The following week had been hell-ish for Decoy, it seemed. She didn't talk to anyone, she didn't try to touch anyone, she just sort of ghosted around the building it felt like, the ax tightly gripped in her hand as she walked. Each corner was first peeked into by her, checking for any threats, before she continued down the lengthy hallway.
She didn't want to do this..
She didn't want to go out there..
Here she sat, pulled up in her bed like some lost child, ax beside her as she stared at the door..
Today was the day, wasn't it?
Her first time going out into that cesspool that they call a battle field.
She had been bird-pecking the food that was given to her up till now, her appetite disappearing as her body had done that day.
That respawn..
She knew that it had taken something from her.
But what?
What did that demon-possessed contraption do to her?
Each male had noticed quickly after that single day how Decoy seemed to decline a bit. Each one either tried to help her, or just let her figure it out.
Soldier had stopped yelling as much around her it seemed, and talked in a gruff and strained voice, murmuring things. How some things just got the better of some good people..But that war shouldn't do you in completely, because then the war and your enemy would win...
Heavy would give her little comforting pats whenever they would past each other, along with a small smile. At times, silence was the most comforting thing, so he just did what he thought was right..
Medic and Spy had decided to let her figure her own emotions out for now.
Demo seemed to also stay away for a bit, and just gave her the occasional encouraging smile.
Scout had tried to give her some on-field pointers during their training sessions, stuff that usually worked out for him actually. Yet after seeing how she wasn't taking up to the tips...
"Ay Dec, c'mon man, just watch 'n learn!" Scout laughed out as he ran around Decoy, who was focused on sharpening her ax for each and every training period. "I mean hey, if ya at least try ta listen, then maybe you wouldn't die as much!"
Okay, even he flinched a bit once he realized what words flew out of his mouth, but seeing how the Filipino didn't even react..
Though she did murmur to herself it seems, still focused on her own task. "Kung sino ang masalita ay siyang kulang sa gawa." (Whoever talks much never does much.)
"..Uh...I'll...Be right back."
He ended up getting Pyro.
Pyro tried a lot of things. Bringing her stuffed animals, coloring pencils, crayons...But the items just seemed to make her sad, so those were often scrapped..He did managed to succeed in something though. Yesterday, he finally seemed to have broken through to her a bit, as did Sniper.
It was a bit after dinner, Decoy had been on her way to her room, when Pyro had zoomed right past her and sprinted to his own. He nearly broke the door down with how fast he was running, and rummaged around..
Before stopping the woman in front of her door, panting it seems behind his rubber mask..After a moment, he finally held something to her.
It was a little white candle.
Nothing really special, but..
Decoy's stone and misty face seemed to break at this, and an almost placid look over came it as she took the object...
"..Salamat po.." She murmured, before going into her room to gather something, and leaving to go to the roof.
While up there, she had taken the opportunity to light the little wick.
"Well, 'm glad ya got outta the buildin' for a bit." Sniper's voice came from behind her, and he soon sat beside her with a little grunt. "I usually come out here.."
"..Do you want me to lea'b'e?"
"..Nah, stay out here s'long as ya like."
"T'ank you.." The stillness of the night was comforting to the woman as she stared out at the stars above, breathing in the calm chill of the night. She gave a little smile, feeling the breeze brush against her for a moment, feeling at ease..
"'M sorry 'bout..Ya know." Sniper waved his hand a bit in a circular motion, trying to extend some sort of topic in his head. "..Us not findin' ya before tha Spy, that day."
She glanced down at the candle, it's flame flickering to her heart.. "..It ine'b'itable...Can not change.."
He nodded his head, rubbing the back of his neck. Even if she knew nothing about...Well, whatever country Sniper was from, she knew that he was poor at conversation. Then again, was he at fault? He was a sniper, a person made for distance.
"...Salamat." She hummed out loosely, the word closing off to the still air that now surrounded them.
"Hm.."
They spent the rest of the time out there in silence, until the candle burnt out. At this, Decoy stood, scraping and scratching up the burnt wax, before starting on her way out.
