I don't know how long it was before help arrived. I was too weak to lift my head, let alone call for a Medic. Last time I had tried I started coughing up blood – blood I really, really needed to be in my veins and not pooling on the floor. The respawn system is a bad enough feeling; what's worse is that it'll let you die a painful, prolonged death. If there's a shadow of a heartbeat, it won't initiate.

After what felt like hours, I heard a distinctly French accent swear to himself.

'So he has gotten you as well, Sniper.' I coughed in the BLU Spy's general direction. I didn't need pity; I needed a bloody Medic and the sooner the better.

Spy jumped in surprise at my fine show of functionality. Squinting at me, he started having a very one sided conversation with my near-dead self as he lifted me from the ground and put me over his shoulder. Spooks, bloody idiots, I'm telling you.

'Ah, you are still alive. Intriguing… but highly disturbing. Well then, we shall head off to make sure the intelligence is still in our care.'

I coughed angrily at his back, mentally cursing when more blood appeared. As much as it pleased me to destroy his suit, I still would have preferred that to be in my veins as well.

Spy sighed, seeming to understand what I was getting at. 'Yes, we will pass the infirmary. Now stop getting your bodily fluids on my suit.'

Well played spook, well played.

It only took a few minutes to reach the infirmary. What we found there though… it looked like I'd have to make do with some bandages and little movement. Our Medic lay sprawled across the floor, neck twisted at an unnatural angle. He would reappear in a few minutes from spawn, though it seemed Spy had no intention of letting his counterpart finish me off. It seemed to be his bit of fun, depriving the RED Spy of his prey.

He shifted me on his shoulder carelessly before setting off at a brisk pace towards the intel room. Mustering as much strength as I could, I spoke to the bastard.

'You're a fucking twat.' I spat at the floor.

He chuckled, his smooth French accent getting on my nerves. 'Why, Sniper, that's the first time I've heard you speak that way. In fact, you sound rather like a certain female friend I have. Sore throat clear up? Or has puberty reversed for you?'

'Fuck off spook, what one knows the other knows too.'

'Very perceptive Sniper.'

'How long?'

'Since you arrived.'

'Anyone else know?'

'Medic, but you let him know. It wasn't as if he could have given you the operation without finding out. Now shut up before you get more blood on my suit.'

I did as I was told, more because I was exhausted by just having a mere conversation more than following his orders.

I heard Heavy, Scout and Soldier grouped around the intel when we entered. Spy had just greeted them, enquiring about the search for the RED Spy when he suddenly dumped me on the desk, exclaiming that they still had a problem.

Scout poked me with his bat. I growled at him as he looked quizzically at Spy. 'Uh, why is he still alive?'

'That is precisely why we have a problem. Why not aim to kill?' Spy pulled a health kit from under the desk, pulling the syringe out from inside the box. Without delay, he stabbed it into my neck while yanking the balisong from my shoulder. I gasped, feeling the Uber serum flow through my body, healing the major injuries. But even the Medi-Gun couldn't remove the shock of such an attack: I'd have to recover from that myself. Pushing away the insensitive Spy, I yanked out the syringe, throwing it across the room, hissing at him.

Massaging the recently closed wound, I watched bemused as they all started bickering about why I was still alive. Though one thing caught my attention. Scout was hanging back, unusual for someone who loves egging on fights. His face was twisted into a scowl, like something smelt bad, or something had gone wrong.

Like my unexpected presence.

As quickly as I could without attracting attention, I grabbed the balisong lying beside me and a nearby rubber band. Winding the rubber around the handle to keep it from closing on itself mid-flight, I sized up the distance between us out the corner of my eye. About two metres. Makeshift projectile at the ready, I launched it at the pre-occupied Scout without warning. My aim was terribly off and it grazed his arm, but it was enough.

The three mercenaries standing near the observatory window looked on in shock as Scout's form morphed into the tall, slender one of the RED Spy with a puff of smoke. Dumbed, they reacted slowly as he swiftly closed the distance between us, pulling me off the table into a chokehold, gun out and pressed to my temple. Soldier near started frothing at the mouth. Sniper laughed.

'She is quick, I will tell you that. Her aim I cannot say much about though. Tell me, was it hard, training her to be your little pet?' My Spy had tensed at his use of female pronouns, eyes flicking to the known misogynistic Soldier. Luckily, the pronouns appeared to go in one ear and out the other. He raised his shotgun and began yelling obscenities about my capture, the tamest of which included a shrieked "I will dominate your Frenchie ass", and others that would make a modern day American Marine cringe. The RED Spy looked exasperated. I'm not sure what he expected. His Soldier is cut of the same cloth. To further his point, and quiet the screeching Solly, he tore open the red button up I was expected to wear.

Fantastic. The vest underneath was so thin you could see the chest binding underneath.

Soldier went insane, yelling how he would decapitate this 'crouton' in front of him. He quickly inserted that I was to be shot at dawn, though returned to his scheduled stereotypical insults at the RED Spy soon enough. Heavy almost dropped Sasha, he was that shocked, though he had heard the opposing Spy say 'her' twice. When Soldier didn't react, he thought he heard wrong. Strangely, Spy had dropped his disguise kit. Why he was surprised I didn't know. Probably just an act.

The bloody idiots did absolutely nothing. So I started shit talking.

'Really, spook? A gun to the head? You must be daft, did you forget about the respawn system? You're hardly a threat.'

'Shut it. I just revealed your big secret and you barely acknowledge it.'

I waved a hand dramatically. 'Oh go have a sook, you big baby. Now are you going to go for the intel and leave a bullet in my head or are you staying for a smoko?' Furious, RED Spy pulled the trigger. There was a split second of searing pain before white light filled my vision.

What an absolute moron. I shook off the abhorrent feelings of respawn. Standing alone in the white room, I begrudgingly thanked it for the blood coursing through my veins again. There's no better feeling than have that stuff in you, instead of sprayed where-ever.