Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ A new Spin on Bacteriology ( Chapter 24 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier. SquareSoft does, and they can't believe I'd pluck Ciato right in a pair with Rastaban and Ildon. I can't believe I did that, either.

 

“So, that's it? You're leaving now?” Ciato asked, as he saw Rouge reluctantly take out his Region Map and unfold it, “Don't you humans want some sort of reward?” Blue glanced at Fuse skeptically, wondering what his answer could possibly be. Yes, a reward sounded nice, but Orlouge had already given them the best they could ask; alliance with the Mystics for helping him twice. Fuse seemed to know this as well as he turned to Ciato, raising an eyebrow when he saw that Ciato's hair wasn't purple anymore; it was blonde. That, unfortunately, was another mystery in and of itself.

 

“Nope,” he replied, “Gold and fame is nice, but knowing we did a job well done and helped three Mystics find their true love is reward enough. Just don't run away again or I'll definitely arrest you next time.” Ciato snorted, feeling that was highly unlikely to happen; he was, after all, Orlouge's general. But, nonetheless, he was thankful as he shook hands with the cop. Ildon nodded, and turned to Blue.

 

“Honestly, thank you for all the help you've given us. Lion's absolutely ecstatic with the fact that you can come and go as you want now,” Ildon told him, sounding genuinely happy, “If you need help with an investigation, we'll come as soon as we can.” Blue agreed to that, and they also shook hands. Rouge rolled his eyes, gesturing for Blue to move it before he left without them, and as he finally got to unrolling his map, Rastaban waved goodbye to them.

 

“Good luck, my dears!” he called, as Rouge's eye twitched at being addressed as such, “If you ever visit us again, I'll make sure your welcome is a grand one!” Ildon laughed, patting Rastaban on the back, and Ciato simply grinned as he saw Rouge twitch, mockingly blowing the man a kiss, which resulted in a scream of terror. Blue looked at his twin, raising a worried brow. Rouge glared at him, even though technically he did nothing wrong.

 

“LET'S GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I KILL SOMEONE!” he growled, and smashed his hand on the symbol that would take them to IRPO. Without another word, they were warped out of Rastaban's apartment, thrown into a void of space, and simply swam around as their map worked on locating IRPO. When it finally found its course, the feeling of being thrown around returned, and soon, they all landed with a heavy thud in the quad of the building. Slowly, difficultly, they all scrambled up, and as Rouge put his map away, Blue turned to him.

 

“What the hell was that about?” he asked, referring to Rouge's outburst prior to their leaving, “Why are you so angry with the Mystics?”

 

“They were hitting on me!” Rouge yelled, “And they're males! I'm a man, Blue! A MAN! I don't want a male lover! I don't want that bat-winged freak blowing sappy kisses at me and telling me he thinks I'm hot!” Blue started laughing as Rouge continued to rant in exasperation, and only when his slowly insanity-driven brother stopped did Blue actually speak.

 

“So, you're saying that if Ciato was female, you'd consider him?” he asked, and Rouge stopped. Silence fell between them for what felt like a very, very long time. He couldn't believe Blue had even concluded that! That he'd even think that were true! It wasn't, and as Rouge attempted to tell him this, his eye twitched as the accusation played itself again and again in his mind.

 

“…NO!” Rouge screamed, as Fuse took out his phone and called someone on it, “I would not… I would NEVER consider a MALE MYSTIC! Never!” Blue raised an amused eyebrow, trying his best not to laugh at Rouge for throwing himself off the deep end. There was nothing wrong even if he did consider it; after all, homosexuality wasn't a crime unless you fell in love with Orlouge himself.

 

“Really? By the sound of it, you seem afraid to admit otherwise,” Blue stated smugly, crossing his arms, “Are you sure you didn't like Ciato? Even just a little?” Rouge's twitch worsened, and he felt ready to kill Blue, despite the promise he made to himself to never hurt his twin again. He clenched his fists.

 

“SHUT UP!” Rouge yelled, “I do not like Mystics! I will never like Mystics! Just leave me alone!” Fuse sighed and hung up his phone, having barely heard whatever it was Doll was saying to him. Thanks to the twins behind him, he barely understood their new mission, and once again, he had to play father figure to them. He turned to them.

