A.N.: I would like to give special thanks to one of my readers, Bronzonglover52! He has given me the idea to give the mercenaries an advantage over the robots with their weapons. All credit goes to him for creating the idea! If you all have any ideas for my story, leave a review and I will consider your suggestion!
Derpyguest: I'm glad that you liked it! Hopefully this next chapter will be even better than the last :3
Typ: I understand how you feel… my emotions are always on this crazy roller coaster ride! For example, I nearly cried in front of my mom when I read your comment. She was like "What's wrong, Kenzie?" and I was all like "*sniff* I'm just so HAPPY!" It is reviews like yours that keep pushing me forward to write the next chapter. :D Thanks so much!
Meine-Blumen (aka Flowers): Thanks for the pat on the back! I'm glad that the RED team approves of my work :)! Your assumption of me being a female is correct, I am a sixteen-year-old junior in high school. I may have a fluffy chapter coming up, but this chapter I promise to bring you more Medic!
GodzillaKom: The party is over this chapter, no more drinking, I promise :). I'm so excited that you really enjoyed my last chapter! I was afraid it wouldn't make sense! You are amazing, mon ami! :3
MedicSquid: My good fellow writer… I understand where you are coming from with the OOCness, but all of that will be explained this chapter, I promise 100%! I hope you will enjoy this chapter!
TF2Girl: Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read it! I hope you will continue to enjoy my story as we move into the climax. :3
The Timmynator: LOL Your comment was hilarious! But this guy had dark hair with strands of gray on top, and he seemed as if he was fifty-five and not seventy :D, but I won't ruin the moment... Saxton Hale has come to bless me! :O
Disclaimer: I do not own TF2...but I wouldn't mind owning the Sniper, if you know what I mean ;D. Haha! Even though he is most likely more than twice my age and he is from a video game… who cares! Onward with the chapter!
My spirits were lifted after my thinking session.
I should do those more often. I thought sarcastically, climbing down the ladder carefully. When I reached the bottom, I run back to the RED base, going through my list of screw-ups that I desperately needed to fix. First, I needed to have a little chat with my team. It was my responsibility to fix what I had done wrong...well, if that's even possible. Afterwards, I needed to clear things up with the Scout… I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to do that, but the mercenary was too much of a goofball to hold a grudge. Finally, I needed to get to Mundy before the BLU Spy. I'd been putting this off for way too long…
I noticed someone sitting on the front porch of the base, slouching in their seat. Their bandaged hands shielded their face from the outside world, making me smile gently. Climbing up the steps, I sat next to the RED Scout, watching him as he peeked through his fingers before returning to his darkened world. Moments of silence passed… I was quite surprised to see that the Scout wasn't marching around, swearing his head off like a sailor. It was like he was an entirely different person...thinking before taking action for once.
"...I'm sorry." He muttered into his palms. "I said some pretteh hurtful things back there…"
"Yeah...you did...but we both know they were all true..." I folded my hands in my lap, twiddling my thumbs as I tried to search for the right words to use.
"Yer snipin' buddy told me all about what happened afta I calmed down. How ya guys would hang out all aftanoon and chat...he then left with that slutty Spy, sayin' somethin' about havin' a chat, I think?" My eyes widened at this new information. It was too late… "Why? Why did ya do it, Snipah? Were ya not happy with us?" Although Mundy may be lost, I still had a chance to mend my relationship with Scout.
"No, it was nothing like that… I-"
"Then why did you do it then?" He asked, his head flying up to reveal wet eyes and red cheeks. I stared at his once young and handsome face, wanting to cry as his serious visage never faltered. In one night, he seemed to have matured immensely due to the reality of our situation. I missed his young and cheerful face, already. I even missed his obnoxious laugh! There was a really good chance that he wouldn't make it tomorrow, considering his line of work involved being on the front lines. At that moment, I made a promise to myself.
I would dedicate my life to the Scout tomorrow, protecting him at all costs.
"I did it because I needed to." I answered his question. A thoughtful look crossed his face as he pondered over my words. For clarification, I continued, "The very first battle we had this work year, the one that we lost, he saved my life… If your sworn enemy was to protect you from his teammates, wouldn't you be curious about why he did that?"
"I get what you're sayin', but I still don't trust ya…" The Scout said, crossing his arms in a defiant way.