"G'night, Decoy."
"..Goodnight, Snip'ee'r."
Thus, here she was again, curled up in her bed, listening to some distant clock chip away at the seconds till the blood bath.
Would there be blood though? If it was all just respawned back into the person, would there really be blood to paint the walls red?
Could you consider there being an actual body count of the bodies disappeared into thin air?
She was snapped out of her own questions when a hand knocked on her door. She grabbed her sharpened ax, and stared at the piece of wood...
"...Decoy? Ya mind if 'ah'...Come in?"
Oh...Engineer.
She sighed as she carefully got up, and undid the lock on the door, opening it carefully.
He gave a grateful smile, taking off his helmet actually for a moment and giving her a nod. "Much obliged."
"...Walang anuman." (Your welcome)
The two awkwardly stood there for a moment, waddling in the silence.. "Look...Ah know we ain't supposed ta care about each other. We're all killers, after all, hired ones. We're brought in 'cause we ain't supposed ta have feelin's."
The fact that she didn't yet close the door in his face at the silence after this, lead him to continue.
"And I don't know what kinda job ya specifically had prior ta this. But now, y'er on a team..'nd we're here ta help ya."
.. "...We..Should...Get ready, oo?"
Engineer frowned, having hoped to get a bit more out it seems..Yet he nods, coughs, and puts back on his helmet. "Yeah, we should...Ah'll be seein' ya later then, Miss."
With that he left the hallway, Decoy closing the door behind him, and going back to her bed..
A team...
A team...
She was on..A team..
Right...
The Filipino took in a deep breath, counting carefully in her mind...Before letting it out, and nodding.
On almost shaking legs she stood up and stretched for a moment, feeling her limbs pop as she twisted and turned..Before feeling her blood flow once more, and sighing.
She went to her vest that was resting on one of the posts of the bed, and put it on the mattress. She ran her hands over the fabric, feeling her nerves start to bunch up in her neck as her fingers ran over one of the odder indentations in it.
The little pistol..
Okay, calm down Decoy, you aren't even going to be using it. Yeah, you aren't..Just...Gonna..Be holding it, a lot..And...
No, she couldn't.
She ripped the weapon out it along with the spare bullets, and shoved it under her bed like a child hiding dirty laundry. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Right..
She tried not to think to much about it as she slid the vest out, and blinked as it felt..Well, lighter, both literally and metaphorically.
The pocket that was most likely used to carry the ammunition for the gun was bare. In fact, it could probably house to fit in two or three more flash bangs actually...
With a nod she figured just two would be good, making the limit that she had up to be five at the start.
She looked at herself, before sighing...And carefully ran her finger down her neck and under her shirt a bit, to flick up a chain hidden around her neck. She pulled on it, revealing a carefully carved out wooden locket. It was in an elongated rectangle shape, about the length of her ring finger and the width of her thumb..
One couldn't open it without knowing how to properly turn it..
With a sigh she kissed the carefully carved cover, the Philippines flag etched into it, before hiding the locket back under her shirt. She patted the fabric down, smoothing it over, before grabbing her ax.
She stood there in front of the door for a few moments, contemplating about just staying in bed..Before shaking her head and opening the door, and flickering off the light.
Pyro was walking past her, and stopped when he heard the door open. The male gave a happy little noise, before hooking arms with her and happily taking her down the hallways..
That forced placid look on her face was as unsettling as her drifting and miserable one.
They team scrunched into a pale van with red letters on it, and off they went. To where? Decoy didn't know, and a part of her /didn't/ want to know..
(For those unknown to the specific maps: Dustbowl stage 1 is being used)
Decoy stood in their little base of a room with the other men, waiting. The others were at ease it seemed, having done this who knows how many times already..Could be hundreds, thousands..
They had parked the van a little bit away from them, safe and sound, before entering a valley structure. Down several steps and through a once closed gate, they entered a box-like building with metal shutters. Once all of them were inside though, the shutters had closed, and sealed them in.
Then there she was, standing there at the side as they all chatted among themselves and prepared. Weapons checked, ammunition checked, tempers kept in check. Well, for now anyway.
