How ya guys been? I hope you like this chapter.
And yes, if you guys would like there will be romance, but mostly just hints. The real stuff will happen in the sequel. ;)
The next match they had was a brutal one, but they won the battle. While blood and guts were thrown here and there, Tracy had more or less gotten used to the visuals. She had to eventually, she couldn't throw up on the battlefield every single time someone got blown to smithereens.
Desensitized aside, she still didn't like the visuals and quickly ran back into her base. She hadn't seen much of the RED Thief after her escape and torture. She was thankful, but slightly curious as to why. The memory of her clone asking her to kill her still lingered in her mind, the morbid thought of obliging her stuck in her head much to her dismay. Tracy didn't think herself violent, but it was somewhat tempting after the treatment she received.
Tracy threw herself on the couch, kicking off her shoes and socks. She truly wasn't prepared for these weather conditions, her toes numb from the cold. The others were celebrating in the kitchen, both for the win and the packages they received.
Most were allowed mail from home, either letters or shipments. The Scout had received homemade brownies that had luckily stayed fresh during the delivery, which everyone bugged him for a piece. Tracy couldn't help but feel jealous, not for the food, but the fact she couldn't even ring up her mom to say hello. Her mother must have been worried sick. At this point, Tracy wasn't sure how long it had been. A week, a month? It all blended together at some point.
Sitting at the fire and absorbed by her thoughts, she startled when someone sat down next to her. Sniper was holding two cups of cocoa, a rare smile on his lips as he handed one to her. Tracy took it with a half-hearted smile, nodding in appreciation.
"Not a bad shot for it snowing like this." Tracy complimented, taking a gulp of her cocoa. She immediately regretted it, the fluid burning the roof of her mouth. She coughed, receiving a slap on the back from the Aussie.
"Thanks, but try not to choke on ya own words when tryin' to flatter me, eh?" He laughed good-heartedly. He must have been a tad drunk, how friendly and open he was. Tracy didn't mind at this point, having been around alcohol for so long.
"To be honest, not sure why I'm even on these missions. Capturing intel I can understand, but control points?" She chuckled, having recovered from the burn in her mouth.
He shrugged, "Eh, capturing intel and capturing control points. Stealin' is stealin'."
Tracy felt a little comforted, nodding in appreciation. She was feeling much more at home with the mercenaries now, although she couldn't help but sometimes feel like an outcast when they joked or talked amongst themselves. She felt almost alien around them, like a gazelle in a pack of lions.
BLU Engineer sat by the fire, strumming his guitar while the Pyro sat next to him, tapping their foot and nodding along to the tune. Tracy relaxed into the seat, nearly ready to close her eyes and take a small nap. She was far too lazy to go down the two flights of stairs to her bunk.
Just as she was about to pass out for the night, a sudden commotion in the kitchen startled her from sleep. She growled grumpily, sitting up and turning to look into the kitchen. The Spy had gathered a few of the other mercs, staring at a piece of paper on the table. They muttered amongst themselves with worried if slightly excited expressions on their faces.
"Everyone, if you please." Spy gestured for the others in the common room to join them, and so they did if reluctantly. The fire was just so inviting.
Tracy joined them by the table, struggling on her toes to peer over the others. From what she could see, it seemed like an order from the Administrator herself. Helen, wasn't it? Tracy had no clue who she was or what she did, other than announce the beginning of matches and alert the team to captures and points.
"It seems we are being ordered to attend a ball in behalf of Blutarch." Spy announced, rubbing his chin with a hand. The others didn't seem at all enthused, rolling their eyes and groaning. "Oh, that isn't the only thing."
"What is it?" Tracy asked, one of the few to inquire.
"All of us must have a dance partner. It is required." He scoffed, rolling his eyes at the others who groaned in admonishment.
Tracy piped up, "Why in the hell do we need to go to some ball for?"
"To prance around like show dogs, for what else?" Spy replied, putting out his cigarette on the form. "Mann Co. does not simply survive off our funds alone. They need others to invest in the company, not to mention RED and BLU. To project us as gentlemen and worthy of their funds, we must attend."
"Well, what if we don't wanna go?" Engineer spoke up, his soft voice breaking the momentary silence.
"Then I suppose you are ready to leave the company." Spy shrugged in an uncaring fashion. Engineer sighed and shook his head, but admitted defeat.
