Beginning notes:
Tumblr: boredgrace23
Don't be afraid to criticize! I want to improve as a writer and any sort of critique or analysis is welcomed!
(Oct 17th, 2024) UPDATE 1: This chapter will be undergoing editing in the future because of the sheer cringe of it. Tbf tho, I was suffering from almost getting heatstroke, internet was cut off, and I wrote this in 3 days with very little sleep. For the sake of my sanity, overlook this chapter until I'm finished editing it.
(Oct 19th, 2024) UPDATE 2: It took me several hours of just writing to finish editing this chapter, but it's WAY better than it originally was. I kept cringing whenever I thought about this chapter, and normally I work around my mistakes as I go along, but this one was just way too beyond saving. Now I'm free at last. To the rare person reading this note: happy reading!
Chapter 3: Clones And Threats
When Scout, Medic, and Demo first entered the common room, everything was disordered. And not in an "everyone got drunk" way; it was more in a "something seriously wrong happened here" way.
Scout was rummaging through the kitchen. It was off to the side, a little out of view of the "living room" where the couches and coffee tables were pushed together, but it was still in view enough that he could lean a little to the side—over the kitchen island—that he could see Demoman and Medic standing in the centre of the room.
They looked as if they were ignoring each other, doing their own thing, with Medic picking up the scattered card deck and Demo staring uncomfortably at the TV, which was flickering in and out every so often with white noise.
Scout didn't care, though, more focused on scouring through the mess to find any clues. He wasn't exactly the most intelligent member of the team, nowhere close to pretty much everyone's intelligence. But he had to at least try to find out what happened. At least something minor, like bloody handprints or even a foot.
The stove had been left on—a serious no-no with Heavy and Engineer—nearly burning the food, with the tap water still running, as chairs were flipped or shoved to the side and papers scattered across the floor. The table was also pushed to the corner of the room clumsily.
Pyro would have a fit if he saw the state of this room. The few times something became this disarray was when the Engineer was having a bad day, and he at least attempted to limit the chaos to his workshop. There was also that time when everyone got drunk during smissmas, and it was… an experience Scout wouldn't like to recreate.
"What if they just went out without telling ye?" Scout overheard Demoman say to Medic.
Scout detected doubt in his words and assumed that it was related to whatever that earlier incident was for him. He still needed to get actual clarification about what he meant with that "monster" or whatever, but right now, his team was his main focus.
"They could've just forgotten ta tell you two."
"No." Medic responded immediately, Scout simultaneously saying. "They wouldn't do that."
They wouldn't abruptly leave without short notice—not everyone, at least. Occasionally, the BLU team would be hired to go on missions outside of this war, though it was mostly Spy, Sniper, Heavy, and Demo. And rarely would it be everyone who went on a mission all at once. Especially one that was "important."
Miss Pauling assigned the important missions to the RED team. She said it wasn't because the BLU team was incompetent—a fat load of crap if she said they weren't capable. Scout knows they're worth their salt and why the entire BLU team's been kept alive this long—but it's because the RED team "can't die as easily."
Hah! It was just a flimsy excuse. Everyone and their ma's know she just has a favourite team.
There was a putrid taste on his tongue at that thought.
He heard Demo pick a book off the ground and flip through the pages. "I highly doubt you lot know each other well enough to know that."
"We know each other," Medic replied sharply.
"You know them, or do they know you?" Demoman inquired, tossing the book on the table. "You always have a stick up yer arse; I wouldn't put it past you to hide something from yer team."
"What're you talkin' about?" Scout asked incredulously. Sure, the doc had a lotta secrets, but it was like Demo was trying to imply something.
"'M just sayin', he coulda had something to do with my team."
Scout scoffed as the Medic remained silent.
"You seriously tryna bring that "monster" thing up again? Look, it's great 'n all that you're giving Spy's head back to us, but stay outta this. We know our team."
Medic looked momentarily surprised, but smoothed his expression out and continued staring at Demo.
"Can't exactly with you draggin' me about," Demo said, grumbling.
"Then just respawn." Medic coolly stated.
Demo didn't answer, and Scout went back to what he was doing. He was growing frustrated with Demoman. Sure, he was giving back his pa's head, but he wasn't much help at the moment besides making accusations.
And sure, Scout understood that it was unfair to hold it against him for his accusations; it was a reasonable assumption and reaction, given that the BLU team rarely displayed their "familial affection" for each other on the field.
When in battle, they were coworkers, not friends who consoled each other when they were at their lowest, planned dinner together, joked with each other, or discussed their favourite comic books or activities. They weren't friends who taught each other things; brothers in arms, willing to go through torture for each other.
When they were on the field, they played pretend so that the Administrator wouldn't notice, so Ms. Pauling didn't realise and report back to the Administrator, or the RED team wouldn't hold it against them or fink on them.
"It's bullshite," he heard Demoman say to Engineer while they were sitting in the living room, playing poker. Pyro was laid across Engineer's lap, reading a comic, while Spy was sitting in the back, reading a newspaper. The team looked at him curiously. "The Administrator forces nine guys to live with each other and expects them to not grow a bond."
