Chapter Text
6,939 days.
It has been exactly 6,939 days that Hyperlaser had worked under Korblox Administration, for Blackrock. Under that long time, he got to know every part of his workplace since he wasn’t on missions all the time. Even if the place was quite the labyrinth, he always knew where to go, he was coordinated, he calculated every step and knew which parts of the building were not to approach.
Probably one of those places would be a certain laboratory.
That room always looked out of place, sometimes even some strange pink smoke emitting from behind the door that when he saw some of his co-workers inhale, they started violently coughing.
Honestly, having the laboratory even be here was a safety hazard, in Hyperlaser’s opinion, but the person who owned the lab was more of a safety hazard himself.
Subspace, or Subspace T. Mine, was a strange person. Nobody dared to approach him because they were either intimidated by his narcissistic and aggressive attitude or just because the scientist managed to get his own body rotting from one of his experiments and he looked like he was a walking corpse, and certainly smelled like one too.
The only reason Subspace was still highly ranked in the Korblox Administration despite his many, many failures in experiments was because he invented some of Blackrock's greatest forces, the Biografts, that could function like impherals.
Hyperlaser never really understood the scientist. How could someone sit in a room all day, hunched over their desk, writing reports about their experiments or just programming robots?! Weird…
But despite all of this, Hyperlaser didn’t mind Subspace sometimes talking with him. Even if it was brief conversations, the scientist weirdly intrigued him and wanted to know what was going on in that rotted brain of his.
He even sometimes considered befriending Subspace just to get to know more about him, whenever he walked past Subspace’s lab, he considered knocking on the door, maybe getting to know what he actually does all day in that room. But how would he even start the conversation?! ‘Hey, Subspace what are you doing’ or ‘Why are you a walking corpse, what happened’ absolutely not!
Well, he will just rather stay curious than embarrass himsel-
“Hyperlaser?” came a strangely raspy voice next to him.
Hyperlaser almost jumped from surprise as he whipped his head around to the direction of the voice. It was an impheral, a large portion of his face covered by a gasmask and one of his eyes covered. One pink crystal was glowing between his pink horns and his head was slightly tilted in confusion at Hyperlaser.
“Oh hi Subspace, how may I help you…?” asked Hyperlaser.
“First of all, you have been standing here, at your locker, to put your gun in its place for suspiciously long now, it’s time to go home, you know…” Hyperlaser quickly closed his locker shut, feeling quite embarrassed for getting lost in his thoughts for so long.
“Second, I have a request for you” the mercenary raised an eyebrow under his helmet at Subspace’s words. What could the great scientist want from him, a low ranking Blackrockian?
Even though Subspace couldn’t show much emotion due to most of his face being covered, his voice hid a strange emotion in it too that almost sounded like embarrassment? Fear?
“Hyperlaser, may I invite you for a drink tonight? I- I mean if you are not busy of course!” Well that was about the last thing Hyperlaser expected.
This had to be some sort of trap, right? The scientist never looked for company, hell Hyperlaser wouldn’t have even been surprised if his only friends were his own Biografts!
But… Why him? Out of any other person, even more highly ranked inphernal he saw more likely to keep Subspace company than himself. What even is so special about him? No this is most likely a trap and he’s planning to make you his next test subject, just say you’re busy just say you’re busy just say-
“Alright, I'm free tonight.” FUUUUUCKKK
The scientist’s eye started to visibly sparkle from excitement for a moment before he nodded swiftly.
“Great! Then we’ll meet at the bar I usually see you going to in two hours!” He seemed… awfully excited. It definitely wasn’t common to see him like this but he could get used to it. Still, something felt off. There had to be some catch in this, right?
Subspace didn’t even wait for him to respond before leaving, looking awfully pleased with himself.
Great, now Hyperlaser will be his new test subject just because he can't just say he's busy, awesome.
But two hours would be more than enough to go home and at least feed his cat, Princess, and probably his only companion for years now, since his other friends were… dead. No reason to sugarcoat it now, he already got over it, mostly. The only reason he was always alone was because… he didn't want to lose someone again. But at least he could protect his cat from any harm, that was for sure, and that was all he needed.
…Maybe he didn't get over losing his friends completely but it didn't matter! It'll get better with time, surely.
Well not now, if the insane scientist just happened to decide to perform an autopsy on him real soon.
Stop overthinking it already! If Subspace tried to do anything to him, he could just easily fight him off, after all the scientist was quite frail physically due to the rot spreading through his body.
Hyperlaser finally went home to his apartment, closed his door as Princess greeted him almost immediately, rubbing against his leg and meowing affectionately.
He grabbed the canned cat food and put it in Princess's bowl. She immediately went there and started eating.
Hyperlaser watched her, before asking the cat.
“Do you think I will be fine with Subspace?”
But there was no answer from her. Princess just continued munching on her food, paying no mind to her owner's words.
