As promised, the first of a series of brief, follow-up stories that happen after Reunion. The more stories there are, the closer to the present they'll get, until I eventually end up in the present day. For those of you who haven't read Reunion, it's here: http://tf2chan.net/fanfic/res/204.html ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The camper van pulled up outside of Sniper’s home, and lurched to a stop. As Sniper stepped out of the carriage, he looked for any sign of his dog. He whistled. “Mattie!†he cried out, bringing his hand to his mouth. “C’mere girl!†Demoman sat in the passenger’s seat and watched. It had been a long, long drive back to New Mexico, and riding in that van for so long made him feel groggy. As Sniper headed in to his yurt, Demoman opened the door. It’d been a while since the last rest stop they’d made, and his legs were starting to cramp. As he stepped out, he strained his ears for the usual sounds of the welcome party. Normally with the dog and Sniper’s kid around, it’d be much noisier. Sniper entered his home, and his calls for his girlfriend could still be heard. By now, Demoman felt his stomach sink. “Oi, Mundy!†He cried out, walking towards the yurt. “Wot’s goan’ on, lad?†He pulled the thick curtain that served as the door, and peered inside. Sniper was standing in the area that served as their kitchen, back turned away from Demoman and holding something out of view. The dog, Mattie, sat at his feet, looking up and whimpering at him. The rest of the house was empty, and as Demoman’s eye roved over the interior, he noticed that there were missing trunks, toys and furniture. “Wot happened?†Demoman asked, his voice soft. “She’s gone,†Sniper said. His voice trembled. “She left me.†The Scott gave pause, and found his gaze wandering to the beaten dirt floor. “And th’ boy?†Sniper didn’t answer. He lowered his arms and the piece of paper he was holding was now in view. His fingers went limp and it wafted to the floor, and he staggered over to the futon that he and Moonchild had until very recently shared, and sat down. Demoman let himself inside, and picked up the note that was now lying on the floor. I’m sorry, it read. I can no longer live like this. I’m 27 years old and I can’t continue living like I’m a gypsy. I have a son now and I realize that I need to be able to support him, to shelter him in a real house with a man that has a respectable job. For all the money you’ve saved up, I know it wasn’t made honestly. You never told me what you did before we met, after all these years, and I can only assume the worst. I can no longer pretend to be Moonchild anymore. I’m just Samantha, and I’ve always been. I’m taking River with me to my parents’ house. Don’t try to call me. Demoman looked up from the note back to Sniper. The Australian hadn’t moved, and his dog was lying on the futon next to him and letting out sad little whines. “Oh, lad…†Demoman said. “I’m sorry…†“Wot’re you sorry about?†Sniper asked. He shook his head. “Didn’t want to live in a bloody yurt, did all this hippie shit for her…†He stood up and started pacing around the room. “Took my son, our son, couldn’t even tell this t’ me face…†He knocked over a set of crockery from atop a wooden cabinet, sending it clattering to the floor. The dog perked her head up, startled, and stared at her master. “If there’s anythin’ I can do…†Demoman started, but trailed off when Sniper looked up to meet his gaze. Sniper prowled his abode, his face turning red and his nostrils flaring. He swooped down beside the kitchen table, swinging his arm underneath it and flipping it over, sending the tableware flying. The dog stood up and barked, wagging her tail with caution. “Fuck it,†said Sniper. “Fuck it. Fuck her and fuck this place and fuck everything…†He kicked a cracked vase into a wall with a grunt. “Shit!†The dog looked at Demoman, whining with concern. Her eyes shifted from him to her owner, not sure what to do. Demoman too felt unsure of what to do. He looked to right to see a cupboard beside him. Without thinking, he knocked it down with his hand, and sent it clattering to the floor, shattering the glass window. Sniper looked at Demoman in surprise, and then looked down at the cabinet. As he lifted his head back up, he met Demoman with a grin. His friend returned it. They got to work. The handmade wooden chairs and the table were shattered to splinters with Sniper’s kukri, as Demoman went smashing up anything and everything that belonged to his friend’s now ex-girlfriend. Anything that looked flammable was piled into the center of the yurt and coated with a generous dousing of kerosene, which Sniper happened to have in his van. Once anything worth salvaging was well out of range, Demoman allowed Sniper the honor of igniting the kindling. The two of them watched the structure burn from the top of Sniper’s camper, as the dog barked at the flames. She dared not get too close, however, and was satisfied with keeping the fire at bay. Records that belonged to her that Sniper hated were thrown and used as clay pigeons, and exploded into vinyl shards over the desert. When the blaze started to die down, Sniper and Demoman simply watched the fire burn, sitting in silence. “Ye feelin’ better?†Demoman asked. Sniper shrugged. “I guess,†he said with a sigh. “She still took River away from me.†“I know lad,†Demoman replied, patting Sniper on the back. “I know. But I’m here fer ye.†“Thanks, mate,†Sniper mumbled. He stared at the burning remains of his home, and squinted. Demoman stood up beside him, and Sniper looked up. “We’d best git goan’,†said Demoman. “Make a stop by my place before we set out.†“Set out where?†Sniper asked. “New York, a’ course,†said Demoman with a smile. “We need tae find Pyro, remember?†He offered a hand to Sniper. Sniper blinked, and then a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Right,†he said, taking Demoman’s hand. “Let’s go find th’ weird little bugger.†“That’s th’ spirit!†Demoman said, helping Sniper to his feet and clapping him on the back. “C’mon, let’s leave this sorry place.†“I’m with ya,†said Sniper. They climbed down the side of the camper, called for the dog and hopped into the van. They took off, kicking up a cloud of dust behind spinning tires, blowing it towards the smoldering heap. Sniper took one last glance at his former home in the rearview mirror before averting his eyes. Don’t look back, he thought. What’s done is done. She probably didn’t look back either. But River probably did. He shook his head, turned on the radio, and drove off towards Demoman’s house. “You burned your house down.†“Yeah,†Sniper repeated, averting his eyes from the cold, icy blue ones of Ilse. “Feel better now, though.†“You can’t even collect insurance on zat ugly little thing,†Ilse huffed, as she poured Sniper a cup of tea. “Seems like a waste of a perfectly good arson. It vas not even a proper house.†Demoman laughed. “Jus’ like ye, Ilse, tae put it like that.†Ilse sniffed. “It’s habit,†she said, pouring her boyfriend some tea. “Money is important. When you grow up wizzout any, you zink about it more.†“Aye, true,†said Demoman, picking up his teacup. “But it weren’t about th’ money. It wos aboot feelin’.†“I figured it would be somezing as irrational as zat,†she said, sitting down on the loveseat. Two terriers hopped up to flock her on either side; a black Scottish terrier and a white West Highland, and lay down next to her. “Feelings don’t pay bills, dear. And where are you going to live now, Herr Mundy, hmm?†She looked at Sniper, her expression stern. “I’ve lived out of me van before,†Sniper said with a shrug. “Roughed it in th’ outback. I’ll be fine.†He took a sip of his tea. “And you are just going to live out of your van like a bum for ze rest of your life?†Ilse asked. She shook her head. “You ah fah too old to live like zat. Buy yourself a proper house already.†“I don’t like bein’ chained down,†Sniper said. “S’why th’ yurt seemed like a good idea, ya know? Not really a permanent house.†Ilse rolled her eyes. “Viz an attitude like zat, no vonder she left you.†“Hey, hey, hey!†Sniper said, sitting up straight. “I did the yurt thing for her! It was her bright idea!†“Lay off ‘im, luv,†said Demoman, as he put a hand on Ilse’s shoulder. “He’s had enough of a hard time without you lecturin’ ‘im.†“Very vell,†Isle huffed, relaxing at Demoman’s touch. “All I am saying, Herr Mundy, is zat you can do so much bettah for yourself. If you had, you would not be in zis situation right now.†“Well, it’s a bit too late fer that, now innit?†Sniper asked, slumping into his chair. “Might as well try an’ figure out where t’ go from here.†“And what is it you plan to do now, zen?†Ilse asked. “Well,†said Sniper, “I wos thinkin’ I’d head up t’ New York with Tavish t’ find Pyro.†Ilse seemed to be frozen for a moment. The two dogs beside her cocked their heads and looked at her with concern, and she turned to her beaux and stared at him. “And vhen vere you planning on telling me about zis?†“Wos gonna right after we were done chattin’ aboot Sniper,†said Demoman, his tone casual. “Pyro is all alone up there, walkin’ th’ streets an’ without a home… We only jes’ found out when we were at Engineer’s place.†He gave his wife a look, arching his brow softly and giving her an expression not unlike a puppy left out in the rain. “I cannae leave ‘im like that, luv.†“And you ah just going to leave me alone here again.†Ilse frowned. “You kin come if ye want,†Demoman assured her. “You know very well I cannot cancel my patient’s appointments on such short notice,†Ilse sighed. “I have an obligation to zem, after all.†“‘Course,†said Demoman, and took a sip of his tea. “We got an obligation tae Pyro.†“I’m not stopping you from leaving,†Ilse said, and scratched one of her dogs behind the ears. “I simply wish you could have given me some more advance notice.†“I would’ve if I could’ve, luv,†said Demoman, placing a hand upon her knee. “So, I assume you vill be flying into New York, zen?†she said. “Certainly you weren’t zinking of somezing like, say, driving zat van all ze way zhere and wasting precious time doing some sort of ‘bonding’ or vhatevah.†Demoman’s complexion paled slightly. “A’ course not, luv,†he said. “Wosn’t thinkin’ anything like that at all.†Sniper gave Demoman an odd look. “Good,†said Ilse. “I know how partial you ah to such distractions. I vould appreciate it if you were not gone too long, if you can help it. I do get lonely.†Demoman cleared his throat, and squirmed a bit. “S’wot I got ye th’ dogs for.†“I do like human company now and again as vell, love,†she said, and stroked the Scottish Terrier. “I miss it quite terribly when you are away.†“Right,†Demoman said, his voice going quiet. “Well, ye donnae hafta worry, I won’t be long.†“Zank you, dahling,†Ilse leaned over and kissed Demoman on the cheek. “You ah so considerate.†Her boyfriend gave her a smile and a kiss on the cheek. “An’ yer a right goddess fer puttin’ up with me, luv,†he said. “You should probably go book your flight,†she said. “I suspect you will probably vant to head out early.†“I’ll do that right now,†he said, and got up off the couch. “Back in a minute, luv.†He headed off to the kitchen to use the telephone, leaving Sniper and Ilse alone. Ilse had watched Demoman leave, and as soon as he was out of sight her gaze rested uncomfortably onto Sniper, who was sitting across from her. “I worry about him, you know,†she said. “I know ya do,†said Sniper, shifting in his chair a bit. He found his gaze wandering to the coffee table. “I want you to keep an eye on him,†she said. “Make sure he doesn’t do anyzing to get himself arrested. I know you cannot stop him from drinking…†“I wish I could,†Sniper mumbled. His eyes rolled back up to look at her, his expression doleful. “It’s an addiction,†she said. “But I’m counting on you to make sure he doesn’t do anything too stupid. Zat’s all I can ask for.†She stroked the head of one of her dogs as it snuggled against her thigh. “You’ve done a sufficient job so far.†“Thank you, ma’am,†Sniper said, and sat upright, straightening his back and holding his head up. “I try t’ do th’ best I can.†“Zank you,†said Ilse. “I’m sorry I have to put zis much of a burden on you…†Sniper gave a dismissive wave. “Eh, it’s fine. He’s me mate. Mates look out fer each other.†He gave her a smile. She returned it with a smirk. “And what will you do wiz your dog, I vonder,†she said, looking at the border collie lying obediently at his feet. Matilda lifted her head and wagged her tail. “Take her with us?†Sniper said with a shrug. He looked down at the dog. “I don’t wanna hafta leave Mattie in a shelter or somethin’, but if I can’t take her with me, I guess’ll have to…†Ilse let out a whistle, causing all of the dogs in the room to look at her, ears perked up and at attention. Matilda then got up off the floor and walked over to her, putting her head in the woman’s lap and allowing Ilse to pet her head. “She’s a beautiful animal,†said Ilse, lifting the dog’s head to scratch under her chin. “You get her from a breeder?†“Friend of a friend’s dog had puppies,†Sniper said. “You like her?†“I’m fond of dogs,†said Ilse. “I usually prefer smaller ones, but herding dogs like zis… zey are very intelligent. Very loyal. She is well behaved?†“Yeah,†said Sniper with a nod. “I got her well trained. Very smart. Loves people.†Ilse lifted her gaze from the dog and met Sniper’s eyes. “Herr Mundy,†she said, “I hope you are able to find your missing friend. I have lost many friends that I wished I could have gone back to help, but could not. I hope you find them, and maybe on ze vay you figure out what to do viz yourself.†She leaned over and reached her hand over to Sniper’s own hand, which had been resting on his knee. She gave it a firm squeeze, and smiled. “We’ll find ‘em,†said Sniper, giving her a soft smile. “Count on it.†“I will,†she said. “Don’t vorry about your Mattie. I’m sure she’ll be no trouble.†Sniper smiled wider. “Thank you, ma’am.â€
Gah, so much love. Saw announcement for new fic, got all excited, and now I remain excited for more...
Dear Ms. Cat Bountry, I love you. I love your work. May I meet you some day and perhaps kiss you on your hand? Sincerely, ... Well, Anonymous
A sequel to reuinion? Seriously? Is it my birthday? This is wonderful so far and I am looking so forward to what you do with it you have no idea, I love your writing and just...everything is amazing. You're amazing, gah.
I was worried that poor Pyro would stay lost forever! And it's off to a great start, too. Nice to see Medic-ex-wife being portrayed in a positive light.
Really enjoyed this, to be honest. I was expecting something to happen between Sniper and Samantha considering that in Reunion, it was obvious their relationship was falling apart(if not already gone). I still wasn't expecting this to happen, though. But... how come Sniper's just accepting the loss of River? He doesn't say or imply anything that would indicate he's going to get him back, which kinda strikes me as strange, because the parents I know would fight tooth and nail for their kids. It's bugging me, to be honest. Oh, and I liked Ilse here: “Certainly you weren’t zinking of somezing like, say, driving zat van all ze way zhere and wasting precious time doing some sort of ‘bonding’ or vhatevah.†Also, Samantha deserves to get whacked over the head. Thank you for writing this!
>>6 implying that's totally out of the question to happen at some point.
Yay! More to the story! I dunno, I think Sniper and Moonchild were both kinda pretending, maybe they could get back together and fall in love again if they start being themselves. Especally hippie-girl. Maybe I just like happy endings. (Also I think River is a cute name!)
You know what? I would be devastated about my son's loss, and most people would. However, Sniper is not just 'most people'. I think he's devastated, but can't really communicate it well through anything other than destroying what was his almost-house. Either that, or the reality won't strike him until a lonely night staring at a picture of him out fishing with his son. Either way, it's so sad... And at first I was like "Ilse is kind of a bitch" and then I was like "oh, nevermind, she's just a realist." Cat, I am sosososoosososososoooo glad that you decided to continue. You've developed quite a bite of a good story, haven't you!
Erm, I don't really think so. IMO, Reunion showed two people who didn't love each other much anymore. Samantha's lost her optimism... I think they've changed too much to actually love each other now. Eh, she's a realist, yes. She's also a realist that didn't bother to talk over these issues with Sniper (though he is guilty there as well), and decided that his feelings don't matter at all, as shown by taking their son and strongly implying Sniper is never going to see him again. @Cat Bountry So does that mean that in the future chapters, the possibility of him getting his son back will be implied to be completely out of the question? Because even though I'm going to sound like a complete idiot, your phrasing kinda threw me for a loop.
Open mouth, insert foot. I somehow thought you were talking about Moonchild, not Ilse.
>>10 It's implying implications. It's sarcasm. I forget sometimes not everybody came here from /v/.
