Note: Since the original Introduction (Prologue) is admittedly poorly written, I've decided to revise all of it.

Introduction (REVISED)

Nazir kept the radio on as he drove alone in the desert. He had followed directions carefully ever since he first set foot on American soil. He had only one thing on his mind: whether he would succeed or not in becoming a permanent member of Reliable Excavation Demolition. He spent the entire morning looking for the exact destination. He squint his eyes as he noticed a small human figure in the far-off distance. As he drove closer towards it, it became clear that the figure was a beggar with worn-out clothing. People would be a bit confused why a vagabond would be out in the middle of the American desert, alone with no shelter. But Nazir had been informed about him before his trip into the silent wasteland, and he knew what he had to do. He pulled over to the side of the road and stopped right beside the beggar.

Nazir opened his car window and said, "One, two, buckle my shoe."

The beggar gave a nod and pulled out a walkie-talkie from his pocket. He turned it on and said, "We have another applicant coming in."

A female voice in the radio replied, "Good, send him in."

The beggar put his walkie-talkie away and told Nazir to follow the trail of cacti away from the asphalt. It would lead him to his destination.

Nazir thanked the supposed beggar and drove off on an unpaved path, following the strangely shaped cacti. It led him into the bottom of a deep chasm. He stopped at a large gate on one side of the gorge. Nazir spotted a surveillance camera on the top of the gate. He smiled and waved, hoping to notify anyone that would let him inside. The gates opened, and Nazir drove inside. He didn't stop smiling, because he grew more confident that he would never fail to become a mercenary for Mann Co.

Jason and Yvonne visited the reception desk. The plump receptionist wore glasses and had brown hair. She asked, "Are you applying for a position in Reliable Excavation Demolition?"

Jason replied, "Yes, we are."

The receptionist gave a little grin. "Are you two married?"

"Of course, not! We're siblings."

"That's good. You scared me for a second."

"What?"

The receptionist handed them two clipboards with pieces of paper and two pens. "Take the questionnaires and hand them to me when you're finished."

Jason and Yvonne turned around and observed the waiting room. It appeared to be the size of a dining room in a casual restaurant. There were chairs placed in the middle of the room. People apparently from all over the world had taken seats. Jason pointed at two vacant chairs in the corner. He and Yvonne sat down and began answering multiple-choice questions on the questionnaire. Most of the questions centered on war, politics, and voracious appetites. During the process, Jason observed the people in the waiting room. Men and women from France, Greece, Korea, Mexico, and other foreign countries had taken seats. The front entrance opened and in walked what looked like a Saudi Arabian man. He headed for the reception desk before Jason looked back down on his questionnaire.

It took several minutes to complete the entire questionnaire. Jason and Yvonne finished almost simultaneously. They handed the clapboards back to the receptionist and sat back down in the waiting room. Yvonne turned to see a strange-looking man sitting on the other side of her. He waved at her, and she waved back almost timidly.

He asked, "Did you find the questions pretty hard?"

Yvonne replied, "The only questions I couldn't understand were the ones about politics and geography. I'm not really good that those type of things."

The man laughed. "I couldn't understand everything else."

An awkward silence ensued. Yvonne asked, "So where are you from?"

"I'm from a city called Riverside, in California."

"Is that so? My brother and I are from Los Angeles."

"Oh, lovely weather over there. And the sea gulls look nice as well."

"…You've visited L.A.?"

"Never in my entire life."

Yvonne cleared her throat. "So what did you used to do when you arrived here?"

The man gave a huge smile. "I used to be a magician."

"What kind of tricks do you do?"

"I split hares. I also make tadpoles disappear in my mouth."

Yvonne kept quiet after that.

Miss Pauling asked for an applicant to visit her office one at a time. When it was time for Nazir to visit her, he knew that he just had to be himself. He sat at her desk and answered her questions carefully. She asked him simple questions regarding his place of origin and former occupations. When he mentioned being a personal bodyguard for the emperor of Saudi Arabia, Miss Pauling wanted to know more about his life in the kingdom. He gave clearer details about being a bodyguard and why he was exiled from his home country. Miss Pauling asked if he still had the ability to protect those who are in need of supervision. With a grin, Nazir replied that he would do whatever it takes to protect those around him.

