II. The First Victim Falls at Mardi Gras

After the Grand Kai's health began to deteriorate, his power seemed to dwindle with him. The four directional Kais had been trying to run things as best as they could, but it didn't seem enough. Mass confusion and rumors began to spread throughout the afterlife, getting everyone talking. The only people who seemed unaware of the situation involving the Grand Kai was the living. Goku still trained, hoping that the tournament was still on. Things were running rather smoothly considering, and the air of the situation seemed to say that the tide would be changing soon - and fools as everyone was, they believed it to be for the better.

How wrong they were when a seemingly normal dead person suddenly shed their skin. A snake wielding a large weapon hissed as it crawled out of the skin, flexing it's wings as the line to the afterlife parted in it's presence. It's tail swung it's weapon around as it slithered towards the large desk in front, the handle topped with a two sided weapon, a combination of a sledgehammer and a machete. "Where isssss Hell?" the snake hissed, it's wings fully outstretched to reveal it's glorious coloring. Everyone stared, a few blinked. Snarling the snake smashed the sledgehammer part of it's weapon against the large desk, "I have a messsssage for sssssomeone. Where isssss Hell?" No one knew quite what to do. "Assssssholes," the snake hissed, whipping his tail around, morphing the weapon into what looked like a mace. Swinging it around, the snake busted a hole in the middle of the air, shards of reality crumbled before it as the weapon took quite a beating itself. Hissing complaints, the snake slithered through the hole it made, there after the hole sealed itself up.

***

Cell had just recently been sent to Hell, but he was glad to find, upon arrival, that others there hated Goku and his friends as much as he did. Frieza was quite an interesting fellow and Cell took a fond liking to him, probably attributed to the fact that he retained some of the Cold family cells. Being stronger than anyone else in Hell, Cell had a good ole time picking fights. He'd purposely piss people off, and for that reason he nicknamed Freiza: "Little Bitch". Sometimes in jest Cell would attempt a racial slur and call Frieza a "cracker", but the albino changeling silently fumed before mentioning how Goku's son had killed him. Nonetheless, Hell was a like one big happy seriously fucked up family. Most the time nothing really happened, nothing too major. The Ginyu Force played rock, paper, scissors on a daily basis and sometimes arm wrestling tournaments were held. Today, however, Cell was casually playing a game of un-strip poker with Frieza and some other random people who decided to drop by. Cell was winning, only wearing a pair of boxer shorts. Frieza was doing quite bad as he had underwear, pants, and socks on. They created the game when realizing strip poker was out of the question because they were already naked. "Two pair," Frieza called, setting his cards down. "Three of a kind," replied Cell with a grin, "You lose once more, Little Bitch."

It was at that moment a large hole punched itself out of the air and a large winged snake came through. "What the-??" Zarbon asked, stopping his motions in the middle of brushing his hair. "You," the snake hissed, whirling it's tail to reshape his weapon into the former machete-sledgehammer combination. It held the machete tip against Frieza's throat, "Issss thissss Hell?" Frieza blinked, somehow utterly calm despite the fact the blade could easily tear his throat apart. "Yes," was all the former tyrant could muster. The snake withdrew it's weapon and then showed everyone it's lovely wingspan, "Where issss the one called Anubissss?" The card players and the other small group assembled looked at each other. "There is no one named Anubis here," Cell stated, reshuffling the deck. "Anubissss isssss not here??" the snake hissed in amazement, "He wassss not condemned?" The group looked at itself again. "What a silly creature," Frieza mentioned. "You got that right, Little Bitch," Cell muttered, dealing out the deck again. Furious the snake pounded the ground with it's hammer, causing an earthquake across the entire land of Hell. "Crikey!" Zarbon shouted, trying to brace himself. The snake swung it's tail, it's weapon disappearing all together. It's tip wrapped around Cell's neck, squeezing tightly to the point where Cell could barely breathe, "Where issss Anubisss!? Where did he go!?" Cell grasped at the smooth scales, attempting to get more air to his lungs, "I don't know! I don't know who Anubis is!"

