Seth smiled on the truncated cone, he had found his new weapon, one that was perfect for him. He could tell this blade was sharper, lighter and stronger than his original weapon.
"What did they create this out of?" asked Seth as he got down from the truncated cone.
"Just like in the gun it is a new molecular knotted material, impervious to rust and corrosion. The structure allows for the best edge retention so far, even out on the battlefield so not as much sharpening. When you do sharpen it though it will take a while" replied Harold, proud of the weapon in Seth's hands and every other weapon in the shop.
"Looks like a good weapon for sure Seth" replied Mongrel as he eyed the weapon with interest.
Seth looked at his new weapon. He was sure this was going to be his new sword, the way it moved and felt was perfect for him, a marked improvement from his previous saber which was issued by the military to him.
"I think this will make a clean slice through even elites" mumbled Seth under his breath as he returned and collected the scabbard that was made for the sword.
"Is this a new knotted material as well?" Seth asked Harold.
"Yes it is one we are calling steel" Harold said with a facetious smile as he deviously name dropped a regular material such a steel, but Seth was too embarrassed by this point to ask if the joke was genuine or not.
"So what will my new weapon be?" Asked Mongrel in order to break the awkward silence that had descended.
"We have Mongrel style weapons if you would like to follow me"
said Harold as he led Mongrel back through the facility to the general display area.
Mongrel was bussing with excitement at the idea that someone had made a special weapon just for him.
Ultimately he would be disappointed as the "Mongrel Weapon" was in fact not made for Mongrels but just like Mongrels was a failed scout weapon.
"So the normal then" said Mongrel, his disappointment plain on his face.
"The weapon will still be more powerful than normal weapons and this one was going to be a next gen for scouts so it will be more powerful then your current weapons" said Seth in an attempt to cheer up his now melancholy friend.
"The weapon can fire 2000 rounds per minute that can punch through inch thick steel and Druin Gunner's armour in a single shot. This will allow you to be far more effective on the battlefield" Harold stated. Clearly he believed the weapon spoke for itself and would win over Mongrel if he just knew more about it.
"Really?" Mongrel said while looking halfway from the gun to Harold's face.
"What about for elites?" Mongrel added.
"For elites you still need to fire at weak points, but if you cannot do that, 5 seconds of fire from this baby will punch a hole though their shields and another 3 will punch though a chest plate"
"Damn ya are saying I could kill an uninjured Druin Elite"
"100% guaranteed. With this gun you will be able to kill any Druin Elite" replied Harold with a twinkle in his eye, a common sight that was seen almost daily when the topic of Druin death was indulged in.
...
On the way back to the apartment Seth took a detour to the hospital his old friend was in. His mind would not stop gnawing at him until he went to see him. He knew that he would not be awake but he still needed to go see him anyway.
The hospital was big. Large enough to be seen from two blocks away.
The shining spire stood out among the crowded streets. The spike on the top of the tower was obscured by the clouds that had engulfed the city for the last few days, they seemed to not be able to leave, to be stuck on the tall buildings of the city.
The inside of the hospital was a sterile white, a stark difference to what Seth was used to. He was accustomed to being in dark places, waiting hours just to be able to inch closer to his target.
The Nurses required him to wait and for once when he was waiting. He was unsure of why he was anxious, he had always spent a lot of time waiting. Much of the military was waiting. This is what he was used to and yet he could not handle it at this moment. The man behind the sliding door Infront of him was a friend, a father figure who had supported Seth though thick and thin and all he asked in return from Seth was his time and presence, something a lot of people wanted from him for less noble reasons. His protection and statues to name some of the reasons that came to Seth's mind but he was different. It was as if he enjoyed his company no matter if he was complaining or not talking at all.
After hours, just before the hospitals visiting hours had ended Seth was finally ushered into the room. Within was a tank filled with a golden yellow liquid. Tranquil, the liquid was as it held an old mans body, still almost like he was dead already and just being preserved in the liquid.
"How is he?" Asked Seth to the nurse who had lingered next to him. She was short, just barely making it only to his shoulder.
"He will not be able to do this another time. His body is barely responding this time to the treatment, we cannot de age his cells another time"
"How long will this get him" asked Seth as he started to fiddle with his bracelet tucked under his gauntlet.
"Another 5 years maybe if he is lucky and takes all the proper precautions" she said as she looked Seth in the eyes to convey how important his time would be after he was released.
"You must be a good grandson, you are the only one on the list allowed to see him like this" The nurse included as she went over to check his chart.
"I am not related to him by blood, I did always consider him my family, I just... I just did not know if he considered me the same" Seth said under his breath, the tears in his eyes threatening to fall freely.
"He must" was all the Nurse had replied, but it was enough that a single tear broke free from Seth's eyes, running down his cheek.
'That old man always knows just what I need even if he is not conscious, he always did' Seth thought to himself as he replayed their time together. Slowly a smile bloomed onto his face amongst the tears, even in the depths of hell the old man had always brought him back to the light.