Here we go with chapter five of the story. This is the first time we actually get to see anything really related to the games in this story. This is the first chapter with any of the events in the games. Keep in mind that this is an AU world, and since I'm creating it, it's going to be weird. Strange and fantasy type creatures will appear (since their science is advanced enough to create things like this). Eventually however we will see the "classic" BLU Team of TF2, though maybe not in a way you'd expect.
Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Leave a review below to tell me how you think I'm doing.
Chapter Five: Making Legends
Jack was awoken when Zane came by, banging on all the doors and yelling loudly to get them all up. He groaned when he looked up at the ceiling, once again waking up to the horrible realization that all of this was real, and today was the first day of the games. The thought of what could be waiting for them out there in the Arena almost made him physically sick.
Part of him felt like a little kid again, way too far in over his head and looking for his older brothers for help. Here the only chance he had at surviving were eight older men who he'd known for really far too short of a time. They only now had some sort of idea what all of them were capable of, and they were getting thrown right into battle.
He glanced over at the letters again, and the dog tags that were laying next to them. Just seeing the large envelope seemed to ease the trembling in his hands. He couldn't help but be scared, but right now all the people waiting to see what was going on today in the battlefield were even more scared. He had to try and be brave for them. And that meant he was just going to have to suck it up and get it over with. He'd never leave if he didn't try.
Feeling determination taking over his fear he rolled onto his feet and prepared to get ready for the day. It was way earlier than even he usually woke up, but Jack knew it was because Zane wanted to get several things out of the way first. Once he was showered up and ready Jack slipped into one of the many spare costumes he had (since they had to do the laundry themselves and had to keep themselves looking presentable for the games). The sports like costume felt both oddly familiar and strangely alien. Even so, he pulled the cap down on his head and slipped the dog tags on.
He laid his hand for just a second on the bulging envelope, closing his eyes. He thought of home, of Pauling who was waiting for him, of his brothers and mother who were scared to death, and of all of the people he'd known. He silently asked for their strength, then stood and slid his bag (which now carried all of his weapons, the baseball, and still had some room to spare) onto his back before stepping out into the hall.
He was greeted by the sight of Zane practically dragging the Australian Sniper out of bed and down the hall. Henry was still pulling his gas mask over his face as he hurried down the hall, and Leander was as calmly as ever strolling down the hall.
Travish stepped out of his room, drinking deeply from yet another bottle, and Ludwig was smiling as always. Deil was hurrying to avoid Zane (who was obviously not happy with Mun-Dee), and Maksim was just kind of lumbering sleepily down the hallway.
Jack ducked out of Zane's scowling gaze and around the huge Heavy as he dashed past the rest of them. Even being one of the last out of the rooms he was the first to the table, and he sat down quickly before Zane could find a way to get any angrier.
The others soon followed his example, though Zane continued to drag Mun-Dee into the room and just kind of toss him at the table. This hardly seemed to phase the Australian man however, and he just kind of sat there a while as Leander tried his best to shake him awake.
Sitting in the same order as always, Zane elected to get them all something to eat before he started to meeting. Usually he started the other way, having a meeting before he ever served them food, but now he silently went to the kitchen.
Jack cast his eyes around the table, watching Leander begin to smoke and Travish taking yet another drink from his strange brown bottle and draining it nearly completely of its content. You'd think that the games would forbid having such things, but they didn't.
They wanted to keep the participants as happy as possible so they continued to fight in the games, and very few things wouldn't be brought to the RED Team if they asked for it. If Jack asked for a certain kind of soda they'd provide it everyday for him.
This meant that Leander always had his cigarettes, and Travish always had enough of his alcohol to stay sufficiently drunk. It was also how Deil always had parts and how Ludwig could get practically any medicinal remedy and cure that money could buy. At least the game makers were kind enough to do that for the people they were trying to murder daily.
Zane returned with plates, cups, silverware, and a steaming bowl heaped with some brown goo he'd only seen Zane make once before. It was about as appetizing as it looked. However he wasn't going to complain and he was mostly used to it after eating it for so long.
As the plates were passed around and everyone got water (except for Travish who just poured what was left of his bottle into the glass) the bowl was plopped down into the center of the table. Ludwig continued to smile and hum to himself as he was the first to spoon some into his bowl, and the rest of them soon followed suit.
No one said anything as they quickly shoveled the "meal" into their mouths. Zane had a thing about making them all eat quickly and wouldn't take no for an answer. Even Mun-Dee seemed to remember this much even though he was hardly awake. The food was quickly gone, and they'd all drained their glasses.
When Zane finally stood and went to stand in his usual spot, looking over them all, Mun-Dee was finally awake enough to be listening and was blinking around the room in his usual pre-morning gaze. There was a long moment of silence before Zane finally seemed to want to speak.
"All right ladies," he said as was one of his usual greetings. "today's the day. It's the first day of the games. I don't want to see you panicking and freaking out, no matter what we find out there. You just focus on the plan, on our battle strategy. Use your skills and keep your eyes on the prize, no matter what it is. That's the way we'll survive. I don't want to see us lose a single man today, you got that?"
There were silent nods of agreement around the table. None of them wanted to see the friends they'd recently made die out there today because of whatever tricks the game makers could come up with. That meant they were all going to have to focus on their own tasks, as well as keep an eye out for any danger to their teammates. It was going to be rough, but it would still be easier than any one of them trying to tackle it alone.
"Deil," Zane said, looking towards the Engineer. "What do you have for me?"
"I gotta Transporter," he said, which made several eyebrows shoot up into the air. "Ludwig and I have been testin' it, and it's perfectly safe. If I can set up the entrance and exit somewhere safe enough I can move the whole team, a member at a time, over a lot more ground. I've also got Sentry Guns that are programmed to shoot at anything not in our red, and a Dispenser for ammo and some healing like Ludwig's inventions."
"Interesting," Zane said thoughtfully. "Ludwig what have you got?"
"Vell," the Medic said with a smile. "Quite a few zhings. First I have my Medi Gun, vhich can heal teammates during battle. It's a prototype, and vell, the medical community vould not like it. But it is good for use in a place like zhis. It can heal most vounds if used enough. Also it has a secondary function, zhe Ubercharge." He then chuckled in a kind of unsettling way. "Zhat I vill save for later. You vill see vhat it does soon enough."
