Gathering of the team

by vildtiger

Team Fortress 2/His Dark Material. Part 1 of the Brothers and Sisters in Arms series. Nathan has never heard of this Team Fortress Resistance his boss and that friend of his speaks about and isn't sure he believes them, but when he gets kidnapped and taken across the world, he realizes the resistance is very real and the Magisterium proposes a bigger threat than he ever thought.

21. Assault on the Facility

this is a loooong chapter, so sorry if there are many grammar mistakes. only reason this chapter got this long is because this is the chapter the whole story has build up towards

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Early the next morning, Viper brings his new student to a very special room, where he makes sure the young man sees the three children behind the one-way mirrored glass along with Rahul. "My colleague hopes you refuse me." He tells his stunned student before turning Nathan's attention to his former, now beaten bloody and restrained in a chair in the middle of the room.

Nathan does not his situation one bit, he feels like he has been forced up against a corner with no way to escape, Viper really meant his warning that the children he has befriended and somewhat protected now are in danger if he does not do whatever Viper wants him to do against this badly wounded and gagged person.

Viper walks past him and over to the barely conscious man, turning the chair so the yellow logo on the shoulder can be seen clear as day. "In case you do not know, this man is part of the terrorists- our enemy." Viper explains him, he leaves the beaten man side. "The terrorists have nine classes, the three captured were the Soldier class: the horns of the beast. They are specialized in long-range missiles such as rockets and very often become the leaders of a team since people chosen for this class do have a tendency being people with headstrong personalities. The other is the Scout: the legs. They are fast and agile, very hard to catch but very weak, so they are often the best class to choose if you want information. One of their tasks is to scan the area before any other member arrive, so that's where it's best to capture them. And this one:" He gestures to the chair-bound man. "is the Spy: the shadow that makes up the beast of the terrorists. They are specialized in infiltration and gather information for the others. I will tell you about the other classes as we encounters them. But for now:" He hands Nathan a pistol. "I want you to kill him. Not only this will weaken the beast the Magisterium constantly fights again but this will also prove your loyalty to the glory of the Church."

Nathan hesitates but with the children behind him being in danger from that man with the scarred and freaky looking daemon cat. Nathan takes the gun and aims it at the Spy, somewhat happy the man does not make eye contact with him. And just as the thought crosses his mind, the man's reddish eyes meet his. Nathan feels like he has seen this man before but cannot place where, too many cuts, burns and other horrific things this fellow has been through— not to mention the dried up blood on his face makes it hard to identify him.

Outside the building and watching the whole scene lies a certain Sniper, having his aim right at the soldier aiming at Spook. He wants to shoot the Magisterium soldier standing before his friend, but stops when Spy makes the hand-sign he shouldn't make the shot. "Have you gone bloody insane?" He whispers into the intercom, the only communication he had with his friend throughout this painstaking night. He aims at the soldier's chest as his position makes the window he's aiming through cover the upper body, still, a shot to the stomach should do the trick. "I'm taking the shot."
But again Spy signs him not to make the shot, adding a sign that says he should be silent. That sign did confuse Sniper, why did Spy want him to be silent. Laraine takes flight and quickly returns when she sees the face on this soldier. "It's Nathan"
"Cricky..." Sniper muses and just like that; everything makes sense. He removes the rifle from Nathan and tells his friend somber. "I won't tell him." It will be for the best Nathan never knows the truth that he has killed his own father. It will break the kid's heart.

Back inside the Facility, Spy lowers his gaze, waiting for the killing blow. He admits there is a cruel irony to this situation.

Nathan hesitates again, everything in him screams that this isn't right, even Nalini trembles of the pressure they both feels from he is about to kill someone for no apparent reason.

"Shoot him." Viper commands him.

Nathan wants to fight back, wants to refuse but he knows if he does then three innocent children will die. Aren't they more worth than a Spy from the resistance? This guy must've known this could happen, still, this doesn't make it feel any less wrong.

"Rahul, kill one of the children."

"No!" Nathan cries, he removes the safety from the gun, fighting back his tears. "I-I'll do it."

Viper smirks, now he knows how to make Nathan listens to his commands. "Stand down." and the man with the oblivious children returns back to his seat.

