Dragon Ball Z 1. Saida

**Saida**

The heavy grunt and the shudder as the heavy rig stirred to life, never failed to bring a huge grin to Otter. He sat in the well worn leather of the driver's seat of a massive Mac rig, painted red with the bold white letters spelling '**GEN**' on the side. He glanced across the heavy mahogany center piece at his partner for this particular journey. Granville was not entirely a small man. He was short, barely 5"5, with a clean shaven face and strikingly fiery red hair, covered by a blue baseball cap. He was sitting in the passenger's chair, his feet up on the dash in front of him, sipping a can of coke and reading a sports magazine. He spared only a glance at Otter as he gently released the trailer brake on the dash and pressurized the air bags.

"She's heavy today!" Otter exclaimed, noticing the real grunt the rig gave as it slowly crawled into motion.

"You're not wrong there Otto." Granville replied, sipping from his can again, not even watching. "She's supposed to have a special delivery on board today." Otter turned to face Granville, occasionally glancing out the windshield in front of him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I heard Nancy talking on the phone yesterday. She said something about a top priority job today. Apparently were carrying something important, probably from the government." Otter stared, his brows furrowing as he thought. Nancy was the companies major secretary. She organized the jobs and the priorities they had and when and where they were going.

"What could the government possibly want moved that's this heavy? It has to be at least 45 ton!" Otter stated, noticing the bulge at the bottom of the 16 wheels on the trailer.

"Oh well Otto. It's none of our business and were getting paid top dollar to haul ass, so let's haul ass." Otter nodded in agreement and within minutes, they were out of the yard and down the heavy duty roads.

It was a relatively long journey, at least 15 hours driving. Otter yawned, realizing the trees and the reflectors on the road were beginning to blur. He glanced behind him at Granville whom had been sleeping for a good 6 hours now, and prodded him in the lower ribs.

"Idontwannagedupmama..." Granville moaned, rolling onto his side on the bunk positioned behind the cab. Otter frowned and poked him again, this time harder. Granville moaned loudly as he stirred, and woke slowly, sitting up.

"Your turn." Otter said simply and slowed and finally, stopped the truck on the side of the road, his hazard lights flickering against the nearby trees. It was a dark night tonight, a little cloud cover and no moon. Otter slipped into the passenger's seat and watched as the shorter Granville adjusted the drivers' seat to his size, and then began to inch the truck into momentum.

"She really is packing the weight." Otter mumbled, starring at the road ahead. Slowly it began to come at the truck, a little faster as they picked up speed.

"I noticed. Where are we, anyway?" Granville asked, yawning as he did so.

"Just out of Tekarakata." Otter replied. Granville nodded and took a long swig from the coffee thermostat they had brought.

"Be another 8 hours, I warrant. 2 before we reach the next town." Otter nodded his agreement with Granville's words and watched the road for a few more minutes, the momentum making him drowsy. His vision blurred again and his eyes drooped. He yawned this time at length and climbed into the still warm bunk and lay down to rest.

"Wake me when we get close." He stated, and drifted off to sleep.

Granville snickered to himself at Otter's arrogance but ignored it nonetheless and focused on the road. A moment passed and he took another swig of the thermostat. He switched the radio on quietly, but only static reached his ears. He knew that would happen though, having left range, a few hours ago. Instead he slipped a Bob Dylan cassette into the system and listened to his song, 'joker man'.

The '**GEN**' Mac truck began to pick up speed fast now as they broke the crest of a hill and the weight pushed the truck forward fast. Granville knew, as any experienced truck driver knew, that it was dangerous if he didn't slow the trailer down, otherwise it could jackknife or worse, roll. He eased the trailer brake lever, just a little, slowing the momentum of the back and eased the pressure, slowing the rig back to the limit. He yawned, still finding it a little hard to wake and took another long swig of coffee, belching loudly to himself afterwards. He spared only a moments glance behind him to Otter, who was dead to the world, his body heavily fatigued, and sleeping it off.

His eyes returned to the road, and he dropped the thermostat as he cursed loudly, jamming the trailer brakes and the prime mover brakes on at the same time. A small herd of cattle were on the road, staring at him, dazed from the spot lights on the truck.

"**_GEEZUZ!_**" He roared loudly, realizing he had made a mistake. The trailer, being so heavy and at the speed the truck had been going at, kept pushing, the wheels locked, forcing the prime mover to buckle in on itself and it jackknifed harshly. He sound of heavy metal groaning was not a good sign.

"Holly shit!" Otter roared as he sat up with a fright. There was little either of them could do as they watched the trailer swing around besides them, then in front of them, the horrid stench and scream of rubber against the tar nauseating them both. It happened suddenly, a thundering '**CRACK**' and the trailer tore itself, snapping the pin from the turntable and toppled, rolling ferociously across the road.

The cows screamed in the night, running. One of them was pushed down the road as the trailer imitated a baseball bat. Finally the trailer stopped, the Prime mover only feet away, steaming loudly from the tires and the heated engine. The unfortunate cow mowed loudly into the dark night, before standing up painfully slowly in the lights of the high beams and limped badly across the road to join its herd.

Granville and Otter were both physically unharmed. Both were shaken and severely upset at what had happened.

"Where the_ hell_ did they come from?!" Granville asked, trying and failing to hide the hysterics in his labored voice.

"What difference does it matter? Look at the trailer!" Otter replied, obviously distressed over the incident. Surely enough, the trailer was on its side, scattered lengthways across the road, creating a block. Both of the men jumped startled though as the trailer suddenly moved, shaking for an instant before settling.

"What the hell was _that?!"_ Granville demanded, turning on Otter as if he had all the answers.

"I don't know... Something could have just fallen or shifted, unbalanced." He suggested, knowing damn well, nothing he mentioned could shake a trailer like that.

"**_Shit_**!" Granville cursed, watching as the trailer spasm again, this time a little longer.

"Now what?!" Otter exclaimed, not truly wanting to stick around to see what was in the trailer.

Granville and Otter both cautiously stepped out from the Rig and made their way towards the rolled trailer. Granville and Otter stood a few feet from the back doors, watching as the trailer shook again only for a moment before settling down again, motionless.

"Sounds like there is something in there... Something alive." Otter observed. Sure enough with each of the shakes, there was a shuffling sound, and occasionally, a sound like metal against metal.

"We should leave it... Go get help." Granville said, no longer able to hide the panic in his voice. Otter frowned and shook his head.

"We have to stay. This is our problem." Otter said. His voice was quiet, but it was firm, and final. Granville shook his head, but his feet remained planted in the gravel.

He almost cried as he watched Otter approach the trailer, just as it shook violently again, the shuffling a little louder, and this time, he could of sworn he'd heard a grunt. Otter swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly began to open the back doors. It was hard, as they were partially buckled from the roll. Finally though, his work paid off and the door eased open, squealing in protest them slamming against the side, wide open. Inside was dark.

"Too dark." Otter muttered, stepping back. He turned to Granville a frown on his face. Granville stood his ground, a good 15 feet away, watching the pure blackness behind Otter. Suddenly he gave a yelp, pointing his finger at the trailer. Otto whirled around as he heard a deep resonating snarl and turned to see a pair of bright red lights flicker on. He knew instantly that they were eyes, glaring straight at him. From their size alone, he knew the creature they belonged to was beyond huge.