Everyone turned and blinked at him in surprise. They weren't entirely sure they wanted to figure out what that was for. He had insisted on operating on all of them separately, and whatever he had done hadn't seemed to affect their health. Besides that, he'd apparently done the same thing to himself, and the Medi Gun explained why there were no scars.
"Moving on," Zane said before anyone could grow more uncomfortable than they already were. "That just about leaves everyone else...This is going to be interesting in several ways boys."
Zane went quiet then, just seeming to think. Everyone else turned to watch him, and in the silence Jack could feel his panic threatening to rise again. He reminded himself quickly though that everyone else was confident in whatever abilities they had, so he just needed to remember to be a team player. He'd focus on his strengths, not what could go wrong.
"Listen up maggots," the Soldier said, though in a tone that could arguably called his most affectionate one. "As soon as the gates open we need to start moving. Leander, I want you near Mun-Dee. A Sniper's weak point is his back, so guard it for him. Anything not with us is dead."
"I understand, mon ami," the Frenchman replied.
"In tha' case," The Sniper said, nodding to the Spy. "I'll focus on takin' the shots."
"Maksim," Zane said, turning to the huge Russian. "I want you on offense. Destroy anything that's not one of us. Ludwig, I want you near him at all times. Maksim is slow, and he'll need that Medi Gun. And I want him there in case you're attacked, but be ready to heal anyone who comes to you. Jack's built better for attack than you."
"I can do zhat," Ludwig agreed with a smile.
"I will protect tiny Medic," Maksim said. No one really said anything about him calling Ludwig tiny. Everyone was tiny compared to him.
"Henry I want you watching Deil's back when he's on the battlefield," Zane continued. "You see anything not with us you set it on fire. Travish, you and I will be putting down suppressive fire and attacking when at all possible."
"Gotcha, partner," Deil said, and Henry also said something though the gas mask so severely muffled it that even he knew they couldn't hear what he said.
"We will make 'em run, eh?" Travish said, pulling yet another bottle of the mysterious liquid.
"Jack," Zane said, turning to him last. "I need you out in the field. We'll all have radio contact to each other, and that headpiece of yours is set up to be one so you can talk even while you're running. I need you to look for spots for the Sniper, spots to put the Teleporter and anything else Deil wants to set up. Look around for our objective and any hidden traps and such."
"I can do dat," Jack said, relieved that there was something he could do to help.
"But I don't want you staying to fight if you can help it," Zane added. "Run in and run out. If you can, I want you near Maksim and Ludwig to help support them, and help keep you safe. If not, find someone else. That goes for all of you. If you can't stay in your team for whatever reason, find someone else. No one, and I mean NO ONE acts alone. At least not for long. Keep in constant radio contact, and don't be afraid to call for help."
They all nodded again. They could agree on that. If they wanted to keep their friends alive they were going to have to stick together. The teams that Zane had worked out would work really well, though really Jack could have gone with any team and been of help after his finished being the Scout as his class suggested.
Jack doubted he was the only one who suspected that it was because Zane wanted Jack near the huge Russian because Maksim wouldn't let Jack get a single scratch on him without tearing apart whatever had caused it. Really that went for any of them. He was rather protective of his Team, even if he wasn't the smartest.
Even if they weren't in these usual teams for whatever reason (and they all knew that when the game makers found out about the teams they'd be trying to split them up), they knew they'd use their abilities to help the rest of the Team as much as possible. If they were going to make it out, they were going to do it together.
"Will also protect tiny baby man," Maksim chimed in suddenly.
"Good boy," Zane said with the biggest smile they'd ever seen him give. It looked really nervous though. "That's the most planning we can really do now boys, seeing how we'll never truly know what lies behind those doors until they open. Every skill you have, put them out on display now. It's the only way we'll survive. Winning, well it's the only option but it's not important. I'll only be happy when I see all of us alive and well everyday. I doubt any of you feel differently."
Jack didn't even have to look around at the other faces at the table to be able to tell that there was no way any of them would ever feel differently. Besides the fact that the rules clearly made it harder for them to win if they lost a challenge or even a single teammate, they wanted all of their friends to be okay.
Losing even a challenge usually meant death, and they needed to win. They all owed it to someone to win. And that's what they were going to do. They all silently looked around the table at one another, meeting the gazes of everyone else. They may have all had different cultures and languages, but right now they were one.
"RED Team," the voice of the infamous female Announcer of the games said suddenly over the loudspeakers they couldn't see. "proceed to the Arena gates. The games will begin shortly. Happy Fortress Games."
The voice was dry and sounded amused by everything that as going to happen to them. It reminded Jack why everyone hated the games so much, and that he was soon going to be on camera. Thankfully, the idea of actually having a plan made him far less scared than before, which was good. He needed to put on a brave face.
Everyone stood and silently made their way to the farthest walls of the base, knowing that this is where the entrance to the Arena was. These doors were the only entrance and exit for the Arena, and there would be no escaloping the horrors of the Arena until those doors readmitted them to their base. Jack couldn't help but hope that no one would be seriously hurt.
As they made their way to the doors, they all grabbed their weapons and mentally prepared themselves for what they could find, reassuring themselves that the others would keep them safe, and worrying about everyone more than themselves. The halls became more and more deserted until they filed through a small door that locked behind them.
This opened into a small room with huge garage like doors, though they were reinforced enough that you couldn't break them with mere human strength or guns. It was unnerving to be standing there in the silence, but they said nothing.
There was no rule saying they couldn't talk now, and quite often people would be saying goodbyes to their families or muttering to themselves, others even panicking and crying. However the team was silent, an act in itself was almost rebellion against the system that had been held in place for sixty years.
They all put on brave faces, readying various weapons for the coming battle. Leander began flipping his fold-able knife back in forth quietly, assuredly. Maksim and Ludwig were both holding their guns and looking around the room.
Travish was drinking again and holding his grenade launcher in the other hand. Zane had his rocket launcher already on his shoulder, scowling again. Mun-Dee's sniper rifle was in his hand and already loaded in case he needed to use it quickly.
