The ball was bouncing on the wall and floor, always at the same rhythm, marking the regular and flat song of boredom. At least he had that !

As soon as the scout took his designated place he immediately felt himself gnawed by dullness. As the strongest moment of his anger, he started to walk in circle around the objective as to dig a furrow in the metal. Then as time and bad mood was decreasing he eventually sat on the metal steps, moving his leg by a nervous twitch caused by the over-power in his body. The silence in the room was twice worst than the din of the battlefield, making him deaf. Feeling another need of move, he stood up to go back in the preparation room and have a look at his stuffs to find something to do. The sound of the door made him jumped and he immediately ran back in the intelligence room, his baseball ball in hand. Once back, he started launching it in the air while listening the vocals exchanges of his teammates he was receiving on his own headphone.

But he cut it quickly. It was so dumb to imagine something few meters away ! Especially to regret it so much.

And now he was there, sprawling against the circular wall, making his bounce without end his ball. Which suddenly stopped half way, floating in the air. With a frown, the young man raised, staring at it with a dazes face.

"That is a strange way to defend boy."

The scout sighed with anger.

"Geez what do you want again from me Spy ! Isn't it already enough that I've been stuck in here for hours without you coming to make fun ?!"

The masked man became visible again, the ball in his palm while adjusting his tie with the other one.

"It just been fifteen minutes that you have changed affectation. And I'm not really involved in your actual situation" he answered, throwing back the ball to the young man.

"No kidding ? And who almost perforate my head with a bullet?!" continued immediately the scout with a dark look.

"Nothing personal. I just had to shut you up" said the spy while taking a cigarette from his case. "But beside that, I think some calm could be useful for a hothead like you."

Le boy clinched his fists, tighten his grab on his ball until thrusting his nails in it. He had a sudden desire to throw it at the man's face jst in front of him.

" 'Cause watching a fucking suitcase is useful ?! What do you think ?! That it will go away on its little feet ?! The heck ! You might be paid to do fucking nothing scumbag but me I'm here to run ! Not to sleep ! Easy ! Grass grows, Birds fly, Sun shines, and brother, bI HURT PEOPLE /b! That's the only think useful ! Running and fighting ! bTHAT'S/b what I'm here for !"

"What are you waiting for then ?"

The question asked on a casual tone, cut straight the young angry man. He fixed the spy for few seconds as if the man had just confessed something terrible. The masked man was stoical, watching without really seeing the empty room. The scout shook his head with a pout.

"What the heck is your problem ? You were there, isn't it ? If I put one single centimeter of my body outside I'm roasted in both meaning and I'd prefer to avoid that."

There was a silence then the shadow man spoke again without moving any bits from his position, smoking quietly.

"Why are you here for after all ?"

The scout frowned but as he wasn't answering the spy continued.

"Glory ? The soldiers names are only knew when they are killed by a disloyal way. Money ? It's true this job is well paid but certainly not to have a palace life when it's over. Personal experiment ? There are a lot of others for a young man like you which are not or less involving much risks. So what ? "

Once again, the question stood in the air. The boy put his eyes down, searching for something to say without finding anything. At the end, he made a step to be at the same level of his colleague, keeping him in the corner of his eyes.

"Nothing interesting...And you ? What pushed you in this big mess ?"

A swift tension on the spy's lips created a fugitive rictus almost imperceptible but the man didn't answered either. The scout stood still for few seconds then sighed again.

"Bha, we all have our owns reasons" he commented pushing his hands in his pockets.

"Of course."

The silence fell in place again. But not for long. The spy had a small head move, as if someone just pushed the switch to turn him on.

"Down"

The young fighter didn't had the time to see him disappear. His ear caught the mechanic rolling of a mini-gun. He jumped above the guard-rail to hide behind the glass wall, covering a part of the platform. Bullets almost immediately started to tear the air appart until their road stopped in violent impacts approximately everywhere. And above those mortuary whistles was raising the big voice of a Heavy who was singing the funeral march, almost covering the rolling message of death. The young man gritted his teeth as he heard the footsteps on the metal steps one time than another before going away. The boy felt again a sudden urge of screaming in anger. He checked his weapons, took his dispersion rifle and get ready to try an escape. An agony cry made him jump and pressed the trigger, wasting a lead burst. With a curse he took a look outside his shelter and discovered the spy above an enemy sniper corpse.

