Sweat beaded and dripped down Scout's furrowed brow. His hands were shaking and his shoulders were tight. I scanned the chessboard in front of me. Is it really worth it to beat Scout this early in the game? We'd just started a bit over twenty minutes ago. The fact that it took Scout nearly five minutes just to make one move was enough to tell me he hadn't played this before. Everything he'd spouted before this match was all smoke in the air. I sighed as I got up from the mismatched game. I should've expected this from such an uncultured brat.

"What, ya quittin' already? I must be really good to have you runnin' scared, spook." His face beamed with confidence and the form that I witnessed earlier had disappeared. His back was straightened and his hands were on his waist. Such arrogance.

I moved my rook to the space where Scout's king was and threw the king into the chess box.

"Checkmate, mon ami." Scout threw his hands in the air and stood up defiantly.

"No way! You cheated. Didn't ya, spook?" He poked me in the cheek and, getting no response but an annoyed glare, he accepted the fact that I must have cheated. As if silence is confirmation. I snorted at his ignorance, not finding it worth my time to correct him.

"You git beat again, Scout?" Scout huffed as he flopped onto the couch next to Engie.

I started over to my corner to read the rest of my current novel, The Great Gatsby, but was promptly interrupted by Pyro.

"Mmph, mpy!"

"'ello, Pyro. What can I do for you, mon ami?" Pyro shuffled his feet back and forth, eye holes pointed at the ground.

"Mmpo mph mpow mmpht mmph mph mmph mmph mmph mmphty?"

"All I 'ave 'eard was zhat we are organizing a party, of sorts. I'm afraid I don't know anything more zhan zhat."

"Mmph mmph mph?"

"Non. Sorry, mon ami." The firebug sighed and walked off, shoulders sagged.

The lights flickered for a moment, most likely due to the snowstorm that was raging through the area. Engie told us that as long as the generator was running, we'd be fine. He would go out to the garage out back every hour or so. Most likely to make sure that generator would last long enough for the power lines to be fixed, should one go down.

Heavy and Medic were drinking coffee out on the back porch, chatting up their own storm. Damn their cold blooded natures. On the other end of the spectrum, Sniper was holed up in his room, hibernating until he was needed. Poor bushman.

"It's too freakin' cold up here, why does that ol' witch send us into this frozen wasteland, anyway?" Scout chugged down some beer as if he'd said something to be remembered.

"Quit yer bellyachin', little buddy." Engie ruffled Scout's hair in a teasing mannerism. "Y'all got all day to complain 'bout this weather."

"Wait, does that mean we're leaving tomorrow?"

"Yep. After the party, we best start packin'."

That got my mind racing, twisting, swirling and curling, turning and burning until finally it ended as a knotted mess. I have no idea what I'm doing for the New Year's party. Everyone knows their job but me. Heavy, Medic, Soldier and Scout are all going into town to get supplies for the party. Demoman, Engineer and Pyro are working on the fireworks. Homemade fireworks. I hope one of them blows themselves up. Sniper offered to help with the cooking, mainly the baking. That leaves… A wicked grin spread across my face as I realized the only option left.

Sabotage of the other team's party. My favorite.