Chapter 25: Easy as Pie
Brought to you by DarkVoid116, Kanotari, and Dying Grin
Videl savored the wind on her face. Flying was an experience that just never got old for her, and today she had flown a long way - halfway around the world. Beneath, she could see grassy plains, a handful of dome homes and a swift, coursing river. Beside her, Carth motioned downward, beginning the ascent.
Videl sighed softly with relief. She was exhausted, and after flying for more than a few hours, it was only to be expected. She couldn't help but smile as her toes sank into the loamy soil. She'd missed the great outdoors.
Surveying her surroundings, she noticed some more details about where they had landed. The flow of the river might have been strong, but that wasn't stopping some of the locals - bears, in fact - from fishing at the edge. That handful also appeared to be bigger than she previously thought; her best guess was about eight or nine small houses spread out across the fields.
"I've been here for under a minute, and I already want to burn it to the ground," Carth sighed, rubbing his temples. "Let's just finish up here and get the hell out."
"What? Can't handle some friendly bears catching fish?" Videl countered.
"No!" he snapped. "It's like walking through a nature documentary. It's too peaceful... makes my skin crawl."
"You watch nature documentaries?" she asked, stifling a laugh at the thought of her captor sitting and watching giraffes on a prairie.
"Every once in a while, I like to relax with a nice glass of brandy and watch lions devour their prey."
"Whatever," Videl dismissed. "If you're so bored of this place already, why don't you check the radar? We need to know where to look from here."
Carth pulled the handheld device out of his pocket and glanced quickly at the screen. He gestured for Videl to follow him. They had only been walking for a few minutes when Carth swore. "Oh you've got to be kidding me," he muttered. He moved to throw the radar into the rushing water that blocked their path, but thought better of it at the last minute and secreted it away once more.
"Hmm," Videl commented, observing silently from his side. "You can fly for hours all the way here but jumping over a little river is what gets you worked up?"
"I can lift a car over my head, fly around the world, but swimming..."
"Oh," she answered in realization. "Well don't look at me; I never liked swimming."
"Time to throw out your bikinis then, dollface. Water and circuits don't mix."
Videl frowned as the consequences of being transformed into an android showered her with a heavy dose of reality. "So where do we go from here, genius? Neither of us can retrieve this Dragon Ball..."
"Easy, pet," he answered with a smirk. "We find someone who can."
"You make it sound as easy as baking a damn pie," Videl grumbled.
"That's because it is, once you stop worrying about that pesky conscience. Allow me to demonstrate." He gestured toward the nearest of the houses. "Step into my kitchen."
"You're so lame sometimes," Videl sighed. "Let's get this crap over with."
He walked up the domed building with just the slightest spring in his step. It was clear that he was enjoying this, which boded ill for the people who lived inside. "Let's start by opening the refrigerator," he narrated as he kicked the wooden door squarely above the handle. Splinters shot off in all directions as the door swung open with a violent bang.
Inside, terrified looks adorning their faces, sat two anthropomorphic rabbits. Carth shook his head, sighing, and strolled up to the taller of the two, grabbing him by his throat. "Now remember, it is important to use fresh ingredients," he called over the rabbit's shrieks of terror. He carried the squalling creature out the door and towards the river.
"No, we must season the dish with liberal amounts of fear," he casually informed Videl, still narrating his fictional cooking show. He turned his attention to the rabbit, who he held over the river. The pitiful creature's back legs kicked at the iron grip around his jugular, dipping into the water.
"Now, Mr. Cottontail - can I call you Peter?" The rabbit emitted a soft gurgle, which Carth took as permission. "Pete, I need you to fetch something for me - an orange ball - from the bottom of the river. I'd fetch it myself, but it's the darndest thing; I can't swim. Do this for me, and as a reward, I won't cook you and your family for dinner tonight. Can you do that for me, Petey?" The terrified critter nodded fervently. Carth smiled wickedly as he unclasped his fingers, letting his captive plunge into the icy water without a word of warning. The creature broke the surface moments later, spluttering and gasping for air.
"Oh and Pete," Carth called from the shore. "You'd best hurry. I'm preheating the oven."
With a self-satisfied smirk, the android strolled over to Videl. "See, love? Easy as pie."
