Author's Note: Well, to those people who have kept up with my stories for the past few years might be surprised that I have come up with and started another one in such a short amount of time. This again is another Cell/OC story, but it is much different than the previous…six I have done ;) I think this one will be a bit more mature for readers who always begged me for more than simple fluff in the Cell series I had been working on for a few years. (Wow, years? Ha) So a warning to those who do not like such content, this is rated M for a reason.

I also want to give a huge thanks (and I will several times throughout this story) to my avid reader and friend queenKathBallZ for her input and the interrogation process I've put her through to get my brain to work a bit better. (It wasn't that bad…but she has done a lot, lol).

This is actually something I'm experimenting with—the plot I mean—so I would really appreciate constant reviews from people as I go along. For those that have read the other stories, please note that this may sound similar to the 6-installment series because it is in first person, but I promise you a new twist on everything :)

For those that are giving me, as an author, a try for the first time, please enjoy my work and let me know what you think :)

Willful Ambition

1—The Awakening

"Alright, you're all set," a female's voice rang in my ears. "You can open your eyes."

I did so. They shot open quickly and caught the gaze of two others immediately. One belonged to an older man—rather a much older man. He looked ancient in ways, but yet I could tell by the way he looked at me that he was sharp as a tack. My eyes zoomed to the right where a woman looked down at me, her blue eyes set in a tired face. She must have been the voice I heard.

Before I said anything or took in any more of their features I sat up and moved my legs off the metal table. My feet swung slightly, my hands gripped the edge of the cold surface I sat on.

"How do you feel?" The old man asked me, his voice cracking from what I was sure was dryness in his throat.

I thought about the question for a moment. I felt…miraculous. I could not find one minor ache or pain in my entire body. I felt like I had slept for a decade; I felt fully restored in ways I'm sure no one else could imagine. I felt perfect.

"You're probably going to feel a little off," he continued. "I did modify a little of your programming and—"

"I feel fine," I said quickly, cutting him off and making him stare at me with an open mouth.

"Well good," the woman said, her hand pushing a blue lock of hair out of her face. "Do you remember your name?"

I thought about it. My name…it should be an easy question to answer. Yet, I felt like I couldn't remember anything except the first statement she said to me when I regained consciousness. What was my name?

"No," I finally said. I did not look at either of them. However, I could see from the corner of my eye that she looked at the old man, as if a bit worried.

The old man's hand rested on my shoulder. "It'll come," he said. I shrugged his touch off. "Do you know what you are?"

My mind worked again. This question I knew, but I could feel my inner thoughts cling to it as if I couldn't grasp if the concept was true. "I am an android," I said. "I was created by Dr. Gero."

"Yes," the old man replied. "What else do you know?"

"I…" I looked at them. "You are Dr. Briefs and Bulma Briefs…" I paused yet again before continuing. "You found me in the lab and brought me here…to Capsule Corporation."

"She's good, Dad," Bulma replied as she stepped away and switched on a fan on the counter across from where I still sat. "I think she just needs to give herself a chance. She'll come around and remember other things."

"I'm sure you're right," Dr. Briefs said. "Well, I will give this away though," he said to me. "Your name is Serika."

"I know my name is Serika," I said out loud. As soon as the syllables rolled off his tongue I knew that it was my name. It was so certain to me. I can't believe I couldn't remember it.

I jumped off the table and looked around the room, studying the computers, intricate blue prints sprawled out on the table and little devices used to assist human hands with whatever work they were conducting. I hovered over the blue prints set on the table directly next to the one I rested on. They were interesting in ways, but the moment I saw Android 22 written across the top, I felt…sick.

"These are mine, aren't they?" I asked without looking up.

"Yes," Bulma replied. "We found them near your pod. Do you remember where you were?"

"Dr. Gero's lab," I replied quickly, remembering stating that information only a moment ago. "I don't remember you activating me there, though."

"No," Dr. Briefs started, "we didn't. We actually feared you would retaliate on us."

"I would not have," I told him softly.

"Yes, we realized that after seeing your programming," he continued. "However, we didn't know what to expect. You are the first android that was not completed with a seek-and-destroy Dr. Gero's enemies mission."

"No," I said suddenly remembering my original purpose. "I was to destroy Androids 17 and 18."

"Yes, you were," Bulma said. She came over to me and leaned her back against the table I stood next to. "They are already dead, though. My son was able to destroy them."

"He is not an android, is he?" I asked with astonishment to hear such news. From what I remember, I was created slightly stronger than both of those androids. Gero feared that they might find a way to escape him and he needed another way besides a deactivation device to get them back. I remember him telling me this.

Bulma laughed. "No, he's half human, half Saiyan—which is an alien race to Earth."

"How did you find me?"

Bulma smirked. "It was a tip actually from a stranger who was fleeing the region. He stumbled across an old shack in the woods that hadn't been lived at in years." She now ran her fingers through her long graying blue hair. "He looked around and found a door that led to a basement filled with all sorts of robotic equipment. Obviously he was terrified it was something to do with the androids, so he called the authorities."

"And since I'm the only known surviving scientist left in this region they called me to take a look once they determined it was safe," Dr. Briefs said, sitting down on a lab stool and reaching for a cup of coffee that had to be long cold.

"You happened to be hidden in the back," Bulma continued. "We had no idea the place belonged to Dr. Gero until I saw the Red Ribbon Army symbol on your pod. We saw your prints right there and figured you had to have been a work in progress or something, so we took you back here."

"So you could get me off the streets before anything more could happen," I accused.

"Definitely not," Bulma said. "Dr. Gero was a mad-man that caused the world a lot of devastation, but he was still a genius. We figured we'd save you from rotting down in that basement."

