First time posting a fanfic of my own writing. I hope to be able to make this tenth class angle work into a good story.
CHAPTER 1: Introductions
RED Team was awakened to the usual morning alert from overhead speakers surrounding the base on their side of 2Fort. It was still dark out at three o' clock in the morning. Not the usual hour to be up for.
In the following three days the two teams were expected to take a break from their usual fighting in the battlefield. The day prior to this development, the Administrator made no effort to hide that RED team would be taking in new blood with new skills to bring and that BLU might do the same.
And this new wakeup call additionally commanded RED's presence at the base's briefing room. Though they obeyed, RED Team in their sleep addled state could only think about how Administrator took delight in trying their misery at any point in time and how much more inviting their beds were at that hour. Regardless, the entire RED retinue made their descent below base.
Nine mercenaries of differing appearances gathered together into the briefing room and were motioned by a trench coated, fedora wearing figure already present there to take their seats. A spry young man picked one of the chairs on the front row and leaned back on his seat. Behind him, a gas-masked chap in an asbestos suit took their seat between a half-blind, uniformed brute and a stocky smaller fella wearing a hard hat. They were soon accompanied by a one-eyed Scotsman and tall Aussie wearing aviator glasses. The remaining seats furthest back were taken by an imposingly massive Russian and a bored stoic German in a lab coat. The last one to come in was a sharply dressed masked Frenchman, who simply leaned against a wall behind everyone else and lit up a quick morning smoke.
There was a curious tension in the air: RED Team has had their shares of misfortunes and diversions that came with these new people. Women recruits had proved to be inconceivably distracting while having to work with more psychotic additions caused undue stress for both teams (Soldier's psychosis and Medic's contained madness notwithstanding). Those who worked well enough were ultimately made redundant next to those already drafted. Some simply quit having to go through the never ending cycle of dying repeatedly fighting over bits of sand and gravel.
The only stranger in the room quickly produced an all too familiar miniature TV that had been concealed under the coat. Twice the RED team saw it fit to kill similar messengers in the past. Too quickly that also brought back memories of blackmail threats against each merc's loved ones. This time around the stranger detached the TV from their person. They moved like a ghost as they set up the room, ignoring the animated murmurs amongst some of the nine men.
"Why da hell would they wake us up at dis hour?" Scout yawned as he idly scratched the sides of his face. "Wake up call's not till three hours from now."
"Quiet, maggot, this could be tide changing war intel!" Soldier barked in full attention.
"Brotha, you sayin' dat didn't really change things up the last seven times we had new meat or guns," Scout said dryly. The boy heaved a sigh, having been woken up from a dream where he was surrounded by chicks and being lavished with praise from his mom.
It didn't take long before the stranger slinked away and the newly set up TV came to life. In it a middle-aged woman clad in purple business attire came to view, sitting in a high backed chair. She had harsh-looking features reminiscent of an iron-willed baroness, accentuated by her curled up scowl, skunk striped hair and furrowed eyebrows. Behind her were multiple display screens and other monitors. Her figure was further made powerful as the emanated light outlined her sharp features.
"Gentlemen, I will only be giving this announcement once and I expect no interruptions to this pre-recorded message."
Her steely eyes practically saw through the men in the room.
"For the past year, you have all done your jobs without question and tolerated each other enough to actually work as a unit. For your performances, you have my deepest if not barely earned commendations."
The Administrator rarely handed out positive feedback. RED Team could only think it a bad omen.
"I trust the same commendable job with one more addition among your ranks."
Even as they expected it, the mercs looked to each other with varying looks of incredulity. The main screen behind the Administrator changed up its display. After some static, the monitor flickered an image of what looked like a camera aperture. An unfamiliar silhouette of a person overshadowed it.
"We have invested an ostentatious sum of money into equipping this recruit. I leave it amongst yourselves how their presence will affect this team. But do make sure they make it through their first day on the field in one piece if any of you wish to benefit from their skill set. Or avoid a severe dock to your collective paychecks. Whichever of those comes first."
More glances were exchanged between the mercs, ranging from discomfort, disgust to disbelief.
"You have three days to be well acquainted with each other over ceasefire."
The Administrator looked off camera, lacing her fingers together.
"Miss Pauling, the feed if you please."
The Administrator's chair swiveled, no longer facing RED Team down.
"You may begin when ready. Announcer out."
The video feed cut off and just like that the mercs were left hanging, the usual background noises doing little to drown their thoughts. No one knew how to respond to the woman's parting words.
"You friggin' kiddin' me?" Scout broke the silence and wasn't making any effort to hide their annoyance, mostly at being denied seeing the Administrator's perky female assistant. Then reality caught up saying something about a new teammate. "Why can't they just hook us up with regular chicks? Like packing heat the way us guys want it? Real dames y'know?"
"We do NOT need more soft pansies muddling with a man's war," sneered Soldier. "It's bad enough they let a skinny ass, delinquent toddler like you here. And campers like Biggins here."
"Fer th' last time mate, it's an occupational policy to hang back," replied Sniper, palming his face.
"Whatever man. I ain't takin' advice from a guy who pep talks to dead heads," Scout shot back. "A real man needs chicks to look good."
"Oh and you are just ze poster boy of a real man zen," Medic taunted playfully.
"Da. Scout is leetle, thumbsucking baby man ven ve lose," Heavy added.
"Nobody asked ya, Ivan," said Scout. "I still think giving yo gun a bed is waay more embarrassin'."
Heavy stared Scout down. "Leave Sasha out of dis."
"Uh, fellas? Ya'll wanna save that energy for the BLUs?" Engineer began.
The reprised volley of degrading or embarrassing insults eventually escalated with Engineer, Pyro and Spy staying well out of the verbal infighting. That quickly escalated into more physical confrontation with Heavy putting Scout in a headlock, Soldier attempting to clobber Sniper despite half-awake Demoman's intervention and Medic simply taking in subdued schadenfraude. Such was the way the team expressed their camaraderie with one another when there were no BLUs to fight.
"So you are my teammates?"
RED team stopped their scuffle upon hearing the unfamiliar voice. They faced who was once just another one of the Administrator's messengers. Throughout all that the only stranger in the room merely observed the proceedings in their corner. Having now removed the cover up clothes and speaking, they were no longer just a background prop.
The individual before the RED team sported unfettered, black hair cut in a way that made them look like one of the 60s Beatles. Their clothes were changed up to a red fatigue uniform complete with the image of a class emblem—the camera aperture from earlier—emblazoned on their sleeves. Hands concealed with leather gloves. Feet fitted with combat boots. The figure of a competitive swimmer: tanned complexion, slightly broad around the shoulders and respectably toned forearms. In spite of their lax body composure, their olive green eyes looked ready to see some action. Or reaction.
The new recruit acknowledged RED team with a dramatically polite bow and a charmer's toothy smile.
"Buenos dias, amigos. Me nombre es Recon and I look forward to working with all of you."
Look forward to weekly updates!