Thank you all for the kind reviews, Dr. Hmm and Miss Marvelous13! :) Just the fact that you enjoy it so much really keeps me going.
The day had gone by rather peacefully for Team RED. But RED Medic knew better than to allow himself to be lulled into a false sense of security. BLU Medic had contacted him just yesterday via Archimedes-Express. The white bird flew into his window with a note attached to his leg, and this time the flying companion had been splattered with a sprinkle of blue paint to tell the twin Archimedi apart.
"Oh, Archimedes! So lovely to see you!" He greeted the dove, holding out his hand so it could perch on his gloved finger. "I see you come bearing gifts."
"Is other Medic's bird, da?" Heavy's voice came from behind him, wandering over to observe. "Why is it here?"
"I get the feeling I already know..." The German muttered cryptically, taking the parchment from Archimedes' leg. "Here, my darling, help yourself to some bird-feed before you go back."
Archimedes was happy to comply, pecking away vigorously at the bird-feeding station. The other Archimedes joined shortly and the two exchanged coos back and forth.
"What does note say?"
Before Heavy could read it for himself, Medic had incinerated it with one of his Bunsen burners, destroying the evidence of it ever being there.
"What you do that for?!"
"Nobody else can see this. It was in German, anyway. You would not have understood. But the bare skeleton of it is, BLU Medic has come back for that favour I owe him."
"For when they took care of your lost bird?"
"Exactly." The doctor ripped off a piece of paper from his notebook and sprawled a message back in his native tongue. "Now, Heavy, would you hand me the bandages?"
The Russian looked a little puzzled by the request but waddled on his way to retrieve some from the examination table. When he came back, Medic snatched it swiftly out of his hands with an emphatic but brisk 'Danke!'.
"Is somebody hurt?" Heavy's eyes followed and travelled with Medic's walking one.
"Nooo, no... Not at all." He reassured. He stopped at the bird-feed station, tutting to get Archimedes' attention. "Have you had your fill, mein Schatz?"
The white bird's head tilted in various angles, eyeing the familiar form before him with attentive curiosity.
"It's time to go back, okay?" He cooed with affection, stroking the dove with the back of his index finger. When Archimedes hopped onto said finger, the German was delighted. "Good boy! Good boy..."
"You will never love your children as much as that bird." The Russian muttered to himself as he watched.
"What was that, Heavy?"
"Nothing. I just say is nice weather."
"Is it? Oh, ja. It's lovely today, isn't it? So sunny." Medic remarked, completely oblivious to Heavy's one-man running commentary. He delicately attached his responding note onto Archimedes' leg with the bandages, and with a gentle push, set the dove on its merry way back to its rightful owner.
"Auf Wiedersehen! Come back again soon!" He waved goodbye to the bird's vanishing form, clutching at his chest with the same emotional heartache a mother would when sending her kids off to college. "Oh, they grow up so fast, don't they?"
Heavy looked rather estranged. "Bird was only here for 5 minute."
Medic tutted in obvious disagreement with his perspective. "You are so emotionally distant, you Russians..."
He received a displeased glare from his Eastern European comrade in return for that remark, to which he laughed off with forced casualness.
"Stereotypes, eh? We all use it. Some are fake... Some are true."
"We Russians know love!" Heavy pointed a blunt and chubby finger at him. "I tuck my Sasha into bed every night and make sure she sleep safe and sound, away from bad guy."
This time it was Medic's turn to be estranged, but decided not to stress on the topic any longer. "I apologise, mein Freund. It was nothing but a badly told joke. But this note... There are a few things you need to know."
"Okay, Heavy listen."
"You are not to repeat this to anyone outside zis room, understood?"
"Da. Lips are sealed like gates of Leningrad."
"Okay. Gut." Medic pulled himself a seat back at his desk, beckoning his partner over. "It appears they need something from us."
"Is it our intelligence?" Heavy seemed apprehensive.
"No, no, nothing like that." The doctor waved it off. "Even I would not agree to something of that degree. No, what they want is a balloon."
The puzzled look found its way back onto the Russian's face. "Then why not go to toy store?"
Medic chuckled. "I appreciate the logic. But it is no ordinary balloon they want. Zis is no case of neunundneunzig Luftballons."
An awkward pause. "Heavy no understand."
"Nevermind. Now, I'm not entirely sure what the story is myself, but it appears that they want one of Pyro's balloons."
"This make less and less sense the more I listen."
"I know not of their intentions eizher. But I owe their Medic a favour and it is my time to repay it."
"Brick!"
"OW! It hit me!"
"Frickin' brick, what the hell!"
"Sentry down!"
