(A/N: Wow, thanks a lot for the kind reviews, guys. =) I hope you enjoy this chapter! =DD It kinda explains things but kinda doesn't at the same time. xDD)
Title: Spies Like Us
Chapter 5: Value
"Leetle girl is awake?"
The doctor was caught-off-guard by the sudden question, having been too preoccupied by his thoughts to realise the BLU Heavy sitting in the waiting room. The hulking man looked even larger on the small plastic chair, hunched over his twiddling thumbs and an unfathomable gaze fixated on the physician. With a chaste glance over his shoulder, Medic slowly closed the infirmary doors behind him, as if afraid to disturb the patient inside. A moment's silence passed before the German answered, his voice hoarse and tired, "Ja. She's resting now."
"She okay?" the Russian asked, his loose grasp on English keeping his sentences short and to the point. Medic knew better than to take this as rudeness.
"Tired, but she lives," he replied, he himself keeping his answers short, though for a different reason. Yesterday's events, last night's minuscule amount of sleep, this morning's lecture and that ridiculous wild-goose-chase around base had been more than enough to sap away all of the doctor's energy. Needless to say, he wanted this conversation over and done with as soon as possible. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, not looking forward to that night's battle. "If you will excuse me, Herr Heavy, as I am quite tired..." he hoped the man would understand his hints.
"Yes, yes, Doktor need sleep," Heavy nodded knowingly. A small, relieved smile formed on the Medic's face; he could always count on Heavy to be the most considerate out of the eight. With a curt nod, he made his way down the corridor, passing by the Russian. "Doktor," his stride stopped as he was called. Reluctantly, he turned around, casting the other man a questioning look from bloodshot, dark-circled eyes.
"No one protect tiny baby girl?" Heavy queried, pointing to the medicine bay with his thumb.
"Vhatever for?" he wasn't certain whether it was purely fatigue, but the doctor didn't quite understand what Heavy was implying.
"She so TINY. And she is girl." The German's confusion didn't lift at all after that vague explanation, and Heavy noticed this. The large man seemed to sigh in exasperation at the doctor, which was an odd bit of role-reversal for Medic.
Heavy lowered his voice, whether to sound serious or to keep her from overhearing, he wasn't sure. "There nine men in base, doktor. She one girl. It not safe to be alone."
For some reason, his reasoning was a pleasant surprise for the German. He hadn't seen this side of Heavy before. Well, there had never been small girl in base before, so that made sense... in a way.
"Vell, I haff trust in our comrades," Medic replied reassuringly. "I do not zink zat zey vill try anyzing, Herr." When he didn't seem satisfied with this, and the doctor added, "But if you wish, you can watch over her."
"Da, I will," Heavy nodded. "Not as much as Sascha, but I... 'watch over her'." He tried out the new phrase.
"Ja, very good," Medic tried his best not to sound stand-offish, but he really, really needed his sleep.
Thankfully, Heavy let him walk away without pressing any further.
Attention! All mercenaries are to report to the briefing room immediately! the cool announcement rang clearly throughout the entire BLU base before adding in as an afterthought, Bring the girl.
Somehow, despite Violet having not even seen the Administrator yet, she had gauged, from the sound of her cold voice and the manner in which she was hastily piled onto a wheelchair, that she was a forced to be reckoned with. Also, the fact that a particularly loud and fast-talking youth had snatched the wheelchair handles from a particularly large, hulking man, only to rush her down the corridors at a speed which could have possibly landed him at least five hall traffic violations, secured her assumption of this woman. The poor girl had to clutch at the armrests for dear life as he swerved at sharp corners and grab at the hem of the large sweatshirt (actually more of a dress to her) the doctor had made her wear. She was still unsure why the bespectacled man had told her to take off her suit, but she still obliged nonetheless.
"We're here!" the boy's loud voice rang in her ear as they approached the diverse group waiting outside a pair of official-looking double-doors. A shining plaque hung above them with the words "Builders League United Boardroom" engraved in serif font. However, right underneath was a piece of paper taped to the sign with "Double Cross" scrawled in black marker. She raised her eyebrow at this.
