Authors' note: Chapter 4 and 5 are really short, so we're doing a double update, hurrah! Also, thank you everyone for the reviews and follows. It's doing wonders for our egos. Wonders. The younger author's housemates have already complained. The younger author needs to stop writing about herself in the notes, but maybe that will make the older author start writing more interesting ones.
Still don't own TF2. *sigh*
RED Medic hurriedly slipped his old uniform on (it smelled a bit worse for wear) and took the stairs two at a time. Right. He needed to look for the Heavy as best as he could. Fortunately there weren't a lot of places someone like him could hide anyways, or be hidden. He set to it, sneaking into bunks quietly as he could and looking wherever he could, but most everyone seemed to be where they were supposed to be. And no sign of the BLU Heavy.
Finally he made his way back toward the sewer, then paused. It was awfully quiet. Usually the Engineer was clanging away in his workshop at night.
There was a genteel cough behind him. "And what are you doing down here at this hour of the night, Docteur?"
Medic jumped and spun around. "Was? Oh... herr Spy, it's you. I vas looking for, ah, zhe Engineer. I had somezhing to ask him about his dispensers. Strategy and zhat sort of zhing." Hopefully Spy would fall for it.
"I have not seen him around," said RED Spy. "Neither have I seen you. You tend to vanish in the evenings, Docteur. You are not in your room, or the infirmary, or in any of our teammates' rooms. As far as I know, you do not possess a cloaking device. And I doubt the sewers are where a man of medicine would relax." He flipped open the cigarette case and offered it to the Medic. "Would you like one?"
"Ah, no, no zhank you. You know how I feel about vhat zhey do to lungs. And anyvays, I like to take walks in zhe evenings when it's quiet und no one is trying to shoot me. It is relaxing und makes it easy to zhink. Is zhat a crime now?"
"Their Sniper does tend to take pot-shots at people walking around outside at whatever hour the disgusting man is awake. And you'd get yelled at by Soldier. The nosy American would have noticed by now." Spy smiled a little and lit his own cigarette. "Besides, I haven't seen you."
"Perhaps I do not walk vhere you, Soldier, und BLU Sniper frequent," he replied. "Zhis really isn't any of your business. Vhy are you up anyvays? Und have you seen zhe Engineer?"
The Spy sniffed. "You smell as if you have just crawled out of a garbage can," he said. "There was a minor commotion over at the BLU base a bit ago, involving a truck. Are you trying my job, Docteur?"
"Vhat? No, no, but... vait, a truck?" Medic paused, trying to figure out the best way to go about this. "Vhat sort of commotion? I'm a little confused vhat you mean by zhat."
"Thumping? Truck engine starting up and speeding away? Does any of this sound familiar to you?" The Spy flicked at the pocket of the Medic's labcoat, plucked something from it. "Bits of banana peel? Their Pyro has a soft spot for bananas."
"I didn't haff a trash can nearby," Medic snapped, cursing his usual cleanliness. Because of course Spy wouldn't think for a moment he'd put that in his pocket. "But no, I had nozzing to do vith a truck. Vich vay did it go? Perhaps we can figure out vhat it vas."
The Spy appeared appeased by this. "I don't know," he said. "We could always go to look, of course, but that would involve sneaking off the base-I believe that this is something our contracts forbid during working periods."
"Vell... I zhink it's vorth looking into." Medic looked a little wary, but maybe... maybe they could find something out. So long as Spy wasn't luring him into a trap. Best to keep armed just in case. "Perhaps I can go und see if I can find any tiretracks, so you von't haff to be bothered if it turns out to be nozzing."
"I will show you my favorite route out," said Spy, amused. "You don't think a gentleman such as myself would neglect his... acquaintances... because of a foolish rule, non?"
"Ah... no?" Medic had a very bad feeling about this, but what would happen if he just refused? And he did want to figure this out. "Yes, ah, please show me."
"This way. By the way, I am surpised that you haven't seen Engineer. I did not see him at dinner. It was uncharacteristic." The Spy started up the steps by the entrance to the base, darted across the flat and into the gloom on the other side. There was a steep little hill there, a short scramble up to the road. They paused there, out of the glare of electric light, and waited. It was hardly quieter here; the hum of machinery was replaced by a humming, squeaking chorus of insects.
Medic caught his breath, getting a bit of his old impatience back with it. "I agree; zhat is vhy I vas looking for him."
"Interesting," said the Spy. "Very interesting. Duck under the wire here, Docteur."
"I haff no desire to be electrocuted, don't vorry." Medic ducked under the wire as instructed, blinking in the darkness. No moon, and the lights from the bases made everything darker by contrast. The road was only visible as a long pale streak of dust. "Now, vhere did you hear it?"
"Over here," said Spy, leading the way to a stand of trees near the BLU base. Something hooted, making both men flinch. It was with relief that they ducked into the copse. "Would you happen to have some sort of light? I would prefer to not set the trees alight."
"I zhink... vait." Medic dug around in his pocket and pulled out a small handheld light, the sort used to look into people's ears, and handed it to Spy. "It should be enough."
"Humph," said Spy, and flicked it on.
The needles in the center of the stand, where there was a little clearing, were stained with oil.
Medic looked satisfied. "Very nice. Let's hope zhis is not an isolated patch but a trail vhe can follow."
"It is enough to know that there was a vehicle here. When they got to the road, they would leave tire tracks. This way, I think." Then, looking up, the Spy switched off the light. "Quickly, Docteur, into the trees. There are people coming."
