Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Unholy Crusade: Act 1 ❯ The Great Gospel, Part 4 ( Chapter 13 )

Unholy Crusade

Act 1: Reign of Fear

Chapter 12: The Great Gospel, Part 3

Both guards watched in horror as Cell slowly took steps inside the city, keeping his aura flaring at full power. He looked at the both of them as he walked by.

"Just stay out of my way, and I promise not to hurt you. I have more important matters to deal with here."

He continued down the street, very slowly. He was moving much slower than he was walking towards the city. The guards moved around so that they were well behind him and out of the range of his tail. They were terrified.

"He's…walking on the holocram! How is this possible?!" the guard stammered. "This monster is pure evil. It should be dying!"

"Sound the alarm." His partner ordered. "Get the Four Guardians and Mimic-san out here now!"

^

Selena slowly sipped her tea as Mimic chanted in slow, whispering Japanese while holding a slender tree branch decorated with tiny bells. Krillin and Sakura also drank some of their tea as they watched. Mimic was summoning the spirits of the household to awaken and bring them luck and protection for the summer season. Krillin remained respectively quiet, not wanting to comment that this was the strangest matsuri he had ever seen. On a matsuri, people marched in the streets, yelling and making noise to awaken the spirits lying deep in the earth. Mimic called this practice a waste, saying that all the yelling and noise made the spirits irritable.

"It makes sense." Selena had said before Mimic got started. "People are in a better mood after being shaken awake than waking up to an alarm clock."

So, Mimic had requested that everyone remain quiet as she chanted and summoned. The only sounds from the three onlookers were the sips and gulps on their drinks, and the clacking of their cups settling on their saucers. Selena watched rather intently while Sakura and Krillin looked rather bored. Both had no idea how long this would take.

Suddenly, Mimic stopped chanting, and rang the bells on the branch gently. The tingling of the tiny instruments rippled into the listener's ears. Selena looked down at the tea in her cup. The small wisps of steam seemed to slither and dance like a snake being charmed. She smiled and leaned over to her two friends.

"Look." She whispered, pointing to their cups. "The spirits are awake."

The almost invisible steam trails from their cups were doing the same thing as Selena's.

"They're dancing…" Sakura marveled, timidly putting her fingers through the wisps.

"Steam does that all the time…" Krillin shook his head.

"So rhythmically?" Mimic asked as she chimed the bells a little louder. "So gracefully? Like ribbons in a strong breeze?"

"Whatever…" Krillin moaned. "Well, tonight was certainly interesting… Are we done yet?"

"Quite." Mimic nodded, shaking the branch less and less, making the bells chime quieter and quieter until they were completely silent. She put the branch down on the table, and picked up her cup of tea for a toast. "To a prosperous summer."

"To the summer spirits." Selena toasted, clicking her cup against Mimic's. Everyone clacked the sides of each other's teacups then took long drinks that finished the rest of the beverage off.

"I'll do dishes." Mimic volunteered, putting the tea tray on the table. "It's past Sakura-chan's bedtime."

"I'm not sleepy…" Sakura moaned.

"Sleep sounds like a good idea." Selena yawned and stretched. "Let's all go to bed." She reached for the pins in her hair, about to undo the bun that Mimic helped her tie in her hair when…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Huh?" the four blinked at the outside window.

"That came from outside…" Selena bit her lip.

"Sounds like a guard." Mimic guessed. Selena went to the window, and peeked out. She saw two guards running down the street, frantically looking for something. She flagged them down with a waving hand.

"Hey! What's going on?!" she called. The guards ran to them.

"The monster is here!" one of them shouted.

"Don't panic." Selena shook her head at them. "He can't get in. The holocram is…"

"He is inside the city!" the other shouted. "He's making his way down the main road!"

"WHAT?!" Selena flinched, leaning further out the window. "You have got to be kidding!"

"We aren't allowed."

"How could he have gotten into the city?!"

"We aren't sure." The first guard shook his head. "The gate sentries sent every patroller in town to seek out the four guardians and Mimic-san for help."

"Are you sure it's him?" Mimic asked, standing next to Selena.

