For Marissa The Dogfan

Love Isn't an Equation, It's a Battlefield

I started off the day like any other, I grabbed my tool box and adjusted my abnormally square goggles and tried to move the broken strap of my overalls around to make it look somewhat decent.

I loved these battles; they always presented a new challenge. Each time was different because there was always a different battle plan, a different approach to everything, and a new way to think about where to put the machines.

After getting everything ready for the day, I walked down the hallway and gave a quick salute to the Soldier who was quite happy for some reason. "Morning Erika, ready to fight today? I have a good -feeling about today." I just smiled and said "Sir, yes sir!" I had no idea why he was so un-characteristic today, but who cared. A happy Soldier means a better day and less yelling for us.

The battle was unlike any other. The BLUs didn't even try today; they would have been better off just lying on the ground and surrendering than suffering such a humiliating defeat. I just set up one good turret in the middle of the field and sat down next to it with a cooler full of my favorite things to drink and nibble on.

The fight was over in a quick and easy thirty minutes, and Soldier couldn't have been happier. He gave us a rousing hour long speech and decided to celebrate the night with a drinking party. The beer was flowing on tap all night long since there was no battle the next day and we sang and danced. After everyone went to bed, I went staggering out into the halls and sat down near one of the windows, gazing out and thinking about my future. I heard footsteps coming towards me and the Soldier's face appeared. "What's wrong Erika? Headache keeping you up?"

"No sarge, I haven't even gotten past the drunken part yet, but I assure you, I'll probably get there tomorrow morning." I laughed and he sat down next to me, rubbing his forehead. "I guess you already hit your hangover huh?" I said, giving him a little nudge, but then he grabbed the front of my shirt and brought his face dangerously close to mine.

"Hangovers need quiet to heal, and distractions help distract. Come're." He pressed his lips to mine in a bone crushing kiss, and I pushed back on his chest, but he felt that as an acceptance. He continued to push down on me until we were lying on the floor and he began to push my square goggles off. I knew he was drunk and so was I, but I didn't know why I wasn't really thinking about pushing him off too much anymore. He decided he had enough kissing or something because he got up and pulled me up, but then he walked off and left me standing in the hall dazed and confused.

The next day was filled with everyone bumping into each other and bothering the already cranky Medic for Advil. He was so irritated that he eventually yelled out "YOU ALREADY TOOK IT ALL DUMBKOPFS! IF YOU WANT IT THAT BAD, GO ASK BLU MEDIC!" He then slammed his door and locked it, not letting anyone in for any reason. I saw Soldier that day, but he just pushed by me and didn't say a word.

The following day was another fighting day and everyone was sober but grumpy. We all walked onto the battle field; ready to stomp all over the puny BLUs, but they had a battle plan now.

At the beginning of the match, we got beat up and bruised. They knew exactly how to take the turrets I so carefully placed down and all the dispensers I had were blown to bits in moments. Everyone on the team was trying to eliminate all possible entry by the BLUs to our control point, but we were beginning to fail miserably.

Somehow, the other engineer was able to sneak into our base and toy with our respawn machine. He saw me sitting with the Soldier the other night and thought that if he destroyed my happiness, he would be able to diminish the great RED engineer.

He went in there and made it so our Soldier would not be able to respawn. I was standing by the Soldier who was taking a little breather behind my turret before charging back out into battle. The BLU Engineer snuck up right behind me and gave him a fatal shot right to the heart. I was him stagger and fall, slowly bleeding out and in excruciating pain.

"Soldier?" I said, panicked that we would lose someone on or team. Why isn't he going into respawn, you normally would by now! I leaned down next to him and he smiled at me a little bit, "Look like's it's my time to go Erika. I just want to say I'm *cough* sorry about *cough cough* last night… I didn't mean to do that to you *cough* It was just sudden emotion." I instantly wrapped my arms around him and didn't care that he was bleeding all over me.

I cried into his shoulder and he leaned up to kiss me, "You don't mind that?" He asked, and I shook my head, willing to give him anything he wanted right before he died. I let him make out with me, "That's my little Soldier." He said, smiling when I used my tongue, and right before I felt his last breath come out. I slowly set him down on the floor of the base, and I just realized I lost the match.

I knew the team that lost wasn't supposed to use their weapons, but I had a score to settle. I fixed the respawner so that the RED Engineer couldn't come back and I began to hunt him down. I saw him resting and laughing to himself at his recent triumph. I jumped forward and beat him with a wrench until his head was just a tiny mess on the floor.

I was then reduced to tears and when the rest of my team found me, they took me to a grave site that they made for the Soldier and left me there to just think about whatever I wanted, and all I wanted to think about was that he was avenged and that he could be happy, knowing his little Soldier would keep fighting for him.

oO0OoO0OoO0Oo AUTHOR'S NOTE oO0OoO0OoO0Oo

Yay! I was able to get two more stories down! I promise that the other two will probably be up tomorrow. Please comment and happy reading!

-J