"The signs were mass-produced... but they cut costs on the customising," a man in hardhat and goggles said in a hushed whisper, noticing her cocked eyebrow. He gave a small 'heh' of a laugh to lighten the mood, feeling a little guilty for trying to shoot her that morning. Despite still being a little shaken up by the whole ordeal, Violet attempted a small, reassuring smile. After all, he had been one of the people that saved her life, according to the doctor.
"What are we waiting for?" she asked cautiously, craning her head from the wheelchair to look around. Most of them were like giants from where she sat.
"Solly," the man in goggles answered simply.
"Solly?"
"ATTENTION, MAGGOTS! I HAVE ARRIVED!" a loud voice boomed behind them, causing Violet's eyes to widen in shock. "EACH AND EVERY ONE of you should be on you BEST BEHAVIOUR. If any one of you goes against this direct order, HEADS WILL ROLL! If you even consider going against this direct order, YOU WILL BE FLOGGED! If you even think of this direct order you will-"
"Awright! Awright! We geddit!" the boy pushing her wheelchair shouted. "Dun go 'gainst the direct order, yes, sir!" It sounded somewhat sarcastic, but the loud man in the helmet seemed satisfied at this, nonetheless.
"Solly," the Texan repeated in the same tone as before for emphasis.
"Ah," she seemed to understand now. The man was a definition all on his own.
Speaking of which, the man referred to as "Solly" had woven through the small crowd of mercenaries, heading towards the door with purpose. He marched forth with the confidence of a leader and despite the over-the-top disciplinary lecture, there seemed to be an air of unspoken respect from everyone else. Well, from most of them, at least. Violet's eyes caught sight of a suited man standing at the back of the group, cigarette teetered between two gloved fingers and a bored look on his masked face. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he looked irritated. Suddenly, his eyes caught hers and seemed to glare in her direction, causing her to immediately drop her gaze to the floor.
"Here we go..." she heard the boy behind her swallow with dread before the mahogany doors were pushed open.
The first thing she saw was a large screen propped up against the wall, a blue outline of the world map displayed with various points at various countries blinking brightly. Right in front of it was a long, oval table with nine chairs equally spaced all around. A large overhead lamp caused the lacquered meeting table to shine, making it painful to look at in the surrounding dimness of the room. For some reason, the lamp and the flickering screens bordering the large map were the only sources of illumination, casting the rest of the boardroom in blue-tinged darkness. Just as her wheelchair was pushed past the doors (her being the last to enter), they automatically swung shut behind her, erasing her elongated shadow from the floor. As if on cue, the screen displaying the map went blank, and for further dramatic effect, white words began to spell out "Connection established" upon the blackness.
Slowly, she was wheeled to the middle of the table so that she sat directly across the large display. At her sides, the doctor and the runner took their seats, with the man in the hardhat sitting himself next to the doctor. "Solly" was the only one who had not yet sat down, opting instead to stand in front of the screen with his chest puffed and arms behind his back. He reminded her of the scouts she saw practising their drills in the middle-school field.
Suddenly, the screen flickered back to life.
Violet was suddenly aware why she had been seated in the middle of the three, just as the enlarged face of an elderly woman flickered onto the screen. Coldly, her narrowed eyes scanned across the four of them accusingly, causing three out of which to shift uncomfortably in their seats. Violet was the only one who hadn't moved, and she immediately regretted it when those menacing eyes swooped down on her like a hawk.
"Good evening, gentlemen... and girl," her lazy drawl was accompanied by a casual puff of her cigarette.
There was a chorus of "good evening"s all around. Violet was compelled to follow suit. Those eyes never left her.
"Solly" gave a sharp salute before taking his seat, but this extra show of discipline was nonchalantly ignored, which made Violet even more uneasy. At this rate, she would probably be as afraid of this woman as much as the others, by the end of this meeting. All eyes were trained on the screen as the Administrator lifted her cigarette to her lips to take another long inhale, her red lips coiling into a scowl as she let the smoke exit from the corner of her mouth. The entire room was thick with awkward silence when she placed the smoking cigarette on the edge of a nearby ashtray. Her fingers curled and flexed slightly before she brought her hands to her front, fingertips upon fingertips but a gap between her palms.