She ran a hand through her hair, gulping, and carefully tied her hair back with some gauze. She knotted the fabric, and let her fingers just skim her hair..Before sighing.
Alright...She had this, she-
Her head jutted up at the familiar sound of someone expelling smoke. Breathing out smoke sounded different than just regular sighing...
Breaking out smoke always seemed a bit more intentional, the lips forming in an odd way to make an almost whistle at some times.
Spy was leaning on the wall some feet away from her, smoking the lit cylinder of tobacco..He seemed to feel the stare of another, and glanced around, before finally looking in Decoy's direction. "...Yes?"
...She snapped out of it, having watched the burning tip for a moment, and shook her head. "N-not'ing.."
He hummed, and nodded his head, before carefully walking forward towards the group as the intercom clicked on. "MISSION BEGINS IN SIXTY SECONDS."
She blinked when the iron gate that kept them inside opened up, showing the little fence that they had just locked up.
"Welcome ta Dustbowl lass!" Demo laughed out, patting her shoulder before he ran off with the others. Not knowing what else to do, she ran also, ax still in hand. They made a right around the square building they were in, and a left after passing a wooden structure that looked like a barn.
She seemed...Weary, about going into the mines..But not wanting to be left behind, she ran after the men..
And gazed out at the valley-like structure around her, another wooden building to her right that housed a grey and red circle.
"Mission begins in thirty seconds."
"W-wait.." Decoy looked over to Engineer, who was busy building some sort of...Well, it looked like one of those american gas dispensers... "W-what is mission?"
"Don't let tha other team cap point."
.. "Cap...Point?"
Engineer pointed at the red and grey circle in the building near them. "That there red 'n grey thing, that's tha point. We got two, 'n we can't let blue get 'em."
"Ah...Why?"
"That's just our job, Miss."
"Mission begins in ten seconds."
"Now, ah reckon you best find out where y'er gonna stand f'er this." The Texan had already begun to build another contraption, this one a red circular object on three legs, that was beeping. "Tha begginin's the worst part."
"Five."
She felt unnerved by the voice in her headset, adjusting it carefully.
"Four..Three..Two."
She felt her knees lock up then, staring at the gates that were on the other side of the valley.
"One."
A horn blared after the voice said that word, and the gates on the other side opened out.
Hell was unleashed.
She remembered just standing there, trying to understand what was going on as bullets and rockets were flying. Shouts of men filled the air, majority yelling for a Medic. Heavy's laughter and Scout's taunts, the occasional Pyro's mutter...
She blinked for a second, and when she opened her eyes she let out a yell as a rocket came right at her and-
Dead.
Decoy shuttered as she took that first gulp of air in once more, before running outside of the respawn to promptly try and throw up..Oh yeah, she hadn't eaten that day. Alright, gagging, she was gagging at least.
She coughed, shuttering as she felt her body still tingle from having to be put back together by god-knows-what and how...
"YO DEC!" The metal door beside her opened again, Scout right beside her now. "C'MON MAN! WE GOTTA GO BACK OUT THERE!"
He grabbed her hand and took off, practically flying across the ground with her, not allowing the Filipino any chance to regain her balance..Or her stomach.
The Boston male stopped right in the mines, just outside of the little corner, and put the bullets in his pistol. "Look, ya gotta stay on yo' toes 'n fight. The more kills, even assist, the more money ya get. So get goin'!"
And just like that, he was back out there it seems.
The female was stunned, to say the least. The boy was, what, twenty or so years younger than her maybe? Younger than the others? Yet he just told her rather blatantly about how the payment was made.
All the others had focused on just getting her back to normal, and so did Scout at first. Hell, she was probably an odd sight to see, just ghosting about and spectating them with a blank look..
But he brought up the one thing that they all had probably come to this job for.
The money...
"Decoy." Spy's voice came through her headset, making her jump.
"O-oo?"
"I need you, Engineer on Blue is making a sentry near control, zhere Heavy is guarding."
"Where are you?"
"Just teleport to me."