"Yeah." Selena nodded. "Was he almost seven feet tall, green with black spots, and has a long tail with a spike behind him?"

"Yes." Both of them nodded. Then the first one spoke up.

"He has pink eyes like a snake, a loud stomping walk, and calls himself a god!"

"Damn…" Selena muttered. "It's Cell alright…" She looked to Mimic. "But…how…"

"We'll ask questions later." Mimic decided. "You two," she called to the guards, "seek out Zeo and Ace at their huts. Keep Preacher at the temple just in case. Go now."

"Yes mam!" the guards nodded, taking off down the street.

"The main street is just two blocks from here…" Selena calculated, leaning away from the window. "If we run, we can catch him."

Mimic turned to Krillin and Sakura, who looked rather scared.

"I thought you said he couldn't get it!" Sakura yelled, feeling betrayed.

"We don't know how he's doing this, or if it's even him." Mimic shook her head. "But perhaps you two should stay here just in case."

"Right." Krillin nodded. "I'll look after Sakura."

Selena grabbed her sheathed staff, and tied the sheathe around her shoulder as she would normally wear it.

"Mimic-san?"

"Let's go." The elder nodded.

^

Mimic and Selena found Zeo and Ace on the main street, holding their staffs in their hands.

"Well?" Selena asked them.

"He'll be coming from down there." Zeo pointed down the street. "He's just walking along the street so far, and he hasn't made any moves or turns off yet."

"Just walking down the street?" Selena wondered, looking behind her and seeing the Great Gospel Temple almost a mile away. "Singing 'Do-wa-diddie-diddie-dum-diddie-do?' "

"Don't joke around."

"Sorry, I just had to lighten the mood a little."

"How quickly is he getting here?" Mimic asked.

"This dude's at a slow walk." Ace reported. "It'd take him five minutes to reach us, dude."

"Five minutes?" Selena disapproved. "Why wait here if he's just walking? Let's go find him."

"Are you crazy?!" Zeo exclaimed. "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with here?"

"Yes, I do." Selena nodded. "For the past few days, I've been hunting down and trying to kill this guy. I pretty much know what he's capable of." She pulled her staff from her sheathe, and walked in the direction Cell was supposedly coming from. "C'mon, let's go meet him."

"Mimic-san?" Ace looked up at his mentor. Mimic nodded.

"If he's just approaching in a slow walk, then it would make sense to go to him. We should at least see what he wants."

"Yeah." Zeo agreed, walking after Selena. "Alright, team. Let's go."

^

…kt-ch……kt-ch……kt-ch… < p>"Yep. It's him." Selena nodded, feeling her scar twitch on her arm and hearing his steps. She could see the peak of his aura just down the street. She let the shaft of her staff rest on her shoulder, and held her weapon as though it was a high powered rifle, aiming the jewel end at the direction Cell was coming. It took a while, but then she could clearly see him. He was taking very slow and careful steps, like he was walking on sharp needles with skill. In his face, she could see him fighting back a grimace and his eyes seemed watery, like he was struggling to keep a look of unbearable pain off his face. She blinked at him.

What is wrong with this guy?

The others caught up to her. Mimic half smiled.

"Well, he made it this far alive… I'm impressed."

…kt-ch……kt-CH……KT-CH…

Cell glared at the four of them. Selena just smiled at him.

"He's got guts, I'll give him that." Selena complemented.

"That's him?" Ace pointed at Cell. "That's the monster of Nikki Town?"

"Yep."

"Dude! Aw, man! That thing is ugly, dude!"

"Yeah." Zeo agreed. "And I bet it's as dumb as it is ugly…"

Cell snarled, showing his upper fangs.

"I don't think he liked hearing that…" Selena shook her head.

Mimic stepped foreword, in front of Selena and the others. The elder held her staff out to her side, tapping the edge to the marble ground.

"Outsider!" she shouted to Cell. "Why have you come here against all warnings?!"

…KT-CH……KT-CH……KT-CH…

"Out of my way!" Cell shouted back. "I have no business with you!"

"This is my business now. Answer me!"