Nalini looks up to her horrified human, she can feel his distress of the whole situation and wants to make it go away but there is nothing she can do to help him. Only to make this situation stop is to shoot this chained man, she knows it is wrong and wants to remind Nathan it is but she keeps quiet. Reminding him will only make him feel worse, all she can do is maybe make it a bit easier. She curls up against his leg in her favorite form: the wild rabbit, looking towards the man's snake daemon inside the cage. She looks at her, which confuses Nalini, why did this daemon look at her when her human is clearly about to die? Didn't this snake want to be with her human in his final moments? That's what Nalini wants. Then, much to the rabbit's shock, the snake changes form, turning into a big streamlined cat with a long tail and beautiful markings. That form looks so familiar to the rabbit, why does it feel so— then it clicks. At that second Nalini did not care about the children, her very being just wants to ensure this man's survival because of his daemon's essence is half of what created her. She spins around and tells her human. "It's him." She gasps, still shocked by this discovery. Nathan eyes her confused. "It's dad...!" She whispers, not wanting Viper or his daemon to hear her.
Nathan eyes wide of her words, and like his daemon makes a snap decision.
To protect- to kill.
But not the man Viper wanted. Nathan turns the gun towards the window and shoots, hitting the adult in there. It does not kill the man but it did scare the children to run and thus out of harm way.
Viper is not thrilled by that and before Nathan even could try an aim at him, the young man finds himself onto the floor with a dagger to his throat.

"Listing to that wimpy daemon of yours keeps getting you in trouble boy." Viper seers. "About time she learned her place." And his own daemon grabs that shape-shifting daemon, strangling it with her powerful body. The cheetah daemon cries in pain but even in that form, it does not stand a chance against his daemon.

Nathan struggles but Viper has too tight a grip on him, and he can do nothing but watch the snake maul his beloved Nalini and feels the pain for it.

BANG!

"Argh!" Viper cries, falling backward in a cloud of blood, and even though in a lot of pain and barely able to breathe; Nathan still kicks Viper off him and runs over to the man's daemon. For a split second, he considers breaking the taboo to get that snake off his Nalini. However, before he can, a white wolf jumps at the snake, biting her head and forces the snake away from the barely breathing cheetah. Nathan kneels down and lifts Nalini head up to his chest. "You're safe now."
"A-About... time... you... so... slow..." Nalini wheezes with a cheeky smile, he's happy that attack didn't remove her attitude.
He smiles weakly down to her. "And you suck, can't even fight a freaking snake."

"Ahem."

Both look down to the small snake on the floor, giving Nathan a crossed look. For a moment he is confused where this snake came from, then realized whose daemon this is and smile sheepish but not going to apologize for his former words. "What? I don't like snakes." He remarks down to the smaller snake.

Sabrina rolls her eyes and turns back into the white wolf form. "If you're quite done insulting me, someone needs your assistance." Nodding over to her still trapped human. Nathan trots over to get the man free, while Sabrina notices right away that Viper is gone, only a track of blood reveals the man has left the room along with his daemon. She narrows her eyes, not looking forward meeting either of them. Turning her gaze to the blood pool coming from the gunshot wound from Sniper, from the flesh pieces lying around she can guess Viper won't be using that arm for a while. He shouldn't be a threat at the moment.

With the last binding chewed over by Nalini, Nathan helps his dad up on his feet but cannot help feeling awkward by this meeting. It's not exactly how he imaged meeting his father by almost shooting him in the head.
His father lets him support half his weight, but doesn't say anything to acknowledge him. Did Nalini make a mistake?
"Um, weird question." He muses to the man, but he just wants this mystery solved so this whole situation can stop feeling just a less awkward for him. The man's eyes turn to him. "Are you my dad?"
"Of course he is!" The now terrier formed Nalini snorts up to him, her ears down in annoyance. "I told you already dummy!"
Nathan nudges her with his foot to make her quiet.

Antoine turns his eyes down to Sabrina, she returns the look with a smug one. He should've known she wouldn't sit idly by when he was about to get killed. Good thing Nalini recognized her favorite form. Back to the young man. "Nalini is correct." He answers.

Hearing the man acknowledge it and knowing his daemon's name proves it. And that gives waves for so many questions, the most important and one he asked himself many times throughout his childhood. "Why did you never return home?" But the man shakes his head.

"I will answer all your questions, but now is not the time."

Oh right, they are inside a place that wants him dead and his father is not exactly in the condition to fight at the moment. "I know someone who can help." and he drags his father towards the doctor's living quarters. "He has this crazy healing stuff— what was that?" He stops by the loud explosion ringing through the halls, seconds later the alarm starts.

In her wolf form, Sabrina turns her attention towards the sound as well and it did not take much to figure out what it came from. "The others have arrived."

"Others? You mean the resistance?" Nathan asks confused.

