Chapter 2: Beyond Appearances

January 10th Rockside Compound (9:20 pm)

Male Voice: "Idioti, all of you! ugh Mio Dio (My God)! Of all the things to go wrong, why this?! Mia figlia (My Daughter) I haven't heard her be this upset before. What did you imbeciles do?"

Engineer: "We were late in picking her up from the airport, and things went south from there."

Male Voice: "How could you forget to pick her up? It was the first thing you were supposed to do before making it to Rockside. and what's this about my daughter telling me that she was attacked multiple times?!"

Sniper: "We thought she was a trespasser or an enemy Spy."

Male Voice: "No excuses! Didn't any of you read the information sent to you?"

Engineer: "A few of the folks here have trouble with reading."

The man went silent. Then they heard a gunshot and what sounded like a bottle breaking in background of the call for a moment.

Male Voice: "ugh … I'll regard that as an oversight on my part. But I am going to make one thing perfectly clear… If you all fail to keep my darling Sylvia safe not only will you not receive your bonus but I will be sure to have you all hunted down for the rest of your miserable lives." The man said as he hung up on them.

…

(10:03 pm)

Medic was going busy that night healing the teammates that were injured by Sylvia. Luckily when she knocked him out the only injuries he suffered were superficial at best with a popped blood vessel on his forehead from hitting the floor and a groggy headache from being drugged. However his equipment has yet to be shipped over making things far more difficult.

Medic: "How can such a tiny Fräulein do so much damage and in such a short span of time?" he says as he snaps Sniper's broken arm back into place and wrapping it in a sling.

Sniper: "Dunno what to tell ya doc, but this little sheila is quoit vicious, she certainly doesn't play noice " he says rubbing the bruising on his neck to find the blood stained ribbon still loosely tied around his neck. He slips off the long strand of satin from his neck and looks down at it getting lost in thought as Medic finishes fixing him up.

Spy: "Petite Italienne harpie! ( Little Italian Harpy!), How was she able to make fools out of us? I mean Scout isn't any surprise…" (Scout glares from the background) "but how was she able to take out the majority of us with little to nothing to arm herself with?" he says laying in a cot holding his broken ribs.

Medic: "Ja, her strength and endurance is astounding for her tiny stature i wonder where it comes from?"

…

Meanwhile

Locking herself in her room Sylvia drags her feet, holding on to what she can for support as she takes off her completely ruined dress, soiled boots and leg holster and her torn white silk gloves that are now stained with blood, then she looks herself over. Cuts and scrapes from rocket shrapnel cover her legs, bruises on her arms from being grabbed, tossed and manhandled, and the gash on her right hip from the knife fight. The cut was long and jagged but wasn't very deep. She had used a piece of her skirt to stop to dress the wound but she can tell by how dizzy and lightheaded she felt was that she still lost a lot of blood. Then she looked at her face in the mirror wiping off the tear smeared eyeliner and mascara from her eyes only to see how tired and ragged she really was.

She brushes her hair and draws a bath. The warm water stung at her cuts but the pain quickly eased, her muscles finally relaxing after nearly a whole week of no rest, it almost puts her to sleep. After washing her hair she gets out of the tub and into a bathrobe. She dries her hair as she heard a knock at the door…

…

As Engineer and Heavy bring up Sylvia's luggage and knock at the bedroom door.

Engie: "The little missy really took quite a beating, you think we ought to get her to see the Doc?"

Heavy: "Da, little Sylvia need Doktor's help."

Engie: "Yeah, her daddy made it very clear that we need to be taking care of her but I'm not sure how on board the others are after she picked 'em off the way she did."

Heavy: "We get paid for job, now we must do job or pay with lives…"

They hear the door unlock and slowly open revealing the small girl in a powder blue bathrobe that drags down past her ankles, an exhausted and sickly look on her face with her eyes half open, as she holds the doorframe to steady herself.

Sylvia: Cosa?(What?)

Heavy and Engie: …?

Sylvia: "… oh right, eh… What do you want?"

Engie: "We brought your things."

Sylvia: "oh, alright, come in and put the cases next to the closet."

