I woke up back in a respawn bed, with no pain from the gas.
"I died didn't I?" I asked sitting up. Bangalore and Bloodhound here both in the room with me. They both nodded. "Please tell me we won." They nodded again and I grinned. "Thank God."
"You did create quite the distraction,"Bloodhound said. I laughed a little.
"And you guys doubted me."
"Still do," Bangalore said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and she laughed a little. "I got to go pick up Ajay from the port, you guys want to watch the game after that?" I nodded,
"Yeah, you guys can come to my place." We both looked to Bloodhound,
"I'm afraid I must be going," they said. Bangalore nodded and left the room. Bloodhound looked back at me. "Thank you for joining us today Sly." I grinned a little,
"Yeah, I mean I kind of slowed you two down a lot and then died, but yeah, no worries." Bloodhound shook their head.
"I will see you later felagi." I waved goodbye and they left the room, leaving me alone. I rolled myself out of the bed. It was time to go home.
~~~~
"Another one bites the dust, huh?" Mirage said as I walked through the door. "Wasn't actually that bad of a song."
"That's what I'm saying! Music used to be so good!"
"Was funny how you died to your own song though." I rolled my eyes. "You okay after that?" I nodded and went into my room to change out of my bloodied suit, I would have to get it fixed up for my next match, although I wasn't sure when that was going to be. I went back into the living room and plopped down on the couch beside Mirage, who was watching a recap of the game I had just played.
"Have you heard from Wraith yet?" Mirage shook his head and I sighed.
"I think we should go out tonight!" he exclaimed. "It'll keep you distracted, I know some great clubs downtown! Tonights two for one shot night!" I raised my eyebrows.
"I think I would rather take Caustic's gas again than go to a club. But, I have plans."
"You do?!" Mirage said wiggling his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes again.
"Bangalore and Ajay are coming over to watch the game." Mirage groaned. "What?!"
"That means I have to change."
"What's wrong with what you're wearing?"
~~~~
It was about an hour later when Bangalore and Ajay showed up, both of them in casual clothing.
"Thanks for filling in for me today Sly," Ajay said as they entered. I grinned,
"No worries! How's your friend?" She rolled her eyes,
"He's an idiot. But an alive one."
"Good to hear." She shook her head,
"I give him two weeks before he does something even stupider." Bangalore shook her head.
"One week." Ajay laughed.
"Evening ladies," Mirage said walking into the room, as he did I noticed that he had even done his hair. "Can I get you guys anything to drink?"
"What do you got?" Bangalore asked, walking over to the kitchen.
"Hey, Ajay," I said since she had stayed behind. "I wanted to give you this." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the card with my winnings for the match today. Ajay raised her eyebrows, looking at the card.
"Keep em', you earned em'." I shook my head,
"No, it was your match today, and you guys would've won just as easy if not easier." Ajay grinned.
"You sure?" I nodded,
"Yeah, I want it to go to the Frontier Corps. You're doing some really great work over there, I mean you did save my life after all, and with this you can help a lot more people." Lifeline took the card from my hand and pulled me in for a hug.
"You're a good kid."
~~~~~
Bangalore and Ajay had just left when there was another knock on the door.
"You expecting anyone else?" Mirage asked.
"I was going to ask you the same." I began to walk over to the door, curious as to who would show up this late into the evening.
"Hopefully it's Wraith." Mirage said as I swung the door open. When I saw who it was my eyes went wide,
"Caustic?"
"Hello Sly. I apologize for arriving unannounced." He stood in the doorway for a second. "May I come in? I have a query I would like to discuss with you." I was still holding the door and I leant my head back to look at Mirage, who was shaking his head no.
"Sure," I told Caustic, opening the door the rest of the way. Mirage threw his hands up in the air, while giving me a crazed look. Caustic walked in and he quickly turned his hand gesture into a wave.
"Oh hey there Caus," he said casually. I looked over to Castuic, feeling a little nervous about having had invited him in.
"What can I do for you?"
"I would like to discuss today's match." I laughed a little,
"Saw you finally killed me and came to gloat?"
"Please," Caustic replied. "I do not care for... boasting. I am simply interested in how you were killed."
"As you would," I said while plopping myself back down on the couch. Mirage was keeping his distance. "Well, I mean, if you watched the game I think you saw it all. Path threw me in, barrel went off, bad times ensued." Caustic shook his head.
"What intrigues me is how quickly the poison affected you, as compared to the first time we had met in the ring."
"I just kinda assumed you brought different stuff."
"I did."
"Okay? So why the confusion?" Caustic rubbed his beard, in thought.
"The samples I used today contained much less toxins than the sample during the championship game." I tilted my head, displaying the fact that I wasn't following. "You should have died during our last match. Not today." My eyes went wide.
"Alright, your confusion is understood." I looked over to Mirage who had now moved into the living room as well. "Why is that?" I finally asked.
"That is what I would like to find out." I leant back on the couch and folded my arms.
"I'm only dying to that stuff once per day. Sorry." Caustic grinned a little.
"I'm afraid that will not be necessary. I just have a few questions."
"Shoot."
"Have you ever been in contact with Ecclaphia Marara?"
"Uh."
"Leviathan's Disease," Mirage spoke up. "Broke out two hundred years ago." I put my hands up,
"So how would I have come into contact with it then?"
"Interesting," Caustic said. I noticed he had now taken out a notebook and was writing in it. "So you have not acquired the vaccine for it then I presume?"
"Obviously not!" I thought for a second. "Am I going to get some weird space plague?!" Mirage shook his head.
"It was eradicated a good eighty years ago. Everyone has the vaccine these days." I nodded a few times, that would explain why to others the gas containing the disease was not as effective.
"I have the information I need," Caustic said standing up.
"Wait, wait, wait," I interrupted, standing up as well. "Then what is in the more deadly one?"
"Variola. Smallpox."
"Really? Smallpox?"
"You know what that is?" Mirage asked. I nodded,
"Yeah I got the vaccine when I was like, a baby." I looked back over to Caustic. "So if I get the vaccine for the other one, would that make me immune to your gas?" I asked with a grin.
"I have more than just two strains of gas, these are the only two that use disease however."
"Right," I gulped, not sure if I wanted to know what was in the other gasses.
"Thank you for you time," Caustic said. "I must be returning to my lab." And with that he walked out the door. I stood staring at the door for a few seconds before looking back over to Mirage.
"How many more space viruses have there been?" I asked.
"Yeah we should probably go get you to a hospital." Mirage replied. I grinned a little,
"Looks like we will be doing shots tonight after all!"