In response, she just rolled her eyes. "Fifteen minutes and an one boring monologue later, yes, it's easy as pie, I suppose." Regardless, their friend "Peter" was diving for the Dragon Ball, so Videl peered over the edge of the grass, gazing into the crystal blue river below. "Do you seriously think he'll find it? I wouldn't want to burn the pie."
"It'll turn out a lovely golden brown, sunshine. Don't you fret."
Frowning, she turned back towards Carth to gauge his reaction; he actually seemed unconcerned. She felt a little bad for their furry pal, but hopefully he'd find their target quickly. Even if he did, she didn't think being submerged in a river was healthy for a rabbit's fur.
As she stood there, silently observing, she could hear Carth move a little, turning towards the village. Spinning around to get a glimpse at whatever had caught his attention, a large, looming presence entered her line of view. He was tall - not as hulking as the pterodactyl from Mount Paozu, but still huge - and was both dark green and navy blue in color. His wings comprised the navy blue parts of him, while his chest was a slime green shade.
"I hope you saved room for dessert," Carth said to Videl, before turning to face the newcomer.
"Dessert? You may look strong, but nobody messes with my prey. I'll just use my all-powerful Giru Giru Gum!"
That made Videl place her hands over her mouth to prevent the giggles from escaping. "So, that dessert you were talking about... You got us a bubble-gum flavored cupcake, didn't you? I just knew you were a softie inside," she remarked, directing her words at Carth.
"What can I say? I'm a just a big sweetheart," he said sarcastically.
"And you, bird brain," Carth continued, rounding on the new arrival, "I'm going to make you swallow that gum."
"Really now, hotshot?" the creature taunted. "You think you can defeat me, the mighty Giran?" With that, the beast now known as Giran charged forward, his arm extended, trying to strike Carth. It was not meant to be, however, for the mechanical menace simply lifted an open palm, stopping the pterodactyl's punch in its place.
"Why yes. I think I can," Carth said with a wicked grin.
Videl could see Giran's pupils dilate and rose an eyebrow, wondering what was happening. She got her answer when Carth released the fist from his grasps, causing their new friend to howl in pain. Now it all came into focus. Giran was in excruciating pain from having his bones crushed...
"My, what a weak handshake," Carth sighed. "And you know what they say about people with weak handshakes..."
Giran's face lit up in rage at his opponent's disrespect. The beast leaped backwards, putting sizeable distance between the two fighters. "You've tested my patience!" he bellowed. "Now, face the consequences!" Suddenly, a beam of light blue ki erupted from his mouth, encasing Carth. It surrounded the android in a pulsing glow, and caused Giran to smirk triumphantly. "Ha! Nobody can escape my indestructible Guru Guru Gum! You're finished!"
Videl had to smile at the predicament they were now in. It was truly funny if this guy thought he'd defeat them by creating some purple gum to wrap around her captor's body. "Hey Carth," she started, "it looks like you're in a pretty sticky situation here, right?" She truly enjoyed the look of contempt thrown her way.
"Sorry to pop your bubble, bird brain," Carth said as he extended his index finger and shattered the purple prison. "Actually no. No, I'm not."
Giran's facial expression was simply priceless; his jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and his hands were shaking, though that was barely noticeable. "How can you do that?! Only two other people have ever broken through my secret weapon!"
"Hey!" Videl interrupted. "I thought you said your attack was indestructible. How can it be perfect if people have bested it before?"
"Were your bones indestructible too?" Carth laughed.
"Is there some point to all this, Giran?" Videl questioned. "We have a hare underwater that we need to be getting back to."
"Maybe our furry friend would like some company," the android thought aloud. He seized Giran by the scruff of his scaly neck and carried him over to the river. Below the surface, the unfortunate rabbit was still visible, desperately searching for the Dragon Ball. "Orange ball. Find it, and I don't kill you," Carth explained tersely. "Enjoy your swim," he added as he dropped the creature into the rushing current.
Videl walked over to where the RabitGrass elite stood and surveyed the situation. The first unfortunate creature they'd thrown into the water was desperately searching every crevice and corner of the river floor, while Giran was aimlessly trying to swim away. Both androids casually watched his efforts get thwarted by the current flowing opposing his strokes. It seemed their navy blue pterodactyl friend wasn't much on brains, though he was very persistent. It took him several minutes to paddle upstream to a place where he could climb out of the frigid water.