"Move aside!"

"He's not going to tell you." Selena shook her head, standing next to Mimic. Then, she shouted to Cell. "Alright, then answer this! How the hell did you get in here?! You should be dead by now!"

"Feh." Cell snorted. "This 'holocram' is much to weak to keep me out. Selena, you should have learned by now that nowhere is a haven from me."

"I see." Mimic nodded to herself. "True, his power is slightly stronger than the holocram, but not by much. Although he should be dead, he is still in great pain. I'm sure for him, this is like walking in molten lava."

"Eeew." Selena grimaced. "Nasty."

…KT-CH……KT-CH……KT-CH…

"H e's not stopping…" Ace noted, watching Cell walking towards them.

"…and we're right in his path…" Zeo realized nervously. Selena narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, I'm not moving. Especially if it's me he's after."

Cell shook his head.

"It has nothing to do with you, Selena."

She blinked, then clutched her staff tightly. The jewel began to glow as ki gathered at its tip into a ball.

"Then why are you here if you aren't after me?"

"It's none of your business, so step aside. I won't hurt you if you would just get out of my way."

He was just two meters away now. Selena powered more ki into her staff for an attack.

"Look, I'll make you a deal! Just turn around and leave, or else I'll open fire!"

Cell growled, continuing his slow steps. Selena could see the pain on his face much more clearly. In his anger, he was starting to forget not to show how much each step hurt. She narrowed her eyes at him, and gnashed her teeth as he kept putting one foot in front of the other in his cautious march.

…KT-CH……KT-CH……KT-CH…

He was now only three feet away. Cell snaked his tail foreword and pointed the tip of his syringe at Selena's throat.

"Last warning." He snarled through his fangs. "Step aside!"

Selena shook her head, then fired her attack.

"TAMASHII NO YA!"

The attack burst from the jewel, and Cell quickly put his hands out to counter it. The massive ki pushed Cell away, skidding him on his feet and making him screech in pain. Finally, he lifted the attack off his hands and into the air. He fell to his hands and knees as the attack arched and landed outside the city and exploded on the open planes. Selena growled in frustration as Zeo and Ace gaped in shock.

"Dios!" Zeo shouted.

"He flung it away!" Ace screamed. "I can't believe it!"

"He's really strong, guys." Selena reminded, then she smirked. "But it took him long enough to finally do that. Walking through here must have weakened him a lot." She watched him steady himself on his hands and knees and stand back up.

There was a strange mixture of pain and anger on his face.

He was pissed.

Selena spread her feet, ready to attack, keeping her eyes on him. Cell continued to walk foreword at his slow pace.

KT-CH……KT-CH……KT-CH…

"Yeah, go nice and slow." Selena mocked. "You're going to get yours soon enough."

"Selena-chan!" Mimic called to her student, and Selena looked over her shoulder at her. "Let him be. Just step aside and let him pass."

"What?" Selena growled. "No way! I don't think I'll ever get a chance this good ever again!"

"To do what?"

"Kill 'em!"

"You can't." Mimic shook her head. "You cannot spill blood on sacred ground. You will be banished forever with the reputation of an infidel."

"Aw, man…" Selena growled, turning back to Cell. "That's right…" She stared at him for a few minutes, watching him approach slowly, then turned back to Mimic. "How about if I beat him until he's completely paralyzed and kill him outside the city?"

"Selena-chan…"

"What?"

"Just step aside."

"No!"

…KT-CH……KT-CH……KT-CH̷ 0;

"Better do what your mother says…" Cell jeered as he approached. Selena snapped her head back to him and growled.

"She's not my mother!" she snapped angrily. "We aren't even related."

"You should listen to her, all the same."

"Oh, shut up! You're in no position to give orders! You're on my turf now!"

"Stand aside! I am losing my patience with you, Lawless!"

…KT-CH……KT-CH……KT-CH…

" TAMASHII NO YA!"

Selena fired another blast that sent him over on his back. The attack exploded on the street, shaking the town and causing small parts of roofing to fall to the roads below. Cell panted hard as the pain seeped into his back, wings, and tail, and he quickly stood up on his two feet. That did it, he was fed up. He shot Selena a death glare and gritted his teeth together hard. Suddenly, he broke into a run.