"I understand that there can be no redemption for someone who has sinned as much as I, but I just want you to know, that no matter what...I will always be there for you." I stood from my seat, stretching my arms into the air. One out of the three has been completed…
"Don't worry about the fellas inside…they were actually the ones who forced me to sit out here and wait for ya."He said as if he could read my thoughts. The Scout stood from his sitting position and moved past me, saying something about going to bed. I entered my home feeling better about myself, knowing that the Scout somewhat accepted me after I practically thrown him under the bus. I made my way to the cafeteria, where the rest of the mercenaries were most likely staying at.
My prediction was correct. Although the Sniper and Scout were missing, nearly everyone else was present in the room. The Pyros were the first to acknowledge my presence; they both abandoned the TV to come over and squeeze me in a bear hug. The two chattered loudly in my ears, but I didn't complain. I was delighted to know that they didn't resent me for my mistakes.
"How is your head, Fräulein? Vould you like me to grab ze Medigun?" The RED Medic came forward. After receiving my permission, he examined my jaw tenderly. The Sniper's punch was strong...strong enough to make my chin painful to touch. It hurt to talk a little as well, but other than that, I would be fine.
"No thanks, but an ice-pack would be nice." I said, watching as he left for the kitchen. Several seconds later, he returned with a cloth and bag of cold water, saying something about the freezer losing power.
"Thanks, doc…Uh-I would like to express my s-sincere apologies." I stuttered out when I tried to raise my voice. Public-speaking was never my strong suit, but I had to get my point across to these men.
"You have nothzing to vorry about, my dear. Ve understand…" The BLU Medic called from inside the kitchen.
"The Sniper explained everithin' to us, lass. He told us all aboot it all, an' was tryin' to get it through me brain that it had nothin' to do with ye." RED Demoman said from the lounge chair, not drinking a bottle of scrumpy for once.
"Well, that's not the truth… I was being greedy, and if this makes any sense, I didn't mean to do it... but I ended up doing it again anyway…"
"As a soldier, not only did you perform an act of treason, but also committed the worse crime in the world, no matter what third world country you live in… But as a person," Soldier walked over to me, clicked his heels together, and brought his hand up in a salute, "I must respect the amount of guts it took to come back in here and apologize!" I smiled warmly at the patriotic man, saluting him with poise.
"Thanks, Soldier…That means a lot coming from you...no matter how racist it sounded." Chuckles reverberated around the room.
The night was moving along quicker than I hoped, the hour hand just reaching past the one. I chatted with several of the mercenaries, most of them being from the BLU team. I learned that the BLU Medic used to know our doctor when they still had their medical licenses in Germany. I also discovered that the BLU Scout was from New Jersey, born and raised in a town that my family and I used to vacation at because of my dad's job.
We all seemed connected in some way, but unfortunately we all needed to get to bed. One of the Soldier's promised to keep lookout, and said he would switch out with whoever wanted to takeover. As everyone exited the room, I stayed behind with the BLU Spy, who seemed to be staring off into space. She appeared to be angry about something, not even bothering to throw an insult at me.
"I'm not here to chastise you, for I'm sure you already told him about who I am…" I said. Her bright blue eyes moved towards my face, masked in an emotion that was difficult to name, "but… I will say that nobody's perfect, no matter how hard we try." She sneered in disgust as I said those words, standing up gracefully from the couch. Without a word, she left out the front door to head back to her base.
I smirked as she glided out of the room, glad to know that I could drive her just as crazy as she does me. I headed to my room, taking off my boots and socks along the way. I kept my uniform on, knowing that if we were called to wake up early, I'll be ready. Unlocking my door, I stepped inside and locked it, remembering what happened with the Spy a little while ago. I plopped face-first onto the bed, listening as the old springs squeaked uncomfortably.
This may be the last time I get to sleep in a bed. Pictures of MG flashed through my mind as I turned onto my side, wondering if we will all be dead before he can complete the respawn system.
Please… I shut my eyes tightly, hoping to escape from this horrible truth.
For the first time in five years, I don't dream about the death of Mundy's mother…
but of me watching the robots brutally murder the Scout and Sniper while I sit there and watch, being incapable of doing anything.
"Get up, mon cher...Ze Engineer wantz us all in ze recreation room." I heard the Spy's thick, French accent speak through my door. I bolted out of my bed, scanning the room for a clock, but end up disappointed. I yanked on my socks and shoes, not caring if my blond hair looked like Archimedes built a nest in it.
