Swansong

[@CoolBoxXD]: Hey, do you have a minute?

Hyperlaser froze, looking at the phone screen. What the hell? Who was it? How did anyone other than Subspace find his account?

[@Hyperlaser]: Who are you and what do you need?

[@CoolBoxXD]: Boombox. You probably know me.

The mercenary drilled the phone with his heavy gaze, eating the letters despite the blinding reflection from his helmet.

[@CoolBoxXD]: We've met a couple of times. And maybe you've seen me on TV

[@CoolBoxXD]: Uh
[@CoolBoxXD]: Not so important, haha

Dark hands gripped the device, the entire being of Laser tensed, feeling a strange sensation creeping up his back.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I heard you're one of the best mercenaries in Blackrock. It's quite difficult to find out about this because you guys are so good at hiding all the information
[@CoolBoxXD]: I wanted to ask for a favor

Excitement turned in the man's eyes. Was it about his job?

[@CoolBoxXD]: Can you, like, listen to me?

[@Hyperlaser]: ...Did you get my number just to ask me to be your babysitter?

[@CoolBoxXD]: Listen
[@CoolBoxXD]: I know that it's, well
[@CoolBoxXD]: Taken from the ceiling
[@CoolBoxXD]: But I want you to have something to repent for after you kill me

For a second, Hyperlaser stopped breathing. Something inside him shifted uncomfortably and at the same moment it became so easy for others. Kill Boombox? And before that, listen to him? Maybe Laser was asleep and he was dreaming all this in his twisted, cruel mind? Don't think so. Although he couldn't be sure.
It took the man a minute to collect his thoughts. It became difficult to breathe. His hands were shaking as if he already had his gun in them.

[@Hyperlaser]: Do you want me to listen to you and kill you?

[@CoolBoxXD]: Well, yes
[@CoolBoxXD]: You're a mercenary, you won't have a problem with that

[@CoolBoxXD]: I just need... Someone to speak with
[@CoolBoxXD]: Don't worry, the money is in advance, I'll pay as much as I can for the murder itself
[@CoolBoxXD]: But I don't want to die in silence
[@CoolBoxXD]: After all, I love music at any given time

[@Hyperlaser]: Does one of the Inferno music stars want me to shoot him?

[@CoolBoxXD]: I don't want to burden Sling and Skate if I kill myself

A viscous, heavy feeling hung between Hyperlaser and his phone. He was looking through. He was looking at the Boombox. That guy from the bright posters hung in almost every corner of Crossroads, along with Valk and Dom. This eternally calm guy, ready to make friends even with the Blackrock killers. This fool who does only good, even if he can overdo it. Was this guy begging to kill him now? Hyperlaser was reading over and over again. He thought maybe it was a joke. He hesitated a bit after looking at the number. The same one as on the posters. That's the man. He listened as one of the most benevolent people in the whole Inferno wanted to kill himself. It's a nasty, devouring feeling... Laser had sensed it before. When you want to disappear. Stop hurting people around you and yourself. To let life flow without you, as if you were a stone in someone's path. There was no way out of this feeling if you ever succumbed to it.
Now he saw a surrendered man in front of him. The man couldn't even imagine Boombox's face on the other end, considering it was one o'clock in the morning. There was something blurry in his head, but that smile did not leave the face of the green-horned demon. It's terrible, disgusting. Laser couldn't stand the thought. But then he felt better knowing that it would all be over soon.

[@Hyperlaser]: Would you feel sorry if your friends considered your death their fault?

[@CoolBoxXD]: Of course, dude!

[@CoolBoxXD]: They are...

[@CoolBoxXD]: ...

