Welcome asshats. Enjoy my story. As you are all aware, it should take about 2-3 chapters for this story to really kick it into gear. So please, try to be patient and don't be an asshole like me - who just skim reads until they find a part that involves the shipping characters together. I promise you, I'll keep a 3:2 ratio of sniper/oc moments vs other moments. This chapter is the set up, I tried to keep it as brief as I could and there is a part where all of you will be like "Wait… that's…. oh no… this… this… why does it keep going… oh no… this… this is gonna be good." Read the whole thing and bask in its mediocre wonder!

"Hello. This is Jessie Mayfield. I'd like to request an interview for a job opening at your company. I'm applying for Secretary and Inventory Manager. I'm calling with a reference from Miss Pauling. I've mailed you my resume. Thank you for taking your time to assess me and I hope to speak with you again. Have a good d-" The upbeat recorded voice was cut off by an obnoxious beep as the Administrator pressed her slender finger against the delete button. The angular woman took a deep drag from her cigarette, ashes falling on the papers she was examining. Without taking her eyes off the woman's resume, she opened her mouth to question the smaller woman in the room. "Are you sure you want to vouch for this woman, Miss Pauling?"

"Yes. She is a trustworthy person with little to no family or friends. She's morally ambiguous and sane."

"Hmm." The Administrator was pleased to hear that. "And are you sure she is fit for this job?" Her eyes scanned over the woman's past careers: Secretary for Appt. Core, Secretary for Black Widow Corp., Maid for Lorie's Cleaning Services. Additional Skills and Experience: six years' experience with Letter Software, First Aid certificate, Gun Safety Certificate, and approved Secretary's Certification.

"I can assure you, she is qualified and can handle what we give her."

The Administrator yanked her desk drawer open and filed away the woman's resume among the many other personal documents about the woman. "Tell her she's got an interview. Make sure she brings her things here, I don't need her to waste my time having to go back to collect her belongings."

"Of course." With that, Miss Pauling pulled out her blocky phone and walked out of the room as she made her call.

The lean woman, now alone in her office, sighed.

Jessie opened her eyes to see the change of environment that appeared outside the bus window. Not only did she notice that, but she also noticed the oil mark her face left on the glass. Embarrassed, she attempted to wipe off the smudge with her fitted sleeve. After adjusting in her seat she finally stopped to examine the outdoors – it was a never ending horizon of dirt and desert shrubbery. 'Should I have brought sunscreen?' Her brows furrowed as she stared at the heat waves rippling off the ground. 'No… I'll be inside all day. It's just an indoor job, they won't be putting me outside.' She rubbed her arm as she reassured herself that her fears would not be challenged. Pulling her eyes away from the dreadful landscape, she examined the bus and discovered she was the only one there aside from the driver. Military based corporations were usually in the middle of no-where, so this did not phase the woman. No, instead she was looking at her watch wondering how long she had her face slammed up against the window. 'Three hours. Just two more to go.' A deep regretful sigh escaped her lungs. 'Why am I doing all of this… just for an interview?' Flashbacks to her last six months of unemployment gave her her answer. She flashed a pensive frown at her own reflection in the glass. "Please God, let me get this job."

Two hours passed and the bus finally stopped, squeaky breaks and all. Jessie collected her luggage and hopped out of the vehicle. She turned to look at the driver and wave him off. "Thank you sir! Have a nice day!"

"You too lil' lady!" With that he closed the doors and drove off.

Jessie turned around to see nothing but dirt, desert, mountains, and cliffs. 'Where the hell is this place?!'

She pulled out her map.

"Oh, for fuck sakes!" The map displayed that the building she needed to get to was 3 miles off the road. "Fuck this job already." Jessie looked down the road where the bus went, but it was nowhere to be seen. Arguing with herself on what to do for five minutes, she finally stopped and grabbed her suit case. Her feet faced the path and that's the direction she started walking in.

