I sat on this fic for a ridiculously long amount of time. I wasn't happy with the ending, but didn't know if I wanted to continue on with it. So I'm posting it here anyway, so it's no longer just sitting in my folder. Hope you enjoy.
Also I know that Sniper's camper van isn't open in the back, but for the sake of this fic just imagine it is.
The midnight, summer air was crisp out in the desert. The sprawling land was mostly quiet, save for a few lonely howls from some distant coyotes and a single caravan traveling down the old dusty road. Inside, the Mann Co. employed sniper hummed to himself, quietly taking in the beautiful landscape in front of him. He was traveling between bases, from what was known as Upward, to another location known as Dustbowl. The rest of his team was taking separate vehicles to the same spot. Sniper had to bring along two of his teammates due to lack of room in the other cars. Sniper had been irritated with the decision, preferring to drive alone, but he had all but forgotten that now, looking at the beautiful landscape before him. It was a cloudless night, and the full moon shone brightly among the constellations around it. The radio played a quiet solemn tune and the gentle snores coming from his enormous co-worker, the Heavy, made the Sniper feel at peace. It reminded him of his long trips back home in Australia. He would drive endless miles all by his lonesome in the outback, with nothing but the moon, the stars and endless desert to keep him company.
"Sniper, I gotta piss!"
Sniper groaned, his tranquility immediately snuffed out. He had nearly forgotten that he had one more co-worker sitting in the back of his trailer.
"I told you to go at the last stop, Scout." Sniper said exasperated.
"Well I didn't have to go then!" The young Bostonian shot back.
The Heavy began to stir, awoken by the altercation.
"What is going on?" The giant of a man asked groggily.
"Scout's being a pain." Sniper answered.
"I am not," The young man retorted "I gotta go real bad Snipes!"
Sniper let out a noise of frustration. The toilet in his trailer had been broken for months now. He hadn't gotten around to fixing it because he never really used it much in the first place. He wasn't the bashful type so had no troubles relieving himself outside(or wherever for that matter). The Scout on the other hand was a different story.
"Well then, maybe you shouldn't have ordered that large Slushie at the gas station." Sniper replied.
"I was thirsty! It's hot out here in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere!" Scout waved his arms trying to emphasize his point.
Sniper was about to argue further, until Heavy spoke up beside him.
"Sniper, I think best you pull over." The man rumbled in his thick Russian accent.
"Fine, fine." Sniper muttered pulling off to the side of the road.
"You guys expect me to piss out there? In the middle of the desert?!" The young merc exclaimed.
"Yes, is there something wrong with that, princess?" Sniper said putting the car in park.
"Yeah, there is! What if someone sees me?"
"No one's going to see you Scout, there isn't anyone for miles."
"Yeah, well… what if I got attacked by a coyote and he bites my dick off?!"
Sniper didn't bother dignifying that question with a verbal answer; instead rubbing the bridge of his nose he muttered incoherently to himself.
"There is stop up road, not too far from here," Heavy interjected holding the map in his large hands.
"There is probably restroom."
"Yeah, that sounds like a way better idea." Scout said.
Sniper wordlessly reached a hand out for the map, the Russian handed it over quietly and Sniper began to look where his teammate had indicated. He was right; if he took a right at the next fork in the road he could stop at the fill up station and be back on track with very little time wasted.
Begrudgingly, Sniper handed the map back, before shifting into gear and getting back onto the road with their updated path in mind.
The group arrived at the gas station some time later. It was one of the most decrepit, old buildings Sniper had ever seen. The paint was peeling off the walls, rust stains snaked down equipment, and several windows were boarded up. Sniper was fairly certain that the station had had good business in the past, when this land was riddled with coal mines. But, mostly likely, since the closure of those mines, the station had received less and less business, reducing it into its current state.
"Uh, you sure you want to go in there, mate?" Sniper asked looking the station over.
"Yeah! It's fine!" Scout said hurriedly, the urge to urinate becoming unbearable.
"Well, I'm just going to wait in the car. Heavy, you can go in if you want anything." Sniper addressed his colleague.
Heavy simply shook his head, and when Sniper turned his to attention back to the building he realized Scout was already making a beeline to the entrance. Sniper chuffed in amusement before sliding his hat over his face to take a quick nap.