"The RED's not grown close." Heavy countered.
"That is because they're wussies who won't talk to each other! They keep to themselves and do not communicate with each other." Soldier responded.
Sniper hummed. "What we're like to each other is risky. The Administrator banned friendship, and we all know what happens when there's friendship between two people."
The entire room went silent, and they refused to look at the still Soldier.
Following the incident with Soldier, the Administrator restricted their movements and warned them that if they showed any signs of friendship, they'd be fired. Despite that warning, the team remained as close as ever. They had no one else but themselves. It would be stupid to push away the only people they had, no matter how hard the more emotionally constipated ones tried—Sniper, Spy, Medic, and, more surprisingly, Engineer.
"Why are you here, anyway?" Medic's voice broke through Scout's thoughts, and he turned back around to see Medic staring daggers into Demo.
Demo looked anywhere but his gaze as he retorted instead. "Aren't ye a doc? Got me a gammy arm, and yer Scout took pity on me."
"That's some grade A bullshit," Scout replied.
The two men barely looked in his direction.
"Why are you here?" Medic repeated.
"Hard to say-"
"Then think of an answer."
The corner of Demo's lips curled further down into a frown. "Woulda even believe me? Yer Scout over there barely even believes me, and I doubt a "man of science" like you would even consider the idea if I told you."
"Have you considered the idea that you have a concussion with that blood running down your forehead?" Medic said, tilting his head as he eyed the blood dripping from beneath his hat.
"I don't have one." He firmly states.
"'Kay look, fellas," The two of them look at him, and he suddenly became antsy at the frustrated stares looking at him. "How's 'bout we stroke our own dicks later, huh? We ain't gettin' anywhere if we keep arguing whether Demo here's crazy or not."
"I'm not crazy."
"So before we get into… whatever the hell's goin' on with the RED team," he vaguely gestured to Demo before turning to an aloof Medic. "We try findin' out what happened to our pals, yeah? 'Cause what if it really was just an emergency and we're just keyed up?"
"They wouldn't leave without a note." Medic shook his head while saying so.
Scout bit the inside of his lip nervously. "I know, I know, but what if they forgot?"
"All six of them forgetting?"
There was a type of queasiness forming in his gut. He had a bad feeling, and he hated that he had a bad feeling. Something happened to them, something bad, but he hated not knowing what happened to them.
"Are ya sure you didn't find a note?"
Medic sighs, though doesn't repeat himself, much to Scout's disappointment.
"I get it; ya don't like repeating yourself. It's just… maybe it was really urgent? That'd explain…" He waved to the mess. "This."
"Scout, I've already-" Medic cut himself off and frowned ever so slightly that he would've missed it if he wasn't looking at him. "That's likely, but we would have been told by Ms. Pauling."
"Can't ye check the other rooms?" Demo asked, slowly speaking, as his expression was pensive.
Medic frowned. "That'd be impossible. Besides, I've already checked every location possible."
Demoman's scowl cut him off. "Check again."
"They aren't hiding from us."
"Check. Again."
"Why are you suddenly so keen on finding them?" Medic inquired.
"Can't you just accept I don't have any ulterior motive?"
"With your earlier accusations? No, I don't trust you as far as I can throw you."
"Throw far, bastard, 'cause I ain't lyin'."
"Doc," Scout interrupted the argument before it could escalate, Medic turning his gaze towards him in silent inquiry. "Look, doc, I trust that ya looked, but I gotta check."
He looked at him, exasperated, replying. "They aren't here, junge."
"And I trust you. Really, I do." Scout was already bounding towards the door with a quick hop. "But I hafta look."
"Scout-"
Scout hurried away without turning back or hearing Medic's response, the doors bursting open as he passed through. He knew it was rude of him to leave the doctor without saying anything else, and he'll definitely get after his ass for it, but he needed to make sure his team was alright.
Medic wouldn't be able to catch up to him, nor convince him to come back if he already has his mind set. He understood he was stubborn, that was a trait of his that no one could beat out of him. Though him trying to look for the team was merely a waste of time.
This only added to his increasing frustration that had built up towards the RED Demoman.
"Why aren't you respawning?" Medic demanded abruptly, sharply staring at the Scot who stood in front of him, bent forward, with one arm covering the other. Blood seeped through his fingers, and Medic figured the injury was a deep gash that must've weakened his arm strength. "I doubt you are here to be healed by me because your Medic was being an asshole. He would've gladly taken the opportunity to heal you with that glamorous invention of his."
He was unsure of why Demoman was still in their base and hadn't returned to his own.
There'd be no reason to play the waiting game. Demo wasn't the type to play the waiting game in the first place, unlike Spy or himself. He doubts he'll get an answer from the man. Or at least a straight one if his going around his basic question was any clue.
"Aye, but even if he was being an arse, I coulda just respawned."
"Yes, "respawn." In my professional opinion, you REDs rely on it too often." Medic antagonised, furrowing his brows while looking directly into Demo's averted gaze.
"Aren't ye supposed to be the emotionless one? What's with yer sudden animosity, huh?" Demo questioned uneasily. "I ain't got nothin' to do with yer team's disappearance."