Antoine nods, although a bit worried that three of the team can very easily mistake Nathan for an enemy with that Magisterium uniform on. "We have to move." He tells his son, no way in hell he's going to risk Nathan's life now he finally got him.

"But isn't it best going to your allies?" Nathan asks confused.

"Not so long you wear that uniform. Sniper would've shot you if I hadn't told him off."

Nathan winches by this fact, to think he almost got killed by one of the good guys is not a pleasured thought. "Some good guys you are..." He remarks sullenly but continues his way towards the doctor's room. Blinking that his father lets out a small chuckle, musing; "We're not the good guys." Nathan is confused by his father's words. If they are not the good guys then who is?

It's not hard seeing that Nathan is utterly confused by his words, but explaining the reason why people in the Team Fortress keeps fighting the Magisterium is a bit complicated for the situation. "I'll explain later."

"You better." Nathan muses, tired being kept in the dark for something seemly so important. He takes his father into the small infirmary, encountering a very tense doctor who looks about ready to put that saw of his into someone's chest. "Easy there doc, it's me."

The doctor calms down but is confused by what he sees. "Junge? What are you—"

"No time to explain, I need your help." Nathan interrupts the man and helps his father to the table. "He's hurt."

"Yes I can see that." the doctor remarks coldly, feeling quite insulted that this boy thought he couldn't see that for himself. His steel-blue eyes land on the yellow icon on the wounded shoulders. "And I can also see you're asking me to heal our enemy."

"Please, he's my dad." Nathan begs and notices his father tense up for some reason. Did he do something wrong?

That catches the doctor's attention, he turns his eyes to the snake daemon who stares suspiciously and wary at him. He would like do a few testing but with the whole place under attack, he will be lucky if he survives this. Especially when this father to the young man is a Spy, he has seen what this one's last night's prowl did to one of his co-workers. At least this Spy is too hurt to do anything towards him at the moment. "It doesn't matter, if I heal him I will be an enemy to the Magisterium. Yes, his allies will kill me when they reach this sector but at least it will be quicker and more humane than what my so-called allies will do if I betray them." The look on the young man's face is devastating, the doctor let out a sigh, wondering when he started going soft. "I will look the other way this time... guess you were right being part of the resistance after all." He smiles, but it never reaches his eyes.

Nathan feels betrayed that the doctor— the only man he felt he could trust has turned his back on him now he has sided himself with the resistance. "Yeah..." He muses, not hiding the anger he feels. He walks over to the shelf where the bandages are stored, not daring give his father that healing liquid as he has no idea how much he should use and for all he knows too much of it might be lethal. He returns back to his father with cloths for the wounds and starts removing the blood.
"Don't blame him for this." His father tells him, Nathan blinks at his words and his father explains with eyes towards the doctor. "There's no good versus evil, only people fighting for what they think is for the best."

"You people sure have made life hard for us." The doctor remarks still with that fake smile of his. "The destruction in Amazon pissed off a lot of people."

"Good." Spy replies casual, letting Nathan bandage the deep cut on his right arm. "For we weren't happy what you did to those people."

"You aren't happy about a lot of things." The doctor muses, wondering what the teams in the Amazon saw to make them so angry that they killed everyone and blew up the whole building. Usually, the terrorists would merely sabotage the building and harass the soldiers until they would leave. Whatever it was must've really been against their belief... whatever those were. "You're here for the children." He asks although it sounds more like a statement.

Spy nods, Sabrina eyes him like a real snake ready to strike when he asks. "Will you try and stop us?"

The doctor lets out an emotionless laugh. "I'm a doctor, what hope do I have against people like you?" Besides, the boss would have him waiting for soldiers coming with wounded, probably the worst part of his job: waiting for people coming to him instead of going out and heal them before they bleed out getting dragged to him. Speaking of wounded; "You better get out from here." He suggests, knowing his infirmary soon will be flooded with wounded soldiers if all the gunshot noise is going where he thinks it is.

Spy nods yet again and jumps off the bed, limping out with Nathan close behind. He pretends he doesn't notice the last look his son gives the doctor before they leave the room. Outside he contacts the others through the intercom Viper miraculously oversaw. "I have the oldest of those kidnapped; he's currently dressed as an enemy soldier. We will try and release the prisoners."

"Very well." Heavy's rumbling voice replies and says after a wave of gunshots. "Pyro and Demoman have cleared out the east section. Engineer is currently trying getting the children out... he's having a bit trouble."

"And you?" Spy asks.

Another wave of gunshots, followed by Heavy roaring laughter, he replies still chuckling. "Bit stuck for a moment, don't worry, these puny men are no match for me and Sasha."

