A/N: Ditto. Thanks to Bayoboo and archaicStargazer for following and favoriting.
Letters.
One of the few things that connected the mercs to the outside world, but most importantly to their families.
Ms. Pauling was currently passing out letters to the RED mercs. Usually the same people got letters, Scout, Sniper, Heavy, Demo, and Engineer, as well as the occasional one for Medic and Spy.
But that would change today, as the most unlikely merc was about to get a letter.
"Ok here's the mail," she passed out each letter that was addressed to each merc. "One for Scout, one for Heavy, one for Demo, Sniper, Engineer, and I think we have one more,"
Pauling reached for the last letter but as she read to whom it was addressed to her eyes arched in confusion. She did a double take to make sure she was reading it right.
"Pauling you've been looking at that letter for sometime now," said Engi. "You ok?"
"Ten bucks it's for Spy," said Scout. "Probably another sappy love letter from his dates,"
Spy rolled his eyes while Sniper stifled a laugh.
"It's not for Spy, Scout," she said.
"Soldier?"
"No…Pyro,"
Everyone in the room went silent.
"Murmp mwe?" Pyro asked as he looked up from his drawing.
"Your pulling our leg, right Pauling?" asked Scout. "Who would want to write to Pyro?"
"Family?" suggested Sniper. "Like how we get letters from them,"
"Yeah, but does he even have a family?"
"I don't know about Pyro's family Scout, but I'm not pulling your leg," she said as she turned the envelope around, on the front was Pyro's name written in perfect cursive. "Here Pyro," she said as she tossed the letter to him.
Pyro caught the envelope and opened it, humming to the tune of "Do You Believe in Magic" as he did. He took out the letter that was inside it and started to read it. After a while, he dropped the letter and got up, and started to skip away to somewhere else.
Engi got up from his seat and walked over to Pyro's letter, he picked it up and started to read out loud what it said.
Dear little bro,
First of all, I'm sorry if I never wrote to you for the past two years. I've never had the time to sit down and write, after all, being part of one of the deadliest mercenary teams in existence doesn't allow you to take any time off.
Besides that, I'm quite excited to meet your mercenary team. I've read all of your letters about each member, and, to be honest, they seem to be almost like mine! Anyways, I'm not coming alone; I've somehow convinced my team to come to visit yours!
How cool is that?
We should arrive sometime after our team gets back from Europe, why? Wish I could tell you but it's confidential.
With hugs and kisses,
-Joan
It took a while for the mercs to take it all in.
"Pyro has a sister?" asked Scout. "And she's also in the mercenary business? Geez what else are we going to learn about Mumbles?"
"Oh wait there's more," said Engi. "P.S: If Scout calls you Mumbles when I'm there, consider him dead,"
"…"
"Ms. Pauling have you ever heard this team that Joan mentions?" asked Spy. "Because I have never heard of a team similar to ours,"
"Yes, once," she responded. "The team is called Strike Force, or S.F for short. And Joan isn't lying when she said they are one of the deadliest mercenary teams in existence,"
"What do they do?" asked Engi.
"Well, they take really high-risk jobs, such as blowing up an oil platforms, breaking out prisoners in maximum security prisons, killing high-profile persons, etc. And they have yet to fail a job yet,"
"That doesn't sound so bad," said Sniper.
"That's only their jobs, Sniper,"
"So what makes them dangerous?" asked Scout.
"Well first off, they don't use codenames like you guys do, they use their real names to identify themselves,"
"What does that mean?"
"It means that they are not afraid to face people who want them dead," replied Spy.
"You got that right Frenchie," said a voice behind the mercs.
The nine people quickly turned to find a group of eight people standing behind them.
"Um, how long have you've been standing there?" asked Ms. Pauling.
A man with an olive green helmet, who must've talked, pulled out a small pocket watch. "I'd say about ten minutes," he said as he put the watch away and pulled out a lollypop. "I'm assuming you're the mercs that Joan's been talking about right?"