"The things I do just to get an interview… why couldn't we have an interview on the phone? Why could they not have their headquarters in the middle of flat fucking-cactus filled-goddamn-hot-as-fuck- fucking nowhere!?" Jessie couldn't help but laugh at herself in this situation, but the positive turned to negative as the crippling isolation became dangerously apparent to her. The openness and lack of people started to affect her immediately. 'It's just a little walk and you'll be there in no time.' She walked in silence as she tried to calm herself. 'Just a little walk and you'll be fine.' She looked up at her endless path ahead and her fear turned to anger. 'Why am I doing this? Why would they even accept me for this job? I couldn't even get any of those other jobs. Nobody wanted to hire me. No one will ever hire me. I'm going to have to go back home and clean houses for the rest of my life.' Her body felt heavy as the never-ending berating comments continued. She could physically feel herself getting disheartened and once she was consciously aware of it, she mentally slapped herself.

"No. I'm going to get this job! I'm going to walk there, ace that interview, and get the job!" She smiled and was no longer focusing on the open and aloneness of her environment. Instead she was focused on the path ahead and what may await in her future.

"Who else would show this much dedication for an interview? That should definitely mean something to them." The sun shined on her, not because it was a sign that she was thinking more positively, but because she was in the middle of a blistering dessert where the sun shined on things till they died of dehydration.

"They asked for this interview for a reason and it was to see if I was fit for the job. And you know what? I am fit for this job. I can do this!" As she mentally prepped herself up, as if on cue, the tip of the Mann. Co headquarters could be seen peaking over the horizon.

"I can do th-!" Jessie was cut off by the sudden awkward impact her foot had when making contact with the ground. The heel of her shoe broke making her lose her footing and sending her straight on her bum. After the dust settled and the shock wore off, Jessie laughed at herself. 'Of course… in any point of my life, why would that not happen now?' She tore the broken shoe off and went digging in her suit case for another pair.

Another mile in another pair of shoes, a sweaty sticky Jessie made it to the foot of the building. Panting and nearly leaning over the extended handle of her suitcase, Jessie paused before the staircase. 'Okay, now to catch my breath and look presentable for the inter-'

"Miss Mayfield!" Miss Pauling burst out of the doors and walked down the steps with her hand extended out. Jessie, although excited to see another human, hesitated to shake her hand unsure why her own relative was being so formal and using last names.

"Oh! Miss Pauling." She slowly enunciated her cousin's last name while shaking her hand.

Miss Pauling offered a faint smile and addressed Jessie's confusion. "It's best to use last names right now. They are fairly… professional here." She just barely got the word 'professional' out before her brain stopped her from uttering something so untrue and ridiculous.

Jessie sucked in a breath. "Ah, okay." And then she let it out as she relaxed into a less reserved persona.

"Wow… I thought I'd never see you again. You never show up at any family get-togethers! I mean… there's barely anyone at them so it doesn't help when you're not there."

Miss Pauling sighed with a frown and rubbed her neck. "Yeah, sorry about that. This job can get busy at times, and finding any free time is pretty much…" Miss. Pauling's mind drifted to a day where she disposed of four bodies, wrote off the companies taxes and then ended her day fumigating an entire building because the company refused to pay for an exterminator. "…impossible."

Jessie adorned a sympathetic smile. "I know what you mean. If you want to keep your job now-a-days they expect you to basically volunteer all your free time to them." She chuckled.

If only Miss Pauling had free time to volunteer off. At this moment she regretted, for a split second, vouching for Jessie. "Yes, anyways. I need to get you to the administrator right away. You took a bit longer than expected." The purple dressed woman started escorting Jessie to an elevator. Jessie obliged but looked back at her stuff as she was shuffled away.

"Wait-But what about my luggage?" She stood in the elevator looking out over Miss Pauling's shoulder at her suitcase.

"Don't worry, I'll have it sent to Teufort and you can get it there."

Jessie paused for a moment as the doors started to close. "Wait! What if I don't get the job!?"

"Goodluck!" Miss Pauling ignored Jessie's last comment as the doors shut.

Jessie sighed to herself. 'Great… now if I don't get the job I will have to go searching for my luggage.' She waited uncomfortably in the elevator, the sweat now solidifying on her skin making a tacky thin layer between her skin and her clothes. The fact that she was wearing a blazer jacket didn't help, but she kept it on because she was well aware of the ever-growing pit stains she had. The elevator stopped, dinged, and the doors slid open. Jessie stepped out and was greeted by the back of a chair in front of dozens of monitors all glowing in different shades of green. She hesitated to speak, unsure of if she was even in the right room.