If that man say so, but he would prefer they did not lose their big gun just because the Heavy thinks he is invincible. He turns the intercom to Sniper. "Do you have Heavy in your sight?"

"Glad hear you're still kicking, mate." Sniper replies and adds. "No, he's too far inside the building. And I can't move at the moment, bit busy bagging these pikers— hey Pyro, can you protect Heavy's back?"

Pyro does not reply with words, instead, a humming noise says she got the message.
With the new goal in order Spy signs Nathan to follow and fortunately they only meet dead soldiers on the way, all blown, burned or beheaded by the two radical fighters. They encounter Demo decapitating one of the soldiers with his medieval sword. "Ey!" he greets the two, resting his sword over his shoulder. "Glad see you didn't die."

"I was lucky; they wanted me alive for a special occasion," Antoine replies with Nathan shifting uncomfortably beside him. But enough about his traumatizing night. "Is the path clear?"

"Ay, I and Pyro got all of them." Demo grins, fading slightly with his eye scanning the corpse-filled hallway. "Good for us, not good for a bunch of scared kittens."

"They trust this one." Spy places his hand on Nathan, startling the young man a bit. He ignores it, all attention on the Demoman. "They will follow him."

Demo's eye narrows slightly, usually, someone wearing that uniform wants them dead. "And we can trust this wee lad?"

"Yes, but first we're going to save your comrades."

Demo nods and lets them pass, the man empty his bottle and smirks down to his wolverine daemon when an explosion from one of their placed bombs goes off. "And that's what they get for touching that!" His Taipa bursts in laughter before the two runs off with sword in hand and bombs in mouth, going to keep soldiers from coming near this hallway.

Antoine and Nathan head down to where the prisoners are, not a single soldier has tried to stop them as they are too busy fighting Heavy, Demo, Sniper and Pyro, which is good for Antoine seriously is too wounded to fight at the moment. He has trouble enough just walking, it goes a bit slow but they reach the prison. Here Antoine starts unlocking the cell doors. "Can you walk?" He asks them.
The woman nods and replies. "And fight." Only showing mild surprise when the male Soldier suddenly grabs Nathan and throws him to the floor, but before he can do any harm Spy stops him. "Stand down! He's on our side." He sneers to the male Soldier.
The soldier straightens up like a real soldier would do to a higher officer. "My apologies! Never knew who was friend and who wanted us dead!" He eyes Nathan with; "Aren't you a bit too young playing soldier boy?"

"Fuck off, I'm legally adult!" Nathan snaps at the man but makes sure this gorilla is out of reach in case he wants to attack again. The man opens his mouth but his father stops him with a single hand move. "Soldier now's not the time." The spy eyes the two with the rocket mark on their shoulders. "Your Heavy and Demoman are here, aiding us rescuing several children. I would ask you put down petty revenge and aid us saving them."

"How many?"

Everyone turns to the man with the winged shoe mark on his shoulders, he is in bad shape but not as much as his daemon, he has to carry the paralyzed roe deer on his shoulders.

Spy turns to this Scout, relieved seeing this one are up on his feet "Forty-four. If you're not too hurt my team's Sniper could use your assistance."

The Scout nods. "Sure thing, I can keep any mongrels off his back. What about your Scout?" Turning to Magisterium dressed scout, probably just to get a better chance of recon.

"Huh?" Nathan blinks, not sure why this man called him a scout like him.

"This one is not a scout." Spy explains and the Scout blinks. "Huh? Could've fooled me, he sure has the build for it. Throw the uniform and give him a decent pair of shoes and I'm sure he's off like Solly's rocket." He smiles to Nathan there cannot help but return the smile of this compliment. The Scout shifts his wounded daemon to a better position on his shoulders. "Blow up some Magisterium scum for me eh Solly?!" He grins at the male Soldier and the two fists bump before the Scout runs off.

With him out, Spy signs the two Soldiers to move out. "Stay close." He tells Nathan.
Nathan simply nods and follows his father back out to the war zone again.