Henry had has flamethrower ready, eying the door in front of him silently. Deil was holding an enormous red toolbox in his arms that had his parts and tools, and had his shotgun at the read. Jack unzipped his bag and pulled out his Scattergun as he zipped it back, watching the door carefully for when it would open.
The cameras were already rolling, watching their strange interaction before the games began. Later when everyone was off of school they'd be able to see the games, wondering the whole day if they'd turn on the television to see their family and friends die today. The cameras in the Arena would also be switching between all of them and filming them the whole time. Even so, Jack knew that they had nothing more to lose. They were already in the games.
"Opening the gates," the Announcer said suddenly. "in five, four three, two one! Seek and destroy!"
As she said one, the garage doors screeched open and revealed the Arena for the first time. No one moved, watching the agile and quick eyed Scout. They all knew that Jack had good eyes, and he had been able to spot things that even Mun-Dee, the sharp eyed Sniper could miss. It made him even more fit to be the Team's Scout.
Jack on the other hand was looking around quietly for any signs of traps that could be aimed to kill them right out of the gate as there had been in the past. There were no mounds to show that there could be landmines, no strange overhangs or walls. In fact he could see nothing except the Arena itself. It looked to be some sort of old western town, and a pretty large one at that.
Ghost town would have been more accurate, seeing how they were apparently the only people to be occupying the dusty streets. Jack had no idea why the Arena looked this way, unless it was housing some sort of strange creature. Looking at the fact that there were no traps though indicated that there was something to be scared of out there, something the game makers designated as dangerous enough in itself.
That wasn't a comforting thought. The buildings were all made of wood, old and abandoned but also structurally sound as far as he could tell. Canyon walls surrounded them on all sides, which could be scaled to a certain height before they became sheer cliffs that rose hundreds of more feet into the air and kept them within its walls. Other than the winding streets of the ghost town and the many buildings, Jack saw nothing.
The only thing that seemed to happen as Jack surveyed the area was that Leander seemed to disappear into thin air, indicating that the Spy was as good as the rumors said. Nothing else moved other than the dust that was picked up by the wind and went howling through the pass. Everyone else's eyes were glued to Jack as his eyes darted quickly for any signs of immediate danger to his team. Seeing nothing he slowly turned to look at Zane and shook his head.
The Soldier's eyebrows shot up, and Jack had no doubt that he at least knew how strange it was that he had seen no traps at all. There was something strange out there, something that they definitely didn't want to run into. Jack's job was to find out what it was, and find the best areas for his team to set up and survive.
"Go, go, go," Zane suddenly said.
Everyone was moving. Maksim was running out as fast as he could to set up to protect his friends, Ludwig just behind him. Deil was stepping just outside to a more secluded spot and setting down his equipment to get to work, Henry standing just to the side to give him cover. Travish and Zane were pressing forward carefully and slowly, eying every corner for any dangers to them. Leander was still no where in sight, but presumably close to Mun-Dee as the man stepped out and carefully watched for any signs that Jack could have missed.
Jack on the other hand took off like a shot straight out of the gates. No one tried to stop him and just watched him run to a nearby building. It was a shorter one, one whose rough sides allowed him to quickly pull himself up onto the roof and take off running across the roofs again. He doubted they'd have a flying enemy so soon as it would be a more exciting show stopper later, and they were still testing the team.
Besides, though he was slower here than he would have been on solid ground, he wouldn't have to worry about stopping and checking around corners for enemies. He'd been raised on the streets of Boston for too long, running down alleys and streets to take that chance. He'd preferred to be high in Boston, to have a better vantage to look for routes and things, so now that he had the same ability here he was using it. Besides, his eyes would now be looking for a lot more than usual, and the higher he was, the easier these things would be to spot.
Jack held his Scattergun to the ready as he ran, his eyes scanning for any signs of activity of any kind on the ground or any traps. Everything continued to seem to be quiet as he ran, which was beginning to unnerve him. What exactly were they going to be facing, that would take up residence in a human town? Were they mercenaries? He doubted he wouldn't have been attacked by now if they were too terribly clever or human. He wasn't hiding.
"Teleporter Entrance ready," he heard Deil's voice over the intercom next to his ear. The single headphone gave him the ability to clearly hear his team and also what was going on around him, which was helpful.
"Jack," Zane's asked over the intercom as well. "Have you seen anything yet?" Jack reached up and touched the button on the microphone to reply as he ran.
"Nope," Jack replied. "No traps, no enemies, nothin'. Whateva it is don't look too smart." He quickly released the button, unsure if it was like other radios where he'd have to let go of the button to hear the others or not.
"But it's obviously dangerous," Leander suddenly remarked. "Be careful, mon ami."
"If you can't find them just look for somewhere for our Sniper and Engineer," Zane ordered. "then come right back. I don't want you out there longer than you have to be."
"I gotcha," Jack replied to the Soldier.
"Good luck," Zane said.
The radio fell silent again. They weren't really using the radio now except to contact him, seeing how they were all still close enough to hear each other. He knew it had to be worrying to wonder if he was going to be all right out there by himself. He'd hate to have to be one of them waiting for someone to come back.
Even so, he knew they needed the skills that he did have. He stopped on top of what appeared to be a sheriff house and small jail, pausing to look around carefully before he noticed movement and heard panicked neighing. He was confused at first, hearing a horse in the middle of the Arena? He supposed it fit with the theme, but he wasn't sure why a horse would be here. He dropped down to his belly and peered out over the edge of the roof towards the stable across the street. Its doors were open, and he could spot movement inside the shadows.
If he hadn't been looking right at the doors he wouldn't have seen it, seeing how there were no clouds and the sun was shining harshly and hotly down on them even though it was still morning. The shadows inside the unlit stable on the other hand were dark and nearly impossible for him to see into far. There was a flurry of movement suddenly, and something came crashing out of the doors of the stable.
It was a dark brown horse, though he hardly knew enough about them to be able to tell if it was a male or a female. It took off down the street, obviously panicked about something. A large, lighter brown shape came darting after it, leaping onto the horse and dragging it down.
