Hunter heard the creaking of the door through the harsh pounding of water against the walls. Though Batatas didn't pay much attention to anything, Hunter always did. Her eyes hardened, narrowed, as a hand rested upon her leg, softly grazing higher as it went to her outer thigh where a dagger was carefully placed.

She was supposed to meet the mercenaries in the dining area. She was supposed to go to them, not the other way around. That was the point, the idea at least. But here in this room the sound of the door swinging open was so evident and clear, and she didn't like it at all. Her thoughts were racing, her body rigid as her eyes began to dart about as her fingers wrapped around the hilt. The blade began to hiss as it left's it's sheath, too stiff and direct.

"You! Lady-"

That dagger embedded itself into the door frame, right beside Scout's head as he fully entered. He screamed as he slipped onto the cold tiled floor as his arms scrambled to lift him up again. He looked up to the woman who proceeded to stand up before him, looking right at him as those piercing eyes lowered to his form below.

"What's wrong now Laddie-"

Demo burst through the door, arms raised with a bottle of booze in one hand and a fist raised in the other at the cry. His one eye darted around the room, till eventually they landed on her, his body frigid and frozen in place.

"Well I'll be…"

She slipped her heels back onto her feet with ease as a swagger mixed into her step, swaying towards the pair by the door. Her body was lightly soaked from the spray of water bouncing off the walls, her eyes a menacing blaze as she pointed her gaze at them. Scout scrambled up, both men backing up as they stepped through the shower room doors and back into the corridor as the door swung too and fro. She kept on walking forwards, her steps quickening as she raised a hand to pluck the knife out of the frame. With another hand, she swung the door open, her figure standing in the doorway with a hand remaining raised, her hip tilted to the side as her menacing look casted onto every single man that stood outside the door.

Whether she knew it or not, her face began to flush as she looked at the nine men in front of her. This disheveled look was the very one she was introducing to her new team.

She hated it.

Utterly despised it.

Her once flowy crimson skirt that rested right above her ankles was crumpled, crudely bunched up in a hair tie up towards the left side of her hip. her hair was disheveled in a mess of a braid where the dark chocolate strands flowed out and about as she internally cringed at the sigh of white strands in the corner of her vision. her legs were lightly sprayed with water as streaks of droplets slipped down, uncomfortable over the black covering on her right leg and arm, soaking it up as the ill fitted fabric stuck to her skin. Her cheeks were flushed, sunburnt with the line of her sunglasses evident as her wild, paranoid eyes looked at them.

She was a mess in that moist lace top, and she knew it.

There before her were nine men gathered from throughout the world. They were the best of the best. The most utterly insane out of the whole bunch. Each one of these men dressed the part, each one looked like it, and for being the first and perhaps only woman for this generation of mercenaries, she was greatly disappointed with her introduction, favoring the one that she had framed into her mind.

If only Yuri could see her now.

Hunter cleared their throat as they leaned against the door, a softer look crossing their features as they examined the group in front of them. The water was rushing in the background, pitter pattering against the walls and the floor as she began to cross her arms. Her right hand, covered in it's inky black material, waved ever so slowly and steadily at them as her crimson stained lips began to open, gapping for a moment as the words caught in her throat.

"Buenos Días Caballeros."

It was silent.

For a moment the men just looked at her as her half lidded eyes looked back to them as none of them moved. They were just looking at one another, back and forth. her eyes however drifted towards a man in the back, who's eyes burned back at her and she couldn't help but relax a bit as a small curve of her lip rose. His dark eyes darted back at her with an amused one as he removed the cigarette from his lips, a puff of smoke erupting from his parted lips as they flowed out, only to gently place it back again.

"Lady! What were you thinking!? Waving that knife around like that! Ya could have hit me!"

She blinked for a moment, looking down at the silver blade tucked away in her left hand. Her head slightly shook as she looked at it, following the spark of light reflecting off of it. She looked up towards Scout again as she huffed a bit.

"Be grateful I aimed for the door frame, and not at you mijo."

With that, she straightened her posture a bit, flipping the blade between the digits of her hand as she quickly slipped it into the belt rested on the higher side of her thigh as she plucked the hair tie off in one go as the skirt fell down in crumples to her ankles again.

"I was tempted to hit you though."

Scout looked back at her incredulously. He straightened his posture, standing over her as he puffed out his chest and stalked forwards with a hand pointed at her and another pounding at his chest.