"It has come to my attention that two of your have deliberately breached your contracts, with one of you serving as an accomplice - who not only witnessed the act, but had encouraged the act itself," she began, as if reciting an invisible report word-for-word. "Explain yourselves," her command sounded more like a snarl. Her gaze snapped to the man in goggles. "Engineer," she addressed him.
"It was all in good intention, ma'am," he said, standing up and taking off his hardhat respectfully. He placed it against his chest to show his honesty. "Medic told me she was in critical condition and would not survive the night. We had no choice."
"Is that true, Medic?" her unfathomable gaze shifted to the doctor.
"Ja," he replied, standing up as well, his gloved hands against the table. "Copious amounts of blood vas lost und she vas mortally wounded. Ve had no extra bags of blood as ve just arrived yesterday and it vould haff taken too long to assess her blood type nonetheless." All of this was said in one breath, but he wasn't the only one breathless after that explanation. Violet's eyes widened at the mental image of her dying self on the operating table, stiffening in her seat.
"You seem quite to be eager to speak, Scout," the woman mused, no change in expression even after Medic's words. "Are you too compelled to plead 'not guilty'?" she seemed to taunt.
"Da exact opposite," the boy snapped, joining the other two as his chair was pushed back noisily. Most of the room was shocked at this. "I'm just gonna say sumthin dat's been on everyone's mind since we walked in. We. Saved. A. Life." He emphasised the last four words heatedly. "An' I dunno why it's such a big deal dat we broke some dumb rule while doin' it. I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say dat a life is more important than some dumb contract."
"Under most circumstances, that is true," she answered simply. "But in that 'dumb contract', Scout, your life hangs in the balance, mind you."
Scout stiffened at this.
"Oh, did you not read the final print?" a hint of a cackle erupted from her throat as she said this, picking up her cigarette once more. "I believe the saying is 'an eye for an eye'?" She turned her chair to the side as she said this. Another cloud of smoke was blown from her pursed lips. "In this case, it's 'a life for a life', no?" She turned back to face them again. "I'm not a fan of barter, but I believe that sounds like a fair trade, don't you think?"
A feat that shocked everyone, the Scout was wholly silenced, his fiery spirit reduced to smouldering ash.
"Despite my absolute excitement from this little conversation, gentlemen, I believe I have heard quite enough," she muttered lazily. "Leave."
Everyone who was still sitting down began to slowly rise from their seats, cautiously avoiding eye-contact with the screen as they trickled out of the room, leaving the three statue-like men rooted to the spot, stunned. Only when a glare that said 'what? did you not hear me?' was shot in their direction did they begin to shuffle away, uncertain of their fates. Violet could've sworn she could hear their throbbing heartbeats, only to realise it was her own heart pounding against her eardrums. Just as Scout grasped her wheelchair to help her out, there was an unexpected command from the speakers.
"Wait," she snapped. "Leave her."
Four pairs of widened, questioning eyes were directed to the display and Violet swallowed. With a glance over her shoulder, she watched as the man named "Scout" loosened his grip on the handlebars, stepping away from her reluctantly. The other two silently coaxed him out of the room, and despite the worried looks he shot back at her, he exited the room. The automatic doors swung shut, sealing her in... alone... with the Administrator. Needless to say, it was a bit unsettling.
"Violet Parr."
"Yes?" she answered instinctively, turning back to face the screen, only to realise that she had yet to tell anyone her name. The shock on her face was silently observed by the old woman, a knowing smirk playing on her red lips.
"I know all about you, Violet," the low drawl proceeded to send daggers down her spine. "And I know why you're here."
The girl had to stop herself from jumping to her feet, catching herself just in time to remind herself that she was still too weak. Her heart skipped a beat. "You do?" she said louder than she had expected, frantically manoeuvring her chair forwards. "Please. Tell me. Why am I here? How do you know this?"
