In Hindsight…
A TF2 Fanfic
Chapter 3: Soldier and Engineer
"I still don't understand how you can just sit inside all day." Soldier grumbled, fidgeting in his chair. He was complaining, yes, but he was interested in what the Engineer did. Besides, the sentry guns blew stuff up. Anything that causes explosions was good in Soldier's book. At this point, he was staring warily at a sentry gun that Engineer was repairing. Though the Texan reassured him that there was almost no probability of friendly fire, the "almost" scared Soldier. Besides, the gun kept pointing at him, and he scowled at it, making mean faces as if it would intimidate the thing. "What are you looking at, huh?"
"Relax. I could disable the camera, if it makes you feel any better." Engineer replied, gritting his teeth and turning a wrench hard. The mount swiveled and pointed in a different direction, and Soldier sighed with relief. Engineer stood. "It's time to test it. You may want to stand back… Also, cover your ears." Soldier's self-preservation instinct was strong enough to send him scuttling backwards, but his hands weren't over his ears fast enough. Engineer had hit a button on a radio transmitter, and a light came on atop of the sentry gun. It swiveled swiftly, pointing at a dummy in a blue hat—then aiming instead at the pane of glass next to it. It emitted a high-pitched, extremely painful tone.
"GAH! Maggots!" Soldier shouted, clapping his hands over his ears and grimacing. The glass shattered, sending shards in every direction. The noise stopped and Soldier, red-faced, stood at attention once more.
"It worked!" crowed Engineer, beaming. He patted the sentry gun lovingly, which whirred and sounded almost like a purring cat. Soldier narrowed his eyes. He had a theory that these sentries were all sentient and Engineer was just trying to fool them all into thinking that they were machines. The little gun looked around—as if it was curious, Soldier thought. Shivering, he left.
A few hours passed, but eventually the weapon was perfected. Engineer sighed happily, sitting down to take a rest, but Spy appeared in the doorway. He strolled over lazily.
"Engineer… 'Ave you ever built a coffin?" Spy asked quietly. Engineer looked up in surprised.
"Can't say that I have." He answered carefully. "We've always had respawn to catch us, an' I mostly work with metal anyways." Spy nodded, starting to walk away.
"There may be a need for one." Spy said ominously, cloaking and leaving.
….
In a downstairs hallway near the Respawn room, he uncloaked. Normally, this was accompanied by a slight amount of dizziness, but today it was overpowering. With a confused cry, the Frenchman fell to his knees. Medic poked his head out of a nearby doorway, processed what he was seeing, then rushed over.
"Something wrong?" Medic asked. Spy shook his head, the dizziness subsiding as fast as it had appeared. He stood smoothly, looking nonchalant as always. He dusted off his suit.
"Non, mon ami." Spy said, walking off. "I just tried to uncloak on one foot." Medic nodded, turning away reluctantly. Somewhere in his mind, he had noticed that the usually skinny man was now bordering on emaciated. Consciously, though, Medic only noticed the weariness in the spook's voice.