Before he knew it, he was already walking towards the bar, still occasionally cursing himself for not just saying no. Why couldn't he just not go?! He thought about it multiple times but he just couldn't leave Subspace like that. Why did he even have sympathy for the scientist?! Subspace was fine until now with his own Biografts so why try to hang out with a mercenary? He wouldn't mind if Hyperlaser didn't go, it would be fine-
He was here. In front of the bar that Subspace invited him to.
Stop stressing it. Just go in.
Hyperlaser entered and the first thing that he saw was that there weren't many people inside, after all this was a Wednesday evening, most people have work tomorrow so they don't want to wake up with a hangover.
He spotted the scientist pretty easily, looking bored while leaning on the table and propping his head up with his hand. But as fast as Subspace saw him, his eyes lit up.
Hyperlaser sat down next to him and Subspace’s voice sounded awfully close to relieved.
“I'm so glad you came, Hyperlaser!” He just nodded in response.
They both ordered, Hyperlaser simply asking for a beer while Subspace asked for some wine.
Hyperlaser noticed that there already was an empty glass in front of Subspace, probably implying that he already drank something, most likely he didn't think Hyperlaser would even come.
Damn he was starting to feel a little bad for considering actually letting him up…
They both got their drinks and after a little while of awkward silence, Hyperlaser decided to outright ask him about his concerns.
“...why did you ask me specifically to hang out with you?”
“Who else would I ask?”
“Higher ranking members? Or your Biografts?” Subspace laughed at that.
“Biografts can't be my drinking buddies, now can they? Even if they are very useful assets and can do a lot of things, they will always consider me as their creator, not their friend.” Still didn't answer the other part of Hyperlaser’s question but he decided to not push it further.
Subspace took off his gasmask, revealing his mouth that was partly rotten too, and a pair of sharp fangs as he took a sip of the vine.
Hyperlaser lifted up his helmet partly so he could drink from his beer too, listening to Subspace's ramblings about Biografts, his new inventions, how he hates the inphernals from the Lost Temple..
They spent a good two hours, Subspace was now just mumbling drunkenly while Hyperlaser knew when to stop with the alcohol.
“-And y'know why I wanted you here specifically? It's cause- hicc it's cause I'm dyin’ Hyperlaser, that's why..” Hyperlaser just shook his head, feeling a little fed up with the scientist already.
“No you're not, you're just horribly drunk.”
“Hey! I know how to handle my alcohol- hicc just fine! I- I mean I may be a little tipsy but I still know what I'm doin’! And I am dying, okay?!” Hyperlaser sighed in annoyance. This really felt like arguing with a toddler, not a thirty years old man.
“And if you don't believe me-” Subspace started again but before he could finish the sentence, he started coughing up more of the pink smoke he was already emitting from his mouth faintly, just now it was a way larger puff of smoke. Subspace coughed for a good ten seconds before his throat cleared again.
“You good?” Asked Hyperlaser.
“See?! I'm dyin' and you won't even believe it! It's cause of the fuckin’ rot…”
“Couldn't some doctors stop it from getting worse? Maybe even stop it completely from spreading further?”
“Nah, doctors are doctors, not magicians” Subspace shrugged simply before a wide grin spread on his face.
“Well, I mean there's a way to stop it, or at least slow it down enough…” Hyperlaser leaned in a little as he was getting interested in the conversation more and more.
“There's this crystal at the Lost Temple that can slow the rot down enough. I knew about it for a long time, I just didn't think I would need to use it already…”
“Well then, go get it…?” Subspace rolled his eyes like he was lecturing a child. Even while drunk off his ass he still managed to look arrogant.
“I can't just go and get it! I'm getting killed the second those Lost Temple bitches see me!”
“Then bring some of your Biografts with you? I don't get why I need to know about this…”
“Biografts ain't doing shit! Everyone would notice them and I can't just bring one, it wouldn't be enough! That's why I need you for this mission, Hyperlaser!” But Hyperlaser still looked confused.
“You gotta come with me and get the crystal, okay?”
“Why not any other mercenary-” Hyperlaser asked but Subspace cut him off.
“Cause I want you specifically to come with me that's why!” The scientist whined.
“Oh come on, does everything really need a reason? Just think of it as another mission your boss gave you, you don't have a problem with those so why is this so different?” Hyperlaser opened his mouth, about to just say no but he stopped himself at Subspace's next words.
“I'll pay you, if that's what you want.”
“...”
“When are we traveling to the Lost Temple?” Subspace chuckled at that, but was cut off by another fit of coughing up smoke.
“That's what I like to see! We're going tomorrow noon, be ready.” As the scientist got off of his chair, his legs somehow supporting him, even after the massive amount of alcohol, he realized he can't really walk home.
Hyperlaser looked slightly concerned at that but Subspace shrugged.
“... I'll call a taxi or something, you can just take your leave and go rest at home.” With one more concerned glance at Subspace, the mercenary got up and stepped out of the bar after a brief goodbye.
On his way home, Hyperlaser only started ahead blankly, wondering why he accepted the mission.
Nah, that's bullshit, he knew why.
It wasn't because of the money, it was because he felt sorry for the scientist.
But what bugged his mind now was…
Why did he feel sorry for someone like this?