The horse screamed, a sound that made Jack wince because it sounded human. He could now clearly see the creature that had come after it though. It was a large cat, more specifically related to a puma. Only this was no ordinary puma. It was far too big, and its coat matched the dusty road far too well. Jack had only ever heard of them before, and seeing this one made him absolutely terrified for a second.
This was a Mega Puma, so named because of its size. It was easily the size of the horse it was chasing, and he'd heard they could grow larger than even this one. The cat looked a lot like its smaller cousin, except its tail was spiked like a sword at the end, yet another deadly weapon in its arsenal.
They were some abomination created during the days when people dared rebel against the games, used to fight in the battles and cause massive damage. They weren't the only mutations that had been created with this purpose. And like all the others, they had thrived and been too hard to control. They generally stayed away from people, but nothing was impossible during the Fortress Games.
Jack watched with wide eyes as it dragged the now dead horse back into the stable. Now he knew what the horse was for. It was to feed those monsters. He shuddered to imagine what would happen when they ran out of that prey. They would completely ignore him, even if he walked right through the middle of their pride as long as they had more natural prey. But they had terrible appetites, and once the horses were gone, humans were next on the menu.
"Jack?" gasped Zane's voice over the intercom. "Jack what was that?" The man was obviously terrified that it had been his scream. Jack reached for the button again.
"H-Horse," he managed. "It was a horse."
"A horse?" Zane asked, though Jack could almost swear that he heard several sighs of relief to hear his voice. "What is a horse doing in the Arena?"
"It was ta feed da Mega Pumas," he said, to absolute silence on the other end. "I saw one, about da same size as da horse. I ain't goin' down dere to see how big dey are, or how many dere are."
"Move away slowly," Zane ordered carefully. "Stay away from them. Do you need us to come to you?"
"No," Jack replied. "Dey still have some horses. I hope dey don't run out soon."
"Vell ve found it," Ludwig said dryly, meaning the Announcer's hint as to their mission when the doors had opened. "Now ve need to destroy it."
"Did ya find a place for my Teleporter that can get us close?" Deil asked.
"No," Jack replied, remembering what he was doing and how important it was. "I'm still lookin'. I know where dey are now though. I gotta couple ideas. And one for da Sniper's spot. Gotta check it out first though."
"Be careful," Zane warned for what seemed to be the one hundredth time.
"I will be," Jack promised.
This seemed to satisfy his team for now, because they left him alone. He carefully stood and backed out of sight of the doors where the Mega Pumas were now hiding. He wasn't sure how many horses they had left in there, but he didn't want to take the chance to go down there closer to get an idea of how many there were in case they were eating the last one now. He turned instead to a large church close to the Sheriff's office. He carefully leaped the space between the two roofs and ran to a door that led up to the bell tower. He had to push to force the door open, nearly falling.
He paused as the sound seemed to echo in the creaking tower. He paused as the wind rocked the bell tower a little, though it seemed safe enough. He carefully peered down the stairs that led down to the rest of the church, listening for any signs of the huge cats. Hearing nothing he made his way up the winding stairs to the top of the tower.
The bell obstructed part of the view, but if Mun-Dee was as good as he appeared to be, it wouldn't really be much of a problem. Besides it gave a good view straight towards the door that kept him hidden from view. Mega Pumas were vicious and clever, though they tended to ignore humans if there was enough food. The Sniper would need as much cover as possible.
He wasn't satisfied with his search though and carefully made his way down the stairs and into the church itself. It was dusty in here and rather dark because of the dark and dusty windows. He let his eyes adjust to the light within, looking around the church. The stairs leading between the small balcony and the ground were largely broken, but if they were careful enough they could make it down to the ground, even Maksim, and defend this point. It would be a good point for the Telelporter.
He still made his way to the ground floor though and checked through the whole church before he was satisfied that none of the cats had come in here. He also checked the doors for rusted hinges that could make noise when they were leaving. They didn't look too bad, and they wouldn't screech much. Even so, it was as good as they were going to get in this place. He reached again for the button, knowing he'd taken several minutes and the team would be on edge.
"I found a place," he said. "Dere's a church not far from da stables where dey are. In da bell towa dere's a good spot for Mun-Dee, though dere's a bell in the way. Den down da stairs dere's a place to put da Teleporter dat we could use and defend. Da stairs to da first level are broken, but we could make it. Da doors have some rusted hinges too, so we'll have ta be careful goin' out."
"Good job, boy," Zane said, though he sounded impressed with how thorough he had been. "Come back here as fast as possible, and show Mun-Dee and Deil what you found. I'll send Leander with you as well, but we can't move anyone else until that Teleporter goes up. Tell us if you see them moving yet."
"Gotcha," Jack replied. "I'm comin' back."
Jack leaped carefully back up the broken stairs and went back up the way he had come, careful to close the door as he returned to the roof where it had been. With a bit of a running start he made it back across to the other roof, wondering slightly how he was going to get his friends over here. He paused however, eying the door of the stables. He could hear at least two more panicking horses inside. They still had some time.
He turned and ran back the way he had come, not caring if he made noise right now. There wasn't much point in being quiet when they Mega Pumas were going to ignore him right now. He ran as fast as he dared across the sometimes steep and uneven roofs back towards his friends and the relative safety that they provided. As he drew near he could see them watching for him and leaping up when they saw him coming. Worry was etched clearly into their faces.
Jack just motioned for Deil and Mun-Dee to follow him, his breathing still relatively normal. He couldn't run so fast on his way back, but they needed to move now. The two didn't hesitate to leap forward, Deil shouldering his huge box. Mun-Dee managed to toss his rifle up to Jack, who caught it then dropped to his belly and offered a bandaged hand and wrist to his friend. Mun-Dee took it, and with Jack to anchor him he pulled himself up onto the roof.
Leander seemed to appear out of no where from behind Deil, grabbing his box and hauling it up the side of the building almost as fast as Jack could climb. Jack and Mun-Dee helped to haul the heavy box up onto the roof and Leander and Mun-Dee helped pull Deil up after them onto the roof. The rest of the team watched nervously as they all stood and collected their items. Leander didn't disappear this time either as they turned and began to make their way towards the place that Jack had found for their team to set up.