"You better be thankful that that knife didn't hit me! I'm a big deal around here and I can tell ya that would have been a terrible mistake." He stopped right in front of her as he pushed her lightly in the shoulder. "You're out here in the battlefield and I don't care if you're a lady, the fact that your a girl changes nothing toots, and I could easily kick your ass." He finished with a crease in his brow and a challenge in her eyes.

She merely blinked up at him for a moment, her eyes darting around his features as she then tilted her head. She leaned to the side, looking at the men behind him, holding exasperated looks, some with legs that jittered as they were tempted to move forwards, do something. She just smiled at them as they looked at her in surprise.

"I possibly would have believed you if you weren't so thin. I could easily break those twig arms of yours in a heartbeat. "

Her eyes casted to look right in the eyes as she leaned forwards as he leaned back.

"You should rather be thankful I'm not beating the shit out of YOU for coming into the showers like that. What if I was actually showering, Hm? Then I'll have a real reason to throttle you Scout."

He looked at her as a flame burnt in his eyes, fists by his side as his nostrils flared. The air in the corridor was thick as the tension between the two grew. Engie looked between the two as did the rest of the mercs. Even Sniper in the back pushed himself forwards away from the wall to stop the two, but Spy held his hand out before him, stopping the Australian man.

It was quiet.

But then there was laughter.

She had leaned away from him as a small smile rose on her lips, a hand raising up to cover it as a full blown laugh escaped the confines of her lips. She closed her eyes, laughing as she wiped the tears away as they came. They all looked surprised, even Scout as his shoulders relaxed and his mouth was agape as he looked at her.

"To be honest, Mijo, you startled the SHIT out of me. Lord, I was planning to see you all in the dining area after cleaning Batatas but here I am, relaxing a bit to calm my nervousness and a boy comes running in slamming the doors open and yelling. Next thing I knew, I threw the knife and you fell on the floor!"

His eyes widened, his mouth a gap as he blinked, his shoulder shrugging completely as he slouched looking at her.

"Mijo, perdoname, but your face was just priceless!"

And she laughed and laughed as she held her stomach. Scout's face reddened the more she laughed. It was such a contagious sound as Demo laughed along with her and soon a couple more joined in. Engineer shook his head as he released a breath he didn't know he was having and Sniper held his hat in his hand as Spy chuckled.

She had wiped a couple more tears from her face and after composing herself she turned to look at the young man before her, his cheeks bright red and an embarrassed look in his eyes. She had leaned down, feeling the tufts of fur from Batata's rub against her leg as she scooped him up, wrapping him nicely in her skirt as she walked forwards, passing Scout. She placed a hand right on his shoulder as she shook it lightly.

"But I'm serious, you're so skinny, like a stick. I'm quite certain you wouldn't be able to even get a good punch in the mix with how thin your arms are."

As quick as his embarrassment was, his outrage came even faster as he cried out in defense.

"You can't tell me you don't think these guns aren't amazing, lady! Ladies love me, they love the guns, they love the phasic, they just love me! I'm irresistible."

She couldn't help but smile wider as he flexed his arm, seeing the muscle come out as she giggled a bit knowing full well his thinness had a hand at that. With a clearing of her throat, and a switching of the platypus to the other hand, she cleared her throat, raised her left arm up and tightened her fist, flexing as the muscles rose with ease. They were well defined, visible, and above all comparably larger than Scouts as he gasped in indicating.

"I'd like to challenge that Scout."

An amused laugh came from the mercenaries around them as Demoman lead full force, bending over as a hand rested on his knees.

"I'm liking this woman more and more! Ahh, lordie, lordie, she's beating ya good!"

He stepped forwards as he passed Hunter, giving her what she could only assume was a wink from his one good eye as he wrapped his arms around Scout as a "Hey!" escaped the young boy's lips. "What cha doing Demo-" he hit his back even harder than before, "We're turning the water off."

She walked up to the first one before her who just so happened to be Heavy. His intimidating form held their arms crossed, towering over the girl as he looked down with his hardened eyes that held amusement all over them. Unpahsed, she looked right up at him with a small smile on her crimson painted lips as she held her hand out to him to shake.

"Hola! I'm Hunter, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Heavy couldn't hold back the hardy laugh that escaped him as he shook his head, swinging his large hand out to engulf her own gently.

"Heavy Weapons Guy, or heavy. Nice to meet new class!"

Her grip around his hand was strong despite how small it was and it amused the 6'5'' man as he looked down at the woman. He could tell from just a glance that she was easily shorter than him, maybe even a foot and a half shorter and it heavily amused him. She held a strong grip, a mighty one for a small creature, and he enjoyed it.