Wow, I kind of wrote up part two of this pretty fast. Probably because of who this chapter's about and the chapter's subject matter. For those of you who miss my more fucked up fic about goofy FPS characters in a hat simulator, then I hope this part won't disappoint. Have fun. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It had been a long, long drive back up to Minnesota, and Soldier felt exhausted. He trudged up the apartment stairs, up to his room. Taking the doorknob in one hand, he pushed the key in to unlock the door only to notice that the door was already unlocked. He scowled. There were two other people that had the keys to Soldier’s apartment. One was the landlady. The other… He opened the door and stepped inside, bracing himself. His shoulders tensed and he could feel a sinking lead weight deep in his guts. A few paces in and he turned his head to see an older, muscular man sitting on the couch and reading a newspaper. My couch, Soldier thought. Reading my newspaper. In my apartment. That son of a bitch. The man looked up and grinned. “Jane, there you are!†he exclaimed. “You certainly took your time coming back, didn’t you.†“Hello, Johnny,†Soldier’s voice fell flat. He sneered at his older brother. “Why are you here?†“I was dropping off your allowance for the week,†Johnny said, his voice tinged with false innocence as he looked at Soldier, hurt. “Also I wanted to check up on you. It’s been a while so long since we last talked.†“Two months,†Soldier said, setting down his bag and walking into the kitchen. “Too soon.†Johnny let out a hearty laugh, and got up from the couch. “Curt as ever, aren’t you?†He teased, and strode over to the frame of the kitchen entrance. “Aren’t you going to tell me how your little get-together went, or what?†He leaned on the frame with his elbow, watching as Soldier opened the fridge. “Went fine,†said Soldier, taking out a carton of orange juice. “It’s none of your business.†“Oh, don’t be like that, Jane,†said Johnny. “You can’t just shut yourself off to your family like that. It’s not healthy. The doctors said you need to learn to be more open.†Johnny smirked as he said this. “You don’t want to go against doctors’ orders, do you?†Soldier stopped shaking his orange juice carton and turned to glare at Johnny. “As a matter of fact,†he said, popping the top open, “I had a bit of a discussion down there with the Engineer.†The smirk on Johnny’s face vanished, and his bright blue eyes narrowed, turning his gaze as cold and as frigid as a glacier. “Oh?†It was Soldier’s turn to be smug. He put the carton to his lips and threw his head back, taking a long swig. He finished the carton off, crushed it with one hand and wiped his mouth with the back of his arm. “Yeah,†he said. “About moving.†Johnny let out a soft laugh. “Who’s moving?†he asked. “Not you.†“Yes, me,†said Soldier. “He invited me to live with him. On his ranch. In Texas.†“And whose idea was that?†Johnny scoffed. “Yours?†“His,†said Soldier, point the crushed cardboard at his brother, “because I told him about you. And he’s my friend, and he cares about me, unlike you.†“Don’t be stupid, Jane,†said Johnny. “You don’t have any friends. I’m the only one that can stand you. You must’ve threatened him into it.†“I DID NO SUCH THING!†Soldier threw the carton to the ground at Johnny’s feet. “Those men I fought with are my friends. No, they’re my family. They’re more of brothers than you’ve ever been!†He stared Johnny down, his jaw clenched and his stance firm. Johnny was slightly taller than him, and though he had developed a paunch in his years of retirement, he still had arms like coiled pythons and years of army training and combat under his belt, not to mention that he had bested Soldier in physical combat before. Soldier stood his ground, though. He wasn’t going to be intimidated this time. “Oh, Jane…†Johnny shook his head. “They may have put up with you, but they’ll never care about you like I do.†He pushed himself off the entrance frame and stood up straight. “If that engineer had to live with you, he’d hate you. Nobody can stand being around you too long. That’s why Mother left.†“Shut up!†Soldier barked. “You’re lying! You always lie! You goddamned snake, you’re trying to trick me!†He resisted the urge to lunge at his brother, keeping his feet firmly planted in place. “You just say I’m lying because you don’t like to hear the truth,†said Johnny, taking obvious relish in Soldier’s reaction. “You’re stubborn and you lie to yourself, Jane. You lie to yourself and then you lie to everybody else.†“That’s not true!†Soldier hollered, his hands now balled into tightly clenched fists. “You’re the liar! You’ve always been the liar and if you don’t march your keister out of my house, right now, I’ll-†“You’ll what?†Johnny interrupted. “Hurt me? You know what would happen if you did that, don’t you, Jane?†Soldier cracked his knuckles with his thumb and stared at his brother, his eyes alight with pure hate; he looked as though he were trying to kill the man with his mind. “Leave,†Soldier said. “Now.†“This… ‘friend’ of yours,†Johnny went on, completely ignoring his brother’s command, “the Engineer. You worked with him for two years on that… RED business, right?†“Yes,†said Soldier, not taking his eyes off Johnny. “I did.†“And he still invited you to stay with him.†Johnny shook his head and smiled. “I’d think I’d like to have a little talk with this man… if you don’t mind.†“I don’t mind,†said Soldier. “He’s not going to believe anything you say to him.†“We’ll see about that,†said Johnny, walking into the kitchen. Soldier’s feet were planted in place, and his head turned to follow his brother make his way to the cupboard. “So, this fella have a wife, or…?†“He’s a widower,†said Soldier, watching as his brother took out a glass. “Has a teenage daughter.†“Was she pretty?†Johnny asked, turning around to look Soldier in the eye. “Uh…†Soldier stammered, shifting his weight a bit. “I… I guess so. Looked a lot like her mother.†“I thought you said her mother was dead.†“I saw pictures.†“I see,†Johnny turned to the sink, turned on the faucet and filled the glass, not saying a word as he did this. Soldier was still as tense as ever, and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand. Finally, Johnny turned around, and took a casual sip from his glass. “Well, that figures,†Johnny said with a shrug. “What figures?†Soldier asked, sneering. “Oh, nothing,†Johnny slid past Soldier, just barely touching the man and causing Soldier to bristle like a spooked cat. “It’s just interesting… you wanting to move in with a man, not even paying any attention to his pretty young daughter…†Soldier’s face flushed bright red, and he started to tremble. “Shut up.†“Best two years of your life were in the company of eight other men…†“So did-†“Never once courted a woman…†“I don’t-†“Name’s Jane.†“SHUT UP!†Soldier hollered, stamping his foot. “THAT’S NOT MY FAULT! I’M NOT QUEER! NEVER! YOU HEAR ME! IT’S YOU!†He pointed a finger at his brother. “YOU ARE, YOU… YOU BUTTFUCKING FAGGOT!†“Don’t be stupid.†Johnny was nonplussed by this accusation. “I’m married and have children. I’m a decorated veteran. I even recycle. I’m a model citizen.†“You’re a pervert,†Soldier snarled. “And who would believe you?†Johnny asked. “You see things and hear voices. You talk to inanimate objects, like your little plastic shovel.†He watched as Soldier felt his back pocket for Shovel Jr. “You’re a sick boy, Jane. Nobody would believe you if you said that the sky is blue.†Soldier muttered under his breath. “Engineer would believe me.†“What was that?†Johnny closed in on his brother, starting to circle him like a hungry jungle cat. “What did you say?†Suddenly Soldier found himself at a loss for a comeback. He felt his limbs go stiff, his muscles contract and tense, and he felt unlike a petrified tree as his brother brushed up against him. “I said…†Johnny leaned in close, his lips barely touching Soldier’s ear, “what. Did. You. Say?†Again, he said nothing in response. Soldier had faced down Nazi soldiers, he had killed bears, he had stared down rockets, he had charged head-first into flamethrowers and he had stuffed his own guts back into his stomach, but all of that was nothing to the terror he felt as his older brother breathed onto his neck. “I didn’t say anything,†Soldier said. “That’s what I thought.†Johnny was now in front of Soldier, slowly backing him up against the fridge. He looked down as Soldier bumped against the refrigerator door, and sprawled out against it, as though he were trying to become a part of it. He looked his younger brother up and down, and pressed his hand against the side of Soldier’s neck. “You should be thanking me, you know,†he said, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper. “I’ve done so much for you and I never get any thanks for it. I tried so hard, so very, very hard to make you a man, Jane. To get all the sissy out of you.†Soldier nodded his head silently, looking far too eager to agree with him. He couldn’t help but feel a bit sick. “I don’t know if it’s worked, though.†Johnny’s hand slid to Soldier’s throat, and he applied just enough pressure to make Soldier uncomfortable, make him squirm. “I don’t know, though. Sometimes I think you try too damn hard. Sometimes I think you try to overcompensate, like it doesn’t come natural. Like you’re making up for all the dresses Mother made you wear, making up for you having a girl’s name…†At this point Soldier was trying to keep from gasping for air as more pressure was applied to his trachea. He wanted so desperately to punch Johnny, pummel his face into the floor. If it had been any other man that tried this on him, they would have been beaten to a fine pulp long before this point. But this was different. This was Johnny, the one man who knew him better than any other man alive. And this knowledge terrified him. “You know what I think? I think you’re still just a pussy faggot.†Johnny was grinning wide now. “Are you a pussy faggot, Jane?†Jane shook his head violently. “Sir, no, sir,†he croaked. “You sure?†Johnny asked, drawing out the last word in a sing-song voice. “Sir, yes, sir,†Jane choked, barely able to speak. “Because I think you’re lying to me,†Johnny said, eyes narrowed. “I think you’re a pussy faggot. I think you might even have a pussy. Are you a woman, Jane?†“Sir, no sir!†“You have a pussy, Jane?†“Sir, no sir!†Johnny pressed his chest against Jane’s and his hand swung into Jane’s crotch, grabbing hold of his balls and squeezing them. Soldier let out a high-pitched wheeze, and he felt his legs turn to jelly and his stomach go weak. Yellow and blue spots blotted his vision. He wanted to puke. “Don’t fuck with me,†Johnny whispered into Jane’s ear. “You think you can run away from me? Fuck off to Texas? Dump yourself on some poor egghead that feels sorry for you? Well, you think wrong. Just like when you thought you could kill me. Does he know about that?†Jane nodded. “He does?†Johnny said, his eyebrows arched in surprise. “Well then… I’d like to meet him. I’m sure we’d have quite an interesting discussion, don’t you agree, Jane?†Again, Soldier nodded in a hasty, almost cartoonish fashion, trying his damndest not to squirm too much. Johnny finally released his vice grip on Soldier’s balls, and Soldier collapsed to his knees and dry heaved. Johnny turned and walked to the door, but before he opened it, he looked back at his brother. “Your allowance is on your dresser. And clean this place up. It’s a dump.†With that, he opened the door and walked out, shutting it quietly behind him. Soldier rolled onto his side and let out a low moan. He laid on the floor for a few minutes, trying to recover just enough to stand up. Eventually, he dragged himself upright and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. Bowlegged, he made his way to the ratty, musty couch in his living room, pulled his pants down and put the ice over his aching balls. You should tell Engineer, a little voice in his pants pocket said. He’ll help you. “Don’t be ridiculous,†Soldier grumbled. “Even if he did believe me… I can’t tell him. I can’t tell him about… about this.†Maybe you should think about it, Shovel Jr. said. He wants to help you. He wants you to get better. Johnny’s just making everything worse. “You don’t think I know that?†Soldier snapped. “Look at me!†We need to get away from Johnny, one way or the other, said Shovel Jr. When you feel better we should give him a call. Set up the teleporter. Have him come here. “Here?†Soldier looked around the room. Newspaper clippings were tacked up on the cracked walls, an American flag was hung over an ancient 20 year old television set, stacks of soup crates and empty take-out boxes were shoved against the wall. There was a pile of yellowing newspapers against the couch and copies of Guns and Haircuts placed in places that only would have made sense to Soldier himself. The shades on the windows were drawn but bent out of place and twisted, so light leaked through onto the floor in odd patterns and illuminated the dust that circulated in the air. The apartment itself smelled like cigar butts and old leftovers. He won’t have to stay here long. We can get him to help. Maybe help you stand up to Johnny. You’re going to need a team to stand up to a bully like that. “You really think so, Junior?†Soldier said, looking at the plastic beach shovel sitting in his discarded pants. I believe in you, Jane,, Shovel Jr. chirped. Take your medicine before you call Engineer. Together we can take that big bully down a peg. Soldier leaned over to pick up the toy shovel from his pocket, and clutched it to his chest. He took long, deep breaths and rocked back and forth as he cradled the toy. In his mind, he was nine years old again, hiding in the old barn that used to be his safe place so many years ago. He thought about the last time he had cried, in that barn as a boy and sprawled out on the hay, clutching straws in his fists and screaming. He promised himself that he’d never cry again. It’d been 45 years since he promised that to himself and 45 years he’d kept it. He was going to make sure that son of a bitch would never even try to make him cry again. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In Bee Cave, Texas, a telephone rang. Rosie stopped doing her homework, got up off her bed and walked to the kitchen to answer it. “Conagher residence,†she answered. “Rosie?†a gruff voice on the other line asked. “Is your father in?†“Yeah, daddy’s in the garage,†said Rosie, turning to look out the screen door. “Who is this?†“It’s his friends, uh… Soldier. Sir. Jane. Listen, I need to talk with him. It’s… it’s important. Real important.â€
I've never wanted to hug Soldier more than I do now. Knowing you, I'll want to hug him even more as this goes on, won't I?
So Johnny turns out to be a complete bastard and possibly a pedophile. Also a sadist. Big surprise, considering what info was given in Reunion. "I'm married and have children." Since when has that ever been proof of somebody's sexuality, Johnny? In anycase, I really enjoyed reading this (and feeling really, really sorry for Soldier) and imagining Engineer building a level 3 Sentry which only has one target. Guess who.
Holy...I'm now tacked to my computer, awaiting the next chapter. Love how you write so well! The scene with Soldier talking to his plastic shovel was absolute brilliance. I'll be anxiously awaiting the next part. You've just made my day.
I was actually properly whimpering as I read this, you sexy bastard.
Poor Jane, no wonder he's so messed up!
You never dissapoint. I personally love Shovel Jr. and really sympathize with Jane. I hope it all works out all right. I hope we'll get to see Heavy and Medic.
Also, if you've read Respawn of the Dead and that one Companion Tale (forgot name), compare Shovel to Shovel Jr. The parallels speak to me. Not literally, I don't hear voices from fanfiction.
>>20 I wrote both of those. That'd be why.
I love Shovel Jr. with a love that puts other loves to shame. And I have never been more compelled to cuddle Solly.
No, I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to other readers. Sorry. Love your Pinkie Pie face. Don't stop making it. But I was talking to other readers. GEEZ, not everything is about YOU!
Please read that as sarcasm.
>>23 >>24 Doh ho ho ho ho.
I'll have you know that I read all of your tf2 fanfiction in a systematic manner and legitimately enjoyed all of them. Even Surrogate. Except the end.
...this chapter pulls my heartstrings in ways that I cannot even begin to describe. My mind is running rampant with all the things that could happen, good or bad, when Johnny and Engineer have their "chat." I will readily admit, though, that my favorite mental scenario involves the whole team there and backing Engineer, unlikely as that is with how busy they each are with their own lives. I also love Shovel Jr. a lot, especially how he's giving Soldier advice that's helpful and good, telling him that he'll need help standing up to Johnny and that Engineer wants to help him. And telling him to take his medicine! That part tickled me a bit. I'm desperately curious as to what road lies ahead for him...and of course, the rest of the team as well. tl;dr I love this fic and its predecessor quite a lot, and can't wait for more.
Genuinely upset and worried for Soldier. On another note I'm adding Shovel Jr. to my list of inspirational hero's. LOL.
I was hanging out naked and reading, like I usually do. Halfway through Jane's interaction with his brother, I had to go put some clothes on.
I got choked up at Sniper's wife leaving him, trust me, but it was Jane dealing with that nasty brother of his that made me not only burst into tears, but made my insides clench up in icy hot RAGE. No one, and I mean NO ONE, makes my Soldier cry! Not EVER! I don't care if this Johnny is 6ft2 400 lbs and I'm barely 5ft7 125lbs, bone is bone and a shotgun is a shotgun and I'm pretty DAMN sure that that jerkface son of a bastard whore isn't Superman. ... Sorry, sorry, that was way too emotional, even for me. Bullies really, REALLY piss me the hell off.
>>29 This You're really good at making people hate characters with abandon. That being said, Johnny is now my least favorite fictional person in existence. All the while through the dialogue, I was kinda wishing Jane would just shoot him and teleport back to Engineer's and live happily ever after.
Hi Cat Bountry, I’m leaving this comment here where hopefully you’ll see it, even though it’s a comment on all of your fics and not just this one. Yesterday was the first time I ventured outside of /afanfic/, when I stumbled on a link to your fic ‘Respawn of the Dead’ on TV Tropes and decided to give it a go. Four hours later, at 2 AM on a weekday, eyes stinging and screen blurring, I’d read everything you’ve posted to Dotchan and here, and I can’t believe I’ve been missing out for so long! Your style is very different from my own, centred on and carried by dialogue instead of description – there are almost no adjectives in your fics, no descriptive metaphors or point-of-view commentary, and the omniscient narration prevents you from committing to a character, diving into their head and watching the story unfold from behind their eyes, feeling what they’re feeling. This usually makes for boring reading, and would here too if you weren’t so incredibly adept at constructing the supporting dialogue. And you are. You write the best dialogue I can remember reading, nailing that natural flow of a conversation, the eddies and flurries that make your stories perfectly realistic. In ‘Reunion’ I got the impression that you had simply placed a microphone on the table between the characters and recorded their actual conversation, then transcribed it verbatim with a few action fill-words. I’d expect it to be boring as hell, but it turned out to be the most captivating dramatic story I’ve ever read. Before reading ‘Reunion’ I would have scoffed at the idea of a dramatic TF2 fanfic taking place solely around a dinner table with nothing happening but the characters talking. Hell, even just ‘dramatic TF2 fanfic’ seems like a yawn-inducing concept. But you managed to pull it off in a way that kept me glued to the screen, and I have to take those words back. Dramatic TF2 is possible; for you, not only possible, but simply amazing. And why so amazing? Because you have a perfect sense for characterisation. Your headcannon for these characters is very different from mine, not at all how I picture them in my head, but the way you write them so amazingly three-dimensionally, full of flaws and hurt and pain and ugliness, but still human – sometimes barely human after what they’ve suffered, but broken cringingly realistically – got to me in a way I haven’t experienced with other fanfics and rarely with published books. There are good stories and touching stories and sad stories, and then there are the stories that dig in like splinters under a nail and won’t let you go, the kind that get under your skin and make the hairs stand up on your arms, make you wince in sympathy with the characters and feel faintly sick, make you want to stop reading but you can’t. You write like this. Both ‘Respawn of the Dead’ and ‘Reuion’ stuck in my head after I turned off the computer, haunted me as I tried to sleep, nagged at the back of my mind all morning and now at work. I just can’t let them go. This is not ‘good writing’. This is fucking brilliant. This comment got way more tl;dr than I’d intended, but then your authorship deserves so much more than just another ‘MOAR’. If you made it this far, I have a last question for you, since it’s something that’s been bugging me since reading ‘Reunion’ yesterday this morning: In the very last part, the morning after the actual reunion, I thought Rosie’s introspective paragraph was hinting at her and Sniper having spend the night together – am I reading that right? I think I read that paragraph ten times, wondering if my ESL was making me misinterpret this sentence: â€She wasn’t sure if she could look him in the eye again, after last night.†And if I am not misreading that, will this dramatic twist be touched on in ‘Afterwards’? Dun dun DUN. God, I can’t wait to read the next chapter. I’ll just sit here and casually refresh the page every single fucking minute. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with everyone here at the chan, and please, if I may be so bold, please NEVER STOP WRITING! (I will now, though. Sorry for wordspam.)
>>32 Wow, this sure is pretty flattering. I was kind of worried Reunion might not have made the same impact as some of my more grimdark fics. Thank you for your kind words. As for your question, Sniper didn't spend the night with Rosie, he slept in the living room on the floor. The "last night" referred to their conversation when he was in Rosie's bedroom and things got awkward.
