Looks like I forgot to give the last chapter a name. I'll go back and fix that.
Chapter 2: Help is Needed
Tick, tick
For both her students and herself, the clock was moving too slowly. Angela Patterson loathed her job just as much as her students loathed her.
When asked what she was planning on doing after college, her last response would have been teaching a bunch of bratty high school kid's calculus. As much as she complained, she couldn't argue that it wasn't a decent paying job, but the teenagers were almost too much to handle.
Every day she would have to yell at them to quiet down and do their work, but like always, they would continue their insistent chatter instead of working on the problems she assigned them. Though, like all professionals, she never showed her true feelings.
Standing up and explaining was also something she detested, but seeing as how she was already on thin ice with the Administration, she had to do her best in teaching her students.
"Now to do this on the calculator, all you have to do is-"
Beep!
It was yet another interruption. Angela was not the type of woman that appreciated being interrupted.
With a barely audible groan, she answered, "Yes?" in a tone of irritation.
"Would you send May Flowers up to the office please?" the woman said over the intercom.
"On her way," she responded.
With a click, the intercom had shut off, and Angela looked at the student that was called. It seemed as though she had a confused look, like she didn't know what was going on, but that was none of her concern.
As her student walked out, Angela continued with the lesson.
The teenage girl walked through the halls of Bee Cave High School. While it was nowhere as big as the previous schools she had attended, it was still impressive for a town as small as it was.
The school year was still early and though she had acclimated to the new school, it still didn't feel right. As reluctant as she had been to moving to the small Texas town, she wasn't as reluctant to try and make friends. With all of hers back home, May had to make some local ones. The problem was that it was hard to make friends with people who didn't share similar interest.
As for why she was on her way to the front office, she had no clue. May didn't remember her parents telling her anything about a doctor's appointment or family matter. Besides, her mother was out of town and her father was at work. What was happening, she had no idea.s
Nearing the office, May looked in through the windows and saw something bright yellow between the shelves of a bookcase. She stopped for a second to give it a second look. It moved, and looked like it was on someone's hand. The only thing it could be, she thought, was a glove, but who would wear a yellow glove outside of the-. May dashed for the door, her breath held as she neared the office.
Was it possible he had survived?
Reaching the door, she saw him standing there. He looked just as he had before the teleportation, except he lacked the hard hat and goggles. He wasn't injured or anything, he was all there. The Engineer had survived.
Her hand on the door, she paused, letting the relief flow. The last time she saw him, or any of the other mercenaries, was right before she was sent back to her own world. May's final glimpse of their world, was the Engineer falling to the ground, with bullets pierced through his chest.
With respawn down, she thought the Engineer would have surely failed to recover from the wound before it turned back on. Evidently, that wasn't the case.
Mind in a scramble, May wasn't sure what to think, but she knew one thing for sure. She was happy to see him alive again. Door flung back, she entered the front office, with total disbelief on her face.
She was stammering, unable to form a complete sentence.
"Hey May, ready to go?" he replied, a smile that hid something.
"Wh- what are y-"
"We gotta go to a doctor's appointment, remember?"
Her face was twisted in a mixture of confusion and shock, but the administrator at the desk noticed her confusion.
With a suspicious tone, the woman asked, "Ma'am, is everything alright?"
May glanced over to the Engineer and saw him give a small nod. She was a tad uneasy about lying, but something told her that it was the right thing to do.
"Yeah, uh everything's fine. I just didn't know we had an appointment today. Thought it was tomorrow."
The woman gave them one final look, a shrug and said, "Have a good day."
May seemed to notice a recurring theme with the staff of this school. They didn't seem to care.
The two exited the school and when they got out of sight of the administrator, May dropped her stuff and gave him a hug..
"I-I thought you were dead." She said, choking on her words.
He patted her on the back, "Haha, well I did to, but luckily respawn turned on right before I died."
Pulling away, she immediately asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, that there's a long story," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "but to make it short, Grey won, and now I need your help."
"Why me?"
"You see, Gray disbanded us after he won, but I'm going to try and get everyone back together to take down Gray. You see, I think Gray might know more than we think."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Remember how you said that Gray shouldn't have invaded when he did?" she nodded, "Well, it might be because he knew it was a time he would win. What happens when Grey attacks in the game?"
She thought for a moment, "Well, he kills Blutarch and Redmond, fights you guys for a few months, then gets control of Mann co. scattering the team. At least, that's what happens in the comic."
"Wait, there's- never mind. Look he's manage to disband us, but we weren't at war for a few months. It only lasted a few hours."
May's eyes widened. How could such a thing be possible?
She knew the mercenaries were a tough group and could hold down a fort, but losing in only a few hours seemed impossible. The RED's weren't invincible by any means, but they weren't weak enough to only last a short while. The Engineer was right. Gray must have known something.
She came to a realization, her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat, "He knew about me."
"What?" the Engineer said, confused.
"Think about it. If Gray did know more than we thought, than he must have known I was there. Why would he attack at such a random time? He knew that if I was there, you guys would have to get me out of harm's way. Get me back home…It's because of me that Gray won…"
Her face had fallen. May knew that this was all her fault. It was her fault that Gray had won. It was her fault that they had been disbanded. It was her fault that the Engineer had almost died…
May managed to hold back the tears, as she knew now wasn't the time. She might have been riddled with guilt, but she refused to show it. May needed to find a way to redeem herself, and she knew just what she would do.
"I'm coming back with you."
The Engineer sternly said, "Absolutely not. "
"I don't care, I'm going with you."
"Look, May, all I need is for you to help me get general locations on the rest of the guys. I don't want you to come back with me. Ya don't need to be in danger again."
The look on her face and in her eyes was nothing but pure, fiery determination. She would not be budged in her decision.
"Oh I think I can help you find them and I may know where they might be, but I'm the one with the knowledge. I could choose not to give you any information."
"Now May, don't be like that."
May's fist were clenched, and her face was scrunched up. She was going, even if he said no.
"No! You don't realize how much you guys mean to me! Before what happened two months ago, you guys were just fictional characters in a video game that I adored! When I met you guys, it felt like I had known you for years! That game you guys are a part of affected my life way before I even met you. I was obsessed, thinking about it every single god damn day, but now, all those thoughts, might actually have some worth…I can help, please let me come with you."
She was determined and the Engineer could tell. He couldn't leave her behind, because he knew she was able to operate the teleporter and would end up following him. Disabling the teleporter wasn't an option either, because if things got really bad, the teleporter was a last option of escape.
He gave a sigh, then bent down and grabbed mays belongings, handing it back to her. Alright you can come, but you have to listen to everything I say. Respawn won't be online and we don't have the Doc, so we'll need to be careful."
A smile grew across May's face and she gave him a small nod of appreciation before the two headed away from the school.
