yoglabs - no one lives forever

"Lalna? Are you okay?"
With a grunt, Lalna propped himself up on his elbows. He blinked his eyes open, trying to focus on the floor beneath him. A smear of blood came into focus and he groaned, bringing his hand to his head. His elbow gave out underneath him and he collided with the floor again.
Hands grabbed him and pulled him up, propping him against the wall. His vision focused into the dark eyes of Honeydew.
"Jesus, Lalna!" he exclaimed, pushing hair out of the scientist’s face. "What the hell happened?!"
A hoarse chuckle escaped from Lalna’s lips. “You better get out of here before Xephos catches you,” he muttered, absentmindedly rubbing his sore jaw.
Bastard got me good, he thought to himself bitterly.
"What do you mean, ‘before Xephos catches me’?" The dwarf’s eyes travelled down to his throat. "Fuck," he breathed in surprise.
Quickly, Lalna’s hands went to his zipper and zipped his labcoat back up to his neck. “Leave,” he urged him.
"Xephos didn’t…do this to you, did he?"
With a flash of irritation, he grabbed the dwarf by his shoulders. “Leave!” he hissed. The intensity proved to be too much, and he broke away coughing, each cough sending flares of pain through his ribcage. He moaned in pain.
Honeydew pushed his hands away. “I’m not leaving until you explain what happened!”
He laughed weakly. “I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” He met Honeydew’s eyes. “…you think I’m kidding.”
The dwarf blinked in confusion. “What-“
"Honeydew?"
"I warned you," Lalna whispered. Honeydew glanced at him nervously.
"What are you -?" Xephos rounded the corner, eyes falling on the two. "…Oh."
Honeydew wasted no time. “What the hell is going on here, Xephos? Why is Lalna so trashed? Why doesn’t he want to be caught with me?!” He marched up to the spaceman, rising onto his tiptoes to give himself some height.
"Somebody better start talking!" he demanded.
Xephos sighed. “Calm down, Honeyd-“
"I will not be calm! Look at him!"
Xephos glanced over to where Lalna sat. “Can you stand?” he asked calmly. His eyes glittered dangerously.
Lalna rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the ground. . His legs were unsteady underneath him and he felt dizzy, but he still managed to nod, leaning against the wall for support.
"See? He’s fine."
"Fine?! When I got here, he could barely sit up!"
He could see Xephos bite his tongue. He sighed. He was in so much shit. His body still ached, and his fingers were cold as ice. He vaguely wondered how long he had been out for.
"Fine, we’ll examine him." He pointed at the scientist. "Go help him off the wall."
Honeydew turned to obey, but the unmistakable sound of Xephos’ pistol stopped him dead in his tracks. He turned around immediately.
"Xe-"
Lalna pressed himself into the wall before he could hear the gun go off. He felt blood splattering across his labcoat and he felt sick.
The thud of a body invited him to turn back around. He glanced at Honeydew’s corpse.
Clean shot. Instant death.
Xephos was still breathing heavily, gun by his side. He looked up at Lalna, fury painted in his eyes.
"I should kill you too," he hissed.
The scientist laughed weakly. “And waste the rest of the day making two new clones?”
"Maybe I won’t bring you back this time."
"You need me."
He kicked Honeydew’s corpse. “I need him, too!” he spat.
Lalna grinned. “That’s a different kind of need.”
The spaceman raised his pistol. “Shut up!” He took a breath to calm himself. “I’ve already had to discipline you once today,” he began, gesturing to his wounds.
Lalna bit back a retort, hand back at his sore jaw.
"So, where do you suppose we go from here?"
"A harsh reprimand?" Lalna suggested.
Xephos glared at him for a few seconds. Eventually he reached some sort of decision and aimed his pistol at Lalna’s foot, firing.
The pain shot up his foot, and he yelped in pain before he could stop himself.
"Get back to work," he growled.
"Yes, sir," Lalna muttered through clenched teeth.
"…Don’t forget, you’re expendable."
"Yes, sir."
He limped down the hall, leaning against the wall. Once he turned the corner, he slid to the floor, pulling off his boot. Blood was flooding out of his damp sock, which slapped against the floor as he pulled it off. Ripping off a part of his labcoat, he tied it tightly around his foot to stop the bleeding. He stared at his foot and sighed.
What could he do? Run away? There was no point. Xephos would find him, and even if he could get away, where would he go? It was pointless.
Expendable.
He laughed. He was more than expendable. He was Yoglabs property.
He didn’t know at the time, when Xephos proposed the idea, when he brought him in with the allure of immortality, that the cost would be any sense of freedom. It was so tempting, and yet…
He was a mess. The dried blood clashed with the fresh, metallic scent choking him, the familiarity of the smell sending shivers down his spine.
He sighed, and pushed himself back off the ground, stumbling a bit on his injured leg.
Back to work, I guess, he thought to himself bitterly. Before he takes out the other foot.