The creaking and groaning of metal grew louder, and the sound of snapping fell before the ducts above crashed to the ground, causing Sniper to drag Madeline back from the door.
"Well, we're not gettin' out that way." He groaned, and looking around the dim room, he covered his face with a free hand. "That was really th' only fuckin' exit? Where'd th' othah doors go.."
"Sniper? You smell that?" Madeline could be heard sniffing heavily.
"Whot, tha' smell of dead bodies? I think this is where BLU were makin' more of those like Rousseau 'ere." Sniper replied.
"No, no, it smells like...gunpowder." She sniffed out the scent more. "Smells like gunpowder and alcohol."
"Aw, shit." was all it took from Sniper to have Madeline turn back, to see Demoman blocking the exit.
"SO, YA' TOUGHT'CHU COULD KEEPIT A SEEEECRET, 'EY, LASSIE?" Boomed the rugged scottsmans' voice.
"Ah, Demoman! Help, we need to get out of here!" Maeline said, grinning at what appeared to be her lucky chance. His angered flailing of his arms took her aback.
"NAH WAY, LASS. MAH JOB IS TA' MAKE SURE YA' DONNAE LEAVE THIS BUILDIN'."
Sniper and Madeline remained quiet, with Rousseau between them, mumbling in what they figured to be french.
"Er, Demo, we're sorry we didn't tell ya' soona." Sniper started. "See, he's harmless. He's yer' ally!"
"NNNNO! AH'M GETTIN' PAID WELL F' THIS, RIGHT'FLLY SO!" He yelled, voice bouncing around the room for several seconds afterward. "BLU NOTICED WOT HAPPENED, AN' BLU IS PAYIN' ME TO BLOW YA' TO BLOODY GIBS!"
"Demoman, calm down." Sniper said, wary. "Ya'd do this even if ya weren't gonna be paid, we get it, ya're upset."
"DAMN RIGHT AH'M BLOODY UPSET." He boomed. "KEEPIN' SECRETS FROM YA' TEAMS GETS YA' KILLED."
"That's how you lost your eye," Madeline said. "Isn't it?"
Demoman finally calmed down, at least somewhat. "Aye, lass; I diddit tell th' Medic, he was gone an' busy, I was a youngin' an' on th' sideline, in th' back. Thought Ah'd be fine 'n dandy, but ah waited too damn long! Th' team LOST...Mah eye was too bloody ruined for anythin'.."
"Demoman, this doesn't have to happen," Madeline said. "You don't have to kill us all, you don't have to pass this on, and-"
Nay, lass, when ya' mess wit' de gunpowder..." He pulled out a pad with a blue button on it, a B painted in white. "Ya' cause de bomb t' explode!" And with ease, being a stronger class, he shut the heavy metal door.
"Man, BLU keeps an eagle's eye on th' 2Fort base, huh Madeline?" Sniper chuckled nervously.
"Yeah, cause everyone but the Medic and Scouts were deportees." Madeline said, not taking the situation as lightly. "So, what do we do?"
"I'm no expert, but prolly th' best thing ta' do is sit an' wait to die." He said, breathing heavy.
"So, er... what do we do? Say our last...goodbyes?" She choked on her words.
"Sure, some last words can work." He said. Madeline sat onto the cold tile floor, and with Sniper's help, laid Roussau flat on his back. "This is a pretty awful way t'die, I always hoped it'd be quicker..." He grumbled, sentence trailing off.
"Rousseau? Rousseau, wake up." She whispered. "You okay?"
"Madeline?" The Spy's hands went to rubbing his forehead. "What... what 'appened?"
"Rousseau, I'm so sorry," She sighed, rubbing his arm. Through holes in the fabric, she could see gray skin, flecked with syringe scars, ones caused by moving with the needle in the flesh.
"What's going on? Madeline?"
"Everything will be okay, Rousseau." She lied. Sniper couldn't help but think they should tell Rousseau the truth, but instead took the time to really look at Rousseau from the waist-down, till he sat up.
"Where are we, Madeline?"
She couldn't help it; she was a woman. Madeline wrapped her arms around him, his head on her shoulder. "It'll all be okay soon."
After a few tense minutes of silence, Sniper spoke up.
"Madeline, I love ya'."
Madeline flinched, shooting a confused look to Sniper as tentacles snaked around her ankles.