Carth gave a heavy sigh and briskly walked toward the shivering avian. The pterodactyl's wings, soaked by the water, became a cumbersome disadvantage as he tried to claw his way up the steep bank. Unfortunately for Giran, Carth stood at the top of the embankment, waiting with a malicious look. The moment a blue hand reached over the ledge, the android kicked it off, sending Giran tumbling back into the swirling depths.
Videl felt a little bad for the guy; despite his arrogance, Giran didn't seem all that bad. Carth didn't seem in the giving mood, though. Giran was destined to spend the next however long submerged in this river, until either he or their furry hare helper found the next Dagon Ball. "Do we really need a second searcher, Carth? You're cooking demonstration probably suffices, I think," she explained.
"What's better: a show with ten viewers, or ten million?" he asked. "Excuse me while I go increase our viewership. I'm getting the rest of the rabbits. The sooner we leave this hellishly peaceful town, the better."
Videl sighed in exasperation. Carth really wasn't a patient person, was he? Forcing an entire town to do their bidding was definitely the way to keep a low profile. All they needed was for some random villager to cause a bigger scene and make this entire ordeal blow up. "Wow," she thought aloud, once the other android was out of earshot. "I'm starting to think like a criminal wanting to cover their tracks. That's bad." Deciding to abandon her pessimistic train of thought, the raven-haired girl peered down into the river. Giran hadn't emerged a second time, so hopefully he would be obedient. With any luck, one of them would find the Dragon Ball quickly before Carth killed someone.
The android returned with an armful of baby squirrels, their parents chasing after with teary eyes. One by one, he dropped the tiny critters into the water. The mother squirrel let out a pitiful wail. "My babies can't swim," she cried.
"Carth," Videl spoke up, "there's no point in doing this. If the kid squirrels can't swim they won't help us. You're just making a scene. You're not even adding anything to your oven." She really just needed an excuse to stop what would probably amount to senseless killing.
"So?" he asked simply.
"Killing the squirrels would ruin the pie you've been concocting. It'll be like making a delicious apple pie and then pouring pumpkins on top. It just ruins it."
"What is it with you and pies?" Carth demanded. "Plus, I like it when my food gets a little bit messy."
Videl cringed, knowing she was about to hate herself for saying it. "How about you instead use the children to force the adults into working hard to find the Dragon Ball? This current conversation isn't speeding anything along..."
Carth glanced between the drowning squirrels and their parents several times, thinking his next move through. Videl began to worry that the children would drown before the android made up his mind. Finally, he sighed. "I suppose you have a point," he conceded. The mechanical menace took a step back, allowing the elder squirrels to pass.
Videl desperately wanted to go help the young critters, but knew that her new body did not agree with water too well. She just hoped the parents recognized that she and her boss weren't going to save them, and did so before it was too late. Speaking out might be the most prudent course of action, but testing Carth's patience probably wasn't the greatest idea. She already spoke out to save the squirrels in the first place.
The mother squirrel dove in first, pulling one of her children out of the turbulent waters. The father wasn't far behind. She passed the sopping wet creature to her husband, who cradled it against his chest, trying to soften its cries. As the waves raged, it became increasingly difficult for the mother to reach her babies, but eventually she saved them all.
As the mother tossed the last squalling infant onto the shore, she gave a shriek of terror. Carth held the smallest child, a little girl, in his arms, rocking her gently. "Shhh!" he whispered, chastising the mother. "You'll wake her."
The father too arrived in the shallows, but the mother placed a hand over his mouth.
"Cute kid you have," Carth continued, his voice a soothing croon. "She deserves to grow up, fat and happy, with two parents who love her very much. I'd hate to deprive her of that."
The father squirrel removed his wife's hand, clasping it firmly. "We'll do anything," he promised.
"I'll trade you one orange ball for one furry child," Carth said with a smirk. "You know, funny story. I threw a little bird-thing in the water a couple minutes ago. Said I'd let him live if he gave me... Well now isn't that interesting? I promised him his life for that little orange ball. And here I am, promising you your kiddo's life for the same thing."
The squirrels looked at each other as they realized the meaning behind their attacker's words.
"Don't worry. Kiddo here is safe with me," the android promised, clutching the shaking child to his chest. "Until I get that ball, that is. Bird-brain brings me the ball first and this cute little cherub is getting pitched off a waterfall, yes you are," he cooed, touching a finger to the tiny squirrel's nose.