Hunter slipped her hand from Heavy's larger one as she turned to approach the next person, only to be greeted by Soldier's chest as he marched right beside her.

"YOU ARE A GIRL!"

She blinked as he looked right at her as silence perminated again. She tilted her head quizzically at that and then nodded back in response.

"Yes."

"ARE YOU PREPARED FOR BATTLE."

"I would like to think so."

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU WEARING SOLDIER!? YOU LOOK LIKE A MAID, LIKE YOU CLEAN UP AROUND THE PLACE! ARE YOU TELLING ME THE 10TH CLASS IS A MAID SOLDIER?!"

"Mayhaps, but I think I'd be a rather rawful maid if that was the case. I wouldn't even want to entrust my own things to myself."

Soldier looked at her, displeased as he leaned forwards, preparing to lean over her as his mouth opened again to yell something more out till he felt a pat on his shoulder and a tug.

"Now, now, we have a couple more days just so she can settle in patner, give her some space. She'll be battle ready in no time, ain't that right?"

her eyes turned to look at the shortest male of the bunch as he took a step forwards, a gentle look on his face. He reached out a hand of his own as he slipped it away from Soldier's back, smiling a bit wider as he realized he was still looking down at her even with the heels that rested on her feet. "PLeasure to meet you Miss, I'm the Engineer around here. Anything you find broken, you can just bring it right up to me. You could call me Engie if you like, shortens it down a bit."

The corner of her mouth tilted up as a lopsided smile filled her features again.

"Will do Engie, it's lovely to meet you too."

"Quake! Quake! Quake!"

She let her hand slide out as she lifted up Batatas too as he began to quake, wagging his beaver like tail. "And he says it's lovely to meet you too."

"Quake!"

Engie chuckled lightly, putting a gloved finger under his chin as he scratched it a bit as Batatas leg flicked up a bit. "Ain't he a cutie." He said as he let go, seeing the creature look displeased as he eyed the Engineer.

"So, what's with the Platypus, Mate? It's a little odd seeing the critter out of Australia."

Sniper walked forwards as he held a hand in his pocket, eyeing the creature through his sunglasses. Hunter smiled, cradling the little guy in her arms.

"His names Batatas, or Yams if you will. He's important for some of my work. You'll see it sooner or later after all, but for now, he's just this big idiot that likes to quake at everyone and everything passing."

She lifted him up towards Sniper who tentatively held his hand out towards the Platypus who lightly grabbed his finger in his beak.

"I was gonna see all of you earlier, but you see, Batatas has been in the desert for a bit too long. First thing I did when I got here was try to hydrate him and drop him off so I could make introductions." She huffed a bit as a nervous laugh held her mouth, "It seems like that wasn't the case at all though."

The group of men shuffled around a bit as they exchanged looks. Sniper let a sound out of his throat as he looked down at her and her little platypus as he coughed a bit. "Scout, that heathen, runs faster than the bunch of us here. Sorry about that, mate."

She nodded at him with a gentle look. "Esta Bien." She spoke swiftly in her native tongue as she held up the creature to the Australian a bit higher.

"Should have stopped him sooner for a swiffer introduction, mon amie."

She looked up, past the Australian as she saw him in the back of the group. He was walking forwards, the cigarette removed from his lips again as it was gently held between his fingers. She narrowed her eyes at him lightly, that smile so sweet on her face remained as she straightened her posture.

"As I said before, it's all good-"

"He would have been sent straight to respond if ya did Lassie!"

Demoman barged through the door again as Scout tagged behind him. The Scottsman swung his arms a bit as he went.

"That blade must have been mighty sharp to have pierced through that wooden frame with such ease." He whistled at that as he stopped, pointing at her, "Mighty clean cut that was." He lifted his own hand out as he looked towards her. "I'm the Demolition Expert around her Lassie, and it's nice to meet such a fine lady like yourself around here." he said with such a shift in pitch as he grinned ear to ear. "You can call me Demo for short if ya liked." She nodded, looking towards the Aussie again as he cleared his throat, reluctantly moving his hand away as the Platypus quaked. Turning her body towards the man, she gripped his hand firmly in a shake. The Frenchman frowned as he watched, slinking to the back of the group yet again as Sniper eyed him through his glasses.

"It's nice to meet you as well Demo."