[@CoolBoxXD]: They may not be best friends, but they don't deserve this
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm terribly ashamed that I feel like this
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm trying to joke like I used to, but it feels like I'm just saying things into the void
[@CoolBoxXD]: They kind of think I want to be alone

[@CoolBoxXD]: Sometimes I want to, but not... When they leave me
[@CoolBoxXD]: Every time I turn on music for them, I want to turn the amp so hard that they bleed from their ears
[@CoolBoxXD]: I feel terrible at the thought
[@CoolBoxXD]: I want to bang my head against the wall so I don't have to think about such terrible things towards my friends

[@Hyperlaser]: Don't do this or I'll refuse.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Sorry, right :P

That stupid smiley face made the mercenary cringe. How uncomfortable he felt with a man who was ready to die and at the same time looking into the face of death with a smile.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Don't get me wrong, I love Skateboard and Slingshot. They are my best friends, always have been and always will be.
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm just... I don't feel like I'm a part of this place
[@CoolBoxXD]: I can't fit in
[@CoolBoxXD]: It's like I'm ketchup smeared on a palette of colors
[@CoolBoxXD]: And Valk and Dom too
[@CoolBoxXD]: These guys are immersed in business, their concepts of friendship are much more.. High or something
[@CoolBoxXD]: They're used to fans, not friends
[@CoolBoxXD]: I just want to pretend that I'm alone on stage and no one in the world is making music in order to judge me

[@CoolBoxXD]: Hey, tell me, did you like my metal tracks?

The dialogue stopped for a couple of seconds. Both ends were silent. The silence was devouring, as if each of them needed to continue or they would die.

[@Hyperlaser]: They were pretty good.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Really??

[@Hyperlaser]: You clearly have a concept of good music. But I don't like the extra noise.

[@CoolBoxXD]: It makes me feel a little better, friend
[@CoolBoxXD]: Like, you have no idea how many unfinished tracks I have
[@CoolBoxXD]: I sit at night, almost crying over the piano when I try to squeeze something out of my head
[@CoolBoxXD]: I like to record when I have inspiration, but lately it hasn't been coming
[@CoolBoxXD]: I can't catch a flow, as Skate would say

[@Hyperlaser]: You have an artblock.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Kind of

[@Hyperlaser]: Do you know what caused it?

[@CoolBoxXD]: I don't know. Probably all at once

[@CoolBoxXD]: It's hard for me to think about music lately

[@CoolBoxXD]: You know, I walk along the Crossroads, listening to the sounds and music of shops, cars, birds, voices of demons
[@CoolBoxXD]: They all seem so squeaky, terrible to me
[@CoolBoxXD]: As if I want silence without any sounds

[@Hyperlaser]: I know that feeling. You're overwhelmed.

[@CoolBoxXD]: How can I be overwhelmed if this is my job?
[@CoolBoxXD]: Everyone expects me to see joy in the worst, but I can't even enjoy my hobby because I'm tired of it
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm tired of trying to squeeze something out of myself. Tired of performing
[@CoolBoxXD]: Oh, the performances
[@CoolBoxXD]: You work alone and you never have a hundred eyes watching your every move
[@CoolBoxXD]: There is no feeling that if you take that stupid smile off your face for a second, the earth will disappear from under your feet
[@CoolBoxXD]: People seem to like what I'm doing, but all their eyes are looking right into my soul

[@CoolBoxXD]: I wonder who they see on stage and who I really am

There was no response for a couple of minutes.

[@Hyperlaser]: This is a deep thought.

[@CoolBoxXD]: It torments me along with stage fright
[@CoolBoxXD]: Because I don't exist for people
[@CoolBoxXD]: There is a fun Boombox for them, always ready to support
[@CoolBoxXD]: The mediocre musician that Valk and Dom talk closely with
[@CoolBoxXD]: Argh, these guys... I also have to carry their feelings for their parents' divorce

[@CoolBoxXD]: Sorry, I'm getting off topic

[@Hyperlaser]: Talk about whatever you want.

Hyperlaser raised his finger to add "I don't care", but something in his chest froze, forcing him to just bury his face in the phone and wait for the other person's answer.

[@CoolBoxXD]: It's just that it's so hard for me to carry all this shit
[@CoolBoxXD]: People think I was stuck in childhood with Sling and Skate
[@CoolBoxXD]: That I will always listen and understand and that my consent should not be asked
[@CoolBoxXD]: That I can't be offended

[@CoolBoxXD]: ...And the worst thing is that I can't
[@CoolBoxXD]: I think I'm angry, but really I'm just sad
[@CoolBoxXD]: Sad for myself
[@CoolBoxXD]: It's sad to tell people about it somehow
[@CoolBoxXD]: I make friends in the hope that I will also be their friend, and I am used as a handkerchief for snotty melodramas
[@CoolBoxXD]: I've always tried to make sure that the people around me are happy
[@CoolBoxXD]: I didn't want them to feel the same as me
[@CoolBoxXD]: This is some kind of lifeguard complex. I'm taking on too much, but I don't know how to stop
[@CoolBoxXD]: I would like to be born a fool so that I don't feel all this
[@CoolBoxXD]: I even started drinking in order to drown out this nagging feeling in the back of my head

The mercenary raised an eyebrow from under his helmet. Interesting.