>>33 You’re very welcome. I enjoy grimdark as much as anyone – I think that’s why ‘Reunion’ made such a lasting impression on me: it’s a type of fic I don’t usually read, but it caught me right from the start and swept me up, and I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed it. Your writing style is perfect for this kind of fiction and, as I’ve already mentioned, you have a true talent for composing dialogue. Everything your characters are and think is right there in their conversations, speaking to the reader directly without an intervening narrative. It’s a very powerful and direct form of communication between me as a reader and your characters, and the way you let them speak for themselves is masterly handled and not something I’m used to seeing in fanfiction. Well done! As for the interactions between Rosie and Sniper in ‘Reunion’, I guess my foreigner’s grasp of English did get in the way of me there. That paragraph, and the lines before it, would have been a perfectly sneaky way of inserting even more dramatic tension into the story and making for a big reveal in ‘Afterwards’, and with the way Rosie reacted, it seemed to me that there could have happened something between them off-screen, just hinted at. Maybe I’m just getting paranoid from reading all this drama. With how flawed your characters are, it wouldn’t have surprised me if it turned out that Sniper had reacted to Rosie’s naïve infatuation and his own growing frustration with his girlfriend and suppressed desire for someone youthfully spirited and full of life by going to her during the night, perhaps sleepless from thoughts of the day’s event and just needing someone to talk to, and without meaning to having seduced her into sleeping with him – only to realise the next morning how fucked-up it is to return an old friend’s generous hospitality by sleeping with his teenage daughter. His guilty feelings towards Rosie, Engineer and Moonchild/Samantha would have been why he’s acting all awkward and not meeting anyone’s eyes at the breakfast table, just looking into his cup and trying to hint at Rosie without saying it outright that it was a one-time mistake. And Rosie’s reaction the next morning, hopeful and embarrassed and for the love of god daddy can’t know about this EVER, just seemed to add to the suggestion that, well, something happened between them. Ah well, I apologise for reading too much into your stories – it made for a good brainfuck in any case. Thank you for your reply and explanation; I’m eagerly awaiting more from you – grimdark or drama or poetry, I’m not picky!
>>34 I'm not quite that cruel.
Um, yes you are. But I never thought about what other Anon said before about that breakfast part. Please, pllleeaaaase tell me Rosie gave Sniper a blow job or he fingered her or something like that. Sniper wouldn't have full out sex with a teenager, but I could totally see her getting all over him in his sleepy state and him kinda allowing it to happen. Only to realize when it was over that he was like "Oh shit...".
>>36 Um... no. God no. That never happened please don't suggest that again.
>>36 Congrats, TeaCup, you just grossed out the person who wrote a fic where Heavy gives birth to and then eats a baby.
>>32 Psh. (S)he thinks (s)he's Cat Bountry's biggest fan. No. IT WAS ME ALL ALONG! It was me.
At first I was like Awww...and then I was like woo! I must be talented. Yeah I guess that's a BIT too much, even for Sniper. Well, I'm still interested about the night in question between these two.
Anon 32 and 34 here. Woah, I’m sorry if you found my question inappropriate, Cat Bountry! I didn’t mean to gross you out. I was reading the end of ‘Reunion’ at 2 AM, and between my exhausted brain and second-hand understanding of English (and the fact that you obviously enjoy fucking with your readers’ emotions and evoking the whole spectrum every few paragraphs, raising our hopes and crushing them again and making us cringe and laugh and smile and cry over and over) I really wasn’t sure what had happened off-screen. I read that paragraph and kept thinking, ’fuck, does she mean what I think she means? Did they...? What...? Argh!’, and I actually got genuinely upset because I’d come to care so much for these characters, and it would be soooo, soooo bad for so many reasons if something like that had happened between Rosie and Sniper. And after reading your fics, I have to agree with TeaCup: you could be that cruel, just to fuck with us. That’s why I had to ask you, because not knowing if I had read that right kept upsetting me when I thought about it (and as I said, your stories do stick in the mind for a long time). It broke my brain and broke my heart – which is actually quite impressive; I don’t usually experience this kind of powerful emotional reaction to fiction. So I was actually glad that I got that one wrong. Then TeaCup came along and broke my brain all over again. But hell, we’re TF2chan – corruption of the innocent is what we do, right? And it doesn’t get much more oh god no than this, so now I kind of want to read it just to pick at that sick feeling I got when I thought they’d slept together. It’s like picking at a scab. Oh well, I apologise for my misreading – I’ll just hang my head in shame and go back over to /afanfic/ the pit of depravity where I obviously belong. I’d still totally read it, though. Hell, I’d even write it now if I didn’t think you’d ban me for it... The chan has destroyed what was once a decent human being here. Sorry.
I think this story is in fanfic and not afanfic for a reason...
F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 F5
What's that, Cat Bountry? Whip out every stereotype you know about 1970's New York? GOOD IDEA! Here's the next part. Weh. ________________________________________________________________ Sniper was lying in bed, still wide awake. The size of Demoman’s house was generous to say the least, and they had an extra room to let Sniper sleep in. Sniper was certainly grateful for that. Most of the evening had been spent discussing their plans for the next few days, and now that Sniper was in bed, alone with his thoughts, the realization of being dumped sank in. No, he wasn’t “dumped.†“Dumped†was a term you used when your high school sweetheart decided that she’d rather go for the barrel-chested rugby player than the gangly kid who couldn’t even grow a proper mustache. This felt closer to the divorce with his first wife, without the dragging out with lawyers and paperwork and judges. But his first wife never had a child with him. When she took the house and the furniture, it wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was as though the shackles that kept him chained to her were broken, and he was free. There was a similar feeling of that now, being free from a loveless relationship with a woman that he felt he had nothing in common with, but it was drowned out by one pervasive, reoccurring thought. She took River. He rolled onto his side. That was the lowest blow she could have possibly dealt him. That boy was the reason he’d stuck with her so long, and he suspected that she knew that. When he was born, and Sniper had first held that child in his arms, he’d promised himself that he would be a better father than his own; that he would be supportive of him, love him and make him feel wanted. He didn’t want River to resent him the way he resented his dad. Now Moonchild… no, Samantha, had gone and fucked that all up. Thinking of the boy’s laugh, his smile, the way he jumped into Sniper’s outstretched arms whenever he came home… it made Sniper’s throat tighten. His fists balled up handfuls of sheets. She wasn’t going to get away with this, he resolved. She wasn’t going to take away the one thing that made him happiest, the one thing that he was proud of. He was going to get the boy back… somehow. Once they’d rescued Pyro, Sniper promised himself that he’d go and get River back. Giving Moonchild a few days, maybe a week to cool off might help. He could track her down, he was pretty sure he remembered the town where her parents lived, though he’d never met them. He didn’t want to lose that boy. With this issue settled in his brain, he began to drift off to sleep. _______________________________________________________________ The plane ride from Albuquerque to New York was a long, dull one. Demoman was lucky enough to sleep through most of it, snoring lightly and occasionally mumbling in his slumber, while Sniper found himself bored to tears and wishing he had brought a book. At least he had a window seat, and he could stare over the clouds and let himself daydream. By the time the touched down at JFK International, Sniper was feeling restless. The sky over Queens was dull and grey, and as the two of them left the terminal they could hear announcements of flights being delayed and groans of disappointed travelers. As they retrieved their baggage, it was decided that their next destination would be in Manhattan to see a friend of Demoman’s. After that, they could find a hotel, and from there, they’d start their search. The two of them bypassed the car rental station and the swarms of yellow taxi cabs swarming the airport entrance like hundreds of drone bees on honeycomb. “We’ll just take th’ subway,†Demoman insisted. “S’cheaper than a cab.†“Cab’s safer,†Sniper pointed out. Demoman laughed as he swung his luggage over his shoulder. “Wot’s th’ matter then, matey? Aussie from th’ Outback scared of a few punks?†“Say what you want,†said Sniper, “but a crocodile will never shank you for drug money.†This caused Demoman to laugh even harder. Sniper detested the subway. It was crowded, smelly, covered in graffiti and the cops patrolling the cars didn’t provide much of a sense of ease. He clutched his suitcase against his chest, more than aware he very much looked like a tourist. Not that he cared. The longer he was on the train, the more he remembered how much he didn’t care for the city. Demoman was much more relaxed, lounging in his seat and occasionally casting Sniper a glance and a smile. Bastard was enjoying this, Sniper thought. But he had to put up with it. He was doing this for Pyro, after all. The subway cars squealed to a stop as they got off at Rockefeller Center and maneuvered their way through a crowd of slow-moving, slack-jawed tourists. From there, they trekked to the crowded and littered Times Square, alight with advertisements for Coca-Cola and XXX movie theater signs. The tourists made themselves obvious as they gaggled at the colors and lights above their heads as the natives shuffled along, gazing at their feet. Sniper just kept close to Demoman, following his friend as they made their way to a rather nondescript building, nestled between a pawn shop and an adult toy store. Demoman opened the door for Sniper, and they disappeared inside. There was nothing on the first floor, just a bare, naked hallway and a stairwell. Sniper groaned as Demoman climbed them, and they dragged their luggage up the flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs was a hallway lined with doors, each one with opaque glass windows with white lettering marking them. Demoman opened the first door on the left, and walked into the office. The secretary looked up from her desk as Demoman came in. She’d been flipping through a copy of Ebony, obviously bored, but was now alert and at full attention. “Oh! Mr. Degroot…†“Patricia,†Demoman returned with a nod. “Been a while since I’ve seen ye. How’re ye doan, lass?†She smiled. “Oh, same as always, Mr. Degroot, just taking things one day at a time.†“That’s good tae hear, lassie,†said Demoman, flashing her a smile. “Is Stew in?†“Yes, he is,†she leaned over to the intercom on her desk and pressed the call button. “Mister Jackson, Tavish Degroot is here to see you.†“Tavish?†The voice on the intercom asked. “What’re you waitin’ for, girl, send him on in!†“Go right on ahead,†Patricia said, gesturing to the office door. Sniper dropped his luggage by the wall and followed Demoman as his friend went in. The office was somewhat cluttered, as film reels and stacks of screenplays were piled against the walls. The walls themselves were plastered with movie posters advertising the kind of low-brow shlock and action films that Demoman had worked on; a few of them actually were for movies that he could include on his resume. Standing behind a desk covered with paperwork and first drafts was a tall man wearing a plaid business suit and a wide smile. “Tavish, you son of a bitch,†he said, coming around the desk and opening his arms wide, “how the hell are you doin’, brother?†“Stewie, ye giddy bastard,†Demoman said, and came in for a firm, manly embrace, “I’m doan’ jes’ fine. How’re ye?†“Business is good, my man, business is good,†Stew replied, clapping Demoman on the back. He held his friend at arm’s length. “And I see you brought the notorious Mr. Mundy along.†Sniper gave a curt nod. “Nice t’ see ya again, Stew.†“And it’s good to see you again, Slim Jim,†said Stew, wrapping an arm around Sniper’s shoulder and pulling him in for a side hug. “Why don’t you two have a seat, and we’ll talk business.†“Actually,†said Demoman, sitting in a chair across from the desk, “I’m not here fer business.†“Oh?†asked Stew, sitting at his desk. “And what is it that I can do for you, Tavish?†“We need a favor from ye,†said Demoman. Sniper sat down in a chair next to him. “If that’s not too much tae ask, a’ course.†“A favor?†Stew leaned back I his chair. “Shit, you know I’m down for doin’ favors for friends. How can I help you fine gentlemen today?†“We’re lookin’ for someone,†said Sniper. “Old friend of ours. They’re here in th’ city.†Stew raised his eyebrows. “Oh?†“Thing is,†said Demoman, leaning onto his knee, “this friend of ours, he’s a bit of a recluse an’ a weird lil’ fella. Hid ‘is face from us th’ whole time we knew ‘im, wore a gasmask ‘e ne’er took off. We dinnae know ‘is real name, wot ‘e looks like. All we know is tha’ he’s here in New York, an’ he’s wanderin’ th’ streets homeless.†“Uh-huh,†Stew laced his fingers and seemed to be taking this into consideration. “And how are you gonna go about doin’ this, exactly?†“Wot I’m thinkin’ is that Sniper an’ I go aboot lookin’ at every homeless shelter we can, askin’ if anybody has seen someone with ‘is face covered up,†said Demoman. “Ye see, he called another friend a’ mine, an’ apparently he was able to gather that ‘e’s still hidin’ his face an’ he wos last seen in Harlem. That’s aboot all we got tae go on, really.†“I’m wonderin’ what kinda friend you’d have that’d cover up his face an’ not even tell you his name,†said Stew. “That don’t sound any kind a’ normal, but then again, knowin’ you…†he let out a laugh, “if anybody was gonna be friends with a cat like that, it’d be the Black Scottish Cyclops himself.†Demoman shrugged. “Well, aye,†he said. “But we used tae work together aboot eight years ago. He wos a strange lad, but ‘e wos a good friend. Hearin’ aboot him endin’ up on th’ streets… I cannae leave him on ‘is own, not without a roof o’er his head. Me conscience wouldn’t let me.†“That sounds pretty heavy,†said Stew, steepling his index fingers. “So, how can I help you out, then?†“Ye’ve got more connections than I do,†said Demoman. “More eyes lookin’ for ‘im means a better chance a findin’ ‘im. All I need from you is tae spread th’ word an’ get people lookin’ out fer a homeless fella with a covered face.†“Is that all I’m gonna hafta go on?†asked Stew. “Well,†said Demoman, tapping his chin as he thought, “let’s see… he’s aboot five foot seven, bit stocky lookin’…†“Kinda shy,†Sniper butted in. “Keeps to ‘imself. Likes settin’ things on fire.†“Aye, that,†said Demoman. “I’d bet he’d still have matches on ‘im at least.†“Breathes real heavy,†said Sniper. “Mumbles a lot. Acts kinda like a big kid.†Stew was jotting down notes. “An’ he’s dead crazy aboot Star Trek,†Demoman added. “An’ that’s aboot all we can tell ye.†Stew let his pen drop, let out a slow sigh and shook his head. “Brother, I’d say you were lookin’ for a needle in a haystack, but you’d at least know a needle when you saw it.†“I know this innit gonnae be easy,†said Demoman, “But anythin’ ye can do would help, anythin’ at all.†Demoman leaned further forward and clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees. “Please, Stewart. Do this for me an’ I won’t be askin’ ye for favors again.†“All right,†said Stew, nodding. “I’ll do this for you. I know some cats who might be able to help spread the word. Hell, I think if you put a reward out for information, we might be able t’ get somewhere…†“Reward’s fine,†said Demoman, sitting up straighter. “I’ll pay wotever price tae git him back. How much ye think it should be? A thousand?†“Whoa there, that’s a good chunk of change there, brother,†said Stew, running a thumb along the edge of his bushy mustache, “I’m thinkin’ five hundred would be more than enough, if we manage to get a bunch of cats givin’ us info.†He scribbled a few more notes down on his legal pad. “Don’t you worry about it, Tavish, I’ll see what I can do. Anything for a brother in need.†“I cannae thank ye enough,†Demoman said as his face broke out into a wide grin. He shook Stew’s hand. “Really, I owe ye one fer this.†“Don’t owe me nothin’ at all, Tav,†said Stew. “By the way… you cats got a place to crash tonight yet? I’m gonna assume you’re gonna be here for a while.†“Not yet,†said Sniper. “We were gonna find a place…†Stew held up a hand, cutting Sniper off. “Say no more, Slim Jim,†he said. “I know a place. Guy who runs it knows who I am.†He tore himself a fresh sheet off of his pad, and scribbled out an address, handing it off to Sniper. “Tell him you’re friend’s of Stew’s. He’ll know who you’re talking about. Trust me.†________________________________________________________________ “You’re friends a’ Stewart’s?†Demoman nodded. “Tha’s right.†The short gentleman at the check-in desk pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I see… I’m a bit surprised he still remembers I exist…†He shook his balding head, and ducked down behind his desk to retrieve a rather dusty tome. He slammed on the desktop, and flipped open to the nearest blank page. “Sign in here for me, wouldja?†Demoman picked up the pen that was tapered to the desk, and signed in, while Sniper looked over his surroundings. The hotel looked like it hadn’t been renovated since the 50’s at the very latest. The wallpaper was peeling, the dark wooden rails on the stairs appeared to be suffering from rot, and the place has a faint yet distinct odor that appeared to be a mix of mildew and whiskey. He could see why this was one of the cheapest places in Manhattan to stay. The man at the desk clapped the book closed, sending up a cloud of dust. “All right, since you’re friends a’ Stewart’s, I can offer you a 15% discount per night. Keep in mind, I’m doin’ it because I’m amazed that shmuck even remembers that he used t’ work here.†“Thank ye, sir,†said Demoman, still remaining friendly. Sniper was left to wonder how long Demo could keep up the façade. “Here’s th’ keys to your room. You’ll be in 209.†The man behind the desk handed them off to Demoman. “If ya want, we serve cawfee an’ donuts at 6 AM ‘til 8.†“We’ll keep tha’ in mind, thank ye,†said Demoman, picking up his bags. “Say…†the man behind the desk asked, “Where are you from, anyway?†“Oh, me?†asked Demoman, already heading up the stairs with Sniper tagging behind. “Scotland, mate.†“Scotland,†the man repeated, rubbing his chin as Demoman and Sniper disappeared upstairs. “Didn’t even know they had blacks in Scotland…†________________________________________________________________ After a brief phone call to Ilse and a thorough search in the yellow pages, it was back to the subways to begin their search. Their first stop would be in Harlem, where Pyro was seen last, and spreading out from there. On the subway, Demoman was already eagerly plotting out their journey in ballpoint pen on a map, talking to Sniper all the while. Sniper’s attention drifted after a while, and settled on a drifter that had fallen asleep in the far corner of the car. Their face wasn’t visible, and their back was turned towards all the other passengers. Sniper leaned forward, trying to see if he could catch a glimpse of something, anything, that might hint at this being Pyro. No such luck. He stood up, causing Demoman to stop talking and merely look at Sniper in confusion. Sniper walked past the other passengers, all of them absorbed in their newspapers or books or conversation, and approached the drifter in the corner. The rank smell of body odor, stale urine and alcohol stung his nostrils; he never recalled Pyro being one to drink, but then again, he could imagine it wouldn’t be a hard habit to pick up. Cautiously, he extended a hand to the body on the floor, and took hold of their shoulder. He turned them over gently, rolling their body so their face was visible. It was a man, his black beard flecked with gray and his eyes glazed over. He opened his eyes, and blinked as he looked up at Sniper. “I’m not botherin’ nobody,†he said, voice slurred with inebriation. “Whatchu want, man?