Author's Note: EARLY UPDATE! I love this chapter too much to wait another day to post it. It was also the most difficult to start writing, especially at the beginning with six people talking - two from the same class! Iz, if the dialogue drives you nuts in this one, don't feel alone; it drove me nuts, too XD

Enjoy!

Chapter 26 - He Returns

Red, Engineer and Soldier stood in the conference room, waiting to start a teleconference with RED's Demoman, Scout and Engineer. Soldier had allowed Red to sneak over to his base to deliver a message to his Demoman about the requested conference. He temporarily borrowed his son's headset to keep in constant communication with Engineer to assure his safety during his cloaked mission.

Red looked back down at his injured hand. Medic advised that he wait another day before removing the stitches but stated that it was healing nicely. He hadn't realized how deeply he stabbed himself with the pen the other day. He no longer could feel pain and could finally make a gentle fist, but he could feel his stitches pull if he stretched his fingers out. He was grateful that it wasn't his dominant hand so he could still perform the tasks he needed to around the base.

His attention returned to the screen when it came on, his RED teammates appearing on the screen. The six greeted each other, then sat down to begin their business for the night.

"I'm assuming you disabled the security camera in your base?" questioned Soldier.

"I couldn't exactly disable the video portion of it, but I was able to turn off the sound recording," explained RED's Engineer.

"I had the same issue over here, Bill," explained Dell. "The Administrator's got some pretty sophisticated security equipment on these bases."

"At least the sound's disabled so she can't hear our conversation," stated Scout. Red frowned.

"We should be careful with how we talk, though," suggested Red. "She can read lips, so try to use as little mouth movement as you can." The others nodded. "So, any updates with your Sniper?" Demoman narrowed his eyes hatefully.

"That bloody son-of-a-bitch won't talk," he hissed. "No matter what we do to 'im, 'e won't tell us anything! Just what kind o' connection does that bastard 'ave!"

"DeGroot, calm down," ordered Soldier firmly.

"All we know about him is that he's got some kind of connection with The Administrator," confirmed Bill. "What that connection is, I'm not sure." Red glared at the table.

"Yes, and he's partnered with Bane, whose been incredibly quiet as of late," he growled. "We leave Viaduct in two days and we have nothing to show for it – no plans on capturing those two, no plans on stopping Helen…nothing!" He looked up at the RED Team. "When we get to Coldfront, as per our agreement between the two teams, I have to return to RED. What am I supposed to do about Danny? How am I going to be able to watch out for him during ceasefire times? How are we going to find Bane's new respawn point?" Engineer placed a hand on Red's back as he watched his friend grab his head in frustration, rest his elbows on the conference table and let out a loud sigh.

"My turn to tell you to calm down, Red," said Engineer. "We'll get through this." Demoman frowned at Red. Scout pondered for a bit.

"I just thought of something," he announced.

"That's a surprise," scoffed Bill. Demoman and Scout hit him in the back of the head simultaneously before Scout continued.

"Bane's respawn point was on the outskirts of the RED base, and his partner is on the RED team. Wouldn't his respawn point in Coldfront be near the RED base then?"

"Unless there's someone on BLU that's also in cahoots with The Administrator," contested Bill. Dell shook his head.

"Nope," he stated. "Red and I did some background checks on BLU the other night and the only one with any kind of a connection to her is Red's son." Scout blinked in surprise.

"Shit, really?" he choked. "How?" Red's frustrated expression transitioned into a furious one.

"That bitch tricked him into joining BLU solely to get to me!" he hissed. "I swear, the first chance I get, I'm killing her! I don't care what happens to me! I just want her to leave my family alone!"

"Red, calm down!" forcefully ordered Engineer. "You freaking out isn't helping us right now!" Red took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes Spy had given him and took one out. He lit it and took a long drag of it, calming his nerves.

"I apologize. I've just been a nervous wreck lately."

"Understandably."

"Back to the issue at hand," interrupted Soldier. "We need to come up with a plan to capture Bane. We'll worry about stopping The Administrator after we get Bane in custody."

"We could always do a midnight raid on his hideout," suggested Scout. Soldier shook his head.

"If he ends up not being there, that leaves our bases open, and he'd more than likely end up in mine since his target is there."

"What if we set it on fire?"