That night was cold and dark and seemingly silent. It was partially covered in cloud and there was no moon. A scream echoed loudly off the hillside, being cut short suddenly though, as if the man's voice had suddenly been cut off. It was followed, at length, by a terrifying resonating howl, deep and booming, but all in its own, eerie.

****

There was a loud crack resonating on the still night air. It had sounded like a thunderclap. Cell's huge and unblinking eyes glanced up. The sky had a few clouds, but they were light and nothing even close to a storm. He was only in his larval form, and vulnerable, and anything that seemed to stand out, frightened him at the moment. He returned his gaze to the world around him. He was in a valley of sorts, shrubs everywhere, the grass long and covered in misty dew, soaking him as he crawled through them. His feet were short and stumpy and his body was large and bulky, making progress slow and tiring. He hadn't gone far, his body strange in the night air. He was a giant insect, easily the size of a small horse. He had been under the ground now, in a deep burrow for four years, exacting energy from the Earth's resources.

Tonight, he had awoken suddenly and without reasoning, his body primed for his evolution. He had spent the last two hours digging his way back to the surface, and now, he was scrambling through the underbrush for somewhere safe, away from interference.

He stopped again, his head cocked to one side, frozen as a howl screamed across the night air. It sent a chill down his spine instantly and his memory and knowledge banks scrambled, unable to find the creature responsible for the eerie howl. Slowly he resumed moving again, becoming more silent, as he trod, trying to hurry along, away from the brush into a thicker cover so he could evolve without disturbance. It was harder then he thought, being startled by a bird here, or being followed by a curious wolf or fox for a while, unable to determine what this strange insect like creature was doing here.

Finally though he slumped, exhausted from his trek, at the base of a huge oak tree, the shrubs around providing ample cover to prevent him from being seen. He knew he would be vulnerable for the next few moments, as his body converted all his stored energy into a physical being beneath his shelled body. His body seemed to suddenly buckle and he fell to the ground, motionless. His back trembled as something beneath his skin pressed against the hardened surface, trying to break free. It paused for a moment before his spine literately un-zipped itself. There was a bright flickering light that pierced the night sky from Cell's opened shelled back, a strange bright blue light.

Slowly his shell opened further, groaning as it did so, the light forming a figure of a two legged creature with shelled wings and a triceratops like head with a leathery beak. Slowly the light that enveloped the new figure faded, revealing his new leaf green leathery skin with the dark spotted armor on the majority of his body. His eyes were illuminating in the failing light, bright pink with black slit pupils, darting around. His leathery beak inched slowly up at the corners, before his back arched and leaned back stretching, his mouth parting to reveal his four needle-like-fangs glinting in their innocence at never being used.

"_Ahhhh..._" Cell's new voice was rasped and deep, loudly sighing in pleasure at a successful evolution. His muscles tingled with anticipation and he felt incredible. His body surged with energy and power and his leathery skin was new and shone with health. He glanced behind him at his two mottled shelled wings and at his long tail, giving it a quick flick, causing it to whip around, crashing into a tree, and knocking it clean over. He smirked, eyeing off his long thin and powerful syringe tip. As he stared at it, knowing what it was for, he felt the gurgling rumble of his stomach, signifying his need to feed.

Cracking his neck and stretching his muscles again quickly, he turned to the forest, cantering towards it, sparing only a moment's glance behind him at the shell of his former self.

He was finally free...

****

Alyx sighed heavily as she locked the doors to her office as she did everyday. She was fatigued and depressed from the full days' work she had finally completed. She shifted the weight from her shoulder bag, smoothed out her dark gray business skirt and white shirt before she made her way towards the elevator opposite her, through the maze of offices and work stations. The office building she worked in was at the heart of Ginko City somewhere on the East Coast of the Spice District.

The elevator hummed as it began its all too familiar descent to the ground floor, 18 floors below. She sighed and closed her eyes, slumping against the back of the elevator, wishing to go she was at home so she could crawl into bed. She hated days like these. She was too exhausted to do anything else but sleep, only to wake up and repeat the process all over again. She didn't feel this was how her life should be, and she wished she was anywhere else.

But she wasn't.

Her eyes opened as the elevator slowed then stopped, its heavy jarrah doors opening to the main foyer, huge and extravagant with its marble pillars and mahogany furniture and red oak reception. She trudged through it all, sparing little notice, her years of working in the building numbing the awe inspiring affects of the majesty of it all.

The streets outside were damp from an afternoon rain and the night air was chilled and cold. It was late, she knew, close to ten as she had been working tryingly on a particular case that needed immediate attention. She sighed again as she began her twenty minute walk to her apartment a good 7 blocks away. She hugged her cotton jacket to her, making a personal note to bring her thicker suede jacket tomorrow.

She stopped suddenly, the fine hairs rising briskly on the back of her neck. Her senses suddenly alert, she darted her head around, trying to find the unknown reason as to why she was suddenly panicked. Nothing greeted her initially, and there was nobody around watching her, that she could see. But something had caught her attention, frightening some primitive instinct into alerting her. She paused only a moment longer, sparing one last sweep around her surroundings of the city streets, before she finally turned away and began her walk home, a little faster now.

Again she stopped, this time to a sound. A snort.

_'It was just the wind'_ she reasoned with herself, pulling her jacket tighter around her shoulders. She stared around again, the streets, seemingly abandoned. She could see a couple walking further up the street, a few cars silent parked in the street. Almost everything was closed and there weren't many people around. She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat before she broke off again down the road. She froze, feeling the warm flush of air against her back. The snort again, deeper, and closer, and she knew, it wasn't the wind.

She turned slowly around, her vision, suddenly eclipsed by a massive pupil, surfacing on a pool of silver, it stared, the massive eye the size of a saucer narrowing as she stared in sudden terror at the beast the eye belonged to. The eye itself was dark indigo with violet and lavender specks in it and it was focused on her.

Alyx's mouth gaped in horror and she subconsciously stepped back away from the eye, if only to try to grasp more detail of what the eye belonged too. However the eye seemed to widen as she stepped away, almost in fear, and with a blur of black and purple the eye was high in the air, the creature on two massive black hunched furred legs. In that instant, all Alyx saw was the claws. Massive 12 inch onyx claws on 5 toes hooked like talons, digging into the pavement.

It happened suddenly, Alyx screamed as the two massive talon hands found the sides of her head and hoisted her into the air. Her scream was suddenly silenced as two massive talons pierced her temples, diving in further. Her body was suddenly numb and her mind was blank, but she still registered what she saw. Blurs of color, the two indigo eyes glaring at her, the massive snout, the rancid sour smell of rotting flesh, she remembered them, if only for an instant. She seemed oblivious to the fact the tips of two of the creatures claws were inside her head. All she saw was this massive creature, glaring at her, the eyes focused... concentrating.

Alyx suddenly remembered talking to her boss. Conversations suddenly flooded her mind, all these conversations she'd had through out her life. Hundreds of words, none with substance, unable to hear what was being said, yet she was there, talking, hundreds of Alyx's talking and chatting away with emotion to all these different people. All she knew was talking.

