Author's note: Hello everybody! First, many thanks to all the people who read the first chapter of this fanfic, and to those who fav'd it and decided to follow it! This is my very first fanfic in English language (like our beloved Spy, I am French) and my first fanfic for the past ten years, so I'm probably very rusty. I'm trying to make it as fun as possible, but the first couple of chapters serve as an intro to my OCs and the situation, so apologie if it's a bit boring - I have much more fun plans for the future, involving Merasmus, dubious escape plans, possibly aliens, and lots of other things. I hope you like Christina and Charlie, Christina is very easy and enjoyable to write, and I'm still working my way around Charlie but we'll get there!

As this is my first fic in a looong time, I would really appreciate any criticism or comment you guys might have, so that I can improve the future chapters, so feel free to leave some reviews to tell me what you think!

Also, just in case you're wondering, the palpable tension between Spy and Charlie has nothing to do with romance or being past lovers or whatever - the mystery will be unveiled, but definitely no intimacy, past or present, between them!

Hope you enjoy chapter 2, see you around!

Chapter 2: The new guys.

Engie was known amongst his teammates to be the most easy-going, amiable, and welcoming of the nine mercs who had been residing in Teufort for the past six years. Everybody would have been expecting him to be happy at the idea of welcoming two new recruits and helping them feel at home – yet even he could feel hesitant, even skeptical, about this new plan of Miss Pauling's. Not that he didn't like the idea of the team expanding. In fact, he was rather enthusiastic about it – up until the point Miss Pauling announced him that one of the new guys was to be, how'd she say it again? Oh yes: his bodyguard. Well, she didn't quite formulate it like that, but that was the general feeling. And as much as Engie enjoyed company, he didn't like the feeling of being watched over like a kid. In fact, it felt rather humiliating. He didn't need no babysitter, he was a big guy who could take care of himself on the battlefield. Granted, these robots did try to kill him, and not randomly: it had quickly become clear during their last battle that they were specifically targeting him, as he was desperately trying to build up his sentries, and without the last-minute intervention of Heavy, he'd probably be dead by now, as the damn robots attacked while they were doing some maintenance work on the respawn system. He had gotten out of it, wounded, but alive. That was when Miss Pauling started babbling about this whole protection idea. He had thought she'd forgotten about it, 'cause it had been a month since she last mentioned it.

But judging by the presence of the two women in their common room, she had just been more silent about it, that's all.

They had all been surprised when Miss Pauling introduced them, as quite naturally, they were expecting men to join their ranks – and had found themselves with a gorgeous, giant Scandinavian woman, who held her head up with the elegance of a swan and seemed to have the strength of a T-Rex (a strange but interesting mixture), her long blond hair tied up in a neat bun on her head. She had rosy cheeks and beautiful blue eyes, and if it wasn't for her obvious musculature and her being probably 1m90 tall, she'd be what you could call a classic Northern beauty. The other one was closer to 1m80 and much less intimidating in stature – in fact, Engie wondered if her arms could actually carry any weapon. She was of very pale complexion, her sharp cheekbones covered by freckles, and had short, red hair that gave her an androgynous look. She was most certainly in her thirties, but there was something very young about her, that Engie couldn't quite place. She wasn't what you'd call pretty, but she wasn't ugly either. In fact, she just looked like she wanted to be as unremarkable as possible – and would have succeeded, if it wasn't for her noticeable red hair.

In any case, they were not your typical women. Or your typical mercs, for that matter, and Engie didn't quite know how to feel about this.

Spy was the only one who didn't show any surprise at their arrival – in fact, he walked straight to them and greeted the Scandinavian woman like an old friend, by kissing her on both cheeks like a proper Frenchman. To the other one, he simply offered to shake hands, which Engie found quite rude, but she didn't seem to take offense, and in fact, gave him a cold stare before accepting the hand he offered, reluctantly it would seem. The three of them obviously knew each other, and from what Engie had gathered, there probably were some unresolved conflict.

This whole thing was off to a great start.

"So, Miss Pauling hired you to… help us out with the robot business?" Engie asked, trying no to sound too skeptical.