…KT, KT, KT, KT, KT…

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Selena barely had time to react or fire another ki blast. Cell held the back of his elbow level to her neck, and rammed it into her gullet. Choked by the lariat, Selena fell to the ground, gasping for air.

…KT, KT, KT, KT-CH………KT-CH…

Cell slowed himself to a walk and continued down the street. He growled at the three remaining guardians before him. Zeo and Ace looked ready to wet themselves. Mimic quickly pulled them towards one of the huts.

"Let him pass!" she hissed commandingly. Cell's face calmed considerably, and he closed his eyes as he walked. Selena pushed herself up to her hands and knees, holding her throat.

"Bastard…" she cursed under her breath. Zeo ran to her, and knelt by her side.

"Are you okay, Selena?"

"Yeah." She choked, with a frog in her throat. "He almost crushed my windpipe, though…"

"Selena-chan!" Mimic called to her student.

Selena gritted her teeth together, not in the mood for crap.

"What?!" she snapped at her master.

"When I tell you to do something with an urgent tone, you do it. You understand?"

"Yes." Selena moaned, standing up to her feet. She massaged her neck with one hand and watched Cell walk down the street.

…KT-CH……KT-ch……kt-ch…… kt-ch…

"But…what does he want?" she wondered. "Why would he come to a place he can't enter, and what's here he would want so badly?"

"I dunno." Zeo shook his head. "But it can't be good."

"So, whada we do, dude?" Ace asked his friends as they walked up to Mimic.

"We follow him at a safe distance." Mimic insisted, unsheathing her staff and holding it in her hands.

"Wha?" her three students blinked as she walked away from the wall and behind Cell. The android looked over his shoulder at her, then promptly turned away and kept walking. She looked at her students.

"Well, come along. If he won't tell us, he'll have to show us."

"Oh, I get it!" Selena nodded. She held her staff like Mimic, and walked behind her. "Right, let's go, team!"

"This is going to be a long night…" Zeo sighed, walking next to Selena.

"Dude…" Ace agreed, taking up the rear.

/|\

…KT-CH……KT-CH……KT-CH…

Cell kept walking down the main street at his slow pace. He knew Selena and her friends were following him from behind, but they were too far behind him to be within tail range, so he let them be. What he wanted was just ahead of him…

…and with that old woman keeping Selena from attacking me, I should get it with no further incidents…

Another five minutes passed until he spied the bottom stair of the long Gospel Temple steps. He made a pleased growl to himself.

Finally here.

…KT-CH……KT-CH……KT…

He stopped right at the bottom step. He stared at the slab of marble and the others before it in pure hatred.

The holocram is much stronger on these steps than on the ground below me.

This is going to hurt a lot more…

I should power up as high as I can go…

"Yamero!"

Cell looked up the steps to see who shouted at him to halt. On the halfway step of the temple steps was the man he saw several times inside the temple. The man was holding a ki staff in his hands. Cell scowled at him.

Not another one! How many of these false guardians are there?!

The man glowered back at Cell.

"I guess you are proud of yourself, coming this far, evil one. No one of your impurity has even made it past the front gate. If you thought that coming as far as here was hard, I recommend you not climb these steps. This temple is the very center of the holocram, and is the strongest of holy power. Setting your foot on the first step will mean your death. Turn back now, and leave this place. We will let you retreat with no ill will."

"Hmph." Cell snorted. "I've come this far for what I want, and you expect me to give up now? Step out of my way, boy, and I will leave after I get what I came for."

"Which is…"

"Step out of my way!" Cell demanded.

His ki powered as high as he could push it. He took a moment to stabilize his power to where it was, and then lifted his foot towards the step. The man watched with growing horror.

Selena and the others arrived at the scene, and witnessed what no one thought possible.

Cell set his foot on the stair, and instantly cried out in pain. He quickly took his foot away and stared at the step. Mimic turned her eyes to her fourth pupil.