†“I’m sorry,†Sniper said, retracting his hand. “I thought ya might’ve been somebody I know.†He stood up straight, and turned around, his face flushed with embarrassment. He walked back to sit down with Demoman, as the man in the corner mumbled something incoherent after him. Sniper clasped his hands together and tucked them between his knees, looking at the floor. “Donnae git yet hopes down,†said Demoman. “We’ve still got plenty a’ time.†“Yeah,†said Sniper. “Plenty…†________________________________________________________________ “Covered from head to foot?†“Aye, he wouldn’t show ‘is face tae anyone. Does tha’ sound familiar at all?†The man rubbed his bearded chin. “Come to think of it… I’m pretty sure I’ve seen your guy in here a couple times before…†“Really?†Demoman nearly jumped. “Ye haven’t seen ‘im recently, have ye?†“Not since at least two weeks ago, no,†the man said. “I mean, I’ve seen him, but he’s not exactly one of our regulars here.†He turned to look at the dining hall, where a large number of people, all homeless and down on their luck, were having their evening meal. The hall itself was illuminated by harsh florescent lights that seemed to highlight the ugliness of the linoleum on the floor. “Usually I like to get to know everybody we help out, but that guy… I approached him once, didn’t say a word. I thought he might have been deaf at first, or maybe just mute. Wouldn’t even eat at the tables with everybody else. Went and crouched in a corner with his back towards everybody. He’d start to panic if you got to close while he was eating.†“Sounds like Pyro,†said Sniper, crossing his arms. “Never ate meals with everyone when he wos workin’ with us, either.†“‘Pyro,’ huh?†the man asked, running a hand through his reddish, bushy hair. “Around here, we always called him The Invisible Man, just ‘cause of how he’s always covered up like he is.†“Is there anythin’ else ya know about ‘im at all?†Sniper asked. “Anythin’ at all, mister…†“Just call me Danny,†he said. “Everybody else does.†“Danny, then,†said Sniper. “Anything?†Danny sighed, and dusted off his apron. “Well… he never sleeps here, and whenever I see him, he’s got a shopping cart he’s always pushing around. Really protective over it. Somebody once suggested he sell some of his stuff and he punched them.†“Christ,†said Demoman, shaking his head. “Well, if ye see ‘im again, gimme a ring at this number.†He handed Danny a scrap of paper. “Top number’s me hotel room. Bottom one’s a friend a mine if ye cannae reach me.†“I’ll keep an eye out,†said Danny. “Good luck, man.†_______________________________________________________________ The rest of the afternoon and evening was roughly the same as far as progress on finding Pyro went; most homeless shelters had seen him a few times, but he never showed up regularly, sometimes not making an appearance for months. Very little new information was gathered aside from observations of Pyro’s many quirks. Once the sun went down, Demoman decided that it would be best if the two of them head back to their hotel for the evening. Sniper had no qualms against this, and the two of them went back on the subway. While riding back to Manhattan, a young man with a ghetto blaster boarded the train, ignoring the glares he received from some of the other passengers. He stood and held onto one of the poles, seemingly off in his own world as he bobbed his head to the beat. Sniper cast a glance at the young man, wondering why the song he was listening to seemed to be using the riff from “Fame.†“That was James Brown, with his single ‘Hot (I Need to Be Loved Loved Loved Loved),’†the disc jockey on the radio crooned in a sultry, purring tone. “I think we can all relate to that, can’t we? We all need to be loved, loved, loved, loved. “I wanted to take a few minutes from our broadcast to ask all of you cats out there in Radio Land to be on the lookout for a very mysterious individual…†she continued, “one mystery man who might not even want to be found. Our own famed director and film producer Stew Jackson has put out a $500 reward on any information provided on the whereabouts of a 5’7†homeless person covered from head to foot in clothes, with not an inch of skin showin’ at all.†Demoman nudged Sniper. “Ya hear that? I told ye he’d come through fer us!†“This person answers by the nickname ‘Pyro,’ and we’re hopin’ to make this topic as hot as their handle. Be sure to give us a ring at this station if you’ve got the skinny, but remember… if you’re just lookin’ for quick cash just to spout off some bull, honey, we will know…†“Bloody brilliant!†Demoman exclaimed, and clapped Sniper on the shoulder. “We’ll find ‘im in no time, jes’ you wait!†“That’s assumin’ he wants t’ be found,†said Sniper. “Suppose he heard that an’ goes hidin’?†“Don’ be daft, boyo,†Demoman said. “I know ‘e donnae wan’ tae sleep in th’ streets any more’n anybody else would.†“F’you say so, mate,†Sniper sighed. Demoman leaned forward and studied his friend. “‘Ey, why th’ long face, eh?†“S’nothin’,†Sniper insisted, turning his head away. “Dinnae lie t’ me, Mundy, if yer face were any longer ye’d be able tae sweep th’ floor with it,†said Demoman. “Still upset about yer little ole’ lady, aye?†Sniper muttered something incomprehensible. “Fret not, Mundy, ‘cos ole’ Tav has yer back!†Demoman patted Sniper roughly between his shoulder blades, nearly sending Sniper out of his seat. “Wot you need is tae have a good time an’ a good drink, leave yer troubles behind! An’ lucky fer you, I know jes’ th’ place tae go!†“I thought we were headed back to th’ hotel,†said Sniper. “Hotel’ll still be there! Trust me on this, would ye?†Sniper sat up a bit. He wasn’t much in the mood to go out on the town, but maybe Demoman was onto something. The idea of leaving the gloomy thoughts of not being able to find Pyro, or how he was going to get back his son appealed to him. At the very least, there couldn’t be any harm in it, right? “Fine,†Sniper said. “Where’re we headed then?†“Ye’ll see soon enough,†said Demoman. “It’ll be a surprise.†________________________________________________________________ This wasn’t like most upscale dives, which made themselves showy with their colorful, light-up floors and disco balls that reflected millions of simmering daubs of electric light; the floor was bare and hardwood, the place smelled like malt liquor and cologne and sweat, and the rhythmic but funky bass thudded in every ribcage in the joint. As Sniper and Demoman walked down the stairs leading to the dance floor, they could see a ring of people circling a bare spot on the floor, where young men spun and kicked and twirled in something that was called “break dancing.†Demoman knew everybody here, it seemed. When he came down the stairs men looked up and called out to him by name, and Demoman called back. There were hands clasping together into hugs, and a few people started to recognize Sniper as well, calling him by an assortment of nicknames: Slim, Outback, Ozzie, Kangaroo Jack, Shrimp-on-the-Barbie and Down Under to name a few. Sniper was polite enough, he recognized some of the people there, but the crowd around him was starting to suffocate him. He excused him, and slipped into the crowd, heading over to the makeshift bar. He wasn’t fond of crowds, but blending into them was easier than being the center of attention. Sniper became a chameleon in a sea of brown bodies and faces, hardly noticed by anyone until he made his way to the bar. There were no stools, and the overworked bartender was simply handing out bottles of liquor and spraying beer into red plastic cups from a keg. There was no real line, but if one managed to get to the front first and handed the bartender a 75 cents, they’d get their beer or a 40 oz and then have to squeeze their way out of the crowd. Sniper had managed to get himself a beer, and made his way to stand against the wall and watch as other people danced. He’d just about finished his cup when he heard someone calling out “Hey, you!†It took him a moment to turn his head, not sure if it was him they were calling out to. A woman on the dance floor waved to him. “Hey, Wallflower!†she called out. Her friends were laughing, and Sniper shifted against the wall uneasily as he gestured to himself. “Yeah, you!†she said. “You wanna dance?†“All right,†he said, and found himself walking towards her. What was he doing? He didn’t dance. And yet, he was drawn to her, like a magnet to a mother stone, and she started to sashay towards him, waving her hips as they gradually closed the space between them. “What’s your name?†she asked over the sound of the disc jockey scratching the records on purpose. “Bruce,†he said. “What?†“Bruce,†he said, louder. “Wot’s yours?†“Angela,†she said with a laugh. “You’re not from around here, are you?†“No,†he said, “I’m from Australia.†“Australia?†she asked. “I thought everybody from Australia was buff an’ had a mustache.†“Not all of us are so lucky,†said Sniper with a smile. “You’re not a bad dancer,†she said. Sniper looked down to see that without even realizing it, he was keeping up with her and moving seamlessly with the beat. “You come here often?†“Came with a friend,†he said. “First time here.†“Why don’t you buy me a drink, Bruce?†she asked. He did, and he bought himself another drink. And another. And another. He wasn’t sure how many drinks he’d bought for both of them, things began to get fuzzy. He didn’t know where Demoman was, and he didn’t much care at this point. She was getting closer to him, touching him, complimenting his voice and his face and his accent. American girls did love his accent. She took him by the hand, lead him off to some secluded area away from the crowds, where it was dark and the music was muted and soft but the bass could still be felt. They started to kiss, and from there things started to smear into a blur; a push against the wall, a grope of her dark breast, his hand moving up her thigh and underneath her skirt to get bothersome panties out of the way… moaning, grunting, gasping, pushing… It had been all of a few minutes, really, but it had felt longer. When it was over, she reached for her purse and took out a pen and a scrap of paper, and gave him her number. He smiled, and took it, putting it in his wallet. Then he zipped himself back up and staggered back out to the floor, and eventually found Demoman again, and slumped over him. “You were right,†he said. “I feel great. So much better now…†Demoman laughed. “Christ, yer pissed. How much ye drink?†Sniper looked at his hands, and attempted to count on his fingers. Was it five? Six? Maybe seven? “Lots.†“Tha’ makes two of us, then,†he said, wrapping an arm over Sniper’s shoulder. “… I think I need t’ lie down,†said Sniper, leaning on Demoman a bit too hard. “Need t’ go back… to th’ room…†“We’ll git a cab, then,†said Demoman. “Donnae worry, lad, I’ve got yer back.†As promised, a cab was waiting for them outside about 25 minutes later, and the two of them sat in the back, laughing over nothing in particular and singing drinking songs, much to the chagrin of the cab driver. He was much less annoyed when they pulled up to the hotel and Demoman paid him with a generous tip. When they finally got to their room, Sniper immediately flopped onto his bed face first and stopped moving. “Ye all right, lad?†Demoman asked. “I’ll be fine,†said Sniper. “Just fine.†“Good tae hear.†Demoman fell back onto his own bed. “… I made it with a bird,†Sniper announced, his eyes closed and his face half-smooshed into his pillow. “Aye?†asked Demoman, turning his head towards Sniper. “Ye lucky bastard. Wos she cute?†“Yeah. Really pretty,†Sniper mumbled. “Can’t b’lieve I did that…†“Ye prolly needed it,†said Demoman. “After everythin’…†“Yeah…†said Sniper. “After everythin’…†And then he passed out.
Reads TeaCup's comment ... ... The fucking world sometimes I swear.
Ooh, update! I am happy. Nice to see Sniper's resolved to get River back. And perhaps getting over the 'divorce'. I'm not sure if announcing a reward for Pyro would be a good idea. I can just imagine unscrupulous people doing something nasty to him, like tying him up or putting him in a sack so he doesn't run. And frankly, I think anybody would freak if I heard there was a reward for finding me. I'd think there was a mafia boss after me or something. :P
I blame my outlook on the world cause of Cat. So don't even pretend. Anywho. Great chapter. Sniper acts like me when I'm in New York. I don't want to go on the subway and I want everyone to stay away from my luggage. Cheers until your next update.
"So don't even pretend." Y U NO BELIEVE IN IMAGINATION?
Ah yes. I was excited to see there was more of this. I'm all a-quiver waiting to find out what happened to Pyro, and now I'm just... I am so emotionally invested in Sniper getting his son back. ... Also, and I'm not proud of this, I may have burst into 'Bruce's Philosophers Drinking Song' while reading... May have.
Wonderful writing. I'm simultaneously hoping that Pyro's found, River's recovered, and Johnny gets punched in the face. >>13 Something just occurred to me about the Johnny/Jane chapter and them both accusing eachother of being gay. Remember that bit in "RoTD: How Heavy Met Medic" ? "[Soldier] knew what queers did to people. They could look like anybody, anybody at all… they could live in your home and pin you on your bed and touch you and threaten to kill you if you dared squeal to your mother like a girl… or so he had heard." Could this be Johnny?
I hope Sniper gets River back! Great read by the way
that was wonderful! i can't wait to read more! :D oh man you got me excited!!! >w< you write so wonderful, i could really picture it in my head :)
>>50 Mmmmmmmmmm, it's a possibility. >>52 Keep typing those emoticons out and you've got an underage b& coming your way, young lady.
I am monitoring this story, mostly because I am worried about Pyro. Poor thing is really the least suited member of the team for life on the "outside", and I don't think many "after the war" stories give him much of even a passing glance. More please.
I love where you're going with this. Although, to be honest, I want to punch Soldier's brother in the dick. A lot. (Maybe Shovel Jr should do it)
Someone get their ass over to to Cat's tumbler and beta her next chapter right now! I would do it, but I have the spelling level and grammar etiquette of 4 year old who had to repeat the 1st grade.
I don't do tumbling, so I emailed her. I hope it gets through.
I GOT A BETA SO I CAN UPDATE NOW YAAAAAYYYYYYY. Here's part four. __________________________________________________________________ The car lurched to a halt by the curb in front of a white picket fence. The fence surrounded a rather large but otherwise unassuming pastel-colored house, one that looked very much like all the other pastel-colored houses in the cul-de-sac. Soldier parked the car and turned to his passenger, a somewhat nervous Engineer. It had been two days since Soldier made the call to his friend, and it had been decided this meeting would wait a few days before the Texan teleported over into Soldier’s living room. Neither of them talked much on the drive over, Engineer having given up after his attempts at small talk had fallen flat over Soldier’s one-word answers. “Awfully nice place he’s got,†said Engineer, looking out the window. He received only a grunt from Soldier in response. Engineer opened the car door and stepped out, straightening the string tie around his neck. As he closed the door, he noticed that Soldier hadn’t moved at all. He walked around to the other side and tapped on the glass. “Aren’t you comin’ in?†Grumbling, Soldier rolled down his window to glare at Engineer. “No,†he said. “No, I am not.†“You’re jus’ gonna wait out here in th’ car, then?†Engineer asked, concerned. “I’ll be fine, Engie,†said Soldier. “Just watch yourself while you’re in there, all right? Don’t believe a goddamned word that weasel says to you. Promise me that, Engie.†“Well, I don’t know about-†“Promise.†“Jane, I know you well an’ I wasn’t born yesterday,†said Engineer. “I’m not gonna let him lie t’ me. I swear it.†After looking Engineer up and down, Soldier gave a satisfied nod. “All right,†he said. “Just don’t take too long. I hate it here.†“Don’t you worry about that,†said Engineer, patting Soldier on the shoulder. “Everything’s gonna work out jus’ fine. Wish me luck.†With that, he walked back around the car, and headed for the gate. As soon as he opened it, he was greeted by the furious barking of a dog. He jumped at the noise, and looked up to see a very large, very angry Doberman on a chain, yanking on the stake that tethered it down. Engineer kept his distance, not taking his eyes off of the animal as he side-stepped his way to the front door and rang the bell. The dog continued to bark and snarl at him, thick drool flying from its mouth as it strained against its collar, which was digging into its muscular neck and nearly choking it. Engineer backed against the door and wondered what was taking them so long to answer. There was a car in front of Soldier’s, surely someone would arrive before this bulging-eyed beast tore him to pieces… The door opened a bit and Engineer whirled around to see a short, mousy woman wearing wide-framed glasses that magnified her already doe-like eyes. Engineer straightened his posture. “Good afternoon, ma’am, uh… would you be Missus John Doe?†The dog was still barking. “Yes,†she said, her voice soft and nervous. “But if you’re selling something, we don’t want any.†“Oh, no, no, no, I’m not here for anythin’ like that,†said Engineer, trying to chuckle. “I’m a friend of your husband’s brother. I was supposed t’ come by an’ just have a chat with him about yer brother-in-law.†“Oh,†she said, her eyes widening. “Come on in.†She opened the door wider and let Engineer inside. He removed the ten gallon hat from his head and placed it over his chest as he looked around the house. It was spotless. The hardwood floors shone as though they’d just been cleaned, the banister and the coat-rack were dusted and polished, and the rug on the floor didn’t seem to have actually had feet walk on it. He followed Mrs. Doe into the den, which was furnished with a pair of dark leather armchairs and home to multiple trophy cases, framed photographs of someone who Engineer assumed to be Mr. Doe shaking hands with very important people, including President Truman. Engineer let out a whistle of awe. “Jonathan will be down shortly,†Mrs. Doe said, hovering in the doorway. “Much obliged, ma’am,†said Engineer. “What’s your name, by the way?†Mrs. Doe looked confused as she stopped turning. “Miriam,†she said quickly. “Miriam,†Engineer repeated, “my name’s Dell Conagher. Pleasure t’ meet you, ma’am.†He extended a hand to her and she looked at it warily, as though not sure what to do with it. She gave him her own hand, and gave him a rather weak shake and a nod and then she left. Engineer sat down in one of the chairs, and found himself overwhelmed by the rich scent of fresh leather. This room felt like a shrine with its encapsulated football trophies, framed newspaper articles, well-stocked liquor cabinet and big-screened television propped up on a pedestal. Most of the photos seemed to be of Jonathan himself or young men he assumed to be his sons. There were very few family photos, and those that were there seemed to be missing Miriam. “Well, ain’t that curious,†Engineer mumbled to himself. “Mister Conagher?†He looked up to see a tall, muscular man who bore a passing resemblance to Jane. He had a handsome face, the face of a man who would have been the star player of his high school football team a long time ago and the jaw of a classic Hollywood action star. Engineer stood up at attention, still holding his hat. “That’s me,†he said, trying to smile as he outstretched his hand. “And yer Johnny?†“John Doe,†he corrected, and gave Engineer a strong, two-handed shake, causing the shorter man to wobble. “Only Jane calls me ‘Johnny.’ It’s good to meet you, Dylan.†“It’s Dell, actually,†Engineer replied. “Of course, of course,†said Johnny, sitting down in a chair. “Make yourself at home, Dell, have a seat.†He gestured to the chair across from him with a sweep of his arm. “Much obliged,†said Engineer, sinking into the chair and placing his hat on his lap. “I’m sure you know why I’m here today…†“You wanted to talk about Jane,†Johnny said, reclining back in his seat. “I’m to understand you consider him a friend?†“Well, yes,†said Engineer, folding his hands over the hat in his lap. “We used t’ work together several years back, and all of us that were workin’ together, well… we became somethin’ of a family. Bit of a dysfunctional family, I suppose, but still family.†“So why hadn’t you decided to meet up again until recently?