"Oh and then there was that long-eared fellow I chucked in the lake..." he remembered belatedly, but the pair of squirrels were already deep beneath the surface.
"Well, that was something," Videl commented offhandedly. "Between all of them, hopefully someone can find that Dragon Ball." She then mosied her way over to the river's edge, observing how the squirrels raced through the water, looking for their goal. She could see their long tails dancing in the current as they peered through the bladderwort and duckweeds. Downstream, "Peter" the rabbit darted about like a fish, his ears acting like furry fins. The pterosaur was nowhere to be seen. Videl hoped that he was still alive.
Carth lounged against a tree, arms crossed over his chest, looking bored as sin. With a little smile, Videl copied her boss and reclined on the grass. The android may be a murderous bastard, but it looked as though her influence had curbed his violent tendencies, at least for now. He seemed content to let the animals flounder about in the river until they produced the Dragon Ball.
Videl sat up slightly and gazed up at the sky, pondering her thoughts. Assuming someone eventually rescued her, would she really want to never see Carth again? Technically he was her kidnapper, and was a bit evil, but was he truly that bad? He seemed misunderstood. It was funny in a way. Thinking back to her crime fighting days in Satan City, how many of the criminals she apprehended were just misguided, a potentially good hearted soul tainted by the cruelties of the world?
Then she snorted. Carth? Misunderstood? His idea of fun probably consisted of seeing how far he could kick puppies. Videl spared a sidelong glance for the android. Okay, maybe he wasn't that bad. He hadn't murdered the baby squirrels, had he? On second thought, he had temporarily enslaved their parents. So he still had some room for improvement, Videl decided, but Carth wasn't as terrible of a person as she initially thought. He wasn't pure evil; he was simply self-interested... and impatient... and violent... and... well, a gigantic dick sometimes. Most of the time, even. The girl ran her fingers through her hair, heaving a sigh. She had no idea what to think. The fact she was even considering Carth as anything more than an egotistical bastard was most surprising.
Carth's cold, intense eyes locked with Videl's inquisitive ones. "See something you like?" he asked, smiling slyly.
"Not in your direction," Videl quipped back, happy to get confirmation her kidnapper was still the same.
"Sure," the android replied in a tone that said he clearly didn't believe her. "You just keep telling yourself that, Dollface."
"Well, if that's how you always respond to rejection, it's no wonder you've become a kidnapper."
"My mom wanted me to be a doctor, but I just had to follow my heart," he sighed, hand across his brow in a fake dramatic gesture.
She crossed her arms, smirking widely. "Were you following your heart when you decided to have it surgically removed?"
"What can I say? It bothered me whenever I tried to follow my dreams and snapped someone's neck or, I don't know, slowly tortured them to insanity. Kind of an itchy feeling. Very annoying."
"So, to summarize, you had an itch you couldn't scratch, so you quite literally gave yourself a heart of steel."
"What's your excuse, sugar?" he sneered. "What was so painful in your perfect little life that you let your heart get ripped out?"
"My father turned out to be the biggest fraud in the history of our planet. What did your dad do? Besides unfortunately donate his sperm to your creation?"
"What a coincidence. My father was a conman too. Nice guy, until you had money."
"Oh, mine too. It wasn't quite the same. He was a nice guy until he had money," Videl reflected. She hadn't spend too much time pondering Mr. Satan lately, but the conversation with Carth afforded her the rare opportunity.
Carth's eyes fell to the ground as he turned his back on the raven-haired girl. Videl could swear that she heard him mutter something as he walked toward the river. "So was I."
That caught Videl's attention. Carth hadn't really talked about his personal history much. "What do you mean?"
He ignored the question, instead continuing toward the riverbank, where a strange scene was unfolding. The matron of the squirrel family was on top of the pterodactyl, biting furiously at his wings. Giran held the orange orb out of the squirrel's reach, shrieking, "You won't get this from me! I'm the mighty Giran! You can't get this from me!"
"Yes, yes. The mighty Giran," Carth said dismissively, waving his hand at the blue and green dinosaur. "We've heard. In fact, I think the whole continent has heard."
The squabbling animals ignored Carth, both struggling for the ball which promised them survival.
"He'll kill my babies," the squirrel shrieked through a mouthful of scales.