Meanwhile Heavy is laughing at a bunch of soldiers scrambling away from Sasha aiming the minigun at them. "Run babies!" He shouts and starts laughing again when they do just that, but did not get far before they- including some that were dumb enough moving towards his yelling got mowed down by the gun. One got away but that one did not live long as his wimpy face got filled with shotgun pellets. "Heh," Heavy chuckles at his and Sasha's handiwork. "Cry some more," and they move further into the building.
"|Getting low on ammo|" Sasha muses, weighing the gun on her back.
Heavy eyes her and check his own ammo, he's running pretty low as well. Seems like their fun is over for now, better return back to the others. He reloads the minigun with the bullets he has strapped around the chest, giving Sasha about one more mow down round before running out. They head back to where the others should be, on the way they encounter a couple of soldiers, but all of them are too wounded to be any real challenge. Sure he can leave them but his former tripe never taught the mercy and thus not even these defenseless soldiers are safe from this human killing machine. After have filled most of them with bullets, Heavy grabs one of them and throws the man into a door that breaks on impact, he moves over to makes sure the soldier is dead, but a sharp pain from his right side snaps his attention to whoever has attacked and managed to break through the bulletproof west. To his surprise he realizes the one who had attacked him is a doctor, using a bone-saw as a weapon. The doctor retracts the saw and goes for the second attack. "I'm gonna saw through your bones!" He shouts and would probably have done it if Heavy hasn't grabbed the hand with the saw, holding this feisty doctor in a bone-crushing grip. The doctor hisses in pain and although he is scared Heavy must admit he is impressed that this doctor is not like the others— all they did was screams for mercy and cover behind their desks like babies. This one is a fighter.
"Not baby coward, first time for me." He remarks, making sure he sounds stupid, just in case this one has something else hidden behind that black coat of his.

The doctor glares at him. "Of all the people... Ein wütender Dummkopf wird mich töten" The last he sneers.

Heavy might not know what this one has said, but the language and the attitude give him a startling revelation. No, it can't be! This man already has a daemon, although he can't really see why this feisty doctor should have a dove for a daemon. But what if he's wrong? What if he kills this man and Silvia will be gone when he returns?
He has to be sure. "How is hand?" He asks.

The doctor sends this big brute a glare, even though he is very scared being literally kept in an iron grip by one of the terrorists. "You are crushing it." He answers in a matter of fact to this big idiot, maybe humiliation is closer to what he really feels. Never thought he would get killed by a moron.

Well, the attitude is surely there, so many people cower in fear by his size alone but not this one, this one actually dares look down on him and that is rather amusing. "No, other hand." Both their eyes go down to the dangling left hand. "It hurt, no?" For if he's correct, then this man's left hand will hurt from the wound Silva received when they get ambushed.

"... How did you?" The doctor asks baffled, how the heck does this brute know he has phantom pains in his left hand from whatever injury his— he gasps. "You?!" The brute looks back to him, giving him an almost friendly smile, yet the doctor has trouble believing this dunderhead has been the one taking care of his Silvia. He scoffs "Clearly there must be some mistake."

"So no pain from Silvia's wound?" Heavy asks, now a bit confused, everything points to this being her human. More so when this one actually appears he recognizes her name. "Doctor is her human, da?"

"If we're talking about the same magpie daemon, then yes." The doctor sullenly replies, not sure he likes this situation or not. He did say he would trust the man who took care of Silvia but this man... is nothing like the hands he felt touching his daemon. He let out a gasp when the brute let's go of him, he caress his definitely broken hand. Glancing at the brute that watches him with a renewed fascination but makes no move of attacking. The doctor starts healing his hand with the magic his mother's blood gives him. With the hand healed he turns back to the brute. "So, what now?" He asks the man, seeing they are both in bit of a dilemma. He cannot kill this man, his earlier attack proved that will just be a death wish. And this brute clearly does not want him dead now he knows his pet will disappear if he does.

Heavy watches the doctor for a moment, watching this one heal himself with magic proves he's a male witch. The first time he has ever met a male witch, actually quite interesting. Too bad he's on the enemy side. "I do not want Silvia dead, so doctor lives." He explains the man.

"And what about my daemon?" The doctor demands.

This time Heavy hesitates, he knows it is wrong but he really doesn't want Silvia to be part of the Magisterium. If he could have it then he would've kept her, but keeping her caged will be cruel and she will hate him for it. "Need ask her what she wants." He muses.

"Have you kept her caged all this time?!"

"No, Silvia can leave if wants." Heavy replies, then remember why she couldn't leave at the moment, he muses to himself before he explains. "Cannot fly in moment, got shrapnel into wing when enemy attack base."

The doctor blinks hearing this, she could've left this man all this time and yet she did not do it? And the only thing keeping her from leaving now is an accidental wound to the wing. Explains the pain in his left hand. But what made her stay for so long? What does she see in this idiot? The man turns to leave but the doctor can see this one won't get far with the wound he gave him, it will be so easy let this one die but if that happens who knows if he ever gets to see his Silvia again. "Wait." He fetches his powerful healing serum and injects some of it around the bleeding wound. "Can't have you die before you show me where you keep Silvia."