"I'm aware." Obviously he knows he has nothing to do with his team's disappearance. If he did have something to do with it, he and Scout wouldn't have run into each other in the first place. Speaking of which… "And what about that explosion? I know you were at least involved with that one."
Demoman gruffly sighs. "You won't believe me."
Medic sighed sharply. Why was he being difficult? It was like dealing with a child. He gave him a stern gaze, ordering and leaving no room for argument. "You will tell me."
Demo's head snaps to him, looking at him strangely. "And what? Have ye choke the life outta me and end up back at my base with that thing?"
Medic's lips drew together, not responding as Demo gave him a wry look.
"You clones love a good fight, don't ya? I bet ye would love to see me dead, seeing how damn eager that Scout of yours was to point that gun in my face."
Clone.
Medic didn't answer.
"Yer just clones. Made to be cannon fodder for this useless feckin' war. I'm surprised you BLU's haven't carked it yet. Y'know, some fellas back in RED had this bet 'bout how long each clone would last. Some of 'em thought you'd be the first to go, but everyone bet on yer Scout 'cause of how different you two are from us."
The ringing increased in Medic's ears, feeling a squeezing pressure around his chest as his
expression dulled.
"But hey, we got our problems, don't we, huh? Quit pressin' me for an answer and act like you usually do, 'cause you'll eventually just be replaced, anyway."
Medic reeled his arm back and threw his fist with enough force to snap Demoman's head back. Demoman gasped in alarm, staggering back and bashing the lower half of his body against a chair, causing him to stumble and lose balance.
He then snapped his hand towards his neck, vision darkening near the corners, because he wasn't a clone. Being a clone meant he wasn't a human, and he was human.
Demoman strained in his hold, uselessly thrashing his damaged arm in an attempt to resist Medic, but the doctor merely pulled his wrist away, as if his strength was nothing. It pretty much was, given that his shoves and pulls were lacking in strength to begin with.
Medic wasn't as experienced as the rest of the mercs in hand-to-hand combat, but he could give someone a run for their money, and with Demoman as injured as he was, there'd be no disputing who was more physically fit at the current moment.
"Yer a feckin' bastard, ye know that?" He spat as he squirmed in his hold, sneering. "What? Ye gettin' pissy like a wean 'cause I ain't tellin' you shit?"
"I'm not-" a clone. Medic didn't finish those string of words. They would use the word "clone" against him if they saw that he was susceptible to it. If they knew he didn't like being called a clone, they would lord it over his head forever until the day he permanently died.
"Tell me vhy-" his accent peered through his voice, and he swallowed thickly, suppressing it. "Tell me why you are here."
Demo barked a contemptuous laugh. "Your accent came through! You sounded like Medic just now-"
Medic cut him off by squeezing his hands around his throat, causing his breathing to go silent.
There was a prominent frown in his expression. "I am not him."
Demo banged his fist against his wrist, eyes rolling to the top of his head. A second passed, when Medic loosened his grip, and the Demoman's head slung down with a violent cough.
He was coughing for a minute, the silence tense between them.
He then sneered at him before leaning in his hold and closing his eyes in defeat. "Ach, feck it all. But don't blow a gasket when you don't believe me."
Medic remained silent with his stationary on his neck, the Scot then gestured to his hands with his eye.
"I'll tell ye, but let go."
Medic narrowed his gaze, pausing and thinking for a second. This was an entirely strange situation, Scout and Medic's entire team disappeared in a matter of thirty minutes, the hot water was shut off, and the RED Demoman was too coherent, not to mention he seemed desperate to not die, even promising to return their Spy.
Still, it wasn't as if he could easily trust him, either. Soldier had, and it ended disastrously.
Then again, Soldier should've listened to him the first time he told him it was a bad idea.
He saw Demo scoff. "I'm injured, bastard. Can't do much when I'm this injured."
Medic pinched his lips.
Then…
His grip loosened.
Demoman staggered forward, practically arching over as he held his throat with a grimace, peering over at Medic with a deepening frown. Though Medic ignored it, there was a hint of unease in his eyes.
"If you're lying, I will not hesitate to kill you. Understood?"
He rolled his eyes. "Crystal."
"Gut," said Medic, gesturing to the toppled chair next to himself. "Take a seat. I'd rather not stand while you're speaking."
"Got it." He grumbled.
He leaned over and picked up the chair off the ground, Medic sitting in the chair behind himself, while Demo sat across from him. The silence pounded his ears, and for a brief moment, he caught a distant ringing. The doctor looked up at the buzzing lights overhead, frowning when he saw one that was shattered.
He was beginning to doubt that whatever happened to their team, it wasn't the "urgent mission" they were thinking of.
Medic looked back at the still quiet Demoman, minutes ticking by in a tense silence.
"We were fighting something," he said after a minute.
He remained mute and let him speak.
"It battered me lads up. Had to fight tooth 'n nail to barely get away." He spat the words out.
"Dunno who else got away, but I don't want to end up back there. That thing, I don't know what that thing is, but it's not… normal."
"Don't be vague."
"I'm tryin' my best ta explain, ye daft bastard. But I can't."
"Try."