Suddenly her mind stopped, numbing again and the creature seemed to look away for a moment, its eyes clenched in agony before they re-opened, focused and full of that intensity that chilled her. Its eyes returned to hers, and the two claws seemed to slowly slip from her skull. The pain was immense, suddenly filling her as she was dropped, crumpling in a heap on the ground. The agony was intense for a few moments, her skull riveting with this maddening pain. She screamed, her hands clutching the sides of her head where the two holes were, spurting blood madly.

Slowly the endorphins kicked in, paralyzing her seemingly, and making her eyes droop. Her face was screwed up in agony, her body in the fetal position as she lay in the streets. The creature stared down at her for a moment, seeming to loom up so high, with the buildings itself.

Slowly a distant echoing voice seemed to echo in her agonizing mind, dull and she couldn't focus on it. It was her voice though, that she heard. _Her_ voice and _her_ Northern accent she heard in her mind. But it wasn't her that spoke.

_"My name is Saida."_ The creature had whispered in her mind. _"Goodbye."_ Alyx didn't have the energy to move as she watched the massive beast's 12 inch clawed hand raise into the air. It's talon still fresh with her blood. The last thing that Alyx Retrain of Ginko City ever saw was the 5, 12 inch long talons as they severed her head, putting her out of her suffering life.

****

**A/N:** A little gruesome tale I thought I'd share with everyone. Review and tell me what you think of it. It's not for those who can't handle blood or violence, or language, or sex so please don't tell me you don't like it. But don't get me wrong, it has substance and if _you_ **_are_** interested, it has a good plot. It took me a while to think of it and I hope you can appreciate it.

Ryau (pronounced Raw)


	2. Seru

**Seru**

Failey had been watching the lecturer for the better half of the day now, in silence and with little movement, avoiding catching his attention. However, now that he had discussed the finer points of cell reproduction, and had moved on to Enzyme breakdowns, she was bored. Her seat was made of a chemical based plastic and Failey sat rigid in it, the smell nauseating, staring with blank expressionless eyes at the short and balding man with the eagle beaked nose and the thick black rimmed glasses. He reminded her of a hairless mole scampering around in its hole at the front of the great lecture hall, and his irritating shrill voice bored into her mind. She sighed silently, glancing around the dark hall. She could see Nicky and Kyto two rows of seats behind her. Both of them were deep in hushed conversations, almost completely ignoring the lecturer.

Nicky spotted Failey's gaze and spared her a grin and a partially concealed wave. She smiled and nodded in return before returning her attention to the front. She could hear Kyto's deep voice snickering in hushed tones before they both seemed to die down. Failey turned to the bland clock above the lecture hall's imposing double doors and sighed again. She had another hour to go yet...

Finally it ended, the entire class of almost three hundred students was dismissed and Failey was one of the first to leave, not bothering to hide her eagerness.

"Hey Failey!" Kyto's voice sailed effortlessly over the top of the chatters and boisterous conversations of the other students. She stopped, turning to watch as Kyto and Nicky caught up with her. Kyto was by far one of the tallest people she knew, standing at an impressive 6"9. He had broad shoulders and spiked jet black hair with gorgeous midnight blue eyes and a wide impressive grin. His sultry voice and captivating charms made him almost irresistible to most women.

Nicky on the other hand was almost completely opposite to Kyto. Nicky was short and thin in the shoulders. He had a deep tan and bright fiery red hair and deep hazel eyes. He smiled, stroking his partial goatee as he often did, both of them stopping before Failey. She smiled, her teeth glinting delicately in the hall lights.

"Hey, what's up?" She said almost too casually. Kyto was the first to answer, interrupting Nicky.

"Not a whole heap, just wondering where you been lately. We didn't catch you on Saturday at Bone's party." Failey shrugged.

"Didn't really feel like going. Besides that, I had to study, unlike you." Kyto laughed his voice soothing and smooth. It was true though; Kyto was a natural genius and could guarantee a pass with little effort plus a few distinctions on the side. He was intelligent, and as a result, had been upped two classes during high school, making him one of the youngest in the university Biology classes, being only 17. Nicky, was not a natural and struggled through exams even with study. He often barely managed to scrape a pass, but was witty and cunning nonetheless and was always fast with a good joke or a wacky gag.

The three of them left the University Campus together, talking about almost everything that sprung to mind. The three of them had been friends for nearly 6 years now, since Failey had moved to Nikki Town in the Spice District. Nicky had made her feel welcomed and Kyto had become her closest friend. She was now 19 and finally in the process of achieving her life long dream of becoming a Biological Engineer.

The three turned a corner and headed towards the huge metal and glass building that was in fact the train station in the heart of Nikki Town. It was a twenty minute journey on the train, to the outskirts of Nikki Town to the place that Failey called home. Nicky and Kyto both were residents of the University Campus and rented out rooms there, as their actual homes were abroad. Here, they parted ways leaving Failey to her own journey home.

The sun had long since set when Failey locked her door behind her and threw herself at her sofa. She lived in a small house on the outskirts of Nikki Town in a Rural Suburb called Laloot. Laloot was renowned for its wineries and grape vines and the smell of cider drifted in through Failey's open window. She sighed, her stomach making its emptiness known to her in irritating ways before she finally subsided to her most primitive need and she sat up on the edge of her beige sofa and sighed heavily. Her house was really only three rooms. A lounge, which she used as her study, currently littered in biology and chemistry books and other assorted studying items, a bedroom which was relativity bland with only a queen bed, a wardrobe and a small set of drawers. Her bathroom connected to her bedroom and the kitchen was somewhere beneath her study books in the lounge.

It was her home though, and she loved it as it should be. She smiled at nothing; her memories of how she came to find and own this little house taunting her. Failey let her shoulder length auburn hair out and ran her hands through it, loosening it up a bit. Finally she turned to the direction the kitchen should be and cleared away a little room so she could prepare herself some dinner.

Suddenly Mire leaped on top of the bench, over balancing a few of the books and they crashed besides Failey's feet. She startled in surprise, dropping her plastic cup she was about to fill with water, and instead she turned on her pure black cat.

"Mire you rotten creature." She said in a taunting tone. "Look what you've done." Mire meowed in response, his tail in the air, his great big emerald eyes never leaving Failey. She sighed and scratched his chin, causing him to purr, before she finally bent down and picked up her cup and began preparing her beloved cat's dinner.

Saida's eyes gleamed for only a brief moment as they caught the light reflected from the kitchen in the house before her. Saida cocked her head to the side for a moment, watching the young woman in front of her and the attention she lavished on her cat. Saida sat completely motionless hidden in the dark shadows of a thick oak tree that provided ample cover. Saida watched as Failey prepared a bowl of fresh cut fish and some pre-cooked chicken pieces for Mire and set it on the floor besides her and resumed eating her own Tuna casserole. Saida didn't honestly know what to make of this scene. She had never before seen an act of selflessness, regardless how small, and stood now, watching this human woman feed her cat, before herself.

Saida turned her attention to the star lit sky, her great snout taking in a few short and sharp breathes, scenting the air for disturbances or trouble. She knew nothing could harm her, but her natural instincts screamed at her, and she succumbed to her natural predatory urges.

