Medibot wasn't sure how he felt about Gray's death anymore. At the time, when he had ripped the precious life-support machine out of his back and the shimmering, golden Australium pooled out of the machines and onto the floor, mixing with coppery blood, he had felt a shocking thrill run through his circuits. But now, just some short hours later out in the city once more, he felt a little guilt.
Murdering a man didn't feel quite as heroic as he had imagined, and it left the robot mulling over the decision he had made as the ragtag group of mercenaries wandered through the now-quiet town in search of the same motel they had found earlier. Maybe the lady at the counter would be kind enough to let them stay again, or she'd chase them out after recognising that Spy never returned her car. Either way, it was worth a shot.
On one hand, Medibot mused, Gray had been out to murder his friends. Friends that had protected him and kept him out of harm's way and freed him from the factory twice now. On the other hand, Gray had created him. What's done was done, right? So why did he have to feel bad about it?
It didn't take the team too long to find the same motel again. For some reason outside, there weren't any drunks lying around. The street was dead quiet.
"Somezhing feels off," Medic commented, still supporting the tired Pyro. "Ve should get off zhe street as soon as possible."
"Yes, of course. Bidwell can go talk to the lady and try to get us rooms again. With Gray dead hopefully we can rest for a night at the very least before we go back to clear the factory. The threat isn't gone yet." Spy seemed to stare at Bidwell pointedly as he spoke, expecting the thin man to walk straight into the motel's front doors.
"Me? Why me, can't you do it?"
"The lady might not be too happy to see me, or any of us, after I 'borrowed' her car and possibly destroyed it." Spy was completely nonchalant to the fact that he owed someone a brand new car, and that he probably was never going to pay it back.
Bidwell was stunned. "I- you can't just- ugh, fine." Straightening his grey jacket as best as he could, he left the group to enter the motel.
The rest of the mercenaries stood around in complete silence. The only sound came from the distant wail of sirens and a cold breeze rustling the leaves of what few trees lining the road. Every shop along the road had its lights off except for a single bar across the street, but even that seemed suspiciously empty. The only person inside seemed to be the hostess, cleaning the countertop.
It was like in the short span of a few days, the city had turned into a ghost town, completely void of life. Nothing at all like the first time they had come, when the streets were bustling and crowded with couples out for late night drinks and drunk bar fights resulting in several passed out people in the road.
The motel's doors opened again, Bidwell exiting with the same lady behind him. "Yes, it's just a few of my friends-"
Spy was met with a toxic glare. The woman stared long and hard, taking a moment to confirm her assumptions before hissing. "No. No way. This fucker here owes me a car. You think you can just take my car and disappear a few days? Huh? Where the fuck is my car?"
"Now now, miss. I'm sure he weren't expecting such a long tri-" She cut Engineer off with more angry hissing.
"This isn't how things roll around here. I've put up with a lot of fucking bullshit all my life, then you take my car, now the city's in fucking lockdown." She started to retreat to the door.
"Vait- lockdown?"
"If you fuckers think you're welcome in here, you better get your heads out of your goddamn asses." She retreated into the motel and slammed the door shut, an audible lock sounding from the other side.
Bidwell's lips pressed together. "That went well. Guess she remembered the part about taking-"
"Borrowing."
"-borrowing her car. Well, we can't stand out here all night. If the city's in lockdown like she says it is, the police might be coming around soon."
Medic's eyes drifted to the bar across the street. The hostess inside was watching them through the window. For a moment she just surveyed them like a hawk, assessing the risks of letting them in. None of them seemed to know what was happening. She gave the street a quick glance for any police, before turning the lights inside a little brighter, and flipping the CLOSED sign to OPEN. She stared at them a little more, before resuming her cleaning.
"Anyone vant a drink?" Medic asked, already making his way across the street.
"A drink? Lad, ye know I could always use a drink!" Demoman followed enthusiastically, eye brightening at the prospect of some nice scrumpy.
Heavy shrugged. "Is better than standing in street. Come along now, Pyro. You can sleep inside bar." The bear of a man tugged Pyro along, the masked arsonist whining a little as he went along. The rest followed in silence, even if they didn't agree with getting drunk.
