We Don't Trade Lives

Do we...really have to do this?

As I lay on the cold, steel plate, looking up at the dreadfully pitiful face in the reflection above me, I start to tread off in thought. Maybe it was the poison, maybe it was me trying to escape the hellish reality I was in. Either way, it doesn't change what will happen. The press will come down. I won't even be able to scream when the metal plates crash together as my blood spews across the Exisal hanger. But...at least it's quick. At least I won't be in pain anymore. Pain from the poison, from this Killing Game, from what I've done. It'll all be over. My HP's too low. I don't have enough health to beat the final boss. I chose the wrong path, and I need a reset. Because now... it's game over. But maybe I can still win. Hand someone else the controls to play the rest for me. Someone with better stats than I have. Maybe then...I can get a victory.

I had a good run, but I screwed it up. I'd rather chose to die now than keep going and give the enemy the kill.

'Wow, I've got some serious issues to be comparing what's happening to a video game...'

. . .

Wait...

How long has it been...?

"H-Hey dumbass... y-you... die on me already or s-somethin'...?"

. . .

"...Kaito?"

I prop my elbows on the jacket I'm laying on and try to sit up to see where he is, but I wasn't strong enough and ended up falling back down, hitting my head against the steel plate. A loud bang rings out across the deathly silent hanger, but, for some reason, it...doesn't really hurt.
'I bet the poisons making me go numb...'
I hear scrambling coming towards me. I shift my eyes over to where the noise is coming from, and there he is.

Right next to me.

"H-Hey...you okay?" He asks, a look of worry on his face.

At this point, my mind is spinning. 'What the hell is he doing here?! I told him to press the button already!'

"H-Hey...! Now's n...not the time to play h-hero...! I'm gonna die anyway... D-Don't worry a-about me r-right now...!"

Kaito has this look of pain and guilt, which pisses me off. 'Now's not the time to feel sorry for yourself! All you have to do is press the damn button!'

"Do we...really have to do this?"

. . .

WHAT?!

Is that a serious question?!

I look up at him with an expression which I can only imagine looks like I was just asked the dumbest question in the world based on him recoiling defensively. "D-Do you think I w-would be sitting here... dying... if there was any other option...?"

He looks away, probably because he knows I'm gonna look at him like he's an idiot for whatever else comes out of his mouth.

"I was just... thinking..."

"K-Kaito...we all know th-that's not...your s-specialty...so leave the th-thinking to m-me..."

"Do you have another antidote?"

. . .

...Huh?

That's too stupid of a question for him to ask without a reason...

"W-What...the hell are you t-talking about?"

Kaito looks back at me. "I always see you bringin' a bunch of random shit back to your room. And I swear I saw you with a bunch of poisons and antidotes from Shuichi's lab. Did you grab an antidote for the Strike-9 poison?"