Day One: Evening

[Android 17]

With a thud, the android’s two bags of supplies slid from his right shoulder and smacked onto the ground, liberating tiny clouds of dirt and dust from the surface of the barren wasteland. As the duffel bags settled onto the ground, the android’s eyes met the gaze of someone who was all too familiar. A gust of wind blew across the flat surface, kicking up sand and tiny particles of dirt as it whooshed between the two silent men.

Minoshia. The voice remarked, sounding relatively calm even in face of such a violent, deceitful creature. Seems like an eternity since we’ve had the delightful pleasure to run across this little guy, eh? Although he listened to the words echoing in his mind, Seventeen could not focus on them the least bit. His eyes began to burn as he stared at the vile, mohawked warrior standing just a few yards out of his reach.

“Long time,” Minoshia remarked, his voice a poisonous whisper that caused the corner of the android’s lip to twitch ever so slightly. With a faint snicker, the konat tilted to the side and dropped his own bag of supplies onto the fissured floor of the wastelands. As the smaller warrior moved, the machine-hybrid noticed the baseball bat sheathed on Minoshia’s back. Like the cyborg, he had been depraved of his faithful blade by the pompous executives who ran the contest.

Say something! The disembodied voice shouted, inducing a series of muscles spasms that caused the machine-hybrid’s right eye to twitch erratically. The mohawked warrior picked up on the bizarre behavior and simply cocked his eye. Where was the witty banter and fanciful, jolly grin that he recalled?

“Well if it isn’t the Prince of Darkness,” Seventeen rasped, his voice more guttural and confrontational than the konat had recalled. A smile—a sick, malicious grin—spread across the android’s ghost white countenance, and without little warning, the machine-hybrid took a casual step forward. Frowning at the android, Minoshia took a step toward the raven-haired warrior, and when he paused after a taking his stride, the konat’s right hand twitched…just a little.

He’s antsy. The formless voice warned. From the tone that it seemed to convey, the android started to wonder if it was trying to actually prevent an altercation from transpiring—a fact that caused the cyborg to furrow his brow. Although the facial expression was aimed at an inward audience, the konat took it as if it was directed at him, and with a hiss, Minoshia reached back and drew his baseball bat in a quick, fluid motion.

With remarkable speed for someone dressed in such seemingly weighty closes, the mohawked combatant darted forward—vying to quickly close the remaining gap between the two opponents. A smile spread across the sadistic visage of the Dark Prince as he swung the bat toward the android’s temple. Leaning back, Seventeen reached behind his back as the bat came arching in for a hit.

Acting quickly, the raven-haired warrior ducked under the swing and popped up right in front of his adversary. Although he moved to strike once more, Minoshia’s eyes went wide when he felt the wood brush against his throat. Looking down, the konat let out a frustrated growl when he saw the inside of the boomerang straddling his throat.

“Is that the best you can offer me, android?” Minoshia asked, lifting his gaze to meet the uncharacteristically cold eyes of his foe. “A boomerang? Ha!”

“You’d be surprised,” Seventeen muttered as he pulled the boomerang away from the warrior’s next and flashed him a view of the part that had been pressed up against his neck. To the konat’s surprise (and partially to his amusement), the interior side of the boomerang had been sharpened into a crude knife-edge. After a beat, the machine-hybrid let the impromptu weapon fall down to his side. With a faint snicker, Minoshia took a step away from the cyborg and lowered his bat.

“There’s something different in those eyes,” the Prince of Darkness remarked, his attention focused on the faint streaks of red that seemed interwoven amidst the rest of the android’s black eyes. “…Interesting,” the konat added after a short pause. Chuckling grimly, Seventeen slid the boomerang back between his belt and jeans. Once the weapon was secure, he turned away from Minoshia and moved to collect his things. As he crouched down to collect his things, he glanced back over his shoulder at the mohawked murder.

Do it. The voice snickered as the android stared at Minoshia. We wouldn’t want to pass up this gem.

“Fuck it. Let’s go,” he spoke, gesturing with his head toward the direction of the moon. “There’s a lot of ground to cover before sunrise,” the remark caused the konat to frown, and with a chortling laugh, he collected his things and began in the opposing direction.

“I don’t know who you are, but I listen to no one but myself,” Minoshia snarled, sliding his baseball bat into the scabbard tethered to his back.

“Hah,” Seventeen laughed back, pushing off his haunches and turning to face the departing konat. “This should be amusing,” with that, the android jogged forward until he was walking next to the Dark Prince. Frowning, the mohawked warrior flashed a glare at the cyborg that would cause any lesser man to flee, but to the bemusement of Minoshia, his stare was met by one of equal fury. Upon realizing that fact, the konat simply snickered under his breath and turned his attention back to the empty expanse of earth that lie ahead of them.