Jack had to go a lot slower this time, stopping periodically to help Mun-Dee or Deil regain their balance on some of the steeper roofs. Leander thankfully was also there to help though, so no one fell or injured themselves. Jack's teammates nervously but silently followed him as he made his way down the line of buildings. Several minutes later they managed to make about the half the progress he'd made earlier in triple the time.
Jack didn't complain though, knowing that no one else on his team was nearly as fast as he was, and they needed to keep going or they'd all be dead soon. None of them complained either as he made his way across the largest gap in the roofs and turned back to them. They all paused, sizing up the jump. To Jack's surprise, it was Deil who attempted it first. He toss the box to Jack, who stumbled under the weight but caught it.
Then then Engineer leaped across the gap to join his friend, breathing heavily already. He obviously greatly trusted Jack and his judgment though, simply taking the time to catch his breath. Mun-Dee leaped next, stumbling a little on the edge. Leander who was close behind though grabbed his shoulders and helped the Sniper to recover.
Seeing them having made that gap between the roofs made Jack feel better, knowing that the relatively smaller gap between the Sheriff's office and the church would be easier. He turned and led them onwards across the roofs, and the intercom remained silent as if out of fear that the others would distract them from their delicate mission.
They reached the Sheriff's office, and here Jack leaped up the side wall carefully before the others. He let Leander help the other two up as he laid down again and stared at the stables in front of them. There was silence within the walls. It sounded like they'd eaten all of the horses, and in that amount of time there had to be several of the huge cats in there. Were they aware of the humans in the Arena with them now? Were they still satisfied enough for now to care? Soon enough though they wouldn't be. They were almost out of time.
The others all paused when they made it up the climb and watched Jack a moment. Their eyes slowly found the source of his apparent distress though, and they watched the stable doors carefully as well. There was no movement within however, and no sounds to warn of an approaching Mega Puma. They hadn't left the stables yet, but soon they would. The thought of being so close to the cats made them all nervous.
Jack stood again and turned to the church though, quickly leaping the last gap. Again Deil threw his box to him, but this time he had to drop to his knees to keep it from falling off the building. The resulting clash of metal on metal seemed extremely loud in the silent air, and they all froze. There was no movement from inside though, so Diel leaped across to the boy and lifted his box again. Mun-Dee and Leander were close behind.
Jack shoved the door open again, motioning for Mun-Dee to follow him. The Sniper quickly dashed after the Scout up the stairs to the top of the bell tower, peering out right to the stables. He could see the front door as well as one of the side doors, so they wouldn't be able to sneak out around him. He patted Jack on the back.
"Good eye, mate," he said, then tapped the intercom in his right ear. As he spoke Jack heard it echoed through his earpiece. "I'm in position. Everythin's quie' right now."
There was no response, and Mun-Dee's voice was hardly more than a whisper. Standing still and patiently though, the Sniper raised his rifle to get it ready, eying the stables for any signs of the large cats. Jack turned without another word and slipped down the stairs again. Somewhere along the way Leander had disappeared from sight again, though Jack knew he'd be nearby. He didn't know how he could disappear in broad daylight, but he wasn't complaining.
Jack paused at the door as he was going down, seeing Deil patiently waiting right where he had left him. The Engineer hefted his box and followed the boy carefully down to the small balcony with broken stairs that he had found before.
Deil offered Jack a smile as he put his box down and opened it, pulling out several tools and parts. Jack couldn't even begin to understand how any of it worked to make the Teleporters, or anything else for that matter. But he supposed that really that wasn't his job and he didn't have to.
"Give me some cover while I work on this," Deil said.
They both knew that Mun-Dee wasn't one to miss anything when he was focused, and he had a good eye as well. He'd make sure to let them know if they were coming. Leander was also up there, and on the off chance that Mun-Dee didn't see something, his eyes might.
Besides, they trusted their teammates enough to know that they wouldn't let them down now that it counted. They hadn't really done much together yet, but what other choice did they have but to trust each other with their lives?
"Yeah no prob," Jack replied.
Jack stood with his Scattergun ready, watching the ground floor carefully as he heard the sound of metal on metal and screeching parts behind him. It was a terrible noise, and he knew those cats could hear it even from way across the street. Apparently though they were still satisfied and didn't really seem to care. Even so, Jack kept his gun ready just in case.
A strange whirring noise behind him announced that the Teleporter was now working, and he turned in time to see it spinning quickly. He blinked at it, wondering how on earth he had gotten it to work, what it used to run it, and what the heck it really did. As the two bars spun faster however it began to form a red circle above it, and Deil reached for his intercom in his right ear.
"Teleporter gone up," he said, again his voice echoing through Jack's earpiece. "I'm puttin' a Sentry up to give us some more cover up here as well. When the red circle appears just step onto the Teleporter and it will pop you out over here. It takes a bit of time to recharge, so we can only go one at a time. But it'll get you over here quick."
"Roger," Zane said, sounding relieved it was going so smoothly. "I'm sending Henry to your location now."
Deil moved to his box and began pulling out more parts as he did so, beginning to start the build for a Sentry gun. The Teleporter flashed with an orange light, and suddenly Henry was standing there. He quickly moved off of the Teleporter, seeing how it had stopped spinning. As soon as he was off it began spinning again to recharge for the next person.
Henry greeted Jack (or at least he thought it was a greeting since he could hardly understand him with that mask on) and then went and stationed himself at the base of the stairs to keep an eye out for the huge cats. The sounds of metal on metal could be heard again as Deil began working on creating the gun now.
Jack quickly leaped down to the first floor to make room as Ludwig appeared on the Teleporter next. He took no time in adjusting his glasses and carefully making his way to the bottom floor next to Jack to begin setting up his team. He seemed too nervous to even give Jack a smile as he waited quietly on the ground, his Medi Gun ready.
Maksim appeared next, and he seemed a little confused as he looked over at the finished Sentry Gun. It was large, standing on three legs, and had two machine gun type nozzles on the front of it. There was also a separate top part with what appeared to be rockets from a rocket launcher ready to shoot, though how Deil had gotten it working so fast and ready to fire was beyond Jack. It was red and rotating a little, beeping as it did so.