Fast-forward to the next day, and to the moment of BLU Scout and Soldier's arrival. RED Medic and Heavy had arrived to the scene just in time to see their team-mates evacuating the building. Scout, quick on his feet as ever, was the first to exit the disaster. He only stopped briefly to greet the other two.
"Don't go in there. That brick is goin' crazy. Flyin' all over the place!"
"Yes... It does look like quite a problem." Medic provided his commentary, eyebrows furrowing with concern for his team's safety.
"Understatement of the frickin' century, that is."
"You're the understatement of the frickin' century!" An exact replica of Scout's voice called from nearby.
"What the f-"
"BONK!" BLU Scout whacked him upside the head before his RED counterpart had the chance to finish his sentence.
"Ow! The heck did you come fr-"
"BONK!" Another landed hit. "Too slow!"
"I'll BONK your head right off, you freakin' loser!"
BLU Scout stopped for a second, just so he could taunt. "Oh yeah? Then why don't you come and catch me?"
RED Scout snarled, the anger staining his cheeks with the same shade of colour as his team's. "Oh, I"ll catch you. Then I'll tie you up and use you as a pinata!"
"HAHA!" His doppelgänger spat back. "Yeah right, like you could. BONK! Oh, got you again!"
And just like a pair of cats having a hissy fit, the two Bostonians ran off with lightning speed, BLU in the lead with RED nipping at his heels. The German marched straight on, past the mess that was rapidly becoming the downfall of their entire team. He threw the Russian a glance over his shoulder and beckoned him over.
"Mach' schnell, Kamerade! We don't have much time!"
"Heavy trying! Heavy not as quick as you!"
The two retreated just in time to avoid BLU Soldier's personal touch of destruction. Out of the corner of his eye, Heavy could see that he was heading straight for the base where the rest of Team RED were trapped. Silently, he wished the rest of his comrades good luck. That Soldier had a Medigun on him, and the Russian didn't want to know how he was going to use it.
"Where are we going?"
"We're looking for BLU Engineer!"
"Over here, fellas!" The Texan suddenly popped up from a bush, signalling them over with a big and friendly wave of his arm.
"Oh, gut. You're here." Medic slowed to a halt, but before they could exchange pleasantries, Heavy inexplicably launched himself into the air and on-top of Engi and Medic. Their screams and cries of confusion were quickly muffled by the Russian's weight.
"What was that for?!"
"Ya gotta give a warning before you do that to a man!"
"Shh!" He hissed sharply. The sounds of running footsteps followed suit, and all immediately made sense.
"MEDIC!" RED Demo could be heard from outside the bushes, his feet staggering with every step he took. "I've already lost me eye, I don' need ta lose me leg, too! Medic! Where are you?!"
"Sorry, buddy. It don't look like he's here." BLU Engi ducked his head even more, as if to conceal himself to the best of his ability from the RED Texan, who appeared to be supporting the Scot's bodyweight.
"This is getting' us noo-where! I told ye we'd get there faster if we blasted off me bombs!"
"That ain't gonna do ya good, Demo."
"Look, I'll show ye, alright?!"
"No, Demo. No stickies. Let's just get you to his office, mmkay?"
"Verdammt!" Medic suddenly whispered to himself, eyes widening in fear.
"What is problem?" Heavy murmured back worriedly.
"If zhey are going to wait by my office, we cannot get BLU Engi there safely."
"Uh oh, that'll be a problem." Engi joined in.
"What are we going to do?!"
Heavy peeked an eye out from the foliage when he thought it was safe. "Guys, coast is clear." He hauled himself up and out from the bushes, then offered a hand to the other two.
"Thank you kindly!" The Texan chirped, grabbing the Russian's arm and re-emerging from the plant-life. "Y'alright, Doc?"
"What are we going to do?!" Was all the German could manage in response.
"Doctor!" Heavy seized Medic by the shoulders, giving him a good shake to bring him back down to earth. "Calm down. Is not the end. I know we can think of something. Right?" He threw a look to Engi, trying to get him to chime in accord.
"Uh... Y-" He looked a little confused as to what he was agreeing to. "Yyyy-Yes, we can! Where there's a will, there's a way! It's what my mother taught me!"
"My mother say if you are awake and feel no pain, you are not alive. It is Russian way."
"That's..." The Texan's brows slanted. "Actually... kind of depressing. Sorry, buddy."
"You Russians..." Medic shook his head, reminded of yesterday's discussion, earning himself another scowl from Heavy. "You Russians are so... so lovely." The German plastered on the brightest grin he could.
Engi coughed to suppress his laugh. At least now the Kraut was calm again. "Alright, boys. Chop chop! We have an office to get to and the 'porter ain't gonna build itself!"
"What about other Demo and Engineer?"
"We have no time to worry." Heavy insisted. "But we'll think of something, da?"
MissMarvelous13