"I think we have something to take back" commented the man as we was slipping his knife in his jacket.

A large smile stretched the scout's lips as he was crossing the base, weapon in hand. But as he was almost at the exit a firm hand stopped him net.

"Running toward an Heavy is the best way to get kill stupidly. Comme with me."

Without any explanation, the man in suit went on the left. The scout almost yelled at him first but followed him. They stopped in front of a circular hatch which the scout couldn't remember about. But he didn't had to ask for the answer of his silent interrogation.

"It conduct in the cooling canal right in front of the building. If you can play with them a little I will make a bit of cleaning"

The boy blinked then laughed.

"Getting on people nerves is my speciality !"

With a battle scream he jumped in the hatch which opened before he could even touch it.

The water wasn't really hot without being unpleasant. The scout followed the tube to the actual canal and as he was reaching it an explosion blazed the space out of water a his right. The sounds were muffed but he could recognized the regular rolling of the mini-gun. Going in the base was harder than going out for everybody apparently. The scout join the surface just enough to see what was going on without being seen. The enemmy Heavy was just in front of the bridge who was crossing the canal, firing the space in front of him to clear a way in the defense line who closed behind him. But even if the bullets were touching him his wounds were immediately cured thanks to the medic hidden behind the large stature of the war man. It was also this guy who was holding the briefcase while handling his medigun which was humming louder and louder. The other guys of the team hadn't the same cleared sight so all was on the shoulders of the scout. As he was ready to jump on the medic a slight blu flicker hold him back. The Blu spy...This bastard was right behind the medic to cover him.

The boy dived again to go under the other bridge. He took a deep breath and corssed fingers to have enough time. He took back his ball in his pocket and jumped on the brigde.

"Play ball! " He screamed, throwing his ball.

It charged straight between the spy's and medic's heads, catching their attention. They turned their eyes to the opposite bridge but there was nothing. Nothing but a splash on the water's surface. The spy had a little laugh and made a sign to his colleagues for them to continue. Then he slipped in the water too, pushing a little hiss. This little snot did had some chances last time...

The shadow man scoured the canal with his eyes without finding anything. He frowned before an hard impact on the bridge obliged him to go back at the surface. As he was catching the edge to get out of the canal he felt eyes in eyes with the kid, who had a big smile on his face.

"Yo, what's up?"

the spy tried to get back but didn't had the time to dodge the batt hit who caught him right between the eyes. The masked man felt in the canal without a sound as the scout was getting up proudly.

"Way to go pally !" he launched with a look to their own team's spy.

Well where he was not so long before. The boy searched for him to localized him but he shrugged. It was always the same deal with those guys anyway. He stooped to get back their suitcase but a voice made him jump, almost making him fall in the water again.

"Did you finished him ? "

The scout raised up, intelligence in hand.

"With the hit he received he might be on his way to become a beautiful aquarium decoration."answered the boy with a head sign toward the canal.

Without anymore comment, he passed his colleague to join the security of their base. The spy appeared right in front of him, cutting his way. His face wasn't expressing any feelings but was still announcing a sort of threat.

"Did you saw him dead?" he asked again, more insisting.

"He might be. I have to admit I ain't took the time to go on a bath again. We had the intelligence, right ? That's all important !"

"What is important is the duration of our lives" continued the masked man clinching his fists.

"Hey relax ! All we have to do his get our backs on walls to avoid backstab and open our eyes ! He will be obliged to pass in front of us if he wants to try anything anyway !"

The spy pleated his eyes and disappeared again. With another shrug, the young man went back in the central room to put the briefcase back at the place it would never had left, then he sat again on the steps.

By instinct, the scout push on the tunnel's wall to throw himself out of the water and go back in fresh air but his move get stopped. He felt a painful line in his leg, which made him scream underwater and let the liquid fill his mouth. With a hips flick, he managed to turn around to find himself face to face with the enemy spy who appeared through a red cloud. And judging by his smile, he was in mood to play... The knife passed again, way to close to his face and really fast even with the water inertia. The scout went back as good as he could, pressing himself against the concrete wall to take a push and throw himself forward. He bumped into his opponent's chest, making him swallowed a good amount of water too.

