Heat of the Moment

[Android 17]

Once they were outside, Julius Peppers pulled Seventeen aside to have a brief conversation.

“I must depart for Dalaran shortly,” the man replied. “I’ll have to make my report to the Guild and make preparations to honor the fallen.”

Seventeen nodded his head. “You need this thingie?” He asked as he held out the star piece. The astronomer shrugged his shoulders.

“I had such enthusiasm as we sought out the piece. There was nothing more pleasant than crunching numbers with the others… We all derived so much joy from the quest, but all the blood has… sullied the prize. I look at that little trinket and all I see are the faces of the dead.”

Next to Julius, the much smaller Sebastian stood in silence, his expression the far-away stare of someone lost in their dark thoughts. As sad as it was to see the younger astronomer suffer, the cyborg had seen that face hundreds of times during his lifetime. He’d seen it in shivering survivors of the Cold Industries invasion of Earth—mothers squeezing their freezing children close to their chest as they struggled to stay alive in the dank mountain caves. He’d seen noble saiyans reduced to that shell-shocked appearance in the aftermath of their planet’s invasion, and he’d seen so many warriors bear that look as they cradled the corpse of their lover or comrade.

Seventeen thought back to how he’d held his dead girlfriend in his arms on not one but two occasions. He remembered how haunting it had been to watch the light fade from her eyes and feel the body go cold in his arms.

At least I had the decency to get myself blown up every single time.

It was less painful to mourn for a black smudge on the ground than a shattered, bloodstained corpse.

The cyborg scowled at the memories and shook his head to clear out the haze. As he did, he realized that Julius had likewise been staring off in another direction, deep in his own thoughts. “Keep it. The red will just remind me too much of the blood. I will tell the guild that the star piece is with an ally. They may want you to visit at some point, and I hope you’ll oblige them, my friend.”

“Of course,” Seventeen whispered as he slipped the star piece into the leather pouch attached to his belt. “How many others are there? Does your guild know?”

Julius twisted his lips up as he mulled the question. After a few moments, he nodded his head at some thought in his brain. “Yes. There are seven… seven star pieces,” he replied.

“Of-fucking-course there are seven mystical artifacts that fell from the sky,” Seventeen muttered under his breath.

“Did you say something, Friend?” Julius inquired, causing the cyborg to shake his head.

“Just thinking out loud,” the raven-haired warrior replied before smiling widely for his associate. “I’ll let you be on your way, Julius. I wouldn’t want to prevent you from returning to your floating city of sunshine and sprinkles.”

The broad-shouldered wizard threw his head back in a hearty fit of laughter that lasted about ten second too long. Once he settled down, Julius leaned forward and smacked his massive palm down on the cyborg’s bony shoulder—a display of friendship that would undoubtedly leave the smaller man with a colorful bruise the next morning. “You are truly hilarious, Seventeen.”

“I try.” The machine-hybrid mumbled as he rubbed at his shoulder. Julius performed one final polite nod and proceeded to exit the room, leaving Seventeen and the koopas alone with their thoughts for the time being.