Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Sins of the Past ❯ Trying to Play a Game Here ( Chapter 12 )

Another chapter. Not sure if I'm entirely happy, but I'll probably rewrite the whole thing again over Christmas break. Anyway, Piccolo has done sketches and if I leave him alone and quit giving him more crap to do, we may just get them posted soon. If anyone's interested email me and let me know.

Chapter 12

Trying to Play a Game Here

It had not been a good night for Amma. The whole wager thing had seemed like a good idea at the time, but after hours of listening to Sousan tell her how stupid she had been, she wasn't so sure anymore. Should have made the wager before I lied about his wife, she berated herself, now he won't believe anything I say. She wondered how long it would be before someone would come looking for her. Sousan always doubted her meditation to begin with, thinking she was just hiding out to avoid everyone. While that was part of it, she did need to focus her thoughts. She was so focused on her thoughts and motions that she didn't hear anyone enter.

Goten opened his mouth to call out a greeting, but Yamcha quickly clamped his hand over the boy's mouth. He wasn't sure what to expect when he was sent to talk to the commander of the ship, but the sight before him was not it. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but it was beautiful to watch, and somehow sensual. She slowly stretched into the flips across the room, seemingly unaware of her surroundings until she nearly reached the wall. Without opening her eyes, she turned and began to work her way back across the room towards them, must faster this time.

"That is so cool." Goten said, just before she reached him.

Amma's eyes snapped open and she realized her momentum would cause her to kick him in the head. In the effort to try to stop herself, she lost her balance and fell, hard.

Yamcha blushed, trying to think of what to say to explain why they hadn't announced their presence immediately.

"Ow, kid, that hurt!" Amma cried, "Why didn't you knock instead of coming in like that. Didn't Sousan tell you I was meditating?"

She thought they had just walked in, Yamcha realized relieved, though that was short lived as Goten blurted out, "I would have said something earlier, but Yamcha wouldn't let me."

Amma turned, and looked at Yamcha for the first time for her position on the floor, "He wouldn't, huh?"

"Well, I, uh…" he stammered, moving forward as though to help her up, flushing darker with each step.

"Give me a hand here, kid." Amma stretched her hand out to Goten so he could help her up, "I would guess you're actually here to fix the ship, not spy on me. "

"Why would he do that?" Goten asked.

"You'll understand when you're older," Amma laughed, ruffling his hair.

"Yeah," Yamcha was more than happy to change the subject, "Bulma gave me some ideas what to look for, so I can get started any time you want."

"Hey, kid, why don't you go find Sousan and see about tormenting him for a while. Yamcha and I are going to work on fixing the ship." She motioned for Yamcha to follow as she left the room.

Goten pouted, "He's no fun, he gets mad too easy."

"Wow, this is really messed up." Yamcha said, staring at the shorted wires, "How did this happen?"

"It was a little crazy around here yesterday. There was a…" she paused trying to think of how to phrase it, "a thing." She finally shrugged, taking a seat on the floor to watch him.

"Can't think of a word?"

"I don't think there is a single word to describe it in either of our languages." She laughed.

He looked at her for a moment, then turned back to the control panel, muttering, "I'm sure it had something to do with Vegeta."

"Why would you say that?"

"He's an asshole." He snarled.

"True, can't argue with that, but does that mean everything is his fault?"

Yamcha didn't answer.

"Didn't you used to go out with his wife at one time?"

"They're not married," he snapped, "Vegeta doesn't believe in `worthless human rituals'. Everyone else just refers to them as husband and wife."

"I didn't know that, but then you're still not answering the question."

"Yeah, a long time ago, when we were kids." He shrugged, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal, but not succeeding.

"So what happened?"

He shrugged, "You know how things go." He wished she would change the subject, there was something about the way she was asking her questions that felt like an inquisition.

"There was a thing?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Now you're making the whole thing sound stupid." He snapped. It was still hard enough for him to understand exactly what had happened, much less explain it to someone else. Amma trivializing the whole situation just made him angry, "I would have married her."

"So why didn't you?"

He didn't have an answer to that one, so instead of trying to make something up, he busied himself with the wires.

It took Amma a moment to realize his cursing had nothing to do with her question. He was having problems with the wires, which while it gave him a distraction from her questions; it was pissing him off. She pushed herself to her feet and grabbed one of the tools at his feet. "Try this."

"Thanks. I thought you didn't know anything about electronics."

She grinned, "I don't I've just helped fix this thing enough times I have an idea of what should be done."

"Then why I am I here?"

"To be sure the ship is properly fixed, so we can take your rival to his death? Would you like that?"

That was a good question, he thought. After all these years, was that what he really wanted? There was a time when the answer would have been yes, but now… He opened his mouth to answer, not sure what he was going to say but was interrupted by a voice from down the corridor.

"Commander!" Norak's voice was more insistent this time.

Amma's face darkened, "Excuse me, I have to break someone's neck." She touched his hand quickly before she stormed down the corridor. Still trying to sort through the feelings she had picked up from Yamcha, she confronted Norak at the end of the corridor.

Norak stood at the end of the corridor regarding her smugly as she stopped in front of him, "I have a message for you from the Council."

"And why would you have the message for me? Why didn't they contact me directly?" she sneered.

"They asked me to relay it to you when I contacted them about the repairs needed on the ship."

"Who the fuck asked you to do that?" she thundered.

"I took it upon myself to try and salvage this mission. Your judgement has become unsound, and I've relayed that to the Council. The reinforcements should arrive in a few hours." The pleasure he hoped to have in her anger and frustration was short lived.

"Perhaps you're right." She told him calmly, "When the reinforcements arrive, you can make a full report of what has been happening here."

He gaped at her in shock; he had expected a fight at the very least. With his guard down, the blow to his jaw was totally unexpected.

Amma grinned at the popping sound, "Or you can spend the next few days in the infirmary getting that dislocated jaw fixed." She stepped over the moaning heap, before she turned back to Yamcha was watched the whole thing open-mouthed, "You'll have to excuse me for a moment, I have some business to attend to."

"Yeah, sure." He quickly turned back to the repairs.