"Preacher-chan! Move out of his way!"

Preacher shook his head.

"He won't go far enough to reach me. But whatever he wants is in the Gospel Temple. Why else would he go here?"

"Eh?" The guardians blinked.

"He can't be after the Great Gospel…" Mimic shook her head.

Suddenly, Cell sensed a ki level in the air, and turned his head to see. He spotted Piccolo and Tien landing on their feet on two hut roofs. Cell snarled.

Great… This is just great… But if the old woman is going to stick with her plan…

"Cell!" Piccolo called out in anger as Tien watched the scene in shock.

"How did he get in?!" Tien wondered to himself.

Mimic turned her head up to the Namek.

"Let him do what he likes!" she shouted up to him.

As Piccolo made a surprised face, Cell smiled and relaxed, knowing the Namek would comply. Piccolo made a thinking face as Cell stared back at the steps.

"Mimic-san?" Selena asked. "If Cell decides not to go in the temple, and leave…can I beat him up on the way out?"

"No." Mimic forebode. "Leave him alone."

"Dammit!" Selena hissed, watching Cell in anger. "I can't believe this! He's finally been reduced to my level of power, and I can't fight him! God must hate me or something…"

Everyone's eyes were on Cell, and what he was trying to do. He stared at the first step, musing how he could carry out his plan. He wasn't sure what to do. Selena clutched her staff tightly, hoping Cell would turn around and walk back to the city gate.

Let me get a chance at him…

Please, God, let me get a chance at him…

Cell nodded his head at the step, then spread his feet apart as though he was moving into a defensive position. He roared as he powered up his ki again, this time higher, and as high as he could force himself. The ground began to shake slightly as though a harmless earthquake had erupted. The guardians and onlookers watched on as Cell's yellow aura flared around his body like a wildfire. Selena gritted her teeth.

Oh man… This guy is a lot more powerful that I thought he was…

Cell, still powering up, set his foot down on the first marble step.

KT-CH!

He grew quiet, taking massive doses of pain, and kept his ki steady.

KT-CH!

He put his other foot on the second step.

Preacher watched in horror.

He's…climbing…

"No…" Piccolo muttered aloud. "It…can't be…"

"How?" Tien asked himself in shock. "How is he doing this?"

Mimic shook her head in defeat.

"He is stronger than the holocram… I never thought it would have been possible…"

"Dude…" Ace shivered.

"No way…" Zeo whimpered in shock.

"…" Selena watched on in anger as Cell put his foot on the third step.

KT-CH!

Then the fourth…

KT-CH!

Then the fifth…

KT-CH!

"No…" she denied under her breath.

Cell continued climbing the stairs at a slower pace than what he took on the street below. He looked more like he was fighting a strong wind while walking up a hill.

KT-CH………KT-CH………KT-CH…&# 8230;…KT-CH………

He was close enough to reach Preacher with his tail.

Preacher took several cautious steps back, not sure what to do. All he knew for certain was that he had to protect the temple from this monster.

Watching the most experienced fighter of the four backing away from Cell made Selena snap.

"NO!" she shouted, running for the stairs. Mimic took a step foreword to stop Selena, but it was too late. The guardian jumped high into the air, and landed on a step in front of Preacher, holding out her staff to Cell. The android continued scaling the steps.

"Stay back or you die!" she shouted at him.

"…" Cell didn't reply, keeping his full concentration on one painful step at a time. Just two steps away from the guardian, Selena decided he was close enough. She jumped foreword, pushing the shaft of her staff into Cell's gut and sending him toppling over the steps. Both fell to the ground, Selena on top of Cell, holding her staff at his throat. His hand shot foreword and wrapped around her throat. Selena gagged, and dropped her staff as Cell stood up on the less painful ground.

"You are going to pay for that…" Cell growled angrily, squeezing his hand. Selena didn't even have the breath to scream.

"Tamashii no Ya!" Zeo shouted, firing his attack on Cell's back. It hit the android, causing him to fall over and let go of Selena. She rolled away quickly to keep him from falling on her. She caught her breath as Zeo rushed foreword to fight Cell. Cell quickly got to his feet and stared at Zeo with annoyance.