Heavy chuckle but quickly stops when the doctor sends him a glare for moving. Sitting as still as he can Heavy watches the doctor heal him with that strange serum, with the wound completely healed, not even a scar is left behind, he thanks the man for the aid. "Thank you doctor." the man brushes his thanks off, seemly more annoyed than anything. It reminds Heavy of the first time he met Silvia, "Yes, you are Silvia's human." He chuckles when the man gives him a degraded look.
"входящий!" Sasha suddenly shouts, readying herself to an attack when a small platoon of soldiers comes their way. Instinctive and not really thinking about it, Heavy pushes Silvia's human behind him and his own daemon. "Get behind me doctor!" and starts shooting at the soldiers with a roar equal to the shape of his daemon. They got about half of the soldiers, rest of them got away and that is quite lucky for Sasha has just run out of bullets. Still, it does not bum these two down and Heavy shouts after the fleeing soldiers. "Run cowards!" with Sasha roaring beside him, only to stop when her human gets whacked by the doctor. Both man and bear stare dumbfounded at the clearly pissed man.

"Dummkopf!" The doctor yells at Heavy's face, making the bigger man raise a brow as he did know what that word means thanks to Silvia but not sure why the doctor calls him a fool. "Now they think I am your side!"

Sasha's face lights up from this opportunity. "|that's great! It means he can fight alongside us, Silvia doesn't have to leave if he join us!|"
Heavy smirks by her words, more so when the doctor seems to realizes that they did not see this as a bad thing.

"No." The man growls.

"Stay close doctor. Bad if soldiers kill you." Heavy says with a huge grin on his face, pretty sure he will get that bonesaw through his chest when this is all over but it will be all worth it.

Reluctantly and already planning trying out a new and rather horrific experiment on this dimwitted idiot, the doctor follows. Thinking that maybe this brute thinks Silvia cares for him and she actually is doing her own experiments on him? That is his only explanation to why she stuck with this brute for so long.

"Scout!"

The doctor snaps out from his thoughts and cannot help but stare at the weirdest sight he has ever seen. The big brute of a man, one that has mowed down hoards of soldiers and shrugged off bullets like they are pebbles; Now getting tackled down by a fragile-looking man with a wounded deer daemon on his shoulders.

"Big guy! I knew you would come for us!"

Heavy laughs relieved seeing his team's Scout hasn't lost his happy-go spirit and no way will he tell Scout that rescuing him and the others haven't been the first priority. He hates to break Scout's spirit. "Good see little Scout again." He hums and with no trouble gets back on his feet again. His eyes land on the barely conscious deer. "How is she?"

Scout eyes the deer, smile's completely gone. "I don't know... they were really hard on her..." He turns back to Heavy, then notices the doctor behind him. He stances up to a fight as he recognizes this as one of the doctors on the other side of the bars, but Heavy stops him. Scout blinks, he didn't know they had an undercover ally, least at all a Medic. "I didn't know we had an undercover Medic."

"I'm not on your side." The doctor grumbles, however, intrigued watching this softer side of the brute of a man. It is clear he cares for this man.

Scout titles his head in wonder. "Then why the hell haven't you been killed by Heavy— why haven't you killed him?" He asks the Heavy, baffled his team's fearless leader hasn't killed every enemy on his path as he usually does.

Heavy smirks down to the Scout. "Long story, explain after battle." He signs the doctor to follow and they walk down the hallway. "Is Soldier alive?"

"Yeah, both of them, currently kicking ass along with a Spy and a civilian."

"Good, and decoy plan?"

Scout smiles weakly. "They completely fell for it, thought Solly was the leader all the time." The smiles drop, replaced with a frown. "I'm surprised he can still stand- let alone fight after what that monster put him— holy crap!" He jumps back when a door beside him suddenly spew out flames, seconds later a gas-masked figure jumps out from said doorway. The Scout stares three seconds at the Pyro before giving them a weak smile. "Hey..." He greets awkwardly, not sure how this Pyro is compared to theirs, who had been quite an outgoing person.

Pyro simply nods before turning their 'eyes' to the deer on Scout's shoulders, they mumble something incoherent with a titled head to the wounded daemon.

"Pyro, where is rest of team?" Heavy asks them.

Snapping away from the wounded daemon, Pyro points down the way they came come. The hallway they came from is littered with scorch marks and burned soldier corpses. The Pyro then turns their attention to the doctor, starting to tense up and their daemon growls with raised scales, showing the fire red skin underneath.