[Platypus Noises]

She turned away from Demoman feeling something tugging at her arm as there besides her was the tower figure dressed head to toe in his asbestos-lined, fire resistant suit. She knew who it was right away. This red bathed, gas masked wearing individual was none other than the Pyro she's heard so much about. With a look darting to her arms and ultimately to a confused Batatas, She released Demo's grip. With careful hands she held him up and nodded towards the other person across from her.

"He's not too fond of being held by strangers yet," she chimed, holding him up a bit closer, "but he's not against belly scratches." he clapped his hands joyously at that as he took tiny steps, reaching a gloved hand out as he poked the Platypus' belly. Batatas rumbled again, his left foot lifting up to his belly as he began to scratch his side as Pyro rubbed his belly. The Platypus twisted as his little leg began to bat around as a purr like sound escaped him, his head nuzzling against her hand as he quaked away.

She couldn't help but smile at the visible excitement she could catch from Pyro's movements as he marveled at the creature in her arms. After a moment though, she began to start cooing as Batatas bit her hand, his little foot batting at Pyro's hand as the Pyromaniac relayed his hand back.

"Batatas.". She said as he huffed, curling up in her hands as he hissed and bit her hand again.

"Don't mind him, he just doesn't want belly rubs anymore, you spoiled brat." she said to Batatas who let a string of angry noises escape him again. "You butt you."

[Angry Platypus noises]

She looked to Pyro who mumbled in a sad kind of way as she frowned a bit. "Pyro, right?" He nodded at that. "You can pet him whenever you like, he's just had interactions with too many people today." He nodded eagerly at that, his body bouncing as he mumbled happy noises and she couldn't help but smile. This nature reminded her of home in a way.

It was then that someone cleared their throats. She turned to look to Heavy's side where another man stood where he hadn't before. Previously, if she recalled well, he had settled himself at the edge of the group, but not the older man stood in the middle, walking towards her. She recalled his features well from his file, and with a narrow of her eyes and a tilt of her head with a small smile, she looked up at the approaching figure and his precise steps.

"Hallo Frau, I hope your trip went well," he began to say, gripping her hand lightly, "You may call me Doctor, or as my title goes by, The Medic." She nodded back, lightly curling her free hand in his own.

"Gracias, it went smoothly for what it was. Though I do have to ask, I don't have to make an appointment ahead of time, do I?"

He grinned a bit at that, "Nein, but I expect to see you at the Medbay tomorrow."

Her smile faltered a bit, however it never left as she nodded up at him. "Understood, Doctor."

Her hand stayed in his a bit longer as the German held onto it, his eyes trailing down the discolored skin on the right side of her face, and the large gash that ran across her nose and lip. She slowly slipped her own out of his as her eyes nervously darted over him and his reassuring smile.

Shaking her head a bit though, she looked around at the group again, smiling ever so as she did. So far it seemed like everything was going well. it wasn't as she imagined it would be or how she intended it, but it went smoothly and that's all that mattered to her. Smiling at everyone, to the grouchy and the amused, she couldn't help but feel like something good would come out of all this. She just hoped her instinct was at least somewhat correct, unlike other times.

"Welcome to the RED Team, Hunter! Now, I don't know about any of y'all but I'm going back. Lunch is practically done at this point and I can't wait to eat some of that good ol' southern comfort food I made today!"

She was really hoping her instincts were right for once in her fucking life, because damn...this was great.

Author's Note

I am sorry this chapter is longer than the previous ones combined. Man, I got carried away on this one but it is what it is in some ways though, just because of how unsure I was. I rewrote this chapter about 5 times and I'm still not sure, but I'm okay with this rendition somewhat.

This was such an utterly terrible chapter to write. One of my biggest struggles with writing is when I have to create interactions with multiple people at once. You could a character talking to each other one at a time, but unless the situation really calls for it, that doesn't happen. Everyone's doing something in a large group, whether one of them decides to twiddle their thumbs, exchange a look with the person besides them, or any other interaction they can think of. There shouldn't be a static character around and that's why it was so difficult to write and why the chapter has been prolonged. But not it's finished for now, and that's the important part I would like to think. I hope the character wasn't too long and I hope it wasn't too bad to read over all.

On another note, I actually post some of my drawings for this out and about. I usually post it on my Instagram but since I'm bringing back my dead fanfiction account up and running again, I thought I'll bring back my deceased tumblr. I think it should be easy enough to see my drawings there if y'all are interested, but that's up to you guys.

Thank you for reading! Comments and criticism are very much appreciated here! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

It won't let me post the links...so, my art account is my username, with a _art at the end. My tumblr is wisp-in-the-willows and just add a dot in-between and then just tumblr with .com. Sorry for that btw.