Annoyances
By: GothamPanda
The train's whistle echoed through the base and Alphonse sighed. New recruits were arriving today. He wasn't too fond of the idea of having to support careless newbies. He pulled on his jacket and made his way out to assess the damage. He knew they were down one Heavy again and he couldn't forget the Spy they lost. His burns would have made the most beautiful scars if he'd survived. Alphonse smiled. He loved his job. He reached a balcony that overlook the train station and saw John already chewing out the three new recruits.
"Vait. Sree?" he mumbled a little surprised.
He looked at the new heavy weapons guy. He was young but look strong nonetheless, then there was a spy. A female. That's new. Then there was a scout.
"A scout? Did we lose anozer one? Vhat happened to ze corpse? I must investigate zhis!" he turned with his knew need for clarification.
The soldier droned on and about rules and the meaning of war but Quinn really didn't much care. She just wanted to bash someone's brains in already. She yawned and kicked at the dirt waiting for the windbag to quit jabbering.
Her attention turned to a chick wearing a hard hat. She had on the widest smile as she approached the group with a sack in one hand and a brief case in the other.
"John hun I believe that'll be enough. Head back inside, Russel's made lunch." She stated, laying a hand on the man's shoulder. He growled at her as if he was about to yell, but he turned and returned to the inner realms of the base. "Sorry about him guys. I know he can be a bit much, but I swear he means well… at least most of the time." She glanced away, grimacing for a moment. Her smile returned though when she turned her gaze back to the three. "My name is Isabel but please feel free ta call me Bell. I'm gonna to be your team engineer so approach me about any problems with your weapons."
She placed the briefcase down and pulled open the bag. From it she pulled some red boxing gloves faded from use, a bat that seemed to be permanently stained with blood and a butterfly knife that appeared brand new.
"All I can give you right now are your close quarters weapons," She passed the gloves to the Heavy who gave her a brilliant smile, "Your guns will be supplied to you before the start of your first battle," she passed the Spy her butterfly knife along with a trying look, "and are required to go for a quick check up every two weeks." Finally she tossed Quinn her bat and the girl gave a crooked smirk.
"One last thing before you head on in," Bell turned to the suitcase and popped it open. Inside lay several watches. She picked up the middle one and handed it to the Spy, but the other two got to choose which one they wanted. "These are your communicators. Keep them on you at all times. It will signal the end of the battle. Also monitors your heart rate, and blood pressure. Press the red button on the left side to signal for the medic, though I prefer just callin' out. He'll find ya." She chuckled, "Welcome to 2Fort RED base, fresh meat!"
Alphonse stormed through the halls in search of Russel. If any man would know the location of their previous scout it would be him. He rounded a corner and crashed into a smaller frame, staggering back a bit but knocking the other to the ground.
"Yo! Watch where the hell your going freak!" the smaller female spat. He clenched his fist and growled.
"You best hope you never end up on my operation table. It vill be a moment you vill not forget!" he hissed before continuing on his task. "Damn new recruits!"
~Next Day~
The announcer's voice roared over the intercom signaling the start of the battle, followed by the joyful heckles and cheers of the teams. Alphonse decided not to take part in today's battle, he was far too frustrated with Russel's reluctance to give him the information he craved. He sat at his desk, his head leaned against his hand as he scribbled several notes down.
"I need to get my medi-gun looked at. Za damn zing keeps jamming on me. I vill have to use za spare one until it iz fixed." He sighed and pulled off his glasses, folded them and placed them down on the desk. He rubbed at his temples and mumbled something akin to calming hymn.
"DOKTOR!" a voice boomed as his operation room doors were thrown open. Alphonse quickly pulled his glasses on and faced the Heavy.
"Vhat is it Dummkopf, Can you not see I am busy?"
"Leetle Scout was injured! Help him doctor!" the man none too lightly placed Quinn's thrashing form down on the metal table.
"Ya damn bald bastard! I Told ya I was fine! I can still fight!"
Alphonse glared down at the thrashing scout and ordered that Ivan return to the battle field. He fixed the complaining girl with a glare, and she sat still.
"Vere iz zis vound he spoke of?"
Quinn turned around and Alphonse's eyes widened. On her back was a rather large lesion starting on her left shoulder, dropping down to about her waist, then coming back up to the other shoulder. Something in him swooned at the thought of the beautiful scar that was going to remain once the wound finally healed.
He grabbed the material of the red shirt and tore it away from the gushing wound. Quinn's hands shot up to grab the front of her shirt, making Alphonse look at her oddly.
"You have no reason to be self conscious. We are both men here."
Quinn blushed a bit and looked away. "No… We're not."
"Vhat?"
"We're not both guys."
"Are you serious? You are a girl."
"Woman! I'm a woman damn it! How hard is that to accept?"
Alphonse walked around to the front, and stared at the poor girl as she clutched the shirt to her chest. He really took in her features and all he could see that would give her away was her face.
