Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Sins of the Past ❯ Useless, Unreliable, and No Good ( Chapter 13 )

Chapter 13

Useless, Unreliable, and No Good

Goten perched on the back of the couch peering over Amma's shoulder as she scribbled on a paper. He didn't understand what she was doing, supposedly taking notes on what the soldier in front of them was saying, but to him it looked like she was drawing pictures. It was no wonder she was bored, the solider just kept talking, and if it weren't for trying to figure out what the pictures she was drawing were of, Goten would have fallen asleep.

Honos' voice droned on and on, status reports on the ship, the prisoners, and all the mundane things that Amma hated. She knew what was going on as well as anyone, and didn't have the patience to sit through the list again. She had really tried to pay attention, even had a few scribbled notes to prove it, but her mind had quickly wandered. No one would ever accuse her of being an artist, but at least it looked like she was taking notes, and it kept Goten from interrupting, not that she would have minded that. She couldn't figure out why the kid would want to hang around the ship, but he wouldn't leave earlier when they had tried to shoo him away. At least he made her laugh that was something.

Sousan wandered in, a smirk across his face, and Amma guessed he must have heard what happened with Norak. Honos stopped talking, but Amma waved for him to continue, the sooner this was over the better. Sousan threw himself on the couch next to Amma and motioned for her pen, and quickly sketched a warrior holding a decapitated head. Amma was forced to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep back her laughter.

"Someone's coming." Goten whispered in her ear, saving her from insulting Honos more.

"That will be all for now," she quickly dismissed Honos, and turned to Goten, "What do you mean?"

"I can hear someone walking around the ship, it's different. There's something wrong with the way they're walking."

Sousan looked skeptical, "How would you know?"

"Saijins have better hearing." Amma told him.

"So do dogs." Sousan muttered, earning him a smack in the head from Amma.

"They're coming this way." Goten told them, tilting his head as though to hear better.

"Just one?" Amma asked, reinforcements were supposed to be arriving anytime, but she didn't think there would be only one.

Goten nodded, but by that time the footsteps were close enough for Sousan and Amma to hear. The rhythmic step, drag, was familiar to both of them. Sousan groaned flopping back on the couch, but Amma stood and waited.

"Useless, unreliable, and no good." The voice came drifting toward them before the speaker was in sight.

"Don't talk about the ship like that." Amma snapped.

"I wasn't," the man appeared in the doorway, "I was talking about Sousan."

"Fuck you." Sousan barked.

Goten stared up at the huge man who filled the door. He walked dragging his left leg, but there didn't appear to be anything wrong with it. His eyes were cold and dark, his nose had been broken and improperly repaired, and a scar ran from one side of his face to the other. Goten positioned himself in front of Amma, not sure what would happen next.

"What the hell did you two do to my ship?" he demanded.

"Your ship?" Amma snapped.

"Who takes care of this baby every time you mess it up? I should kick your ass for dragging me all the way here."

"You stay away from her." Goten cried, moving into a fighting stance.

"Kick his ass, kid," Sousan laughed from the couch, "If you take out his left leg, he's yours."

Goten glanced over at Sousan uncertainly. At first it had seemed like the man was a threat, but there was no tension in the room, so he didn't know what to do.

Amma put her hands on his shoulders, "It's all right, kid, Pheas is an old friend. I can handle him on my own." Sousan snorted, and she glared at him, "Why don't you run along home, and we'll see you tomorrow."

Goten glared at Pheas one more time before he smiled at Amma, "'Kay, see you tomorrow." he scampered off.

"Where are these so called `reinforcements'?" Amma asked.

Pheas spread his arms, "I'm it, baby. Luckily, Sirirs caught Norak's message, and acted on his own before telling the rest of the Council."

"He always did like you, never understood why." Sousan shrugged.

"I'm like the daughter he never had." She answered smugly.

"Enough of the charming banter, what have you done to my ship?" Pheas asked again.

"Here's the reports Amma was taking before you arrived." Sousan grinned, tossing him the paper she had been drawing on.

"Did you take this report or did that kid do it?"

"Honos was giving it." She protested, "You know how boring he can be."

"She could have Norak give you a report, but she dislocated his jaw, so talking will be difficult."

"That's my girl." Pheas said, proudly, "I have to admit I was a little worried you might be going soft when I saw that kid hanging around here."

"Still kick your ass." She snorted. "The electronics are messed up. That's what's wrong with the ship. Personally I think it has something to do with faulty wiring to begin with."

"Nothing to do with your destructive nature, right? What needs fixing first?"

"The lock on my bedroom door is not working."

"Hmm, that is a priority. Should get working on the right away. Maybe you might like to help."

"Take care of your…tools?"

"Could use someone to help with the tools." He mused.

Sousan groaned and pulled a pillow over his head, "While you two stop with the thinly veiled sexual innuendo and just go fuck each other's brains out."

"Hmm, I suppose repairs could wait." Amma mused.

"I like Sousan's suggestion better." Pheas agreed.

"Let's go." Amma grabbed his hand and started leading him toward her room.

"Bridget sends her regards." Pheas called over his shoulder.

"I really hate those two." Sousan muttered into the pillow, pulling it tight over his ears to block out the sound of Amma's mocking laughter, "Hey, do us all a favor and close the door this time!"

Pheas shook Amma's shoulder; "You're not sleeping are you?"

Amma moved farther away from him, "C'mon, I do need some sleep you know. That kid will be here at the crack of dawn, literally."

He laughed, "Cut it out, you're almost sounding domestic. You're going to start creeping me out."

"Fuck you." She snarled, swinging her foot back to kick him, but regretting the action when her heel connected with the hard metal of his shin.

"It's been done, baby." He laughed, but then grew serious; "This is business I need to talk to you about."

With a sigh, she sat up, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Sorry, I was distracted, besides I don't want anyone overhearing this."

"Not even Sousan?" that frightened her.

"Hear me out first, then decide if you want Sousan knowing."

"Continue." She told him, not at all sure if she wanted him to.

"This whole thing with the Saijin no Ouji is much bigger than any of us thought. There are those among the Council who are trying to make it a cause."

"It always was a cause. The Tribunals, war crimes, all of it. I don't understand why this is any different."

"Think about it. The Saijin no Ouji is the last of Frieza's elite, this will be the last chance they have. If he is released, there will be no justice."

"And if he's killed there will be no justice. You know the whole thing is a farce." She wanted to be angry about the whole thing, but was just too damn tired of all of it.

"I know. I wish you would have quit last time we talked about it." He said softly, "There's more."

"Why are you telling me all this? Why didn't I hear it from Sirirs?"

"They're watching him too closely. You remember he didn't send you on this mission? He agreed after the fact, but if he had known what was going on he wouldn't have let you go. There are members of the Council who want you to fail. I'm not sure who on the crew is in on it, but I have a pretty strong feeling you're being set up."

"There is no way Sousan is in on it, you know that. I can't believe you would even suggest it." She raged, starting to get out of bed.

Pheas grabbed her arm; "Of course he's not. It's just that subtlety is not one of his strong points. You don't want him accusing everyone and blowing the whole thing."

"So what am I suppose to do?"

"Don't fuck this one up." He shrugged.

"Mind telling me how? The way I see it it's a no win situation."

"True, but you'll figure a way. I have faith in you."

"You are totally useless, you know that." She huffed, "I don't know why I keep you around."

"That's not what you were saying earlier." He grinned, pulling her to him. "Shall I remind you of why you keep me around."