Scout burst through the front door of the gas station, and whipped his head around frantically looking for the washroom. Upon finding the sign, indicating its location, Scout took off towards it; running past aisles of sugary snacks. He passed by the man behind the counter; startled by Scouts feverish movements. Finally, Scout found the little room containing a single toilet and sink. In a flash he unbuckled his pants and the relief was instantaneous. The young man sighed in, finally emptying his bladder. After what felt like an eternity of pissing, the stream ended. Scout shook off any excess, tucked himself back into his pants and proceeded to wash his hands. He whistled the latest Tom Jones song to himself, as he turned off the tap and grabbed some paper towel. He continued his tune absentmindedly, as he tossed the soiled paper into a trashcan and exited the bathroom. Before he was able to make it out the door though, he collided with someone standing directly in front of him.
"Hey, pal, watch where you're going!" The Bostonian huffed loudly.
Scout looked up at the large man and realized he was the same one who had been standing behind the counter he had hurried by earlier. Scout also realized just how big this guy was too. Granted he wasn't as big as the heavy, but he was built like a wall, and completely trapped the merc's only exit.
A smile spread across the strangers face upon hearing the Scout's remark, and it wasn't a pleasant smile either. It looked more like a nasty gash, spreading across his greasy face. He was missing several teeth and the one's that he did have, looked like they weren't going to sticking around much longer.
Scout actually shrank back upon seeing the man's appearance, but still tried to keep his bravado.
"Are you friggin' stupid or something? Get out of my way!" Scout exclaimed, looking the beast in the face.
A dark raspy chuckle emanated from deep within the man, before he opened his mouth and let it harshly echo around the washroom's walls. The man moved an equally greasy strand of long dark hair out of his face, as he tapered off the laugh.
"You got a sharp tongue there, boy. What's a kid like you doing out here?"
"None of your business, now get outta my way!" Scout attempted to skirt around the man, but he slammed his hand against the door frame, boxing the merc in.
"You know, you gotta pay to use the toilet here." The man stated.
"Well, sorry pal, I ain't got any cash left on me," Scout spat, becoming increasingly frustrated.
"You want a freakin' I.O.U. or somethin'?"
"No, no. I want compensation now. And if you ain't got the cash, then… there are other ways of paying." The greasy man began to eye up the smaller man in front of him, licking his lips hungrily.
Scout blanched at this, taking a quick step back, but the beast closed the gap between them grabbing the scout by the arm roughly.
"H-Hey! Back the fuck up! Let go of me!" Scout shrieked thrashing in the bigger man's grip. Scout's left hand twitched for his bat, but remembered he had left his weapons back on Sniper's trailer.
The fiend pulled him closer, his stinking breath attacking his skin. Scout continued to struggle, screaming and kicking like a wild animal, until he felt a knife press up against his neck. It took Scout a moment more than the average person to stop at that threat. After becoming accustomed to being killed on a daily basis, it took Scout an extra second to remember he wasn't on the battlefield, and if he died here, he wouldn't come back. At the moment Scout realized this and stopped struggling, a hand was suddenly on his head and he was slammed face first into the toilet bowl. A sickening crack rang out, as his nose met the porcelain. The mercenary was instantly screaming in pain, cupping his broken nose and writhing on the ground. He didn't have long to lament on this before Scout was turned onto his back and the knife was back at his throat.
Scout peered through watery eyes at the monster before him, who flashed a mouth of rotting teeth at him.
"You're a real fighter kid. I can tell by your reaction this isn't the first time someone's pulled a knife on you." He laughed honestly, before twisting his face into a smile that was anything but.
"Good, that will make this much more fun."
The monsters free hand was quickly at Scout's waistband and tugging it down in a flash. Scout stuttered unintelligibly in shock. Trying, in the same breath, to curse this guy out and plead for him to stop. The beast above him was anything but gentle. He got Scout's pants half way down his legs before becoming frustrated and instead opting to use his knife to tear away at the rest of the fabric. He paused momentarily to admire his handiwork. The tattered remains of the mercenary's pant sticking to his already sweat slicked skin, before attending to his own belt. The jingle of metal snapped Scout out of his disjointed ramblings enough to form real words.