Tracy stood to the side, a worried expression plastered on her face. How in the hell was she going to go to this ball? And with a partner? She didn't know a single woman who would come all the way up here just to dance for a little while, even if the party was going to be extravagant. Not to mention she was barred from any contact to home. The thought of asking Miss Pauling crossed her mind, but she knew the Scout was trying to win her hand, so that was unlikely.
Even if she had a date, the fact she had no dress wear to speak of was also an issue. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"What's the problem lad?" Demoman spoke up, slapping her on the shoulder. She jumped at the sudden contact, but couldn't help but give him a small smile if only for his benefit.
"No date and no suit. I'm not allowed contact home and don't have the funds to even buy one." She stuffed her hands into her pockets, slumping slightly.
Spy turned to her, pursing his lips to look her up and down. "I think I can handle your clothes. I cannot allow you to attend wearing your uniform. As for a date? I believe I can arrange something of the sort."
"Really? You'd do that for me?" Her eyes lit up. The Spy always seemed a little cold to everyone, but he was surprisingly kind and generous to those he had an affection for. Well... maybe affection was a bit too much. But he definitely did have some sort of geniality towards her and a few others of her team.
"Of course." He granted her a smile, almost laughing before catching himself. "You do owe me, however."
"Oh boy, another debt to repay." Tracy remarked sarcastically, smirking slightly.
Spy snorted at her reply. The others seemed amused for only a moment before becoming absorbed into their thoughts again. Most murmured about dates and clothes. Since they were out in the middle of nowhere in a snow storm, mail was rare and packages even rarer. It was a wonder how they even got their mail that day.
Tracy decided to just try and get her mind off of it. She had never really been to parties other than small get togethers with her old gang. Usually they just drank some beer Victor had stolen from his dad and watched TV. Sometimes they'd even get weed, which wasn't very often due to their small town. She didn't even go to her own prom, but they did steal from cars in the parking lot of the school.
Grabbing a can of soda, she went back into the common room and flopped down on the couch just as the Engineer strode over. She immediately removed her legs, sitting up to allow the Texan to sit beside her. Tracy noticed the worried expression on his face.
"Hey, what's the matter?" She asked gently, not wanting to irritate him further.
He hesitated, gritting his teeth before looking at her. They didn't talk much, but Tracy had a small bit of affection for him. She wasn't sure if it was because how shy he was or that he looked identical to the RED Engineer, but she couldn't help but want to help him out.
"Just... not comfortable at parties. Never was." Engineer shrugged, "And don't really have anyone in mind to dance with. Never was a good dancer."
"Well," Tracy paused, a small smile on her lips, "Why don't we just dress me up in drag and I'll dance with ya?"
She laughed at her own joke, not noticing the thoughtful look on the Engineer's face as he legitimately considered it. Eventually he joined in, however softly.
"Heh, yeah. Sounds like a good idea." From his tone of voice, she couldn't quite tell if he was serious or not.
"I'm not a good dancer myself either. Probably trod over everyone else's feet, not just my partner." Tracy snorted.
Eventually the rest of the team piled back into the living area, scooting a table into the middle of the room and surrounding it with the chairs from the dining room. They began playing poker, jeering at one another.
"Aye, I saw you peekin' at my cards!" Demoman growled loudly, pointing an accusatory finger at the Medic.
"Nein, of course I wasn't!" Medic threw up his head at the accusation, but had a small smirk on his lips. He turned his head to Tracy, throwing her a wink. "Herr Thief, why don't you join us?"
Tracy threw up her hands, "I don't know jack about poker."
"C'mere sissy, we'll show ya how." Soldier practically commanded, but in a playful tone, dragging over a spare seat between himself and the Medic, and patting it. Reluctantly, she joined them around the table and was dealt her hand.
"I don't even have anything to wager." She commented, gesturing to the pile of cash on the table. Many at the table laughed, elbowing each other and some snickering quietly.
"I guess you'll just have to strip." Sniper chortled, "Most do that when they don't have anything left. Don't worry, we'll go easy on ya."
The rest agreed, nodding and looking back to their hands. Some threw a few bills on the table, throwing glances at each other in order to try and see their cards. Tracy, on the other hand, flushed like the flames in the fireplace. Luckily for her, she had at least three layers on. Even then, she could just fold.
A few weren't playing, consisting of the Spy, Pyro, and Engineer. The Spy and Engineer were actually talking to one another, surprisingly. They seemed to be in deep discussion, subtly glancing at Tracy now and then, although she was far too distracted to notice. The table was crowded, with a few ash trays on the table. The smell of cigar smoke was thick, but not overwhelming, and gave the room a cozy atmosphere.