"...What?" She felt her jaw pop when it dropped. "You couldn't have ever mentioned that... a-anytime before now?"
"Not really, always figured ya would end up wit' anotha' doctor. The Medic we ...lost, seemed to like you, and th' Spy from Viaduct 'ad told me t' back off," He went on to explain he couldn't hold a candle to a possible doctor husband, telling her a mercenary war doctor-slash-hero shouldn't be with a man who lives in his camper van out in the middle of nowhere. "All that, and I'm nearin' fifty; I could be yer older brother, christs' sake."
"I... yeah, too much, the bombs, impending doom, I, I-" Madeline stuttered.
"Now, ya' don't need t' tell me if ya' love me back, or anythin'," He removed his hat, dusting it off. "I jus' wanted ya' t'know."
"I'm ... glad I got to know." Madeline smiled, though she knew it had to look awkward. Bombs were everywhere, and they were going to die.
"Ya got any last words yerself?" Sniper said, laying on the floor, doffing his hat over his face.
"I hated that file;" She said, her voice in a piercing tone. "It got me and everyone around me into trouble. It had people moved like livestock, and it's filled with men treated like lab rats." The medic paused. "For awhile, I wish I never found that stupid folder, damn humans for being too curious for our own good!" She stopped mid-rant to see the tenta-spy grabbing at his face.
"Madeline, I cannot zee anyzhing." He whined. "I do not feel zo good..."
"You were here awhile, I bet they didn't even feed you..." Madeline sighed.
"D-do jou 'ave any of those s-sausages?" Madeline replied to him with a sad "No,", before telling him to relax, and to try and sleep through it.
Sniper groaned, clutching his hat roughly, bending the brim. "Is 'e ever gonna blow us up, or are we gonna jus' starve?"
"Jou would rather be blown into many pieces?" Said a french voice.
"Oh great, they sent Spy t' kill us, were th' bombs a empty threat? Or duds?" Sniper said, out loud.
"I assure jou, I declined zee offer to kill zee both of jou." He continued, calm as can be. "I am up 'ere, in ze vent." Both Sniper and Madeline tipped their heads, and managed to see through the dim light their BLU Spy looking down on them. "I zee fille Madeline is busy, convict, jou will catch me."
"I'm gonna wot now?" Sniper asked, before Spy landed on him, though the assassin managed to stumble and fall over, rather than be crushed. "Oof! Good gravy, give a little more warnin', ya' frog-eatin' frenchie!"
"Hmph, no dirt on my suit; fine job, convict!" Spy applauded, and patted Sniper on the shoulder.
"Yeah, ya' can stop callin' me that any time." Sniper grumbled, fixing his hat and sunglasses. Spy proceeded to kneel next to Madeline.
"I came jus' for jou; I am leaving BLU, come with moi, and zhey will never find jou, ma belle fleur." Spy grabbed her fingertips gently, kissing the back of her hand.
"Spoy, she knows I love her." Sniper brought to his attention. "An' she's said nothin' about lovin' you."
"Ah, but I still 'ave zhe upper 'and; Jou see, jou cannot 'elp dame Madeline out of zhis...dank place. 'Owever, I can." Spy grinned the trademarked, untrusted smile.
"Spy, I'm flattered, but I've made up my mind before coming here." Madeline explained, removing her hand from his. "I'm not leaving BLU without Rousseau."
"What, zhis deformity? Madeline, s'il vous plaît. 'E is going to die. Come with moi, I will take jou to ze countryside of France, where I can provide jou with zee best; ze freshest bread, ze finest wine, ze most flattering dresses. Jou cannot say jou do not know anyone as handsome as I."
"I just want to save Rousseau's life." Madeline huffed.
"Jou, are difficult." Spy huffed back. "If I manage to get Rousseau out with us, will jou come to France with me?"
"What about Sniper?" She asked. The two men scowled at eachother.
"Ya' should get yerself an' Rousseau out. That's wot ya' intended, roight?" Sniper asked, scratched-up arms crossed.
"You should get out too, we already lost Medic, the BLU base at-" Madeline was stopped mid-sentence.
"Stop zhinking about BLU, Madeline!" Spy snapped. "We are all replaceable to zhem, zhat iz why ze company 'as no qualms over killing as many as it will take to eradicate all of zhis underground project of theirs."