A/N: I was supposed to upload this BEFORE I went on vacation, but the packing-stress got to me and I completely forgot! Please forgive me, and enjoy the latest chapter!

A tremble runs through him at the idea of spying, not sure if the shudders are from excitement or terror, and he runs a hands over his face. Tomorrow the teams are going to relocate, the only moment to find out why was now. No procrastinating, no excuses. His stomach flips as he slowly starts making his way to the BLU base. He has a feeling that this is the Medic's doing, or at least the BLU team. He dreads going near the man again, but it's more important to know what BLU is doing than what idiotic idea RED conjured up.

He can hear the children playing and chirping from within the pipes, but he does not go to them, swimming through the pipes as quickly as he can. Finding out what is going on has priority right now, no matter how much the children's almost loveable sounds beg for him to come back to them. He wants to watch them play and swim, but his mission is more important. They'd never swim and play for long without things to feed on. Spy swears he can hear one of the children laughing as he continues on his way to the BLU base.

A strange sense of nostalgia comes rushing back at him when he inches along the shadows in the sewers, like he had so many times before in mostly successful attempts to get past the front lines. Memories and trivia about both bases fill his thoughts as he quickly makes his way to the most convenient and safe entrance to the BLU base: the maintenance shaft of the sewer systems. It's poorly hidden behind a half-submerged grate that only clings onto the wall in a thick layer of grime, and looks like it's been torn off and replaced on numerous occasions. No doubt by the spies that came before him.

A wretched stench drifts from behind the grate, forcing a disgusted gag from Spy. He tries not to think about the piled up junk inside the maintenance shaft, and starts breathing through his mouth instead of his nose. It's not much of an improvement, but it keeps him from going green. He pulls carefully at the grate, the iron groaning slightly as he scrapes it past the concrete surrounding it. A few loose screws plop into the water next to him, and then the way into the maintenance shafts is clear.

Spy slips into the small pipe with little difficulty, and pulls the grate back over the entrance with his tentacles. He had thought the sewers disgusting, but this was a whole new level of grime and filth. It's dark, and every time his hands touch the ground, he feels something different lying beneath them. A wrench, some sort of hat... He ignores the random items littering the shafts and continues crawling through the dark tunnels. The only light is a dim maintenance bulb barely visible beneath a thick layer of unrecognizable sludge.

At least those days of memorizing the entire base layout will finally pay off. Without wasting a moment, Spy starts clambering his way through the layer of murky water that lies in the tunnels. He doesn't have to go far...A few turns, and then—

There! A dull light greets him when he rounds the corner, a single grate shining light onto the filthy waters like a flashlight, unidentifiable strings of filth hanging from the small openings between the bars. The maintenance hatch. How many times had the Engineer descended into this filthy place to fix whatever damage the team had done to the system? Like the time where a certain Scottish someone had managed to flush an entire tower of hats down the toilet after a night of heavy drinking...

Only rarely did someone enter the maintenance rooms, let alone during the times where nothing needed to be fixed. It was only a short way from the grate to the air-vents, and then he'd be all set. There wasn't much time, the smell of the sewers would undoubtedly attract attention, but hopefully he'd know what he had to know before they started to search the vents. He slips his tentacles around the grate, and as silently as he can, he lifts it, thanking the gods this team had been too stupid to lock the gra—CLANK. The loud sound echoes into the pipes, and Spy chokes on his breath at the unexpected loud noise.

Locked!? No... That couldn't be right! His team-the BLU team never locks this grate! Heck, they barely lock the room to the intelligence in all their stupidity!

Spy curses under his breath, and pulls himself up to the grid. A large metal padlock hangs from the bars, clearly recently purchased. He squeezes the tip of a tentacle between the bars, his hands too big to fit through, and pulls experimentally at the lock. Ah. Key-based. Spy lets out a relieved at the feel of such a familiar lock. He had been picking things like these for as long as he can remember!

It sets his mind at ease, if not for a little bit, to know that the person who put the lock there probably didn't do so with a Spy in mind. Even the Heavy would know that a simple lock like this one was child's play for a spy! He lets himself down from the grate, feeling through the grime for something that can be used as a lockpick. There is more than enough trash to choose from, and in the end he managed to find a thin piece of metal, just the right size to open the lock with.

He curls his tentacles around the grid again, and starts awkwardly picking at the lock, the piece of metal slipping slightly in his grip. The smallest piece of the metal slips easily into the lock, and with a wave of warm nostalgia he pops the lock open, and it slips through the bars, falling into his awaiting hand soundlessly. "Perfect..." He reaches up to the grid and gives it a small push, already slipping a few tentacles onto the edge to pull himself up. A door is suddenly thrown open, and Spy almost bites his tongue off at the scare, almost dropping the heavy grate and the lock. As quickly as he dares he soundlessly lowers the grit, his heartbeat loud in his ears. The BLU Engineer walks into the room, looking uneasy and being followed by a clearly content looking Medic. It's only pure luck that they don't notice the tentacles slipping back into the maintenance shaft.