"Jessie Mayfield." An old woman's voice spoke out from behind the chair.

Jessie's confidence, much like the lighting in the room, was low… very low. "Yes… Helen?" She gulped.

"Just call me the Administrator." The chair swiveled and stopped dead on its pivot to face the nervous girl in the room. The tall lean woman in the menacing chair was just as menacing and leathery as the chair itself. The glow of the monitors made it difficult to see the woman, but it wasn't hard to see the sunken-in-ever-lasting frown that was engraved on her face.

"Oh, alright." Jessie nodded.

"So Miss. Mayfield… You're applying for the role of Mann Co.'s Secretary and Inventory Manager, yes?"

"Yes Administrator." Jessie reverted to using military terms since this woman gave off such a superior officer ambiance.

"You seem to meet every requirement for this job. But I'd just like to ask you a few hypothetical questions…" The woman talked as if she was growing.

'This is the interview? I don't even have a chair to sit in.' Jessie looked around the room but to no avail there were no other chairs. She stayed standing. She hadn't prepared for the lack of chairs but she had prepared for these questions, many employers ask these questions to determine the personality of the person and how they would fit in their work environment.

"Ask away." She attempted a chipper tone but it came off as insecure.

The Administrator sat up, ignoring but also be painfully aware of just how afraid this other woman was of her. She took a drag of her cigarette, the glowing amber shining just a little light on the woman. "If you were to come in contact with any classified documents that would reprimand the company, what would you do?"

'What.' "Oh um, I'd bring them up with you to further discuss what I should do with them." 'That was really upfront, there must be some dark stuff behind this company...'

The lean woman grew a faint wicked smirk. "Very good. Now, what would you do in the event that we could not pay you, but still required your work?"

'I'd head out of dodge and find a job that will pay me.' "Oh, I'm very loyal. I'd keep working just as hard until you could pay me again." Jessie consciously kept her hands at her side, remembering all the tricks of interviewing body language.

"Good. Finally…" The Administrator leaned forward slightly in her chair, staring firmly at Jessie. "… What if your life is being threatened by another staff member or competing company employee?"

'Where the hell is this coming from?' "I'd normally contact the authorities… but in your case I'd bring it up to you…" She stopped but added on more in hopes it would satisfy this woman. "… and only you."

The Administrator sat back, fading further into the shadow her chair casted. "Alright, I've heard enough. Head down to Teufort, a staff member should be there to tour you around your facilities and show you to your room." She flicked the butt of her cigarette at the ground.

"I got the job? I mean, yes Administrator. I won't let you down." Jessie fought to keep the corners of her mouth down.

The Administrator snarled at the woman's chipper tone, but other than that, she was satisfied that the work was off Miss Pauling's shoulders. Not for Miss Pauling's sake though, no, it was so Miss Pauling would be free to work on the Administrator's plan. A plan that she and Miss Pauling would be devoting most of their lives to from now on.

Jessie rushed into the elevator and pressed the ground floor button. She stood still as the doors closed and waited about five seconds before she broke out in relief.

"I did it." She leaned against the elevator wall, her body and mind completely exhausted from the energy she spent trying to make it to this moment. 'I fucking did it.' She took in a deep breath that made her feel like she was finally getting air for the first time in six months. Her posture straightened as the elevator made its way to the ground floor, she had an appearance to keep up now: Official Secretary and Inventory Manager of Mann Co.

"I got the job!" Jessie burst out of the elevator and ran up to Miss Pauling, grabbing her by the shoulders with joy.

"I heard." Miss Pauling smiled a smile that she herself did not notice or feel.

Jessie let go and did a little whimsical spin. "I can't believe this! I'm so happy!"

Miss Pauling grabbed Jessie's shoulder stopping her mid spin. "I'm glad." The time within that moment slowed as Pauling gave her an honest and sincere small smile.