"Yes." Christina replied, very aware that the mercs did not trust them – she had been expecting it. "We were not convinced either at first. But then she explained the situation, and we think we can help. Or at least try our best."

"You guys dealt with robots before?"

"Not directly, no." Christina admitted. "But that girl over there specializes in computers and communication systems." All heads turned to Charlie, who nodded in agreement. "She can help with taking the robots down. And me, I specialize in getting between weapons and people."

"If I may." This time everybody turned to Spy, who was leaning against a wall, inhaling the smoke of his cigarette and pausing before speaking again. "I understand your concern, Engineer. But I have worked with these women before – I can vouch for them. They are more professional and efficient than they look."

"Yeah, what's that all 'bout, fancypants? Why didn'tcha say anything before?" Scout jumped in, pointing an incriminating finger at the Spy, who gave him a cold stare and shrugged. "I don't mean no disrespect ladies, but ya never know with that sneaky bastard!"

"Say what? That Miss Pauling occasionally asked me to work with outside Teufort to collect intelligence on our enemies? With the assistance of our two colleagues? Or that she did not trust you enough to tell you about it?"

Scout's face became red with anger, and he probably would have jumped at Spy's throat if Engie and Pyro had not grabbed him and pulled him back. He copiously insulted his French counterpart, who looked like he couldn't care less. Heavy was sitting on a chair, his very large arms crossed across his very large chest. He was saying very little, as usual, but observing a lot. As for Medic, he didn't seem to have quite figured out what he thought of the situation and was therefore carefully abstaining to formulate any opinion. As for the Demoman, he was lying drunk on a sofa while Soldier was pondering on whether or not he should torture his new teammates to test their resistance to… well. Torture. Sniper was nowhere to be seen, but he was watching over the horizon from his van. Since the robots seemed to attack at pretty much anytime now, they always had someone outside to keep an eye out for next wave.

"Anyway, you don't have much of a choice now. I am sorry the situation is making you uncomfortable, Mr. Engineer, but the quicker we find a solution, the sooner you will be rid of us."

Engie sighed. Christina was right. Next time, the robots could very well get them, and they couldn't afford to refuse help. Especially if Miss Pauling held them in such high esteem that they should be allowed inside the fort.

"Well, I suppose we will all have to make the best out of it." He concluded with an amiable smile.

"And vhat should ve call you?" asked the Medic, who was looking forward to experimenting on new, blank canvasses – he had just received a couple of penguin lungs that would fit very well into body cavities of all sorts.

"As I said, I specialize in protecting you from enemies and weapons. I do close combat and my job is to protect the Engineer if he is targeted again, and to protect you as well if you are overwhelmed with enemies. Miss Pauling decided I should be the Shield."

"Like a human shield? Literally? Scout's eyebrows looked like they were going to jump through the roof.

"Absolutely literally like a human shield." She smiled.

"What about tiny girl?" Heavy's deep voice asked.

"I'm not a fighter. But I know how to deal with computers and distance controlled machines. I mess them up, and when we get the opportunity, I take them down. Call me the Hacker." Charlie said.

"Mess up the bots, huh? I guess you and I will have some work to do then. And Spy, he's the sapping guy, usually. Unless you guys…"

Can't work together, he almost added, but Spy put away his cigarette and took another one.

"Our new Hacker holds resentment against me, that is true, and she as her reasons. But I trust it will not get in the way of our collaboration. Will it?" he asked, looking at Hacker with an impenetrable expression in his eyes.

"Don't worry about it." She simply replied. "So, shall we? I need to see the control room. See if there is any amelioration I can bring to our system before we get to the robots part."

"Follow me, young lady." Engie, Hacker and Spy left the room, leaving Shield with the others.

"I'm going to unload our equipment." Shield said before heading towards the exit.

"I will help." Said Heavy.

Scout watched them as they walked out the door. Great, now they had two giant brutes in the building. At least that lady seemed decent – not the kind to smash your head against a wall if you dared touching her sandwich.

Still. Scout was very upset that Miss Pauling had more trust in Spy than in him. He was way better than that frog-eating smartass. Tch, girls. Un-believable.