_'A lot has changed, since last I woke.' _ Saida thought to herself. _"These bipedal pests have evolved."_ She turned her attention once again to Failey and Mire, for only a moment before standing up, easily towering over the house and turned, her great tail swatting at a few insects that had settled on her flank before slipping back into the shadows, away from the house. She was heading towards the city, her mind running rampant with strange thoughts and questions. She had been awaken and for a reason as well. But she didn't know who had roused her or more importantly, _why_? She was the ultimate hunter, able to track down anything without fail and capture, attack and even _kill_ her prey. She shook her thoughts and memories from her mind and crept through a vineyard, although it offered almost no protection.

It did not take her long to cover the 14 mile distance in merely a few minutes. Despite her twenty foot height and good thirty five foot length, Saida easily hid herself from sight, finally crouching in an alley way, her belly against the cold cement floor. She didn't know _why_ she was waiting. All she knew was that she had to wait until she knew what it was she had been awoken for. So far she had seen hundreds of deeds and the people responsible that should have been hunted and destroyed, but she let them be, knowing these petty crimes were _not_ why she was awake after nearly 600 years of peaceful slumber.

Failey froze. She had heard a strange sound from outside. Her eyes froze on her kitchen window and she stared outside. Try as she might though, all she could see was the pitch black depths of night. Mire mewed again and Failey turned to him. She glanced back up at her window, but the eerie feeling of being watched was already passing so she sighed and let it go, turning back to her dinner and reading a book on intestinal absorption and why it was so important.

Saida froze suddenly. Her body tense with the sudden power she felt. It passed as suddenly as it had come and most who could sense others life spirits, would merely pass it off with some half-hearted explanation. But Saida had felt it. It was immensely powerful, if only for a mere moment, and enough for her mind to lock onto it. She stood slowly to her feet, trying hard not to accidentally attract any of the human's attention. She had been watching them slowly running around the streets around her and even though a young couple had drifted into her alley way, she had not been noticed, blending in perfectly with the shadows and making no movement to attract their attention.

Saida couldn't stand to her full height, as her head would poke out above the two buildings besides her that had given her cover. She crouched, still towering over the people around her and with a single fluid motion, leapt to the roof of the building to her right. She was exposed here, but only to those flying over head, and even then, if she froze in the shadows of another building, she would be unseen. But the feelings itself of loosing her cover was unnerving so she moved quickly, leaping across the street and onto another building. She was unseen by the humans below, as her underbelly was darker than the night sky and she had made the 30 foot leap with out so much as a peep of a sound. She crouched in the shadows as she heard the approach of a helicopter before it landed on a distant building and she moved again.

She played a game of hopscotch on the roofs of the skyscrapers, making 40 and 50 foot leaps with little effort or sound, always heading towards the direction of the power she had felt. It had emerged, briefly, four more times, always in the same area, to the East near the edge of the heart of the city.

It took her merely minutes to cover the entire distance from one side of the immense city to the other and she crouched now, her massive head poking over the edge of the building into a dark alley way below. Her eyes, as unnatural as they were could not see anything out of the ordinary in the alley below. Her lips seemed to part for only a brief moment in a silent snarl as she abused herself mentally for loosing her prey. Suddenly though, she froze, something moving in the corner of her eye.

She cocked her head a little more to the side, her vision falling on what she was hunting. It too, was cunning and sneaky and had hidden in the furthest darkest corner of the alley way, completely motionless, watching the humans around. Saida observed the strange creature that slowly began to make its way towards the mouth of the alley way, hugging the shadows to keep his cover.

It was male, she knew, judging from his body shape and the strange scent he had, regardless how faint it was. He looked like some sick hybrid of a lizard, an insect and a human man. He had mottled green amour and light green skin. Pink slit cat like eyes, a strange leathery orange beak and shelled wings. His long tail twitched behind him as he stalked, primed for the kill. Saida watched for a moment not moving as he stopped finally on the edge of the alley way, completely concealed as he squashed himself against the wall. The occasional human walked past on the street opposite, some in pairs, some alone. They weren't a steady stream of people anymore, the hour becoming too late, but there were enough to come running and be a bother if one should scream.

Saida realized this is what the creature below did not want to happen. He wanted his privacy, but he was, nonetheless, hunting the humans. Saida glanced further up the street. There was a young woman walking alone, hugging her fur coat to her shoulders, her eyes on the path and her shoulders slumped. She was distracted, in her depression, and would be incredibly easy prey. She returned her gaze to the creature in the alley below and knew before he did, that she was going to be his next victim.

Sure enough, she watched him ready himself for the attack, his tail arching over his head, his arms extended at his side, ready to grab her and hold her mouth silent. The human woman walked into the path of his attack, and without hesitation or fail, the creature lunged and yanked her out of sight with such uncanny speed, Saida almost didn't see it. The woman didn't have a chance to scream, the creatures thick hands on her throat, pressing into her windpipe, making her barely audible to gasp. Saida cocked her head to the side in curiosity as the creature dove its tail deep into the woman's back, and he sighed in pure pleasure as the woman began to drain away in his arms.

_'He absorbs humans.'_ Saida reasoned with herself. She watched the woman's eyes bulge as her body turned to liquid inside and soon, she was gone, leaving only her clothes to crumple empty to the alley floor. Saida noticed a few other ensembles of clothing and grinned to herself as the creature's power leapt suddenly for only a moment before he suppressed it again. He was growing stronger, by absorbing the human's bio-extract. Saida suppressed her urge to laugh at this. Draining the bio-extract from humans! She took her head away from the alley and snickered to herself quietly.

_'The poor creature will be here for centuries before he grows considerably stronger!'_ She thought to herself, snickering some more. She calmed herself and stuck her head over the edge again, watching as he captured and absorbed another human. _'Especially at this pathetic pace.'_ She watched the creature as his power jumped again. It was the same as it had been previously, and she shook her head slowly. He was powerful enough as he was, and absorbing humans, especially at only one every few minutes, was getting him nowhere fast. It would be almost a waste of Saida's energies to fall upon this creature and tear him to shreds.

So she simply amused herself by watching him for a little longer.

Failey sighed nasally as she hung the phone receiver back on the mounted wall piece. Mire was sitting on the back of the sofa nearby, licking his black paw attentively. Failey sighed and ran her hands through her hair again.

"I'm sorry Mire, but I have to go out." Mire glanced up at her, giving her only a moment's thought. Failey sighed again and turned, heading towards her bedroom. She quickly tied her hair back in a tight pony tail and turned, not even glancing at her own reflection in her vanity mirror. She scooped up her backpack and her jacket, swinging it around her shoulders and left her house, locking the door behind her. She slipped her keys into the pocket of her jeans and began the ten minute walk to the train station.

It was 40 minutes later when Failey arrived at the Nikki Town train station. She was one of the only passengers at this late hour and she sighed heavily as she stepped off the train into the chrome cylinder like station, and saw that nobody was here to greet her. She made herself comfortable on a nearby seat and waited for a moment. She looked to her right as she heard the train take off and the heavy foot falls of someone running towards her. It was Kyto.

He covered the distance quickly, his long legs and powerful stride doing all the work for him, but even so, he was sweating and looked panicked.

"Kyto." Failey greeted, her curiosity bitting at her, wondering why she had been summoned here so urgently.

"Failey..." Kyto panted. "Nicky... Kidnapped..." Failey stared, not knowing what to say or do.

