A First Love

Breaking news! A comatose man has been discovered at Elzion Airport!

It is believed that he was a worker on his way to an airdock to prepare for a shipment. His identity has yet to be confirmed...

Comatose? That sounds serious.

Doctors from ElziMed Hospital are currently on their way to determine the cause of the coma.

ElziMed Hospital, huh...?

Something bothering you?

N-No! Nothing really.

We have just received new information! It appears that there is evidence of injections on the patient's body!

Authorities had been treating this as an accident up until now. However, it is clear that this is no accident. This does, however, raise concerns about the doctors who have been sent to the scene...

I don't much like the sound of that.

You too? I didn't like the way that all sounded either. They said it happened at Elzion Airport, right? Let's get over there too!

I told you already, stop using that syringe. They told us we need to be careful that we don't leave any evidence.

Like those feeble-minded humans are ever going to notice! Even if they did, just what do you expect they can do about it? I reckon we should just put every single one of them to sleep with this toxin!

Even so, someone's coming!

Wh-What the heck are Synth Humans doing here?!

Hmm? From the look of those uniforms, I'd say you're all doctors, eh?

Oh that's good! If we do in a few doctors that should really get the pitiful humans all panicked and fearful. Come on then, time for your shots. No, no, don't be scared. It'll just be like going to sleep, but you never have to wake up again.

You two! Make sure none of our patients try to escape now!

Why must every mission with you end like this? Fine, quick grab them!

Ahhh!

Shut up already! It's not like anyone's coming to save you out here.

That's enough!

Wha...

Wh-What happened?!

This looks like trouble we don't need right now. Let's get out of here!

Th-Thank you! You really saved us from a tight spot there.

Save the thanks for later! They're saying on the news that the guy they found had syringe marks! The Synth Humans are the ones behind the comatose man incident!

You're sure about that?! In that case, we must hurry back to the hospital posthaste and inform the doctors examining him!

Please make sure this child is properly thanked for his help. We will make our way back to the hospital now!

Got it!

So, are you guys hunters or something? Either way, thanks for saving us back there.

Wait, are you...?

Oh, is that...?

Dewey! It's you isn't it? I can't believe how long it's been!

No way!

Umm, do you know each other?

I work at the hospital that Dewey was a patient at until recently. Course, I haven't seen him since he was discharged.

You were in the hospital, Dewey?

Umm... Yeah, kinda.

Oh, okay. That explains why you don't know much about where things are in Elzion then.

Oh no! Dewey, I'm so sorry! I hadn't realized you weren't talking about it. And there I go opening my big mouth. So unthoughtful of me.

Haha. Don't worry about it. I was gonna tell Aldo about it sooner or later. There just hasn't been a good time to say it yet, you know?

Really? Phew. I'm glad to hear that. I really should be more careful with patient confidentiality. Anyway, you look like you've gotten so much better now! And again, thank you so much for rescuing us.

Not to mention how cool you were doing it. You're just like one of those heroes from the movies!

Haha. Nah, I'm, umm...nothing like that...

Oh, your face is looking a little flushed, are you feeling okay?

Urgh, ha, ha... I-I-I-I...

Dewey! You're getting even redder! I think you overdid it fighting those Synth Humans. Here, let me check.

You know, I think he'll probably be fine. If anything, you might want to just give him some room to calm down.

Oh, really?

I thought I was going to dry up completely there for a second...

It was kinda painful watching you when you got surrounded by those girls from the dorm, too.

Oh, I almost forgot! I need to get back to the hospital!

W-Well, how about we, err, come with you?

Sounds like an good idea.

Hey, you look kind of familiar... Yeah! You were the one who defeated Galliard, right?

Wow, Dewey! You've got yourself some pretty amazing friends! I'd be honored if you'd come with me back to the hospital. In fact, I have something I might need your help with.

Thanks for coming with me! I was still a little scared walking around alone after that attack by the Synth Humans.

The hospital isn't far from here. I'll show you where it is, just no dawdling, okay?

We're here. Come on in.

Is this what I think it is?

All patients that have been brought in after falling into a comatose state.

Has he been like this the whole time?

Unfortunately, yes.

I don't tend to brag, but this hospital has some of Elzion's best on its medical team. In fact, most of them are residents here. Even with all of their combined knowledge, we couldn't figure out the cause of the comas, let alone get them to wake up. It gives me shivers just thinking if we hadn't been lucky enough to find the syringe marks. The Synth Humans have progressed their biological knowledge into terrifying areas in seems.

