Day Five: Early Morning

[Jinpo]

?Give me that!? Cargo barked through Paige?s illusion as he stormed over towards his hallucinatory machine-hybrid partner and grabbed the ki pistol back from him. ?There?s no one there, id . . . ? The Namekian child abruptly ended his sentence after realizing his stupid mistake. The child wanted to call as little attention to Seventeen?s defect as possible. It was just very hard for him to deal with idiocy.

?I just sent that cretin back to hell for the fourth time.? the android exclaimed, obviously unaware of the volume of his voice. With a grin wide as the Grand Canyon, he proclaimed to Paige, ?I?m a fighter. An unstoppable warrior who won?t hesistate to put one between your eyes.? Seventeen threw his forward arm towards Paige with his hand fashioned into the shape of a gun. ?Bang.?

The teenager had no idea whether his new partner was trying to prove his strength to Paige or himself. Except for the delusions, the cyborg seemed perfectly rational. Time would tell if he would remain that way, but for know, Cargo felt safe in his current situation. He held all of the cards at this point, and it seemed that he controlled Seventeen?s fate. The two resumed their voyage through the jungle, the robotic fighter leading the way after he plucked a flower from the ground to occupy his time.

?Should I rid myself of this lunatic?? The youngster wondered as his hand moved instinctively towards his holstered gun. ?The point of this game isn?t to work together. It is to brutally murder anyone who gets in your way.? The gun found its way out of Cargo?s pocket and into his small green hand. ?This cyber klunkhead has already taken out two people, maybe more. It might not be in my best interest to keep him around.?

?She loves me . . .?

The lustrous firearm was illuminated in the striking moonlight as Cargo raised it through the air. A petal dropped whimsically to the ground.

?She loves me not . . .?

Cargo aligned the barrel perfectly with Seventeen?s skull. Another petal floated to the dirt below.

?She loves me . . .?

A decision. Another petal.

?She loves me not . . .?

A single shot was fired. The final petal fell.

?She loves me . . .?

The ki ball soared over the cybernetic brawler?s cranium and collided with a branch holding a voluptuous mango, sending it tumbling down into Android Seventeen?s unsuspecting arms.

?Bang.? Cargo uttered.

?You were right!? the android cried to the former whitelighter, bearing a larger grin that before. Extending a thumbs up, he continued, ?You can use that thing! Buuuuuuuuuut, you singed my hair.? His hands shot to his jet black hair, jokingly rubbing the minute burn line through his scalp.

?Whatever.? the child responded, snappily. He had made the decision to keep him around for a bit longer. He might be useful after all. The two journeyed down the path together until the antsy android could no longer keep the silence.

?So! How?s the baby??