Disclaimer: I do not own Team Fortress 2 or any of the characters from the universe. I am not writing this story for profit, only fun. Robin, my Scout OC, and her family belongs to me.
Alright, next chapter! Hopefully this will not be as tedious as the last! Let's do it!
The sun hadn't yet peeked through the windows and Robin was already up, slipping into her shoes and stretching. She had slept lightly, as she usually did in new homes. The creaking and groaning of the place had put her off, so for a good while she just laid there. She glanced to the small alarm clock next to the bed. '4:05' it read, its green numbers flashing in the dark of her room. The young woman tiptoed to the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom by a small door. Once inside, she closed the door and stared at herself in the mirror again. Her hair, mussed by sleep, reminded her of one of those large white birds that she had seen in a pet store once. 'Coc..Cockarice? Cockatoo!' She thought to herself, smiling. She bent her arms up and cocked her head to the side, imitating a bird at the mirror. The sight of herself made her giggle and she slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.
Her brother's room was just next door and the walls didn't seem very thick. She settled and washed her face and hands before leaving the room and headed downstairs. She slipped past her mother's room and into the kitchen. There were some leftovers in the fridge and she did not hesitate scarfing some down. Slurping down a noodle, Robin thought through her plans for the day.
The town wasn't too big, but she still wanted to get to know the place a little bit. At least, before they packed up and left again. The idea of leaving already made her queasy and a little bit sad, but she pushed those thoughts away. She also needed to start looking for a job. She didn't want her mother nagging her forever about being jobless. Robin stretched again, bending down to her toes and then back up to extend her arms. After a few successful pops in her spine, she shook out her arms and left the house.
The sun at this point was still not up, but was throwing shadows over the mountain, casting yellow and pink across the streets. That AC Cobra was still there, black and sleek as a large cat, and the lawn it was parked by was exquisite. Robin hopped over the last step with a 'hup' sound and picked up a jog down the sidewalk. The air was fresh and chill in the early morning, a definite improvement to the hot midday weather. Robin inhaled deeply, relishing the feeling of freedom that jogging gave her. She kept a steady pace, head turning this way and that, enjoying the sights. The brisk jog carried her into town, where people were just starting to begin their day. She waved to a small group of workers in construction helmets ad they waved back, grinning. She passed the diner that she ate at yesterday, but the lights were dim and the stools were stacked on the tables. She frowned, remembering the delicious burger and glorious fries she had there.
Robin toured the town, poking through the shops that were open and stopping for a bite at the sarsaparilla restaurant, which was very tasty. Hours passed as she explored and she finally grew bored. 'Guess I have to start looking for a job.' She admitted silently. With her shoulders slumped, the young woman began the walk back to her house, stopping into stores to ask for work. Her trip was unsuccessful, much to her dismay. Most store owners turned her away due to her lack of experience, while others just weren't looking for more workers. Robin felt defeated as she dragged herself out of another shop.
"This is so not boss." She groaned, rubbing a hand over her face and kicking a can off the walk into the street. A breeze picked up and tossed her hair around in her face. She laid a hand against it to hold it down, and she glanced to her left, to the next shop.
"Next failure, more like." As she turned, she noticed a large white flyer on the side of the building. Big lettering crossed over the top, reading :'Mann Co. Wants You!'. Robin stepped closer, bending to read the paper. 'Serve for a Good Cause! Join the Army Today and Be a Hero!' On the bottom, there was an arrow pointing across the street. She swiveled her head to see where it pointed. There, settled in between 'Lowbound Tire Shop' and 'Saints and Sinners Bar' was a barely noticeable white building, with dark windows.
The young woman shrugged and crossed the street, dodging a youngster on a bicycle as he flew past her. Once she stood in front of the building, she peered into the window. There was no one that she could see; there was just a simple room with a few black chairs against the wall and a plain desk. There was another poster, one the read 'Do your nation proud! Join up!' on the wall. It seemed an odd place to have an army recruitment office, but that was why it was deserted, she supposed. She glanced up the road, to see if she could find any army types, then back down the same road. No one seemed to notice the building, nor did any of them show any intention of walking inside. Robin tried the door handle, expecting it to be locked due to abandonment, but, to her surprise and slight cautionary twinge, it opened with a tiny ding.
