Day Two: Evening

[Android 17]

Brushing aside the eccentricities of his traveling partner, Seventeen continued down the crude path?his mind distant and his eyes empty. Reaching into his duffel bag with his right arm, the android started to fish around amidst the cans of food and bottles of water given to him at the start of the game. After a few moments of rooting through his belongings, the machine-hybrid furrowed his brow and began to frown.

Almost immediately, he stepped up his degree of fervor; however, despite the android?s hopes, the horror of the situation was slowly becoming evident. With a terrified scowl on his face, Seventeen came to a sudden pause and pulled a single item from his survival bag?an empty plastic bag. Lifting the transparent, ruffled pouch to his face, the machine-hybrid?s scowl gave way to a frown as he stared at the miniscule fragments of green and brown that dotted the bag?s interior.

?This is?? the cybernetic warrior began, his voice quavering as his right arm began to tremble. ?The worst thing that could ever happen to me. Ever!? Seventeen shouted, garnering the attention of not only his saiya-jin ally but also the group traveling a ways ahead of them.

?What?s the matter, Seventeen?? The long-haired superpower inquired, arching one of his eyebrows as he took a step toward his partner. Despite having become accustomed to his ally?s bizarre antics and personality over the course of the last twenty-four hours, Raditzu was nevertheless taken aback by the machine-hybrid?s current demeanor.

Trembling all over, the cyborg crumpled the empty bag in his fist and heaved it toward a nearby tree. Unfortunately for the devastated android, the relatively light bag merely fluttered a small distance and came to a rest only a few feet away from his current position. Throwing his hand forward, Seventeen obliterated the empty bag of pot with a massive discharge of energy.

Taking a step back as the rest of the group drew closer to figure out the basis of the drama, Raditzu watched as a few nearby trees toppled over following the outburst of his partner. Lifting his forearm, the saiya-jin closed his mouth as a wave of debris washed over him and the rest of the traveling party. Unfortunately for the rest of the group, they were not as observant as the long-haired warrior had been.

Following the explosion, there was silence as the dust and debris slowly settled back onto the floor of the forest. Once everyone?s vision was no longer obscured, the monkey-hybrid walked over to his partner and tilted his head at his partner. Seventeen, who was trembling softly, remained quiet for a few more moments before opening his eyes. After another beat, he slowly moved his head and stared over his shoulder at the saiya-jin.

?What was that all about?? Raditzu inquired?a faint smile on his face as he stared at his strange partner.

?I,? the android began, his shoulders convulsing gently as he tried to rationalize the situation. ?Have no more pot,? with that quip, silence fell back into the clearing as the group situated around the android simply look on in awkward disbelief. Those who had met the cyborg prior to the event found themselves in a dilemma as they tried to dissect what had transpired to leave their acquaintance in such an off the wall state of mind.

?Don?t sweat it,? Raditzu replied, snickering softly as he motioned for the rest of the group to keep moving. ?Sooner or later we?re probably going to be fighting, and that will take your mind of this tragic loss,? the saiya-jin concluded.

?Damn,? Seventeen muttered. ?Yea, there is no use dillydallying then.?

?That?s the spirit!? The long-haired powerhouse chuckled. ?Now let?s get a move on so we don?t fall too far behind,? Raditzu concluded, turning away from his partner and continuing down the path they were forging.

With one last fleeting glance at the crater he had blown in the ground, Seventeen sniffled softly?a final requiem for the deceased. A single tear then rolled down his pale, dust-covered visage, and then the machine-hybrid departed from the scene.