"Yes," the android agreed, forcing himself in between the brawling parties, placing one hand on the Giran's chest and the other on the furry critter's shoulder. The little squirrel still struggled for the Dragon Ball through Carth's iron grip, desperately reaching for the orb clutched in Giran's claws.
"Girls, girls! You're both pretty," Carth finally cried when he got bored of the conflict. "Calm yourselves, or neither of you is winning this pageant."
"Pageant!" Giran cried indignantly. "How dare you!"
"Oh can it, Miss Universe," Carth snaps. "Enough games. This is a competition! Who found my orb?"
The squirrel and dinosaur claimed credit at exactly the same time. Videl noticed what the animals clearly did not; Carth's eyes were growing narrower by the second, and his lips were vanishing into a thin line. He was pissed, and getting more so.
"Enough!" he roared at last. "Tell me who, or no one gets to live. Daddy-o, you got an answer for me? How about you, Petey?" Carth paused for a minute, realizing the rabbit was nowhere in sight. He swore loudly.
From where she was standing, Videl could hear every word in the conversation and was overjoyed that the hare had managed to pull off a magical escape right under their noses. "He's probably long gone, Carth!" she called out. "Just forget about him."
"Probably right," the mechanical menace sighed. After a deep breath, his usual volume and mocking tone returned. "Unfortunately for you," he snapped as he looked at each of the gathered animals in turn, "you are not long gone, but you will be unless I get some damn answers. One last time: who found the ball?"
At last, the father squirrel spoke. He glanced at Giran, and at his wife, knowing that his answer could spell death for either of them. "My wife," he whispered at last. His voice shook with each word.
"Why don't I believe you?" Carth hissed. "Oh, that's right, because I'll kill your children if the bird found ball. And he'll just lie to save his own skin, isn't that right?" he added, turning toward the pterodactyl.
Giran looked like a deer in headlights. "I did find the ball, though," he croaked out. "I'm not lying." Lost was the bird's bravado.
"Sure you're not," Carth groaned. "There's no way to know who's telling the truth, is there? Everyone here has a stake in the matter. I really should just kill you all. It's only fair."
That wasn't exactly Videl's ideal situation. "Now, now, Carth. Are you not a man of your word? That wasn't what you originally promised our little swimmers." It was a feeble attempt to buy time and think of a better plan, but it adequately served its purpose.
"My little swimmers have their own goals, thank you," the android snapped. "And let's not make this about my honor, sweetness."
"Just figure out who found our Dragon Ball and stop thinking with your own balls," Videl shot back.
"Where's the fun in that? Oh right, in the violence." He cracked his knuckles menacingly as he turned back to the woodland creatures. "Let me tell you a story of a wise king. One day, two women brought a squalling infant before him, both claiming to be the child's mother. The king, in his great wisdom, told the women that he would simply cut the child in half. It was the only fair solution after all. Just as he was about to bring his sword down on the child's head, one of the women cried out and renounced her claim to the bouncing baby boy. The king smiled; that was his plan all along. He knew the child's real mother would never let anything happen to her precious offspring." Carth patted the mother squirrel on the shoulder in what was supposed to be a comforting manner. All it did was make her shiver in fear. "You see, it was the king's wisdom that allowed a fair solution. Now I don't like to compare myself to royalty, but unlike our good king, I'm not wise or fair. I'm going to chop the baby in half." He held a hand up to the squirrels before they could protest. "Figuratively," he promised, picking up the tiniest of the squirrel children and cradling it gently in his arms. The two parents relaxed, but their relief was premature.
Carth cupped the tiny child in his hand, a peaceful smile on his face. Then, before its parents could react, the android closed his hand with an overabundance of strength. Blood oozed out between his fingertips after a series of sickening cracks. "The rest of your children may live," he declared. Then he rounded on the gira. "And you were bargaining with your life, weren't you bird brain?"
Giran was frozen in place after the ruthless display of violence, and stood there, silently gawking. Carth grabbed the reptilian by the beak and moved its head up and down. "Yes, you were," the android corrected. "I can't really take part of your life, so here's what I'm going to do."
He moved with superhuman speed, and another crunch filled the air, followed by Giran's pained shrieks. The pterodactyl's wing hung limply by his side, thin bones protruding from the leathery skin at unnatural angles. Carth paused for a moment, hand on his chin, and considered his handiwork. "Lacks symmetry," he muttered. There was one more crack, and one more scream, then then android smiled. "Much better. Now that's art!"
