They returned to the room together, facing each other with tears threatening to fall from their eyes.
"I am sorry Mongrel"
"It is okay Seth. I am sorry too"
"Is their anything I can do to help?" asked Seth.
"Go back in time and stop this bloody war, or at least don't let us die on these missions"
"Maybe if I could stop this war before it started your parents would be alive and you would not have been in that orphanage, and I'll try my best for the other one"
"And maybe Jasmine would be alive and maybe a little Seth would be running around"
"But we would not have met"
"We would have" replied Mongrel
"How?
"I have faith. If such a world existed it would not be complete without you to share a beer with in it"
"Not ocean mist" said Seth with a smile.
"Hahaha, yea, not this shit"
"Thank you Mongrel" said Seth sincerely.
"For what?"
"For being stubborn and coming with me. I would not feel as confident if you were not here"
"Anytime Seth. Anytime" Said Mongrel as he pulled out a bigger bottle of liquid from behind the couch.
"And thank ya my friend" Said Mongrel as he pulled the stopper on the large crystal bottle and poured two small glasses to the brim, almost overflowing.
The morning after, Seth woke up, pain radiating down his head, his eyes unfocused as he stumbled, unsure if he was still drunk from the night before.
The green liquid, reminiscent of poison in taste and texture had assaulted Seth and Mongrel last night.
The night was a blur after the second bottle was opened.
The morning sun shone brightly onto his weary face. He shielded his eyes, avoiding the pain he could feel welling up from within them.
When he had gotten himself cleaned up and ready to go collect what he desired from the local stores he went to rouse Mongrel from his deep slumber.
"Hey, get up. I wanna get supplies before this mission brief comes through"
"Ahh, just let the faction take care of it and let me sleep" yelled Mongrel, annoyance lacing his words.
"Fine I'll go get new weapons without you, all by myself" huffed Seth while trying to stop a smile breaking onto his face.
He hurried out the door walking fast before Mongrel could call from behind him. As he got on to the elevator he heard Mongrel yelling "wait for me, wait for me ya bastard".
Seth quickly hit the close door button rapidly "It is closing by itself" he lied as though he was not hitting the button faster then ever.
As the doors were closing, an arm shot through the remaining gap, stopping the door from closing at the last minute.
"Why did ya not hold the door" Said Mongrel.
"I tried" said Seth with his finger still on the close door button.
"I'll join ya if we are going to get some gun's" said Mongrel grinning.
"I was going to get a new rifle. The next gen came out while we were off world and I wanna try it out" Said Seth in reply while the elevator began moving.
"I am in, ya know I love my weapons"
"Only girlfriend you have ever had"
"Lucy is an elegant weapon"
"Wasn't saying she wasn't, just make sure you keep the barrel pointed the right way" Replied Seth with a laugh as he got off the elevator.
...
The shop with the guns had them mounted on every surface, the shine of the metal from the guns and the walls made Mongrel squint.
"What is this place?" Mongrel asked turning his head away.
"A gun shop obviously" Seth said with a shrug.
"No gun shop I have ever been in looks like this... place" said Mongrel as his eyes travelled around the shop. The guns in pristine glass cabinets with descriptions projected onto the glass in front of them, the polished brass inlaid into the scrawling patterns of deep ocean that ran along the walls. The shop keep was in a suit and tie, waiting patiently for them to acknowledge him.
"What gun shops have you been visiting" Asked Seth with a raised eyebrow.
"Ones were I can afford the stock or to breath the air"
"The one has actually good weapons, not broken pieces that need fixing all the time" Replied Seth with a smug smile on his face.
"They work just fine after some elbow grease" Replied Mongrel.
"Don't worry my friend, I will cover one weapon for you"
"How do ya have the money for that?"
"I have a friend who owes me a favour" Replied Seth with a mysterious smile.
"What favour affords ya this kind of coin"
Seth walked on without another word, making his way to the concierge who was standing behind the counter. The sharply dressed man who was clean shaven greeted him with enthusiasm.
"Welcome Seth it has been a little while, no?"
"It has been Harold, how is the old man"
"Sick unfortunately, he wanted to see you, but you were off world. When did you get back?"
"Yesterday. Is he in stasis again?"
"Yes we believe he will pull through, but it would be of great pleasure I am sure to him if you would go see him"
"Of course Harold send me the hospital he is at and i shall visit him right away"
"Its the central hospital"
"That bad?" asked Seth with worry scrawled across his face.
"Unfortunately, yes"
"You said he would make it" asked Seth while trying to understand why a man who was sick but not dying would be in the central hospital.
"He is still close to dying. They are not sure he will be able to be put back into stasis after this time"
"Hmm, he is getting on in years. Thank you Harold"
"Of course Sir"
"Can I look at the next gen rifle while I am here, and one gun for my friend" asked Seth after hesitating for a moment, waying whether he should ask about the guns in the first place.
"Yes, I can get that ready for you" replied Harold with a practiced smile that hid away any of his true emotions.
"How do they know ya Seth?" Asked Mongrel as he stared at his friend in disbelief.
"That is the old friend who owes me a favor, saved his life back on Vengerder" said Seth as his shoulders shrunk
"The world taken over by Druin?"
"Yea, he lost his family and his home but this survived his business"
"Surely he doesn't owe ya so much he would give weapons away for free?"
"How much would it be worth to you to have an extra minute with a loved one before they passed"