 

“Both of you shut up before I shove my blaster up your asses sideways!” he yelled back, “Now, play nice before I arrest you both for obstruction of justice.” Blue and Rouge simply glanced at each other. They couldn't see how they were obstructing justice by arguing, but neither decided to argue with Fuse about it. That would be certain suicide.

 

“What justice are you talking about?” Blue asked, “We're not on a mission, sir.” Fuse looked at him, and grinned as though he were about to contradict Blue. Which, of course, he did.

 

“Oh yes we are, boy,” Fuse told him, “We got a call from Doll up there. Looks like some dumbass doctor in Koorong is spreading some sort of plague in the area. And, judging by the symptoms, it's the same kind of cold Joker had before.” Blue's eyes widened at that statement. Rouge blinked, remembering that Joker did indeed have a cold when they first took him into custody. But, it cleared up within less than a day. Could this new plague be that dangerous?

 

“I don't think we should worry too much, boss,” Rouge replied, raising a skeptical brow, “Joker got over his cold really quickly. Wouldn't said disease just pass by?” Fuse shook his head as he ran over and tugged on what looked like a very large tarp.

 

“Not likely, soldier,” Fuse explained grimly, “This doctor's a pro with handling diseases. He's been tinkering with them for a while, so the disease is probably stronger than when Joker contracted it.” He finally ripped the tarp off, revealing a large, three-seated motorcycle that glinted in the dim light provided. Rouge's eyes widened with glee as he looked on at their new ride.

 

“Why would a doctor do this, though?” Blue asked calmly, as he and Rouge walked over, “Who was it?”

 

“Dr. Nusakan. He's another Mystic that Orlouge banished for being too interested in humans. Mainly, he was into their diseases,” Fuse explained, as he looked for the key to the vehicle, “As to why he did this, chances are it wasn't on purpose. He tries to keep to himself, but if he accidentally dumped something into the sewers, it probably got into the town's water supply, thusly making everyone except him sick.” He finally found said keys and climbed onto the top seat of the motorcycle, handing Blue and Rouge each a helmet to wear.

 

“Well, that's stupid,” Rouge said as he strapped on his helmet, “Maybe that's why Orlouge banished his sorry ass; maybe he made a princess sick.”

 

“I highly doubt that one, boy. Mystics are completely immune to disease,” Fuse stated seriously, “Now get on before I vector the two of you. We don't have time to waste.” Rouge and Blue both stared flatly at him. Despite that so-called immunity, Rastaban had still somehow managed to contract his own flu. Deciding not to point that out, both brothers climbed onto the motorcycle, and when they were safely seated, Fuse pumped on the ignition, and the three sped off down the road at a very dangerous speed. It was clear that this alleged disease was a very urgent matter. Quickly, they were away from IRPO's border, and soon enough, they were rushing right through Shrike, where they nearly bowled Red over as he walked across the street.

 

“Damn it, watch where you're driving, asshole!” he yelled, not realizing he was screaming at Fuse. Fuse looked back and snorted as he lifted up his helmet's vizier.

 

“Don't make me arrest you, dickweed!” Fuse yelled back, and laughed hysterically as they rounded up a ramp onto a highway leading out of Shrike. Miles flew by within minutes, and Blue barely heard Fuse put on the police siren over the roar of the wind as they rushed by, not caring how many cars they passed or how many laws of the road Fuse was breaking. Only when they sped up and jumped an overpass did Blue even dare to comment on Fuse's driving arrangements.

 

“Sir, maybe you should slow down!” Blue tried to yell over the wind, “We're… turning into a safety hazard!”

 

“I know these other cars are a hazard to us, boy!” Fuse yelled back, obviously not having heard correctly, “But we can't stop them! We have to share the road!” Blue sighed. It was obvious that Fuse wouldn't stop driving like a lunatic until they reached Koorong. If they made it there alive, first. He barely felt Rouge tap him on the shoulder, and he glanced back at his brother.