[@Hyperlaser]: You said you didn't drink.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I lied :)

[@CoolBoxXD]: That bar you go to. It's not bad, I have to admit
[@CoolBoxXD]: And most importantly, the bartender will never tell about his guests
[@CoolBoxXD]: A couple from a mercenary and a samurai? He won't say anything
[@CoolBoxXD]: Depressed musician who wants to die? He won't tell anyone
[@CoolBoxXD]: I was kind of sorry to reprimand this guy, especially remembering that he would then serve you...

For a second, Hyperlaser stopped hearing anything. He blinked, feeling his eyes start to hurt from the light of the phone, but his thoughts were even worse. Did this guy know about him and Katana? Since when? The man looked away for a couple of seconds, letting his eyes rest, after which he raised the phone to his face again.

[@CoolBoxXD]: So I just ordered as much as possible
[@CoolBoxXD]: I started a little bit, and then abruptly ordered a couple of glasses at once
[@CoolBoxXD]: Woke up the next morning on the floor behind the counter, lol
[@CoolBoxXD]: I think I wasn't kicked out just because I'm a star

Before the interlocutor could finish typing, the blue-horned demon got into his monologue.

[@Hyperlaser]: How do you know about Katana and me?

There was silence on the other end for a couple of minutes. At first, the Laser just gave the Boombox time to write an answer. Then the oppressive silence became unbearable and the demon began to scratch the phone cover, thinking that now the whole truth about him would be revealed. Then something unpleasant pricked the mercenary when the thought slipped through his mind that the Boombox had done something and could not answer. He didn't want to believe in the latter option. Probably because he wanted money for the role of a personal psychologist.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I know a lot
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm not stupid
[@CoolBoxXD]: Sling and Skate are frankly idiots. Especially Skate
[@CoolBoxXD]: People misunderstand my positive outlook on the world and openness, thinking that I'm a simpleton who doesn't understand anything
[@CoolBoxXD]: I work in a busy and complex music business, I have to understand something, right?

[@CoolBoxXD]: Like, I'm not stupid
[@CoolBoxXD]: ...

[@CoolBoxXD]: Or maybe I am
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm pouring out my soul to a Blackrock mercenary right now

[@Hyperlaser]: You chose to write to me.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I know
[@CoolBoxXD]: And I feel... disgusting
[@CoolBoxXD]: From myself
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm thinking about how I got to the point where I'm sharing my most intimate things with some scumbag who will kill me without a drop of regret
[@CoolBoxXD]: But I really wish someone would miss me
[@CoolBoxXD]: Real me
[@CoolBoxXD]: So that you at least think about who you're really killing when you pull the trigger
[@CoolBoxXD]: I feel like I got my hands dirty as well as you
[@CoolBoxXD]: It's not like I'm asking, I'm making you kill me
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'd like to ask. To make sure that you really want to listen to me. That you don't want to just put a bullet in my head and be done with it
[@CoolBoxXD]: But...
[@CoolBoxXD]: I miss this feeling of silence so much
[@CoolBoxXD]: Shut everyone up and scream

Laser could not help but notice how the interlocutor began to write longer, each new sentence took him several long seconds.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I just want to say "Shut up and listen"
[@CoolBoxXD]: "You don't know me, you can't talk"
[@CoolBoxXD]: But these haunting sounds, all this cacophony will never stop
[@CoolBoxXD]: Boombox this, Boombox that, Boombox turn on the music, Boombox help with the stage...
[@CoolBoxXD]: I...

[@Hyperlaser]: Don't you have any relatives to discuss this?