"What do you mean Nicky's been kidnapped?!" Kyto nodded frantically for a moment, his breathing heavy. Failey spared him a moment to catch his breathe before he continued.

"Nicky and I were on our way back to the Campus. Anyway, I stopped into the Coffee Plaza to get us a drink, and he stayed outside for a smoke. When I got back out, he was gone. I rang his mobile, and he didn't answer. He wouldn't walk off like that!" Kyto's voice was beginning to become hysteric. It took Failey a few more minutes to calm him down enough so she could talk to him.

"Did you try your dormitory room?" Kyto nodded. His eyes were wide with a sort of hysteric panic and Failey knew why. Kyto was a severe Xenophobic. He couldn't stand to be alone, and the realization that his closest companion, his roommate was no longer around was beginning to take its affect.

Failey frowned, and turned to the city.

"Show me where it happened."

Saida was beginning to understand this strange creature. He had begun to grow impatient and was becoming bolder, absorbing people faster and more often. His agitation amused Saida and she watched the etching lines that came with stress and pressure, marking his otherwise flawless skin. She snickered as every human was consumed, one of them had screamed, and the creature had panicked, hiding until he thought it was safe again.

He still did not realize that he was being observed, and his own arrogant foolishness was almost comical to Saida. She yawned silently, stretching her massive jaw. The lights from the nearby buildings glinted off of her massive 6 inch fangs. She shifted slightly, making herself more comfortable and sparing her body the cramps of sitting stiff for so long, and then, she resumed her observations. She had a good view from here. She could see the humans on the streets below, and by turning her gaze to her side, could watch the creature in the alley way, target them and slaughter them.

She glanced up the street, watching the humans. Only there were none left to watch. It was getting too late now, and most of them were sleeping. She returned her gaze back to the creature, curious as to what he would do now. He had a lot of patience, she realized as he only glanced around the corners once every now and then, watching for any more humans. None came.

"Argh!" The creature snarled, his voice deep and heavily rasped, resonating off the alley way walls. Saida cocked her head to the side, as she often did and watched. "Damned foolish humans!" He snarled, pacing the alley way as he yelled at himself. "Ah well! It makes little difference to me! It was about time, I grew serious on this matter now anyway!" Saida watched the creature. She was curious as to what he meant, by 'getting serious' and made no attempt to follow him as he suddenly tore off across the street into a hotel building. The silence and boredom of the night, struck her then, but she was considerably more patient, and she waited.

Her ears pricked suddenly and she turned her great head back down the street and watched as two young humans made their way hastily to a nearby building stopping. Saida heard them talk.

"This was where I left him!" Kyto said. He had finally calmed down enough to regain his smooth composure, but was still edgy. Saida recognized the young woman as the one she had been watching earlier and grinned to herself.

"And you were in there, right?" Failey asked, pointing to a now closed shop besides her. Kyto nodded. Saida smirked. She had watched her man like creature; slaughter the young boy they were now looking for. She glanced down into the alley way, and noticed the young boy's clothes, apart of a larger pile of many now. Saida watched the intuitive mind of the young girl as she peered around, almost as if she could see something that wasn't there.

She followed her own feet for a moment, pausing out the front of the alley way, only a few shops away. Saida watched as Failey's face distorted into complete horror. She had seen the clothes. She ran into the alley way, tearing at the heap and stopped short as she found the dark blue T-shirt with the slogan 'Before there was god, I was the one making babies' on the chest. It was the one Nicky had been wearing earlier that day. Kyto froze, staring at the gaping hole in the lower back and turned away in horror.

"Where is he then, if his clothes are here?" Kyto asked, knowing already what had happened, but refusing to accept it.

Failey growled to herself and threw the T-shirt on the ground.

"What did this?!" She roared. Saida cocked her head to the side again, curious as to what this human was going to do now. What shocked Saida was that this human immediately glanced up, peering around the edges of the alley way. She barely had the chance to duck out of sight before her gaze tore across the spot where she had been only a second before.

"**WHO DID THIS?!**" Failey suddenly roared.

The sudden screams from the hotel diverted everyone's attention to the hotel opposite. Saida peered back over the ledge again, watching the hotel doors as they burst open, a small handful of humans tearing out. One of the women was in hysterics, screaming that a monster had attacked her. Failey grabbed Kyto's wrist and yanked him into the shadows of the alley way as a massive, 7 foot creature burst out of a window on the 5th floor and landed smoothly on his feet, before galloping after the sad few humans that had escaped.

Failey clamped her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from being sick as she watched one of the escapees suddenly be thrust into the air, impaled gruesomely on the Monster's tail. The monster laughed his tail sucking frantically as the man became nothing more then empty clothes which fell to the ground. Kyto whimpered slightly at the nightmare before him. The last of the human survivors was impaled and drained away to nothing.

The monster laughed to himself and turned dramatically towards the alley way. His cat like eyes gleaming in the dark as he stared straight at Failey and Kyto.

"Hello, lunch." He said, snickering, he voice hideously haunting. He suddenly charged at the two, and Failey screamed, yanking Kyto's wrist as she broke into a run down the alleyway, turning the corner sharply before glancing behind her. The creature was not behind her, but she didn't stop, half dragging Kyto, half letting him run on his own as they broke out into the next street across from the one they were just on. She fell to her knees panting for a moment, Kyto, staring around in disbelief.

"What the hell was that thing?" He demanded. Failey glanced back at the alley way and gave a shriek, hurtling off down the street again as she spotted the monster's two gleaming eyes behind her, simply watching.

Kyto grunted as he broke into a forced run again, sparing only a glance at the creature behind them.

"Run, run as fast as you can! You can't escape me!" The monster sang after them. He was taunting them, playing with them. He snickered again, then burst from the shadows, his speed almost mind boggling. He closed the distance almost instantly, and stopped, right in front of Failey, causing her to crash into him. He threw his head back, laughing insanely, before he stopped and glared straight at her.

"Game over!" He snickered, his tail arching in the air behind him. Failey clenched her eyes shut, expecting a sudden rush of pain to overwhelm her. Instead she felt a sudden rush of air against her, blowing her backwards. It was followed by a tremendous roar, unlike anything she had ever heard before. She opened her eyes and gasped. Kyto was besides her, helping her to her feet, but she barely noticed, her eyes on the vicious mauling before her.

A creature, easily five times the size of an Elephant was tearing into the Monster that had attacked her. It's body was covered in silky short black fur, its head massive and sported on a thick muscular neck. It's body was long and slender, but it had a huge chest, rippling with muscles, as its two massive black furred wings opened, to help it gain its balance. It long lion like tail with the deep ebony tuft was thrashing around as the massive furred dragon like head with the massive jaws, full of hundreds of 6 inch fangs was snapping at the Monster that thrashed beneath it. The massive creature reared up, it's arms extended, flexing its massive 12 inch ebony claws which it brought down, tearing into the Monster beneath. Torrents of Olive blood and chunks of flesh were thrown high into the air, splattering the buildings and the road around.

"**Run**!" Kyto roared, not bothering with the awe of their savior and turned, bolting like a terrified rabbit. Failey stood to her feet, staring in a sort of awe, unable to control her legs and make them move. She was captivated by the scenes of this massive predator, tear its prey apart, almost effortlessly, its massive muscles rippling in unison and with such grace that she could do nothing else, but respect this creature, regardless how hideous it's motives.