"You little roach!" he shouted at the approaching boy. Zeo whipped his staff foreword, about to smash his jewel end in Cell's head, but the android moved swiftly away. Zeo tried again, over and over…but Cell dodged each swing, over and over. Zeo tried for one last swing, putting all his strength into it. Cell caught the staff in his hand, and gripped it tightly. Before Zeo knew what was going on, Cell lifted the staff over his head and flung it away, taking Zeo with it and smashing him into a hut. Selena watched in horror as her friend slumped to the ground.

She quickly got up, without her staff, and rushed foreword to attack Cell.

"Selena, stop!" Piccolo shouted from above.

"No! Selena!" Tien shouted with the Namek.

Selena didn't listen, and Cell prepared for the attack.

She jumped foreword with both fists ready. Swinging as hard and as fast as she could, she assaulted Cell with everything she had, but the android swayed away from each fist easily, not moving his feet, just pivoting his waist. He quickly got inside her attacks and flung a jab at her unprotected side. She faltered, falling over foreword, and Cell brought up his knee right in her face. Selena was flung to her back, covering her nose. Cell quickly glanced over at his potential opponents…

Ace watched on in fear behind his sunglasses as Mimic wore an expressionless face…

…Preacher watched on the temple steps in horror…

…and Piccolo and Tien were wisely keeping out of the fight.

Cell walked over to Selena, and picked her up by the collar of her gi.

"You should never have interfered, Lawless." Cell growled at Selena.

She snarled, then spat in his face. Not just saliva hit Cell's cheek, but also blood. He sighed in annoyance, and wiped it away with his free hand. He stared at her for a moment. Blood was trickling from her nose and a corner of her mouth, and tears were beginning to streak from her eyes. She looked angry and terrified at the same time. Cell half smiled at the sight.

"You're lucky." He congratulated. "You can't feel the pain I feel beneath my feet…because of your so-called 'pure heart.' So…" He smiled a little wider, and Selena could see the malice glow in his eyes, "…allow me to demonstrate exactly what I feel!"

He balled his free hand into the tightest fist he could make…

…and slammed it with all his strength into Selena's groin!

The blow was hard enough for it to hurt like she was a man, and she screamed.

"Oh my God!" Ace shrieked, covering his eyes. Preacher closed his eyes painfully. Even Piccolo grimaced at the sight.

Cell dropped Selena to the ground, where she rolled onto her stomach and grabbed her sides, whimpering. Cell smirked at her.

"My pain is something like that." He explained. "Perhaps worse… But either way, I don't think you'll be walking around for at least a week."

"You damned bastard!" Selena choked as Cell turned back to the temple steps. "I'll kill you for that! It won't be here, but I'll kill you for it!"

"Dude…" Ace whimpered. "That was so wrong…"

"Ace?" Mimic turned to her pupil. "Go check on Zeo, he's not moving. I'll take care of Selena."

"Yeah." Ace nodded, running over to Zeo. As Cell walked back to the temple, Mimic knelt by Selena's side and tried to help her up. Selena screamed in pain when Mimic tried to turn the girl on her side. Ace shook Zeo's shoulder, and noted that he was unconscious.

"Dude, you lucky." Ace shook his head. "You would have died if you saw what happened a while ago…"

Cell resumed climbing up the temple steps, one by one at a slow pace. He was slowly resisting the pain, now feeling a slight pinch on his feet. Perhaps taking a break on the ground was what he needed. Preacher was still on the temple steps where Cell had left him, and the android chuckled.

"So, what will you do?" he asked the man. Preacher looked at Cell with defeated eyes, then turned around and headed back into the temple. Cell laughed triumphantly. "I thought you would comply easily…"

"No…" Selena growled, trying to get up. It hurt to move anything below the waist, but she was being stubborn. "He can't… Get into the temple…"

"Selena-chan, please stop." Mimic ordered as the girl painfully rose herself to her hands and knees. "Let me take you back to the hut. I'm sure Krillin and Sakura are very worried about you…"

"Later…" Selena suggested, raising herself up to her feet, and shaking in unbearable pain. "I can't…let Cell…win!"