..Teleport?
She blinked down at the odd watch on her wrist, and gulped softly as she stared at it. She could barely stomach the thought of respawning, but now teleporting?.!
..
Decoy bit her bottom lip, and nodded. "W-which button?"
"...What buttons are zhere?"
She looked at them. "Uhm...Shoe, juggl'ee'ng th'ee'ng, p'ire, p'ist, circle an-oh, t'at a bomb...Wrench, a Plus, odd...C'ee'rcle...Knip-"
"Knife."
"Ah?"
"I am ze knife."
"Oh!"...Reluctantly and cautiously, she tilted her upper torso away from the watch, closing her eyes, and pressed the button.
Everything felt electrifying for a moment. Like stepping into a puddle that also has a live wire, and your entire body had fallen asleep...
Then she opened her eyes and felt an odd sense of vertigo as her vision spiraled into existence. She stood atop an odd wooden hut that was beside the enemy gate..Smack dab in front of her?
A-
..
A blue-clad Heavy and Engineer?
Wait, hold up...
Why..
Why did they look exactly like her own team mates?
She paused, blinking at the sight, before feeling a squeeze on her shoulder from the invisible French man. "Remember your job."
And just like that, he seemed to be gone.
Decoy at first was questioning many things, her mind trying to process a truck load of information at once..
Before remembering that one golden thing.
The money...
Right..
Remember your job.
She slid out two Flashbangs from her vest and unplugged them, and without pause she threw both right at the two Blue attired males. One landed squarely between them, the other clinked right between two firing guns on the odd Engineer machine that spun.
She turned away and closed her eyes as they both exploding, making a sharp explosion. Flecks of red busted out along with a thick cloud of smoke.
"HEAVY CAN'T SE-" A familiar gurgle that was similar to the one Soldier gave, Spy's knife had met him it seems.
"Spy's sappin' mah se-" And then the Engineer gave the same sort of noise, along with an odd electronic sound..Like bad static on an antique radio..
A part of her felt some form pride in her job, in all actuality. She had aided her team in keeping the control point safe!
She paused when an odd blue and grey-black cylinder fell into her arm, glancing down for a moment to see the Blue Demoman on the ground beside the buildi-
Dead.
The second respawn felt harder than the first it seemed, and actually made Decoy fall to her knees. Nothing..Nothing. Felt right...
Note to self, quit giving monologues and quit thinking so much in battle.
Yeah, that was a tip that she could live by.
She paused for a moment, getting up on shaky legs, leaning against the wall a bit.
A pair of rubber gloves though brought her back down, and made her sit down. "Fraulein, I can't have you go."
"H-huh?"
"Look at you, you are paler zan me!" The German seemed to laugh at his own joke. "Do you honestly zink you can fight?"
"Uhm..."
"Exactly. Now, I need you to stay put, 'und rest a bit. Zee enemy won't even need to hit you to make you fall down at zis rate.." She could only nod her head. Who was she to go against a licensed doctor? "Good, now, don't leave till zee one minute comes, ja?"
"Oo.."
He smiled and nodded, leaving as he equipped an odd gun filled with syringes.
Once he was gone though, she shuttered. The Medic could be down right scary at times, even when he wasn't trying..
So she waited it seems, sitting in the room, trying to level her head and thoughts.
"Alter, the Control Point has been contested."
She jumped up at the sudden announcement, before biting her bottom lip. That..That sounded like she should help..But Medic..Oh geez, the man had literally done something to her to help her respawn, who knows what he could do to her if he was angry!
"DECOY!" The woman flinched at her head piece, Scout shouting into her ear. "WHERE ARE YA?.!"
"O-On my way!"
Alright, what to do..
Medic was a furious man who could most likely rearrange her bones in her sleep.
Scout was a scrawny imp with a bat, a gun, and some soda..
...
Yeah, she was gonna listen to the Medic.
"Mission ends in sixty sec-"
She didn't wait to hear the rest of the sentence, she just ran out of the spawn and past a red spinning device on the ground. She didn't know what that was, and a part of her did not want to find out right now.