Jessie softened her excited face to mirror back the same smile. This then faded as her eyes glazed over for a second. "Just a couple questions though. What happened in this company's past?" Pauling and Jessie let go of each other. "Did someone threaten someone? Did the company commit tax fraud?" The more questions asked, the more both of them were dragged back to reality.

"Uh… yeah there's a lot for you to learn about this company." The constant war between 14 men, the never-ending feud between two brothers, the corruption and lies that lie just below everything. "I know you can handle it though. If I've handled it for this long, you can too." Hopefully.

A corner of Jessie's mouth raised as she gave her a nod. "Thanks."

Miss Pauling started to escort Jessie through the lobby. "You should know though that we do many illegal things here." She said this casually without even looking at Jessie.

Jessie rolled her eyes. 'Another fishy company.' "I had a feeling. If the company can keep hiding it until I die, then I'm fine." She shrugged knowing company conspiracies were something she could handle.

"Good. I knew you could do this." Miss Pauling stopped Jessie before exiting the doors. "Alright, I called the guys down at Teufort and arranged for them to meet you inside the building. They said they had to make you outdoor living accommodations because what would have been your room is under construction. Other than that, you're good to go. Your stuff is already there and I called a cab to take you this time." She opened the door to reveal a yellow taxi cab.

'Oh thank you sweet Jesus.'

Jessie got in the cab as Miss Pauling followed. Before she shut the door she looked up at Miss Pauling.

"Ca- Miss Pauling… I can't thank you enough. You've always been my favourite cousin."

A small moment passed as a genuine thanks was processed by Miss Pauling. It had been a while since she felt real kindness and appreciation.

"No problem Miss Mayfield… You aren't a bad relative either." With that, Pauling shut the door and tapped on the roof of the car to send it off. The cab drove all the way down the horizon out of her view. Miss Pauling let out a small sigh. She brought Jessie in to take care of the things that were too mundane for her to waste her time on, so she was relieved that that work was off her back. But she was also happy that Jessie found joy in doing those mundane things… for money of course.

Jessie, feeling bare without her luggage and gross with her blazer on, sat very uncomfortably in the cab. Her mind was coming off of the adrenaline buzz that came from getting her job. She was still happy, but a person can feel gross, tired and happy at the same time.

Two hours passed and Jessie woke up.

"Alright lady. This is your stop."

"Oh." Jessie, still slightly blind from her nap, fumbled as she exited the cab. Once out, she looked to the cab driver. "Thank you, have a nice night!"

The taxi driver grumbled, frowned and drove off, leaving a dirt cloud to choke Jessie.

'Stupid asshole. Didn't even smile back.'

As the dirt clung to her sticky legs, Jessie continued her trek to the Teufort facilities. 'Okay, act professional. Your shoes may not match your outfit and you may be hiding some serious sweat stains, but that does not mean you can't look professional.'

Just as the landscape's emptiness started to creep into Jessie's mind, she could see a large three story wooden building up ahead. From what she could see there was not much around it, other than a campervan and a pile of rubbish composed of cloth and broken pieces of wood. As she got closer she could hear explosions, gunfire and yelling in the distance. 'I guess they are practicing today…' Once she made it to the wooden building she started walking its perimeter. 'Where the hell is the entrance?' After following the perimeter around the corner she spotted a door that led inside the massive structure.

Jessie walked inside and down a hall that led to a living room. She grimaced as she felt lost and stupid, not wanting to call out for help on the first day. So she kept walking through the building, during her exploration she passed a kitchen and multiple rooms.

"Hello?" She finally spoke up feeling that the situation was weird enough that a simple 'hello' was not a sign of idiocy anymore. She followed the hall and ignored any closed doors, if a door was closed, it was best not to go through it. Finally, the end of the hall opened up into a larger room and there she saw her belongings. She ran to them. 'Thank God. At least I have my stuff.' Upon actually getting to them she noticed a paper on her suitcase.

"Dear Secretary,

If you are reading this that means that duty calls and we were unable to be here for your arrival. However you may find you room and get yourself settled as we carry out our own tasks. Your room is currently being renovated so we have given you living quarters out behind the building (outside, east of the building). If we do not arrive before 19:00, we will start the tour tomorrow around 07:00. We are very happy to have you here. Please feel welcomed.