 

“Why didn't he just ask me to use my Region Map?” Rouge asked, raising a skeptical brow. Blue shook his head, his eyes narrowing. That was a logical question, and one he would never be able to answer. Only Fuse would know why Fuse didn't ask the logical suggestion. After that, silence fell over the three as Fuse continued to drive unsafely toward the large city, obviously feeling his authority would cover any damages he did cause, which was nearly catastrophic at that point. He managed to hit over ten mailboxes as they cut through a rural road, and he definitely committed reckless endangerment as he drove through a mall in a small town just outside of Manhattan, which, from what they saw, was already being worked on to restore. He also ruined a celebration at a large, natural park as he drove through that as well, knocking over poles, banners, statues, and anything else that he deemed “in his way” as he passed. He even vectored a picnic table, which sent him and his team flying through the air, only to crash onto the ground, less than a mile from Koorong. The bike stopped running as it threw them all off. Blue moaned and looked up.

 

“…way to go, sir,” he mumbled, “I think you just destroyed our only ride home.” He stood up, dusting his uniform off, and looked at their bike. It was definitely damaged, as smoke billowed out of it. Blue sighed, not knowing if he should be surprised by what he saw; after all, Fuse was the one driving.

 

“Boss, you really should invest in some driving lessons,” Rouge added, as Blue helped him get to his feet, “Seriously, I think you broke enough laws to warrant a lifetime in jail.” Blue snorted. That part was true enough, but Fuse didn't appear to be too concerned with it as he took out his badge.

 

“Well, I don't. I'm a cop, so I can do what I want without being arrested,” Fuse told them flatly, sticking his badge on his shirt, “As to the bike, don't worry about it. It was Silence's, and he's a cosplaying bastard anyway. We can just take a plane to IRPO.” Blue blinked, unable to believe Fuse had no trouble with destroying someone else's property. He had no idea who Silence was, but he was sure that when he did find out what happened, they would be in a lot of trouble. Or dead. But, he didn't comment as Fuse led them down a dusty road toward the outskirts of the town. It seemed that any destruction that had gone on beforehand had been completely corrected, as the town seemed nearly good as new from what they saw. But, as they came closer, where a few small apartments sat here or there, they saw that no one was outside. For Koorong, that was very unusual.

 

“Where is everyone?” Rouge asked, when they continued on and went deeper into the city, only to find that all of the stalls were closed, “Are they all sick?”

 

“Looks that way to me, soldier,” Fuse replied grimly, “There's only one person who'd know what the hell was going on here, and as much as I hate him, we should probably look for him.”

 

“Who is he?” Blue asked, as Fuse led them around a corner and up a flight of stairs toward the upper level of the city. The lights that usually showed them that shops had been opened for business were now shut off, making the street much more sinister-looking than they had ever remembered before. It made Blue realize that Koorong wasn't the safest neighborhood, and now he was glad he had gotten an apartment at Devin instead of here. Only when they stopped at a large building with a sign saying “Yum Pizza” did Fuse actually answer Blue.

 

“It's Roufas,” he said bitterly, laying a hand on the knob, “He lives here, and trust me when I said coming here makes my skin crawl.” Neither twin doubted that, judging from the last time Fuse had seen Roufas. Carefully, the cop opened the door, but what they did see surprised Blue highly. He expected the place to be in complete ruins, but instead, they were greeted by a peaceful, clean restaurant, complete with tables, booths, stools, and everything else from a five-star establishment. Blue's eyes widened, and Rouge raised a skeptical brow.

 

“This is pretty nice,” he commented, “But why does he live in a pizza parlor? I mean, the perks are good, but the location is terrible.”

 

“That's because this isn't a pizza parlor,” Roufas said, coming from the back room and glaring at Fuse, “Nice to see most of you again.” Blue snorted with amusement as he shook Roufas's hand, and Fuse just barely grumbled a, “Hello, asshole” to the man. Rouge's eyebrow continued to rise.

 

“But the sign outside said Yum Pizza,” he stated, as Roufas looked at him calmly, “Do you serve any food here?”

 

“Not to the general public unless Annie and Liza feel like cooking,” Roufas replied, smirking, “Anyway, like I said, this isn't a restaurant. This is actually the base for my network, Gradius. I'm the one who called IRPO in for this.” Blue bit his lip, trying to repress another snort of laughter. That just felt very ironic for Fuse, since the two obviously hated each other for whatever reason. Fuse himself grumbled again and shook his head, trying to decide if he should paralyze Roufas and save himself a headache, but Blue already beat him to questioning the man.