Stepping in, she glanced around, ventured a small 'hello?' and her stomach dropped at the lack of response. The woman walked in further, despite the sinking feeling she had, and approached the desk. There was a tiny ballpoint pen and a ringing bell side by side. Robin reached out a hesitant hand, biting her lip, and dinged it once. The ring echoed through the empty room, a charming sound in an otherwise dull room. Robin looked around, waiting for a response. After a second, she went to tap the little bell again, but jumped back, startled, at the person who stood there now.
A young woman, dressed in a light periwinkle skirt with jacket ensemble, stood calmly looking back at the other, her blonde hair tied severely back from her head in a bun. Robin stared at her, waiting for her to do or say something, and the woman stared right back. The well-dressed woman's blue eyes never wavered and made Robin uneasy. The silence between them stretched longer until the blonde spoke, her voice sharp and clear.
"May I help you?" Robin relaxed her posture and cleared her throat.
"Yes, uh...I am interested in...joining the army." The blonde woman looked almost ready to laugh as she said that.
"Do you have any previous experience that may prove useful?"
"Well, no...I mean, I can run really fast. And, I can use a gun." Robin sounded proud of these minimal skills. The other woman raised an eyebrow and bent to a small set of drawers. She slid it open and deftly retrieved a manilla file out with two fingers. She slapped it down on the desk and flipped it open. There were only a few papers in it and Robin couldn't read the words upside down. The woman scrolled a delicate finger down the paper to a highlighted sentence.
"Ah, well, you're in luck, miss..."
"Robin. Robin Cravett."
"Miss Cravett, we have an opening right now. It isn't a very large position, but it most certainly important. We need field medics, people who will help our injured soldiers during battle. Are you still interested?" Robin thought for a moment. She had no skill in first aid and no medical training whatsoever. She looked back at the blonde.
"Does it pay well?" She asked. The recruiter nodded twice.
"Yes, of course. A very lovely amount." That was all she needed to hear.
"Then, yes! I am interested. Sign me up!" Her eagerness was dampened by the blonde woman's lack of enthusiasm. She calmed herself, and set her face into a similar look of cool collection. The recruiter took another piece of paper, this one ended by a long blank line. She turned around to face Robin with a small flick of her wrist and held out the pen.
"If you would be so kind, just sign the line. All you are signing is that you want the job and that you understand the liability and your Constitutional rights as a citizen of America." Robin took the pen and scrawled her name on the line. Her hand shook, whether from fear or excitement she did not know. Once she finished, the recruiter plucked the pen from her hand and twirled it before tucking it behind her ear.
"Very good. Now, I will need you to come back here for a physical exam tomorrow. Can you make it to a 9am appointment?"
"Yeah, sure. Uhm, don't the physicals happen before you get signed up, usually?"
To that the blonde woman smiled sweetly.
"No."
Robin had raced home, excited to tell her mother about her new job. She ran into the house and bounded up the stairs, calling out for her mom and brother. Her mother kept asking her daughter what had happened, even as she pulled her downstairs by the arm, grinning from ear to ear. She sat her mother down and practically threw her brother down on the couch beside her. She paused for dramatic effect before exploding with the news. As she babbled about her day, she failed to notice her family's faces falling. Janice tried to smile at her daughter's happiness, but couldn't. Robin tried to understand why they weren't happy for her. Her mother only hugged her and told her that it was okay. Then, she let go, kissed her forehead and retired to her room. Robin didn't understand, but she forgot about it quickly as Luka jumped up and proceeded to loudly, and for quite some time, announce how cool his sister was. When sleep came to Robin that night, she had the same dream as she did on the bus. Homes danced, music and warmth combined with chill silence. The dream became a nightmare once more and the tentacles reached for her child-self again, but this time, instead of laughter, the tentacles were accompanied by gunshots and a woman's scream. As the child fell, she yelled something in a language Robin did not recognize when she recalled the dream the next morning.
This one is a little short, sorry. I hope that this story is still going well. If you like it, review please! I want reviews! Feed my review panda!