Sincerely,

Team Red"

'A little rude that they aren't here, but I get their situation.' She looked back at the paper, scanning to see where she could find her room. 'Outside behind the building? East? I guess they mean that campervan. Well that's not so bad.' Jessie backtracked, only now starting to really feel the soreness in her calves and heels. 'I hope there's a shower in there… I am taking one ASAP.' With the thought of showering in her near future, Jessie increased her walking speed as her suitcase rolled along, bumping up with each pebble outside.

Finally, she stopped at the campervan's entrance and threw the door open. Before stepping inside, she caught a whiff of coffee and an interesting earthy smell. 'Hmm…' She entered and examined her temporary living quarters. 'Aw… it's so quant and cozy.' She looked at the objects adoring the empty spaces on the walls. 'It's even decorated!' Jessie couldn't help but touch the boomerang and alligator head on the wall. 'Ooo, they're so 'cultured'… with this outback theme.' Her sarcastic thoughts ended as she turned to face the sink and counter. 'Oh good. A coffee pot! Wow… I really could just live in here. No communal kitchen required.' A scoff escaped her lips as she brought her stuff towards the bed. 'Hmm… I guess they were in a rush… they didn't even make the bed." She sighed. 'Oh well!' Jessie fell flat onto the bed, her body deflating like a ballon.

Staring up at the ceiling she smiled. 'This is a good day. I'm actually happy.' She lifted her wrist to her face to check the time. '6:30 pm… 50 more minutes and I can get ready for bed.' Her body sunk into the worn out mattress without any objections, her feet freed themselves from her tight foot prisons, and her mind finally flowed with clear thoughts. 'The tour is obviously happening tomorrow, no doubt about that. Thankfully that means I won't be so gross when I meet them.' Her body, coated in a layer of dirt and sweat cried out for a shower. Jessie ignored these cries, soothing her body with the promise of a shower in an hour.

'Seems to be a lot of shady stuff behind this company. But I mean, every other company has shady stuff going on. I still can't believe the last place I worked at was secretly experimenting on employees by lacing the papers they touched with absorbable LSD.' Jessie laughed at her own thought. 'Sounds pretty crazy when I think about it like that…' But her previous company's experiments only reminded her of her current company. 'I wonder what they really do here. Miss Pauling- wow… I'm even calling her that in my mind now – whatever. Miss Pauling only told me it was military based and there were lots of advanced medical techniques used.' She searched her memory for more information that she gathered. 'And… there are only 9 other employees that I'll be working with. It's weird to think that that building would be so big but only hold 9 staff members.'

A sudden itch on her neck paused her thoughts so she could focus on scratching the area. After scratching the back of her neck, there was clumps of residue under her nails from all the dirt and sweat layering her skin. With the thought of a shower in mind, she looked at her watch again. 'Bingo. 7:20. Shower time.'

Jessie leaned forward off the bed as she searched her luggage for soap, shampoo and conditioner. With toiletries in hand she located the tiny bathroom and placed her items in the shower. Surprisingly enough, there were already toiletries in there. 'Wow. They got me shampoo and soap. Okay, I take back that I called them 'rude'.'

After setting up her toiletries and placing her towels by the shower, she disrobed, placer her dirty skirt, blouse and blazer in a little plastic bag. She wouldn't dare put filthy clothes in her suitcase with the rest of her clean clothes. That would be pure blasphemy to her.

"Oh God yes." The warm water hit her chest, breaking through the grime and sticky layers to grace her pale skin with its clean warmth. 'What a great way to end the day.' The water and steam bounced off the shower curtain hitting her skin while making a lulling rhythm. She soaped up her body first, shampooed and then moved onto conditioner. After she rinsed, she couldn't help but feel like there was still a layer of muck on her skin, so she went to town with the soap again, using her fingernails to scrape off the gunk.

Just then, the bathroom door opened. Jessie froze, unsure if the noise was just in her head. She eyed the shower curtain blocking her view, trying to focus her ears on any noises.

"Oi, what'er ya doin' in 'ere?"