06-11-2007, 12:36 AM
Time was cruel to the raven-haired warrior. With each passing moment, more and more of it slipped through his greedy fingers, leaving with nothing to prove for his wasted time. The aggravations of the day?s sluggish progression paled in comparison to the terrors associated with the android?s frail mental condition. With every grain of sand that slipped through the hourglass, Seventeen?s mind grew increasingly taxed.
Thoughts churned in his mind, egging him on despite the infirmity of his body, soul, and mind. Within the span of a few hours, the man that was Seventeen had descended deeper and deeper into the grave he had been digging for himself over the course of the last five days. He had been filled with vigor upon the fall of Paige, but now his thoughts were once again topsy-turvy.
The man in Seventeen wanted nothing more than to escape from the abyss and return to his home. He desired nothing more than to escape the madness and forget about everything that had happened over the last week, but the machine in him was not so fickle. It craved the blood of those who had wrong it, and it would not back down in the face of pain and perdition. It was these conflicting viewpoints that were turning Seventeen into a wreck. It was only a matter of time before oblivion would engulf the weary machine-hybrid in his embrace.
?I have to hold on,? Seventeen muttered, unwilling to fold to his ailments. Despite the tenacity of his tone, the sickly look he wore across his battered visage was indication enough that he was, at best, lying to himself. As he dragged his feet across the terrain, the android paused to draw a fresh supply of breath into his beleaguered lungs. ?I am strong.?
?You?re a fraud,? a voice suddenly whispered from the darkness?triggering the android to immediately draw his pistol from his belt. As he wearily scanned his surroundings, he watched a squirrel scurry across the floor of the forest. After a few feet, it went to jump and simply stopped moving in midair.
?What?s going on?? Seventeen asked upon noting that the little critter was completely stiff, with his furry features frozen in an expression of terror and panic.
?What isn?t going on?? The same voice replied as the forest around the android washed away like wet paint struck with a hose. As the colors faded to white, Seventeen pivoted once more and narrowed his eyes at what he same.
?You,? the raven-haired warrior hissed, drawing Buu?s ki sword from his back and readying it as well.
?Yes, me,? the man snickered, cracking his knuckles and then his neck as he advanced toward the cyborg. ?Or more correctly?us,? he uttered, throwing his long, ebony locks behind his neck with a flick of his bony wrist.
?What do you want?? Seventeen hissed, flicking the activation switch of the ki sword as he prepared for a tussle.
?The same thing that we both want,? the facsimile replied. ?Answers. Answers to our existence. Answers to why we are the way we are.?
?Leave me the hell alone,? Seventeen growled, lifting up the ki pistol and firing off a round at the duplication; however, when the android pressed the button, all he was gifted with was the lovable sound of an empty clip. With a snicker, the cyborg?s replication snapped his fingers and made the gun vanish from the grip of the actual Seventeen. A moment later, it appeared in the hands of the insidious clone.
?You are so far from understanding,? the facsimile uttered, tossing the gun into the white abyss that surrounded the two free-floating individuals. Vehemently opposed to dealing with the cruel copy, the raven-haired warrior drew his ki sword and prepared for combat. ?That?s good, Seventeen. Embrace your long forgotten heritage of blood and rage! You?ve been avoiding it for far too long.?
?No?? the android uttered?deactivating the weapon and dropping it to the ground. Sighing faintly, the facsimile merely shook his head and walked across the void toward Seventeen.
?Time is running out for you,? the android whispered. ?While you were parading around in ignorant bliss of the real world, your internal systems have been dying,? the remark triggered the true Seventeen to let out a gasp, his pupils shrinking as the realization befell him.
?Liar,? the cybernetic warrior shot back. It was a lame and feeble comeback, but it was all that he could muster in the face of such a potentially devastating portent. Shaking his head solemnly, the replication took another step forward and placed one of his hands on the android?s left shoulder. Initially reeling away, Seventeen soon relaxed when he realized there was no ill intent on the part of the clone.
?All good things must come to an end, Seventeen,? the facsimile whispered. ?For you, this means your life. You are running out of time, and it is time you embrace yourself before all is lost,? with a sigh, the replication stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the man that he mirrored. ??I love you, but your time is running short. Please do not die for naught. Embrace all that you are or everything will be list. Time is running short.?
?I don?t understand,? Seventeen uttered, in a voice that was nothing more than a pathetic, ignorant whimper.
?You will,? the facsimile said, pulling away from the android. ?Head my warning,? with that, the clone leaned forward and kissed Seventeen. Feeling completely comfortable for reasons he couldn?t explain, the machine-hybrid simply closed his eyes and parted his lips in response to the foreign pressure he felt put on them. Tears began to stream down his face as the two android?s stood there in a silent embrace. When Seventeen finally opened his eyes, he was lying on the ground of the forest?once again alone and once again in tears.
?I feel?cold,? muttered, his eyes puffy as he slid the pistol into its holster on his belt. For the first time in the last twenty-four hours, the cyborg felt truly, wholly miserable: The ecstasy of the last day, fueled by his lovely unawareness to the situation at hand, had at last crumbled entirely to reveal a soured core. The revelation was a final blow to something that had been wilting for hours. It was as if an atom bomb had gone off in the android?s imaginary world?obliterating everything and leaving nothing in the wake of its destruction except a scared, disheartened man.
Events were going to transpire soon that would test what remained of Seventeen?s resilience and sanity. The android could sense this, but preparation for such an affair was impossible. He knew in his heart there was no way to avoid the encroaching reality. He was a complete and utter mess and given enough time, it would cost him everything. Seventeen only hoped he would run out of time before he lost himself into the cold, mechanical abyss that churned and whirled within his own body.
