The Right Colour
Co-Written by Breech Loader and ShdOzzy
Breech: There's a freaking HEATWAVE going through the country, and I'm sitting here, sweating my damn ass off. You're lucky I'm not just lying in an ice bath or something, and actually getting the next chapter of the story.
ShdOzzy: This chapter – some interrogation, without actual torture. No torture! Not this chapter, anyway.
Chapter Four: Interrogation
Last time, it had been the BLU Scout who was held prisoner in an enemy base. This time, it was the RED Medic. When she opened her eyes, she instantly regretted it. Her head was pounding, the light was being shone in her eyes, and a quick check discovered that her hands were tied behind the back of a wooden chair. She automatically started twisting her wrists, trying to loosen the knots. She didn't call out for help. After all, she'd been knocked out and tied up, and whoever had done so probably wasn't going to let her go. There was no good reason to let them know she was awake.
"Hey," came a voice to Medic's right. She turned around to see Scout, leaning up against the wall. He was back in his traditional BLU uniform, his weapons all present and accounted for as they were strung across his back and in his belt, "Sorry about the ropes. Spy did 'em. I told him and the others not to be too rough but... well, let's just say it took all my 'suading just to talk Soldier into letting me guard you," Scout explained apologetically. "So uh... aside from the obvious, you feelin' okay?"
Medic opened her mouth to say something very, very rude, but finally found the right insults, "Vat do djou zink?" she asked, and instantly regretted speaking. Even the sound of her own voice hammered on the inside of her skull. She tried to work her hands in the ropes again, but had to admit, Spy had done a good job.
"Uh... right," Scout replied, realizing what a stupid question he had just asked. He'd almost forgotten how he felt when he got clobbered by Heavy himself for trying to take his Sandvich. The next morning wasn't too pleasant for him either. Not to mention Spy could tie one hell of a knot. He couldn't see her getting out of her bonds any time soon. In fact, he really couldn't see her escaping in any fashion at all. Perhaps that's why Soldier let him take the guard duty; because it was hardly needed. "Hey, listen. Um... you were right about Soldier," Scout continued, trying to keep the silence between them to a bare minimum. "He's pretty much told all of us that he's set on having you become our new Medic. I'm gonna try and do what I can for ya, but there ain't really that much to be done outside of flatout treachery."
"Ja, I suppose now it is mein turn to be reliant on mein comrades," Medic glared at Scout. He seemed perhaps a little more nervous than expected, for being in a room with an unarmed, restrained doctor, "But I see vy djou are zer first guard duty. Djou are to convince me to become zer healer for zer BLU base. But I vill not betray mein comrades."
"Well... okay, yeah. That's basically why he sent me down here," Scout came clean with the captive doctor. "But hey, it was either me or Spy that was gonna try to convince ya first. Figured it might've been better if I had a go first before he started." Scout still vividly remembered his encounter with the RED Spy. He still wasn't sure that what he'd said was true or not, but he wasn't going to be asking anytime soon, as he still couldn't find a way to do so without sounding like a complete jackass no matter what the outcome.
Medic shook her head, "I cannot believe I had sex with you," she muttered in German, before looking up again, "Or djou may be Spy right now," she added, "Eezer vay, djou haff failed." Spy had taken the time to secure the ropes binding her wrists to the chair. Smart, "All zis trouble for der Hippocratic Oath. Remind me nezzer to bozzer wiz it again."
"I think either way, you're not gonna have the chance to," Scout replied. "I mean, you get rescued by the REDs, Soldier'll be watching you like a hawk, and you join us... I guess our Soldier would be watching you like a hawk too, but at least you wouldn't have to worry about me getting any more stab wounds. I think one time getting my chest cut open's enough for me to learn my lesson."
Medic groaned and hung her head. She knew that in all technicality, Scout hadn't betrayed her. If things hadn't worked out this way, she'd have had to shoot him. He didn't exactly have much choice in the matter. But her aching jaw argued otherwise, "Forget it," she said, staring at the floor, "Send in zer clowns."