Videl couldn't bare to watch the android's ferocious behaviour any longer, instead opting to shield her eyes from the vicious beating in front of her. She caught one last look at Carth before her hands blocked the world from her view. He wore a shit-eating grin. It looked like it was the happiest day of his life. She felt the bile rise in her throat as her stomach tried to rebel. Only minutes ago, she had tried to view Carth as a person. Now, she could only view him as a monster.
Krillin sped through the midday sky, no signs of civilization below him. The rocky mountainside jutted from the earth ahead of him. He could feel Tien's pulsating ki, obviously in the midst of his daily training. Tien was much stronger than he had been during the Cell Games. Good. They would need all the strength they could muster as their enemies grew. Videl had defeated Vegeta, which was no small feat, and Carth had beaten them all when he assaulted Capsule Corp. Then there was Coco...
Krillin raised his ki and landed beside a waterfall. He could already see Tien descending, floating gracefully down the rocks and landing soundlessly beside the monk. "Krillin," the triclops greeted, inclining his head in a polite nod.
The monk nodded in return, but there was no time for pleasantries. "We have a problem Tien," he blurted. "A big one."
Tien frowned, all three eyes narrowing in displeasure. "What?" he sighed.
"Androids," Krillin admitted. "We have an android problem."
The taller man pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "How strong?"
"Well Videl, one of Gohan's friends, managed to take down Vegeta and to make a long story short we need to gather as many Dragon Balls as possible."
Tien scowled at the mention of Goku's son. "How is Gohan wrapped up in this?"
"I don't really know," Krillin said with a shrug, "but they just turned one of his friends into an android."
After a moment, the triclops asked, "Is he on our side?"
"C'mon! Of course he is!" Krillin insisted. "It's Gohan! What kind of question is that?"
"A valid one!" Tien snapped. "He saw his mother get shot down! He then fled out into the wilderness and we didn't hear a word for seven years. I don't know whether or not he is mentally stable!"
Krilin glared at the taller man before speaking. "He may not be the boy he was back then, but he is still Goku's son. Do you honestly think he has it in him to join the androids?"
After a few seconds of tense silence, Tien managed a small smile. "I'm sorry Krillin, that was out of line. Of course he's with us."
Krillin grinned ruefully in response. "I'm sorry for snapping." He really was, especially since the other fighter made a good point. The monk knew Gohan would never join Carth or Coco; he'd sooner kill them. On the other hand, Krillin never expected the demi-Saiyan to murder Dr. Brief. The drive for revenge made Gohan dangerous and unpredictable.
Tien cleared his throat. "Back to business. Did you bring two radars or are we searching together?"
Krillin's smile vanished and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "... I knew I'd forgotten something," he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Videl took the radar at Bulma's and I kinda didn't look for a second one."
The triclops stared at the monk incredulously, his jaw hanging open as he struggled for the words to describe his ally's immense oversight.
"Tien, you okay?" Krillin wondered aloud when he forced himself to speak, suppressing the urge to wave his hand in front of his old friend's face.
Krillin was pushed back as Tien shot up into the sky, flying full speed towards Capsule Corporation. Still blushing out of shame, Krillin followed him.
Her eyes fluttered open as she groaned. The first thing she noted was that, miraculously, all of her mortal wounds were completely healed. Next, her surroundings came into focus. This was most definitely not Yamcha's apartment.
Where was she?
To the best of her ability, all she could make out was a light-beige wall, the bed she currently resided on, and the very much awake, also-fully-healed form of their desert bandit target glaring heatedly at her.
The combination of a foreign location and the man she'd just tried to murder being in her presence spooked her a little. It also prompted a few thoughts to swirl in her mind. Would dying really be that bad? Her life of servitude in RabitGrass wasn't as all-fulfilling as she'd thought it would be. Perhaps death would be the escape she'd always craved but could never realize.
Her pessimistic train of thought was interrupted as her apparent captor began speaking. "The sniper, where is he?"
What was he talking about? If he'd knocked her out, hadn't he captured Tavo as well? "What do you mean?" she bit back, with intentional venom lacing her words. He might've been a particularly annoying comrade, but she at least mildly cared about Tavo's welfare.
"Don't play dumb with me," the desert bandit retorted, his words icy. "Where is he?"