"D-D-Don't… I'll k-kill you, you-you motherfucker." Scout shook trying to push the man off of him in an adrenaline induced stupor. The beast above him growled before easily grabbing the young man's hands in his own gigantic ones and pinning them above his head. Just then, Scout became aware of something hard pushing against his rectum. He had just enough time to realize what it was before the scream was ripped from his throat.
Sniper awoke with a start, something felt very wrong to him. He wasn't sure it was a real threat he had sensed, or some fragment of a forgotten dream. Whatever it was, it made him feel uneasy. He looked to his left to find his co-worker fast asleep beside him. The sight of the huge merc sleeping peacefully instantly calmed the Sniper down. Surely, if something was truly wrong the man beside him would have sensed it too. Absentmindedly, Sniper glanced at his watch. He had been asleep for a little over fifteen minutes. What had he been doing before then? Right, he was stopped at a gas station, Sniper confirmed with a quick look at his surroundings. Where was the scout? Was the kid seriously still in the bathroom? Sniper shook his head. The youngest member of his team sure was a handful. Maybe that was why he loved him. His unpredictability was something he admired (though sometimes it really did get his nerves), someone to keep him on his toes. Just like sniping, he never knew what the kid would throw at him next. Sniper sighed before exiting his vehicle and going to collect his mate.
As Sniper walked through the lot though, that same uneasy feeling descended on him again. The air suddenly felt too cold, and the wailing howl of a coyote felt all too close to him. He also swore he could see dark figures twisting just in the corner of his vision. Sniper shook his head telling himself he was just paranoid from the decrepit scenery around him. But another part of him, (a part that usually told him when a spy was advancing just behind him) made him reach for his kukri holstered at his hip.
The hinges of the door creaked with effort as Sniper entered the store. He called the boy's name before his trained ears picked up on a peculiar sound. Keeping a lingering hand at the hilt of his knife, Sniper followed the sound. As he quietly approached he identified what sounded like muffled grunts and a rhythmic slapping sound. He also became aware of a faint light streaming from an ajar door in the back. Sniper gripped his weapon tightly as he gently pushed open the door.
What he saw made his blood turn cold. Some huge disgusting figure was turned away from him, sweating and erratically rutting into the small figure below. It was with unfathomable horror Sniper identified the face of the Scout; twisted into a mask of agony and misfortune.
Before he was conscience of it, a deep rage over took the sniper and in a quick arch he buried his knife into the rapist. The beast gave out a choked gasp before slumping over top of its victim. Hastily, Sniper pushed the form off of his friend before getting a proper look at him.
Scout's eyes were wide and watery in shock, as blood and other fluids mixed into the shredded remains of his pants. Fresh bruises lined his near ghost-like skin and his nose was bloody and swollen. Rage was quickly replaced with fear as Sniper felt like he was looking at a ghost of the usual cocky, self-assured face he had known for years. Scout face was devoid of any emotion that was familiar to it.
"Scout." Sniper's voice came out as a raspy whisper, but to the young man it was like a beacon on a foggy night. Scout snapped out his lethargy and looked the Sniper in the face, as if just becoming aware of his presence.
"S-Snipes?" Scout's voice cracked, before a held back sob suddenly overtook him. Instantly, Scout was wailing with everything he had. Sniper felt his heart plummet, as he was quickly wrapping his arms around the boy, gently rubbing circles into his back. The boy was heaving and shaking so heavily, he thought he would shatter in his arms. The two just sat there for what felt like an eternity, before the Scout had gone quiet in his arms. Sniper looked down to realize the boy had passed out. It was with a heavy heart Sniper took off his shirt, wrapped it around the exposed man, and carefully carried him back to his caravan.
Sniper could see Heavy was surprised when he saw the two of them in a mess. But he didn't say anything as he got out of the passenger seat and headed into the back; returning shorting with a blanket, which he laid over top of the boy. Sniper exchanged a thankful nod with the giant, before he quietly made his way back into the rear of the vehicle. Sniper placed the sleeping man in the passenger seat and heaved a sigh. His thoughts raced, jumping from anger to sorrow to guilt. He didn't know what he was going to tell the rest of the team, especially the medic. Sniper decided to cross those bridges when he came to them and instead got behind the wheel and headed back on track towards Dustbowl.