†Johnny leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on laced fingers. “Well, mostly it… it took a while t’ get in touch with everybody, I guess, an’ we all had our own lives t’ be dealing with.†He shifted in his seat, and sat up straighter. “I wish I’d a’ done it sooner, really. But I didn’t know about how bad Soldier was doin’ until he came over t’ visit…†“You think he’s doing badly?†Johnny raised his eyebrows. “Well, I was just at his place, an’, well… I guess he could be doin’ a lot better,†Engineer let out a nervous chuckle. “Livin’ on his own in that apartment doesn’t seem t’ be what’s best fer him, I think. I figure if he’s in a more positive environment where he’s able t’ keep himself occupied an’ busy instead of bein’ cooped up inside all day, I think that’d be healthy for him.†Johnny leaned back in his chair. “I see.†“I guess what I’m sayin’ is that I think a change of scenery would be good for him,†said Engineer. “It’s not that I don’t think you got his best interests in mind, I just think maybe I could take him off yer hands for you… give ya one less thing t’ worry about…†The low sound of laughter interrupted Engineer’s train of thought. Johnny shook his head, still smiling, and looked back up to Engineer. “Oh, dear… Jane hasn’t told you a bunch of tall tales about me, has he?†“He’s told me enough to indicate that he’s not happy with his current living situation,†Engineer said, choosing his words deliberately. “I’m not here t’ comment on th’ relationship between you an’ yer brother. I jus’ wanna get Soldier some help, is all.†“He has more than enough help here,†said Johnny, speaking in a very matter-of-fact tone. “He has his doctors here, they check in on him regularly, and I give him enough money to spend per month on whatever he needs.†“But that’s from his own savings, though,†Engineer noted. “That’s th’ money he earned while we were workin’ together.†“It is,†said Johnny, settling his arms on the armrest. “But the doctors and I have concluded that giving him free access to it might result a repeat of his flight to Poland, or maybe something worse… point is, we’re just not convinced that he can handle himself responsibly.†“Well, have ya jus’ tried talkin’ to him?†Engineer leaned forward in his chair and gripped the rim of his hat. “He’s not completely unreasonable. You just gotta talk to ‘im like ya would anybody else, not talk down to ‘im; be firm but not pushy.†“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.†Johnny chuckled in amusement. “I have,†said Engineer. “An’ I think I might’ve managed t’ get through to ‘im. He’s difficult t’ deal with, but not impossible. He really does seem to appreciate bein’ talked to on an equal level.†“Oh, you poor, poor man.†Johnny shook his head. “You really have fallen for it, haven’t you?†“Fallen for what?†Engineer tensed up in his chair. “You’ve set yourself up to get bitten in the ass,†said Johnny, standing up from his chair. He walked over to Engineer, and stood over him, leaning on the back of the chair with his forearm. “You go too soft on him and he’ll start pushing your boundaries as far as he can go. Jane’s never been able to appreciate kindness, Dale…†“It’s Dell,†Engineer corrected, sinking further into the leather. “Dell, right,†said Johnny, walking around the back of the chair before leaning on the other side. “Listen. There’s only one thing that Jane’s ever been able to respond to, and that’s authority. He’s like a dog, Dell. You can’t be a dog’s best friend and expect them to listen to you. You’ve got to be their master.†Engineer could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and barely suppressed a shudder. “I’m not sure I like what yer implyin’, sir. Yer brother ain’t a dog.†“Of course he’s not,†said Johnny, laughing a bit, “but he is sick. And you can’t treat people that are sick in the mind like you can everybody else, especially if they’re as violent as Jane. I don’t suppose he told you about how he tried to kill me.†“Actually,†said Engineer, sitting up straighter, “he did. He didn’t go into much detail, but he did say that’s why he was in that institution.†“Really?†Johnny asked. “He didn’t tell you why he tried to kill me, did he?†“He didn’t tell me that, no,†said Engineer, tightening the grip on the brim of his hat. “I didn’t think it was my place t’ ask, really.†“And he wouldn’t have told you, anyway,†said Johnny. He walked past Engineer’s chair and over to the liquor cabinet, opening the glass door. “Can I get you something to drink?†“I, uh… I think I’ll be all right, thanks.†His stomach was flip-flopping enough that he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep it down anyway. “Your loss,†Johnny said as he reached for a bottle of scotch. “But as I was saying, Dill…†“Dell, sir.†“Dell,†Johnny corrected himself, “as I was saying, I wouldn’t have expected him to tell you why he attacked me. That would be because…†he unscrewed the cap, grabbed a glass and poured himself a drink, “… it was over our mother.†“Your mother, sir?†Engineer asked. “Yes, our mother,†said Johnny, setting the bottle down and swirling the liquid in his glass. “I usually don’t discuss family business to people outside of the family, but I think if you’re honestly wanting to take Soldier in, you should know what you’re in for.†“I lived with Soldier for two years when we worked fer RED,†said Engineer. “I’ve got a good idea what I’m in for.†He started to stand up from his chair. “Sit down, Dell.†Johnny gestured him to get back in his seat. “Please.†Wary, Engineer slowly set himself back in his seat. He didn’t take his eyes off of Johnny once. “As I was saying,†Johnny continued, “this was over our mother. I’d just gotten news that she’d passed and I decided to have Jane over to break the news to him.†“Oh,†said Engineer quietly. “Were they close?†“He hated her,†said Johnny, and he took a sip of his scotch. “Resented her ever since we were children. Our mother was sick too, really. Alcoholic. Depressed. She was always hardest on Jane, though. When she left us, Jane always felt like he was the one responsible… sad, really.†“That’s terrible,†said Engineer, wringing the rim of his hat. “I didn’t know…†“I wouldn’t have expected you to,†said Johnny. He started to pace the room, looking up at his various photographs and trophies. “Neither of us like talking about our family.†“I might regret askin’ this…†said Engineer, rubbing the back of his neck, “… but what was it, exactly, that prompted Jane to… assault you like that?†“The fact that I said he should show up to her funeral,†Johnny said with a shrug. “We… got into an argument over it. It was pretty heated. My brother and I, we grew up in the Midwest during the Depression with an alcoholic mother and a shell-shocked father who never got over the Great War. It wasn’t easy for either of us, you have to understand. A lot of… family drama while we were growing up. It all came to a head that night and Jane had one of his episodes…†“Episodes?†Engineer asked. “Oh, you know how he is,†said Johnny, turning to face Engineer. “I’m sure you’ve seen it, when he gets so angry all he can do is scream and starts going berserk. It’s funny, you know. We have Scandinavian ancestors.†He chuckled a bit, and took another sip of his scotch. “Maybe that’s where he gets it, you know? Channeling a Viking berserker.†“I… I’ve only seen him like that when he was fightin’ people already,†said Engineer. “He never turned on any of us like that. Not even the fellas he fought with most.†“Guess you got lucky,†said Johnny. “As long as I’ve known him, he’s done it several times to me and other people… though the last time he did it, the time that landed him his latest stint at the hospital… that was the worst. I mean…†Johnny gave Engineer an odd smile and laugh, “my boys were there. They saw their uncle trying to kill their old man. It’s thanks to them that I managed to get away with as few injuries as I had.†Engineer squirmed in his seat. “Would it be too intrusive to ask what exactly happened t’ make him wanna put the hurt on you so badly?†Johnny’s eyes narrowed and he stared at Engineer for a moment before knocking back the rest of his glass. “Listen, Dan…†“My name is Dell-†“I know you think Jane’s your friend and all, but do you think you could talk him down when he’s got a thirst for your blood?†Johnny started to walk towards Engineer’s chair. “You think a man in that state would listen to reason? You think you can subdue a man who’s reduced to being a rabid animal running on adrenaline and hallucinations?†He gripped the armrests of the chair just short of Engineer’s hands and leaned over the small man. “You think you can handle that?†“You know,†Engineer said as he looked Johnny in the eye, “I’m beginnin’ t’ think that whatever you said t’ Jane t’ make him try an’ attack you like that was bad enough that you might a’ had it comin’.†The two of them stared at each other for a bit, their eye contact solid and unflinching, until Johnny let out a loud, wheezy laugh. He stood up straight over Engineer, and wiped his eyes. “Oh, wow,†he said, as he walked a few paces away, “I think I touched a nerve there, didn’t I?†“You certainly did,†Engineer leaned forward in his chair, resting his arm on his knee. “Jane told me that I shouldn’t believe anythin’ you say, an’ I’m gettin’ the distinct feeling that you’re definitely keeping information from me, aren’t you?†“Any information I’m keeping from you is none of your business to begin with,†said Johnny. “I don’t have to tell you a goddamned thing. Hell, I didn’t even have to meet with you. I could have let Hagar loose on you and I would have been totally justified in doing so.†He smirked as Engineer scowled at him harder. “Jane’s my brother. I know him better than you ever could. I’m the only one he takes orders from and I’m the only one who can keep him on a leash. He’d rip your arms off as soon as you turned your back.†“That ain’t true an’ you know it,†said Engineer. He stood up from his chair. “He’s frightened of you. I ain’t ever seen him scared a’ nobody in the entire time I knew him except you, and that man is terrified.†“It’s the only way he knows how to keep in line,†said Johnny, shrugging. “Or do you honestly think that coddling him and playing nice is going to work?†“You ever try it?†asked Engineer. “I know better,†said Johnny. “Jane only knows discipline and obeying orders. You go soft on him, and then you do something he doesn’t like, he will trample over you and he will rip you to shreds if he thinks he has any kind of power over you.†Engineer crossed his arms. “That right?†“Of course,†said Johnny, leering at Engineer. “Like I said, I know him better than you.†“Well,†said Engineer, “You may think you do, but while we were with Jane out in th’ middle of th’ desert, all of us learned t’ function as a team, as a unit.†He started to approach Johnny. “That includes your brother. By th’ time our contracts were up, we were workin’ together like cogs in a well-oiled machine. We had to, if we had any chance out there. All nine of us worked together an’ we all contributed.†“Sounds like communism,†said Johnny, rubbing his chin. “It was a democracy, sir,†said Engineer, stopping in front of Johnny and looking up to him. “It may not have been perfect, but I think Soldier was healthier out there than in that apartment bein’ controlled by you.†“You just called him Soldier,†Johnny remarked. Taken aback, Engineer recoiled a bit. “I, uh… that was his, uh, class title…†“No,†said Johnny. “He wasn’t a soldier. He was never a soldier. All that job did was let him play pretend for two years, just like he did when he was in Poland. Only difference is that he got paid for it.†“Sir, I-†“He doesn’t deserve to be called a soldier!†Johnny’s voice became louder, and he loomed over the shorter man. “He was kicked out of every goddamned branch of the military! He didn’t risk his hide on Iwo Jima! He didn’t storm beaches full of blood thirsty Japs and watch people around him explode into goddamned chunks of meat! I did! He just played dress-up in Poland and showed just how much of a goddamned loony he is!†“That’s your brother you’re talking about!†Engineer snapped back, standing up on tip-toes now to get into Johnny’s face. “You’re acting like this is some kind of competition between the two a’ you, like yer fightin’ t’ be on top of him! You might act like yer bein’ th’ adult here, but yer just actin’ like a child! Yer both too old t’ be actin’ like this, so grow the hell up!†Johnny scoffed at him, and backed away a few paces. “Tall order.†Engineer stared at Johnny in confusion at first, but his face then contorted into a scowl and his fists curled into tight balls. “You… you…†“Whoa there, cowboy,†said Johnny, holding up a hand to cut Engineer off. “Let me just stop you right there before you go all Yosemite Sam on me.†He smiled as Engineer’s ears turned bright red. “You came here to try and take my brother away. I’ve indulged you long enough. He’s not leaving with you or anybody else. That’s final.†“Why?†was all Engineer was able to spit out. “Why?†Johnny echoed. “Because he’s mine, Dell. I’ve taken care of him his entire life. Why, I practically raised him myself. I’ve provided for him, kept him sheltered, tried to teach him how to be a man and the thanks I get? Repeated escape attempts. But I don’t worry. He comes back. He always comes back.†As he spoke, he walked toward Engineer, backing the man further and further until the shorter man fell into his chair. “I’ve claimed him. And I won’t let anybody take him away.†“What the hell did you do to him?†Engineer asked, his voice hoarse and low. Johnny didn’t answer. He turned away, and walked up to the wall, looking over his photographs. “I asked what the hell you did to him!†Engineer stood up from his chair. He tightened his fists and could feel his arms shake. “You may let yourself out the door, Mister Conagher,†said Johnny. “It was a nice talk.†Blood rushed to Engineer’s face, making him feel like a kettle about to boil over. He trembled all over, as though shaking with the building pressure of steam. Finally, he was able to thrust out a pointed finger towards Johnny, and shake it. “This ain’t over!†he shouted. “Far from it!†“Goodbye, mister Conagher.†Mental images of socking this man in the face flooded Engineer’s mind. Just punching him, over and over again. Hurting him as much as he must’ve hurt Soldier. That wouldn’t help, of course. The rational part of his mind soothed these violent daydreams, assuring him that they’d only make Soldier’s situation even worse. The sensation of being backed into a corner, caught and trapped like a rat in the dead end of a maze only made his rage all the more distressing. He turned and left, stomping out of the room. Ms. Doe watched Engineer from the kitchen, ducking her head back lest the strange man in her home caught a glimpse of her. Engineer did notice this, but he didn’t much care. He marched out the front door, past the growling, wary guard dog, and past the virginal white picket fence to Soldier’s car. He got in and sat down without a word to Soldier. Soldier peered over at his friend. Engineer’s arms were crossed, his face was red, and he was frowning deeply as his jaw set. Jane turned away from his friend and sighed. “I knew it wouldn’t work.†Engineer’s features softened and he put a hand on Soldier’s shoulder. “Hey, now,†he said, “we ain’t gonna give up. I’m not gonna let that big bully push you around like that. I promise.†“And what are you plan on doing next, huh?†asked Soldier. “He doesn’t listen to anybody and I’ve never seen him scared of anyone!†“Maybe,†Engineer said, rubbing his chin, “maybe we just need the right people backin’ us up…†“Right people?†Soldier asked. “Like who?†“Drive back to th’ apartment,†said Engineer. “I think I might have an idea.â€
>>57 here and you guys should know that it was a total success. Obligatory HOLY CRAP, GUYS! IT UPDATED!
Johnny asked Jane to wear a dress to the funeral didn't he? F5ing forever. God speed on the next chapter.
I bet even Johnny won't fuck with Heavy. Also bet the guy abuses his family. So is fear the only thing stopping Jane from leaving? Or is it a legal thing too?
I can't remember exactly, but officially when Soldier went to Europe himself after getting kicked out of every branch in the US military, didn't he kill several hundred Nazis and stuff a dozen feet of his own intestine back into his body after it got cut open? The way I see it, Soldier didn't fail at being a "real" soldier, he was just too hardcore for the vanilla military so he had to invent his own!
Well, there's also the fact that the war had officially been declared over at that point, so he was committing mass murder. (I think). Johnny... is an interesting problem. You can't reason with him about this- he's completely convinced he's right. You can't threaten him- he's got Soldier's spirit there. I think the only option is pretty much force. Not physical, but perhaps legal... His rant about how Soldier actually isn't a soldier is interesting. It humanizes him a little bit, because I think he shows a bit of vulnerability there. And then the jerk wall goes right back up after that, but that glimpse is intriguing. Very nice chapter. A nice contrast to the rather relaxed tone of the last update.
Oh. Yes. Engie is going to solve some practical problems. And I could not be happier. (I'm glad you got a beta! I would have volunteered when I saw the announcement, but I am tumbl-dumb... Anyway, seeing the 'oh, and new chapter is up' announcement filled me with a certain amount of glee. A lot, a lot of glee.)
Oh man oh man Engineer is gonna think of something goddamned awesome because that's how he is. I am so psyched.
Oh, I am so excited for more! I love the thought you put into how to portray th wife and th set up of the office and just the sheer egotism of johnny. I want to see dell go the legal way but I don't kno if he's got too much of a leg to stand on there.
just wow, reading this made me so tense. I was clutching my chair.
I want Johnny to have his flesh peeled off like a candy wrapper.
Dear Medic: Now would be an excellent time to perform a living autopsy. on Jonny. You know you want to. Heavy would back you up.
Someone's gonna have to explain the Tall Order comment to me. Also the Yosemite Sam remark was hilarious. The thing about the violent dog is trying to tell me something but I'm not real sure what. Kinda like he wanted a guard dog but I don't think he did it right. Probably abused it to make it mean like people who train Pitbulls for dogfights do. I can't place my finger on it but it's something like that that keeps popping into my mind.
I think "tall order" was referring to Engineer's height. Not sure if he has an exact height, but he's certainly the shortest of all the classes.
Amazing. I am loving this story. Just a note, John reacts strongly to Engie calling Jane Soldier near the end, but Engie calls him soldier earlier in the chapter as well and John makes no comment on it. When he says <i>“I’m not here t’ comment on th’ relationship between you an’ yer brother. I jus’ wanna get Soldier some help, is all.â€</i> Minor problem but thought I should point it out. >>70 I'm guessing it was a height jab. I eagerly await the next installment.
>>70 The dog could be a metaphor considering that Johnny mentioned to Engineer how dealing with Soldier is like training a dog. At least, that's how I saw it and and I would agree that something went very wrong here.
>>72 Oops. I'll fix it when it's up on Dotchan's site.
HOLY CRAP! NO ONE WILL MESS WITH THE TEAM FORTRESS FAMILY! this story just gets better and better every time I read it.
I feel like everyone has done a much nicer and more eloquent job of gushing about these stories (including Reunion, of course) so I'll just leave it at YAY! And, THANK YOU! While we're sort of loosely on the subject of dogs, I really like how you've made them a bit of a literary device (for lack of a better term). Almost everyone seems to have a dog or two, and you can certainly see the characters in their pets. If I'm not mistaken, in Reunion, Soldier mentions that he really adored a dog at one point in his life and later mentions that his current apartment doesn't allow pets? Veeeeeeery interesting (though it makes my heart break into a million pieces ohh Jane)
Is it wrong that I drew Johnny and Jane?
>>77 Share!
I'm ALL for incest. Especially when it's a controlling older brother than treats Jane like a dog. ...What the fuck is wrong with me?
>>79 TF2chan has forced me to ask that question more times then I care to admit. Its the nature of the beast. Gosh darn it guys, I thought this was an update. Polite sage.
Oh wait, was that what the pic was gonna be about? Now I'm a bit scared. If it's not sexual, I would still love to see it! Captcha: ltypos said.....El Typos!
http://tf2chan.net/workshop/src/131736530121.jpg
Aw, I was excited again for a moment! No update, the world sucks now, thanks alot.