 

“What exactly happened?” Blue asked calmly, as Roufas led them to a table, where they all promptly sat down, “We know it involves Dr. Nusakan, but we need some specifics.” Roufas nodded slowly, and looked out the window, where a light rain began to fall, as was expected in Koorong; it was usually blustery weather there.

 

“Well, it started around two days ago, right after we took Joker into custody,” Roufas explained, “Annie said that at first, people just started coughing and sneezing. She thought it was some sort of bug, but when people began to pass out, that's when we became concerned. No one will wake up, and the ones who are awake are too terrified to leave their homes. We need to do something, but we can't reach this guy. No one knows where he is.” Blue hummed and looked down, trying to think through what he had just been told. This did smell of unnatural causes, but he didn't need to be told that to know it. The problem was, right now, finding Nusakan if what Roufas said was true.

 

“Do you know where he is?” Rouge asked, and when Roufas shook his head, he exclaimed, “Then why call us!? We can't go on a goose chase when people are dying, man! Can't you help us out a little!?”

 

“If you just let me speak, I could've said I have an idea as to where he is,” Roufas replied shortly, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses, “From what Annie says, there's a building in one of the back alleys in the upper level that has a giant N on it. We think that might be where he lives, since the door can be opened.”

 

“If it can be opened, why didn't you go in and take him out yourself?” Fuse asked him plainly, as Blue sighed and rubbed his face. Roufas's lips thinned.

 

“Do you have any idea how creepy the atmosphere in that building is?” he asked the cop, “We're sure as hell not going in there. Besides, he's a Mystic. He might actually kill us.” Blue sighed, and before Fuse took to insulting Roufas, he took matters into his own hands. He stood up, as Rouge and Fuse looked at him critically.

 

“Thanks, Roufas. We'll go and take care of the… good doctor,” Blue told him kindly, “You stay here, and if anything new happens, call us.” Roufas agreed, and so, the three left the building promptly, heading once more into the drizzle of the streets. They walked down the road, trying their best to ignore the fact that it became darker as they made their way to the alley. It was creepy out, now that Roufas had pointed it out, and it made Facinaturu seem like a spectacular display of light, even though the atmosphere reeked of gothic imprisonment. Steeling himself, Blue pushed his way forward, his brother and their boss following just a bit behind. Only when they came to the stairs did Blue stop and look down, causing Rouge to nearly smack into him.

 

“Blue? What's wrong, bro?” he asked, genuinely concerned for his twin, “You okay?”

 

“Rouge, you feel that, don't you?” Blue asked, glancing back at his twin, “That magic?” Rouge blinked and took a minute to focus on that. He did feel something ominous, but he simply assumed it was nerves. Now that Blue had mentioned it, he realized the feeling wasn't inward. Something was definitely in the air, aside from the acrid smell of disease and… well, garbage. It was magic; very potent magic, at that.

 

“Nusakan's got to be close,” Rouge concluded, and Blue nodded as he led them down the stairs. Pickbirds were nesting in the piles, but they simply stared at the would-be intruders as Blue, Rouge, and Fuse passed. They didn't appear interested in battling the humans. Blue continued onward toward the landing, and then down another short flight of stairs. The smell of death, the feeling of terror, it all became so much more potent as they walked downward. Blue felt he might actually throw up if it continued to climb to such a degree, but he forced himself to move on.

 

“It smells like something's died here!” Fuse exclaimed as quietly as he could, “What is with Mystics and being attracted to death?”

 

“I think it's due to the fact that they're immortal,” Blue pointed out gently, “But I agree, this is a bit too much. We'll need to warn him about this.” Fuse grunted as he took out a pair of cuffs, as they slowly came closer to the building Roufas had described. It had a large neon N on it, just as he said.