Suddenly it stopped, satisfied with its prey. The Monster beneath had been complete torn apart, its ribcage shattered in such a brutal matter, its entrails sprayed across the road around. His entire body had been gutted and blooded and the worst part was his head had been severed, three long slash marks across his face. His head was in the middle of Saida and Failey and Failey stared at it, wide eyed, in horror. Saida turned, glaring unblinking at Failey. Failey stared back, her bottom lip trembling. Her knees had turned to jelly at the wrong moment, and now she wished she could run like the wind, away from here as Kyto had done.

Saida fell back to her forelegs, the earth around her trembling under her 40 ton weight. Slowly, Saida took a step towards Failey, her claws clattering against the road, scratching it. Failey let out a slight whimper and finally found her legs, managing a step backwards.

_"Your name."_ Failey's eyes widened in shock. A female's voice with a Northern accent entered her head and she glanced around for a moment, before realizing it was actually the creature's that was approaching her.

"I... I...." Failey stuttered, unable to string together her words.

_"Your name!"_ The creature demanded a little louder now. Failey swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded slowly.

"Failey..." She muttered, barely audible.

_"I am Saida."_ Saida said, taking another step towards Failey, subconsciously, kicking Cell's head to the side. Failey swallowed again, following Cell's head for a moment as it landed in the gutter, to her right. She quickly diverted her attention back to Saida's massive Indigo eyes and her violet stripped body with the massive muscles, the massive wings, folded back at her side, the hooked talons, the bared fangs, the cunning mind and the furless snout with the hooked beak.

"It's... It is a pleasure... Saida." Failey didn't know why she chose to use her manners on Saida, but she had this strange thought that perhaps, she could convince Saida to let her live. Saida stopped slowly, and cocked her head to the side, staring with those wide eagles' eyes at Failey, as if considering her.

_"Yes, it is a pleasure."_ Saida said after some time. _"But do you know what would be the most pleasurable thing right now?"_ Saida's lips pulled back in a grin, baring the massive fangs. Failey swallowed and stared. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something tremble and shake as it began to grow.

"N... No, I don't. Enlighten me?" Failey asked, unable to hide the full extent of her trembling fear. Saida seemed to snicker at this and crouched low to the ground for a moment, resembling a cat, ready to pounce. She seemed to delay for a moment, before she roared and made her lunge forward. Only she screamed suddenly, the sound unearthly as Cell's tail dug deep into her flank.

Failey seized her opportunity and turned and ran, not stopping for anything. She didn't even glance back behind her as Saida and Cell fought again, Cell having the ability to regenerate as long as the main core of his body was in tact. And it had been, his head regenerating his body and healing his scars.

Saida screamed, feeling all the nerves in her right hind leg tingle and the squirt of her own warm blood run down her leg. Cell had dug his tail in deep, and she could already feel him trying to suck her up. She snarled glaring back at him, and with one fluid motion, lashed out at him with her injured leg, the 12 inch talons, grazing his lower stomach. He leapt back, tearing his tail free in the process and watched as she turned abruptly to face him. Although she was incapable of complete regeneration, as Cell was, she still possessed the natural ability to heal rapidly, and that's what she did, her muscles stitching themselves together. She snarled and charged Cell, leaping at him suddenly. He was ready though and dodged to the side, whirling around to lunge is tail into her back, but instead, he cried out. Saida was a very experience hunter, and knew how to fight rough, and she knew Cell would try to impale her again, so she had been ready.

She turned her massive head to Cell, snarling at him, his tail in her massive hand that had snapped behind her as she leapt, catching it before it pierced her. Cell tried to yank it free, but Saida was too powerful, digging her 40 ton bulk into the ground as she turned, still holding onto Cell's tail and with one fluid motion, yanked it from his back. He fell to his knees, screaming from the sudden agony. He had consumed most of his energies regenerating himself before, and now that Saida was alert to his tricks, he could not afford to consume more precious energy to re-grow his tail again. Instead he leapt back away from her, watching as her claws dug into the flesh of his flailing tail. It died almost instantly as she tore at the nerves and then tossed it to the side, leaving it to rot, with the rest of his previously mauled body.

She fell rose back to her hind legs, her wings partially opened to keep her balanced as her tail thrashed around behind her, expressing her agitation. Cell could sense the awesome powers this strange beast held within her body, and knew in his current state, he could not defeat her. Instead, his mind crawled for a way to escape her. He glanced into the sky, knowing she could just as easily see in the dark as she could in the light, and finally, he smirked. He leapt into the air, his wings opening to sail him high into the air. Saida watched, letting him go for a moment, before she snarled. Cell threw his hands to his face, squinted his eyes shut and roared in the night air.

**"SOLAR FLARE!"** Saida cried out in the dark depths of the night and turned her head away from the blinding light and snarled. She could already feel Cell's power suppressed and knew she had lost him this time. Instead, she waited until sight returned, before she turned and ran, leaving the city limits and vanishing into the shadows.


	3. Failey

**Failey**

It had been a very long night for Failey so far. After the initial attack by Saida, she had found it difficult to stop running. Her legs were convinced, they could not carry her far enough away. She had complied, and ran, her heart racing, her mind numb with the sudden energy rush and every muscle, screamed with adrenalin and agony as she abused her very limits. She had never been so frightened in her entire life, two creatures threatening to destroy her in one night.

Finally though, she had stopped and collapsed on the ground somewhere in suburbia, far from where Saida and Cell were fighting. As she stopped, and sat down, panting furiously to regain precious air, her mind shifted from the numbing state of pure chaos, to the mode where it took her body and began to calm it down. Her body, simply too exhausted crashed instead, shutting down all the motors and she fainted.

-

Saida's massive eyes glinted, momentarily catching the shine from the street lamps before she hid back behind the house. Her face in the shadows, she watched as Failey fell to the ground, her body completely spent. Saida remained hidden for a few minutes, her long ears erect in the night air, listening attentively for any approaching unwanted guests, before she let her ears slip back against her thick neck and she made her way into the street. The houses around her were silent and dark but she remained alert, not wanting to be photographed or noticed in any way.

She crouched low to the ground besides the fallen Failey and sniffed her twice, her massive snout gently nuzzling the fallen woman. Saida curled her lips back, snarling as if expecting that to stir Failey from her exhaustion. When Failey made absolutely no attempt to move, Saida gently opened her mouth and scooped the body effortlessly into her jaw, holding it tight enough to stop it from moving, but loose enough, so her massive fangs did not pierce too much flesh.

Suddenly Saida stood to her full height, her ears erect in the air again, completely motionless. Failey hung limply in her joules, sweaty and bloody from the fights. Saida's nose twitched frantically as she snorted the air. Her calmness returned to her as she came to the conclusion of what had happened to alert her, and without a sound, turned and bound smoothly into the shadows of the nearby houses.

Cell appeared moments later, not bothering to stalk anymore, and was tearing into every house he came upon, absorbing the inhabitants whilst they slept and leaving to go on to the next house. This was cheating, and dishonorable, he knew, but he had little choice, with the massive beast that had made such short work of him running around, he had to think outside the square.