They put down the bags and Sylvia unlatches one of the cases revealing an arsenal bladed weapons.

Engie: "hoo wee, quite the cutlery collection you go there."

Sylvia: "heh, these merely de essentials. You should see what i have back home… you'd get a cut just by looking at that collection." she chuckled.

Engie: "so uh, speaking of cuts, you need to see the doc about those injuries you got."

Sylvia: "I can take care of myself. Besides… i uh… don't do well in a hospital setting…"

Her smile goes away as she gets up from the case and limps into the closet.

Heavy: "You can barely walk, you see doktor now."

Sylvia: "No, I'm fine, really… I just need to get some rest…" she says grabbing a night gown but before she could put it on she blacked out.

Heavy and Engineer heard a loud thud from the closet they look at each other concerned. Engineer goes inside to see Sylvia on the floor. He quickly gets to her side and noticed that she was sweating and shaking. When he saw her face it was flushed and her cheeks were unnaturally red, he felt her face it was burning up and as he touched her she curled into a tight ball groaning in pain and discomfort.

Engie: "Heavy! It's worse than we thought we need to get her to the Med Bay right away! Help me get her up!" he said urgently as he gently pats her back trying to get her to relax.

Heavy comes in bends down slowly and carefully scooping Sylvia up off the floor and into his arms holding her close to his chest. Engineer rushes out of the room first to find one of the layout maps. Looking it over he figured the fastest route to the Med Bay. Heavy not far behind asked where to go.

Engie: "We're on the second floor of the eastern part of the building, the Med Bay on the first floor of the northern portion, lets take this route and hurry."

After taking the elevator down, they go down the halls with Engineer leading the the way with Heavy not far behind. As he was running Heavy felt Sylvia burrow herself closer to him, her hand clutching tightly at his shirt, her head bobbed slightly and she looked up at him her eyes half open.

Sylvia: "… where are you taking me?" she asked confused."

Heavy: "A place where little Sylvia can be helped." He said putting his other hand on her back trying to soothe her.

Sylvia laid her head on Heavy's chest not saying much else. She could hear the loud thundering heartbeat in the large man's chest as her mind went into a haze.

…

(10:51 pm)

While Medic finished putting Scout's arm in a cast Engineer runs into the Med Bay out of breath.

Engie: "Doc! *huff* We got a problem!"

Medic: "Was jetzt? (What now?) Can't you see I have enough to do without my equipment?"

Just then Heavy walks in holding Sylvia in a bathrobe looking most unwell. Medic drops what he's doing to get a better look. He could tell just by seeing how red her face is and the profuse sweating that she was obviously running a high fever. Her head bobbed slightly and her eyes opened a little.

Sylvia: "ugh… too bright… where am I?… (dizzily looks up at Heavy and smiles) Tito is that you? I missed you… Did you miss me too?"

Heavy: "…? How many fingers is Heavy holding up?" Heavy says holding up two fingers.

Sylvia looks at him like she doesn't understand the question blinked a few times then answers six and laughed dizzily. As Medic approached closer she turned toward him. Her expression changed to one of pure terror and she started squirming in Heavy's arms. Medic reaches his hand for her anyway. Her eyes focused on his lab coat for a split second before smacking his arm away. She tries to struggle out of Heavy's grasp as she tries attacking Medic. Medic backed off giving room between them.

Sylvia: "No… Not again… I won't let you Agency White Coats take me back to that cursed facility!" she screams hysterically with murderous intent in her eyes.

Heavy: "What is wrong? Doktor is trying to help little Sylvia." he says trying to keep her from hurting anyone.

Medic: "Heavy! Ze Fräulein has lost lots of blood and has been running around with a high fever for who knows how long, it is making her delirious. Just hold her down and I vill handle ze rest." he says readying a syringe filled with tranquilizer.

Sylvia struggled and squirmed slipping out of her bathrobe and out of Heavy's grasp going for Medic with all of her flesh exposed. But before she could get her hands on his neck Medic plunged the needle deep into her shoulder stopping her in her tracks. When he took the needle out she staggered falling to the side. Medic caught her effortlessly by her midsection with one arm as the girl quickly went limp. Slumped over in his arm her head bobbed turning her head and faced towards him with a look of helplessness.