I frowned slightly. "I don't understand why you bothered coming after me if I am of no longer use. You didn't program me with anything."

Bulma smiled gently. "We decided that you should have as much of a human choice as you were once allowed."

"I am not human," I replied.

"You were once," Bulma corrected me. "You might remember. You haven't been an android that long in all actuality—you were asleep for nearly eight years, but I don't think that should count."

"Whatever life I lived before doesn't matter," I told her bitterly. "I have been ruined."

"Nonsense," Dr. Briefs grunted. "You are miraculous. You may have android qualities, but you yourself are an outstanding person. You are intelligent, very powerful and if I might add quite beautiful."

"We did have a thought, actually," Bulma said smoothly, interrupting the small argument I was starting. "Don't think this is why we took you in. You don't have to do it. In ways, it might be unfair to ask you."

"I have no other thing set for me in life," I said. "I have no memory of my past. Whatever it is I shall do it."

"Don't you want to hear what it is first?" she laughed.

"It will not matter," I stated and looked away towards the window. It looked almost like a junkyard outside with the partly demolished building across the street. It must be a result of 17 and 18. "Just tell me what it is you need me to do."

"Well," she said on a more serious note, "we want you to find another android—Dr. Gero's biomechanical android called Cell."

Cell. The name echoed in my head for the longest time. I knew exactly who Cell was in the back of my mind, yet for some strange reason I could not draw out every fine detail except the fact that he was Gero's ultimate creation—a pure genius invention that was nothing but sinister in nature.

"The catch is," Bulma continued, "is that you need to go to the past to do this. He's already dead in this time. He destroyed so many lives—including one of my best friends, Goku. I was hoping you could make it back and destroy him before anyone perishes now that we know he'll be a threat."

"I know of Cell," I said. "He was created to be the perfect warrior—the strongest anyone would every meet. Do I have the power to do this?"

"We modified your strength by giving you half the extra amount you already have," Dr. Briefs confirmed. "You should be able to do the deed easily."

"Actually, Trunks was able to give us an estimate on how powerful Goku was during his Cell Games," Bulma added. "We tried to give you a hair more than that just in case."

"Then set me up," I said giving them a firm expression. "I'm ready."

xXx

I stared at myself in the mirror. The face was familiar, but it looked so cold. I studied my perfect complexion—I couldn't believe it was always like that. My skin was delicate looking, smooth and completely unflawed. My jet-black hair fell to my shoulders; the many waves it took gave it an odd sheen in the bright light of the bathroom. And then I glared at my eyes—a dark purple that I remember someone once telling me was extremely unusual. I suppose they fit me well enough, but I wondered what horrible sites they saw in recent years.

I tossed my head to rid my face of the long strands of bangs that hit my cheeks and walked out of the room, the light automatically going off behind me. My eyes looked at my simple outfit that consisted of fitted dark blue jeans and a black sleeveless shirt. Topping the outfit off were heavy looking black boots that looked more for a work shoe than a fashion statement. I suppose they would have to do, but in a way it did give me a more alarming appearance.

I sauntered down the hall, my arms swinging slightly at my sides. The building Dr. Briefs called his own personal laboratory looked very quaint and home-like more than it did a place where a scientist worked.

They had told me when I was ready to meet them in the back chamber. I was unsure what that meant, but the directions they had given me were simple enough—straight down the hall, door is on the left. I found it easily enough.

Inside I discovered what actually reminded me of a garage. There were several transportation devices, but also a few other robotic devices that I wasn't sure of what they were; not that it mattered to me. I moved forward, hands in my pants' back pockets.

"Ah, you decided to come after all," Dr. Briefs said with a smirk under his bushy white moustache. A graying blonde lady stood with a disgustingly chipper smile plastered on her face.

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked shortly.

"Oh, I figured you might run for it," he replied with a hint of embarrassment.

Bulma stepped out from the corner with a small box in her hand. She flipped it open and took out what looked to be a capsule. "This is the time machine," she told me as she clicked and tossed it to an open space in the room. With a loud bang it burst into an odd looking contraption, yellow and black in color with a glass dome on top.

"That's a time machine, huh?" I said mostly to myself.

Bulma clicked a remote and the top lifted. She climbed up and started clicking a bunch of buttons on the front consol. "I'm going to set it for the day after Trunks returned to the past for the second time. Cell had appeared by then, but he's in his weakest form still. It'll be easier to go after him."

"Who is this Trunks?"

Bulma smiled. "My son. We'll be sending you to a different time than my actual son went to since Cell and the others are gone now in the past he went to—that's how we now about Cell. You might meet up with Trunks at some point, actually—he's the cute one. You might meet my husband as well; Vegeta. He'll be the one with the attitude. Hopefully you will get lucky and get rid of Cell quick. You probably won't even see them."

"Where's your husband now?" I asked for whatever reason. It just came out.

There was a look of sorrow for a minute and Bulma hopped off the time machine. "He's dead. Android 17 killed him…about five years ago now. We have had a lot of trial and errors; this time was ruined for my family, but I was hoping to save them in the past."

I didn't respond. Instead I climbed into the machine and sat myself into the hard seat centered in the contraption.

"It should be all set," Bulma called up to me. "Good luck, Serika!"

"Sure," I said half-heartedly. Without listening to what she was saying I pressed a small yellow button directly next to a screen that listed the date. I was a little alarmed when it jumped a few days. I looked quickly around the consol. There was a more obvious button I that made me a little annoyed with myself because I didn't see it at first—it was labeled "Go."

The people standing around the machine—Bulma, her father and the other woman—started to fade and warp into strange shapes…until they were gone.