The answer came surprisingly quickly.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Nope
[@CoolBoxXD]: There is no one I can consider my family
[@CoolBoxXD]: Who would love me just for what I am, not for what I do
[@CoolBoxXD]: I was so jealous of Slingshot when I saw him with the rest of the thieves
[@CoolBoxXD]: He has people who will love him no matter what
[@CoolBoxXD]: Whatever he did, whatever he said
[@CoolBoxXD]: Skate has Sling
[@CoolBoxXD]: Honestly, I feel like a third wheel
[@CoolBoxXD]: We were friends at first, but now I'm just a lackey for their relationship that they haven't even started yet
[@CoolBoxXD]: It feels like I'm a cupid who brings people together, but he always stays alone

[@CoolBoxXD]: I don't have anyone to share it with

[@CoolBoxXD]: Just me

There was an awkward silence. Laser was confused only by the distant roar of the wind outside the window and the snowflakes beating against it. He could hear his own blood flowing in that terrible, completely empty silence. He was getting rather... Scared. For Boombox. In his picture of the world, this guy was turned inside out. The mercenary noted for himself that he was surprised by all this. But not that he cared much.
He sighed, feeling drowsy and drowsy. His hands slowly typed in another message while the other person was silent.

[@Hyperlaser]: It's always hard to be alone.
[@Hyperlaser]: Have you ever broken down under the weight of thoughts? Except alcoholism.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm pulling down my sleeves to cover my scars

Something clicked inside Hyperlaser, like a shot from his gun. It's disgusting. He was hurting himself. But the demon couldn't condemn because he was exactly the same.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Fortunately, they will never be noticed on my legs because of my pants
[@CoolBoxXD]: And on my body, if some fan doesn't want to undress me
[@CoolBoxXD]: I've been doing this kind of shit to numb the pain, you have no idea
[@CoolBoxXD]: Turned on the music so hard that my ears bled
[@CoolBoxXD]: Hitting myself on the head with a boombox
[@CoolBoxXD]: Cut
[@CoolBoxXD]: Tried to scratch my eyes out in hysterics
[@CoolBoxXD]: Strangled myself with a tie
[@CoolBoxXD]: Fell from powerlessness, hitting my head on the floor
[@CoolBoxXD]: I almost broke my horns on something
[@CoolBoxXD]: But I thought it would be too stupid a death for me
[@CoolBoxXD]: Although, a stupid death is just right for an idiot

The blue-horned demon closed his eyes. Idiocy. He's going to kill a suicide. This guy, even if he notice him on the roof, would continue to smile. He'll be damn glad to be there. It made Laser uncomfortable. He put the phone down, closing his eyes for a couple of minutes and letting a drop of sleep take over him so as not to drive him away for the rest of the night. He still planned to sleep. Abruptly, another notification came to him and the man picked up the phone with a dissatisfied sigh.

[@CoolBoxXD]: So, about your part
[@CoolBoxXD]: I just want you not to feel like my psychologist for nothing
[@CoolBoxXD]: How much do you usually have for someone like me?

Emotions drained from Hyperlaser's face. It was about his job. He was already used to turning off everything human and leaving only common sense in order to do his part without mistakes.

[@Hyperlaser]: I would have been assigned about 50k bux for you.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I'll give you 10k on top. Go buy something
[@CoolBoxXD]: What about time?

The man looked at the screen and for a moment a sadistic smile slid across his face.

[@Hyperlaser]: When are you ready to die?

[@CoolBoxXD]: Even tomorrow, even now
[@CoolBoxXD]: But I think you'll want to get some sleep, not drag yourself all over Blackrock for me

[@Hyperlaser]: You're right.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Ok
[@CoolBoxXD]: So you'll find me in the studio tomorrow
[@CoolBoxXD]: Let's pretend it was an accident and I worked hard on the song

[@CoolBoxXD]: ...

[@CoolBoxXD]: I'll try to write something for you. Will you pick up the drafts when you're done?

[@Hyperlaser]: Agreed.

[@CoolBoxXD]: ...You know, I even enjoyed writing metal

[@CoolBoxXD]: Those melodies that I made for you in one of the battles

[@CoolBoxXD]: It was a pleasure working on them

Hyperlaser stared at the phone, time seemed to go backwards as he read the sweetly sweet messages.

[@CoolBoxXD]: It was a pleasure working with you

[@CoolBoxXD]: You scare me, but you're a cool guy
[@CoolBoxXD]: At least not as crazy as your boss

The mercenary winced at the mention of Subspace. He immediately remembered where he was lying. In these four walls of Blackrock's base, locked up, trapped in this box by a mad scientist.