Scout sighed. He knew he wasn't going to convince her, but he at least wanted to try for both their sakes, knowing that perhaps the best thing for her to do right now would be to cut her losses and willingly join the BLUs. However, her loyalty to the REDs was deeper than he'd realized. Pushing himself off the wall, he left for the door, accepting defeat. Before opening it to leave, he turned back around at Medic. "You sure you wanna do this?" he asked her. "Once I'm outta here, the shit's really gonna hit the fan."
Medic couldn't bring herself to look up. She had spent a lot of time in the line of fire, healing her comrades. She was no coward. But nobody sane ever enjoyed going through pain, which she strongly suspected would start up soon, "Do not zink I do not care for djou, Scout. But I cannot betray mein comrades."
As Scout looked on at her, a pang of guilt hit him in the chest. He knew this was wrong. By all accounts, he should be helping Medic get back to RED Base. But like Medic, he had his own loyalties, his own comrades to serve, and he couldn't betray them either. "Well, you gotta do what you gotta do," Scout responded. "Sorry I couldn't be more of a help." Not daring to look at the tied up doctor a second more, he immediately left the cell, where the BLU Soldier and Spy were waiting for him. "Your turn," he said to Spy, barely getting the words out of his mouth.
Spy gave Scout a devilish smirk. Of course, he had known all along that the boy would fail. Aside from having the wit of a cantaloupe, the young Bostonian had too much of a weak spot for the RED Team's Medic. Perhaps it was because she had saved his life and he mistook it for kindness on the made surgeon's part, or perhaps there was more going on between the two that met the eye. Either way, Soldier was foolish to think that Scout could to the job that Spy was clearly far more qualified for. Lighting a cigarette, he strutted into the cell, inhaling the toxic fumes as he approached the immobile Medic, and then bent down to blow them into her face. "I trust I have made your accommodations satisfactory, ma chere'." Spy mocked her as he watched her struggle to keep his smoke from entering her nostrils.
Medic coughed a couple of times, her eyes watering behind her glasses, "Smokink is ein filthy habit," she returned briskly, "I hope djour lunks rot." It was bad enough that back at the RED base Spy smoked endlessly, without having it blown in her face.
"Oh, now that is quite harsh to say, non?" Spy laughed at her insult as he picked himself back up and drew on his cigarette once more. "Especially since ve have been so generous as to offer you a position on our team. After all, it is clearly vat you wanted, having saved our Scout from zat RED filth who calls himself my equal."
"Das vas not vy I rescued him," Medic replied. Perhaps the worst part about this was that she still wasn't sure why she had rescued him. But for now, the lie would have to make do, "He vould make ein convenient source ov information for mein comrades," she narrowed her eyes and added a measure of truth, "Und I vas under orders to shoot him."
"Of course you were," Spy dismissed her claims as he exhaled another puff of nicotine-laced smoke, the room starting to fill with the semi-poisonous substance. It didn't exactly matter whether she was telling the truth or not. He wasn't here to uncover her past, as fun a concept as that sounded. No, he was her to secure her future as an agent for the BLU Team. And he would sway her to his cause... one way or another. "Although, given your mongrel of a leader, such an order would not surprise me," Spy continued. "After all, the REDs are quite the savages. No morals, no code, no honour... not like the BLU Team. Here, we bear the colour of truth and courage. Your talents would be better suited here than with that... scum, for lack of a better word."
"Ja, because zis is such ein courageous act," Medic sneered, "As is zer tiptoeink behind ozzers under disguise so brave. Hosensheisser..." she coughed a couple more times, despite an attempt not to, "Ov course djou believe djou are zer heroes. Das is vat djou are brainwashed to believe."
"The same could be said of you, Medic. After all, it was not ve who started this war..." and as Spy spoke, his cloaking device began to take effect, transforming him into an exact duplicate of the RED Team's Soldier, American accent and all, "...But there are those on your team who would continue it, despite both our sides having suffered many a loss." He activated the device again, this time changing into the RED Engineer. "Tell me, missy, do y'all think I would've died out there if the REDs weren't so darn stubborn?" he asked Medic in Engineer's trademark Texan dialect.
"Leck mich, hurensohn," Medic spat, "Even djour own comrades haff no faith in djou. Zis var goes on because djou filthy varmongers vill nezzer agree to peace." She refused absolutely to look at Spy in his disguises, turning her face away. While they didn't agree on everything, Engineer had been a good friend, and looking at Spy's perfect imitation made her feel sick.
