Day Two: Morning

[Orion]

The sun dawned on the second day of Orion's stay at Dante's Abyss. Fresh, warm daylight danced on his eyelids, stirring him from the several few hours he received during the early morning. Since the fight with the vicious, claw wielding Namekian, his mind and energy were instoppable. Enthusiasm, desire and war pumped through his soul after finally feeling that adrenaline rush, that inexplicable, irreplaceable sensation. Sleep was not a priority of such a mindset. It only wanted to clash with fists, calculate strategies and slay the opponent. Orion, with a much needed smirk, was slowly rediscovering his saiyan spirit.

But then he'd look at his companion. Apart from his ridiculous outfit, which Orion still couldn't tell if it was for confusing enemies or his personal dress sense, and the unusual number for a name, the black haired human just wasn't ... normal. Now, Orion hardly considered himself under that banner either, but there was something normal about his own abnormality. This Seventeen ... was he even all there? During the time before he slept, Seventeen acted oblivious to the outrageous statement his fashion sense made, even going to the lengths of worrying about the fake plastic fruit that towered into his hat. He seemed timid, introverted, even bewildered at the very events that happened around him.

Yet, when Orion first attacked, the transvestite fought with precision, skill and power that could not be possessed by someone as mentally frail and scattered as the Seventeen he conversed with. Battle is always more than the physical, and that was an aspect of which the veteran saiyan would never lose sight. Orion, in all his decades of fighting, had never seen such a delusional person put up such defences against a surprise attack. Not to mention the eagle eye accuracy of that ki rifle shot that ignited the Namek's molotov cocktail and charred his emerald skin black.

But perhaps the most disturbing thing to the one eyed fighter, shifting his newly acquired ki vest for comfort, was the resemblence Seventeen bore to someone Orion was very close to, once upon a time. He was someone that Orion didn't miss a day thinking about what happened to him.

"Tollash!"

"“You talk of leaving Vegeta for good? Getting away from assignments?” The pitcher arrived at the table, of which the giant saiyan grabbed enthusiastically and dispensed himself another mug. “How successful do you think you would be? You leave here, not being on a mission? No clearance codes? You and Parika ...” He put down his goblet long enough to illustrate with his hands and mouth that their ship would explode. “Not to mention little Kale.”

"What more is there than this, friend?”

Without knowing it, without ever knowing it, Orion ended up upon his knees, his one eye shut tightly, brow furrowed as deeply as was possible. He clenched his blue robe in both hands upon his thighs. It was all he could do to save himself from ... himself.

"Tirak..." he whispered.

"Hmmm? Wha?"

Orion was jolted back to reality. Seventeen had awoken, obviously catching the saiyan's solemn, breathed word, but in a half asleep trance.

"Oh, Seventeen," the cycloptic fighter acknowledged, pushing his risen emotions back into the depths of his soul. "You're up."

"Mmm," the absurdly dressed human murmured. "Did you say something before?"

"I was just thinking..."

Orion caught himself. He questioned himself. Was he about to share his thoughts with someone else?

"Just thinking, huh?" Seventeen continued. "You should see what I think sometime."

Phew. He didn't want to pursue that train of thought.

"Oh," Seventeen added. "I like your headgear."

Orion narrowed his eye, looking up to see only the brightening dawn sky before realising the human referred to his halo. "Oh yes, I-"

Seventeen was on his feet, already walking from their camp site. "Come on, let's go," he motioned without consulting his companion.

The black haired saiyan shot a smirk, but it came and went so fast that anyone watching could've been forgiven if they thought it was a facial twitch.

"On my way."