[@CoolBoxXD]: And you love music, unlike Biograft
[@CoolBoxXD]: In general, you're cool

[@CoolBoxXD]: ...I'm even kind of sorry that we won't be able to talk more

[@Hyperlaser]: Psychologists don't talk to patients, they just listen.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Always so official, haha
[@CoolBoxXD]: Okay, I get you
[@CoolBoxXD]: I won't bother you

The message flow stopped for a couple of seconds until the demon on the other end decided to add something.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Thanks for listening
[@CoolBoxXD]: Good night. See you tomorrow

The blue-horned demon sawed at the screen for a long time with his heavy, empty gaze. He seemed to have lost touch with reality. He was a little surprised that it ended so quickly and simply. That tomorrow he would go and put a bullet in this guy's head and wipe the smile off his face forever. Which will make those who Boombox has been telling him about cry all this time. Which will leave an empty place in this world puzzle without a piece of it.

But that was what he was doing. Laser might have been embarrassed by such an unusual offer, but he couldn't refuse. Moreover, he was interested. He wanted to see it all in action. The animal fear of suicide struggled with the same animal desire to kill inside him. After all, 60k bux won't just earn themselves, right?

[@Hyperlaser]: Good night.

Hyperlaser wanted to write to his customer, but quickly realized that it would be useless. He had to do his job perfectly. As usual. He shouldn't have contacted the victim. Fortunately, Blackrock's technology and the popularity of the Boombox personality helped the mercenary quickly find the number and coordinates of his office. The man went there early in the morning. First by train through the damn cold of Blackrock, apologizing every time his gun hit someone behind, and then he crossed the border and walked slowly across the bridge in the direction of Crossroads. Laser felt so uncomfortable every time in this place. There was only water and cracked asphalt underfoot. Every step echoed off the water. Only on the horizon loomed the tall Crossroads Tower, which served as a studio for two more successful musicians. This place was so open and lonely. There's nowhere to hide. Hyper hated it. He had to be alone with himself here every time. It usually didn't bother him and even helped him focus on the task. Ran the plan over and over in his head. Honed his movements. When his goal was more significant and powerful than he was, the demon did not feel so comfortable. He felt insecure. Maybe this time he'll get caught and be killed instead of the target?
That's what's always driven him. Gamble. The desire to play the victim and predator. But his brain knew that he would always come out victorious. No matter what it costs him.

Right now... Everything was as it always was. But Laser couldn't relax the clenched fists resting on its sides. He felt a single drop of sweat trickling down his neck the closer he got to the goal. Step, step. The man stopped in order to aim his gun somewhere. A mix of the latest invention and inner instincts. He always loved his gear. For all the tricks it did. For it's strength. Hyperlaser found himself on the roof of a remote building that he was aiming at about 20 seconds ago. He shortened his path by a kilometer, for sure. The height of the demon did not bother, so he walked to the edge, looking back from the top of the building. After checking the phone again, the mercenary made sure where he was going. He quickly jumped from one roof to another, hiding behind the road signs and numerous signs of the place.

Boombox was currently working in Crossroads.