 

“Forget about warning him, I'm going to arrest him on sight!” Fuse exclaimed angrily, “This is definitely against some form of health violation!” Blue didn't respond. He simply sighed, his lips thin with annoyance at Fuse's usual outburst of irrationality. Walking forward, he gripped the knob of the flimsy wooden door that permitted entrance into the building. That feeling of absolute terror came back, slamming into Blue's stomach like a wrecking ball and nearly physically knocking him backwards. He shook his head, and looked back at Fuse and Rouge, both of whom nodded for him to open the door. He did so, and it practically slid open as he turned the knob. The thin ray of light from the streetlamp spilled into what appeared to be a large, but unoccupied reception area as Blue and his teammates ran inside. Fuse shut the door, blocking out most of the light; the only lights left were from the windows.

 

“It sure looks creepy enough for a Mystic,” Rouge replied, as he glanced around the room, “I mean, even creepier than Hahn Nova was.” Blue silently agreed. The reception desk looked clean, but when he looked it over closely, he saw a thick sheet of dust covered it, which he didn't feel safe to simply sweep off. The bookcase was also quite dusty, and cobwebs were dangling from the top shelf. But, what got Blue's attention most were what was on the shelves. They were not books; or, at least only the topmost shelf had any books. There were jars upon jars on the shelves, each one labeled in a language no one could have read. And, they all had some form of liquid in them. Rouge's skin paled as he looked at a green jar with yellow strips of what looked like film floating in it. He knew it wasn't film; it was some form of germ.

 

“Should we ring the bell for the doctor?” Blue whispered, glancing at Fuse. But, Fuse simply shook his head. He was looking at someone whom Blue hadn't seen from the lack of light. She was slumped over in the chair, her purple hair falling over her face as though she might have been sleeping. Fuse ushered for the other two to quiet down as he walked over to her.

 

“Ma'am, are you waiting for someone?” he asked, but she didn't answer, “Ma'am? Please, answer me.” He bent down and shook her gently, and she fell to the floor. Blue and Rouge screamed, shocked with how heavy the thud sounded. The woman didn't move. Rouge looked down at her, his eyes widened in terror as he came to the one conclusion he never wanted to see.

 

“This woman's dead!” he exclaimed, backing away, “Oh my god, it's a corpse!” Blue bit his lip, but just as he was about to move, the woman's head fell off of her body, her hair moving back to reveal not a face, but a skull. It turned to the three and let out a ghastly laugh, one that Blue was sure would drive them to the brinks of insanity unless someone intervened. He grabbed his gun, wincing as he was forced to release one of his ears, which he had covered to avoid her scream. But, just as he loaded it, the scream faded, to be replaced with the chime of a large clock somewhere farther back. Blue looked around the room, and when the clock struck three, another scream from inside the next room sounded.

 

“What the hell was that!?” Fuse asked, aiming his gun for the door.

 

“Next…” was the only reply he received. Blue blinked; that voice definitely belonged to a Mystic. He looked to Fuse, but the older cop didn't dare to move. He remained there, glaring at the door. The voice called, “next,” again, but again, no one moved. Blue looked at Rouge this time, whose eyes still remained on the body of the dead woman, his hands on the hilt of his gun, but his body too terrified to draw it. Finally, the second door creaked open, and someone's head was just barely visible. His long, black hair fell to the floor, his glasses hiding his green eyes as he frowned at them all.

 

“I wait not forever. Next, or I will ask you to leave,” he said calmly, and was about to close the door, but Fuse was faster. He put his foot down and jammed the door, earning himself an angry growl from the doctor, who asked, “What is it!?” He opened the door and grudgingly let Fuse inside.

 

“We're here to arrest you for serious and routine violations of the health code,” Fuse replied casually, strolling inside, “You are aware you're breaking them, right?”

 

“…no,” Dr. Nusakan said simply, perking an interested brow, “I spend all of my time in my laboratory. How would I possibly know what laws I'm breaking?” Blue and Rouge simply glanced at each other. To Blue, he could see how Dr. Nusakan was blind to the obvious sickness being spread, to but Rouge, it was the opposite. After all, the horrible smell alone should've alerted the doctor.

 

“I'd say looking out a damn window is proof enough!” Rouge exclaimed, “Or are you blind along with being immortal!?” Dr. Nusakan snorted as Blue simply shook his head, entering the office, finally.