He lost count of how many humans he slaughtered that night, but the numbers were ridiculous, and so too was his power level.

-

Failey woke with a heavy groan and the sickening feeling of complete body exhaustion. Her body twisted and with the heavy fatigue from severely over doing it, she turned her head to the side, convulsed, and then threw up. She lacked the energy to move, and she was just so tired. Her mind registered that there was filth to her side. Her mind registered the heavy shudder against the earth, very close by that symbolized another presence. But her mind registered as the top priority, that she was not well.

Saida stood besides Failey, drawn to her side as she groaned then threw up from over exhaustion. Saida did not show any signs of moving, or that she even cared. She watched as Failey's head fell back to the damp earth below her and she was once again, unconscious.

Saida watched the human for a moment, before turning her head towards the sky. It was beginning to grow light as morning began to break. She had stopped her bounding journey as the massive powers seemed to roar across the horizon. They had stopped for a few moments now though, and instead, Failey's awakening had distracted her from the fierce but short battle that had taken over the boundaries of Nikki Town. Saida knew she had done right to trust her senses and run when she did. She glanced back at the limp Failey. She did _not_ know why she had saved _he_r in the process though.

Something about Failey disturbed Saida. Failey was just another human, just another blundering slow and seemingly pointlessly _easy-to-hunt_ pile of meat. _Easy pickings_. So why had she saved her, twice in fact? Saida, not being a creature to loose herself to unstable thoughts and considerations, quickly blamed the selflessness the young girl had, and that solely was what had saved Failey's life. Saida turned her back on the girl, striding into the covering forest, pushing through the trees with relative ease, causing a few roots to show amongst the loose soil as she did so.

Failey woke at this point in time, convulsing again. But instead she gagged, coughing up the disgusting sour and bitter taste of bile from her completely empty stomach. She coughed for a while, a chesty and dry cough that seemed to scream into the otherwise silent dawn. Finally she looked around with heavy eyes, trying to grasp exactly what had happened. All she could remember was the brutal fight between two massive predators, and then the body crushing exhaustion that had blackened her spirits and caused her to stupidly pass out in a suburban street.

_'But I was in a suburban street.' _Failey thought to herself._ 'What am I doing in a forest clearing?'_ Failey sat up and concentrated on breathing properly as she observed her new surroundings. It was late autumn which gave a chill to the air and made frost hang on the branches of the hundreds of pine trees around. The soil was rich and black and loose, giving it a moist texture. Pine cones and small rocks littered the leaf and pine needle covered ground. The clearing itself, was scarcely 6 feet wide and only 9 long. Somewhere not to far off, a yellow crest called once, twice then fell silent. Something was spooking all the wild life into silence, especially at this time of day.

Slowly as to prevent any unwanted outbursts, Failey crawled to her feet, using a nearby pine tree to help her gain her balance. She noticed as she spared her aching body a moment's rest that she smelt horribly like vomit and she could feel her hair and her face crusted in drying flakes. Her eyes were horribly out of focus, and she realized, she would be an easy target for wolves and wild dogs and the Saurian's that dwelled on the planet now, as a result of strange experimentation on fossilized fragments.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, her body making its horribly aching limbs and starving, empty stomach known to her. She limped along slowly, holding onto trees as she passed them. The crunching of the pine cones, disturbing and she seemed to envision them as being human bones...

-

Saida cocked her head to the side, watching from under the cover of the trees opposite Failey, a small bundle of cloth dangling loosely from her lower tusks. She waited till she could no longer see Failey, before she trotted across the clearing, following Failey's rank scent.

Saida was impressed. She knew Failey was sick and severely fatigued and hungry, yet still she managed to limp, crawl and drag herself a good two miles, in less then an hour to the nearby lake and crawl in. She didn't have the energy to remove her clothes, and simply floated along, her eyes closed as she relaxed. Every movement Failey made was an agonizing torment to her already abused body.

Saida sat on her haunches, forepaws on the lake shore, watching the bobbing lump of living flesh gently drift towards the center of the lake. She lowered her head, dropping the bundle on the pebble beach and began to clean her forepaws with her thick and long tongue, much like a cat, only slower and without taking her eyes from the unobservant Failey.

Failey was oblivious to everything. All that mattered was that she relaxes and recovers the efficient usage of her muscles. She was unaware that the very same creature that had scared her into the damaging sprint last night, was on the yellow stone pebble beach of the silver lake, watching her now. She was unaware that fish were nibbling her clothes, chomping on the small chunks of flesh and blood that had been tossed there during Saida's first mauling of Cell. She was unaware that a larger reptile like creature was ever so slowly, swimming lazily beneath her.

Saida was relaxing in the morning sun. It was _not_ too hot, considering the jet black fur and the massive mane she sported around her thick neck. She was sitting, watching Failey. For some strange reason, she liked this human woman. She showed determination and courage, although not exceptionally, it was in such a perfect balance with a hint of fiery personality, that Saida felt she had adopted her. Not as a child, but more as a companion, to keep her company in the lonely nights. If anything... a _friend_. She felt that Failey's selfless attitude would be a much needed relief. All Saida wanted to do, was talk to someone.

Saida's ears suddenly flew into the air, and she leapt to her feet, fully alert. She had felt that same indecent stab of power, if only for the briefest moment nearby. _But where?_ Saida's hawk like eyes skewered the surrounding shrubbery of the lake and found nothing that would suggest where Cell was hiding. Her attention dramatically distracted to the sudden howl Failey gave, thrashing madly in the water, her eyes widened with fear, before she vanished below the surface. Saida threw her head back, giving a terrifying howl of shock and rage and leapt, her massive wings spreading and hoisting her across the lakes surface with only three beats. She dove suddenly, her massive talons on her forepaws, diving deep beneath the surface of the water.

There was a thrashing of water and a struggle of soaked wings as Saida tried hard to stay above the water, and kill the creature beneath the surface. Her talons sunk into flush and there was an almighty howl from a massive Aligaur, a crocodile like Saurian. Saida had dug her talons deep into the nerve bunching at the base of the creatures' spine, at the exact point where the tail joined. It howled, thrashing madly in the water, unable to move its thick tail, which it used to propel itself through the water. Failey screamed as she was shoved under the water by the thrashing Aligaur. Saida snarled, desperate not to loose Failey, and everything she could mean. She dove, her massive neck thrusting her head forward, her jaws locking shut. Her shoulders and neck seemed to lurch madly as she shook the 14 foot Aligaur by the throat, its blood squirting into the water. Failey broke the surface of the water, coughing madly on the water that had poured into her lungs.

She turned her head to the side and watched in horror as the Aligaur thrashed, its roar gurgled as it drowned on its own blood. Saida's massive wings beating frantically, soaked through and splashing the water everywhere as she tried to keep aloft. It was a strain as the water weighed her down, as did the 400 pound Aligaur in her mouth. It was dying; she could feel its life slipping away as its thrashing began to subside. She squeezed her jaws a little more, before using her massive talons to twist the neck, snapping it and killing the Aligaur quickly.

