No Place Like Home - Chapter III: Of Wrenches and Cunning Plans.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The seconds rolled by idly as the Engineer and the Sniper sat at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and enjoying the breakfast that the Texan had cooked for them. It was a routine they were both used to, as they woke way before anyone else on their team - save for Soldier and Spy - and the two had become good friends quickly. It helped bring Sniper out of the shell he had been in, but he still rarely talked to anyone other than Engineer. They often spoke of their lives before the war, and in some cases, family (Which was sometimes difficult for Sniper.). But gradually the silence grew and grew, until a recognisable pair of Cuban heels could be heard clicking their way.
Sniper's eyes turned slowly from looking out of the window, to glance at the man sitting next to him, who had paused in the middle of his sip of coffee, his smile thinning. Chuckling quietly, the marksman watched as Engineer placed his drink down. His hand, seeming to 'rest' at his side, curled around the wrench that was safely stowed in his overalls. Sniper knew the signs of restlessness when he saw them. That was his job, after all, to observe things that people missed, but it was only too obvious the Texan was not happy.
"Bonjour to you too Mes Amis." The distorted sound of an invisi-watch de-cloaking could be heard, and the now-visible Spy raised his eyebrows, leaning back against the kitchen counter, the kettle boiling behind him. Sniper knew that there was about as much chance of the Texan replying as the moon turning purple, so after a moments hesitation, he cleared his throat and replied to the suited man.
"Apologies Spy, neither of us are fully awake yet." Sniper stretched, answering for the Engineer too. Spy smirked almost knowingly and began to pour himself a cup of tea, not once breaking eye contact with the Australian man. Chillingly, he noted, the other man never blinked either.
An awkward silence descended on the room, and the Engineer rapidly became restless, he was used to the warm, pleasant background noises of his machines. The hum of his dispenser, the beeping and clicking of his sentry, and the whirring of his teleporters. The Spy was the total opposite, he brought a cold silence, and dealt his killing stabs with perfect precision, the only sounds being the gurgling of his victim as they choked and convulsed into death, or the whispering whoosh of his invisi-watch before he faded into the shadows. The Texan made a move to get up from the table when the Sniper suddenly broke the silence, a rare occasion for the normally quiet man.
"So, we fighting in 3 hours, right?"
"Oui, doublecross." The Spy confirmed curtly, looking between the other two mercenaries. He made no movement to join the others at the table. This was partly out of curious observation, and also because he was not one for socialising with his fellow team mates. He preferred getting the information he needed and then leaving as soon as possible. But mostly the reason he was not venturing over to the table because he could see the hostility practically oozing from the Engineer, and did not wish to become a victim to the infamous wrench he had seen crush the heads of the spies on team BLU. Still, there was no harm in trying, right?
Spy pushed himself away from the counter, and took a step towards the table.
The reaction was immediate, as soon as Spy sat down, Engineer stood up and without looking back, left the kitchen. Quirking a brow at Sniper in a silent question, the other man replied with a small shake of his head as if to drop the subject. The Frenchman sipped his tea before clearing his throat.
"I hear there eez some dispute over whether ze letters that arrived are genuine...oui?" Sniper sighed, producing the folded letter from his pocket and spreading it out on the table in front of him. The Spy scrutinized the message with his dark eyes, before looking up at the Australian. "Eet does not make any sense, why would ze enemy team know our names? Also, how would zey know where our rooms are? Zis building eez detached from the main fighting compound." As he finished his explanation on his views, Spy watched Sniper's reaction to each factor he was putting forward.
"I see yer point but... wouldn't it be possible for the other spy's to get in and find all that out? They're supposed teh do stuff like that." Sniper mused, but saw his comrade frown as if in negative thought. "What? I 'ave a point."
"Indeed. But I have doubts zat team BLU could think out a plan zis thoroughly; they hardly keep to their own tactics." Before Sniper could open his mouth to speak, Spy carried on. "In any case, ze best thing to do would be to carry on as normal."
"Oh, right. Yer yer, will do." Sniper folded the letter back up and pocketed it again. He watched as the other man rose from his chair and strode, having drunk his tea, towards the kitchen doors. He looked away and was just about to return to his morning schedule when he heard the Spy's heels stop clicking. When he glanced back at the door, Spy was looking at him with a strange, almost lonely expression. But when he blinked, his face was neutral again.
"Mon ami, I am aware of our Engineer's hostility, and don't think zat I don't know why. He does not trust me, and I do not expect any of you to." And with that, he cloaked and was gone, leaving the Sniper to think over what he had just seen and heard.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