Cat, your Soldier is best Soldier. Can't wait to see how Jane escapes (please let him escape!)
GUYS GUYS! Somebody get your butt to Hipstr, the next chapter's ready for betaing! We need a proofer to look it over for posting! Please hurry!
Ohhhh I can't believe I almost missed something this great ! I hope they find Pyro soon, and that Jane will be free ;.;
>>76 I admit the dogs as a literary device thing happened by accident. I just really like dogs a lot. And all this incest talk is wigging me out, you guys. Anyway, here's part five. You guys might like this one. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The sun was rising over the Manhattan skylin, and had the audacity to illuminate the hotel room which Sniper and Demoman occupied. Sniper cracked an eye open and noticed that the moth-eaten curtains were currently open, letting the harsh sunlight fall onto his face. His head pounded as he sat up. Squinting, he plodded over to the curtains and pulled them shut before turning around and flopping back onto his bed. He didn’t want to get up again. He buried his face into his pillow and shut his eyes. As he was drifting back off to sleep, he was interrupted by the harsh metallic ringing of the telephone. He rolled over and groaned in agony. Demoman groped for the telephone on the nightstand, still lying on his back. He knocked the receiver off its cradle and pulled it to his ear. “Hullo? Aye, this is… eh, wot? Ye did? Where…?†Sniper picked his head up just long enough to see Demoman sitting up before letting his head drop down again. “How many now? … Well, they can’t all be… aye, aye, we’ll be o’er there. Thank ye. See ye in a bit.†He hung up the phone, and leaned over to shake Sniper by the shoulder. “Git up, lad.†Sniper pressed his face harder into the pillow and grumbled. “C’mon, we might a’ found ‘im. Git outta bed an’ let’s go.†Sniper rolled over. “Might’ve found ‘im?†“Only one way tae know fer sure,†said Demoman. “We’ll get breakfast on th’ way. Let’s go.†________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After showering and getting breakfast, the two of them rode the subway to the radio station that had broadcasted the reward for Pyro. Outside, the two of them noticed a fairly lengthy line leading to the station door. They walked past the queue and as Demoman approached the door, the man standing in front of it grabbed his arm. “Hey!†said the man, tugging at Demoman’s sleeve. “Whatchu think you’re doin’? Get in line for the reward like ev’rybody else!†“You daft bastard, I posted th’ reward!†Demoman shot back. The man who had approached him stepped back in surprise. “The hell you even from, brother?†“Bah, th’ hell with ye!†Demoman gave him a dismissive wave and opened the door, followed by Sniper. Inside, the line continued and lead up to a door on the first floor. The people standing in line chattered amongst themselves as they watched Demoman and Sniper pass. The woman standing closest to the door backed up a step when Demoman rapped at the door with his knuckles. “Wait your turn in line, fool!†The voice that shouted from inside the room was unmistakably Stew Jackson’s. “It’s Tavish!†Demoman said. The door opened immediately. “What’re you knockin’ for, man? Get in here!†He waved Demoman and Sniper inside, and shut the door. The blinds in the room were drawn and the room was dimly lit by a single lamp hanging from the ceiling, giving the office the feel of one belonging to a 1930’s noir detective rather than a radio station. Two men sat on opposite sides of the desk; a twitchy, skinny man in a tank top and basketball shorts that looked at Demoman and Sniper with wide eyes, and a stoic gentleman with rolled up shirt sleeves and a loose tie, sitting at the desk with a pad of paper and a lit cigarette. “‘Bout time you two showed up,†said Stew, “been like this all mornin’. You know somethin’s up when young folks are up this early.†“Ain’t like we don’t already have school,†the young man said, rubbing his upper arm. “Boy, hush,†said Stew. “… Just want my 500 dollars…†the man mumbled. “Tavish, Mundy, this is Harlan Miller,†Stew gestured to the man sitting at the desk with a sweep of his hand. “He’s a private eye in the business a’ findin’ missing people. He’s offered to help us out in our investigation.†Harlan gave a curt nod. “Morning, fellas.†“G’morning,†Sniper responded, still feeling groggy. “We’ve been usin’ him to separate the stories of the cats who are lyin’ an’ the honest folk,†explained Stew. “Man’s good at tellin’ whether or not people are lyin’. Real expert. An’ we needed him ‘cause it turns out we’ve been gettin’ a lotta folks tryin’ to lie they way into an easy 500 bucks.†“Not me, though,†said the young man. “I’m honest.†“I said hush,†snapped Stew. “Ye learn anythin’ new?†asked Demoman. “Anythin’ at all?†“Not much you fellas probably don’t already know,†said Harlan, leaning back in his chair. “I called all the homeless shelters in the area only to find out the two of you were asking around beforehand. Since then, almost all of the information we’ve gotten is either stuff we already know or blatant lies.†“Well, that’s just lovely,†Sniper mumbled, as he dragged his hand along the side of his face. “Surely ye must’ve got somethin’ for us!†Demoman pleaded. “I got somethin’!†the man in the chair spoke up. “How many times do I gotta tell you, boy? Shut your pie hole!†Stew scolded, looming over the young man. “Cool your jets a minute.†Harlan held up a hand, and Stew backed off. “We still haven’t heard this young man’s story yet. What’s your name, son?†The young man sat up a bit straighter. “George. George Cooper.†“Mr. Cooper,†Harlan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, “what information do you have on the Invisible Man?†Sniper and Demoman both turned to look at George, and George took a deep breath. “I saw the Invisible Man at Coney Island last night.†“Last night?†Demoman got excited. “Where at Coney Island? Out with it, lad!†“Mr. Degroot, was it?†Harlan asked. “Please. Calm yourself and let him finish. And look at me when you’re talking, George.†“Right,†George looked directly at the P.I. “Like I was sayin’, I saw him last night when I was hangin’ out with my friends by the beach.†“Around what time was this?†Harlan put a thumb to the edge of his mustache. “I dunno,†the boy shrugged. “I guess it was like, 8 or 9 or somethin’?†“Out awful late for a school night,†Stew remarked. “Let ‘im finish, already,†said Sniper. He was leaning on the wall, arms crossed. “I just graduated, back off man,†George retorted. He hunched over in his seat. “But yeah, I was with my friends, hangin’ out on the boardwalk, an’ we’re listenin’ to the radio when we see the Invisible Man strollin’ by with some nasty ole’ shoppin’ bags.†“Lots a’ people have been callin’ him that,†Demoman remarked, sitting down on a folding chair that had been in the corner of the room. “Well, you know, he’s creepy an’ I’ve seen him a few times before,†George explained. “People see him on the street an’ stare ‘cause he’s all covered up like he is. Everybody avoids him. We saw him shamblin’ along when that thing came on the radio about how there was a reward out for him, an’ we all just kinda stared at him…†“That’s some rather convenient timing,†Sniper remarked. “Man, was it ever!†George said. “But I think he heard it ‘cause he stared back at us an’ then he started runnin’!†George gestured to demonstrate the speed at which Pyro had taken off, sweeping the heel of his palm against and over against the opposite hand. “Like, bookin’ it, y’know! Well, my main man Tyson, he musta’ had dollar signs in his eyes like a cartoon or somethin’ ‘cause he was runnin’ after him, even though he seemed really scared, like he thought he was in trouble or somethin’.†Demoman and Sniper exchanged worried glances, and then turned their gazes to the floor. “Where did he run to?†asked Harlan. “Do you know?†“We ran after him for as long as we could, but it was getting’ dark an’ he was faster than you’d think for a guy wearin’ as much as he does.†George shook his head. “We were goin’ after him for a while until we lost him after he turned a corner. Tyson was lookin’ for him hard but it was like he just disappeared!†Harlan put his hands together and let out a pensive hum. “Now, I know people cannot just up and vanish into thin air,†he said, “but I do believe that he is telling the truth so far as he knows.†“I told you!†said George, obviously perking up. “When do I get my $500 dollars?†“Later,†said Stew, “when we find him.†“Say what?†asked George, his voice breaking. Demoman grabbed Sniper by the arm. “Ye heard th’ lad, he might still be on Coney Island! Let’s go!†“Go?†asked Stew. “But we’re not even finished here yet.†“Ye can stay, Stew, an’ so can yer investigator,†said Demoman. “We’re checkin’ it out while th’ trail’s still hot. We’ll call ye.†“Do you even have the number for this office?†Harlan asked, raising a pair of bushy eyebrows. “Yeah,†said Sniper, “We should probably-†“No time!†Demoman exclaimed. “We’ll call Patricia! Let’s move it!†Demoman pulled Sniper by the arm out of the room, practically dragging the taller man behind him like a ragdoll. The three men remaining in the room said nothing and exchanged odd glances. George finally broke the silence. “Even if you don’t find him… I’m still gonna get my $500, right?†______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The sky was overcast over the boardwalk, and gulls stalked a few lone guests for any food they might drop. Most of the people there seemed to consist of bored teenagers playing hooky and wary looking young men who stayed in one spot and just watched people go by. Demoman and Sniper moved briskly, catching a few curious glances before they were found to be ultimately uninteresting. “Said he saw ‘im by th’ beach,†Sniper said after a long silence between them. “Aye, but there’s a lot a’ beach,†said Demoman. “We might be here a while.†Sniper cast a glance at a lost-looking woman shuffling on the board walk with her head cast down. “Ya think maybe we should ask around if anybody’s seen ‘im?†“Like who?†asked Demoman. “Drug pushers an’ senile ole’ ladies?†“Lady might know.†Sniper shrugged. “She looks down on her luck. I dunno. Maybe she’s seen ‘im around. Pyro could have some connections after all.†“I wouldn’t be so sure aboot tha’,†Demoman said. “Most everybody we talked tae said ‘e dinnae have any friends at all.†“It’s worth a shot, innit?†Sniper said with a shrug. Demoman sighed, and approached the woman, who seemed focused on following a seagull. “Excuse me, miss?†The woman whipped her head around and stared at Demoman with wide, bugged-out eyes that looked ready to pop out of her hollow sockets. She said nothing, but she sucked her lower lip in and smacked her tongue. “I’m sorry, lass, I jus’ wanted tae ask ye a question and be off,†Demoman raised his hands and backed up a step. Sniper, meanwhile, stepped closer until he was just behind Demoman. “I don’t got no money!†she shouted. “Lemme alone! I’ll scream!†“Calm down, lady!†Sniper stepped in front of Demoman. “We don’t wanna hurt ya, we just wanna know if ya saw somebody!†“I ain’t seen anybody!†she protested, shaking her head. “Nobody at all.†Sniper turned his head and saw a small group of teenagers staring at them. He frowned. “Not even them?†“I’m not lookin’!†the woman said, hiding her face. “I don’t see them!†“C’mon, Mundy,†Demoman grabbed Sniper by the shoulder. “There’s other’s we can ask…†“Look, lady,†said Sniper, shaking off Demoman, “all I wanna know is if ya’ve seen the bloody Invisible Man or wotever they’re callin’ ‘im!†Slowly, the woman lowered her hands from her face and stared at Sniper. “You lookin’… for him?†“Yeah!†said Sniper, eyes going wide as he leaned forward. “Have ya seen ‘im lately?†She shook her head. “Oh, no… no, you don’t wanna be lookin’ for him. He’s a devil! He’s a devil in disguise!†“Och, he ain’t that bad,†said Demoman. “We need ta find ‘im!†pleaded Sniper. “Please, we need to help him!†“No!†she screeched, and swung the plastic bag she was carrying at Sniper’s face. It hit Sniper in the jaw, sending him teetering sideways. “You stay away! I won’t let you help him! He’s evil! Evil, I say!†Sniper clutched his bruised face and stood upright, and he and Demoman backed away from the hysterical woman. Anyone else standing around had walked away or stopped paying attention. The woman continued to swing her bag at the both of them, screeching incoherent syllables and backing away. Once satisfied her aggressors were at bay, she turned and fled. “Well,†Demoman turned to Sniper, arms akimbo, “tha’ worked out swell, dinnit it?†“Shaddup,†Sniper quipped. “Least I tried, didn’t I?†He rubbed his bruise. “Christ, wot th’ bloofy hell wos she carryin’, a load a’ bricks?†“Hey, misters.†Both Demoman and Sniper turned around to see a young boy looking up at them, with narrowed eyes and a dirty face. He sniffled. “Are you lookin’ for the Mummy?†“Mummy?†Demoman asked in confusion, giving Sniper an odd glance. “Yeah,†said the kid. “We call him the Mummy ‘cause he’s always wrapped up like one. An’ he’s creepy an’ he smells funny.†The two men exchanged glances and looked back at the boy. “You know where t’ find ‘im?†Sniper asked, crossing his arms. The boy’s eyes shifted from side to side. “I dunno… it’s kind of a secret. You gotta be… ‘in the know,’ you know?†“How d’you mean?†asked Sniper. Demoman pulled out his wallet and produced a twenty-dollar bill, holding it above the boys head between two fingers. “Would ye say we’re fit tae be ‘in the know’ now, lad?†Reaching up, the boy grasped for the bill only to have it lifted high above Demoman’s head. “Show us first. Then ye’ll git yer reward.†“You’re not gonna swindle me, are you?†asked the boy, hands on his hips. “A Degroot always keeps ‘is word,†said Demoman, pocketing the bill. “That’s a promise.†After scuffing his feet, the boy turned and started to walk, beckoning the two men to follow him. Wordlessly, they did, past the rides and the booths and the other wanderers, until they had reached a section that was only occupied by gulls. They came upon an abandoned penny arcade, a rotting relic of a time long gone. There was a sign above the entrance with paint so badly peeled that it was no longer legible, and gang tags scrawled all along the outer walls in red and black paint. Planks of younger wood barricaded the front door, but there was a large gap towards the bottom; large enough for a man to squeeze through if he crawled on hands and knees. The boy pointed to the penny arcade. “I seen him go in an’ out a’ here a lot,†he said. “Sometimes, when it’s real quiet, you can hear noises from in there. Like music, only… spooky music. I heard some kid say it might be alien transmissions.†“I highly doubt it,†said Sniper. “Ye ever go in there?†Demoman asked, bending down to meet the boy at eye level. “Not me,†the kid scoffed. “What do I look like, stupid?†“Know anybody that did?†Sniper asked. “Well,†said the boy, “Tommy O’Brien says his friend knew this kid who went in there and was never seen again. I heard that somebody else saw the Mummy wearin’ a mask made out of that kid’s face.†“Sounds like a load a’ bollocks,†scoffed Sniper. “What’s a bollock?†the boy asked, tilting his head in confusion. Demoman walked towards the door to the old arcade, bending down to peer through the gap in the doorway. He squinted in the dim light, and saw only rows of neglected pinball machines coated in blankets of dust. “What are you, crazy?†The boy ran up to Demoman. “Don’t go in there! He’s crazy!†“We know,†said Sniper. He placed a hand on the kids shoulder, gently pushing him back. “We’re his friends.†The boy gave Sniper a look of confusion, his lip curling up to reveal a freshly missing tooth. “He has friends?†“There’s a path on th’ floor in th’ dust,†said Demoman, looking back to Sniper and the boy. “Someone’s been goan’ in an’ out th’ same way fer a while now. Other ‘n that… I dinnae see any sign a’ this place bein’ lived in.†“Looks aren’t always wot they seem t’ be,†said Sniper. “I think we need t’ have a closer look.†“You’re crazy,†said the boy, crossing his arms. “You’re both crazy. I’m not goin’ in there.†“Then I s’pose ye’ll be fine waitin’ out ‘ere then,†said Demoman. He crawled through the gap in the planks and stood up, poking his face through a smaller gap. “Seein’ as we’re goan’ tae check out whether or not ye’ve given us good intelligence.†“I’m plenty intelligent!†The boy stomped his foot. “I’m smart enough to know that you guys are crazy an’ so’s the Mummy!†“You want yer 20 bucks or wot?†Sniper crouched down by the hole and looked at the boy. “Fine,†the boy huffed. “I’ll wait. But if you don’t come back…†“Don’t worry,†said Sniper, crawling through on his hands and knees. “Me an’ Tavish are both professionals.†“Professionals? Professional what?†The boy asked, only to find that the two men he’d been leading had disappeared inside. He huffed. “I guess I’ll just wait out here then, huh?†The arcade interior was lit only by light filtering through slats of boarded-up windows. Demoman ran a finger on an old fortune telling machine window and rubbed the tip of his finger against his thumb. Sniper meanwhile followed the path of the bare floor until he came upon a spot where the path stopped abruptly… fading under a floorboard, even. There was a groove where the trail stopped, and Sniper dug his fingers into it and lifted a trap door, leading to a narrow, rickety staircase. “Well, well, well…†he clucked with a smile on his face. “Wot do we have here?†Demoman walked over and peered down the stairs. “You hear that?†Sniper cocked his head as he listened. The sound of music could be heard, faint and muffled, coming from downstairs. “Yeah,†he said. “After you?†Both of them headed downstairs, into the dark, dank cellar. Demoman walked into a cobweb and shook it off with a groan of disgust. Past the heaters and the breakers was a closed door, and a brightly colored light could be seen emanating underneath through the bottom gap. The light changed color, from red to green to blue to yellow, and the music could be heard louder than before. The two men glanced at each other, barely able to see one another in the darkness, and nodded in silent agreement. They crept towards the door, and stopped just short of it. Sniper pressed his ear to the door and listened. He held a finger to his lips as he turned to Demoman, and pushed the door open slowly. Christmas lights were strung from the ceiling, the colored bulbs fading on and off and casting different colors in succession. The music was strange; erratic guitar plucking and a raspy voice chanting off beat in word salads. The stink of ashes, Vaseline, mildew and body odor hung in the air. Beyond the open door, there was a hall with a corner turning to the left, where the lights were brighter. Both men crept forward quietly, Sniper grazing the damp wall with an open palm, and peeked around the corner. There were more lights, all hooked up haphazardly to an old generator. Surrounding the generator, and all throughout the tiny room, were piles upon piles of magazines, newspapers and books. There were children’s toys strewn all over the floor, including a mechanical flipping dog on its side, kicking its legs uselessly as it yipped and whirred. There were records in their sleeves, replica rayguns, spent lighters and empty matchboxes and a pile of hats in the far corner. On the floor shoved against the wall was a pile of filthy pillows and blankets. Sniper swept his foot across the floor as he stepped forward, brushing aside candy wrappers and burnt massages. “Hullo?