At noon, the several dozen applicants were led in a dark auditorium with a projector screen on the wall. Shane suspected that everyone would be watching a movie, or perhaps a documentary on Mann Co. He took a deep breath and readied himself for a few hours of cinema. Miss Pauling explained that the applicants would watch a Hollywood movie, and if they were courageous enough to stay in the theater, then they would be accepted for the next round.

"That's just great."

The Hispanic man sitting next to Shane folded his arms across his chest and frowned. Shane asked, "You don't think you'll make it out of this theater alive?"

"I think we're just wasting time watching a movie. We should just get on with the next round."

"Maybe they're testing out patience or something."

"If that is the case, I'll pass it right away. I am usually a patient man."

"Just not right now?"

"…Perhaps I might have to pray."

Shane chuckled. "Whatever fits you, sir. By the way, my name is Shane."

"I'm Miguel."

They both shook hands.

The theater darkened even more. The title card appeared on the projector screen. The applicants would be watching The Five-Headed Cyclops of Wilshire Boulevard.

That certainly caught Jason's attention. "What do ya know? We're gonna watch one of our movies."

Nazir asked, "Did you make this movie?"

"My sister and I used to be a part of the studio that made it."

Miguel asked, "Care to tell us what this film is about, my friend?"

"I think the title should give a little hint. It's a Cyclops that wrecks havoc in L.A., and that's about it."

Shane felt suspicious. "And why did they choose this film?"

Yvonne replied, "Maybe because the critics hated it."

The movie started.

Just ten minutes later, the applicants ran out of the theater, screaming. They raced back outside and drove off into the desert. Miss Pauling expected it to happen, seeing as how The Five-Headed Cyclops of Wilshire Boulevard didn't even count as an actual movie, with its poor special effects and lame dialogue. Miss Pauling took a peek at the theater, and found a total of six applicants still sitting as the movie continued. But they didn't have their eyes on the screen. They had shifted their focus on two Hollywood siblings who shared their own experiences in a film studio. A Native-American man covered his mouth with his hand, trying to hide his laughter. A Middle-Eastern man fell asleep and now snored. The two siblings, who were of Mongolian descent, seemed to enjoy themselves as they talked about their attempt for true Hollywood glory. Their inattention toward the movie gave Miss Pauling enough sense to bring the survivors into the next round.

The six applicants sat in a different waiting room, much smaller than the previous one. They got to know each other. Jason and Yvonne had a prolonged conversation with Miguel, a man from Argentina. Nazir and Shane discussed matters concerning their homeland. And a Sri Lankan woman that goes by the name of Victoria just sat still without saying a word. She didn't even look at the people sitting next to her.

Miss Pauling called them up and led them into what looked like a clinic. She had a doctor (or rather a Medic) standing beside her. She said, "This is our trustworthy Medic. He's going to examine you for the next few minutes. If we see that you're in perfect health, or just below perfect, then you will make it to the final round."

Medic gave them eye exams, dental checkups, and even tested for allergic reactions. However, he had some trouble with Miguel. The Argentinian lit a cigarette with a lighter, which was attached to the barrel of his personal pistol. Medic asked him to put it out, since this room was a non-smoking area.

Miguel narrowed his eyes and pointed the barrel of his gun at the German. "Never try to stop me from smoking."

Thankfully, Miguel didn't shoot Medic.

All six of them passed the test, meaning they were very close to becoming real recruits for RED. The RED Soldier gave them a speech involving tactical methods and firepower.

"If you don't care about your weapons, then you don't care about the battlefield!"

He and the applicants readied themselves for the training center.

Soldier watched as the six applicants participated in target practice. They used real pistols with real bullets on mannequins forty feet away. Jason, Yvonne, and Shane seemed to have struggled a bit with their aiming. Miguel, Victoria, and Nazir had no problem with their accuracy.