The hostess looked up once more as the mercenaries entered. She was a fine lady, in her late twenties or early thirties, with a few lines under her heavily made-up eyes that showed some stress she had been through. She was thin for the most part, but had some substance at her chest. Her hips were a little too small, her sharp face framed with thick, wavy chestnut hair, but on a good day, she may have been quite attractive.
"You really shouldn't be out on the street during lockdown. I'm guessing you're all newcomers to town." She was cool in the face of ten strangers, two of which were robots and six of them ragged, mostly-burly men.
Heavy let Pyro flop onto one of the chairs while the rest talked to the hostess. "Not... exactly new. We've been here some time ago. If you don't mind me askin' Miss, why's the city in lockdown?" Engineer hopped onto one of the stools to get level with the tall woman.
Her face fell, the concealer under her eyes suddenly failing to hide her tiredness. Her hair now appeared limp and her shoulders sagged a little. "We've gotten news of a possible attack. Some guy out there's apparently been planning it for some time. Last night some robots stormed the west side of town, killed a bunch of people. Police had to barricade it off and protect the rest of the city, but there ain't enough police to look after everywhere. So they set in a curfew, put the city in lockdown. No one goes in and no one goes out. Surprise that a bunch like you would make it in."
"Robots..." Miss Pauling muttered. "Why'd you let us in then? You'd have been able to see we had two robots with us from across the street."
"Well, they seemed harmless. You guys semed to get along, so I figure it ain't good for a bunch of strangers with two robots to be out in the street during curfew. I try help people where I can, y'know? Looks good on me when I'm getting judgement from God."
She took a moment to bend down and produce several cups from under the counter. "Have a drink on the house. Don't see myself running out any time soon."
Demoman lunged straight for the entire bottle of rum, chugging it down like a maniac. The woman stared in disbelief and awe, quietly producing another bottle for the rest to share.
Makina retreated to a corner where he found a charging port, Medibot going to the opposite side of the room where Pyro was resting. He wished the Pyro would just take off his suit for a moment so he could see if he was alright, but didn't feel it was right to intrude on his space like that. Instead, he sat down on the space next to Pyro, glancing over every so often.
Medic took another barstool, sipping on the vodka offered to him by the hostess. "Robots, huh? Vhat did zhey look like?"
The hostess shrugged. "News couldn't get nuch footage since the entire place was cordened off and no one was allowed there. I like your accent, by the way. German?"
"Ja. Zhat obvious, isn't it?" The two of them shared a quiet laugh, the hostess serving herself a cup as well.
She took a big gulp, setting the glass cup back on the counter and letting the burning feeling get to her. "Ah, my father went to Germany. He went there for a business trip in 1938, supposed to come back in 1940. Too bad the war broke out."
"Ah- I'm so sorry, Frau. World Var 2 vas a bad time for everyone." He didn't feel the need to share his own stories of the war. It hadn't been a nice time, with annoying officers, near-death experiences, execution attempts and getting stuffed into a deep-freeze container. For awhile their conversation stopped, the two of them simply sipping on their drinks. Then out of sheer curiousity, Medic decided to ask for her name.
"Oh, my name? It's Christina."
At the name, Pyro seemed to perk up a little. "Chhrsthhna?" He repeated. He sank back down into the chair after a moment. "Prhhbhbhhly nhht thh shhme Chhrsthhna." Despite that, Pyro kept his unseeing gaze fixed on her. Something about her seemed very familiar, but it probably wasn't important. Just a woman from the past, maybe someone he'd met before.
"Vell Christina, it's very kind of you to have let us into your bar vhen zhe city is in lockdown. I-" The doctor noticed Christina's gaze fixed on something outside, and couldn't help but turn around as well. Police sirens were getting louder and closer, and in an instant everyone scrambled to hide.
"Go upstairs! I'll turn off the lights, just make sure no one sees your friends!" The hostess pushed Medic and his friends towards the door behind the counter while she hurried to shove the cups under the counter and turn off all the lights and close the shutters. The mercenaries crammed themselves into the small room behind the door, some of them resorting to staying on the stairs.