"I can't explain, it's hard to explain. I don't- what do you want me to tell you? That they're dead and I still know where their bodies are? 'Cause I don't."
Medic frowned curiously. "Explain."
"It- it did somethin' to them. It was-" the man grasped his hat with a tight hand, looking hysterical. "I dunno. It just- one second, we were all fine and dandy, then the next, half me team was gone."
"Nobody disappears just like that."
"Bloody hell—nae, they didn't disappear. They-" he broke out into a fit of desperate chuckles. "Ah dunno what it did. But it didn't teleport 'em or kill 'em, that's for sure."
"What is it?"
"A monster. A goddamn monster."
Medic wrinkled his brow with frustration. "I don't know why I'm interrogating a drunk." He murmured to himself.
"I ain't lyin'!" He suddenly flew into a fit of hysteria that had Medic pausing at the desperation, blinking slowly in disbelief. "Ye gotta believe me! Look, we'll both go lookin' fer it when yer Scout gets back, alright? But I ain't lyin'! That thing's a beast, a feckin' monster, best way I can explain it- just- I don't know how to explain it any better than that! There's no explaining it. Am not drunk or crazy or whatever you think I am! I saw it- it did something! Just listen to me, please-"
"Demo-"
"Look, I promised the kid that I'd give yer spy back. You lads want yer Spy back, right? I'll get yer Spy back."
Medic's mouth became dry at the admission, as if cotton had filled it, and he slightly recoiled in scepticism. Return Spy?
His eyes darkened, candidly saying. "I don't believe you."
"Better believe it. He's back in our base, stuffed inside a fridge. I can go get 'im so long as you let me stay here."
"You promise you will return our Spy?" Medic questioned, voice quiet and unsure, disbelieving that he would do that.
"I will."
Medic gazed at Demoman in an attempt to evaluate him. None of the RED team would reveal what had happened to their spy, not out of fear but most likely because the lack of Spy made battles easier. Even during today's battle, the RED team was making the most of their Spy's absence by constructing as many sentries as they could.
Even though the RED base was small in appearance, the BLU team still couldn't locate him after months of searching. Wherever he was, he was hidden well. And everyone only grew more hopeless at not finding him.
However, this presented a chance to get him back, their leader back, and Scout's father back. Medic's friend.
He wasn't distrustful enough to not believe Demoman, because without any prompting, he outright told him where Spy was. There was also the fact that he was practically begging him to believe him. The only people out of all the mercs that even had that amount of acting experience to make a believable performance was Spy.
Medic leaned in the rickety chair, hearing it creak under his weight. He then whispers. "You can stay for now. We'll be waiting a while for Scout to return." Even if he believed that he'll return Spy's head, there was still a chance that he was just concussed and was spouting nonsense.
"Ya ain't just gonna kill me?" Demoman asked reluctantly.
Medic gave him a blank look. "Scout would be angry with me if I killed his only chance at getting Spy back."
The Scot's expression twisted into incredibility, mouth falling open. "Scout and Spy're close?"
Medic didn't deign him an answer, instead saying. "Because you gave Scout the idea to look around the base, it'll take some time for him to finish searching."
"Nah, wait, answer the question: are Spy and Scout close?"
"In case you're curious, it takes around 40 minutes for him to travel the base." Said Medic, overlooking his question yet again.
While Demoman was saying something, he leaned over to the table and picked up a book that had its cover torn off, though the words were written in pristine Russian. Medic frowned at the book, flipping through the contents that had its pages either ripped out or folded in odd angles.
'A monster. A goddamn monster.'
Medic flipped the book shut with one hand, looking back at Demo and realising he was speaking.
"Ya ain't even listening." He said exasperatedly.
"I wasn't." The doctor admitted while placing the book where he found it, folding his hands back in his lap. "If you want entertainment while we wait, I suggest one of Pyro and Scout's comics, seeing as most of our books are in a different language."
"Goodie."
"Yes, well, if you hadn't suggested the idea of looking around the base, we wouldn't have to wait here."
"You'll be thankin' me if he finds yer teammates."
"I'm not incompetent. I know where to look, and I still didn't find them."
"Pray that you were incompetent today, then." He shook his head, lips squeezed into a thin line, and his gaze lowered in contemplation. "'Cause ya wouldn't like the other option."
Scout wasn't sure why he was so anxious to find them, but that same dread wouldn't leave him, no matter how hard he tried to swallow it.
Scout sprinted through the halls, feet slapping against the concrete, as he swung open every door he saw, uncaring for them, slamming against the wall and potentially damaging the hinges.
The entire base itself took around 40 minutes to go through if he were to travel at a light jog, but considering he was desperately looking for his team, the time was shortened by 15 minutes.
No one had any idea why the base was built this way, but Scout had a theory that it was designed to be a maze in case anyone found it after they left the base. Going through the building would prevent any "urban explorers" from searching deep and discovering something they shouldn't. This also served to prevent the RED team from infiltrating.
However, this meant that the BLU team's more rash members would get lost if they didn't map out the building beforehand. Even with Scout scouting the entire base out and drawing a map for the team, they still kept getting lost. Scout didn't even know they had rooftop access until 2 months in the base. And when all the RED team was doing was heading straight to the intelligence without mapping any other locations out, the problem got so bad that Ms. Pauling conceded and gave them maps.