†Sniper called out, scanning the room. “Anyone in here?†Demoman kneeled down to sift through a stack of comic books and science fiction pulp magazines with smudges of soot on their pages. “He’s been ‘ere, all right.†“Place is a bloody pigsty,†Sniper said in disgust. “Can’t say I’m surprised. Look at all this junk.†He kicked the yipping toy dog upright, sending it to wade through garbage. “Crickey, he could a’ sold most of this. Wot’s th’ point a’ even holdin’ onto all this crap?†“EEERTSSH NURT CRRRRP!†Both men came to a start. They looked around the room, anxious. Demoman rushed towards the pile of blankets and started tearing through the layers. “I’d recognize tha’ mumble anywhere,†he said, and turned to Sniper. “C’mon, lad, help me find ‘im!†Sniper looked around, whipping his head from side to side until his gaze settled on the pile of hats. He dove for it, clawing through it frantically and sending sombreros, beanies, fedoras and helmets flying. He grabbed at a handful of hood and pulled, only to find resistance. Pulling his hand back, he locked his eyes on two oversized, dark lenses that seemed to stare back at him. “Pyro.†He exhaled the word, the air rushing from his lungs. He felt himself go rigid, his hand frozen in midair. He managed to inch it towards hooded head, only for the pile of hats to explode in his face and send Sniper reeling back onto his backside. Demoman whirled around to see a short figure in long underwear dash for the door. “Pyro, wait!†Demoman shouted, and lunged at him, wrapping his arms around their torso and tackling them to the ground. Sniper stood up and looked down on the wriggling captive. It was not cold in the basement, but they were wearing mittens, socks and a ski mask with no hole for the mouth, and over their eyes were goggles that covered any other skin that would have otherwise shown. “Dinnae jes’ stand there, lad!†hollered Demoman. “Lend me a hand!†Sniper immediately kneeled and pinned down Pyro’s arms. “Easy, there, mate, easy!†Sniper said, talking to Pyro as if he were talking to a panicked animal. “We’re yer friends, remember? Settle!†The fight drained from Pyro, and his limps went limp as he hung his head in defeat. “Urr knurrr,†he mumbled. His captors released their grip, and sat down on the ground. They sat in silence as they watched Pyro sit up, and sheepishly turn around to face them. He sat Indian-style, gripping his ankle and bowing his head, averting his gaze from his companions. Pyro rocked back and forth, not saying anything at all. “Wot happened tae ye, Pyro?†Demoman asked, his voice soft. “How did you end up like this?†“Durn wurnnuh trrrk uburrt ut,†Pyro whimpered. “Why’d ya try t’ hide then?†Sniper asked, leaning forward. A high-pitched whine could be heard from behind the mask. Pyro clutched his head and trembled. “Urm urrshemed,†he admitted. “Urnd uh furrght uh wursh urn trrrbull. Uh furrght surmurn wrsh turrn tuh kurrll meh.†“Kill you?†Demoman repeated. “Why would ye think that?†“Thurr rrurwurrd!†Pyro exclaimed. “Uh furrght… uh furrght…†“Aw, blimey, we didn’t think you’d…†Sniper rubbed the back of his neck and looked at his lap. “I’m sorry, mate.†“I’m sorry too,†said Demoman. “We were jes’ so worried… we wanted tae find ye an’ rescue ye from… from this.†He gestured around the room. “From livin’ in th’ cellar of an old arcade.†“Uh derrserrf ert,†said Pyro. “Ert’sh murr furrlt.†Ye dinnae deserve this,†said Demoman, putting a hand on Pyro’s shoulder. “Nothin’ you could a’ done would make ye deserve this. I swear it.†Pyro looked up at Demoman. His eyes weren’t visible, but Demoman imagined those eyes were staring at him, large and doleful, like puppy eyes. “Whurt durr uh durr?†“Truckie’s offered you t’ live with him if ya want,†Sniper said. “He’s got a nice ranch out in Texas. Guard Dog’s there. You remember him, right?†“Grrrd durg?†Pyro perked up. “Aye!†Demoman chimed in. “We were there, at th’ reunion. Everyone missed ye, Pyro. All of us.†“Yeeh durrd?†Pyro clasped his hands together. “A’ course we did, lad!†Demoman said, giving Pyro a gentle shake. “Why wouldn’t we? Yer practically part a’ our family!†Pyro bowed his head. “Frrmlerr,†he repeated. He fell quiet, and looked to his friends, and then across his cellar. He turned to look at the yipping dog toy that was crawling towards him, picked it up off the ground and switched it off. He held it in his lap and stroked it, as though it were a real dog. “Urrd leerk thurt.†“C’mon then,†Demoman said, extending a hand to Pyro, “let’s git ye outta here an’ git you a real home.†He gave Pyro a hopeful smile. The masked man reached one mitten-covered hand out and took a hold of Demoman, and was pulled to his feet. Sniper stood up, and patted Pyro on the back as Pyro tucked his toy under his arm. “Good on ya, mate,†he said. He turned around and sniffed. “Christ, this place is rank.†He faced Pyro again. “You are too, actually.†“Surreh,†Pyro said, holding his face in his hands. Demoman laughed. “We’ll fix that right up, jes’ you wait! C’mon!†Demoman hugged Pyro’s shoulder. “Ye have nothin’ tae worry about anymore.†Pyro got dressed, throwing on a shirt, pants, coat, shoes and beanie, and the three of them walked out the dark cellar, up the stairs and towards the boarded door. After Demoman and Sniper had crawled out, the boy ran over to them, stopping in his tracks just to see Pyro poke his head out. He stared slack jawed as Sniper bent down to help Pyro out and to his feet. His own feet were rooted to the spot, and when Demoman and Sniper turned to him, the boy jolted. “It’s him!†he said. “You found ‘im!†Pyro squeaked and ran to hide behind Demoman. Sniper let out a soft laugh. “Wouldn’t a’ found ‘im without your help, mate,†he said. Demoman pulled out his wallet and handed the boy a crisp twenty. “I kept me word,†he said as the child snatched it. “Thank ye kindly.†The boy gave a comical nod, a rushed “you’re welcome,†and ran off, heading towards the busier part of the boardwalk. Pyro peeked out from behind Demoman, and looked up at him. “We should give Stew a call,†said Sniper, looking towards the ocean. “We’ll hafta ring Truckie too.†“Aye, all in good time,†said Demoman, and he patted Pyro on the head. “Let’s get you ready tae go home.†Unable to contain himself any longer, Pyro grabbed the both of them and pulled them tight, his arms wrapping around both of them and squeezing as tight as he could. Demoman gave a laugh, and Sniper rubbed Pyro’s back and gave him a pat. Without a word, Pyro let go only to grab both men’s hands, and waddle forward, stringing them both along like a child holding hands with its parents. Home, thought Pyro. He was going to finally have a for real home.
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This. Is gold. I was so honestly touched by the end of it. Scuse me while I go get tissues. I can't wait for the next chapter! Keep up the good work Cat!
This story is wonderful. I really cant wait what else you have in store for this story! Keep up the good work Cat!
The sun was rising over the Manhattan skylin, and had the audacity to illuminate the hotel room which Sniper and Demoman occupied. Missed an e for "skyline" there.
>>91 I noticed that too late.
Pyro is in trouble because he got his hats dishonestly.
Saw this at the top of the page, hoped ever so much that it was an actual update and not just a bump... and it turned out to be this! I am very happy right now.
ASFSBDGSDGSGFS Exact sound I tried not to make at the end of this chapter. So fuggin adorable ogod~
I got notified when I checked Hipstr tonight and came a-rushing here, filled with glee, and that... that penny arcade/basement was the best location ever. I could see it all, and it was... like, there was a sad sort of decaying beauty, and then I got all ferklempt, and... yeah. So, you do things to my emotions. (Also, I'm the person-from-Hipstr who will totally mail you a bat PEZ dispenser if you want it. My email's up there with my name.)
Part six is here, you guys. Have fun. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As Soldier opened the door and let his friend inside his apartment, Engineer finally found that he was unable to contain himself any longer. “I can’t believe that man!†he exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air as he stomped towards the couch. “I just… how can he even… Ooh!†He fell back onto the couch, crossed his arms and shook his head. “I don’t know how you put up with him!†Soldier stared at Engineer. “You… you really don’t like him?†“Of course I don’t!†said Engineer. “He’s slimy an’ sneaky an’ downright creepy. I had no idea he’d be that awful… I’m so sorry, Jane.†This gave Soldier pause, and he closed the door behind him. “You’re the first person I’ve met who’s agreed with me about him,†he said. Engineer looked up at Soldier in disbelief. “Really?†“Nobody’s really believed me before,†Soldier said, his voice unusually soft. “Or they won’t say they do. I don’t know.†He slumped against the door. “Jeez…†Engineer took off his hat and ran a hand over his head. “I didn’t know…†“Yeah well… I don’t like to talk about it much.†Soldier slid down the door until he was sitting. “Your brother seems to be a very manipulative person,†said Engineer, resting his chin in his palm. “He came off as fairly charming to me at first… but he turned mean pretty fast. I think he’s not very used to being challenged like that.†He tapped a finger on his lips as he thought. “He does a good job of disguisin’ his true face, whereas you come off as very gruff and aggressive. That’s prolly why he looks more credible than you do.†“Tell me something I don’t know,†Soldier grumbled. “Very headstrong,†Engineer continued, “totally convinced he’s right about you and hasn’t even considered the possibility of being wrong. He’s got that in common with you at least.†Engineer let out a chuckle, only to be met with a nasty glare from Soldier. “I’m sorry.†“Don’t ever compare me to him again,†Soldier said. “I’m not like him.†“You’re very different from each other,†said Engineer, “But you are brothers.†“I hate him, Engie.†Soldier pulled his knees to his chest and crossed his arms. “What the hell am I supposed to do? You said you might have an idea…†Engineer bit his lip. “Well, I think I want to have a discussion with someone who might better understand the psychology of a man like your brother… somebody who might be able to give me a more objective view on this.†“And who would that be?†asked Soldier. Getting up from the couch, Engineer headed over to the teleporter that Soldier had set up in the corner of the living room. “C’mon,†he said, “We’ll pay him a visit.†__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The teleporter exit spun and flashed, and Engineer stepped off to find himself in a ornately decorated living room with a wide window. The moon could be seen high up in the sky over neighboring rooftops. He had little time to gaze however, as he was greeted by the odd howling of a Siberian husky, who ran into the room just to stop in front of Engineer and growl at him. “Nikita! Shush!†Medic came into the room after the dog, a dove on his shoulder, and stopped as he noticed Engineer. “Engineer! You’ve arrived!†“I’m sorry I didn’t give you advanced warning,†Engineer said with a smile. He presented his hand to the dog in front of him, allowing her to sniff it. “I’m not over too late, am I?†“Nein, nein, you ah fine,†said Medic, bypassing the dog and offering a hand to Engineer. “It’s good to see you again so soon, mein freund.†“Good to see you too, Doc,†said Engineer, taking the doctor’s hand and giving it a friendly shake. “I assume Soldier is on his way?†“You’re not supposed to…†Engineer sighed. “Yeah, he’ll be here any minute.†As he finished his sentence, the teleporter spun back to life and Soldier materialized on the spot, startling the dog and causing her to run away howling. This in turn caused the dove on Medic’s shoulder to flutter off. The doctor rolled his eyes. “Good evening, Herr,†Medic said. “Doc,†Soldier replied with a nod. “I’d prefer you not call me ‘Herr.’†“Vhat should I call you, zen?†Medic asked, tilting his head. “You told me zat you no longer go by ‘Soldier.’†“‘Mister Doe’ is fine,†said Soldier. He looked around the living room, from the potted plants to the patio window, the floral patterned sofa, and the glass coffee table. “Uh… nice place you got here,†Soldier said, sounding unsure of himself. “No need for you to be so polite,†Medic said, smiling. “I vould nevah expect zis to be to your taste.†“DOKTOR!†All three of them turned to see Heavy standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen. The dog was hiding behind him, and he was wearing oven mitts on his giant hands as he held a tray of fresh cookies. Engineer and Soldier exchanged a quick, puzzled glance, which did not escape Heavy’s notice. He laughed. “Good to see you again, Engineer and Soldier,†he said. “Care for cookie?†“Thank you kindly,†said Engineer, and found himself and Soldier being ushered into the kitchen by Medic. The kitchen was small, clean, and brightly lit, and the window above the sink was open; upon its ledge were more doves, bobbing their heads to look between the new guests with interest. Three of them sat down around the kitchen table save for Heavy, who presented the cookie tray to each in turn. Soldier and Medic refused, and Engineer took one and gave Heavy a courteous nod as the Russian walked to the stove. “So,†said Medic, folding his hands together, “Vhat is it you vanted to talk to me about in person, Engineer?†“Well,†said Engineer, and swallowed, “I was… well, Soldier and I, really, were wondering if you might at least offer us some advice.†He looked over at Soldier, who sat next to him with his arms crossed, completely stoic. “See, uh, his brother is proving to be a bigger obstacle than we had previously anticipated.†Medic raised an eyebrow. “Oh?†Engineer looked back to Soldier again for help, but Soldier seemed oblivious to the cue. He continued. “Yes. As it turns out his brother appears to, ah, be somethin’ of a control freak.†“You vant us to murder him?†Heavy asked, sitting down beside Medic with a cookie in hand. “Would you?†asked Soldier, suddenly very interested. “What? No!†Engineer protested. “Look, I know most a’ us have a rather dodgy history with th’ law, but I’m not fixin’ t’ murder anybody, here.†“At least not if you can help it?†Medic asked with a smile. “Vill be last resort then,†said Heavy. He popped his entire cookie into his large mouth. “Fer th’ last time, we’re not murderin’ nobody!†Engineer scolded. “Stop it, all a’ you.†Medic sighed. “Oh, very well zen, Engineer.†He turned to Heavy and put his hand over the Russian’s. “Schatz, could you put on some tea for our guests, bitte?†“Of course,†said Heavy, getting up from his seat. He kissed Medic on the forehead, causing Soldier to cringe, and went to prepare the kettle. “Don’t do that,†growled Soldier, glaring at Medic. “Don’t do vhat?†asked Medic. His eyes lit up in realization, and he laughed softly. “Oh, I’m sorry,†he said, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’ve gotten quite comfortable viz not having to hide my affections in my own house, Mister Doe.†“You got nothin’ to apologize for,†Engineer assured him, cutting off Soldier before he even had a chance to speak. “It’s your house, after all.†“Really, Engineer, it’s fine,†Medic said, still keeping up his pleasant demeanor. “I don’t vish to make my guests too uncomfortable.†Soldier just snorted and crossed his arms. “Don’t worry about it,†Engineer said. “Now, uh, if we could return to th’ topic at hand…†“Right, right…†Medic turned to look at Soldier. “Your brozzah. He is preventing you from moving in viz Engineer?†“That’s right,†Soldier said with a nod. “And I assume he does not know zat you ah here.†Medic smirked. “He doesn’t even know about th’ teleporters, as far as I know,†Engineer answered. Soldier did not react to this interruption. “So, vhat exactly ah ve dealing wiz heah?†Medic asked, lacing his fingers. He watched as one of his doves flew onto the table and bobbed its head as it made its way to Engineer’s cookie. Engineer moved it, much to the bird’s confusion. “He is a ‘control freak,’ yes, but vhat else can you tell me?†“He’s a monster,†said Soldier. “He is vile scum. I have never hated another human being in my life as much as I have hated him.†“Zat’s certainly saying somezing,†said Medic. “You hate him more zen you hated me?†“I don’t hate you,†Soldier snapped. The bird flew onto Engineer’s shoulder and stared at him as he took a bite of his cookie. “You used to,†said Medic. “Look, I never hated you,†Soldier said, jabbing a finger at Medic. “I nevah vould have guessed,†said Medic. He leaned over to look at Heavy. “How is zat tea coming, kushchelbär?†“Is coming,†Heavy assured him as the kettle heated up. “Look, fellas,†Engineer held the rest of his cookie away from the hungry bird, “I really don’t wanna dredge all this up again. Can we please focus on Johnny here?†“Johnny?†Medic asked. “John Doe?†“That’s correct,†said Soldier. “John Doe Jr., actually.†“And you’re Jane,†Medic said, rubbing his chin. “Vhat interesting names you bozh have. Zhey sound more like aliases zan your actual names.†Soldier just grunted. “Johnny’s a very intimidating character,†Engineer explained as the bird on his shoulder craned its neck over to peck at his cookie. “He’s… well, I can’t say I’ve ever dealt with anyone like him before. He’s bigger’n Jane and he treats him like a dog. It’s extremely unsettling. To be honest, their relationship seems downright abusive.†Soldier bristled at that last word. “You zink Jane… is physically abused, zen?†Medic asked, eyes roving towards Soldier. Soldier hunched over in his chair, looking like a crouched gargoyle. He said nothing. “I… I’m not sure,†Engineer looked to Soldier, and noticed the dove still on his arm. He tried to shoo it away, only for it to snatch the remaining bit of cookie out of his hand and flutter off. He sighed. “I, uh… haven’t asked.†“If you can provide evidence of such abuse, you may be able to make a legal case to take avay custody of Jane from zis Johnny,†said Medic. The dove landed on Medic’s shoulder and swallowed the rest of Engineer’s cookie, causing the Texan to frown. “Ozzahvise, I am not sure if you vould have much of a leg to stand on.†“Evidence...†Engineer looked to Soldier. Soldier had not picked up on this obvious signal, and after a short silence looked between the two other men. “What?†he asked. “You have any evidence of Johnny hurting you?†Engineer asked. “If you do, we could convince your doctors to remove you from his care…†Soldier hunched over further and mumbled. “Has he hurt you?†Medic asked, reaching up a hand to pet his bird on the head. Again, Soldier didn’t answer. He seemed to be curling up, as though trying to pull himself into a ball tight enough that he could just implode out of existence. “Tea is ready!†Heavy announced, setting down a teapot and cups. He sat down next to the doctor, and poured himself a cup. He looked between the men at the table, and his smile faded. “Vhat is problem?†“I’m not some battered wife, you know,†Soldier spoke up. “I can defend myself.†“Jane, there ain’t no shame in needin’ help,†Engineer put a hand on Soldier’s shoulder only to have it be quickly shrugged off. “Stubborn as evah,†Medic sighed as Heavy poured him a cup of tea. “Vhat does he do to you zat is so awful, hmm? Zhere must be a reason vhy you hate him so much.†“He’s evil!