"Selena…" Mimic gasped.

I can't decide if she has become braver or more foolish since I last saw her…

But something about her…

…has been changed by this Cell monster…

^

Cell was just congratulating himself for reaching the halfway step when…

"CELL! YOU BASTARD! GET DOWN HERE!"

Selena?

He turned his head over his shoulder and couldn't believe what he saw.

She was standing up, pissed as hell, and her aura was burning around her body. He turned fully around to her in disbelief.

"What? How are you… I thought…"

"You thought frikkin wrong!" She lowered herself into an attack position, and glared at him with all the hatred in her heart. He grinned at her.

"Alright, have it your way. I think I'm getting used to this 'holocram' now, so it shouldn't bother me anymore."

He leapt off the steps and dived down to her.

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Selena was still in too much pain to dodge accurately, so she jumped up into the air to avoid his plummet. He landed on his hands and knees, then jumped up after her. She kept herself in place with her aura, and Cell hovered in striking distance away from her. All she could do was defend herself from his punches and kicks the best she could. He noted that she was still feeling his hard blow earlier, and not defending as well as she used to. He backed up a small ways and quickly twisted himself around, smacking her in the face with his tail. She was flung back to the ground. He dove down to her and slammed his foot on her chest. She cried out in pain, and Cell waited until she was quiet and glaring at him.

"Even on your 'turf' I am still superior." He pointed out. "Now do you understand that I am no match for you, no matter what?"

"Yeah…" Selena groaned.

"Good." He purred. "Now surren…"

"…but I don't believe it."

"???" Cell blinked at her, then he narrowed his eyes at her. "What is there not to believe?! You have yet to win a fight against me, you still know nothing about me, and the only reason you are still alive is because I'm letting you live. Admit it!"

"I'll admit it." Selena moaned. "I'll admit that you're stronger, more powerful, and can fight better than I can…"

"So why bother challenging me at all?"

Selena grinned at him.

"…Because I have the hope and the will to keep fighting."

She powered up her aura, and Cell's foot was lifted from her body, causing the android to topple over. Selena once again stood up as Cell flipped himself to his feet. Both were glaring daggers at each other, powering their auras to their fullest.

There was a moment of stillness as the stare off began.

Piccolo gnashed his teeth as he watched. It was too late for him to jump into the fight now. Tien felt the same way.

Everyone watched the two, holding their breath, wondering what could possibly happen now.

There was a long wait…

Selena jumped foreword, clawing for Cell's face…

…Cell moved away…

…His tail snaked foreword…

…The syringe struck flesh…

…Selena yelped for a second before she was completely immobilized…

…Everyone gasped in horror…

…Preacher screamed in shock…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

…Cell had stabbed Selena right in-between the eyes!

^

The second his tail made contact with her brain, images flashed in Cell's eyes.

"What?"

He could see Selena…

She was running…

What for, she wasn't sure…

She was chasing someone…

That someone opened a door, walked through, and closed it behind them…

She opened the door and ran inside…

"Get back here, you son of a bitch!"

She wasn't in a room…

She was in a forest…

"This…" Cell muttered to himself, "…is this a dream she's having?"

The scene played on before him…

A drop hit her hand…

She instinctively looked at it…

The drop wasn't a raindrop…

It was blood…

She looked into the sky…

The raindrops were red…

It was raining blood…

He wasn't quite sure what to make of any of it…

Selena was standing behind the forest, and facing a lake…

She had seen this lake before…

"Ah…yes, this is the Sacred Spring she was healed at…"

Selena began to run…

Everything seemed so slow…

Her foot touched the water like it was solid ground…

She began to run across the water, slightly disturbing the stillness of the lake with slow ripples…

She looked down at her feet and stopped running…

The water rippled out from her feet, warping her reflection in the lake…

She looked at the reflection…

Something was odd about it…

As the ripples began to calm, the reflection became clear…

The reflection was not Selena…

It was Cell…

"Hmm…interesting…"

All was black…

She could feel herself moving down…

Into the black…

She wasn't falling…

She was being dragged down…

Her hair flowed around her face as though she was underwater…

"Sakura…I have failed you…

I'm sorry…"

Selena?