The Heavy finally seemed to notice Ludwig and Jack though, and the huge Russian man and his even bigger gun were soon making their way a little clumsily to the floor. Unhurt though the man quickly approached his much smaller friends, looking Jack over as if for some sort of injury or reason to go tear into the huge cats right now. Seeing none he turned instead to look towards the door, as if itching to start the fight. Jack couldn't help but admit he hoped it would be over soon too.
Travish appeared next, drinking from his bottle again and hefting his grenade launcher over his shoulder as he jumped down next to Ludwig, Jack, and Maksim. He didn't seem like he was in the mood for talking though, and he looked far more focused than Jack had ever remembered seeing him. Jack didn't doubt that they were finally going to see that spark that he always had in his eyes, the one they couldn't name.
Finally Zane appeared, still scowling. He made his way down to the floor level, looking over those that he could see from here before getting ready to make his move. He seemed to nod to himself silently as he did so, looking over his team one more time.
"I see one of 'em," Mun-Dee warned quietly. "Bloke's pokin' 'is head out at us. They know we're her'."
"Man up, ladies," Zane said over his intercom, his voice echoing in Jack's ear again. "This is where things get serious."
No one said anything in reply. To be able to go back into the base for the day where there was any chance of safety they had to do as they had been instructed, and that was destroying the Mega Pumas. Jack wasn't sure how many there were, or what they were really supposed to do in order to deal with them.
There wasn't much point to trying to rush them now. They'd be coming out when they wanted to, and none of them wanted to make them more angry than they were already going to be. Zane scowled and raised his rocket launcher, turning to look at Travish. He motioned the drunk Scotchman towards the front doors of the church.
He then motioned for Ludwig, Maksim, and Jack to take the side door. The three of them nodded and moved to the opposite side of the single room church where the Sentry Gun was set up. There was a single door here, one that the Heavy would have trouble getting through. However as they opened the door Jack ran out quickly, looking over the area for the creatures.
He came skidding to a halt as he saw one of the huge cats at the end of the alley between the Sheriff's office and the church. It watched him a moment before turning and making its way back towards the stables. Jack instantly reached for his intercom as he heard Maksim struggling to fit through the door.
"Dey're gettin' more curious," he said. "I just saw one of 'em lookin' at me. Be careful comin' out da front. It could still be close."
"Stay in your groups," Zane warned them all. "And be ready."
No one replied, but Jack knew why. They were all nervous. For all their planning and team work, one false move could end up with the entire Team being wiped out in the first round. They'd already been working so hard to form some kind of relationship that could help them in this hell hole. Right now, their characters were truly being tested.
Maksim stepped up beside Jack, simply nodding to him. Ludwig raised his strange Medi Gun, pointing it at the enormous Russian's back. He pushed his glasses up farther on his nose, silent and giving both Jack and Maksim a look that they'd rarely seen him give, one of utter focus. It was rare to see a Battle Medic and Engineer so early in the games, and they were both as focused as they could be to make sure they could help their friends.
Maksim pointed towards the back of the Sheriff's office. The cats already knew they were here, and this at least would let them have some form of surprise as they went into the battle itself. Ludwig and Jack quickly nodded and turned, following his advice and ducking between the little space there was between the canyon walls and the wooden building. There they paused a moment to get their bearings and ready themselves for the coming battle.
This had been one of the worst parts of the games for Jack, watching the people when they knew their enemies wer near and battle was going to begin soon. There was nothing to do but wait though, and the feeling of experiencing the terror he'd seen people have for so long was completely different than before.
He peered out from behind the corner to see what Zane and Travish were up to, just to distract himself. They'd positioned themselves outside the stables, and the Demoman was laying strange spiked balls down around the doors that led out of the stables.
The cameras would be cutting out between all of them now as they prepared for the strike, all of their faces showing the same scared but acute focus that made this team so strange. The full, breathless silence that the Team faced would be aired for everyone to see.
Jack knew his family, friends, and apparently girlfriend, would be watching. They'd be terrified but unable to look away, wondering if today would be the day he died. Jack jumped a little as he felt a hand on his back and turned to see Ludwig smiling at him as usual.
"Vell here ve go," he said. "Are you nervous?"
"Nah," Jack said, rolling his eyes a little but managing a smile. "My hands are shakin' because I'm excited."
"Just remember your own skills," Ludwig told him. "They vill help you far more than any plans ve could lay, vhich vill probably end up going wrong anyvay."
"Yeah," Jack replied, looking towards Zane and Travish again, unable to keep himself from wondering how much good he could actually do. "Sure. I'll keep dat in mind, ya egg head."
"Tiny man," Maksim said, looking down at Jack. "You know stories? Write own story."
This amused Jack since he knew he was trying to be helpful and give him some advice, and he wasn't exactly the most comforting person. He was also really bad at speaking English, which made his remarks about situations seem almost comical. Even so, Jack understood what he meant.
His mom had always told him that legends were made everyday by people just like them, who'd just been forced into circumstances that had made them into heroes. If Jack wanted to survive and make it out of the games, he'd have to be a hero, and that meant using his strengths to help out his team in whatever way he could. Jack was good at running? Then he'd run. That was basically what the Russian was trying to say.
"Thanks man," Jack chuckled, getting a small and quick smile from both the Russian and German.
Jack wasn't very good in battle, at least not like people like Travish, Zane, or Maksim. But there were things he could do. He wasn't suited anymore for head on attacks than Ludwig or Deil were, but he was fast and he could shoot a gun.
He was definitely fast though, and he was going to use that to his advantage while his friends fought. If he couldn't kill any of them himself, then he was going to help them so that they could. They were all getting out of this.
They hardly knew anything other than what they'd first told them of their past lives when they first met. Yet Jack didn't care and he knew that none of them cared either. In the arena their past lives meant nothing.
They had to recreate themselves just to survive, even if it meant destroying themselves in the process. But Jack was going home, and they were all determined to do the same. Jack pumped the shotgun as he waited, watching for any signs of the large cats.
"Watch it," Mun-Dee warned. "Her' they come!"
"Let us begin," Maksim cried loudly.
Ludwig flipped the large switch on top of his machine forward so that it began to whir gently. A small stream of red floated from the now glowing tip of the gun and into Maksim, who paused a minute in surprise. He soon recovered though and lifted his large gun, running forward as fast as he could go with the Medic close behind.
