Here is the next chapter! Just a short, fun piece.
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Sniper sighed, leaning back into his beach chair. He missed this. Lounging under the sun along a white beach, beer at his side, akubra tilted at just the right angle. This was the life.
The sharpshooter let out another sigh, stretching out his body under the sun overhead. His swim shorts still fit, almost as well as when he started his mercenary career, with just a bit stretching. It was as if Sniper was still in his twenties.
"Yo, Snipes!"
Sniper grimaced. Except he was in his thirties and unfortunately, this wasn't a beach.
"Check out this jump!" Sniper's grimace grew, and he grabbed his beer to take a quick swig.
"Piss off!" The Australian then proceeded to throw up a middle-finger in Scout's general direction. So it wasn't the beach, just a small alcove of sparse trees and rocky walls enclosing a small lake. It was as close as beach quality that Sniper was going to get at the Lakeside base, minus the main lake just next to the bases, which everyone avoided at all costs due to surprise enemy fire. From across the decent-size enclosed water source, Scout was standing atop one of the towering sloping walls in a pair of loose red swim trunks. He returned Sniper's middle finger, and called:
"Demo, check this out!" In the middle of the lake, wrestling with Soldier over a near-deflated beach ball, the Scotsman waved an hand flippantly in the runner's direction.
"Yer doin' great, lad! Gimmie the ball, ye bloody bastard!" The alcoholic bellowed, splashing up water into Soldier's face while his other hand desperately clawed at the beach ball.
"Not gonna happen, cupcake. It is my turn to serve, and by God, I will serve!" The two middle-aged men were dressed in dark, too-tight swim trunks obviously pilfered from Lakeside base's lost and found. Scout glared down at the two, irritated that neither seemed interested in the extremely dangerous, yet amazing backflip he was just about to perform. From his height, the youngest mercenary could see all of his teammates either around the lake, or in it, acting old and boring. Sniper was simply laying out on a beach chair that he brought from his camper, and hadn't moved for over an hour (other than to drink beer and flip off Scout). A few feet from him, Medic, decked out in a modest white t-shirt and rolled up khakis, had laid out a few towels on the dirt and was seemingly involved with a hard cover mystery novel. Engineer sat just a bit farther on his own towels, cooler open and varying between drinking beer and eating one of the sandwiches Heavy packed for everyone. Unfortunately (in Scout's eyes anyway) the older man had only worn shorts, red with multiple pockets, as well as his dark goggles, and welding glove over his mechanical hand.
"Hey! Pyro, check this out, man!" Scout tried, spotting the pyromaniac splashing around the edge of the lake with Heavy. The two were geared up in makeshift floaties being that neither of them knew how to swim well. Heavy was wearing a pair of trunks entirely too short and tight for him, and Scout would guess thay probably belonged to someone else on the team, but otherwise seemed to be enjoying his time in the water. As expected, most of Pyro's body was covered by the red plastic floaties Engineer made him, as well as an ill-fitting wetsuit type one-piece. Strikingly, he was not wearing his gas-mask, and instead, had on a dark-tinted snorkling mask, and black swimming cap covering the rest of his head.
"Can someone please pay attention to me?"
"Just jump already!" Scout snapped his attention to Spy who was lounging in a fold out plastic chair under one of the trees. With his cigarette between his lips, and sunglasses covering his eyes, the American had assumed he was asleep.
"If we are lucky, you will hit your head and drown," said Spy, a slight smirk on his face. Scout sneered down at him, hands on hips.
"Or maybe I'll land on you, and we'll both die?" he rebutted, wrinkling his nose at the Frenchman.
"I knew you wanted to touch bare chests with me." Spy smirked, hearing Scout let out an offended gasp. Like most of his team, he was shirtless, only wear dark shorts to match his balaclava.
"Eeeeww!" the younger man blanched, nose wrinkling even further as he cringed away. "Great, now I'm gonna throw up."