"Uh. I'm kinda bleedin' back there. Couldja help?" she murmured.
"Yes. Of course." He shook his head and returned to cleaning and dressing her wound.
"SO why are ya cooped up in this room. Aren't ya supposed to be out there fightin' too?"
"Unlike ze ozers I can choose not to participate. I have to take stock of all our provisions, and veapons. Zen order more if zey are needed." He mumbled and finished stitching up her shoulders, and moved to stitch up her back.
"That's a lot for one guy to do. I bet lots of math is involved huh?"
"More zen I initially zought yes, but it came vith my position. You are done." he snipped the excess stitch and returned to his desk with a sigh.
"Thanks doc. Hey. Ya wouldn't happen to have another shirt would ya?"
"In ze second drawer over zere." He pointed over his shoulder and continued to scribble down the needed amounts.
Quinn skipped over to the cabinet, grabbed the shirt, and dashed out the room.
~After the battle~
The medic was fast asleep, his head buried in his arms. His mind even in his dreams still crunching the numbers. He barely ever had a good nights rest since he came here.
A light knock came on his door, "Doc. You in here?" Quinn pushed the open when she received no response, "Doc?"
She treaded quietly through the room. She heard from her new overprotective friend, Ivan that the medic, she now knew as Alphonse, never really left his room. When he didn't show up for supper, she finally believed it. The man did seem like a recluse, and for some strange reason he perked her interests. She glanced down at the plate of food in her hand and sighed. She'd taken the task of delivering his food, in hopes to talk to him again.
Quinn turned a corner, and a dim glow caught her attention. It led her to a cracked door off to the right of the operation room. With her free hand she pushed it open all the way and spotted the hunched over figure. She ambled over beside him, placing the plate down. She delicately placed her hand on his back and shook him slightly.
"Wake up sleepy head. I got some grub for ya." She mumbled.
Alphonse woke with an initial start, but when his sleep blurred vision cleared he calm, if only a little, "Vat are you doing in here?"
"I just said. I brought you something to eat smart one."
Alphonse glanced down at the plate, "Oh I see. Danka."
"What?"
He rolled his eyes, "Nozhing." He grabbed the plate and began to nibble on some of its contents.
Quinn sat down on the bed, her feet barely touching the ground once seated back fully. He looked at the female scout as she kicked her legs.
"Iz zere somezhing else zat you vant?"
"Nope. Just gonna sit here for a while. Seems like you need some company."
"You are veird."
"Thanks." She grinned.
A week passed by with the same routine. Every time the red headed medic decided to stay off the battle field, the little scout would visit him throughout the day. Then spend the evening watching him, and trying to make him talk. Alphonse was starting to get annoyed by the girl's constant attention. He preferred to be alone when he did all the paper work, and her constant questions seemed to have slowed down his productive rate.
"So whydja become a medic huh?"
Alphonse rubbed his temples and growled darkly. "I do not know. Zhe job was open. I needed money."
"Seriously? You don't seem like the kinda guy who needs money. To me is seems like you prefer to see people's injuries. Is that like a fetish or a turn on for you? Do you like amputee porn or somethin'? How would you even find stuff like that, I mean who'd volunteer to actually do stuff like that?"
He could feel his eye twitching more and more with each of her rapid fire questions, and his temper couldn't be held back for much longer.
"I mean I guess you'd prolly know, but I mean seriously. Isn't that pour salt into the wounds. You're an amputee and some dude wants you to get naked and screw some chick, infront of millions of viewers, just because your missing like an arm and a leg. So that's like basically saying if you did have your arm still you wouldn't ever be in this postion. Seriously it wei-"
"Vill you shut up!" he finally snapped, slamming his hand down onto the table and standing up, "How can you keep droning on like zat. Do you not stop to breazh or somezhing! I svear to god I vill kill you in ze most painful vay possible if you do not shut up!"
He glared at the young scout, who looked like she was about to break into tears any second. Then out of nowhere she tackled the taller man. "Dude your adorable when your all pissed."
"Uh…vat?"
"When I first bumped into you in the hall I thought you were going to be a dick, but then ya went and fixed up my back I realized you were kinda cute. In that 'I'm a big nerd' kinda way,"
"Nerd?"
"Yeah. Ya know, A number cruncher, bookworm, poindexter? A nerd! And now you're getting all flushed and mad and it's just too cute."
Alphonse pushed the girl away by her shoulders and stared perplexed at her. He searched her eyes and demeanor for any signs of sadistic humor, but her expression was genuine. She really thought he was … cute?
"Aw! You're blushing now!" She hugged him again, this time he didn't try to push her away, too stunned by all this new information he has received.
"I just zhreatened you… und you are not phased?"
"Please. My brother could think of worse ways of torturing me without killing me." she shrugged.
Alphonse returned to rubbing his temples, "I vill never understand you Quinn."
She gasped and hugged him tighter, "Oh my god you used my name finally! I think this is the start of something amazing!"
"Oh no."
~Fin