Some commotion could be heard outside as police sirens got louder. It stayed loud for awhile as the police presumably went up and down the street to make sure no one was out. "Hey Pyro. You know the lady?" Makina asked. He had been listening in on the conversation.
"Shh mhhght bhh mhh ehx. Lhhk, exx ghhrlfrhhnd."
"Hah! Your ex, lad? I didn't know ye had a girlfriend!" Demoman nudged Pyro playfully. "Wot, she ain't your taste?"
"Shh whhs fhhkhng innshhne."
They waited till the sirens faded away again, before daring to exit the small room.
Christina kept a wary eye on the window to make sure no one was outside before she turned the lights on again, this time setting it a little dimmer in case any cops hung around.
"That was close. Look guys, I don't know how long y'all plan on staying, but I can't keep you here forever." She took out the unfinished glass of vodka and finished it in a single gulp.
"That's alright Miss. We don't plan on stayin' forever either. Got places to go and things to do, right fellas?" Engineer got a chorus of quiet agreement. They just needed to rest a bit and be gone in daylight.
The hostess offered a tired smile. "Well, I guess I'll clean up and get some rest. Don't get caught if you leave." She collected the empty glasses and headed into the back room to wash them, leaving the mercenaries on their own.
After a good five minutes of silence, Makina shifted from his spot and spoke up. "Is everyone just going to ignore the fact that Gray's robots are murdering an entire town?"
"Ve're not ignoring it, but vhat vould you propose ve do? Ve can't just walk out zhere and get rid of zhem like bugs. Ve need some tactic of some sort at zhe least."
"He's right. We don't know much about the city either, or where they are going to strike next. And truth be told, unless Engineer has been working on making the two of you giant walking sappers, taking down an army of robots of going to be hard." Spy's cold stare flickered between everyone in the room. "Speaking of which, have any plans been made?"
The silence Engineer gave couldn't have been more infuriating. The Texan took off his helmet to scratch his bald head, eyes drifting towards the two robots off to the corner. "I have some drafts, but without time and the right tools it's gonna be hard to execute. But this is a town right? Surely there's gotta be some mechanic shop around here."
"Yes, and just how much time do you want to spend tinkering away in someone else's shop? We don't exactly have all the time i the world."
"And I can't just cough up something so elaborate in a night, Spah."
Heavy could sense the rising tensions between the two and decided to step in, literally. He moved forward and blocked them from each other's view before they could escalate into something worse than insults.
"It doesn't matter. Tonight we rest up. And tomorrow we look for shop. Then while Engineer works, we can look out for robots." He cut Spy off as the assassin looked ready to speak. "No arguments. Is plan, not suggestion."
Several more tense vibes were sent between Engineer and Spy, but they retreated to opposite ends of the dim bar with no further words exchanged. Such was the rest of the night, spent sleeping in areas of varying comfort. Come daylight they would at least be a little more ready to go.
...
Purring. Horst found himself standing in the midst of a fine apartment, decorated with both modern and antique furniture. He hung around the kitchen door, marvelling at a lovely woman through the doorway.
She was cooking something. The smell didn't quite seem so familiar, but it was nice anyway. He didn't make a move to approach, however. It didn't seem right to interrupt.
From the back the woman had an hourglass figure. Golden-brown hair swept acros her back in a low ponytail, several loose strands settling at her neck.
By her feet a single ginger cat walked, purring and winding itself around her legs. The woman turned, serving herself her dinner, taking it out to the dining room. As she passed the television, she turned it on. She didn't seem to notice Horst at all.
The doctor remained by the kitchen doorway, only approaching curiously as she ate her dinner, her eyes fixed on the television. On the screen was footage of the area of the city that had been attacked. Parts of both robots and people remained, oil and blood slicking the pavement. The woman didn't at all seem fazed.
A knock on the door had them both turning their attention away from the graphic footage. She got up and approached the door, Horst deciding to follow.