Time was of the essence.
And Seventeen?s time was running out.
Thoughts churned in his mind, egging him on despite the infirmity of his body, soul, and mind. Within the span of a few hours, the man that was Seventeen had descended deeper and deeper into the grave he had been digging for himself over the course of the last five days. He had been filled with vigor upon the fall of Paige, but now his thoughts were once again topsy-turvy.
The man in Seventeen wanted nothing more than to escape from the abyss and return to his home. He desired nothing more than to escape the madness and forget about everything that had happened over the last week, but the machine in him was not so fickle. It craved the blood of those who had wrong it, and it would not back down in the face of pain and perdition. It was these conflicting viewpoints that were turning Seventeen into a wreck. It was only a matter of time before oblivion would engulf the weary machine-hybrid in his embrace.
?I have to hold on,? Seventeen muttered, unwilling to fold to his ailments. Despite the tenacity of his tone, the sickly look he wore across his battered visage was indication enough that he was, at best, lying to himself. As he dragged his feet across the terrain, the android paused to draw a fresh supply of breath into his beleaguered lungs. ?I am strong.?
?You?re a fraud,? a voice suddenly whispered from the darkness?triggering the android to immediately draw his pistol from his belt. As he wearily scanned his surroundings, he watched a squirrel scurry across the floor of the forest. After a few feet, it went to jump and simply stopped moving in midair.
?What?s going on?? Seventeen asked upon noting that the little critter was completely stiff, with his furry features frozen in an expression of terror and panic.
?What isn?t going on?? The same voice replied as the forest around the android washed away like wet paint struck with a hose. As the colors faded to white, Seventeen pivoted once more and narrowed his eyes at what he same.
?You,? the raven-haired warrior hissed, drawing Buu?s ki sword from his back and readying it as well.
?Yes, me,? the man snickered, cracking his knuckles and then his neck as he advanced toward the cyborg. ?Or more correctly?us,? he uttered, throwing his long, ebony locks behind his neck with a flick of his bony wrist.
?What do you want?? Seventeen hissed, flicking the activation switch of the ki sword as he prepared for a tussle.
?The same thing that we both want,? the facsimile replied. ?Answers. Answers to our existence. Answers to why we are the way we are.?
?Leave me the hell alone,? Seventeen growled, lifting up the ki pistol and firing off a round at the duplication; however, when the android pressed the button, all he was gifted with was the lovable sound of an empty clip. With a snicker, the cyborg?s replication snapped his fingers and made the gun vanish from the grip of the actual Seventeen. A moment later, it appeared in the hands of the insidious clone.
?You are so far from understanding,? the facsimile uttered, tossing the gun into the white abyss that surrounded the two free-floating individuals. Vehemently opposed to dealing with the cruel copy, the raven-haired warrior drew his ki sword and prepared for combat. ?That?s good, Seventeen. Embrace your long forgotten heritage of blood and rage! You?ve been avoiding it for far too long.?
?No?? the android uttered?deactivating the weapon and dropping it to the ground. Sighing faintly, the facsimile merely shook his head and walked across the void toward Seventeen.
?Time is running out for you,? the android whispered. ?While you were parading around in ignorant bliss of the real world, your internal systems have been dying,? the remark triggered the true Seventeen to let out a gasp, his pupils shrinking as the realization befell him.
?Liar,? the cybernetic warrior shot back. It was a lame and feeble comeback, but it was all that he could muster in the face of such a potentially devastating portent. Shaking his head solemnly, the replication took another step forward and placed one of his hands on the android?s left shoulder. Initially reeling away, Seventeen soon relaxed when he realized there was no ill intent on the part of the clone.
?All good things must come to an end, Seventeen,? the facsimile whispered. ?For you, this means your life. You are running out of time, and it is time you embrace yourself before all is lost,? with a sigh, the replication stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the man that he mirrored. ??I love you, but your time is running short. Please do not die for naught. Embrace all that you are or everything will be list. Time is running short.?
?I don?t understand,? Seventeen uttered, in a voice that was nothing more than a pathetic, ignorant whimper.
?You will,? the facsimile said, pulling away from the android. ?Head my warning,? with that, the clone leaned forward and kissed Seventeen. Feeling completely comfortable for reasons he couldn?t explain, the machine-hybrid simply closed his eyes and parted his lips in response to the foreign pressure he felt put on them. Tears began to stream down his face as the two android?s stood there in a silent embrace. When Seventeen finally opened his eyes, he was lying on the ground of the forest?once again alone and once again in tears.
?I feel?cold,? muttered, his eyes puffy as he slid the pistol into its holster on his belt. For the first time in the last twenty-four hours, the cyborg felt truly, wholly miserable: The ecstasy of the last day, fueled by his lovely unawareness to the situation at hand, had at last crumbled entirely to reveal a soured core. The revelation was a final blow to something that had been wilting for hours. It was as if an atom bomb had gone off in the android?s imaginary world?obliterating everything and leaving nothing in the wake of its destruction except a scared, disheartened man.
Events were going to transpire soon that would test what remained of Seventeen?s resilience and sanity. The android could sense this, but preparation for such an affair was impossible. He knew in his heart there was no way to avoid the encroaching reality. He was a complete and utter mess and given enough time, it would cost him everything. Seventeen only hoped he would run out of time before he lost himself into the cold, mechanical abyss that churned and whirled within his own body.
Time was of the essence.
And Seventeen?s time was running out.
![[Image: A17June08.jpg]](http://frozendust.com/sig/A17/A17June08.jpg)