Were the robots here? I ran down the hallway, stopping by the battlements room to grab my Springfield and other weapons. I noticed nearly everyone had left their gear in here as I glanced in the lockers, confusion spreading through me. Making my way down the hall, I adjusted my scope and reloaded my SMG, preparing for battle. Now that I think about, the Spy's voice did not sound urgent at all...
"OH MY GOD!"
"Oh me mother..."
"Holy Dooley!"
I stumbled into the room, pointing my SMG in every direction, but I didn't fire. The mercenaries were all crouching down, shouting complaints as I lowered my gun.
"HEY, watch where yer pointin' that thing!" The BLU Scout yelled out from behind the BLU Engineer. A large blush crept forward on my cheeks as I laid my weapons against the wall. The mercenaries all returned their attention to something on the floor.
"What's going on?" I asked the RED Medic. Everyone was surrounding several boxes, cheering and laughing as they dug through them. I took this time to fix my hair, braiding it down my back as the Medic spoke.
"Vell, after ve healed everyone," The doctor motioned to the BLU Medic who was hovering over the boxes, "ze Engineer brought out boxes zat Miss Pauling zent to us in ze middle of ze night. Ze dumkopff who vas left to vatch for ze robots fell asleep vhile on duty, zo he never saw it coming in." Medic seemed really crabby this morning, but I was sure that was how everyone felt. The expected arrival time of the machines was today...
"Hey! Check this out!" The RED Scout called. Carrying a red bat, he ran forward and jumped, his body floating in the air for longer than usual, but when he landed, he grunted out in pain. "Holy shit! What is this?"
"That, my boy, is an Atomizer bat." Our Engie said, taking the bat out of the Scout's hands, "Miss Pauling an' I have been workin' on some new equipment before the Gray Mann situation for ya'll. The Atomizer will allow you to jump higher, and increase yer dodging skills, but every time you jump, it will weaken yer body so be careful usin' it."
"Yeh, Yeh, Hardhat, now hand it over!" I was glad to see the Scout laughing while he messed around with his new equipment. With the Atomizer, he will be better protected from the dangers that are soon to come.
"What is zis?" The BLU Spy asked, a hint of repugnance in her tone. Pulling out what looked like a sapper, she poked the glass in the center of the contraption.
"Aye! Don't poke my eye, that 'urts you know! This actually reminds me of this one time back at the old factory when this old lady-" The sapper continued to chatter on, amazing us all at the amount of words he could produce in a minute.
"That is Wheatley, the Ap-Sap."
"Ello! My name is Wheatley, 'ow are you today?"
I laughed loudly as the Spy talked to sapper, trying to get the thing to shut up. Wheatley, according to the Engineer, was a defective sapper that was given the ability to talk. He was quite inexperienced, but he knew how to get the job done.
It was like Christmas morning as everyone pulled out their new weapons, confidence being placed as Engineer explained the pros and cons to each weapon. After the mercenaries were done collecting their weapons, I walked to a box that had 'Sniper' labeled on the side. Pulling out a dart gun, I examined the barrel of the weapon, reading 'Sydney Sleeper'. I ran my fingers over the body, smiling at how smoothly polished it was. I searched the room for my BLU opposite, but didn't see him anywhere. I knew that I heard him earlier...who else would shout "Holy Dooley!" other than my Australian friend.
"Sydney Sleeper- originally, it was supposed to cover your enemy in jarate, but I made a few adjustments..." The Engineer said, walking in from behind me.
"What kind of adjustments?" I asked. I knew what jarate was...karate in a jar is what Mundy said. I remembered the time when he told me about it, he assumed I would ignore him because of it, but honestly, I thought it was a good idea...hilarious, really!
"The dart will send an electrical charge through the robots, so you don't have to worry about headshots." Engineer grabbed my gun, removing the dart and asking me to hold out my hand. Taking my index finger, he pricked it with the dart, drawing blood and shocking me. I grinned at how amazingly helpful this gun will be while I'm out on the battlefield. Thanking the Engineer, I stood from my crouched position and collected my things. I was planning on taking them to the battlements room.
"Hey, Engie, before I go, have you seen Mun-Sniper anywhere?"
"Yeah, he came in, grabbed his things. Then he left sayin' that he was goin' to the battlements room." Before he could finish his sentence, I called out another thank you and ran back to the battlements. How could I not have seen him leave?
Most likely, he was probably ignoring me...which is the one thing I didn't want him to do. I could handle him yelling at me, or hitting me. Hell, I would had been fine with him sticking a bullet in the back of my head for what I'd done...but I could not stand the silent treatment...
