he couldn't place what. His temperature was rising - no. He could feel a steady building heat, the source having yet to be determined. But it didn't take long. It was coming from Comet.
He released her hands and took a step back, watching the Earthling in suppressed amazement as her red ki roared to life around her, leaping to the skies around her, throwing a bloody hue over her features. Her dark hair was caught in the whirlwind of her energy, eyes clenched shut with her fists. Her body compressed, trembling with the exertion of ki, and then with another scream, her limbs straightened out. A deathly strong expulsion of ki radiated outward from her like a bomb, throwing Cell back. He soon regained his footing and straightened up, this time not bothering to hide his shock.
Comet was hidden from view now by a glowing scarlet sphere of energy, crackling and burning. Every so often, more shock waves would radiate outward, throwing red patterns of light across the white surroundings of the tundra. And still, Comet's ki continued to skyrocket at an alarming rate of the likes he had never witnessed. It was almost fatal, how quickly the power was encompassing her body.
A snarl of flames quite close to him brought Cell back to the reality of his surroundings. Startled, he looked quickly around. What was going on - where was he? It was as if a rip had opened up in the floor of the chamber, and Hell had come racing up from its depths. He was surrounded by fire and flames, licking at his armor hungrily. A short distance away, Comet's hidden form re-emerged, as Cell spotted the silhouette of a figure hovering, upright and quite still.
The heat was astounding. Measurements in his head rang with the escalating temperatures, climbing and passing at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit. All of the Android's attention, however, was focused on the slowly clearing form of Comet. Her hair was blowing gently around her, as if in a soft breeze, but as the ki died down to the regular flickering aura, another wave of blistering heat washed over him.
And then, as he stood watching her in quiet interest, her eyes snapped open and locked on his instantly. They were glowing an eerie, brilliant red, seemingly bottomless, and blazing strongly. Radiating one emotion and one emotion alone.
Rage.
But where had the fire around him come from?
Cell barely had time to react. He was so fixated on her surreal eyes that had hardly time to notice when she shot forward, keeping her head low, her body streamlined. He didn't even have time to dodge as she rammed brutally into him, engaging right with a vicious body slam. The best he could do was brace against it, and as she took off with a series of punches and kicks, he was able to regain himself and parry them. Yet as the battle continued, he found himself actually straining to keep up with her, staring numbly into her endless eyes. She never dropped his gaze, hair whipping around her as her body twisted left and right, fists flying agilely in every direction.
To his amazement, a powerhouse punch slipped through, sinking deep into his chest. He involuntarily took in a short gasp of air, and doubled over. Another crushing blow sailed into his shoulder, and then, at once, Comet brought her knee up into his chest, holding her fists together and slamming them onto his back at the same time. Feeling both hits at once, Cell gave a faint growl of pain.
He managed to right himself with a back flip, only to have Comet come at him again from the front. Teeth gritted, eyes bulging slightly, he darted left and right, trying in vain to keep ahead of her. It was as if an outside spirit had possessed her body, for her eyes continued to glow that unearthly shade of scarlet, lip curled back in a snarl, teeth bared. She moved much more smoothly than before, and so much more quickly.
And then, suddenly, she was gone. Taken aback, the Android turned, just in time to be hit with a sideswipe right to the cheek. He reeled, and then tried to hit back, but his fist struck empty air. Meanwhile, from his other side, her feet drove into his side, and then struck rapidly in succession at his shoulders and neck.
This time, he was able to react, reaching and snaring the Earthling's ankle in his grip. Like lightning, two heavy blows collided with his temples, throwing stars into his sight. Dazed, he felt her tug her ankle from him, and then one right after the other, her fists began working away at his chest. One-two-one-two-one-two-one-two... he lost track of the steady, shockingly fast rhythm, the bursts of pain merging into one ache that slowly traveled throughout his torso, numbing him.
Finally, he managed to phase away, his chest and temples throbbing. He hardly even noticed the warm, wet feeling of blood trickling down from his headpiece. Comet was coming at him again, the heavy breeze still whipping her hair around. Cell also flew forward to meet her, drawing his fists back. Just as he was about to strike with a punch, however, a wave of flames suddenly cascaded over him, throwing him back. He cursed against the heat, raising his arms to protect his face.
And then Comet was at him again, this time letting her legs do the work. Her arms twisting in mid-air to counter-balance, her legs kicked back and forth, ricocheting off him, striking through his chest and whipping around to knock twice into his neck. He abruptly pulled back, buying himself just enough time to dart forward, ready to slam his fist into her stomach, but another torrent of flames licked at his body, diverting him enough to crumple in pain. A painful strike to the back, and he was falling...
Cell caught himself in time, looking up as Comet held out two palms towards him. The heat in the air flickered, and began to rise even higher. As he blankly watched her building ki attack, a faint thought registered in his consciousness.
The fire was coming from her.
A scarlet beam of energy was lacing towards him, hot enough to burn, to melt... he raised an arm and managed to knock it away, but only before realizing how weary he felt. Could he knock away another one like that without feeling some pain? Was he actually weakening?