"What the hell are you! A Pyro?"

"Wait!" shouted Bill in excitement. All eyes were on him. "What if we had the ones who are supposed to be off the field anyway wait in ambush at his respawn point? That way when we kill him on the field and he respawns, he can be quickly apprehended before he even knows what hit him!" Dell grinned.

"That actually sounds like a great idea!" he exclaimed. "I second that notion." Soldier looked at Red.

"If we do this, you, Spy and Sniper will be the ones on the mission. Your son will stay with Engie. Does this work for you?" Red nodded.

"I have no issues with this plan," he answered. "Danny's in good hands with Dell."

"Then it's settled! I'll have you go over things with Spy and Sniper tomorrow and we'll be good to go!" All six nodded, said their good-byes and cut off all communications for the night.

Scout laid quietly in bed with his eyes closed, trying to fall asleep. He had been trying for a few hours, but to no avail. Once again, he couldn't get Spy and Sniper out of his head, and it was driving him nuts. Despite the great time he had spending alone time with both of the ones he loved, it didn't make his decision making any easier. If anything, it made it harder for himself, especially considering his own plans for when the war ended. Whomever he chose, would he be holding them back from doing what they wanted to do? What about his plans for college? Would he have to put those plans on hold to be with them? His father was okay with a relationship with either one of them, but what would his mother and brothers think? Would he still be accepted by his family?

When he heard snoring coming from both of the men in sleeping bags on his floor, he quietly sat up and stared at both of their sleeping forms. He frowned when he remembered how each man reacted when something happened to him. Sniper's look of utter guilt and terror from the RED Sniper's attack would never leave Scout's mind. He could still feel Spy shaking as he held him protectively, assuring himself that everything was going to be okay. He hated seeing them like that. It made him feel guilty for putting so much stress on them and making them worry so.

There was no way he could fall asleep at this point. He needed to clear his mind, and the only way he could think of was to run laps in the training room. He knew if Spy and Sniper woke up and found out he was by himself, he would never hear the end of it. Hoping to at least alleviate their fears, he decided to leave a note as to where he was going to be. He quietly pulled out a notepad and pen from his nightstand and scribbled in the dark:

Jack and Theo,

Running laps in the training room. Be back shortly.

-Danny

Once he placed the note on his bed, he grabbed his tennis shoes and silently tip-toed around his sleeping companions and to his closed door. He was grateful that he oiled the door when they arrived, for it made no sound when he opened it. He closed it carefully before making his way down the hall still in his white t-shirt, gray sweatpants and socks.

When he arrived in the training room, he looked up at the windows toward the ceiling and could see the full moon shining through, illuminating the room enough so Scout could see where he was going. He didn't feel the need to turn the light on (mostly to avoid getting into trouble by Soldier or someone else for being by himself if they happened to walk by). He sat down on the cold floor to put his shoes on, making haste in the process to avoid being cold for too long.

As soon as he finished, he hopped up onto his feet and began with a slow jog to get his muscles warmed up. After a lap, he began to jog faster. Eventually he was in a full-out run, feeling the cool air brush across his body to dry off the sweat that was forming on his skin. All of his thoughts seemed to fly away as he focused solely on what he was doing. The only thing coursing through his mind was how much he had missed running.

After running for about ten minutes, he slowed down to a stop, catching his breath and wiping the sweat off of his face with his shirt as he leaned his back against the eastern wall of the door. His legs felt a little like jell-o as he began to feel his stomach churn slightly. He knew that something bad was about to happen.

Oh God, he thought in a panic. I've got to get out of here! He made a mad dash for the door, but ran into an invisible figure that quickly grabbed him and pinned him to the wall, clamping a hand over his mouth. He let out a muffled scream as Bane uncloaked himself, grinning at the boy. Bane leaned his head in to speak in a low voice in Scout's ear.

"Calm down. I'm not here to take you away," he stated. "Keep your voice down and I won't change my mind." Scout was terrified. He didn't know what Bane was planning to do to him; the fact that he was there at all with no intent of abducting him made his mind wander in so many different directions – none of them good. He didn't want to make things worse for himself, though, so he nodded slightly to comply with his captor's wishes. Bane smiled at him and slowly removed his hand from Scout's mouth and placed it on his shoulder.