His studio blended well into the overall picture of the place and was located in one of the tall buildings. Where curious ears and eyes can't reach. Hyperlaser was looking at the building from some low shop, his dark blue suit blending into the walls around, masking the mercenary just fine. All he had to do was jump onto the iron ladder at the edge of the building and creak higher, climbing closer and closer to the open window. Another strange trick with the help of his gun - and now, he has achieved his goal.
The open studio welcomed the guest with a calm atmosphere of coffee coloured walls flooded with sunlight on one side. Everything was perfect and in its place here. It was impossible to even think that a disconsolate music lover was working in this studio, writing tons of sheets over and over again. Folders rested in cupboards next to stacked musical instruments. In the middle of the studio were a pair of sofas surrounding a table, a huge soundboard and a partition separating the recording studio from the rest of the room. Everything was ... Calm. Peaceful. For a second, the mercenary could even forget that he was on a mission and felt like a happy fan who had the honor of getting into the office of his favorite star.
Speaking of the star, Laser shifted his gaze to the center of the room in order to see another demon sitting with his back to him on the sofas and writing something on a piece of paper. His boombox rested next to him on soft pillows, while its owner continued to calmly mumble something under his nose and write down. He seemed inspired. Finally, the muse he had been waiting for for months came to him. Finally, he could enjoy what he was doing. And this made Hyperlaser freeze, clutching the strap from the case. He froze, not making a sound since his appearance, glaring at the back of the guy he was going to kill. Boombox either did not notice his arrival at all, or simply followed their "script" and ignored the mercenary. But immediately the man's thoughts were interrupted by a heavy sigh as soon as the musician put down his pencil and straightened up, turning to spot his killer with the edge of his sensor. They looked at each other. Everything inside Hyper shrank. He couldn't breathe. Wanted to say something, but couldn't. He could feel his muscles clenching, a lump forming in his throat, his palms burning painfully as he pulled out his gun and aimed it at Boombox. He hated that smile terribly. The same as on the posters. The same as in battle. Friendly, happy, and natural. The mercenary felt disgusted by the thought. He wanted to end it all.
The musician remained calm. The corners of his lips lifted even higher as soon as Laser put his finger on the trigger. They were only a moment away from the end of it all. In a moment, it will all be over. For both of them. For the whole world. Everything will be forgotten. All the pain, all the suffering, all that Boombox told Laser during their dialogue - everything will be left behind. And the guy was so happy with this thought that he couldn't resist shedding a couple of sweet tears, continuing to watch as the mercenary sawed at him through his helmet. He wanted to thank him. He wanted to do something. It was such a pity that they would not be able to spend even more time together, that Boombox would not be able to fully repay Hyperlaser with the same care and comfort.

But 60k bux is 60k bux.

A second later, a laser shot rang out and the musician was lying on the table, soiling his notes with a slowly spreading stain of blood. The sugary smile did not leave his face even when his sensor turned completely black, losing contact due to the shot that passed through it. Mercenary waited a couple of seconds for everything to settle down and slowly, almost stealthily, approached the table. He looked at Boombox with disgust and regret. Such a short, miserable life. And it was so sweet to take it away that Hyper was even scared of himself. He had rarely felt so good about killing. He felt even better when he picked up the notes for the metal song and the pack. Exactly 60k bux. He can have a great drink with that money. Laser also looked at the incomprehensible set of notes, already stained with blood, imagining who to give them to so that he could hear them. Still, a little music at the last can not interfere.

The next day, Hyperlaser was busy in the morning. After all, their deal with Boombox was not official. The affairs of Subspace were more important, no matter how much the mercenary did not want to realize it. While helping to pull out the fragments of Biografts from the test chamber all morning after another experiment, Hyper couldn't help but think about Boombox. He was probably waiting for him now. He dreamed of how a mercenary would quietly put a bullet in his temple and never appear in Crossroads again until the next mission. Two opposite feelings appeared in the demon's chest from this thought. On the one hand, he was not ashamed of his work. He felt no pity. He was ready to kill another victim.

But was he? He didn't know anything about their goals. Just the way they looked. Maximum their work. Never went into details, didn't want to associate himself with those he killed. He didn't want to think that his whole life was built on corpses. Didn't want to think about someone else's happiness, which he had taken away. A lump immediately formed in Laser's stomach as soon as he thought about it, but he immediately shook his head, returning to work. It's easy to live when you don't care.

Now he cared. That damn musician had told him so much last night that Hyperlaser had barely slept, thinking about how he could get to the guy and finally kill him. The man grumbled all night, suffered in bed, but did not take his phone. He was sick of the idea that he was someone's babysitter. He realized that he was burdened by thoughts about someone else's fate. That it would be better if he refused to listen to all this and just took the money for the work, and in the morning went and put a bullet in Boombox's temple. But now he couldn't. Not only because he was busy collecting the remains of robots and listening to the raspy voice of the boss, but also because something was stopping him.

Pity. Pity stopped him. A feeling that Laser didn't want to admit to himself. He thought he had buried it ever since all his family died. But life continued to prove the opposite to him. First, out of pity, he picked up Princess from the street and gave her a house in this damn hole called Blackrock, and now he felt sorry for the musician with his miserable life. Someone who was supposed to set an example to others with his attitude and smile, even though he really needed help. Someone who has been treated so wrongly by life. And Hyperlaser saw himself in this guy. He had no choice and became a predator. Boombox had no choice and became a victim.

