A/N. I'm sorry this chapter is the worst. :(

"We got to take this slow. Remember we have to pass the bot deployment carrier before we actually make it to the factory. If possible we don't alert the ones at the deployment carrier because they're all ready to go at a moment's notice and we ain't looking for trouble with them. That means no stupid antics. We sneak past, don't try to kill no one there, and git goin'. Got me?" Engineer's gaze swept around at the group outside the base. The orders were mostly directed at Scout, who had an eagerness to… cause trouble.

"If we have to fight then we have to, but where we can we try to avoid it. We don't need to be wastin' our supplies early on." The team nodded and murmurs of agreement rippled throughout. Engineer nodded, satisfied with the response. "Then let's move out."

They turned from the base, not giving it a last glance. As mercenaries they were all aware they may not make it back from the fight, but they had a burning hope and determination within each of them. They would be out of respawn's range. Far out. So they had to play smart and tactful.

Back in Teufort the charge-in method was viable, since if anything happened they would respawn, but out here that was not an option. Death was death here. With their weapons at ready, they began to head down towards the dock, where they would leave Mannhattan behind.

Every step made the group a little more tense and a little more determined to get their teammates back. They headed down to the dock, looking up at the loading bay. Since they were not supposed to leave the dock, there was no proper way to get out. No ladder or whatever. Even if they took the stairs up it was a far drop onto the higher ground where the deployment carrier was.

Demoman took a long look at the tall ledge, then looked down to his stickybomb launcher, then to his teammates. He had a knowing grin spreading on his face, one that made Scout scowl. "Hell no Cyclops. I ain't jumping on ya bombs."

"Ye got a better idea lad?" Demoman retorted, starting to place stickybombs onto the ground. "If ye want I can hold ya and jump."

Scout's eyes widened at the embarrassing thought. "What? Hell no!"

The Scotsman snorted. "Fine. Then lemme show ya how it's done." He stepped right in front of the bombs, bent his knees a bit, made sure he was steady, and the second he jumped, he detonated the bombs behind him and went soaring through the air. He landed on the ledge above neatly. No flailing, no screaming. A perfect jump. From there he fired down bombs onto the same position. He was not very concerned about ammunition, as the stickybombs he was using were made for jumping, and not for combat. The usual ones would kill them first.

"Come on lads! We ain't got all day," he called down. Scout look at them nervously, unwilling to be the first one on them.

"I didn't catch what he did," He said hurriedly. "I gotta see someone else do it first."

Heavy snorted, stepping up to the bombs. "I will go." He stood in front of the bombs, making sure to place his feet exactly where Demoman had. From the ledge the bomb expert guided him.

"Spread yer feet a lil' wider, bend them a bit more!" Heavy readjusted himself according to Demoman's instructions, looking up. "Okay when I count ta three, ya jump. On three! And keep yer legs tucked in as ye fly and only extend them once ye about ta land or ye gonna break yer legs. One… two… three!" Heavy jumped, Demoman detonated the stickybombs, and the large Russian man went flying through the air. He didn't land as neatly and stumbled a little upon landing, but he had cleared the ledge. The big man ignored the rest of the mercenaries below and stared out into the distance at the bot deployment carrier. Now that he was up here it seemed so much closer, but not very much smaller.

When Scout hesitated Spy brushed past, letting Demoman place his stickybombs again before positioning himself. He waited patiently for Demoman to make sure he was positioned correctly. Demoman gave him the go to jump and Scout couldn't help but stare as the Spy landed gracefully on the upper ledge, almost as perfectly as Demoman had.

Engineer and Scout shared a look. "Ya wanna go first boy?" Engineer asked. Scout shook his head.

"Just gotta… watch one more time."

Engineer shrugged. "Okay then." He waited for Demoman to place the bombs before he stood in front of them, facing the ledge. Though he would never admit it, he was nervous. But he would not show it, not to the Scout - a BLU, at that.

Demoman guided the Engineer to position himself properly, though he dd not promise a safe landing. It was all about how the person jumped. If they jumped straight up, they'd fly straight up. In order to fly forward, they had to jump forward. The bombs simply acted as a push to propel and boost forward the jumper.

"Ye'll be fine lad," Demoman called down, noticing the Engineer's slightly uncomfortable face. Engineer gave him a stiff nod, waiting for the count. His jump was faltered slightly, making him trip and nearly fall off the ledge. Heavy grabbed his hand before he could fall backwards off the ledge, pulling him back to safety.

Engineer offered him a nod. "Thanks partner," he mumbled, readjusting his helmet. Scout was the last one to go, nervously staring at the bombs being placed on the blackened ground. All he had to do was jump. He was good at jumping right? Right.

He hesitated in positioning himself, looking up. "Come on lad, we don't have all day!" Demoman called down impatiently. Every second Scout wasted in taking the jump was a second less to save their teammates.

"Surely there's gotta be like some other way. I mean like, ya wastin' bombs doin' this!" Scout replied, still refusing to go.

"Lad, these bombs are made fer jumpin'. Normal bombs woulda blown yer legs right off! Now jump ya bloody idiot!" Demoman hissed. If Scout refused to, he'd go down on his own and grab him.

Clearly there was no other way around this. Shakily, he placed his feet in front of the bombs, carefully following Demoman's instructions to make sure he landed properly. As the bomb expert counted down, all he could think of he was going to die or going to land face first, so much that he did not hear Demoman's last count.

The bombs went off behind him, sending him flying, shrieking, through the air. Had he been a little heavier he may not have cleared the jump, but his weight allowed for him to get up onto the ledge without having to jump, even if he did flail a lot and stumble.

"Are ye mad boy?" Demoman hissed. "I told ye to jump and wot ye do?" Scout gave him a toxic look but said nothing in his defence as they set off once more towards the factory, or wherever they assumed the factory was.

There was a stony silence that sat between the five of them as they walked, all eyes set on the bot deployment carrier in the distance. It would not be too far of a walk, maybe 20, 30 minutes or so, but who knew what alarm triggers the darn thing had?

Truth be told, Axel and Medibot had no idea where they were going. Every hall looked the same, every room looked the same. For all they knew, the only way out was up the lift shaft again, but it wasn't entirely possible to climb up.

"Herr, do you even know where you're going?" Medibot asked. An innocent, honest question, one that Axel wished he could say yes to.

He sighed. "Not really. I've never been here in my life. Don't you have like, a map of this entire facility or something?"

"Yes, I do, but it doesn't include zhis floor. If anything, zhis place has been abandoned for years," Medibot replied. Just to make sure, he scanned the internal map of the facility once more, in case there was any hidden files or anything, but nothing came up. Maybe one of the older bots would have a map he could extract, if he could find an old bot that hadn't already been incinerated.

Their luck didn't seem to turn up as they walked, with every turn looking the same and neither of them having an idea where to walk, until they reached an air vent. That had to lead somewhere, right? Axel gave it a long hard look, before grabbing onto it and trying to pull it away. When he didn't budge, he placed is palms flat onto the surface of the grate and melted it right through, making a hole big enough for them to crawl through. They waited for the glowing metal to cool before Axel hauled himself into the vent, dragging Medibot with him.

"So… ve just crawl through?" Medibot asked, a little hesitant even though he was already squeezed into the vent.

"You got a better plan?" The Pyro hissed back, starting to crawl through the vent. Hopefully it could take their weight, and hopefully it would lead somewhere actually helpful. He had a feeling they were going to be down there for a long time.