Author's notes: Welcome back! In response to a review from Forty Two42: The areas are based upon maps from valve but quickly mutate into their own areas in time. I wander the tf2 maps in Garry's before coming up with ideas on how to make the places more substantial for a fic. Thanks for your interest and thank you all for your reviews. :)
Chapter 11: The Dark Side of Paradise
He awoke to paradise. The songs of exotic birds rang through the air as the sounds of flowing fountains trickled from all around. He sat up, confused. Where was he? This was not the field nor was it any locker room he had ever seen. Fine columns rose to a polished ceiling depicting a finely painted heaven's sky. The floor was a smooth blue marble that didn't show a single seam. As if it were cut, smoothed, finished, and installed in one piece. A finely crafted fountain made from what must have been a completely petrified tree stood at the center of the room, from the branches the water flowed as the colorful and vibrant birds he'd been hearing danced about the branches. The satin pillows of a bed shifted under his weight effortlessly as he stood up to explore.
His hands, fully restored ran along the many surfaces, admiring them as he meandered about. A door, cherry wood with a platinum inlay of swirling vines met his reach. He hesitated at the knobs, debating whether or not he should open them up and into the rest of this place. It was an unknown. Could it be heaven. Steeling himself he pushed the knobs down and pushed the doors open who opened on a breath. His eyes took in the finery around him. Even richer and more beautiful than the room he had come from. A man sat reading a newspaper upon a plush couch.
"Ah. There you are. I wondered when you'd rouse." the man spoke with an air of authority. Whoever he was, he was obviously important. He realized he had been gaping and shut his mouth with a snap.
"Come. Sit Porfirio. Best not linger in the doorway." the man gently scolded. The spy nodded and walked in to sit across from the man feeling much like a child at a strict grandparent's house. Gingerly he placed his hands him his lap and watched as the man kept reading his paper. Curiously, a ball chain was around the man's neck, holding upon it what looked like one of the chips from their Reviver. He opened his mouth to talk but was interrupted.
"I'm reading my paper. You can wait." the man was stern. Porfirio chose to keep silent. Finally after a while the man folded the paper and placed it upon his crystalline table.
"Now I am guessing you'd like to know why you're here?" the man mentioned, gray eyes met his.
"Yes... What is this place? Who are you?" the spy asked, looking around as he did. His face felt cool, his hand felt his face, the mask was gone. Yet another surprise to add to his list.
"I am the decider of your fate. The god of your war. You are alive as I chose and will die when I am finished with you. Your time here will be remembered as an odd fantasy when you are resurrected again; your mind cannot comprehend two events that occur at the same time. We learned that a while ago. This is my home that I've chosen to host you in." he answered with complete confidence.
"Wait. Two events at the same time? You.. I'm a copy?" Porfirio felt pure dread digging a pit in his chest. He didn't think he could exist as a copy. He never contemplated it. His heart started racing as his breathing hitched.
"Oh dear. My boy you should really try to calm down..." the man's voice held a false sympathy and mock concern for the BLU spy. The advice was not heeded as the other man's mind raced at a fevered pitch. The normally collected man just could not wrap his mind around being a clone. A secondary being to his whole. He didn't feel like there was another him. Which one of them were real? Did the team know there was a fake amongst them? He had to get out of here! The man raised a questioning brow, gray eyes scrutinized his every move. As a strangled gasp broke through his guest he shook his head dramatically and pressed his fingers into the arm of his chair. A loud hum came from the other who fell to the ground convulsing as a live current fried his brain. The hand lifted after a prolonged moment. The body went slack, twitching spasms would break the stillness as the energy died out. As the body's dead mass began transporting back into the Reviver he pressed the com.
"It would appear his mind couldn't handle the stress. A shame really; I always did like that one. We'll try again later." the producer sighed as he lifted his finger off the com button. So much for that idea. They would have to make adjustments and try again with a different subject.
As the scene occurred so did another. The BLU spy stumbled dazed momentarily as he was revived, oblivious to his other self being created at the same time. His team killed him faster than he thought they would. He didn't even have the time to wonder when they would either. He slipped a cigarette between his lips and lit it up. With a deep drag he released the gathered smoke from his lungs slowly, savoring the buzz as it came back. The Reviver always lacked that extra something. It never recreated him with lungs full of tar and nicotine swimming in his blood. The former he was glad for and used to his advantage, the latter he cursed. Still, might as well enjoy the benefits of being able to chain smoke to his heart's delight the crates of free cigarettes given to him via the sponsors before he had to go back to taking care of himself. Porfirio looked around the new locker room and with a sly smirk, opened every last locker until he found the naughty magazines. There was no hurry to leave. The others would come eventually to debrief him.