A voice was calling out to her…

It was loud, and very clear…

And all around.

Selena opened her eyes and saw nothing but black…

"Who's there?" she called…

You have failed no one, Selena.

The voice came from everywhere around her…

The voice was the black…

"What do you mean?"

You have failed nothing…

You are still young and have much to learn…

You are a great and powerful guardian…

Look inside yourself and see the light, not the darkness…

"Who are you?" Selena called into the black…

There was no response…

"Hello?"…

The images stopped…

…and Selena had finally hit the ground.

Cell quickly realized what he did, and yanked his tail out of her head. He stared at her in horror, not sure what exactly had happened.

It was one of her dreams…

But that voice…

It's oddly familiar…

"SELENA!" Piccolo screamed, jumping from the hut and lunging towards Cell. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Cell growled at the Namek, and quickly jumped aside. Piccolo landed next to Selena, and knelt by her as she coughed blood out of her throat. He quickly reached into his senzu pouch and pushed a bean down her bloody gullet. Cell watched from a safe distance away as Piccolo cleaned the blood off Selena's mouth with his cape, and she breathed in and out slowly. Her wound healed over, and damage to her brain was instantly repaired. She reached a hand out and grabbed the collar of Piccolo's cape. She was shivering.

"My…dream…" she choked. "He saw…my…" Then, she relaxed, falling into a deep sleep. Piccolo picked her up, and the guardians rushed to him.

"She's dead!" Preacher shouted in fear.

"She's alive!" Piccolo assured. "I got to her just in time."

Cell relaxed slightly, then quickly ran out of the city, leaving behind his failure.

Thank God she's not dead…

"That was close, dude…" Ace sighed, putting a comforting hand on the sleeping Selena's shoulder. "Well, we better get her to the spring..."

"She's completely healed." Piccolo insisted. "In the morning, none of tonight's blows will be felt."

"Let me take her." Mimic insisted. Piccolo turned to her, and they stared at each other for a moment. Mimic smiled. "Please, Kami-sama… Hand her over to me."

Piccolo blew a sigh out his nose, and let Mimic gather the girl in her arms. Preacher helped Ace prop the still unconscious Zeo on each other's shoulders.

"C'mon." Ace prompted his friend. "Let's get my dude to the spring."

"Alright." Preacher nodded. Both took Zeo to the Sacred Spring to heal the warrior's injuries. Mimic began walking to Krillin and Sakura's hut with the sleeping Selena.

"Thank you." Mimic nodded to the Namek. Piccolo nodded back at her, then looked at the city gates. Cell was long gone, but Piccolo glared at the city entrance with a very rare face…

…it was his "he'll-be-back" face…

End of Episode Bonus!

Image Songs!

((I wrote the last fight scene of Cell and Selena in this chapter to a song called "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down. It's an awesome song, and it just made me think of Selena and her "inner battle." Here it is.))

I took a walk around the world to
ease my troubled mind.
I left my body laying somewhere
in the sands of time.
I watched the world float to the dark
side of the moon.
I feel there's nothing I can do, yeah.

I watched the world float to the
dark side of the moon.
After all I knew it had to be something
to do with you.
I really don't mind what happens now and then,
As long as you'll be my friend at the end...

If I go crazy then will you still
call me Superman?
If I'm alive and well, will you be
There holdin' my hand?
I'll keep you by my side with
my superhuman might!
Kryptonite!

You called me strong, you called me weak
but still your secrets I will keep.
You took for granted all the times I
never let you down.

You stumbled in and bumped your head, if
not for me then you'd be dead
I picked you up and put you back
on solid ground

If I go crazy then will you still
call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be
there holdin' my hand
I'll keep you by my side with
my superhuman might
Kryptonite

Yeah!

((Dark song for a dark chapter. The next chapter of Unholy Crusade is the last chapter of Act 1. Would you miss it? I wouldn't! Stay tuned!))