Roaring, the snake dropped Cell and flapped it's wings, "I'm only a messssanger! Tell Anubissss he will regret hissss final dayssss once more! Becaussse of him, anarchy will reign ssssupreme in the afterlife! Until he issss found the darknessss will continue to feed off of the Grand Kai. Already holessss appear! Already the dead flee back to the world of the living!" Cell rubbed the back of his neck, not interested in the speech until the last few sentences, "Holes? World of the living? Are you saying people are escaping?" The snake lashed it's tail in agitation, "Sssssee for yoursssself! Tell Anubissss he caussssessss thisss great pain! If you leave, find him and track him or thisss madnesssssss will not ssstop!" With a growl of irritation the snake spun itself into a cyclone, and when the wind faded off, the snake faded along with it. "Guys, look at this," Zarbon said, pointing to a hole in a nearby wall. Peering inside they could see an outline of the planet Earth. Grinning like mad men, each made their jump through the hole.

***

"Vegeta, you are such a jerk!" Bulma screeched, pathetically punching his upper arm, "How can you be so cold?" He didn't even look at her, "Hn." Trunks followed silently, though closely, behind, his thoughts pondering a rather important matter that didn't seem like too much at the time, 'What is up with dad? Two days ago we were on my bed reading Karma Sutra and now he's just back to his regular self. What's wrong with him? Maybe something he doesn't himself realize..?' Trunks had no idea how he had hit the nail on the head. The family moved through the crowd of people who were dancing, drinking, and partying. Bulma thought that they needed a vacation and had chosen to go to Mardi Gras. She now regretted the action as she couldn't get Vegeta to open up to her in the slightest. In fact, he was acting a lot worse than he had in a long time. "Are you even listening to me!?" Bulma screamed, blocking Vegeta's path. "If you don't remove yourself, I'll have to do it for you," he warned flatly, his arms folded. "The FUCK is wrong with you!?" Bulma yelled, nearly falling into hysterics, "Does this have to do with what happened the day before yesterday!?" Vegeta blinked, raising one eyebrow slightly, fumbling for just a second, "N-No." Bulma calmed slightly, sensing something off about the situation, "All I'm asking is for you to show a little kindness. Can you do that?" Vegeta's lips pushed out the word before he even realized what he was doing, "Yes." They stopped at the corner of an intersection, Vegeta's eyes catching hold of an old woman who seemed to be by herself.

Disentangling himself from his family, the Saijin walked up to her, "Do you mind if I walk you across the street?" Why he was doing this, he had no clue. His mind felt foggy in a strange sort of clear way. Comfortably numb would be a better description. "That's very kind, young man," the lady croaked, hooking her arm around Vegeta's offered elbow. The sign flashed that it was okay to walk and the crowd began it's walk. It was just then that a familiar voice taunted, "I never imagined the princeling would help the elderly!" Vegeta's cool calmness went flying out the nearest window like Karma Sutra had when he had thrown it. Rage filled him more than surprise, and the next thing he knew the old lady was clutching onto him tightly. He looked at her as she rasped for air, one hand clutching him as the other clutched her chest. Promptly, she fell over dead. "Shit," Vegeta muttered, Bulma and Trunks staring. Cell leaned against Frieza, using him for an armrest. Bulma thought the prince was referring the the old enemies for a moment before she realized he was staring at the old woman. Vegeta's hand suddenly lunged out, and in true shock now, the small man used his other hand to hold his arm back. Something in the back of his mind was whispering at him, telling him exactly what to do. 'Get a feather,' it said. He turned, hand groping, searching for a feather. The Hell gang watched as Vegeta fumbled around, tripping over himself as his possessed arm searched out a feather, finding one among the crowd. "Hey!" someone shouted as the desired item was stolen from them. Tripping and stumbling, Vegeta returned to the old woman, his hand lunging again. "No!" he growled, trying to stop the disobedient limb, "You're my arm, and you listen to me!!" A voice whispered in the back of his mind, 'The blood won't be fake this time.'

His will snapped and his hand tore forward, swiftly jamming itself in the woman's warm chest. Bulma screamed in terror. Trunks stared in mute fascination and worry. The Hell gang watched in amusement. Vegeta grasped the unmoving object he was looking for, tearing it free from the woman's body in a swift, easy motion. His hand and wrist was coated in blood, his fist clutching a ninety year old or so heart. "Fuck," Vegeta whispered, as the little whisper disappeared. Everyone stared as Vegeta struggled an inner battle - he felt like he just forgot something very important.

"Who's up for gambling?" Cell questioned, "How about you, Little Bitch?"