But thanks to the discovery of the syringe marks, we now know that a toxin was directly administered into the patients' bodies. Examination reports claim that the patients without needle marks were made to inhale a similar substance, so as to not leave a trace.

Yet, we still are no closer to finding out exactly what that substance is. As a medical professional, I am failing my patients.

Doctor, don't say that! You're doing everything you can to help these people. If anything, you should make sure you don't get sick. How many days has it even been since you last slept?

Thank you. But don't worry about me. For the time being, please keep talking to the patients, I know they can hear you, even now.

Ok...

Hey there. Could you, you know, wake up please? I'm starting to get worried, okay?

Is he your...

Yes.

Oh... So you'd be real happy if they found a way to save him, huh?

Don't worry! I'll find a way to wake him up!

What?!

Hey there, Doctor. What kind of thing would you need to help make these people better again?

Eh? Ah, hmm... I suppose if we knew what the toxin was made from, we could start thinking about producing an antitoxin.

Wait! These are Synth Humans we're talking about. Don't go giving him any ideas, it's too dangerous!

Haha. Just leave it to me! I've been waiting for a chance to pay you back for everything you've done for me anyway!

Please, Dewey, don't go. If I lost you as well, I...I don't know what I'd do.

Have some faith! I'm done with being protected all the time!

I don't know...

You know, I've been traveling with Dewey for a while now. He's more than capable of handling himself.

......

Fine. But you have to promise me that you'll make it back in one piece, okay?

It's not like I had anything else in mind!

If we're going looking for Synth Humans, then I suppose our best bet's gonna be the Industrial Ruins.

Good call. Okay, well enough talk, let's get over to the Industrial Ruins!

What's the plan? We can't very well tell them that we just run away from the humans with our synthesizers between our legs.

We just have to take them out. We get together some strong Synths, and go tie up all the loose ends.

Right...

Take who out exactly?

It's them!

Come and have a go, if you think you're tough enough, Synth!

It's almost like you don't want to live anymore. Well, I'm not complaining. You've saved us the trouble of going out looking for you. After we tuck you in, we'll just need to find those doctors, and that nurse, and put them to sleep as well. Agateram, make yourself useful!

Ah!

Take this!

Brought to our knees by the likes of these pathetic humans!

Okay! Now we can take this back to the hospital so they can start making a cure. There's no time to lose, let's get back to Elzi...

Dewey!

That voice... It's the Professor!

Zekir! You were caught too?

Yeah. Long time no see. Never thought I'd find you in a place like this.

...... Professor, you know...there's been something I've been meaning to tell you.

I've had some things I wanted to say too... But the situation must be urgent. If you have access to the undiluted solution of the toxic substance...

Right... There's someone I need to help now. Let's talk about personal things later. Let's go back to Elzion, Aldo.

Dewey? Well, well, I almost didn't believe my eyes.

That voice!

But there's no mistaking it. Dewey, look how you've grown.

Umm... Were you being held by the Synth Humans or something?

Aldo, I almost forgot you were there! This is the Professor, he's one of the most advanced researchers there is. You know I'd been in the hospital up until recently, right? Well, his work is the whole reason why I was ever able to get out of the hospital. I owe my life to him!

Dewey, that's all very nice for my scientist's ego and all. But really I didn't do anything.

And, in fact, you really saved me back there. I was getting pretty desperate.

Trust the Synth Humans to capture someone as smart as the Professor! With you helping them, it's no surprise they were able to make up some crazy toxin so fast.

Wow. You're kind of a big deal then?

You bet he is! Right, Professor?

I think you're exaggerating a bit, Dewey.

Oh, Professor! You don't have to be so modest! It's all true after all.

Well, we got the toxic material that the doctors need. Let's go back to Elzion together.

Hey, Professor.

......

I've wanted to ask you something for a while. I've met the Professor from the other time layer and learned his ambitions. If that means that the Professor can go down that path...

Right... I am...

Dewey! Aldo! You made it back to Elzion! I couldn't bear just waiting around, so I've been walking around waiting for you to come back. What the? You are...

I'm sorry, but it looks like we'll have to do this another time. But Dewey, if you want the truth, I'm not going to hide it from you. In time, you will know. There are many things that life carries with it...

Huh?

Oh, right, before I forget. I have to leave this to you all.

What's this?

It's a serum to alleviate the symptoms of the coma brought on by that terrible toxin. It will safely bring people back to consciousness.

That... You made that remedy in just a moment?!

What? It's no big deal to me. I know you have your own feelings about this, but I also want to save the lives before me. At least make me useful.

Professor...

I'm surprised. I didn't expect you to be here. What's that? Is that the undiluted solution of the toxic substance?