Sylvia: "No… please… not again…" she said in a quiet slur before losing consciousness.

Medic: "Hush now… Sleep little Fräuline, no one is here to hurt you." He said stroking her hair as he carried her over to a cot and gently laid her down to check her wounds.

Medic worked throughout the rest of the night without rest until everyone who was injured had been helped and rested into a cot in the Med Bay. He called Miss Pauling telling her what happened and to have his birds and equipment rushed over ahead of schedule.

…

January 11th (7:30 am)

Sylvia continued to sleep deeply even when Pyro came in with breakfast for everyone. After giving everyone breakfast Pyro stood over her bedside watching her with a childlike curiosity. The look on her face told Pyro that she was troubled even as she slept. Pyro tried spoon feeding her oatmeal only for it to drip down her chin so Pyro set the oatmeal on fire. Pyro cleaned the oatmeal from her face with a handkerchief then set the hanky on fire. Pyro grabbed a comb and brushed the knots from her hair and when done brushing her hair set the comb on fire. Pyro had put all the burning objects into a bin and watched the flames dance in a flurry of bubbles and colors until Medic grabbed an extinguisher and snuffed out the fire. Pyro then gave Sylvia an extra pillow and tucked Balloonicorn under her arm. Pyro patted her on the head and skipped over to the others.

Scout: "Pyro what were doing around her?"

Pyro: "huuur, mmmr mrpf hudda duur. (She looked upset, so i made her comfy and gave her Balloonicorn to protect her dreams.)"

Scout: "Seriously? I mean look what she did to us!"

Spy: "Scout you're wasting your breath by auguring about this. The girl's safety is our responsibility now, whether we like it or not."

Scout: "Really? You too? Unfriggin believable she made us look like chumps and even you're kissin' her a…"

Sniper: "Shut yer cake hole ya little bludger! The best we can do for now is to not give that sheila a reason to bloody kill us."

Demoman: "Right now this is our job laddie. Besides the wee lass can't do everything er 'self. Sure she really put us through the wringer but did ye see the beat'n she took?"

Soldier: "I'm not afraid of that dress wearing pepperoni peeling creampuff!" he said with his broken jaw.

Medic: "Soldier stop talking, she broke your jaw in three places. And until i get my equipment delivered you need to keep zat mouth shut or I vill wire it shut."

Sniper: "oi doc, when did ya get any sleep? Ya look no better than the ragged sheila."

Medic: "I vill rest better once everyone is back to perfect condition. I should have my Medigun before zis afternoon."

…

(11:40 am)

Medic let Archimedes and his other doves out of cages allowing them to fly and perch all around the lab. Archimedes perches on Medic's shoulder as he unpacks his Medigun and after making some tweaks heals Sylvia and the team of their injuries. While everyone else walks out of the Med Bay feeling good as new Sylvia however still hasn't woken up.

Heavy: "When do you think she will wake up?"

Medic: "My Mediguns can regrow bones, mend the flesh, and so much more… but aiding the immune system was something i could never figure out in their design. Zat and I gave her enough tranquilizer to knock out a horse."

Heavy: "You did good Doktor, now get rest. Heavy will watch Sylvia."

Medic: "Danke Heavy, I will."

Medic stood over Sylvia and took her temperature which went down but not by much. He wonders what made her say those things to him, he knows what she said wasn't directed at him personally due to the various factors that made her so incoherent. But something set off her reaction and he is curious to find out what. After giving her some medicine to reduce her fever he went over to the lab to look at her X-rays and made a baffling discovery.

Medic: "Hmm… theres not so much as a hairline fracture from the beating she took."

Medic began studying some samples of Sylvia's hair and blood among the other little things he took from her to examine and found quite a few anomalies.

"Looks like there's more to zis little Fräu than vhat i initially thought. I must know more…"

…

After being healed Spy and Scout went into Sylvia's room to clean up any mess left behind as well as look into information they can find about their little client. They look in the bathroom to find it looking like a crime scene.

Scout: "So tell me again why we're cleaning Sylvia's room?"