Next, they used shotguns against mannequins. Soldier was impressed with their precision. But something immediately caught his attention. Nazir had a shotgun in one hand, and a fried turkey leg in the other. He devoured the turkey leg even as he pulled the trigger several times. He didn't even have his eye on the mannequin, and he still made excellent shots. Soldier didn't even bother where the turkey leg had come from.

Later on, he had to motivate them as they ran through an obstacle course. They climbed ropes, crawled through pipes, and jumped over Sticky Bombs that Demoman had planted on a portion of the floor.

And then, it was all over. They had passed every test necessary to become permanent members of RED. They met up with the Administrator, who visited them in the training center. She congratulated every single one of them for devoting themselves as becoming fresh recruits.

"Now, all you have to do is pick your weapons."

She showed them the company's arsenal. The recruits had been allowed to pick two weapons each. Nazir had his eyes on an Automatic Shotgun, while Miguel focused on the explosive artillery. Shane admitted that he didn't want any of the weapons in the arsenal, and that he would rather build his own weapons from scratch. Administrator didn't mind his reluctance, and allowed him to start construction very soon. Victoria picked up an AK-47 from one of the tables. She gave a brief glance at the Administrator and gazed back at the weapon in her hands. None of the other candidates knew about Victoria and Administrator's relationship that originated in Siberia. They might as well keep it that way. Meanwhile, Yvonne selected Dual Pistols and a collection of arrows as her weapons of choice. Jason noticed a jetpack that looked just like the one in his car.

"Maybe I should compare the two."

Administrator asked about his jetpack, and he replied, "It's from Hollywood. It still works, though the batteries are kind of low right now."

Administrator rubbed her chin. "Let me see if you know how to fly."

Jason smiled. "All right, then."

Later on, they selected their choice of clothing. Jason had his mind on a jumpsuit, Yvonne wanted to try out a vest, Shane wrapped a red-colored shirt around his waist, and Nazir could not find himself a turban (much to his bitter disappointment).

On the very next day, the new recruits moved in with the expert mercenaries. They carried their boxes into the bedrooms and settled in their new environment. Jason and Yvonne found a few mercenaries in the lounge. Engineer, Demoman, and Sniper watched a nature documentary on TV.

All Jason and Yvonne could say was, "Hi."

Engineer, Demoman, and Sniper had their eyes on the TV screen as they looked rather lethargic. "Hi."

Jason asked, "What are you watching?"

The Scotsman answered, "It's something about a Polar Bear and a Walrus."

"Is it good?"

Engineer replied in a monotonous tone, "It's good."

Demoman and Sniper agreed by simultaneously saying, "It's very good."

Jason and Yvonne didn't know what to say next.

Yvonne cleared her throat. "So when's the next battle?"

"Mission begins in ten minutes!"

The Administrator's announcement on the PA system gave Engineer, Demoman, and Sniper a sudden bolt of energy. They turned off the TV set and ran out of the lounge, screaming.

Jason and Yvonne looked at each other. This would be their first battle in Dustbowl.

"Are you nervous?"

"Yes, I am. Are you?"

"Yes, I am."

They gave each other small grins and joined the others for a confrontation against Builders League United.

"Mission begins in five minutes!"

The fifteen RED mercenaries visited the barracks. Before the official battle, they began to know each other. Nazir and the Heavy shook hands and spoke of their place of origin. Shane asked about the Engineer's productive skills, and a prolonged discussion followed. Yvonne spotted the Scout giving her an enticing glance, but she ignored it. Demoman wanted to know more about Jason's life in Hollywood. Miguel complimented Pyro on his powerful Flamethrower, and the latter gave a thumbs-up. Victoria didn't have time to talk to anyone else on the team. All she could think about was defending every Control Point in Dustbowl.

"Mission begins in sixty seconds!"

The doors opened, and the RED mercenaries raced for the other side of Dustbowl. They readied for battle while the gates for the BLU team still didn't open.

Jason asked, "So how do you even survive here?"

Soldier gave a grin. "You're going to find out pretty soon."

"Mission begins in ten seconds!"

Rocketeer, Assassin, Outlaw, Weatherman, Femme Fatale, and Bodyguard joined the other mercenaries for their first confrontation of the day.

"Five…four…three…two…one!"

TO BE CONTINUED...