Heavy is not sure he should be impressed or worried that the doctor has only enough self-perseveration to flinch from Pyro's glare. Hoping to distract that humanoid demon, Heavy points down the way Pyro pointed at moments ago. "Team this way?" Snapping the Pyro out from their I'm-going-to-kill-you position.
Pyro nods up to him and runs back the way they came, their daemon taking the lead and searching for any survivors. They did encounter two soldiers, but those two did not live for long. Pyro lets out a muffled cheer before the still burning bodies, lifting their flamethrower over their head. And like a rapid personality change; turns and waits almost docilely for the others to catch up.

Scout backs away from the now docile acting Pyro as if they haven't delightfully burned two people into a crisp. "That one is insane, they should be in a mental hospital not fighting—" He flinches and seeks cover behind Heavy when Pyro snaps their head at him, mumbling something in a crossed tone with their hellhound daemon giving him a dark stare.

"Do not insult Pyro." Heavy advice the Scout, but also the doctor. Yes, he will admit Pyro is insane but also quite useful. Still, he is relieved when they find Engineer trying to get a couple of scared children down the path where the gypsies are waiting. He has noticed Pyro is quite fond of this man and hopefully, the engineer can make the fire user back off if they decide to attack Scout or the doctor.
"Engineer." He calls, the short man turns around and smile, not noticing the scared children has run back to the barracks there has been their bedrooms while living here. "Oh good, feared I might have to put a sentry up." He points to a second-floor balcony. "I'm having trouble with a sniper, almost got me once."

"I got him!" Scout calls and is off, Pyro stands for a second before she decides to check the area for enemy soldiers.
A couple of moments later Scout makes the okay sign and Engineer walks back inside to see if he can get the children to follow him. It took him longer than wanted but his soft-spoken voice and Nalini friendly attitude against the youngster's daemon calmed six of them just enough down that he could guide them down the path where the gypsies are waiting to take them. With them safely delivered to the awaiting gypsies he returns for the next batch, but not before he shows some manners to the man beside Heavy. "Howdy, one of Heavy's old team I presume?" He offers the doctor his hand.

The doctor does not take it. "No, but he has something of mine I would like to be returned."

Engineer lowers his hand and glances to Heavy but only gets a look that says that it is not to be talked about. "Alright, well good luck with it then." He shrugs with a small chuckle and asks the big guy a bit worried about the rest of this mish-mash team. "Have you heard from the others? Pyro accidentally broke my intercom when he got a bit too excited with his new flamethrower."

Heavy activate his intercom so everyone on the team can hear him. "Everyone, return back."

"About bloody time." Sniper replies with an annoyed huff, he has been forced to retreat more times than he likes to admit.

"Aw~ but I and Solly are having a blast!" Demo replies in a teasing whiny tone before bursting into a fit of laughter from whatever Soldier did on that side of the line. "Bloody brilliant!"

"I don't care how much fun you two have." Spy voice says, he shoots at something before he continues. "I and the young man beside me would like going home in one piece and not in a basket."

"Alright, we're coming, ey Soldiers! Time to go!" Demo calls the two soldiers.

Good, Zhanna is alive and fine since she still able to fight. Heavy turns off the intercom. "Team are coming." He tells Engineer, the shorter man nods and starts calling for the Pyro there is currently setting a whole hallway on fire.

"... I am beginning to understand why she stayed..."

Heavy glances down to the doctor, smiling but not saying anything. There is no need for wor— a loud kachank shot rings through the place, making everyone look up to the floor above them. They see Scout fall, bleeding from his stomach, but cannot run away as his daemon is lying on the floor, completely unable to move from her paralyze of a broken back. The attacker, an old man aims a brown, almost futuristic shotgun at Scout.

Engineer recognizes the man right away and runs out so the old man can see him. "No!" He cries.

The man turns and eyes wide seeing Engineer here. "Dell?" He signs his daemon to hold down the deer while he speaks with Engineer- no Dell. "What in tarnation are you doing here?"
Dell does not answer his question, only nodding to the bleeding and trapped Scout. "Let him go."