Spy: "So the lady doesn't make us do it later when she wakes up. Besides it is best that we should try to make up for our mistakes somehow." He says handing Scout a bucket pointing him to the mess in the bathroom.

While Scout cleaned the bathroom Spy looked around the room the walls are painted a gentle midnight blue. The room's lights are red light wall lamps that are turned on by a dimmer switch which compliments the walls. On the lower right side is the personal bathroom and the upper right corner he sees the walk-in closet. At the wall between the closet and bathroom sits a king sized bed with lush purple covers. A green love seat and a matching chair sits in the upper left side of the room next to a bookshelf and a gray coffee table. The lower left side of the room has a vanity next to a large wall mirror strategically angled to see into the hallway from the bed. Spy then picks up the shredded dress and dirtied go-go boots off the floor.

Scout: "Yeesh! betcha ya glad ya didn't get into a knife fight with this chick, huh Spy?" he said holding up Sylvia's blooded gloves and knife holster pulling out the blade partway.

Spy: "The Bushman barely managed to fend her off. The girl could've killed us anytime she felt like but she sought to make us suffer instead. She mentioned something about an "Agency"… whatever this "Agency " is it potentially has something to do with the enemy we are facing."

Scout: "Well doesn't matter to me what this whole "Agency" crap is, the sooner we bash in their skulls, the sooner we get this brat off our asses."

Spy: "I don't believe it will be so simple."

Spy puts the dress into a hamper and the boots into the closet then goes over the suit cases in front of the closet. He looks in the already opened case seeing the variety of blades. Spy's jaw drops as he sees a blade for just about any situation from razors as small as a fingernail to a Roman Gladius (a type of Roman Shortsword).

Spy: "This woman is insane…"

Scout: "Holy crap! She brought the whole knife drawer! What's next the kitchen sink?"

Spy: "From the looks of these other cases they're also filled with weapons."

Scout: "If this crazy rich girl has all these weapons and can basically rip anyone apart what does she need us for?"

Spy: Didn't you listen to what Demoman said this morning?

Scout: "uh no, not really…"

Spy: "The girl is skilled sure, and she knows how to take on anyone larger than her quite effectively i might add. But she can't do everything alone. However i have reason to think that whatever this threat is that we're facing seems bigger than what she can handle."

Scout: "So what your saying is that this job might be bigger than just watching little miss purple eyes?"

Spy: "Exactly!"

Scout left the room after cleaning the bathroom but Spy stuck around to see if he could find any more information.

…

January 12th (12:09 am)

Sylvia's eyes snapped opened only to be blinded by the bright lights of the Med Bay. Her eyes adjusted and looked around to see the large Russian man sleeping in a chair next to her bed. She didn't see him but she heard the snores of the German doctor from across the room. She very quietly slipped out of the cot and snuck out of the Med Bay. She still felt very tired and groggy but most of all thirsty. Her knees felt like jelly and her head still felt hazy. She stumbled as she walked until she went into a bathroom. Sylvia went to the sink and drank strait from the faucet. But she drank too much too fast and the water hit her empty stomach like a hard stone. Clenching her stomach she did her best not to throw it all back up. She doubled over falling to the floor. She curled into a ball (still clenching her stomach and she uncurled when it stopped hurting). Still exhausted she rested her warm face on the cold tile. She relaxed on her side before she blacked out again.

(during this entire time she didn't notice that she was naked and she won't have much recollection of this)

…

(12:43 am)

It took him all day and few coffee breaks but Sniper finally finished mopping up the mess leftover from his fight with Sylvia. He took the bucket filled with bloodied mop water and walked down hall. When he got close to the bathroom he heard a faucet running. Sniper went in the bathroom and found Sylvia sleeping on the floor. Confused Sniper put the bucket down and turned off the water. He squatted down putting his hand on her shoulder. Her skin was soft yet cooled to the touch.

Sniper: "oi Sylvia… ya alright?" he says gently rocking her shoulder.

