Chapter Seven: An Offer They Can't Refuse


After the sun had set, the couple walked back into the hallway.

"Well, goodnight then. I'll see you tomorrow." Pyro waved.

"You as well," Spy replied with a quick wave, entering his room. Upon entering, closing the door, and locking it, he leaned against it for some time. Opening his case, he retrieved a cigarette and lit it, deeply inhaling the comforting nicotine. He needed time to think. Saxton Hale was to arrive on Monday and it was already Friday night. Where had the time gone? At least they'd gotten a lot done. Pyro managed to raise her speaking pitch from the level of boisterous young man to modest woman. and she performed rather well in converesation. Unfortunately, she still was not perfect. Unsteady in heels, still slipping back into her accent...but Spy was confident in her ability to perform.

Back at the base, he'd always been interested in knowing what exactly the Pyro was, and the thought of "it" being female had crossed his mind. He didn't actually think the mysterious member of BLU had actually been of the opposite sex, however. The prospect was just too unlikely in his mind.

Unlikely, but not impossible.

Merde. Why was he assigned to tutor her of all people? Why couldn't he have been assigned some female spy that didn't even need grooming? Why had this woman, of all women, caught his eye? It was going to be hell returning to the base and trying to go back to normal after this whole thing blew over. He mentally kicked himself for feeling this way and for getting too close.

Back at the base, Spy struck fear and paranoia into his enemies' very souls. His job was not to physically intimidate, but to get under their skin. He could be anyone, anywhere, at any time. He had to act fickle, ready to betray at the slightest breeze, ready to sap sentries and stab backs. Never really on your side, always right behind you.

The Pyro was used to that, though. She was a tough cookie; she'd slip right back into the routine and forget about this whole thing after the mission, right? She wasn't a very emotional woman. That was how she rolled, despite any feelings she might've had for him. She was mature enough to know that what happened in New York City, stayed in New York City.

Spy took a deep breath and decided to take a solitary walk to sort out his thoughts. As he stepped into the hallway, he spotted something out of the corner of his vision that didn't seem quite right. Instantly, he cloaked with his Cloak and Dagger and waited for the figure to show itself once again.

To his prediction, it did. It was one of the Administrator's trenchcoated messengers with TVs strapped to their chests, making his way to the Pyro's door. The messenger instantly felt the cold blade of the Spy's butterfly knife at his throat.

"What is it you want?" Spy muttered as he decloaked.

The messenger was not allowed to speak and put a finger up to his lips to say so. Spy understood and stepped back. They knocked at Pyro's door and within a few seconds, the door flung open to reveal the mildly surprised woman. She recognized the messenger and let him in. He opened his trench coat and powered the television on. A couple of static-filled seconds later, the Administrator's figure appeared on the screen.

"Ah! For once, my messenger was not brutally slaughtered. It appears that I might save money on these televisions, after all," she cackled. Spy and Pyro quickly glanced at each other.

"Now, mercenaries. I told you I would follow through if the mission was successful. I am here to tell you of the handsome reward you shall receive in the event that you do not fail me." The Administrator pulled up a file, shuffled around for a paper, and pulled it out.

"And, so. In the event that you two successfully manage to bodyguard Sir Saxton Hale AND take his would-be assassin in, dead or alive, you shall both receive your year-end paychecks, a parting salary in the sum of ten million US dollars, and a prematurely terminated contract...with absolutely no strings attached."

Both Spy and Pyro went slack-jawed at this prospect. A no-strings-attached contract with a parting salary that could allow both of them to never work again? It sounded far too good to be true.

"While we are appreciative of such a highly generous reward...how do we know you will keep your end of the bargain?" Spy asked.

"Oh, Spy! Accusing me of such a dreadful thing! I would never do anything to endanger our close friendship, now would I?" the Administrator sneered.

Spy played along. "I suppose."

"Splendid. Remember your incentive now, mercenaries, and I certainly hope you are well-prepared. Because if you fail to protect the Mr. Hale…well, we'll discuss that later, shall we? Anyway, I'll be seeing you," she rasped. "Cut the feed, Pauling."

The small screen went black as their boss' live broadcast ceased and the messenger's trench coat closed. He nodded and disappeared nimbly, without a trace.

Several minutes of silence passed as the pair stood still, absorbing what they'd just been told. Pyro was the first to react, holding her head in her hands.

"Uh...what? What the actual fuck just happened?"

For once, not even the Spy was quite clear on what had just taken place. Was that woman serious? Was she really going to cut their contract just like that? It seemed very fishy to him, for her to just give them such a downright substantial reward. Then again, he'd done plenty of digging—she and Saxton Hale went way back, even dated at one point. For her to be so protective (and slightly bitter) about the whole thing didn't come as much of a surprise.

"I am not as certain as I would like to be. It seems very, what's the word, strange? Fishy? For her to be simply giving us such a generous reward. But of course, she and the slab of mustachioed Australian muscle mass were very close at one point in time."

"So I've heard. This is really, uh. Really some food for thought," she muttered.

"You can say that again."

"This is really some food for thought," she said impishly.

"Such a rapier wit," Spy snorted. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Not backstab me, I hope."

"Of course I wouldn't."

"Yeah? Why wouldn't you?"

"For obvious reasons, of course."

"And what are those reasons, huh?" Pyro playfully urged, hoping to elicit some sort of reaction.

Well, she was a teammate first and foremost. And a woman that piqued his interest very much.

"They are such obvious reasons that pointing them out to you would just be an insult to your intelligence," he fired back matter-of-factly. At this, Pyro simpered, deciding to cut him short again. Oh boy, that would throw him for a loop. He wasn't the only one could toy.

"Yeah, you're right. Okay, fair enough."

Okay, fair enough? Just like "seems legit?" This shit again? He'd expected some sort of fiery retort and even had another prepared. Why was this woman so maddeningly hard to predict?

"Well, I'm gonna head back inside, for real this time—as long as there isn't another messenger waiting to pop out at us," she said, still in deep thought from the proposition.

"Oui, as will I," Spy agreed, with a wave. "Bonsoir."

"Bonsoir!" she replied, with a short wave in return. At that, she closed the door. Spy stuffed his gloved hands in his pockets and walked back to his room.

He had a lot to think about.