Just as a few were making their decisions, Pyro leaned over her shoulder and looked at her deck. Tracy was almost insulted before the Pyro muffled something through the mask.
"Mprh fhrd." The noise just barely registered through the mask, but Tracy got the idea. She supposed she had a good hand, even if she had no idea what it was. She had five, six, seven, eight, and nine in hearts. Tracy shrugged, and when prompted, threw her cards on the table. Some groaned, the Demoman and Heavy, growling.
"Your luck will run out, little man." Heavy snorted, but grabbed his cards once more, drawing a new one from the deck.
The pile of money was drawn Tracy's way a little, making her excited. Had she actually won? She couldn't believe it! But it was short lived. The Pyro wasn't on her shoulder when she put her cards down, and her entire pile was soon pulled away by the Medic who laughed in the Soldier's face.
Feeling a bit cocky, Tracy put her hat in the pile and continued playing. She was slowly getting the idea of what the point of the game was. But soon, as the Russian had said, she had to drop her shoes and gloves within a couple rounds. She was getting a bit antsy after another, having shed her coat.
"Poor thing, why don't you just fold now?" Demoman commented, with a bit of mocking pity in his tone.
Tracy shook her head, "Lemme just keep trying. I'm sure I'll get it soon."
She did manage to hold her own for a little while longer, getting a full house and a straight. But soon she had to remove her turtleneck, and luckily that day had pulled on a tank top in order to layer up for the cold weather. Goosebumps rose on her arms, glad they had staged the game where the fireplace could keep her warm.
Medic had folded out long ago, but was glancing at her warily. It seemed she wasn't the only one concerned about keeping her identity hidden. If she lost either her pants or tank-top, there would be some questions raised. Still, she felt ballsy and had the creeping feeling she could win the round and pull out.
Heavy was the last man standing, smirking at her with her hat atop his head. They renewed their decks and looked over the cards.
"Are you sure about this, tiny man?" Heavy was very confident about himself and his cards. Tracy turned up her nose, rolling her eyes.
"Don't get so cocky." She said this, and even though she had a strong feeling she could get lucky, she felt her nerves ride high while her cards shook with her hands.
Ten of hearts, jack of hearts, queen of hearts, king of hearts, and an ace of hearts. She had no idea if this was a good set, but it was her only hope and she knew that matching cards were a good sign. When they shown their cards, Heavy sagged in his seat and Tracy took this as a sign to jump up from her seat, whooping and hollering in glee.
"A royal flush." Spy scoffed from corner of the room, "Seems luck was on your side after all."
Stretching across the table, Tracy pulled her spoils , hugging them to her body and laughing. She couldn't believe it. It had to be a good amount of money, judging by the many hundred dollar bills. She almost forgot she was nearly naked, and quickly reclaimed her sweater and hat.
"Well fellas, I'll see ya in the morning." She gave the group a mock salute, her earnings bundled up into her coat.
She hid the pile in the corner of her bunk-bed, right next to her pillow. She doubted any of her team would steal it, since she did win fairly and most didn't seem the type. Satisfied with her night, Tracy decided to take a shower before getting some sleep.
The showers were empty, and it took awhile for the water to spit out hot. Tracy stripped, glancing at the entrance to the showers once or twice, thinking she might have heard footsteps over the staccato of water hitting tile.
Showering quickly, she was just about done when she heard someone enter. Gasping, she failed to quiet herself as she heard bare feet slap closer.
"D-Don't come in! Occupied!" She tightened the shower curtain to the wall.
"Ah, sorry." A voice replied. She had never heard the voice before, and it was definitely not any of her team mates. Tracy was almost tempted to peek out, but knew better.
The person, whomever they were, retreated away. Tracy was almost certain they left the shower room entirely until she heard a squeak shower knob turned. She took this as her opportunity to quickly rinse and get dressed, almost running out of the room.
Heart thumping, she almost bumped into the doctor when she neared the dorms. He gasped, catching her shoulders with both hands in order to steady himself.
"Ach, was ist los?" Medic asked questioningly in his native tongue, slightly annoyed.
"I'm fine, it's just..." Tracy glanced back towards the stairs she had came from, "Someone was in the showers with me."
"Vhat? Did they... see you?" He whispered.
She shook her head, "No... but I didn't recognize their voice."
Just as she finished that thought, the BLU Pyro began walking up the steps. They cocked their head at the two, and brushed past.
Tracy turned to stare after.
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