"Is that so, missy? You don't seem so sure," the false Engineer commented, noticing her outright refusal to look at the spitting image of her fallen comrade, "Why donch'all say that again?" He walked forward, and with one hand, he grabbed Medic by the chin and sharply turned her head to face him. With the other hand, he removed the goggles, revealing to the doctor his baby BLU eyes. "Look at your fallen friend," he ordered the German. "Look at him right in his eyes and tell him that he didn't die for a worthless cause."
She couldn't say it. Even when she knew it was a fake standing right there. She was a lousy liar anyway. She closed her eyes tightly, refusing to look at him, "Djou haff no respect for zer dead," she hissed, "Did djou even bury djour own doctor? Nein, das is too... human for djou!"
"Now I wouldn't say that..." Spy began, before changing again... this time, into Medic herself. He began to speak in German, his accent almost perfect, "If I was you. I wonder how difficult it is for you to look into the mirror, to stare into cold, grey-brown eyes with all the compassion of a rattlesnake. A figure who has killed in the most brutal fashions, the most heinous ways... In fact, I think it's safe to say that you've taken as many lives as you've spared. That can change. All you need to do is join us, and I promise you will never have to kill again."
Medic snarled under her breath, and returned to her native language, "I will show you what I think when I look in the mirror," she growled, "All you have to do is untie me." The unpleasant part was that even though she'd never kept count, it was probably true. She could be a sadistic bitch. But that wouldn't change by switching teams. Most of the time, she had to be given specific orders not to kill an enemy, except for the occasional stab of the Oath, "To be your medic... That would change nothing. My decisions to take life were my own."
Spy gave Medic a smirk, disturbingly out of place on her own visage. "You say that as if you do not have the potential to save life as well," he remarked. Then, he used his device to transform again, this time... into the BLU Scout. "You had me at your mercy. You could've done away with me like the little street rat I was, yet despite all that, you spared me," Spy gave off his best impression of the Boston boy as humanly possible. "And frankly, I don't buy that you did it to carry out orders. Your Soldier is hardly the most subtle of creatures. He would never give such a command. No, whatever your reasons, you saved me of your own volition. Maybe that ain't something the REDs appreciate, but here we admire that kind of valour. And if you join us, you will not be persecuted for it."
"Nein!" Medic shouted, for once losing her cool, "I vill not betray mein comrades, mein friends!" she took a few breaths, trying to think straight, and narrowed her eyes, now speaking in French - although her German accent remained as thick as ever, "Djou are zer vun who is zer coward, zer traitor... zer liar, zer scum. Vill djou stand zere and make me suffer? Or be human?" She hoped that by speaking Spy's own language, she could gain his trust. That was why so many doctors were multi-lingual after all - although not usually to take advantage of their patients.
"You speak my language quite well. I am impressed." Spy complimented Medic as he reverted back to his true form. "If we speak alike, then perhaps we can think alike. I am not the monster you think I am. I only wear masks because it is easier to communicate with many faces. But if you insist that I speak plainly, then I shall. After all, I am here to make an ally out of you, not an enemy. I doubt that the RED Spy would extend such courtesy."
"I do not vant to betray mein comrades," Medic was immensely relieved that she wasn't faced with her mirror image any longer, nor that of the Scout, "Nein, zer only peace our employers desire is peace through conquest. But vould djou choose mein comrades over djour own?" She shook her head to try and clear it of the stench of tobacco, "Und vill djou not put out das accursed cigarette?"
"Heh. I only smoke to relax, a concept I believe you should get more acquainted with, but as you wish," Spy obliged as he walked over to the wall and used it to put his cigarette out, "But back to your main point, no, I would not betray my own people, but only because I have experienced both sides of the battlefield, serving honestly or otherwise, and having done so, I feel that BLU is the superior side. Give it a chance, and I believe that you might as well."