Jack leaped forward after them, quickly passing them and running right towards where he heard the battle already taking place. The sound of Zane and Travish giving out battle cries, various explosions, and the crack of a rifle could be heard over the yowling of the enormous cats. Jack didn't hesitate to leap over Travish's shoulder at a cat that was mostly away from the group and shoot his Scattergun twice at it. He wasn't the best aim, but the Scattergun made sure that he definitely had a bigger chance of hitting his target at least.
This quickly proved true as the scattering shot mostly hit the cat, though some of it obviously hit the ground. Jack didn't stick around to see the cat get angry and start chasing him and leaped away from it, back towards Maksim and Ludwig who were quickly approaching. Travish had now seen the cat though and was launching some of his explosives, which exploded on contact and killed the Mega Puma.
The cats were mad now, and at least a dozen of them came leaping out of the building right for Travish and Jack. The crack of a rifle soon had one falling to the ground with a bullet in its head, and Zane's rocket launcher was forcing the rest to back off. Within seconds Maksim and Ludwig had reached the group as well.
The Russian man let out a scream as he pulled the trigger, causing his gun's head to rotate and unload into a cat in front of him. The snarling creature leaped forward, slicing his shoulder before he completely mowed it down. However as he was gritting his teeth and turning his gun elsewhere, Ludwig's Medi Gun's stream was already knitting the wound back together.
The rest of the cats wisely retreated from him, though Jack could see them thinking about how they were going to kill the humans. They were obviously very clever, and they were eying Ludwig now, trying to devise a way to get around the Heavy and try to attack the Medic. As one began edging around Maksim though, Jack dashed forward.
He put three shots into the cat before he quickly backed off again, letting Maksim who had now noticed it finish where he had left off. He'd managed to slow it a bit, and the Heavy had managed to kill it. This only seemed to make the remaining cats angry though, and they began to growl at them. Jack reminded himself why he couldn't let himself get cocky in this situation. He'd be dead if he got that way. For now he just had to protect his teammates and help them destroy the cats.
The crack of the rifle announced the death of yet another one of the cats, but Jack noticed something with a sinking feeling. The number of bodies a living cats he saw wasn't the same as before. At least two of them were missing from his sight. Where had they gone? There was no way a predator like this would just retreat from battle.
"Gah," he heard Mun-Dee cry over the intercom. "Ther's one of 'em up her' with us!"
Jack didn't think about it and just ran. He ducked behind the Sheriff's Office again and dashed through the still open side door into the church. As soon as he did he nearly crashed into one of the cats, which had slipped around the battle to attack the others in here. It was having trouble with the Sentry Gun shooting at him and decided to lunge at Jack instead.
Jack ducked out of the reach of its claws as a shotgun blast announced that Deil had pulled out his shotgun to try and help his friend. The cat snarled and turned back towards the Engineer and his Sentry Gun, obviously pissed off at them. Henry raised his flamethrower to defend his friend, only something else happened in that instant.
Through the door that led down from the bell tower one of the huge cats came leaping. It was covered in bullet holes and knife marks, and Jack couldn't help but hope that Leander and Mun-Dee were all right and had pushed it back. It laid its claws into Henry, who spun and bathed the screaming cat in flames. As their battle waged, the cat on the ground leaped for Deil's Sentry Gun, its claws opening wide.
"We can't see where zhe cat went," Leander warned.
"We've got two in here," Jack heard Henry cry over the intercom.
"Sentry down," Deil cried over the intercom as well, giving Jack the weird echo through his headset again.
Jack raised his Scattergun, only to realize it wasn't loaded anymore. He quickly switched for his pistol, pulling it out and shooting at the cat. His aim wasn't good enough to do little more than apparently anger the cat, and it hardly seemed to phase it since Deil was shooting it with his shotgun. Jack swore quietly and reached instead for his baseball and bat.
He looked up with wide eyes as he heard Deil scream. The cat had leaped onto him and dragged him to the ground, snarling and tearing into his chest with its claws. There was almost a hesitation in the firing outside at the sound of the scream that they could all clearly hear. Henry had killed the other cat, but his fire wasn't going to get that cat off in time to help.
Jack tossed the ball up in front of his face, gripping the bat like he'd done so many other times, eying the cat's head. Everything seemed to slow down for the Scout as he watched and waited. As soon as the ball was at the right angle he swung the bat as hard as he could.
The bat and baseball made a loud crack that was often associated with the sport of baseball, and it slammed right into the cat's head. Jack didn't pause to see if he'd succeeded in making the cat angry enough to make it chase him and just ran out the side door again, dropping the bat as it slammed into the door frame. He didn't stop to pick it up, and a loud roar announced that he'd been successful. Jack didn't exactly feel like cheering though.
"Deil's down but alive," he heard Henry say over the intercom. "One of them is dead, and the other is chasing Jack!"
Jack didn't dare pause to see if he could regroup with the others, running towards the battle again. It had moved a little farther away from the church and down the street. There were more dead cats on the streets, and there were a few injuries. But even when he ran across the street as fast as he could and heard his friends call his name he didn't stop.
The pissed cat was still hot on his heels. He had a head start on it, but the cat was faster than he was. He slipped past the side of a building across the street that could have been a bar, but the cat then slammed into him and made him go crashing through a partially opened door. He hardly had time to register the fact that his left side was hurting him badly when he felt the cat's claws get a tight grip on his left ankle.
He couldn't help but scream as he heard a crack under the pressure of those paws that were bigger than dinner plates. The enraged cat leaped forward again as it ripped its claws out of his ankle and opened its jaws to tear into Jack's throat.
Jack was sure he was going to die right then and there, and he felt his heart beating faster than ever in his chest. His instinct was to run, but with his leg like that he doubted he could even stand. Besides even if he was fast, this cat was way faster. He was expecting to feel the cat tearing into him at any minute, knowing his family and friends were going to watch him die. Had he worked so much and come so far to die now?
There was the crack of a rifle, and the cat fell with a crash on top of his chest. It knocked the wind out of him, and he gasped for a minute under the cat's crushing weight. As he just laid there for a while though, his side and chest aching and his leg throbbing mercilessly, he realized that Mun-Dee must have recovered enough to take the shot.