"Why are you here?" asked Scout, his voice shaky.

"I just had to see you again. I've been unable to take you off of my mind since our first encounter." Scout remembered it all too well, which made his skin crawl. "Our last few meetings were merely to fulfill my mission. However…" He brought his hand up to caress Scout's paling cheeks. "…something about you stuck with me and has had me wanting more. I've been longing for your touch…your taste…your innocence…" Scout was shaking in fear. His heart was racing and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He pressed himself up against the wall knowing that he couldn't go anywhere; it just added a tiny amount of comfort to his situation. Bane noticed Scout's visible changes and merely grinned. "I've been watching you for a while now, waiting for my chance to get you alone. I thank you for giving me that opportunity tonight willingly."

"Like hell I came in here for you!" hissed Scout.

"Were you thinking of your two lovers?" Scout remained silent. "They don't deserve someone like you. They're weak men who can't protect you or give you what you want. I, however, can provide all of that. I can take you away from all of this death and destruction of lives. I can shelter you and keep you from harm. I can get you to where you want to be in life."

"Thanks, but no thanks! I can get there myself!"

"I'm afraid fate's already been decided for you, Daniel. The Administrator has already promised you to me once your father is out of the picture." Scout began to struggle, desperately trying to break free of Bane's hold of him. Bane slowly began to draw his face closer, aiming for a kiss. "I just couldn't wait that long to see you, though…"

"No! Get away from me! Let me go!" When it looked like Scout was about to scream for help, Bane pressed his lips against the frightened teen's. He pushed his body closer to Scout's and wrapped his arms around him in a way where it impeded the Bostonian's arm movements. He slipped his hand underneath Scout's shirt to feel the skin on his back, rubbing his fingers against his scar.

Despite being unable to escape, Scout continued to squirm and struggle, not giving up without a fight. He'd let out muffled screams as Bane kissed him deeply, feeling tears begin to stream freely down his face. He felt hope return to him as he heard loud footsteps in the hallway, more than likely belonging to Heavy (it was his turn for night duty). He could tell Bane heard them, too, when Bane pulled back and clamped a hand over Scout's mouth again as he glared at the door. He looked back at Scout.

"It looks like my time has been cut short. I shall see you again soon," he cooed. He took his other hand and brought it up to Scout's neck, pressing his thumb into Scout's pressure point, instantly knocking him out. He carefully laid Scout's unconscious form on the ground and listened as the footsteps began to fade away into nothing. He knelt down and caressed Scout's face, wiping away his tears. He leaned forward and kissed his lips once more before standing up. He looked over at Engineer's dispenser that he had built along the opposite wall. He took out one of his sappers and placed it on the machine before cloaking himself and exiting the room with a wicked grin.

"Spy's sappin' my dispenser!"

Red sat up in his sleeping bag with a surprised yelp, having been rudely awakened by Engineer's shouting. He glared at Engineer and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Dammit, Dell, it's too early for this kind of crap," he whined. Engineer threw the covers off of himself and got out of bed.

"Get up," he ordered. "We're going to the training room. My dispenser really is being sapped!"

"How do you even know these things?"

"Call it a sixth sense. But do you realize what this means?" Red stared at him, still not fully awake. "It means that Bane's here!" Red's eyes widened in horror as he jumped to his feet.

"Oh God, Danny!"

"He's with Spy and Sniper right now, and if they heard me in the next room, they should be awake and alert. You and I need to go to the training room and check things out." He pulled out a second pistol and handed it to Red. "Take this just in case, and don't tell Soldier I gave this to you." Red nodded and gripped it tightly.

The two quickly ran down to the training room, passing Heavy along the way. Unsure of what was going on, Heavy tagged along (after being Spy Checked by Engineer, of course). Once they made it into the training room, they quickly rushed over to Scout's unconscious form as soon as they spotted it. Red got there first and dropped down to his knees, taking Scout's upper body into his arms and lightly shaking him.