"Would you just jump already?" Sniper called, glaring at Scout from over his aviators. "And shut the hell up. Christ, some of us are tryin' to relax, mate."
"You betta be watchin'!" Scout leaped into the air, whooping as he did a backflip just like promised. He continued to fall, and his cries of joy turned to screaming as he realized he was heading straight for the arguing Soldier and Demo.
"Move, assholes!"
Sniper slowly raised his aviators back over his eyes as Scout dropped right between the two other mercenaries, popping the beach ball with his face and sinking into the water. Nope, the Australian assured himself. Nothing to see here.
"Ach, what in the hell!" Demoman struggled to right himself in the subsequent waves caused by his teammate, water splashing onto his eyepatch and short curls. Across from him, treading water with ease despite the upset water, Soldier huffed. His helmet bounced side to side, tied at the chin to stay on.
"Get back here, boy!" The patriot barked, before pulling his arms in and pushing down into the water, presumably after Scout.
A few feet away, Heavy and Pyro continued to splash one another, as if nothing had happened.
"You guys want somethin' to drink?" offered Engineer, his towel close to the edge where the two were playing. He held up two beers, one with a straw. Heavy shook his head, quickly returning Pyro's small splashes with a larger sweep of water.
"Nyet. Heavy is feeling hungry. Let's take break, Pyro." Heavy let out a hearty laugh as Pyro continued to throw water into his back as he lifted himself onto the land.
"Mmye mpnna mmphy mmre!" Pyro announced, before throwing one more splash in Heavy's direction and cautiously dog pedaling to where Demo was staring at the water with a raised brow. The Russian shrugged, collapsing next to Engineer and accepting the sandwich wrapped in foil.
"This sure is a nice day, ain't it?" the Texan mused, taking a swig of his beer and leaning back on his elbows. He felt the sun on his bare head and face, and was glad to have taken the time to properly put sunscreen all over. The last thing he needed was burns, or tan lines along his goggles.
"Da," mumbled Heavy, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Very hot."
Engineer laughed, glancing over at his large teammate.
"Boy, this here ain't even that bad. You should see the temperatures we got down in Bee Cave," he said, looking out onto the water, where Pyro was now splashing with Demo, and Soldier and Scout were no where to be seen. A few feet away, Sniper snorted.
"You should come down to Australia. The only thing more dangerous than drop bears is the heat," the sharpshooter said, arms behind his head and hat pulled down to nearly cover his face. Before Engineer could even inquire as to what exactly drop bears were, there was the sound of breaking water, and Soldier's booming voice.
"I got it!" the American had the deflated beach ball held above his head, and had his other arm under an unconscious Scout's armpits. Demo, pausing in his game with an excited Pyro, pointed at Scout.
"Uh, is the wee shite dead?"
Soldier blinked from under his dripping helmet, then looked down at Scout's closed eyes.
"Possibly. But we might need another ball!"
Demo swam over and pulled Scout out of the American's loose grip.
"Hey, you dead?" The Scotsman shook Scout by the shoulders as he held him up, eye squinting as he waited for a reaction. In response, Scout's mouth hung open, and his eyes stayed closed. Demoman stared for a moment.
"Engineer?" he called.
"Yeah, what's up pardner?"
"Are we in respawn's range?"
"Uh, I think so, yeah. Why?"
"I think the lad is dead."
Engineer raised his goggles to look out over the lake to where Demo was still holding up Scout. Soldier was close by, blowing uselessly into the popped ball, and Pyro clumsily swam over to Demo's side to poke at Scout's face.
"But his body's still here...bring him over, Demo!" Engineer frowned, setting his goggles back on and getting up to meet Demo by the edge of the lake. He helped the Scotsman bring Scout up onto the ground and lay him on his back.
"Doc?" Engineer glanced over at Medic sitting cross-legged near the treeline, novel inches from his face. "Doc, Scout might be dead."