RED Spy tried to narrow down every location, but try as he might, with a team as unserious as his was, no one gave a shit. Though Scout gave him points for trying.
Which was why he was so anxious about finding the team. The team could be on the other side of the building, and he wouldn't know until one of them spoke on the speaker, telling him to come back to the kitchen, living room, or wherever they all were. He probably wouldn't even find them until the morning or the next day's battle.
He checked the respawn room first, the shutter curiously not automatically opening as he ran by, though he didn't pay mind to it. He then ran to the armoury, before checking in the showers, the storage, the rooftop, and everywhere he could think that they would be. Unfortunately he couldn't check everywhere, but he checked the more important places he could. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't find them.
No one just ups and vanishes like that.
Well, maybe the team, considering they all had experience going off the grid, but nothing like this.
They weren't-
They couldn't have been attacked.
Could they?
His conversation with Demoman earlier flicked through his head, the implications wrong in every conceivable way possible.
"If it captures ye, you won't die."
What did he mean by that? What was it? What scared him, RED Demoman, so badly that he'd take his chances with them rather than whatever spooked him? That he wouldn't want to respawn and back in his own base, healed and ready to battle again? What stopped him from fighting to just wanting to survive?
Did whatever happened to the RED team also happen to his team?
Scout nibbled his bottom lip, stopping in the middle of the hall to catch his breath as he looked at the hallway that stretched for too long. He hasn't checked the dorms yet. He can't make any hasty decisions.
Scout made his way to the dorms on the second floor, far to the right of the base, and looked at the nameplates on the doors—Heavy being the first he saw—before aggressively pounding on the door.
"Heavy!" He yelled through pants. "Don't be naked when I come in!"
He viciously ripped the door open, peering into the dark room and quickly flipping the light on. They had an unspoken rule about not entering each other's dorms without express permission, but he feels this time was an exception. He'll apologise to them later for this, anyway.
When he didn't see Heavy in the room, he went to Soldier's room, where he gagged at the rancid stench that invaded his nose instantly.
'What the hell, Soldier? Clean up your room!' Scout thought to himself, slapping a hand to his nose and mouth. He could practically taste the air.
When Soldier wasn't in his room, he began descending the hall, opening each door with slightly more desperation than the previous time.
Spy's room was the only one he didn't enter; he didn't want to intrude on his pa's privacy.
When he got to his own room, he opened it to see if anyone was in there, but there was still no trace of them.
"This prank ain't cool, guys," Scout muttered, looking left and right down the hall. "Haha, funny, come on out now!"
No answer.
Something was just so wrong with today.
Scout bit the bottom of his lip, chewing the inside. There was no way this related to what Demoman was talking about. No way. He was just drunk and obviously out of it. The RED team only began fighting because someone started an argument. There was…
"Ye ain't listening to me!" Demoman barked, having finally lost his temper. "We won't have a job with that thing around."
Nuh-uh. Nope. He wasn't listening to that drunkard's ramblings. Demoman, his Demoman, quit drinking 3 years ago besides the occasional beer. RED Demoman hadn't. In fact, he heard Demoman's blood stream became literal alcohol. So, no. No way was he going to listen to him.
He pivoted on his heel and made his way back to where he had left the other two, his sneakers squeaking against the floor and the stomping of his heels echoing through the hallway.
The hallway was strangely silent without the echoing noises of his teammates' voices. They were so loud that anyone within a 20-foot radius could hear them, even if several concrete walls separated them. Without their noise, the building appeared deserted.
That was… a scary thought.
The building being abandoned.
It wasn't like they hadn't been in abandoned buildings before; hell, they had abandoned all of their bases after packing up and moving on to the next one. But this one being abandoned didn't feel right. Everyone's belongings remained propped up, clothes neatly folded or shoved in their proper places, beds tangled, and weapons on display. Traces of them having existed.
When they moved to their next base, they always detonated the building's armoury and dorms to leave no trace of themselves. They never left anything behind for a stranger to find and trace it back to them.
So it didn't feel right for there to be no trace of his team, but a trace of their existence in their rooms.
He scrunched his nose. He really didn't want to check there.
But what if they were there?
Scout paused momentarily in the hall, scrunching his eyes shut. Then, slowly, he let out a sigh through his nose.
Even if they weren't there, he needed to check if he was still there.
He started making his way to the freezer.
The freezer door opened with a creak, and he cautiously stepped inside, his breath visible in the frigid air. Meat hung from the hooks. There were organs in jars he couldn't identify or discern the origins of, and boxes lined the shelves. The fan above the door whirred, producing only white noise.
The room was colder than it should be, but he pushed through. He needed to check if he was still alright.
"Hey," Scout called out into the freezer, tentatively touching the icy feeling curtain and pushing it aside that caused his fingers to curl in themselves. Holy shit, that curtain's cold. "I mean, knock-knock. I know you don't like me entering without announcing myself."
Spy lay on his back in the centre of the room, with his arms at his sides and his legs forming a v-shape, to prevent his body from becoming crooked once they're able to unthaw him.