Meanwhile
Pyro was currently in his room playing with a lighter. He didn't like talking to others about his personal life, and he would usually hide away whenever it comes up. It wasn't because he didn't like talking about it; it was just awkward to talk about it.
He flicked the lighter on and off, watching the flame go on and off.
"You really like fire don't you?" said a muffed voice.
Pyro turned to find a black-clad figure wearing night vision goggles and a gas mask standing next to him.
"Sup, bro,"
What could be described next was a loving scene when the brother and sister hugged. The scene would be even more adorable if there wasn't a loud crash that ruined it.
"Maybe I should've stayed with the team so nothing bad happens," Joan said. She turned to find Pyro playing with a large plush unicorn, already losing interest in what was happening. "And how could I forget you have the attention span of a three year old?"
She snapped her fingers and got Pyro's attention once again. "Lets go and make sure they don't kill each other yet ok?"
Pyro nodded, and hopped off his bed.
The two hurried out of his bedroom and into the living room where the other mercs were in. What the two found was Scout imbedded into a wall on one side of the living room, and on the other side everyone was trying to hold back a certain large and angry female.
"Let me at him!" she screamed. "I'll make him eat his own heart!"
Joan sighed before turning to a man with a blue construction hat that was simply watching the action on the side.
"Guy in the wall called Hanna fat, right Aron?" she asked.
"Yup," Aron replied. "He and his big mouth,"
"Well at least we have someone we can relate to,"
"Oh yeah,"
"Oh! Aron this is my lil' bro, he's the Pyro on this team," she said pointing to the arsonist.
Pyro's immediate response was to hug the S.F Engineer.
"Is he always like this?"
Joan shrugged. "Would you rather have him burn you?"
"Ok then, I'll take the hug,"
Time Skip
After Joan was able to calm Hanna and also extract the loudmouth from the wall. Both sides were able to properly introduce each other.
"Scout, you should probably say sorry to Hanna," said Medic.
"ME? She's the one who threw me into a wall!" he replied. "She should apologize to me,"
"You're the one who angered her in the first place, so be a man and own up to it," said Vet as he flicked the lolly around in his mouth.
"Fine, sorry,"
"I don't think she heard you,"
"Why? I said it loud enough,"
"I doubt she could hear you over her eating,"
Vet used his thumb to point to Hanna who was scarfing down a third box of frosted cereal.
"And she's the one who is self conscious about her weight," said Astra as she pinched her nose.
"So what exactly are you?" Engi asked Astra.
"A phoenix," she responded.
"But aren't they…"
"Yes, supposed to be myths, but they do exist, at least, used to exist," she sighed before continuing. "Magical creatures such as unicorns, phoenixes, griffiths, pegasi, all used to exist in the world, but they were hunted down to almost the point of extinction. Those who survived the massacre hid away and soon they were forgotten by time,"
"Why did we do such things?"
"Medicine," she answered. "The tears of a phoenix is said to cure any wound, the blood of a unicorn can bring someone away from death…" she trailed off.
"Sorry if I may have brought any bad memories up,"
"Don't be, times were different back then. Now its different,"
"I'm surprised you're not related to Mumb-" before he could finish, Scout was suddenly tackled out of his chair by Joan, and put a knife to his neck.
"I thought I told you never to call him that in front of me," she hissed through the mask.
Scout gulped. He'd forgotten about the warning Joan gave in her letter.
"Mwmpmrpwmrpmw!" Pyro said while shaking his sister.
Joan growled. She took the blade away from Scout's neck.
"You're lucky he doesn't want you dead," her voice dripping in venom. "Next time, it's personal,"
She got up from Scout before a poof a smoke appeared around her, as it cleared she was gone.
"Nice job," said Kelly as she clapped slowly. "You managed to get on the bad side on two members of team already and it's been only an hour. I think that's a new record, beating Ace,"
"Shut up," said Ace.
A/N: Wanted to get it up but couldn't, had stuff to do. Anyways it's here!
Review Question: Which merc do you like so far?
Till next time,
-D.W