"-you show it to me?" A shiver runs through the Spy at the familiar voice echoing down the sewer grid, but his curiosity makes him stay, lingering beneath the grate to listen in on the conversation. Why would they pick this room of all places to converse? The conference room would be a much better choice to speak about secretive things...

A fluttering sound of fabric being pulled through the air reaches Spy's ears, and the Medic is the first to speak again. "Ah! So this is it?" The Engineer is quick to answer, sounding incredibly proud of himself.

"Yup, I finished it, and minor tweaking aside it's all ready for tomorrow!"

Any joy regarding his return to eavesdropping and sneaking around fades immediately at the man's words. What is this about? The Medic speaks up again, and with ill panic, Spy forces himself stay perfectly still as he listens.

"Zhat's perfect! We'll be just in time for the battle in Thunder Mountain!" Someone rustles with paper, and the Engineer answer sounds distracted. "Mmmyup. Sounds about right!"

"Sehr Gut. I will go help our team with packing, the earlier they are out, the sooner we can start."

A door is closed, and Spy can hear boots fading away from behind the door. What does this mean? What plan?! Spy holds his breath, and then silently wraps his hands around the bars in the grate to look into the room. The Engineer's back is turned to him as he stands by a pin-board on the wall, huge blueprints and small notes of all sorts scattered over it. A large metal machine stands in the corner, obstructed by a dirty white sheet and several boxes. Steadily, he lifts the grate, and pulls himself up, straining to get a better look at the blueprints. His heart is beating wildly in his chest, as it always does when he is sneaking.

The engineer mumbles something under his breath, and pulls out a notepad, copying numbers and sizes from the sheets in front of him. Spy cranes his neck and stares past the engineer, catching a good view of the blueprints. One shows the river openings, with extensive measurements written all over it in messy black marker, and another one shows an overly complicated machine, the one most recognizable thing being a big tube coming from the side.

A draining machine.

A shiver runs over Spy's back, and he clenches his jaw. They want to drain the sewers? Shut off access to the river?! The engineer throws a ball over paper over his shoulder and Spy almost jumps at the unexpected move. Maybe... maybe he could take out the Engineer... right here and now. He makes a slow move forward, pulling himself out of the shafts inch by inch. He could strangle him, try to sabotage the machine... His nails make a slight ticking sounds when he puts them down, but the Engineer doesn't react. The very last of Spy's tentacles slip quietly from the grate, and he closes in on his target.

The shotgun hangs from the man's hips, and Spy leans forward, eyes flicking nervously from the Engineer to the gun. It'll be risky... but... He curls his fingers around the shotgun, and slowly tries to lift it out of its holster. He knows he has failed the very moment he can hear the Engineer take a sharp intake of breath.

Without waiting for the man to turn around, he throws himself at the startled engineer with as much fury as he can muster, hands going for the throat.

"WHAT THE-!" A panicked flail hits Spy square in the jaw, and Spy's head spins from the impact. His claws cut into the Engineer's face, and the smell of blood that suddenly fills the air makes Spy's stomach jump. He throws himself against the Engineer, and forces the stocky man to the ground with an animalistic scream, his hands finding the throat and squeezing it shut. His tentacles tremble in effort and adrenaline as the Engineer struggles violently in their grip.

The man has no chance against the Spy, and his struggles become weaker and weaker as his face grows more and more the colour of his shirt. Spy breathes heavily, and pulls his hands off the corpse. It'd been a very, very long time since he'd had to strangle a man like that. He turns around, and crawls awkwardly towards the machine. If he could get behind that panel on the bottom and cut all the wires- "Herr Engineer, what-"

Spy's blood runs cold at the voice that sounds from behind him. The Medic. His eyes flick over to the hatch in panic. Open. Without a single doubt he dives towards the hatch, landing face first into the disgusting ooze lying everywhere. He claws his way through the sludge blindly, going straight for the exit. He swears he can hear boots splashing through the murky waters and the sound of sedative shots hitting the water behind him as he flees, but he doesn't look back.

The very moment he reaches the deeper waters of the sewers, he dives under, instinctively seeking refuge from within the shadows. No footsteps sound from above him, nor does he see a moving shadow. He wasn't followed?

He lingers in the shadows, straining to hear anything besides the sound of the water. Nothing. Slowly he swims further and further away from the BLU base, expecting the Medic to appear at any moment, but all keeps silent. Not that it would matter much if he got away now, tomorrow the water would drain, and he'd be nothing more than a fish on dry land! He can still feel the skin on his tentacles ache from the few hours he spent outside the water a day earlier. How would he ever hope to survive or stay hidden in a waterless environment for longer than a day, let alone escape within that time!?