 

“I might be old, but I'm not living under rocks,” Dr. Nusakan replied, sitting on the bed he used to operate on, “If you haven't noticed, I live in Koorong. Garbage and decay are everywhere. Besides, my germs don't leave the office. How could they infect everything out there when they're kept in a sterile environment?” Fuse blinked; that was a good question, if what Nusakan said was true.

 

“Don't you dispose of the germs?” he asked, but Dr. Nusakan shook his head.

 

“No. I very rarely need to do so,” he said, “And even if I do, I banish them to hell rather than dump them in the sewers. I'm not an idiot.” Fuse blinked again. That meant that whatever was going on wasn't from Nusakan at all. He looked around the room, but nothing except the bed and a table full of tools were there. He eyed them cautiously, and sensing this, Nusakan said, “I sterilize those when I'm done.”

 

“What about the scream we heard just a minute ago?” Rouge asked, “That seemed pretty unhealthy to me.”

 

“That was my bird, Branley,” Nusakan replied simply, looking in the dark corner toward the right, “He hates intruders, and he heard the screaming out there. You'll have to excuse him.” Blue squinted his eyes, and just barely saw a large Axebeak in the corner, pecking at the ground as though it were collecting food. It eyed him with one large eye, set on the side of its axe-like beak, but didn't scream at him.

 

“So, if the infection out there isn't coming from you, where is it coming from?” Fuse asked skeptically, taking out a pad to write down a statement from the doctor. Nusakan sighed, and removed his glasses to clean them. When he put them back on, he climbed off of the bed.

 

“I'm not entirely sure, but I'd guess the tunnels underneath Koorong, where the Freedom Rune was,” Nusakan replied calmly, his frown softening, “There've been sporadic growth of many types of foreign mold down there for the past few months. I've been trying to find a way to neutralize them before they hurt too many people.”

 

“But aren't you studying germs? Why would you stop them? You can't get sick,” Rouge pointed out frankly, “Why help humans?”

 

“I'm not heartless,” Nusakan stated seriously, crossing his arms, “Besides, that's all I do. I study germs. I don't infect people with them. Why would I want to do that? They're the perfect vessel for other germs; without them, my study would be baseless. They don't need my help to get sick, anyway. Many factors are at play for when a human gets sick. If I mess with those, I could be granting them immunity from lesser viruses, and negating protection from actually fatal ones. Then, murder would be on my hands.”

 

“And that's a very bad offense,” Fuse ended, smirking. Nusakan nodded, and paced the room before speaking again.

 

“Exactly. I don't want to be labeled as a murderer because of a hobby of mine,” Nusakan said, “But, back to the point at hand, these molds I mention are becoming increasingly dangerous, even to the point of infecting Mystics.” Blue's eyes widened. That was a terrible sign. All Mystics were immune to diseases, or so he had been told when he was younger. Could Nusakan have stumbled upon something very, very dangerous?

 

“Infecting Mystics?” Blue repeated worriedly, “Is that possible? I thought you were immune to disease.”

 

“So did I, but this new virus is very, very potent. Most probably, the tunnels are too damp, which is causing the spores to reproduce at an astronomical rate,” Nusakan explained, looking at a chart on the wall as he spoke, “See, while it's true that Mystics are immune to disease, that only counts in the case of regularly produced genes and atoms created by known plant matter. When a foreign object or spore enters the field, and our bodies can't recognize it, we're as vulnerable to it as humans are, because we don't know what said foreign spore cells can do. And, with the rate that these cells are growing, any creature would fall victim to its viral flood. Even immortals like us.” Blue bit his lip. That was a very terrifying thought, especially because it now rendered Mystics mortal to a new extent. He looked at Fuse, who, though confused highly with the explanation, did seem to understand it a little. At least, he knew enough to genuinely be very concerned.

 

“What do you think?” Blue asked. Fuse hummed, looking around again. His eyes fell on an empty jar.

 

“I want to believe the good doctor, but the evidence we do have points to him. Nusakan, didn't Joker visit you the night he was sick?” Fuse asked. Nusakan blinked, and then nodded.

 

“Actually, yes, he did. Poor boy was living in the sewers, from what I remember,” Nusakan recalled thoughtfully, “I thought he had gotten an illness from there, but his symptoms are too much like what's happening in the city.”