Sylvia: "No, I don't wanna go to etiquette school today…(Snores) "

Sniper: "I'll take that as a 'yes' " he thinks to himself as he tries to rouse her again. " oi Duchess, wake up! "

Sylvia: "Eh… (turns her head to face him)… oh it's you… you're that handsome savage that nearly killed me…" she said turning onto her back yawning and rubbing her eyes.

Sniper felt his heart race when saw her naked body laying on the floor in front of him, her long blonde hair framed around her waist and shoulders. But trying not to be rude he focused his gaze on her face. When she stopped yawning she looked up at him with a small grin and gave a humored chuckle.

Sylvia: "What's with that funny look on your face?"

Sniper averted his gaze nervously rubbing the back of his neck not sure what to tell her. She sits up tilting her head in confusion then looks down realizing she was naked and she froze.

Sylvia: "…! huh? How long have I been out? How did i get in here? and why am i naked?" She said panicked.

Sniper: " You've been out for a whole day, ya had to be tranquilized… Don't you remember the other night when you went crazy on the Doc?" he asked

Sylvia: "I did what?! No, all I remember is letting the tinkerer and the bear man in my room to drop off my things but when i went into my closet everything got all blurred and hazy. But that doesn't explain why I'm in here 'like this'! " She whimpers trying to hide her bare chest.

Sniper: "Not sure how ya got in here but i was bout to dump some mop water and this is how i found ya." He said noticing her face getting all bright red.

Sylvia: " This is so humiliating… " She says with a squeaky voice tears welling up in her eyes and is about to start crying.

Sniper sighs and stands up picking her off the floor and helps her stand on her feet. He takes off his shirt and without a word pops her head through the collar then lets the fabric fall over covering her up. Sylvia looked surprised by this. She blinks out the tears and looks up at Sniper. Slowly slipping her arms through the sleeves.

Sniper: "How's that for ya there, eh duchess?"

Sylvia: "umm… much appreciated… but why?"

Sniper: "No sight more guttin' than seeing a sheila bout bawl her eyes out. Now lets get outta here." He said offering his forearm out as a polite gesture. She took hold with both arms and allowed him to escort her out.

They walk through the halls in silence as to not wake anyone. Then he hears her gut rumble loudly.

Sniper: "You wanna get a bite to eat?"

She nodded her head eagerly. They went to kitchen and they made some fried ham and eggs, jam covered toast and some tea. She ate quickly with rather big bites almost choking down the eggs. But she slowed down when she caught him staring at the atrocity that is her table manners.

Sniper: "So what's it like for ya back home? You and yer dad seem pretty close."

Sylvia: "Well, normally in my household i live with my Father, his twin brother and my cousin."

Sniper: "What bout yer mum?"

Sylvia: "A Madre?… I don't have one…"

Sniper: "Why don't you have a mum?"

Sylvia: "Because I was an orphan… Papa found me when i was 14 years of age … He wasn't married when he took me in and still chooses not to be." (said with slight discomfort)

"But Papa said he doesn't need a wife to be happy and that i'm the only girl he needs to care about. Besides I have my aunts, my uncles and a plethora of cousins" (said with a smile then pauses)

"… I just wish i knew where they were and if they're alright" (she slowly frowns putting her head down on the table with one hand tugging on a handful of hair)

Sniper thought back to the folks that raised him the people he truly considered to be his real parents. Sure after he became an assassin his dad became far more bitter and they fought constantly with his mum trying to be the peace keeper. He knew his mum didn't care for his job either but she tried to be supportive nonetheless. At first he was more than pissed off at them for not telling him the truth before they died, but he came to his own conclusion that they didn't tell him because they didn't want him to think any less of himself. Then he sees Sylvia sitting across from him her head on the table sulking and worried sick. At this moment Sniper realized that Sylvia didn't want to be here anymore than him and the others did.

Sniper: "You have no choice but to be here don't you?"

Sylvia: "I didn't ask for this arrangement, and it was all planned out that i was to come here with or without any of my family members. I was told that everyone else scattered to somewhere in the world but i'm not allowed to be told where they went…"

Not wanting to pry any further Sniper stood up and stretched.

Sniper: Well i'm stuffed, ya want me walk ya to your room before i turn in for the night?

Sylvia: "hmm, sure."