But maybe there was a choice after all.

***

[@CoolBoxXD]: Hyperlaser?

It was sunset outside. Laser was sitting in the dining room of their organization almost alone, finishing a cup of strong coffee and tapping his fingers on the table. The man picked up the phone after seeing the cherished dialogue. Boombox. He ignored thoughts about this guy all day and never showed up for their scheduled "meeting."

[@CoolBoxXD]: Uh, I don't know, maybe you're busy
[@CoolBoxXD]: I just wanted to ask if you would come

The blue-horned demon rubbed the end of his helmet instead of his chin, thinking what to say. He didn't mean to be rude. He understood that the guy on the other end was eager to hear the cherished "I'll be there soon." "It's going to be over soon." And Hyper didn't want to give him hope for that, but he also didn't want to disappoint.

[@Hyperlaser]: I was busy with Subspace. Our deal is not official, the boss does not know about all this and did not let me go anywhere.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Okay, I get it
[@CoolBoxXD]: Good luck at work!! :☆

There was a moment of silence and Hyperlaser raised his eyebrows slightly. The excitement began to play in him again. The excitement of communicating with a suicide.

[@Hyperlaser]: You don't give a damn about my luck. And about me. Why do you care?

The dialogue seemed to have stopped. The other person did not answer, and this forced the mercenary to return to his coffee until finally the notification sound sounded.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I do care
[@CoolBoxXD]: I've been thinking about you all day
[@CoolBoxXD]: About how you're going to kill me
[@CoolBoxXD]: I almost started praying for you
[@CoolBoxXD]: You know, our conversation yesterday made me smile while I was crying in bed. Today I was able to write a complete song
[@CoolBoxXD]: You're still coming to pick it up, aren't you?

[@Hyperlaser]: I'll be there.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Thank you
[@CoolBoxXD]: Thank you...
[@CoolBoxXD]: I can't wait.

[@Hyperlaser]: You're terribly nasty when you talk about it.

The man couldn't help but comment. Something inside him clicked. He wanted to beat on pity. Perhaps to make Boombox feel even worse, or perhaps to give him a formal slap in the face and force him to open his eyes.

[@CoolBoxXD]: .

[@CoolBoxXD]: Sorry, I'll try to find better words.
[@CoolBoxXD]: Just...
[@CoolBoxXD]: I
[@CoolBoxXD]: I don't know anymore.

The mercenary raised an eyebrow, and a flood of messages came in, causing him to squeeze his phone in surprise.

[@CoolBoxXD]: You listened to me
[@CoolBoxXD]: I fucking felt better, imagine
[@CoolBoxXD]: I was so glad
[@CoolBoxXD]: I was able to sleep that night for the first time in three days
[@CoolBoxXD]: I was thinking that I meant something to you
[@CoolBoxXD]: That you'll get drunk later on the money from my murder
[@CoolBoxXD]: That you'll listen to my songs

[@CoolBoxXD]: That you care about me

[@CoolBoxXD]: And it hurt so much
[@CoolBoxXD]: Like
[@CoolBoxXD]: I
[@CoolBoxXD]: I don't want to die knowing that someone thinks of me
[@CoolBoxXD]: I don't care if you hate me or not
[@CoolBoxXD]: Are you going to kill or have you already changed your mind
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm just pleased with the fact that you've at least considered my offer
[@CoolBoxXD]: I thought you'd shut me up the first message
[@CoolBoxXD]: Or that Subspace at least will send a group of assassins at me and they will finish me off
[@CoolBoxXD]: And I was getting scared
[@CoolBoxXD]: I don't want to die.
[@CoolBoxXD]: I
[@CoolBoxXD]: I want the eternally smiling and kind Boombox to die
[@CoolBoxXD]: But I don't want to die
[@CoolBoxXD]: I'm sorry, really
[@CoolBoxXD]: I feel terrible, I feel like I'm going to throw up from my own words
[@CoolBoxXD]: And you don't have to hear all this, I'm acting like a pig when I dump so much on you

[@CoolBoxXD]: But you're the only one who just listened to me
[@CoolBoxXD]: You keep answering me even if you're exhausted
[@CoolBoxXD]: You spent so much time with me yesterday, when you could have just fallen asleep and shot me in the morning
[@CoolBoxXD]: And I don't understand why
[@CoolBoxXD]: I am not worthy to be wasted on me
[@CoolBoxXD]: I thought I was pathetic and you'd be happy to end it with me

Hyperlaser did not know how to stop this flow. He could tell by the number and frequency of messages that Boombox was hysterical. He was clearly emotional. Crying at the other end. The mercenary shrank down, grimacing in his chair, and tried to write an answer faster than the interlocutor. His hands were starting to burn with pain and tearing emotions.