The area was surrounded by a high fence and barbed wire, there would be nobody getting in and nobody getting out. Trever was trapped within the boundaries of this territory like a rat in cage. Even if he managed to get out, there were probably guards on the other side. A loud whistle pierced the air and the loud rumble of the twin steam engines clattered on by, leaving via the rail bridge. He followed the cars of the trains until the caboose passed by, there was a gate that shut behind it he could get over but looking down from the bridge there appeared to be a deep intimidating gully beneath the rail. It would be too dangerous to try walking along the tracks. Errand trains would come and go filled with fans of the war at seemingly random intervals. With his luck he would be hit. The helicopters he heard before had gone silent. Should he go back?
From out the copters were two identical women dressed in opposing colored uniforms. They walked brisk and stern and commanded awe from the men. These were the voices they would hear every battle standing before them on a makeshift platform.
"Greetings gentlemen." they spoke in unison their voices inflecting power.
"Woah... they're hot." one of the scouts spoke, though nobody knew which one with their attention solely fixated on the temporary stage.
"Quite." one of the women said with a raise of an eyebrow.
"It would appear that there were some rules that were broken in the last territory. We are not pleased." twin voices of contempt made the men cringe.
"BLU team has offset our balanced status quo by tampered with off limit equipment, failure to report damaged vital inventory, failure to pull an at risk member from their team, tampering with off limit equipment from the RED team, and abduction of another team's member." their displeasure could be felt with every enunciated syllable. RED grinned whereas BLU cringed.
"As for RED. Assault upon a rival team's members during off time, Use of off limit weaponry during off time, and failure to report offending BLU team activities have been noted." this earned the RED medic glares from all around. He stood defiant amidst the animosity.
"Both teams shall now be given their penalties. With careful deliberation our superiors have decided to pull the BLU Senior Medic from this round." They were interrupted by a loud series of protests.
"SILENCE!" They hissed, causing the grounds to go still. They looked over the two teams with a sharp eye before returning to their punishment dealing.
"BLU's junior medic may stay. They wanted him so badly, they will have him. It will be up the BLU's junior medic to reenlist with the team of his choice in the next round. BLU will also have a delay in their revival times due to tampering with off limit equipment. As for RED team. We are disappointed in your vagarious disregard for our rules during off time. Use of melee weapons during this round will be prohibited. You will turn in all melee weaponry at the front before our departure. Thank you all for listening gentlemen. BLU may say their goodbyes now." the two women stood proudly as the RED team started going up on stage to grudgingly relinquish their weaponry.
"I'm sorry Armin, if I had known they would do this I would never have done what I did." Jack apologized earnestly to the wheelchair bound doctor.
"It is all right Jack, they are only doing what they would have originally had you reported the broken chip in the first place. I will be fine." Armin said gentily, it was obvious he bore no grudge upon his friend.
"Doctor! I do not want you to go! Who else will cover me so well?" Borislav cried in dismay. Shaking the medic's chair in an emotional display.
"Our new medic will do fine. Just be patient with him." Armin smiled, soothing the large man.
"Man Armin this sucks! Heh, not too much though. Lucky dog; you get to sit back in style while we do all the hard work for you this round. Hope you enjoy the cushy surroundings you're going to." Stan grinned, misty eye but seeing the bright side of things.
"Mmpf mmmpft! Ah! Goodbye doctor, we'll write. Won't we Cathan?" Jonas said brightly after taking off his mask, pulling the demolitions man in close.
"Yesss... write." the man slurred, the effects of his drinking showing in his speech. How much he was absorbing from the situation was unknown. Armin looked over to see Len the soldier saluting him. He returned the gesture.
"See you next round." Pierce said simply, looking from them to the REDs and back with a calculating eye. As Borislav wheeled Armin up onto the stage before the blue clad woman the man waved to them all
"Auf wiedersehen, everyone! I will return in due time. Take care of yourselves and treat our new medic as you would me." Armin yelled as the woman had one of the crew take him aboard the BLU helicopter. As the engines started up and the women got aboard their respective rides the two teams looked on in silence. The twin copters rose into the air majestically and hovered for but a moment before departing the area. Neither team said anything for a while until someone spoke,
"We should go to base and see what our mission is for this round." murmurs of agreement came from all around as the two teams parted ways. The stage would be gone by morning and they would be educated as to the nature of why they were there.
"Don't worry for them doctor, they'll be just fine. I think you will enjoy your stay at headquarters. If you'd like we could even arrange for your children to be transported over to stay for your duration." the woman spoke in a much less intimidating voice as they rode in the helicopter, it was even what one could consider friendly by Armin's standards.
"Danke. I think I might like that very much, madame." he thanked her warmly. As he looked back out the window the woman flipped open a cellphone, calling ahead to make the arrangements for the medic's stay at the boss' residence.
End Chapter 11
Author's notes: Looks like they took Armin. But will his stay be a pleasant one? What will the teams' tasks be for this territory? Find out!