 

“Well, he got better,” Rouge said bluntly, eyes narrowed, “We want to know if you gave him anything to help him?” Nusakan shook his head.

 

“No. I recommended he go and get some sleep,” Nusakan replied calmly, “See, the symptoms are very much like a standard cold at first: Lack of energy, coughing, sneezing, and fever. You only get the advanced symptoms if it's left untreated for too long. This new virus is a very cunning one; it mimics common viruses almost to the exact, while being immune to any antibodies the normal virus usually succumbs to if left to grow too long.” Fuse looked down. They had treated him as soon as he had set foot into IRPO. He guessed that Joker was still in the first stage of illness. Sighing, he pointed to the empty jar.

 

“I believe you about the tunnels, doc,” Fuse finally said, “But we need to see if the spores found their way up here, in the sewers. We can't have people using the water supply if it has.” Nusakan nodded, walking over and taking the jar from its shelf. Then, he also grabbed a water cannon, strapping it onto his belt.

 

“I agree, officer,” he said sternly, “I don't know the full extent of the city, but nonetheless, we do need to test the water. After this, I'll perform tests on the samples we gather and see if I can produce a cure.” Fuse nodded as Nusakan opened the door again, walking into the now empty reception room.

 

“You'll need to show us around the tunnels, first,” Fuse told him, “We're not familiar with the cave, and I'm sure Blue forgot where the rune was.” Blue shot an angry glare at Fuse as he said this. It was true; Blue had forgotten about the layout of the caves during his very brief visit there, but Fuse didn't need to repeat that. Nusakan simply chuckled, and agreed, though he did stress that they were running out of time as they ran out of the building. He led them over past one of the sleeping Pickbirds, toward a sewer entrance where the grate was missing. Silently, they climbed down, and Nusakan produced the bottle when he was near the water's edge. He dipped the jar and scooped up just a bit of the water. He closed the jar and looked at it carefully, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

 

“Well?” Blue asked gently, after a moment of silence.

 

“There are germs in this water, but it's not the spore we're looking for,” Nusakan told him, “It's mostly bacterial from raw sewage.” Rouge's eye twitched, and he felt very ill as Nusakan put the jar away and led them through the sewer, where they came out in another alley around Koorong. This time, Nusakan led them up a flight of broken stairs, and turned a sharp corner, where a track of rails sat in front of a broken-down subway tunnel. Nusakan entered, with the other three in tow. There sat a large hole. Slowly, Nusakan advanced to it.

 

“I wouldn't get too close, doc,” Rouge warned, “It might actually kill you.” Nusakan glanced at him, and then laughed, shaking his head. He obviously didn't take the warning too seriously.

 

“I'd give my life in the name of science,” Nusakan simply said, “Besides, the spores are down here… take these if you're truly worried.” He threw them all a doctor's mask, one for each. They slipped them on without complaint, and as soon as Blue looked up, Nusakan had already jumped the hole, landing on the dirt far below. Fuse walked over, and looked down. It smelled terrible, but it wasn't dangerous just yet.

 

“Well, soldiers, let's move before the doctor dies down there,” Fuse told them, and slid into the hole. That left the twins to stare at each other, neither one feeling particularly motivated to get in there.

 

“Think we could get away with ditching them?” Rouge asked. Blue snorted. That was an appealing idea, but he knew they'd be caught, fired, and possibly thrown in jail for fleeing from a mission. He simply shook his head.

 

“I don't think we should try it,” he replied, smiling with amusement, “Besides, we're protectors of the people now. What's better than knowing we might actually help save a city?” Rouge's eyes narrowed as Blue jumped down the tunnel. That didn't convince him at all.

 

“Being dead, or anywhere else,” he mumbled, and then he too jumped down, knowing that at least one of them would climb back up if he didn't move his ass.

 

“Just know, bro, that if we die, I'm blaming our crackpot of a boss.”

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

And so, with Dr. Nusakan, world's best character, in their team, our heroes brave the sewers and tunnels to find the source of what might be the deadliest virus known to man! Is that possible, for it to outdo even Campbell's terrible virus? Will they find the spores in question, and how will they stop such a concoction? Will Rouge be hit on by another male Mystic? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!