[@Hyperlaser]: I won't kill you.

There was a deathly silence. Even the wind could not be heard because of the large window of the cafeteria. Laser was left alone with his thoughts and this pathetic suicide. And he felt just as suicidal while he was trying to change his mind.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I'll pay you, don't think about it.
[@CoolBoxXD]: I have already prepared the money

The mercenary grimaced, snorting in displeasure from under his helmet and typing an answer with heavy fingers. How he hated Boombox. No, that's what the Boombox has turned into. And he wanted to see the best of him.

[@Hyperlaser]: I don't care about the money. I don't need a black profit. I'm not going to kill you.

[@CoolBoxXD]: Why

[@CoolBoxXD]: WHY

[@Hyperlaser]: Listen, shut up.

The mercenary was running out of patience. He took off, leaving the cup on the table and headed out of the cafeteria. He glanced at the phone from time to time, wincing at each message. What a pity.

[@CoolBoxXD]: WHY THE HELL
[@CoolBoxXD]: AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO KILL ME??

[@Hyperlaser]: Dear SFOTH. 20k from above and I'm heading out now.

Laser was lying. He was already on his way to the subway stop, ignoring the cold around him and focusing all his attention on the phone.

[@CoolBoxXD]: I'll pay
[@CoolBoxXD]: Take all my money

[@CoolBoxXD]: Just please come
[@CoolBoxXD]: I can't do this anymore

***

It was already dark outside as soon as the Hyperlaser reached the studio. The windows were closed. The lights are out. The man cursed under his breath, realizing that Boombox was somewhere at home, and not in the studio. Well, he'll have to stretch his tired legs and walk to his hotel. Thanks to Blackrock technologies that Hyper was able to find this place. Celebrities are so secretive.
The man jumped onto the roof of a nearby building and aimed his gun at the right window of the hotel. After a couple of seconds, he was inside, almost waddling over the windowsill. Thanks to his gun for such tricks. However, now it's time to remove it. The mercenary slung the weapon back into its case and looked around. The lights were off. What he not even in the apartment? Laser strained his eyes, trying to make out the darkness and slowly exiting the small kitchen. He was met by a small corridor. The man barely read the inscription "bedroom" on one of the doors and put his hand on the handle, quietly turning it. The door gave way and opened soundlessly. He was immediately greeted by a light-filled room, in the middle of which Boombox was lying on the bed. There was an unpleasant smell of iron coming from him, which made the other demon grimace a little. The musician raised his head and froze, looking at the mercenary with big eyes. His sensor was expressing shock. And happiness. Hyperlaser remained motionless. Boombox, without looking away, slowly climbed down from the bed onto the blood-soaked blanket crumpled on the floor. He held onto his wrists, looking the blue-horned demon up and down. A distorted, pathetic smile slowly spread across the musician's face.

But then the mercenary took a step forward and Boombox felt himself in an embrace. Neat one. Tense, because the mercenary did not know how to properly hug people, and did not want to squeeze the already frightened demon even more. Boombox froze, a couple of tears rolled down his face as he leaned slightly over the shoulder of the mercenary before burrowing into it and clutching the man's jacket in his hands.

"I'm not going to kill you." Hyperlaser whispered, pressing the musician's head to his shoulder and involuntarily shrinking from displeasure when he felt a wet spot on his jacket due to someone else's tears. Damn, how could HE possibly calm someone down? But it seemed that the Boombox just needed his care. After all, Laser understood that he was the only one who knew such deep things about him. "...You need help."

"Thank you." All that the green-horned demon could squeeze out of himself, choking in tears of happiness and squeezing into someone else's sturdy figure.