She just ran back to her allies, ax in hand and-
She grunted as she bumped into thin air, and feeling an odd deja vu...
"SPY!" Decoy shrieked out, swinging her ax wildly in front of her as her team's Pyro came running from the front line, fire blazing.
In a matter of seconds a man's yells met her ears as she watched a blue tinted figure run around, enflamed. "FIREFIREFIRE!"
...
Pyro glanced at Decoy, and pointed at the yelling man. "Hm?"
"H-huh?" She blinked, and saw him point at her ax. Oh... "O-Oh, no...Y-You can..Ha'b'e h'ee'm."
The masked man didn't ask twice as he took out his ax and swung at the partially invisible man. In seconds the body fell to the ground, a blue spy singed and bloody...
"Mission ends in thirty seconds."
Decoy stood there, watching the man's dead body.
She didn't know why she did in all honesty. Maybe a part of her had hoped seeing the body disappear would give her some sort of...Possible relief, or reassurance...
It didn't.
To see the blood and the body just vanish after a few seconds like they weren't there? It was like watching the perfect crime being committed, a perfect crime that never happened...
Her attention flickered back up though as a blue little light skimmed over her eyes, and she glanced up to see the Blue Snip-
...
Decoy laid in the respawn room, staring at the ceiling as she hears the Announcer woman tick off the last few seconds of the mission. The cool linoleum was very welcoming to the back of her head.
Cautiously she put her fingers on her forehead, feeling where the bullet had gone through..
This wasn't right..
She should be dead.
Dead dead.
Not this half-assed respawn dead...
"Oi, Lass." She was shot out of her own thoughts by Demo as he stood above her, lightly kicking her foot. "Time ta go."
"H-huh?"
"First job 'uh the day's done!"
That...That was it?
Slowly she forced her upper torso up, and tried to understand and process the-
"Gah, c'mon!" The Scottish man took her hand and pulled her up, and lead her out of the Respawn. "If ya have too much on yer mind, you'll just get a worser headache."
Boy, weren't those words the truth...
Dinner tonight was on Spy, who had made some sort of bird dish...
A 'pan roasted squab' with some sort of sauce beneath it. To say the least? It was delicious, and odd at the same time.
Decoy had tried to push away the thoughts of the battle as much as she could, focusing on the dinner before her.
Back home, chicken wasn't this...Well, elegant, she felt.
They raised them, slit the throats, boil them, pluck the feathers, then feast usually. Or if times were poor, they would just sell the raised chicken with the rest of the live stock and produce they made..
"So, Decoy." Heavy hummed out beside her, glancing down at the smaller figure. "How was first war?"
... "New."
He hummed, nodded his head, and continued to eat the tiny meal. It didn't take much to know that he probably wasn't happy with the size, but he also knew that arguing with Spy just wasn't the best either..
Spy..
The image of the dead spy before flashed in her mind, making her shutter.
No, no, she had to eat something today. Even this poor excuse of an avian bird.
...
After a short call home once again the woman took a shower, trying to wash away the memories.
When that didn't work she just put on a shirt and some pants, and went out onto the roof.
"Snip'ee'r." She mumbled out a small greeting, sitting beside him.
"Hello sheila."
...
The silence was a dead give away it seemed, something was on her mind...
"..Why does t'e ot'eer team look like-"
"Look." The Australian cut her off with a raised hand. "...Do ya want tha money at tha end of the week."
"Y-yes!" She nodded her head fiercely at the question. She needed it..
"Then don't go askin' questions like that, 'specially around tha' base...They're watchin' every hallway 'n room, ah think.."
They?
She blinked in confusion, and before she could ask he got up. "Welp, ah need ta go 'n get some sleep. You'll need some too, tah'morrows another big day 'uh work."
He left the rooftop with that to cut off their conversation..
Without much of a choice, the Filipino left the rooftop with a worried frown.
Who was watching them?
Thank you, I hope you have all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time.
Review and rate as you deem fit.
I'll answer any questions that you have, with in the bounds of not giving away too many spoilers.