So you see, I didn't just get better, I can even control the steam now!

Very interesting indeed. It's possible that you obtained those powers after overcoming your illness...

Well we're back to safety now. What are you going to do now?

It seems you still have some errands left. I think I'll make myself busy doing nothing.

Oh, okay. If you say so...

But I must say, Dewey. I am so glad you made it through everything. I was beginning to think the whole experiment was a failure.

Failure?! What are you talking about? Everyone was saved thanks to your hard work.

Since I was the last one to wake up, everyone had already been discharged from the hospital. I wonder if I'll ever meet any of them again.

I wouldn't mind seeing their faces again either. Oh, that's right. I think I'll entrust this to you two.

What's this?

It's a serum to alleviate the symptoms of the coma brought on by that terrible toxin. It will safely bring people back to consciousness.

Whoa! Did you just... Did you make that just now?!

I hope you can make use of it. Well, I'll take my leave here.

Professor! Thank you so much! Everyone's gonna be so relieved when we bring them the cure!

Dewey! Aldo! You made it back to Elzion! I couldn't bear just waiting around, so I've been walking around waiting for you to come back.

So did you get a sample of the toxin?

Something way better! We got the anti-toxin! Of course we also found a sample of the toxic material that contains the toxin too.

Really?! That's amazing, Dewey!

Thank you so much, really, from the bottom of my heart. I love you!

L-L-L-Love me?! Umm...what? Eh? Umm...

But I didn't make it you know. The Professor did and...

B-But I didn't make it you know. The Professor did!

......

The Professor?

Hey, what's the matter?

Dewey, do you remember what I told you when you were discharged from the hospital?

Of course I do! You said that with my life comes great responsibility. What about it?

No never mind. Sorry I brought that up all of a sudden. Let's hurry back to the hospital. Everyone will be waiting on the arrival of their little heroes!

Amazing! So you really did find an anti-toxin. If I hadn't seen the tests with my own eyes, I'd never have believed it would work so fast. And how it manages to circumvent any negative side affects is completely beyond me!

The Professor's power is undeniable.

You gotta hand it to the Professor, he knows his stuff!

I don't see any problems with going straight ahead and administering this to patients. Time is of the essence, after all.

Ugh... Where am I?

It worked! It really worked. You finally woke up!

You're in hospital, you've been here for some time now. Don't you remember anything?

Not a thing. I just have the feeling that I've been stuck in a nightmare for the longest time. But I could hear somebody calling out to me the whole time.

You don't need to worry about any of that now. You're awake now, that's all that matters.

Yeah... I suppose you're right.

Oh! I'm just so happy you're okay though! For a while I was starting to think you'd never wake up. I was getting really worried.

Looks like everyone else affected by that poison has woken up too. Dewey, and, Aldo, was it? I don't know if I can ever thank you both enough.

Don't mention it! All I wanted was to give back for all the help I had when I was in the hospital.

But there's one thing I gotta know. Just exactly how long was I asleep for?

Hehe. Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. There's time left until the wedding.

Wedding?

Who's getting married?

This man and myself, of course.

Wha?

WHAAAT?!

But really, thank you ever so much. You saved my fiancée's life.

Fiancée, huh?

It's kinda embarrassing to admit now, but I've always liked older guys.

O-Older...

Actually, we've know each other for quite a while now. He was my first, and hopefully, my last love.

Your...first love? Ohhh, I don't feel too good...

You okay there, Dewey?

......

Con...gratulations, and all that. I'm happy for you.

Thanks, Dewey.

Listen, mister. You better make sure you make her the happiest girl ever, okay? You gotta promise.

Wait. Do you...

Never mind. I read you loud and clear. Man to man.

Okay, well, I'm gonna head off now. See ya later!

That was really big of you, Dewey.

Nah, it was nothing.

Hey, let's go have something to eat over at the tavern. It's on me this time. Have whatever you want.

......

Well, if you really insist. I suppose I can keep you company if you want.

Haha, thanks. I appreciate it. I'll head on in now, and see you there, okay?

*sigh* Bye now. I wish you nothing but happiness. My first love.

They really saved me a lot of trouble. I thought I was going to have to wrap things up when the Synth Humans began their rampaging. I mean I nearly called it a day on the Nano Machine experiments...

It's time for you to know your fate, Dewey. My wonderful, perfect specimen. Knowing the truth will only push along your evolution. Something I very much want to witness.

But just you wait, Dewey. My precious lab rat.

I have no doubt that our paths will cross again. In a future closer than you think.

I have no doubt that our paths will cross again. In a future closer than you think.