The woman opened the door, shrieking in horror as several faceless, mangled robots stormed in, pinning her against the wall. She may not have been able to see Horst, but the blackened, shapeless robots certainly could, for they also went for him.
Horst wanted to scream, but found himself staring in silent horror as one of them pulled out a camera and faced the lens towards him as another pressed a pistol against his temple.
They spoke unintelligible words, crackles of static cutting words off. The woman was forced to her knees, a threatening rifle pressed to her robot amalgamate tightened its grip on the trigger and pulled.
"Helga-!"
Medic sat up suddenly, cold sweat dampening his face. He took a second to familiarise himself with his surroundings, trying to relax. They were all still in the bar, and everything looked the same except for the milky light that was beginning to wash over the street outside.
Rubbing his face, the doctor took a few heavy breaths. Helga was fine, Helga was fine. She wasn't even anywhere remotely close to the city they were in.
He found Makina watching hin through dim eyes. "Nightmare?" The mechanic Sniper asked.
"Ja... I zhink zhis is all getting to me. Zhe one chance I get a chance at a full night's rest and zhis has to happen." He arched his back like a cat, feeling several pops in his spine.
"Figures. You've been writhing about for ten minutes now." Makina left his spot in the far corner. "But since you're awake, want to go out for a bit? Best we start scouting for that mechanic shop while the streets are still empty."
"Ja, ja... of course. Just let me wash up." He dragged himself off the barstool he had fallen asleep on, heading straight for the bathroom.
The man he saw in the mirror seemed a good ten years older. He had never been one to care much for looks, seeing as how many times he had fallen asleep in his uniform, blood spattered over his face and all, but what he saw in the mirror was plain unappealing. The dark circles under his eyes, the lines at the corner of his eyes and around his mouth, it added a good number of years to his age.
He turned in the tap, letting cold water fill into the cup hos hands made before splashing it against his face. This war needed to end soon so he could go home to Helga and Schnaps, take a nice hot bath, and order himself the biggest pizza he could get.
Thinking about pizza made him hungry. He decided that while out looking for the mechanic shop Engineer needed, he would also look out for food.
Makina was waiting impatiently outside for him. "You humans take really long in the bathroom, you know." It was a passing comment Medic didn't feel the need to answer.
The air outside was heavy and thick with lingering tensions from the night before. The street still seemed completely quiet on both ends, the road completely empty of cars and people.
"Do ve have a backup plan in case one of us gets caught?" Medic asked. He pulled off his coat and slung it over his shoulder instead. Best to look like a random civilian over a mass-murdering mercenary.
Makina gave the street a general sweeping glance. "Plan is not to get caught."
"Zhat's... helpful. I'll take one end, you take zhe ozher. And don't get caught, I don't zhink anyone here vill take nicely to robots." Makina nodded, deciding not to remind Medic that he wasn't stupid enough to get caught… because he probably was. He wasn't about to admit it, of course.
They split up, each heading down one end of the street in search for the elusive mechanic shop.
Makina wasn't so worried about someone finding him. Even if the police shot him, he was probably capable of dragging himself back to Medibot. He didn't feel pain, or really care about dying, so he wasn't all that concerned. At the same time he wasn't too worried about Medic getting found out by someone who wasn't all too friendly. The man was smart.
The click of his heels against the pavement was the only sound on his side of the empty road. The dusty, faded shops on either side were all still closed, their owners having retreated to their homes for the night. With the help of the pale, milky-yellow light, it seemed almost like some indie film he was walking through.
He made some observations about the bit of the town he was in. It wasn't at all like the big cities the others talked about sometimes. There were no flashing lights, giant billboards or constant heavy traffic and flow of people heading to work or out for shopping. He continued to walk, the sun getting higher and higher, the sky brightening into a pale blue-grey.
While he didn't know much about how people worked or their time schedules, he was quite certain people should have been going to work already. Yet, the street remained completely empty, almost as if… people weren't around at all.
Maybe it was an off day for people. Makina continued to walk down the street, turning down smaller streets to take a glance and backing back out of them if they seemed uninteresting. It took him to reach the end of a road block to realise:
The town was completely deserted.