The sounds of guns being fired could still be clearly heard outside, but Jack couldn't bring himself to even try and move. He wasn't sure he could trust himself to not scream again if he tried to. He glanced down at his ankle, seeing blood pouring out of it, and clearly able to see some white in the wound. It almost made him pass out just looking at it. He wasn't going anywhere on that leg.
Leander almost seemed to appear from thin air through the side door, running straight over to the very still Scout. He knelt by the boy and let out a sigh of relief to find him alive under the dead cat, though he also gave the wound on his ankle a worried look.
"Are you okay?" the Spy asked. "Can you hear me, mon ami?"
"I can hear ya," Jack replied quietly and with some attempt at his usual humor, though his smile was obviously pained. "But I'm definitely not okay. Gonna have ta sit dis one out coach." Leander managed a small smile back and tapped the intercom in his ear.
"Jack is down," the Frenchman said, causing an echo again. Jack was going to have to get used to that. "He is awake, but zhere is a bad wound on his leg. Zhere is no way he can walk on zat."
"That's two of us seriously injured," Zane growled, sounding completely unhappy about the situation. "Get them back to the base now! No one dies today."
"I am going to need help here," Leander said.
Jack took a deep breath and steeled himself, trying to push the cat's enormous head off of his chest. Leander quickly stopped him though by laying a hand on his shoulder and shaking his head at the boy. The sounds of battle were still waging outside, but Travish quickly leaped into the room and looked down with wide eyes at what he was seeing. Not that Jack could blame him. If Mun-Dee had pulled the trigger even a half a second later he would be dead.
The Scotchman said nothing as he joined the Frenchman on the floor and looked over the large cat's body quietly. They carefully moved the cat's back legs away from Jack's injured ankle and then moved it so it wasn't going to get hit on accident as they moved the cat. Then they both braced themselves against the cat's body and pushed.
Jack gasped as its weight was rolled across his aching body and onto the floor, where it fell with a loud thump. But the Spy wasn't going to leave him like that and grabbed the boy's shoulders, helping him into a sitting position. Before Jack could brace himself the Frenchman had pulled him onto his feet, supporting his weight off of his injured side. Even so, pain lanced up his injured leg and he screamed again.
"Eazy," Leander said quietly to him. "eazy, mon ami."
"Ge' the boy outta her'," Travish said as he eyed the door he'd come in from. He looked furious now. "We'll finish up her'."
"Consider it done," Leander replied.
Leander shifted more of the boy's weight off of his injured ankle and farther onto his own hip. It was rather embarrassing for Jack to have to be helped like this, but he couldn't exactly complain now and just gritted his teeth as Leander wrapped one of Jack's arms over his thin shoulders and mostly just dragged Jack forward.
His leg wouldn't take any of his weight without giving out, and it was a good thing Leander was there or else he would have been in the floor. Jack didn't make a sound in protest though as the silent Spy carefully and slowly led him out another side door and behind the houses to conceal them from view as much as possible.
Each step sent pain searing up his leg, making him want to scream but knowing it could make the cats chase them and their situation worse that it already was. His foot felt slick with blood, and he wondered if he could lose much more without falling unconscious. The Spy kept the young Scout moving though as they made their way back to the base. And though it felt like an eternity, they'd soon reached the base again.
Henry was already there, nervously watching as Ludwig, who had come to try and give his teammates as much healing as he could before he could actually finish the job inside, frowned and used his Medi Gun on the unconscious form of Deil. Jack couldn't help but wonder if he'd managed to make it in time to help the man. Leander quickly made the boy sit down and stretch out his injured leg though, making him groan in response.
Ludwig didn't miss a beat and quickly turned to Jack, kneeling down to get a better look at the wound. Leander and Henry, with not much else to do, turned to keep an eye out for any more danger to their injured comrades. Ludwig frowned as he saw the wound but turned his Medi Gun towards the boy's injured leg instead now.
Jack was unsure if he should protest and tell him that he should help Deil first, except the man obviously knew what he was doing much more than he ever could, and the gun instantly made the pain begin to ease though it felt strange as well. He noticed that the bleeding began to ease as he sat there under the gun's strange healing ray, and that Deil's wound already looked better as well. He shuddered a moment under the gun but didn't try to pull away either.
The sounds of gunfire ceased and there was silence for a few moments, before suddenly the doors behind them creaked open and revealed the inside of the base as well. Leander and Henry didn't hesitate to return to their friends and carefully lift them again to take them inside the base. Ludwig led the way inside, reaching for his intercom as he did so.
"Zhe doors are open now," he said, causing the odd echo. "Ve are done for zhe day. But zhese two need to go into surgery now."
Jack couldn't help but grow a little nervous as he heard those words. Was it really that serious? He did trust Ludwig though and knew that he was the only one who could definitely get them better again. There was no response from the rest of the team, so Ludwig took it as a go ahead. He quicly led them to the room where he operated on all of them in.
It was dimly lit except over the many tables that made up their sick bay. He could have called them beds, only that couldn't be the right word. Leander and Henry carefully laid their two friends into them, and Ludwig reached up to grab the version of his gun that was hooked to a machine over his head and pointed it at his ankle. Again the red stream came out and began to slowly ease the pain.
"Stay still," the Medic ordered. "I vill be back." Jack just nodded his understanding.
That done for now he turned to the far more serious task of trying to help Deil. Completely focused and in his element, the Medic grabbed his tools and gloves, then set up the machine over the unconscious Engineer to heal him as well. He pulled a curtain closed over this table, and Jack could hear the sickening slice of skin under the surgeon's blade.
Jack just laid back and stared up at the ceiling, reminding himself somberly that this was only the first day in the games. Who knew how many they had left? And what would they do when they weren't so lucky next time?
And there was the first challenge in the games. It was kind of a simple one, more or less to start introducing the insanity that will be this story. The next chapter will be focused on the down time between the two events, basically what happens after this portion during the same day. I can't have it be just all death and destruction now can I?
This was a long chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. I know you guys were wanting to see the action get started, and I have quite a few "challenges" planned from here on out. Thanks for taking the time to read the story.