Jasper leaned in toward me, clearly not wanting to let the quickly deteriorating catgirl hear. “Potent poison. Tailored for her considering she has such a high tolerance for the stuff. Mind you I’ve tried poisoning her before.” Jasper was rather calm, despite the situation. “A mix of Tiger Lily toxin - and ricin.”

“You’re a diseased animal.” I spat, and shoved the man back against the wall, lightly. I knew I might need him later. The guard with the broken leg writhed on the floor, clutching his ruine limb. The other was still and silent.

I turned and crouched next to Ayaka, catching her face between my hands. Her eyes didn’t look quite focused, and she had already begun sweating significantly. I knew little of poisons and their remedies. Fortunately, I had a specialist right in front of me.

“Tiger Lily, and ricin,” I told her, smoothing her sweat-slicked hair back. “What do you need to fix it?”

Her eyes widened and a bitter laugh broke her trembling lips. “F-f-f-funeral.” She muttered.

“What?” I growled. “No.” I lifted her in my arms and laid her on the bed, and then rounded on the grinning Jasper. “There must be an antivenom.” I reasoned. “You wouldn’t have kept that poison around without one. What do you want for it?”

“That, my dear Breaker,” the rat of a man replied, “is something of a long story.”