The rules had changed. Now it was the one who would hold it longer. The young man blocked the wrist holding the knife, trying to push the spy against the wall. His heart started to punch painfully in his ribcage as his lungs started to burn. But turning back and try to get to the exit was not something allowed for whom desire to stay alive, especially with a spy. He clenched his teeth and throw a knee to the crotch of his opponent but the spy folded up his legs to protect himself. In answer to this try, he grabbed and tighten suddenly his grip on the young man's head, making him loose his force. The scout's vision became dark with few sparkles for a very short moment but turned back to normal just in time to dodge the knife blade pointed at his throat. Another large cut open on his arms but this time he forced himself to keep his scream inside his throat.

Instead, he slipped behind the spy's back and caught his own throat with his elbow, tightening as much as he could. As planned, the other one open his mouth instinctively, swallowing water again and again without being able to stop. Then, in a despair, the spy started to throw his elbows in the scout's ribs, making the two of them hit the wall or even started to use his knife to cut everything he could reach. The water tinted with red but the young man used his own pain to reinforce the vice. Eventually, the hits started to go slower and weaker until they finally stopped for good.

The scout's lungs were nothing but a real furnace and his whole body a moving plague. Never he would managed to reach the canal or even if he could, drag himself out of it to the base. So he turned back to the hatch and started to bang on it to make it open, fighting against his own tiredness and his aquatic environment. He felt his sinews grow lower at each hit and his sight started to fade black again. Having no other choice, he forced himself to turn back to make a try with the canal.

The light came out of nowhere above him and without realizing it a hard grab drew him out of water.

The young man crashed on the ground, coughing and aspiring with true happiness the missed air for more or less five minutes. Above him was the spy of his team, still with his neutral and cold facial expression.

"'B...bastard...", articulate the young still searching for his breath. "Couldn't you do something before?!" he tried to screamed with a furious look on his colleague.

But his throat didn't permit it without making him cough again for a long moment. The spy didn't had any reaction, making the scout's anger grew again and making move his tired and wounded muscles.

"That would have pleased you if I had died in here isn't it ?!" he yelled, catching brutally the masked man's collar. "That's not you're problem if we all died 'cause you'll still be paid after all ! You fucking shitass ! I bet if they could proposed you a better amount of money you would be on the other side ! bIsn't it/b?!

The spy didn't said nothing, still observing the boy. A light appeared briefly in his grey eyes before he pushed down the scout who let his body fall on the ground again with a suffering moan.

"I wasn't the one with the best place to kill this man" he explain simply, putting his suit back to place. "And by the way, as I didn't had any confirmation about the identity, it would have been easy for me to shoot down both of you but I thought it was better to give you a chance."

''No kidding ? You're a kind heart for sure...''spitted the boy, helping himself up with the brick wall.

''It would more be called reason''

''And how do you know that I'm not the freaking foe who just killed the stupidass ?''

The masked man smiled.

''You don't know how to use a knife. Don't try to say you do because I saw you tried. And with what I can see you weren't the one with it in hand. I also think you should go cure those wounds already. Those take long to heal completly.

The scout pouted but turned to make his way to the preparation area. But as he was doing his first step, his injured body abandoned him, letting the boy tumble down with a scream. The spy helped him limp to the area without caring about the groaning scout. Once they arrived, the masked man made him sit and gave him bandages to cure his injuries.

''Oi, I know how to take care of myself ya know ? No need to play my nanny ! Especially atfer what happened.'' growled the young man, almost tearing the clothes from the spy's hands.

This reaction created a little smile on the spy's lips who let the scout do his own healing. He turned around to go back in the innards of the base but had a small stop just before disappearing.

''By the way, winning against a spy while under water is a rare experiment, as the ones who can get away from it alive. So I think we can say you did quite good imon garçon/i''

The scout raised his eye to look at the spy who was already going away as if nothing happened.

The young man blinked few times then bursted in laugh.

''Of course I did ! What do you think ?'' he shouted. ''I'm a freaking force of nature !''

In the corridors, the spy took another cigarette he put between his lips, stretched in a smile he couldn't prevent.