Slowly opening the door, I immediately spot him sitting on a bench against the far wall, cleaning his bushwacka with a white cloth. His face was shielded with his aviators, although the room was dimly lit, and his mouth was turned into a slight frown as he glanced up at me.
"Did Oi do that to ya?" He muttered out, looking back down to his knife. I paused for a second, confused about what he was talking about.
Oh...he was referring to my jaw...but I wasn't here to talk about me.
"I'm sorry."
"..."
I stand glued to my spot as the Sniper continued to rub the cloth over the same spot on his blade as if he were in a trance. I waited for him to say something...anything.
"Last night, someone told me somethin' interestin'..." He said, pausing before continuing on, "but the bloody spook kept on feedin' meh drinks like Oi was a bloody horse, so Oi wanna 'ear it from ya instead." He placed his blade against the bench, standing up to his full height.
"Whot is your name?" He asked, waiting patiently for me to answer. Tears fell down my cheeks as I hiccupped in the silent room, feeling pathetic as he looked down upon me. "I won't ask ya again, sheila."
"...Avery Williams." I said, squeezing my eyes shut. I could hear his breath hitch in his throat when he realized that for all this time, he was dealing with his mother's killer.
"...Get out." Was all he said afterwards, turning away from me. I hesitantly stepped forward, my arms reaching out to touch him, but I soon opted against that idea.
"You have no idea how-"
"Just get out, before Oi do something we are both gonna regret." His voice shook as he spoke. Quickly, I ran out of the room, not bothering to look back. I could hear the sound of things falling off shelves, and a loud bang! as I ran out with my weapons. Rubbing my eyes against the sleeves of my shirt, I clumsily made my way downstairs to the basement, knowing that the one person who I could trust would be down there. I sped-walked to the intelligence room, flinging open the door with so much force I nearly ripped it off its hinges.
MG was standing by a small teleporter-like machine, a surprised look on his face. When he saw my puffy, brown eyes, he opened his arms up, knowing exactly why I came for a visit. I dropped my gear on the floor and rushed over to his arms, hands plastered against my face.
"Shhh, shhhhh, it's going to be ok..." He muttered. We both sank to the floor as my legs collapsed underneath me, unable to hold me up no longer.
For five years, I had shoved my feelings into the back of my mind, refusing to face the facts of my life...and finally, all at once...
I just let it all out.
"He hates me! He-hic-hates me!" I screamed into MG's dirty shirt. I could feel his gloved hands patting my back gently, just listening to what I had to say. "I shot his mother, sent his-hic-father to a mental-hospital, and basically lied to him the entire time I've known him!"
"Now, you know that isn't true! The moment you learned who he was, you were going to tell him what you did. Sometimes, life just doesn't want to work out the way you want it to."
"Life has never worked out for me..."
"Well, if you think so negatively like that, of course it's going to seem that way!"
We sat and bickered back and forth until I eventually calmed down. I felt like I was hit by a train...
"There calling for you upstairs...you need to get going. They need you, Avery." He said, lifting me up off the ground.
"I don't know if I can do it..." I cried out, my hands clutching at my weapons. My legs shook as I stood in the doorway of the room, watching as MG returned to the respawn machine. Looking towards me, he grinned widely.
"If you can survive what you've already been through, girl, then you can do anything! If you can believe in yourself, and what you're doing, you're already halfway there." He looked back to his machine, grabbing a screwdriver. I ran out of the room.
I wanted to believe his words. I wanted Mundy to accept my apology. And I sure as hell wanted to survive.
But...
I needed to help my teammates.
The robots are on their way.
When I got upstairs, the Soldier grabbed my shoulders and pushed me outside roughly. I could hear Wheatley having a mental breakdown as the Spy tried calm him. Sniper was standing about five feet away from me, not bothering to look at me when I whispered out seven words.
"I think I'm in love with you." I had to say that...no matter how angry he was at me. We were all probably going to die anyway...
The corner of his mouth twitched down in a sad frown.
I don't think he heard me.
"Any complaints, lady?" His voice rang through my ears.
Everyone ran forward with their new weapons, screaming out their regrets as they moved. Pulling my scope up to my eyes, I immediately take out an Engineer bot.
"Yes, sir...I was wondering if we could travel back in time to the very first day I came here..."
A.N.: I feel like this wasn't one of my best chapters... Hmm, tell me what you think.