"Mein comrades vill come for me," Medic replied, "Vould djours come for djou?" It was clear to see that she was tired out from arguing her case. She hung her head. Spy had not broken her, but what he had learnt was that she didn't really believe that the war was just. She looked away from him, sick of arguing. She wished for once that she was the crazed patriot that Soldier was. At least then she'd find it easy to ignore Spy. As it was, she could only repeatedly turn down his offer. Joining the BLU team would not change them, or the war, or her.
"We came for Scout, didn't we?" Spy answered her question, "We measure the worth of a teammate's life by his commitment, not his 'worth.' Perhaps you do not believe this, but in time, I assure you, you shall." And with that, Spy threw his burnt cigarette into the nearby corner and made for the door, but before leaving, he issued some final words to Medic, "Perhaps for all our sakes, you will come to this realization sooner rather than later." And with nothing else to say, he left Medic to her own devices.
True, he had not broken her yet, but this was not an unforeseeable outcome, and the battle was far from over. There was not one mortal man nor woman who could stand firm against Spy's calculative mind for long. If Medic would not join them today, she would tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the next day. How long it took hardly mattered. Eventually, her will would fall just like the others. But for now, he would remain content with the progress he had made, and so would Soldier and Scout, as he found them standing outside waiting for him. "I have not broken her yet, Gentlemen," Spy told them, "But I will soon enough. I believe I have gained some resemblance of trust. If I can maintain it, I should break through to her."
Soldier clapped Spy on the back, "We'll get that lousy Nazi chick to change her ways yet!" he said triumphantly, "Those slimy REDs are about as loyal as the Italians were to Germany back in my World War 2 days! And if she doesn't, she'll always be good for some intel!"
"Ah yes, intel. My favourite kind of interrogation," Spy mused, a sly grin on his face. "I guarantee you Soldier, if we do not have her loyalty, we shall have any and all knowledge of the REDs that she possesses."
Scout felt helpless as he looked between Spy and Soldier. Medic was one tough cookie if she managed to survive Spy's brain-fucks without giving into to his crooked will, but from the looks of it, he planned to keep going, and he didn't know how long she was going to survive Spy's second attempt, or heaven forbid, his third. And the worst part about it was that he couldn't do a damn thing to stop it, lest he got thrown into a cell with her again. All he could do was hope that Medic remained strong, and that maybe, just maybe, she had an ace up her sleeve, "Umm... Just outta curiosity..." he interrupted Spy and Soldier as a thought occurred to him. "...What's gonna happen if Spy doesn't break her?"
"Are you questioning my skills, boy?" Spy growled, offended by his question.
"No, not at all!" Scout quickly corrected himself. "I mean, I'm just asking if she COULD resist you, what would happen to her?"
"We hold her until we can negotiate a deal with those stinkin', cowardly REDs!" Soldier replied proudly, "They get their Medic back, in exchange for a full-scale surrender!"
"And if they don't?" Scout further questioned. "I mean, I don't mean to question your logic or anything, but I think they'd be a little more likely to try and rescue her than to just give up."
"Then we'll take down every one of 'em!" Soldier answered, as loud and obnoxious as ever, "And as for her, well she'd better join us, if she knows what's good for her!"
"Uh-huh. Well, sounds good to me," Scout lied in order to humour Soldier. In reality, that had been the answer he'd been dreading. The way he saw it, Medic had either one of two options: Continue to be emotionally tortured by Spy until she agreed to join the BLUs, or face eventual extermination when the REDs came to save her. As of now, the BLUs had the biggest advantage, what with the REDs lacking both their Engineer and their Medic. If they attacked, the BLUs would surely win, and by that time if Medic wasn't one of them, she would be as good as dead. It was a difficult situation, one that had Scout wondering if he was indeed on the right side.
In the cell, Medic stood, chair and all, and started to slam it against the wall, in hopes that she could break it and thus break free.
But eventually, she had to cease ramming the chair against the wall and sat down again. It was simply too solid, and she was still sore from being knocked out by Heavy. If the BLU spy was anything like as good as the RED spy, he was going to break her. Either through gaining her friendship or making her just give up. Even with this knowledge she wasn't entirely sure of how long she could hold out. She knew her comrades would come, whether they came to rescue her for her abilities or for her was irrelevant. But what she feared was that they wouldn't get there before she cracked.
Breech: And now you leave a review, saying what you think.