Day Three: Afternoon

[Hellfighter 17]

‘So, how is it that you changed from an incompetent fighter to a sharpshooting sniper?’ As the last word of Orion’s question fell out of the saiyan mouth, one could feel tension grow in the non-existent audience.

Seventeen looked down. He just witnessed himself killing the Namekian, Retane, without even a bit of regret on his digital self. The idea of others dying did not trouble him in the least—it seemed like it is how things should be. He did not, however, like the thought of being a murderer, of causing the death. And to be a “sharpshooting sniper”? The thought was just abhorrent to him. While looking down, he could see the world starting to disappear. The carpet was stripped away, and, as he looked up, as was the studio, his bald self, the desk, the orchestra, and, last but not least, Orion. It was just Seventeen in a black abyss.

The android started to make something out in the distance. It took humanoid form, slithering slowly towards him. Eventually, it became clear that it was female, from the small breasts that adorned the chest. Her movements were very smooth, with seemingly no actual movement on her body’s part, as though the universe were bringing the two together. The woman looked fairly young, most definitely in her teens, and had black hair. She was wearing a white dress the covered her feet.

Seventeen looked to her hand and a knife was there. The woman raised the knife and brought it up to her other arm. She started to press it against her wrist, and just when it seemed like the skin was about to pop, she and the android disappeared.

*

Orion was pacing around slowly, waiting to see if Seventeen would wake from his sleep shortly. One thing was troubling: the android was sleeping standing up, rocking back and forth slightly on his feet. The saiyan, not for humour or sadism’s sake, felt the urge to push him over. It was just odd—people were not supposed to sleep standing up. His mind was debating the pros of it when Seventeen awoke from his minor slumber.

The ravenette knew what he was to do, as the woman had made it perfectly clear. Looking around, he started to run, and eventually found himself at a nearby tree. Holding out his left wrist with his right hand grasped around his forearm, Seventeen began to rub vigourously on the tree. Within a few seconds, blood started to pour. The android was not aware that he did not like to see his own blood, so as soon as his eyes caught sight of it, he fell to the ground.

Orion did not have time to even ask the man if he was okay until he had already passed out. He rushed over to Seventeen and, shaking his head, tore a piece of cloth from the ravenette’s long johns and took the bloodied wrist in hand, not wanting it to weaken the sharpshooter. When he took a look, he noticed that there were wires and other electronics underneath the skin, too. It was clear that they extended down the arm. With eye wide, Orion realized that his partner was a robot.

The one-eyed wonder tied the cloth around the wrist and took a seat, awaiting for his companion to awake from slumber. He hoped that it would take a while, for he had a bit to think about.