Failey scrambled through the water, her muscles in agony, but her mind numb to it, endorphins rushing through her blood stream mixed with adrenalin, causing her to panic, but her muscles just wouldn't work, and she ended up in a disorganized mess, thrashing through the water, the Saida beast, always seeming to be looming behind her. She envisioned, the massive jaw snapping around her body, crushing it as she had done the Aligaur, tearing her flesh apart, the massive talons crushing her ribcage...

She cried out involuntarily, the water in her lungs choking her, and she spluttered, her arms and legs flailing in the water. At best, all she was achieving was the complete and utter evacuation of all fish in the local area. Slowly the endorphins and the adrenalin were draining and she could feel herself falling beneath the broken surface. She spluttered again, but she couldn't find the surface, her muscles shutting down on her again, the screaming agony of minor cramps from the lactic acid build ups, the complete exhaustion, the frantic panic roaring at her to get away from the Saida beast... It all dragged her under, her heart racing and her lungs choking...

Everything happened in slow motion. Saida's massive wings beat the water, sending torrents into the morning sky. Her neck twisted harshly, tossing the massive Aligaur high into the air. Her wings beat against the water again, her body's weight throwing her towards Failey as she vanished beneath the waves. Saida's wings threw themselves against the water again, sending torrents of silver drops into the sky.

Without warning, the water directly in front of Saida broke, Failey flying into the air, scooped into the bridal position in Cell's arms.

Time leaped back up to speed, Cell snarling and twirling in the air, all his power centered as he side kicked Saida's face, her weighted wings, buckling at that moment, and she fell into the water, vanishing in the splash for a moment, before her face flew from the water, and she latched onto Cell's leg, just as he turned to take wing. Cell's aura erupted around him and he forced his strength beneath him, inching slowly into the air. Saida latched on harder, and she pulled back. The water around Saida was too deep though and she had nothing the grip onto, and so her weight was useless.

She snarled angrily, her jaws digging deeper into Cell's leg. He snarled, the agony painted on his face as he fought against Saida's will. His olive blood squirted from the gaping holes her serrated teeth were making, streaming down his calf muscles and into the water, in small torrents.

Cell threw Failey into the air, caching her again over one shoulder as he used his free hand, open palmed at Saida to gather energy. Her eyes narrowed, and she bit harder, her wings free from beneath the waves, began beating again, giving her some pull, although it was a strain. Her neck muscles suddenly contracted in random masses, making her head thrash, like a dog, Cell howling in response, his leg tearing free.

He flew straight up with out any form of hesitation and powered up his ki blast, throwing the ball of searing white energy at Saida. Her roar pierced the morning sky and the explosion of the blast tore high into the sky, water erupting easily a half a mile into the air. Cell turned tail, bursting off through the skies, his right leg severed above the knee cap, blood squirting from the torn and ragged flesh.

He landed a few moments later, tossing Failey to the side with little consideration. She was still unconscious, and as far as Cell could see, or care, drowned. He stood on his only leg, focusing his energy into his re-growth. A splatter of acidic slime on the ground announced the limb as it burst through the severed flesh. Cell flexed his new leg a few times, convinced it was perfectly fine. He rounded on Failey, picking her up by her neck and dropping her on her back, on the surface of a nearby boulder. He watched her for a moment. She wasn't breathing.

He placed his thick hand against her neck gently. Weakly and barely noticeable at all, there was a slow and irregular hear beat. Cell snarled, revealing his four hooked fangs and quickly arranged her in a more stable position, flat on her back. He hated this human, but more so, he hated the Saida beast and knew this human would make sufficient bait. He pressed his hands against Failey's soaked chest and pressed firmly against it, causing water to filter like a fountain from Failey's mouth. Still she didn't breathe.

Suddenly his acute hearing picked up the sounds of a massive thundering beast. The vibrations in the floor were closing in. Saida knew where he was. He turned back to the seemingly dead Failey before turning tail and bolting, deciding she wasn't worth it after all.

Saida burst into the clearing and stopped as she spotted Failey, dead, on the boulder. She raised her snout into the air, sniffing twice before she turned back to Failey. Failey hadn't moved. In her exhaustion, and her panic to escape the creature that had been trying to save her life, she had inevitably drowned. Saida knew what this meant and slowly she approached Failey, her eyes darting around, just in case.

Failey's mouth was opened and she was completely soaked. Saida cocked her head to the side, contemplating for a moment before she rose onto her back legs and gently, using one massive fore paw, pressed into her chest. Once, twice, three times and then Failey sprang to life, her body convulsing again as she gagged and coughed, throwing up the water that had been in her lungs. Saida took a few steps back, falling to all fours again and watched. She herself was soaked, making her feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, her massive wings partially extended at her sides, to make them dry faster.

It took Failey a few moments to realize that she was still alive and in one piece. Her eyes barely even open; fell upon the stone gaze of the massive beast that called herself Saida. She made no attempt to leap at Failey and destroy her, but simply watched her. Failey's brain screamed panic and flooded her body again with adrenalin, but even so, she couldn't move. Her muscles ached and she didn't have enough energy to even consider moving. Saida's ears rose into the air in a sort of curious manner as she watched Failey, curious as to what she would do.

"You saved me, didn't you?" Failey asked, her voice choked and husked from drowning. Saida nodded slowly.

_"Twice, in fact."_ Failey stared at Saida, partially in awe, partially in fear. Saida's every inch of body, was designed to kill and hunt anything that she chose to. But yet, Failey was alive.

"Why?" Failey asked, unable to come to any conclusions herself. She had lost her manners, when her body had crumbled beneath itself, and with that, her ability to care.

_"Because, I do not want you to die."_ Saida's voice was almost annoyed, as if the answer had been obvious all along. Failey nodded slowly and lay back down, her eyes closing as she breathed.

"Thank you." She whispered her voice scarcely audible. Saida nodded and watched as Failey's chest heaved a heavy sigh then fell into an arithmetic pattern.

Saida slowly sat on her hunches, glancing up at the sky, her ears falling back against her head. She could feel her massive, black and violet feathered wings beginning to dry in the warmth of the morning sun. She sighed heavily, the sound deep and disturbing before she lay down to sleep, her head resting on her massive forepaws. There was not a lot she could do with soaked wings anyway.

-

Cell watched from between the trees, his natural urge to rush at the damned beast and slaughter it. He stopped himself though, knowing that if he did that, he would end up waking her. She was alert, even when she slept. He could tell because her ears, although flat against her skull were outturned and her nose was twitching as it scented the air. Cell turned his gaze to Failey, watching and waiting. What would it take to steal her? He thought.

He had heard the conversation between Failey and Saida and knew that Failey would be the ultimate bait to rid himself of the damned beast, once and for all.

He rose instead, standing to his full height, his tail twitching. He smirked, glancing at the sky.

"Firstly of all though," He began, talking to himself. "Firstly of all, I find my precious androids and absorb them so not even this irritating beast can harm me!" With that, he leapt at the sky, his wings opened as he blasted into the air.

Saida lifted her head, her eyes unblinking, watching the vapor trail vanishing over the trees. She grinned to herself and rested her head on her forepaws again, this time, slipping further into sleep.

_**A/N:** Thank you to all who have taken their considerable time to review. Secondly of all, I want to apologize. I know that up until here so far, there have been few Cell scenes. This is due to character development, and because of the plot, but it should begin to take on my adventure in the next chapter. Thank you again. _

_Ryau._


End file.