Franks' eyes land on the logo on his son's shoulders, mocking him of what has become of his legacy. "Please tell me this was forced upon you..." He turns his eyes to the wheezing terrorist. "That they gave you no choice." But from how Dell moves to help the one he shot, he knows the answer that he joined by his own free will, which means... "Dang it Dell!" He curses, noticing the masked one moving up to him but a couple of shots forces that one away. "Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?! Being with them will do nothing but cause you misery!" Franks walks over to the wheezing man, putting the gun to his chest, right where the heart is. "These people are nothing but terrorists! They only fight because they aren't anything else they can do!" He fires his gun and the deer disappears like a candle being blown out. Looking up he stares angrily but mostly disappointed at Dell. "You are not like them."

Dell moves slowly forward, all the time keeping his eyes locked at his father. Ready to draw his own gun if that shotgun ever gets aimed on him. Naira soon joins his side, being the one who speaks. "He's not you either."
The other man gives her a disproving look that wants her to keep quiet but Naira refuses, the biggest sign for Dell defiant towards his father. "We cannot look past what you are doing to people, what you have done to us. You have been trying to mold him into you and from the form I took; you almost succeed."

"Be quiet." Franks commands her, turning his eyes back to Dell "Daemons shouldn't talk, how many times do I have to tell you?" He lectures Dell as if he's still a child.

"You only want me quiet so I can't say what he truly feels!" Naira snaps angrily, nodding towards the brown beaver at Frank's feet. "That's why Haina never speaks, so you will never get in doubt of the Church's doing!"
Haina looks up to her human but does not speak because her human will not allow it and Naira knows it. "But after what we have witnessed, I will never hold my tongue."

"Dell"

"No dad." Dell shakes his head. "This is my choice, and whatever's going to happen afterward, well it's going to happen." He picks up the dead Scout and leaves the enraged man, knowing this is the last time he ever can turn his back on his father. "Do me the favor and keep Logan out from this."

"You know I can't... especially now you're on the wrong side." Frank replies surprisingly softly, all his former anger gone by the mention of the boy back at Texas.

Dell stops for a moment, considering giving his father a warning if he ever going to consider removing Logan's daemon— but decides against it. He doubts his father will allow it, but he never knows this man anymore. He leaves the scene, soon followed by Pyro who keeps checking if his father suddenly decides opening fire at him. He returns back to where the others are, noticing that Nathan and Antoine are here but does not feel like doing a happy reunion and simply walks past them with their lost member in his arms.

Nathan has no words, seeing Dell confront his own father like that had been both exhilarating and nerve-wrecking. But mostly good seeing his friend and sort of father figure is here. Yet like with his father, the reunion could've been better and be speaking to Dell while the man carries the one everyone has called Scout body just seems disrespectful. So instead he helps the team to make the scared children to follow them, ensuring his younger friends that these men will bring them home. Because they knew him, all the children trust his words and follow him and the team towards the blown up hole the black one-eyed man made.
Heavy, the two Soldiers and Demo takes the rear, making sure no Magisterium soldier would attack while they left, the doctor reluctantly follows them although he did more than once look back as if considering staying behind.

Soldier eyes this Magisterium doctor. "Prisoner?" He asks the boss of their team. The big man simply rumbles and does a small nod, that is good enough for Soldier and he returns back to making sure no scum would shot them in the back.

About halfway out, Rahul appears on the upper levels catwalks, too high up to be noticed by the leaving resistance members. He's bleeding from the shot Nathan fired at him, but it doesn't even seem to exist for him, all that is on this man's mind is he will make these intruders pay. "If we can't keep them, no one will." he smirks and throws down four gas bombs that explode and releases an orange cloud around the remaining members.
Demo realizes what this cloud is right away. "Get back! It's mustard gas!" He warns the others, making the two Soldiers and several of the children back away from the deadly gas cloud. Heavy, the doctor and the remaining children, however, cannot get away as the cloud has them surrounded and some of the children already gagging from the poison in their lungs, others letting out screams as the gas burns their skin like hot ember been thrown at them.

Like Heavy did when that small platoon of soldiers tried to kill him, the doctor reacts pretty much the same way. "Everyone, behind me!" He cries and Heavy, not even going to question what the man is planning drags the suffering children near him. The doctor uses all his knowledge gathered from both the witches and the medical school to pull this off, using the magic from his mother's side to forms a sort of shield dome around himself and the other people around him. The gas engulfed them but as hoped the shield keeps them safe. However because this is the first time he has ever done something like that and not really adept in magic, the shield quickly drains him, yet he keeps the shield up and moves towards the exit, refusing to let anyone die like this. But his mind cannot fight against the limits of his body and the last thing he sees before passing out is the shield breaking and the gas engulfed them.

---

this is also the chapter where everybody of TF are together in one place, although not fully on the same team. well the story is not over yet.

comments are always appreciated, it's what keeps writers going