There was a blanket over his top half, though Scout could tell there was no head where it should be.
Scout wished it was easy to just respawn him, but the doc said they couldn't just shoot his head if they ever found him. He didn't know how the respawn worked, but they had to stitch his head back onto his body because otherwise, the coding in the respawn machine could screw up the system and cause him to respawn as only a head.
According to Engineer, if that were to happen, programming him back to normal would be nearly impossible without a few glitches and errors. And Scout really didn't want to carry around a bodiless Spy as much as he liked the man.
"Hey, pa." He began, unable to focus on the headless body. "I was just, uh, checking on you."
"Thank you for checking in on me, mon fil. No, he wouldn't say that. Check in on me? You? Please, you'll check on me when I want you too." Scout tried for an impersonation of him, and he thought his impression was pretty spot on despite the lack of a French accent. "Yeah, I know, best spy and all. But I just wanted to check. The entire team's gone right now. Just poof, gone, and I was…"
"Worried?"
"No? What? Psh. I'm not worried. You guys are strong. Why would ya need me to worry?"
He chuckled nervously and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"There's nothing wrong with worrying."
"Yeah…" He frowned before grinning once more. "I was just wondering if you knew where they were."
"Have you checked the dorms?"
Scout hummed and nodded, the cold of the freezer seeping into his bones. "Yeah, we checked everywhere. Me and Medic, I mean. Medic shot himself when he was hit in the head with a garbage bag, so he actually got to the base and found out they were missing before me."
"He was hit in the head with a garbage bag?"
"Yeah, it was pretty funny stuff." He chuckled and instantly brightened. "Oh, right! I set a record for base scouting! Ignoring the entire team is missing thing. It usually takes about 40 minutes if I skip the top floor and dorms. 50 if I check everything. This time, it only took ten minutes! But that's because I was rushin' 'round searching for everyone."
"You usually skip scouting those areas out?"
"What? No." Scout winced at the unintentional admission. "Ah crap, I hope you don't actually hear what I'm saying."
"Mon fil, I hear everything- and… what am I doin'?" He cut himself off and frowned, scuffing his foot against the ground.
Scout was suddenly hit with reality as he stared at Spy's motionless, headless body.
Quiet lingered in the air in a mourning-like manner, which was stupid because Spy wasn't actually dead. He was still alive and somewhere in RED's base, bodiless but alive, but Scout only saw a body in front of him. He felt as if his dad had died.
He and his pa didn't get along initially; they were constantly at each other's throats over something. Whether it was because Scout annoyed him, and likewise for Spy, taunting and making hurtful jabs. They didn't hate each other; they just got on each other's nerves, and Spy was always patient with him, despite his old frivolous demeanour.
The fact that Spy was so patient with him, giving him advice, and making sure he was okay in general should've been his first sign that Spy was his pa, but he was so deep in denial that he'd rather admit that Tom Jones was his dad before he even considered Spy was his pops.
After much trial and error, Scout and Spy's numerous breakdowns, and conceiving to the idea that they're just clones and that their pasts didn't matter, they finally admitted that they genuinely did see each other as family.
Scout and Spy both needed someone to care for, and despite the fact that they weren't actually family, they became family to each other. For each other.
Only after this did the team begin displaying minor acts of care for one another. Spy suspected that he and Scout getting along paved the way for the rest of the team to see each other as more than just cloned coworkers.
Because of this, the team became more… cooperative. They could work better together. Coordinate better plans than just improvising when battling.
As a result, Spy improved as a spy.
Who knew that the man who had never dated Jeremy's ma, who had no family other than Scout, who could communicate his feelings properly, and who could let go of his worries that his family would be killed, could become an even better spy than his real counterpart?
What was it that Engineer told him? 'A man who has nothing to lose is more terrifying than a man who has everything to lose?' That sounds about right.
Spy shouldn't be lying here, stationary and unresponsive, with God knows what else was happening to him in the RED's base. Where was his tough pa? Where was the snarky and caring Spy who called them idiots whenever they did something stupid and showed Scout how to do those stupid knife flip tricks?
"You always said you were the better spy. And, yeah, I ain't gonna lie, you are," Scout sniffed, wiping away the first traces of wetness in his eyes while whispering. Softer than he spoke in a long while. "Wish you were here, pops; you woulda solved everything instantly."
If Spy were still here, he'd locate their teammates, get information out of Demoman, and figure out what happened to the RED team all in one hour. But he wasn't. There was only Medic, and a shaken RED Demoman.
"This is stupid." He muttered. He quickly rubbed his face with rough, cold palms.
Okay, no crying right now.
The team is gone, leaving only Medic, who didn't know what happened to them either, and he still needs to speak to Demoman. Once he talks to Demoman, he'll probably get his pa's head back. After that, Spy will know what to do.
"I'll get ya back, alright? Just hafta wait a little longer."
Scout turned away from Spy's body and marched out of the freezer.
He'll get his pa back. One way or another.
The door opened with a resounding thud, and Medic and Demo straightened.
"Oh, thank god." Demoman muttered.