There it was, the first time the Administrator's smile disappeared since the meeting began. Her guard let down by the suddenness of Violet's exclamation, that cold, hard exterior was chipped just enough to show...
Surprise. Genuine surprise.
"So," the mask was pieced back as quickly as it had cracked, that smirk reforming on her lips. "You don't know anything." Violet's eyes narrowed at the amused cackle of a laugh that followed. She didn't see what was so funny. "Well, this changes everything." The look she gave her through the screen sent a shiver down her back. She didn't like this woman, not one bit.
"It is safe to assume that you are not aware of your family's location as well, am I correct?" She didn't mean to, but the look on her face seemed to answer the question for her. "Of course you're not, which is why I am going to offer you a little proposal."
"I'm not interested in any of your life-binding contracts," she spat acidly.
"Ah, but unfortunately your life is already company property," the Administrator 'tsk'ed. "The moment it was saved by our technology, it belonged to us." Violet's breathing grew shallow. "But, this is what this contract is for..." She took her silence as consideration. "Claim of your life will be returned to you, as well as information regarding your family's whereabouts. If you are fortunate, your memory might return, but purely as an unintentional side-effect."
"What's in it for you?" It sounded too good to be true. "What do you want from me?"
"Join Builders League United," she answered simply. "Fight in the war for as long as I see fit and assist the incompetent idiots in winning for as many times I see fit."
"Why?" Violet's eyebrows were knitted together at the mention of 'war' and that amused smirk of hers when she said it. Was this all a game to her?
"Because two Spies are definitely better than one." There was that word again: Spy.
"But-"
"You're testing my patience with your insignificant questions, girl," the woman snapped, overriding her retort. "It is not that hard of a decision. Fight, and you will get your family and life back. Don't fight and..." She trailed off with that dark smirk of hers. "Well, let's just say that it's encouraged to accept this contract."
"You don't really leave me with much of a choice."
"It is a speciality of mine."
"I will join under one condition."
"Honestly, you are in no position to wager for anything, but pray tell, what is this request of yours?"
"Revoke all charges against the three men who saved my life."
"That was already printed in your contract, girl," she muttered impatiently.
"Printed?"
From the other side of the screen, the Administrator lifted a manicured fingernail, casually pressing a small red button on her desk. The girl stared at the myriad of buttons, levers and jacks all across her table; it looked more like a supercomputer's motherboard than a table. Suddenly, there was a soft hissing sound from above and Violet jumped as a large stack of papers slammed down on the meeting table. She glanced upwards just in time to see a small chute sliding shut, the soft hum of machinery fading as it closed. The seriousness of the situation stopped her from laughing at the absurdity of having a contract fall from the ceiling. With a sideways glance to the screen, she wheeled forwards just as the chute reopened to drop a pen onto her lap. It was cold and shone brightly in the singular light.
"So we have a deal?" the woman murmured as Violet examined the freshly printed dotted line on the front page.
Silently, she uncapped the fountain pen and signed her name hastily, eager for this blackmail to be over and done with.
"Excellent."
With that, the screen went blank and the single light went off, momentarily casting the girl in pitch black darkness. She waited in the quietness, surrounded by nothing but sound of her own breathing. Just as the large world map flickered back to life, Violet let out a long, drawn-out sigh, grasping at the pen with trembling fingers. A soft whirr of machinery caught her attention and her eyes fell upon the table, which had started to vibrate. The polished surface began to crack and break in a perfect rectangle around her contract. It took Violet awhile to realise that this was another chute, and she watched as the contract dropped into a seemingly endless dark void. She couldn't help but question the elaborate and unnecessary paper-delivery system.
Just as she was about to leave, there came a light "beep" from the speakers. She watched as the screen flickered black, a short, white horizontal line flashing in the middle. Like before, it began to spell out words, as if they were being typed-in in realtime.
Keep the pen.
(A/N: I really wanted to capture Mann Co.'s serious ridiculousness / ridiculous seriousness. I really love that about them. They make you want to work for them, but not at the same time. xD
Remember to read and review. =)