"Yes, yes, I've heard it all before," the German replied, waving a hand in the Texan's direction, eyes not moving from his book.
"What a tragedy," stated Spy from his positon in the shade, cigarette between his fingers. "Perhaps we really are not in respawn range. Hm."
"Boy, this better not be a joke," grumbled Engineer, leaning to listen to Scout's heart as Demo hovered over his shoulder. Heavy came ambling over, sandwich in hand.
"Doktor can do CPR?" The Russian looked toward Medic, who had not moved an inch from his position and didn't seem to even hear him.
"Mmy mphnw meemhemrr!" Pyro fumbled out of the water and onto the land, crawling next to Scout's head.
"Well, I mean, it's beating but it ain't too strong. Maybe he just hit his head," mumbled Engineer lifting his ear from Scout's bare chest. "Best to just leave him in the shade, I guess."
"Mmy munna mpry meemhemrr!" Pyro said, reaching to move the bottom of the snorkeling mask to his cheek.
"Uh," Engineer glanced at Demo, and then Heavy, who shrugged. "Pyro, I don't think that's necessary. CPR's really only for if your heart stopped."
The pyromaniac ignore him, gloved hands reaching to pinch Scout's nose and tilt his chin back. Just as Pyro leaned over, scarred lips hovering over Scout's, the American began coughing, spitting water into Pyro's face.
"W-wha-!" Scout coughed harder, turning on his side and getting water onto Demo's bare feet. The Scotsman didn't seem too offended, a grin forming.
"Yer back, lad! Pyro's CPR must have worked!"
Engineer raised an eyebrow, shooting Demo an incredulous look.
"That's not how CPR works, pardner."
"CPR?" Scout finally got out, struggling to sit up. "I'm alive ain't I? Which one of you old people was gonna put his lips on mine?"
"No one, actually. We were going to throw you back in the water," came Spy's nonchalant response as he placed his half finished cigarette between his lips again.
"Screw you, Spy."
"Well, the point is you're alive," said Engineer, hoping to impede an argument. It sure was a nice day, and he'd hate to see blood in the water. He slapped his younger teammate on the back, earning a few more coughs.
"How about you come get your lunch? I think the doc even put some lollipops in the cooler," Engineer added, standing up to dust off his shorts. Scout's eyes immediately brightened, and he scurried past the Texan to the towels with all the lunch. Engineer shook his head, following after. Heavy smiled at the two before heading to where Medic was still reading, as if no one had nearly died.
"Does Doktor want lunch?"
"Hm. Maybe a sandwich. The one without the tomatoes?"
Demoman glanced from Heavy and Medic to Pyro who was readjusting the scuba mask over his lips.
"Hey, Pyro? Ye weren't really goin'ta kiss the boy, were ye?" he asked. Pyro shot the Scotsman a thumbs up.
"Mmnythin mpo mmave mph mpife!" he explained, before turning and hopping back into the lake. Demo couldn't help but grin - Pyro really was a nice guy, maybe the nicest one on the team.
"Hey, Englishman! Go get another ball from base!" Demo's smile turned to a scowl and he met eyes with Soldier's helmet across the lake.
"Come and make me, ye shitehead!"
"Excuse me!" snapped Sniper, lowering his aviators a few centimeters to give the two the darkest glare he could muster on such a nice day. "Would you two bastards kindly shut the hell up? Some of us need to rest. Disrespectful, that's what all of you lot are."
Just as Sniper raised his sunglasses back over his eyes, the deflated beach ball slammed into his face.
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I don't think Sniper will ever catch a break on my watch. Also, Demo totally knows what CPR is - I have a feeling he's the type to just play dumb or silly sometimes to lighten a mood but is actually much smarter than people think.
Anyway, this was just a short piece since I know I haven't updated in a while. Not sure if I'll be doing a longer arc next or another solo chapter. Tell me what you think in the reviews!