"Danny! Danny, c'mon, wake up!" pleaded Red. Scout groaned and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his father's unmasked face looking at him worriedly. Once it clicked in his head that he was in his father's arms, he quickly sat up on his own and hugged Red tightly, burying his face into his chest and breaking down into loud, hysterical sobs. Red put his hands on his shoulders firmly, trying to pull Scout back a little to get him to look at him, but to no avail. "Danny, what's wrong? What happened?" Scout just shook his head as he cried harder. Red felt the color leave his skin. His eyes widened and his body began to tremble in fear. He hugged his son close and rocked him back and forth, shutting his eyes tightly. "Shh, shh, it's okay. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. I've got you."

"Heavy, alert everyone and get Medic in here as fast as you can," commanded Engineer quietly to his large companion. Heavy nodded and ran out of the room faster than he had ever run. Engineer looked over at the father and son. "It seems like Bane wanted us to find Scout, and since he hasn't attacked again since we got here, I think it's safe to assume he's not in this room." Red just nodded, holding Scout tighter. Engineer patted Red's back gently. "Everything's going to be fine. We'll get to the bottom of this." He immediately turned his head toward the door as he heard Spy and Sniper enter the room.

"Danny!" they cried out simultaneously. Engineer's eyebrows shot up.

"Spy Check!" He stood in-between the two and raised his arms up, clotheslining them both at the same time as they were rushing to Scout's side, knocking them both down onto their backs. The two let out loud grunts of pain as they landed on the hard floor. Engineer knelt down in-between their fallen forms and grabbed both of their necks, glaring down at them. "Why did you two call him Danny!"

"We're…on a first-name basis now…" coughed Sniper. Engineer studied both of their features carefully and could tell that they were the real Spy and Sniper.

"I'll give you two that, but now answer me this: why the hell were you two NOT with him!"

"He…snuck out…while we were sleeping," explained Spy in-between gasps. He held up the note that was left on Scout's bed. Engineer let go of the two and snatched the note from Spy's hand, reading it. Once he finished, he glared back down at the two.

"Well, you can obviously see that something happened in your absence!" Engineer gestured over to the hysterical Scout. "So help me, if Bane did something to him, I'm going to send you two to a whole world of hurt!" Spy and Sniper sat up and stared at Scout in shock. The boy's crying had not diminished since it started, which greatly worried everyone in the room. Before anything else could be said, Medic darted to the scene with the rest of the team trailing behind him. Medic knelt down next to Scout and rubbed his back gently. Scout tensed up and clung to Red tighter upon Medic's touch, causing the doctor to remove his hand and frown deeply. He lifted his head up to look at Red.

"Vhat happened?" he asked. Red frowned deeply, giving Medic a helpless look.

"I don't know," he replied, his own voice beginning to waver a bit. "Dell and I found him unconscious in here, and when he woke up, he just broke down into what you're seeing now. He won't tell us anything. All we know is that Bane was here because of the sapper on Dell's dispenser."

"I see…" Medic looked at Scout once more, then leaned in a bit to speak in Red's ear in a low voice. "I'm going to have to sedate him and do a full body examination on him, and I vill need your help vith zhis." Red nodded. He eyed Medic pulling out some medicine and a syringe from his bag he brought with him. Red leaned back slightly, placing a hand on Scout's head.

"Danny, I need you to look at me," he said soothingly. Scout lifted his head, calming his crying down a bit, though his tears continued to flow freely down his face. Red placed both hands on Scout's face gently and he wiped away his tears as more fell. "Medic's going to give you something to make you fall asleep for a little while. When you wake up, you're going to be in the infirmary, and I'm going to be right there with you. Okay?" Scout just nodded slightly. "I need you to keep your eyes on me. Everything's going to be fine. You're going to be okay." As Red continued to say calming words to his son, Medic carefully took Scout's arm, cleaned the area that he needed and administered the shot. Scout tensed slightly, then began to relax. He leaned forward into his father and eventually fell asleep. Red kissed the top of Scout's head, hugged him once more, then slowly stood up, carrying his sleeping son.

Soldier sighed deeply, running a hand through his short hair. He walked over to Red and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting look. Red simply nodded at the veteran. Soldier then turned around to face the rest of the team.

"Pyro and Demo: you two search the western half of the base for any signs of that Spy!" he ordered loudly. "Heavy, Spy and Sniper: You guys take the eastern half! When you're all done, meet back at the infirmary! Engie: you're going to help me escort these three to the infirmary and be on the lookout! You all know your orders, now hop to it!"