"Scout, what are you doing back?"
He furrowed his brows in incredulity towards Medic. "Daft bastard, ya wanted him gone for longer?"
"It takes 40 minutes to go through the base, not 25."
"Say it nicer than that then! The wean looks like he's been through it!"
Though the kid didn't seem offended. His face was warped with disappointment, his cheeks red and his skin pale, beads of sweat rolling off him. "I couldn't find them." He responded instead, lumbering towards them dis-heartedly.
Medic hummed, disinterested. "I told you that you wouldn't find them, didn't I?"
Scout pursed his upper lip, pinching his brows together and scrunching his face.
"Don't make that face- junge."
He stared pathetically at the ground. Like a sad dog. Or rather, a sad dove. Bunny? That seemed like a more likely comparison.
Medic grimaced, looking everywhere but Scout, before cringing away when he heard a slight sniffle. After a second of Scout looking miserable, he sighed through his nose. He awkwardly approached Scout and patted his shoulder, or pretended to tap it, despite the fact that his hand was only hovering above his shoulder blade.
"There, there…"
"You're horrible at this," Demoman stated.
"Yes, well, the comforting is normally Spy's job." He answered. "But your team kidnapped him, so now it's been my job to "comfort" him."
Demoman almost looked aghast at that sentence, and Medic looked at Demo with a quirked brow. Was there something wrong with what he said?
"Spy?"
"Yes, Spy."
"Spy?"
"Ja."
"Spy?!"
"Don't be vague."
"I'm not being vague in my reaction, lad, just... Spy?" He looked almost disgusted at the thought. "The same egotistical spy who would leave us to rot because we mocked his tiny gun? Who'd sit on a throne in a purple robe and jewelled crown, hon-hon-hon'ing at us and forcin' us to praise him? That Spy?"
Medic could admit that Spy was an arschloch that first year, and he was especially someone they wouldn't trust to comfort them. Or trust with their lives, for that matter. However, people change, and Spy became less prissy. Having the idea of being a clone reinforced in his head daily would do that.
Though he didn't like Demoman's attitude towards their spy. Medic scowled, but swiftly schooled his expression a second later. He was showing too much emotion around this man.
"Did you just finally figure out that we're different people?"
"Aye, I knew you were different, but it's Spy." Demo looked distraught at the revelation, holding his head. "I need that scrumpy right about now."
"You need to tell us what you know." Scout stepped in, pulling up a chair that moaned against the ground, flipping it so the back faced Demo, and sitting on it with his arms resting over the ledge. "You promised us information for Spy."
Demo looked at him, perplexed. "You pulled yourself together quick, lad."
"Medics terrible at comforting people, but it's the thought that counts." Scout replied, then scowled and stared at Demoman. "Speak. Now."
Silence prevailed, and the three stared at each other.
Demoman leaned against the chair, hand still holding his wound, and he scrunched his face.
"What do you want to know?" He quietly asked.
"Start from the beginning." Scout said.
Just as Demoman opened his mouth to answer, there was a flicker of static; instinct took over, and the three stared at the bunny-eared TV screen hung up in the corner of the room.
Ms. Pauling appeared, looking more frazzled than they'd ever seen her, as she glanced off screen and at something else.
"This is Ms. Pauling; who's all there with you?"
"Oh, come on!" Scout suddenly exclaimed with a slight growl. Ms. Pauling stared in alarm with Demoman looking at him, surprised. "Why do you guys always interrupt at the worst times? Seriously, gotta always leave me on a cliffhanger."
"Scout, this is serious." She said, frowning. "I don't have time to get sidetracked."
"You're sidetracking us!" He accused.
Ms. Pauling bristled. "I'm sidetracking you?"
"Yeah." Scout glared at her. "Our entire team is gone and Demoman, RED Demoman, was about to give us more information than you ever would've in the last hour."
Medic knew Ms. Pauling and Scout never had a close relationship. It wasn't for a lack of trying, but Ms. Pauling never tried to get along with him.
Scout flirted with her for the first year, but she never reciprocated, bluntly rejecting him. It was on and off like that for a couple of months. He'd flirt, and she'd reject him.
Then, one day, when he stayed behind to flirt with her alone, something happened, and they've hated each other ever since. He didn't know what happened between the two, and he never asked out of courtesy. Scout wouldn't tell him anyway, even if he ever asked.
He saw as Demoman looked between Scout and Ms. Pauling, taken aback by the animosity.
"Aye, lassie, y'alright?" He asked, cutting into their growing argument. "I dunno what's happenin' between you two, but we don't have time for this."
Ms. Pauling huffed, miffed. "You're right. We don't. And I'm fine."
She looked away from the screen and tucked her loose hair behind her ear, focused on something off screen as faint clicks and buzzing from camera feeds were heard.
"Did Demoman say anything about what happened?"
"Only that something attacked his team and might've attacked ours." Answered Medic.
Ms. Pauling nodded. "Yeah, something did attack them. But…" She then trailed off, her expression pensive.
"Oh, don't tell me you're being vague, too." Scout rolled his eyes as he exasperatedly said.
"I'm surprised you know what the word 'vague' means." Ms. Pauling mouthed, Scout flipping her off.