He reaches the river, and resurfaces, looking out for any signs of being followed. Nothing. All is peacefully silent. He doesn't feel relieved, only more worried for the fate of both him and the creatures lying inside the pipe. He swims towards the barred openings in the wall that enable the river's flow, and looks through the bars. On the riverbank just outside of the wall, lies a large metal shutter. Several toolboxes surround the shutter, and Spy can hear the beeps of a mini-sentry stationed close by. How had this happened without his notice?! Why hadn't he heard the loud clanging of wrench on steel, or noticed the Engineer standing outside of the walls?! Spy's stomach rolls, and he frantically goes over his options. Climbing over the walls is impossible with his limbs as they are, breaking the bars is not an option, and hiding would only prolong the inevitable. There's not enough time!

"I am not... I just need..." He turns his back on the bars, and swims his way over to what has become his home over the days. He isn't prepared for the wave of sorrow that hits him when he spots the pipe. It's almost humorous. Where luxurious vacation homes and beautiful hotel rooms had often before left him feeling sorry to leave, a dirty sewer pipe now does the same. It really has become a home to him over the last days. The children greet him with hungry gazes and cries for attention, crawling onto his arms and tentacles enthusiastically.

All of them will perish here with him at this rate, all of these strange and clingy creatures. He raises one of the child to eye level, stroking it over the head while trying to avoid it's chew-happy teeth. A few others swim up to join their siblings in the game of 'bite the hand'. So small, yet so active already, such quick learners... He had never cared too much for children, but he can only guess that the burning concern and tinge of pity are the feelings that come with fatherhood. This is what it is like to be a father. These children feel truly different, more endearing and honest to god more likable than the snotty brats he encountered in restaurants that threw their food around the place. He doesn't want to see them die.

The child in his hands makes a predatory dive for his finger and chews on the nail with a growl, crawling all around his hand in furious enthusiasm. They are small enough. Even if he could not, the children could fit through those bars with ease, and find their way to the sea. A lump forms in his throat, and he tries to swallow it down futilely. There is no way he'll be able to outrun the Medic and the Engineer, let alone with the children following him, and even if he could do it, how would he feed them?

The children around him whine, biting hungrily at his skin to show their obvious appetite.

It's a hard choice. He could keep them with him, dying in the presence of his …. creatures. Or he could let them escape, wasting away on his own without the knowledge of their survival. He wants to be selfish, keep them with him, and hold them close for comfort when he ends it. It'd be a death he might even be able to enjoy, hearing his children make those awfully loud noises again in his last few moments.

He'd be condemning them.

If he let them go with the current of the river... He'd be dying alone. Cold and tense, huddled away in the empty nest without any sounds besides his own breathing, waiting for death without even knowing of their survival. Would they even survive beyond a few days? Could they adapt fast enough to survive without Spy's help?... Spy yelps when one of the children bites into his ear harshly, and he cautiously touches the concha, feeling a small wound at the top where the sharp little teeth had punctured his skin in hunger. He lets out a sigh, and buries his face in his hands, letting the child continue it's biting at his ear. It's unfair. So incredibly unfair...

He doesn't want to lose them either way! Not to the Medic, and not to the river... At the very least letting them escape would give them a chance at survival... Maybe they will be the ones to find a home within sunken ships, or become a legend in a secluded lake, or discover long lost cities beneath the endless waters...

He slowly forces himself up and gently brushes the children off him. "Come with me..." He turns around and swims out of the pipe, hearing the creatures set in the chase with excited chirps. He refuses to think, straining to keep his thoughts chained to the sound of his breathing. The current picks up as they enter the river, and the children immediately cling to Spy's body, too weak to fight the streaming waters. Spy lets the current drag him to the pipes, feeling more like swimming away than really letting them go. The lump in his throat feels like it's choking him, and he carefully peels one of the children off his arm.

It curls itself around his fingers, nuzzling it affectionately before looking up at him with a questioning glance.

"Mon Dieu... I don't... I don't even know what gender you are..."

He brings his shaking hand to the gate to freedom, and then nudges the child off his hand. The creature's expression immediately turns into one of terror and panic as the current drags it down the river, and it starts screaming, desperately trying to swim back to Spy and utterly failing to do so. The other children go rigid at the alarming screams, digging their claws deeply into Spy's skin and staring after their disappearing sibling with wide eyes.

Their eyes turn to Spy, gazes filled with incomprehension, fear and confusion. It's almost painful to see them like that, and Spy cannot help but try and reassure them. "Really, it... it is for your own good, trust me..." It doesn't feel that way. It feels as if he is the one cutting them open instead of the Medic, mercilessly paining them without use. Nonetheless, he continues, pulling another child's nails loose from his flesh and sending it flailing down the river.

Its screams tear at him, and he does not dare look at the rest of the children anymore, fearing the look in their eyes. As quickly as he can he yanks them loose and throws them through the bars, not allowing himself the time to watch them cry out in fear as they futilely try to get back to him. He doesn't stop until he is the only living creature remaining by the gate.

He can no longer hear them cry, or feel them cling to him in fear and panic. The cuts on his skin from where their nails tried to hold onto him ache as the only reminders of the children he birthed. He lets himself sink down to the bottom of the sewer and lies on his back, looking at the surface of the softly flowing river. This is it, then.