As Sniper looked down at the short pale girl waltzing around in nothing but his shirt he can't help wonder what was going through her head. They get to her bedroom door and he opens it for her. Sylvia looked up at him with her big purple eyes sparkling like amethysts. She grabs at the shirt looking unsure if she should take it off.

Sniper: "Don't worry bout the shirt i can manage."

Sylvia: "May i ask your name? It only feels right to express gratitude when you can refer to a person by name." She said looking a little bashful.

Sniper: "Call me Mundy" he smiles.

She gets on her tiptoes putting one hand on his shoulder bending him down to meet her at eye level as she kisses him on the cheek.

Sylvia: "Grazie (Thank you) Mundy, you have my sincerest gratitude." She says giving a warm smile as she enters her room closing the door behind her.

He just stood there stunned by the exchange putting his hand on the cheek she kissed rubbing it as he walked away smiling. He thought to himself. "She's not so bad once you get passed the sadism and the puffy rich girl act."

…

(1:47 am)

Sylvia closed the door walking over to a nightstand pulling out a handgun from the drawer. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of french cologne lingering in the air.

Sylvia: "I know you're in here Frenchman, I can smell your cheap cologne." she says casually.

Spy uncloaked sitting on the green love seat sipping a glass of white wine.

Spy: "A $900 bottle of cologne hardly qualifies as cheap but you certainly have sharp senses."

Sylvia: "Why are you in my room?" she says loading bullets into the gun.

Spy: " I came to reclaim what you took from me" he says pulling out his Dead Ringer. "You seem to know your way around espionage technology by chance are you a spy as well?" he says finishing the wine.

Sylvia: "I was taught how to utilize your little toys just in case i would ever need to but i'm no spy. I prefer to let my prey see the face that snuffs them out." She says points the gun at him.

Spy: "Only a moment ago you were being sweet with the Bushman. Now your pointing a gun at me. You're able to flip your demeanor quite quickly… "

She shoots the gun three times. One bullet barely missed his head grazing his ear through his mask, the second shoots his glass shattering it and the third was shot near his crotch. Spy quickly jumps from the little couch surprised.

Sylvia: "You're in my room uninvited. Was i not clear enough on what i will do? Those were the only the warning shots your going receive. Now get out serpent, the next shots won't miss i assure you." she says coldly.

Without another word Spy cloaks leaving her room and quickly gets down the hall before his cloak ran out. Sniper came running down the hall with his kukri in hand.

Sniper: "I heard gunshots are you and Sylvia alright?"

Spy: "It's nothing to worry about Sylvia and I just had a 'disagreement'."

Sniper: "What did you do?"

Spy: "I wanted to talk to her in private so i waited in her room."

Sniper: Are you outta yer bloody mind? Didn't Sylvia make it clear that she'll shoot any of us when she doesn't want us in her room?

Spy: "There are things she's not telling us so i thought i could ask her some questions."

Sniper: "By sneaking in her room in the middle of the night? Ya got some nerve ya bloody spook!"

Spy: "Oh please, for all you know the girl could be playing you for a fool Bushman!"

Spy saw the shocked and hurt expression on Snipers face when he said that. Spy had only seen their sweetened exchange at the door before Sylvia entered her room. As for what went on between Sniper and Sylvia before that he doesn't know. The look on Sniper's face lets Spy to believe that she plucked at some of his strings. He walks away without another word leaving the Bushman alone in the middle of the hall to sulk.

…

Sylvia heard the argument all the way from her room. She even saw what happened through the series of mirrors she uses to peek into the hall. She knew getting involved will only make things worse. As much as she hates being accused of lying and treachery there's not much she could do about it right now. She sweeps up the glass and bullets removing as much evidence of the confrontation as possible. Sylvia crawls into bed thinking how nice some of these men have been to her even though they just meet (And tried to kill each other among other things). Then she thought of her father and how much she missed him. She was trying to process everything but with how fast events have been moving and the new wave of thoughts swarming in her mind only gave her a headache. Sylvia is trying to figure out what she should do but in the end she cried herself to sleep with no answers…

…

End of Chapter 2