"I'm tired of this back-and-forth. Tell us everything. Now." Demanded Medic.
Ms. Pauling pressed her lips into a thin line.
"The… thing. it's hard to say. I'm not a biologist. But it's… it's…" Ms Pauling made hand gestures in the air, as if trying to shape out the outline of the monster, as her frown began to deepen. "It's unnatural? Physics shouldn't let it exist, but it does, and…"
She sighed. "Look, I don't know what that thing is, but the Administrator is demanding you do something about it."
"Do something?!" Demoman stated in alarm, rolling his eyes and flippantly waving his arms. "Lemme shoot my grenades at it! That worked last time!"
"Be grateful she's giving you time to work this out."
"You know what'll happen to us if it captures us!"
She roughly sighed through her nose again, looking sombre. "Give them a proper burial, Demoman."
Demoman paused at the words and lowered his tense shoulders, staring at the ground with a distant gaze.
'Give them a proper burial, Demoman.'
Medic wondered what those words meant.
"Whatever happened to them, we can figure out a way to fix this," Medic said.
Ms. Pauling looked reluctant. "I don't know if you can. It's… I… I'm going to be blunt; I don't trust your ability to fix this."
"Huh? Why's that?" Scout asked, looking at her with bafflement.
"It's because he isn't…" She trailed off.
She wasn't confident in his abilities. Why? Was it because he didn't do immoral experiments on his teammates like RED Medic? Because he wasn't off putting baboon lungs in Heavy or implanting a chimp's brain into Scout's head? Because he wasn't the "actual" Medic?
He wasn't him. He was himself. But that still wasn't good enough for her. Because to her, he was just a fake. A cheap copy of Medic. He wasn't him. He wasn't him.
He smothered the scowl that threatened to form on his face, an ugly anger writhing in his chest.
Despite being in close quarters with them, having practically worked with them, Ms. Pauling remained sceptical of his abilities.
"I know what I'm doing. I am not…" The words couldn't leave his mouth. He wasn't allowed to say he wasn't a clone to anyone else besides his team.
But he needed to convince her that he was capable. But how? If he said he wasn't a clone, that'd only make her more doubtful. He knew he had to suck it up, play along with her delusion that he was a clone. But he wasn't a clone.
But he needed to play along because if he didn't he might lose this chance at helping his team. His friends and family.
"I am a clone of Medic, Frau Pauling. I have his memories and instincts. I know what I am doing."
An almost vertigo feeling entered him. He felt faint.
Medic despised himself for saying so; he despised having to conform to being a clone of RED Medic; the words were almost like acid on his tongue, and he pushed himself just to get the words out.
Medic hated himself for having to say he was a clone. He wasn't, in any way, shape or form, Medic. He's done everything to disassociate with him, got rid of his accent and name, and has tried everything in his power to be a reliable doctor and not Ludwig Humboldt.
That still wasn't enough. Even now, when it mattered most.
He ignored the stare Scout was giving him.
Fortunately, just saying those words was enough to convince her.
"I guess you're Medic, after all." She relented, and Medic wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel after convincing her he was capable.
"Yes." He didn't want to say anything more than that.
"If you can-"
"When." Medic interjected sternly.
"When you figure something out, get back to me as soon as you can."
Demoman nodded. "Aye, will you be checking in?"
"Unfortunately, no, there's too much to do on my end." She answered, before looking solemn as she pinched her lips into a frown. "Figure it out, but if you guys don't figure out how to get rid of that thing, you're… you'll be fired."
"Before you leave," Medic called out, Ms. Pauling halting and looking at him. "What shut off the water?"
She shook her head in an unsure manner. "I'm not sure, I'm still trying to figure that out. I'll get back to you when I can."
"Couldn't've been a ghost." Scout muttered.
She sighed through her nose aggressively. "Over and out."
Just before the screen flicked off, she muttered. "I really hope you can save them."
As the screen's static waning, silence fell between the three of them.
Medic's ears were filled with that ever so annoying ringing, and he stared dimly at his feet.
He couldn't think of anything else besides that damn word: clone.
Scout was the first to break the tense air.
"Doc, you know it's alright to be a clone-"
Medic stood up unexpectedly, glaring at Scout, who leaned back and winced. He watched as any consolation he had for the older man withered. He wasn't a clone.
"Doc-"
Medic walked past him to the double doors. He'll get information from Demoman in the medical ward. It would be best to heal him if they were going to fight a monster.
"Come. We've got work to do."
End notes:
No more edging. The monster will be revealed in the next chapter! Oh man a lot of stuff happened the last 5 days while writing this. There was a heat wave and my house doesn't have air conditioning, so I was just sweating and being burned alive by the sunbeams through my window. Then the internet was cut off. So while the internet was off, I replayed TF2! Good news, I'm still a soldier main. Bad news, I'm completely shit now and I'm at level 0 again. But hey, at least there's no more bots!
Back to the main topic: sorry for dragging this out, I meant to reveal the monster in this chapter, but then I realised that just telling you guys what happened wouldn't be as effective as showing. So expect a spooky~ monster next chapter! Ooh~