She stared back dumbly at Yamcha, absorbing what he'd just said. He really didn't know where Tavo was? Had he escaped? "Why do you get to ask all the questions, hot shot?" she questioned coolly. "What exactly happened after you nearly killed me, anyway? That's what I want to know."
"You're in no position to ask questions," her interrogator said, scowling. "Last chance, where is the sniper?"
Deciding to test how far he would actually go, she pondered her next move. After all, when one felt they had nothing left to offer in this life, why worry about pissing off a super-powered warrior? At least, that was her rationale. "Well, considering he's not here, and you knocked me out before I had any opportunity to talk to him, how should I know? Now, can you kindly indulge me in my curiosities?" she asked with a sickly sweet voice, deciding to toy with Yamcha.
"Fuck you too," the warrior snapped, "but since we're just wasting time, can you be useful and get in contact with him now?"
"What happens if I say no? You have me at your mercy as it is? You gonna kill me?" she inquired, flashing a toothy smile meant to mock one of Earth's supposed strongest. "By the way, where are we anyway? Is this where you take your victims before you kill them?" Wow, she was having too much fun with this whole carefree style. She should've stopped giving a shit about her life long ago.
"I'm not a stone cold killer like you," Yamcha growled. "Where's your hideout?"
Wren decided maybe she'd toyed around with Yamcha long enough, and decided to humor at least one of his questions. "My comrade and I don't get the privilege of a hideout, unfortunately." Hopefully satiating one of his curiosities would mean she could continue mocking him a bit longer now.
"So you have higher-ups," Yamcha deduced. "Would he have gone to one of them?"
"That, sir, is for me to know and you to find out." In truth, she had no idea. Tavo wasn't exactly well known for listening to anyone other than her and Coco, but it was very unlikely he'd go straight to Coco after this ordeal.
Yamcha clenched his fists in anger. "Would he have gone to a higher-up, yes or no?!"
"As cool as it would be, my name isn't Psychic Wren. How should I know?" She knew that this game was on its last legs, but it was just too much fun to randomly abandon. Yamcha was growing irritated but was keeping his cool well enough given the circumstances. How he reacted from here would dictate whether he earned her respect.
"You're being awfully sassy for a prisoner," Yamcha hissed, clenching his fists tighter. It was getting harder and harder to keep calm and level-headed.
"You're being awfully mean for someone wanting kindness and answers," the redhead spat back.
Yamcha snorted in derision. "A lesson on morals from the woman who broke into my apartment and stabbed me?"
"A lesson is a lesson, as far as I'm concerned."
Yamcha groaned in frustration. "We're not the bad guys here. Just tell me, and we'll let you go unharmed after everything is sorted out."
"I really don't know what you want me to say," she said with a shrug. "Tavo doesn't think like me. We're comrades, but we're very different people. Trying to determine what he'd do is like trying to guess where lightning will strike," she smoothly lied.
"I think you're lying," the Z-fighter snapped. "You must have been doing missions together for a long time. There is no way that you didn't have place to fall back to if everything went south.
"I don't think about scenarios that might occur if things go south," Wren replied, smirking.
"And why not?" Yamcha questioned. "Does your boss not tolerate failure?"
"What kind of boss tolerates failure? Would it have been okay if you or Son Goku tolerated failure? What if Tien Shinhan tolerated failure? Nobody in their right mind tolerates failure. They may accept they can't always succeed, but that's different from tolerating failure. You always play to win."
Yamcha shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So you weren't bluffing when you mentioned the Z-Fighters. You know about everyone, not just me."
"When you're in my position," the redhead began, "and your boss asks you to deliver, you deliver. No questions asked. No matter the cost."
Yamcha's eyes gleamed as he spoke. "That's another thing. Back in my apartment, were you just going to ask me general questions or was there something you were after in particular?"
Wren realized she might be giving up too much information, and decided it was time to entirely shut down. "Nah," she started, "I was going to ask you out on a date."
Yamcha's fists shook as he yelled, "I gave you a chance. You'll regret not telling me when someone like Piccolo or Vegeta is standing here in my place!"
Yamcha threw a punch at the wall. The bricks crumbled beneath his fist as Yamcha took his frustrations out on the inanimate object. He stormed out of the room and blasted off, leaving Wren to consider the entire situation.
Was the bandit in the right? Might she be in the wrong? She had a lot on her mind now and apparently plenty of time to mull over her thoughts...
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