If anything, Comet appeared to be getting angrier and angrier, and the more fury that burned in her eyes, the higher the temperature rose. Snarling, she shot down towards him, all four limbs working at once to inflict as much damage as possible.
"Bastard! I won't let you kill my friends!" Strike, punch, sideswipe. "I'll fight you, I'll beat you! I will defeat you!" Powerhouse, jab, jab, jab, swipe. Kick. "You can't do this to me! You can't!" Kick, double kick, punch-punch. "YOU WON'T WIN!"
She had grabbed ahold of his leg and was swinging him around. The heated air rushed past him. He felt so dizzy... and then again, he was falling, but he didn't think he'd be able to catch himself...
CRASH. Tile and dust exploded into the air around him, but all Cell could feel were the flames rushing over his body, penetrating his armor easily and seeming to set his flesh to boiling. There she was above him, coming down for another attack, tireless... endless...
The faintest grin swept across his face. He was paying, now... paying for her spirit... this was her fire....
He felt her legs connect with his stomach and retched, fighting down its contents. She flipped above him, spinning in mid-air, and came down again, her legs clearly aiming to strike his chest. He weakly managed to roll aside, and leapt back to his feet, his head swimming in the stifling temperatures. "Comet!" he shouted, but even to himself, his voice felt distant, lost in the roar of the flames climbing up his legs, eating away at him.
She raised both arms above her head, a massive, glowing ball of red energy building above her, pulsating. Again, the heat began to rise, but Cell could no longer feel it. Irritating measurements wheedled in his head, trilling off 300 degrees and rising. He was dying... she was dead, she couldn't survive this... they would die in here...
"Comet!" he shouted again, "Comet, you'll kill yourself!"
She ignored him, eyes fixed furiously on his, the matching ki ball growing ever bigger. He could feel its scorching heat on his face, almost feel his skin blistering. Everything was on fire, everything on his body was aflame... he took a shaky step forward, feeling a warm gush of liquid down his back. It was then he realized that numerous cuts and scrapes all over his body were bleeding. He hadn't even noticed.
Comet's attack continued to grow, while she herself hadn't moved. With every bone and every inch of him burning away, Cell continued to stumble forward, his own blood burning him. His only goal was to reach Comet. Even if it killed him.
From beneath him, a fresh wall of flames fired upwards, piercing through him. He bit back a yelp of pain, gritted his teeth in a fixed growl, still steadily, yet slowly, making his way towards her. She didn't move, watching him sedately, the ki attack continuing to build strength above her.
Behind her, a tower of fire leapt higher, licking at her face and hair, and yet leaving no impact. She still looked perfectly fine, not burnt, not tired. Yet her eyes, while they blazed with hatred, a rabid fury, were devoid of any emotion. It was as if the flames had burned away her soul. The fire was surrounding her, hissing protectively at Cell, encompassing her body and toying with her hair. She ignored it, every fiber focusing intently on him. The ball of energy above her shuddered dangerously, releasing a small shock wave. He braced against it and continued in his trek forward.
Suddenly, she tensed, leaning back slightly, taking the ki ball with her. She was bracing to throw it, preparing to launch her attack on him. Yet still, he kept walking. He was coming closer, only six feet away, and closing the distance. Perhaps a part of him thought she wasn't going to really go through with it. This just wasn't her. Those weren't her eyes...
He was closer. Keeping his eyes locked on her's, slowly, fighting away the flames that snarled and snapped at his arm angrily, he reached out towards her, reaching as though to touch her cheek...
She snapped. It all happened in a whirl of heat, sound and energy, so that even Cell himself didn't know what happened. The ki ball was flying at him. She was doubling over, hurling the attack towards him. His fingers brushed her cheek, and the attack didn't have far to go, colliding with his chest and face. There was a hurricane roaring around him. His wings were burning away, his headcrest was burning away. She was burning away. There was laughter in his mind, Hell had flown up to the heavens and was crashing down on him again, tearing away the wall between them, tearing it away but enforcing it at the same time. He had never felt such pain. Physical pain. Blood was exploding everywhere.
His eyes widened. Was he dying? Was it possible for him to die? A part of him had thought it impossible...
---`---,---@
Cell crumpled as the ki attack faded into oblivion, taking with it the flames. Comet stood, hunched over and panting, sweat dripping down her brow. A trickle slipped down her collar bone, her chest heaved. Her green eyes stared, unseeing, unfocused, her pupils mere pinpricks. Then her body gave a violent tremble, her pupils dilated fully, turning almost her entire eye black, and she stumbled sideways to fall upon her knees.
The Android looked up, drawing in a weak, shallow, shaking breath. His eyes focused blearily to watch as Comet collapsed. Every part of him was in pain, but even as he watched her fall, something within him constricted. Weakly, he tried to get up, to go to her, but another screaming throb raced up him. Suddenly, he couldn't breath. His lungs had burnt away, every breath was of smoke...
A part of him had thought it impossible...
A part of him had thought she wouldn't go through with it...
He had been wrong.
---`---,---@
AN: In case you're wondering... no, that isn't the end of it. C'mon! I'm not THAT evil! ::grin:: Besides, you'd know if it was the end. It'd be so much more dramatic.