†Soldier shouted, and pounded his fist on the table, startling Medic’s dove and spilling some of the tea as Heavy tried to pour Engineer a cup. “He’s ruined my life and he’s tried to suck what little joy I get out of it! The man’s like a dictator, he’s… he’s been tormenting me ever since we were kids.†“How?†Medic asked, narrowing his eyes. “He, uh…†Soldier shrunk back again and went silent. “That bad?†Heavy asked. “I don’t wanna talk about it,†Soldier murmured. Heavy moved to pour him a cup of tea, and Soldier shook his head. “Don’t drink tea. You have any coffee?†“I am sorry, ve don’t,†said Heavy. “Mister Doe, how ah you planning to get out of your brozzah’s custody if you cannot even articulate vhat it is zat he is doing zat makes you vant to leave?†Medic asked. “Unless you ah coming to Heavy und I not asking for advice, but for a favor…†He took another sip of his tea. “And I might just be sympathetic to your cause… I have been in your situation before, Mister Doe.†Soldier perked up. “Yeah?†“Somevone in a position of authority using emotional blackmail to manipulate you into doing zings against your will? Zhreatening people or zings you love, zhreatening to expose your darkest secrets unless you submit to zem?†Medic’s voice went low. “Yes… I know zat well. So frightened, so backed up into a corner, your pride and your integrity in shreds at your feet… all while a power-hungry maniac pulls at your strings, playing you like a puppet…†“What did you do?†Soldier asked, leaning forward. “You managed to escape, right?†“Ja, I had,†Medic said. “But zat was after I pulled out all his teezh, fed him his own testicles, drilled a hole into his skull and zen poured in ze acid…†he started to chuckle, a wicked smile overtaking his features. “Oh, how he screamed in agony, just begging me to stop… my only regret is zat I did not have more time to watch him slowly degenerate into a human vegetable.†He sighed wistfully, as someone would recalling a fond childhood memory. “Ah, but it vas a much different time back zen, in Germany.†Engineer choked out a nervous laugh, trying to mask the chills that were currently wracking his body. “Yeah, uh… I did mention that I didn’t want you murderin’ nobody, doc.†“Who said anyzing about murder?†Medic asked. “Maiming isn’t murder…†Heavy let out a loud laugh, slapping his knee and startling the birds sitting in the window. “Good vone, Doktor!†he said, wiping at his eye. “No maiming!†said Engineer sternly. “Look, I don’t want you gettin’ inta somethin’ that would get you arrested. This man… he is utterly convinced what he’s doing is right and he’s downright terrifying. He gave me the creeps.†“Obviously someone intimidating enough to frighten Mister Doe is someone zat is not to be underestimated,†said Medic, idly stirring his tea. “Zen again, ze fact zat you have known zis man your entire life may be a factor. He may be less intimidating to someone who is an outsider and has dealt viz men far more devious zen a controlling older bruzzah.†“Are you suggesting you personally try to go over there and…†Engineer trailed off. “It vould seem to me zat ze only language zis man truly knows is zat of fear,†said Medic. “Zat happens to be vone I am quite fluent in.†He smirked, and the dove that had stolen Engineer’s cookie flew down next to him. Medic stroked the bird’s head with a finger as it cooed. “I vish to help in any vay zat I can.†Engineer bowed his head and looked into his teacup. He would have been lying if he said he hadn’t considered trying to talk the doctor into threatening that bully of a man. If there was any chance of getting Soldier out of there that wouldn’t involve a long, drawn-out legal battle, it’d have to be with brute force and vicious cunning. He looked over to Soldier, and noticed the barest hint of a smile on the man’s lips. “I don’t want you hurtin’ him, Doc. An’ I certainly don’t want him hurtin’ you.†“I assure you I can take care of myself, Engineer,†said Medic. He took a sip of his tea. “And if tiny man tries to lay finger on Doktor, I break every bone in his body,†Heavy said. He cracked his knuckles for emphasis. “Well, I don’t doubt that,†said Engineer. “But… I don’t know. I feel like I only scratched the surface of what is wrong with that man. Maybe… I dunno. I want to try an’ plan somethin’ out. I jus’ wish we had somethin’ to use against him…†“Like vhat, exactly?†Medic asked. “Well, uh,†Engineer shrunk back in his seat, “I mean, I dunno, maybe, I don’t…†He picked up his tea cup, and bit his lip. “I just don’t know… I need t’ think about this.†“Very well,†Medic shrugged. “Take as much time as you vant to zink about it. But realize zat while you ah zinking, Soldier is still under his control…†He looked to Soldier, who didn’t visibly react at all aside from a grunt. Engineer took a sip of tea, and looked from Soldier to Medic. “How about…†he said, “How about Soldier stays with you for a while until we got a plan.†“What?†Soldier sat up straight in his chair, looking alarmed. “Here? With them?†This caused Heavy to laugh. “Would you rather stay within driving distance of Johnny?†Engineer asked. “I think yer safer here than you are back in Minnesota. Maybe stayin’ here for a while will be good for ya.†“Ve are not so bad to live vit,†said Heavy, smiling. “Vhat, is tiny man still feeling threatened by Doktor and I?†“Negatory!†Soldier barked, crossing his arms. “It’s just… I don’t like this frou-frou chintzy set-up you got here.†“And you vould razzah live viz your brozzah?†Medic asked. Soldier uncrossed his arms and sighed. “No, sir. But… why can’t I stay at your place, Engie?†“It’s jus’ for a little while,†said Engineer. “I need some time to think about this and consider our options, is all. See if I can’t try an’ do some research about him while bein’ assured that you ain’t in danger.†“I resent that,†said Soldier. “I’m not some damsel in distress.†“No,†said Engineer, “but you ain’t in a position where you’d be able t’ defend yourself very well. I jus’ don’t wanna see you hurt any more’n you’ve been already, is all.†He put a hand on Soldier’s shoulder and rubbed it. “We’ll figure this out. Don’t you worry none, all right?†Nodding, Soldier slouched in his chair and mumbled. “Vill not be so bad,†Heavy assured Soldier. “Is beautiful here. Can get fresh air, relax… is good for you, yes?†“If you say so,†Soldier said. He turned to Engineer. “Don’t leave me here too long.†“Don’t you worry,†said Engineer. “Hopefully, this’ll all be over soon…†__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When Engineer got back to Texas, he found himself surprised to see the sun was still up; he’d gotten so used to it being nighttime in Venice. Soldier was safe there. But what to do now? He sidled up to his workbench, and plopped down on it. Here was where he liked to think, even on matters that had nothing to do with his machines. He picked up a pencil from an old coffee can and tapped it against the scratched table surface. Johnny presented a conundrum unlike anything Engineer had faced before. Should he have just let Medic and Heavy put the fear of God into that loathsome ox? No, he decided, that might very well hurt Soldier. Johnny would only be further fueled into a vengeful anger against not just Soldier, but his friends… including Engineer. If whatever Johnny had done to Soldier was so unspeakable that Soldier refused to even hint at what kind of punishment he’d endured, Engineer didn’t want to imagine that wrath turned onto him and his daughter… Engineer shuddered. No, he couldn’t have that. If only he could get a leg up on this son of a bitch, he thought. He sniffed, picking up the scent of smoke… “Bonjour, laborer.†Engineer cried out and clutched his chest, spinning around in his chair to see Spy on the other side of the garage. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph,†he wheezed. “How long have you… how did you…?†“Ze whole time, and I’m not allowed to tell you,†said Spy, grinning. Letting out a hoarse laugh, Engineer shook his head and gave Spy a dubious glance. “I wasn’t expectin’ you to show up back ‘round here so soon…†Spy shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting to come back so soon, but oh, pressure from ze higher-ups… you know how it is…†He strode to Engineer’s desk and sat on the edge. “I was curious as to if you had given my offer any zhought.†“Aw, Spah, I ain’t even had time t’ think that over,†Engineer sighed. “I’ve got a completely different crisis on my hands here. Soldier’s brother ain’t given up custody of him without a fight, an’ this man’s got a helluva lotta fight in him.†“Oh?†Spy rested his chin in the heel of his hand. “Do go on…†“He’s… he’s a control freak,†said Engineer, standing up from his chair. He started to pace. “He treats Soldier like a dog, keeps him on a leash, keeps him caged an’ angry an’ miserable an’ runs his life an’ his finances… I think he’s done more. Hurt him, physically, mentally… Soldier doesn’t even want to talk about it. He’s frightened of him.†“Is zat so?†Spy asked, tilting his head. “I suppose zat certainly says somezing, doesn’t it?†“I know, right?†Engineer said, turning to face Spy before he started pacing again. “I actually just came back from visitin’ Heavy and Medic… Medic sounds all too eager to go over there an’ threaten th’ guy but… I don’t know. I almost hate to admit I’d like to see that happen, but at the same time, I feel like it won’t work. Like that’d just make him angrier.†“And taking ze legal route is just stressful and boring…†Spy sighed dramatically. “Well, I’m not opposed,†said Engineer. “I’m just worried that given the fact that Johnny appears, for all intents and purposes, to be an upstandin’ citizen, an’ that Soldier is not only mentally ill but doesn’t have th’ best history… well, I’m worried that we’d lose, an’ we can’t afford that.†“How sad.†Spy pouted. “And what options do you have left zen, hmm?†“I don’t know!†said Engineer, exasperated. “I wish I had somethin’ on him, ya know? Somethin’ t’ one-up him somehow…†“You want dirt on him, perhaps?†said Spy, blowing smoke. “Are we talking blackmail?†“Well I…†Engineer found himself tripped up. “I don’t know, Spah… I guess, if we were fightin’ dirty. I would hate t’ have to resort t’ that… but I wouldn’t even have anythin’ t’ use. Soldier’s not talkin’, an’ I really wouldn’t want t’ get close enough t’ Johnny to… you know…†He turned to look out the garage door, hugged himself and sighed. “I don’t know, Spah. I really don’t. I just wish I could whisk him away from there... let him stay with me an’ tell him that everythin’ is gonna be-†As he turned around, he realized the spot where Spy had been sitting was now completely empty. There’d been no sound of his cloak or anything else that might have indicated a speedy exit. He sighed. “… okay,†he finished, speaking to no one in particular. “Dag nabbit, Spah.†“Daddy?†Engineer turned around to see his daughter leaning against the frame of the garage door. “Who were you talkin’ to?†she asked. “Nobody, sweetheart,†he insisted, shaking his head. “What’s up?†“Sniper called,†she said, twirling her hair, “He, uh, he said that he found Pyro in New York. He wants you t’ call ‘im back. I wrote down th’ number for ya, it’s by the phone.†“Well, ain’t that somethin’,†Engineer said, smiling. “That’s great news! Thanks, pumpkin.†“You’re welcome, daddy,†Rosie replied, and flitted off back to the house. Engineer took one last look around the garage, hoping that Spy might still be around. Upon the Frenchman’s failure to reappear, Engineer rubbed the back of his neck and strode back to his house. All he could hope for now was that Spy wouldn’t try anything crazy.
I am so excited over everything right now. Just, vibrating on the edge of my seat. And very, very in love with your Heavy and Medic.
I bet Spy sees this as an opportunity to get back in the spy game!
Yeeess this was a good update. I thought that I had I vague idea at least of what might happen, but after this and the introduction of Spy this story could really go either way. Also, perhaps it's just me, but from the general relaxed atmosphere at Medic and Heavy's house (as well as Medic's blase attitude to Johnny and his behaviour) I can't help but feel that something is going to go horribly wrong when they do end up going to confront Johnny oh dear. As always, I love the way you characterize them all, kudos especially for writing Soldier for not being HOORAHH CAPSLOCK ANGRY but still recognizably Soldier. I'm also curious to how Engineer is going to juggle three sets of problems at once, but hey, he solves practical problems right? Looking forward to the next update, and I'm interested at how Scout might interlock to this whole drama (and how Soldier copes living at Heavy and Medic's place oh boy).
oh, this was an awsome chapter, but Engie, having Jane stay and Medic's and Heavy's home will probably bite you in the ass. What happens when Johnny comes over to check on Jane, as I imagine he will when he hears nothing from Engie, or when Jane's doctors go to check on him? He won't be there, and it will be amunition against you should you go the legal route....
For the life of me, I don't know how I missed two updates! And they were both glorious!
oh god, this entire chapter, and the one before that-- The Reunion/Afterwards fic is one of the things I've read that makes me stop reading and go "fuuuuuucccckkkk." I hope that Johnny doesn't find the tele in Jane's apartment.
This was amazing, I just keep loving this story more and more! I would dearly love to see a confrontation between Medic and John haha, but even having Jane live with Medic and Heavy should prove to be pretty awesome and potentially hilarious/heartwarming. You also make me love soldier more and more with every update. <3 Anyway, yeah basically you're great and I can't wait for the next chapter. :)
I hope Spy tries something crazy.
Poor Soldier. It's hard enough to be a man who is being abused, but for someone so proud and strong as Soldier it's just...ugh. He's lucky to have such great friends. Although that might not stop him and Medic from driving each other crazy. Don't give up Engie, you'll find a way to help Jane!
If something bad happens, let it be anyone besides Heavy, Medic, or Pyro. Pleasepleasepleaseplease I should be feeling something for the rest of them, I guess, but I just feel for those three.
This story just makes such a impact on me. I LOVE THIS STORY SO MUCH. I really feel bad for Solider. I hope the team can help him out. keep doing what your doing because, you're doing a wonderful job!
I think to this day a little bit of SpyxEngi will always give me such a girl hard on that it's almost painful when it's written by you. I hope you can sneak that in a little more in the upcoming chapters. Maybe then Spy can be a little happy if Engie agrees to work with him. He'll have his fantasy playmate, er, friend back. Knowing that this isn't going to go all peaches and cream when the plan starts to unfold, I can't WAIT to see what Johnny does to Jane (or tries to) when everything gets fucked up. Oh boy!!!
I love everything about this, but mostly how you've made Soldier such a sympathetic character. Usually his craziness is either played for laughs or he's just an asshole, so it's a nice change of pace and very well done.
All I can say is, "More, please." The way you write is awesome. Don't ever stop.
I'm glad I kept forgetting to read this or I would have spent even more time sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what happens next. As fun as gory violence and zombie invasions are, I actually feel like your human drama is a lot more interesting to read; it takes serious effort to come up with a compelling scenario where the source of conflict is an entirely human one. I am also anticipating Solly taking a one-way trip into the canal the first time he tries butting heads with his new hosts.
You do not know just how much I raged when I scrolled down and realized that there aren't any more updates as of this moment.
>>114 Well, I raged a bit when I found out this wasn't an update but just a bump. To prevent bumping, disappointed people, and angry messages, please type sage in your email field. It will leave your comment but it won't bump the story. Do everyone a favor okay ?
>>116 careful with the emoticons. Also please remember to put sage in the email field.
SORRY THIS TOOK SO FREAKIN' LONG, HERE'S PART SEVEN. HAVE AT IT, YOU MONKEYS. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The first thing that Demoman did when they’d found Pyro was call Stew from a payphone. Pyro clung to Sniper during the entire call and would hide behind him when any passing stranger’s gaze lingered too long. After some debate between Sniper and Demoman, it was decided the safest way to get Pyro back to their hotel without the interference of anybody still looking for the cash prize would be by taxi, much to Demoman’s chagrin. Demoman made the call for the cab. No sooner had he hung up the phone in its cradle that it started to rain. They huddled together under a nearby bus shelter, and when the cab finally arrived, the rain was coming down hard, soaking their three heads when they dashed from the shelter to the cab. “Awful weather, huh?†said the cabbie, craning his neck back to get a look at his passengers. “Where to?†“Ye know th’ ole’ Rathberg Hotel on 23rd and Main?†Demoman asked. “Oh, yeah, in Manhattan?†The cabbie asked, looking back at his passengers as he tilted the rearview mirror. “Aye,†said Demoman. “That’s it.†“Sounds good,†said the cabbie, turning the wheel and taking off. He looked back at his passengers again. “You folks not from around here?†“Nae really,†said Demoman. “Came inta town tae help an ole’ friend a’ ours.†Pyro was leaning past him to look out of the window. “You sound like yer from the UK or somethin’.†The cabbie said. “Am I right?†“Scotland,†Demoman replied. He put the back of his hand on Pyro’s chest to gently sit him up straight. “Scotland, eh? No kiddin’!†The cabbie chuckled. “You fly all the way here from Scotland?†“Nae, I’m livin’ in New Mexico now,†Demoman said. He settled in his seat. “Been there o’er ten years now.†“Nice,†the cabbie said nodding. “Never been. What’s it like down there?†“Bloody hot,†Demoman said with a grin. “S’not so bad,†said Sniper, slumping down in his seat. “Just desert, mostly.†“Yer more used tae that, though,†said Demoman, crossing his arms. “Yer bloody daft.†“Desert?†the cabbie asked, looking at Sniper in his mirror. “What, you from Australia?†“Yeah, actually,†said Sniper. “Adelaide. You know it?†“Nope, sorry,†said the cabbie, shaking his head. “Never been farther away from home than DC, an’ that was a long time ago.†His eyes darted over to Pyro’s reflection before adjusting the mirror. “An’ what about him?†“Him?†Sniper looked over to Pyro, who only stared back behind darkened lenses. “Well, uh, he’s… uh… he’s from…†“Jersey,†Demoman cut in. “He’s from Jersey.†“Jersey?†the cabbie repeated. He shrugged. “Well, I guess that explains a lot, huh?†They all laughed at this in an awkward, uncomfortable way save for Pyro. He just looked at his feet and shrank back, not making a sound. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ After a lengthy cab ride (and an accompanying hefty fare) into Manhattan, the three of them were now outside their hotel. Pyro looked back and forth between Demo and Sniper. “This is where we’ve been stayin’ mate,†said Sniper, patting Pyro on the back. “Don’t worry, we’ll work everythin’ out.†Pyro just nodded and grabbed a hold of Sniper’s hand. They headed inside, and as they opened the door, they grabbed the attention of the man at the check-in and a very familiar mustachioed man standing in front of it, smoking a cigarette. “Well, speak of the devil,†said Harlan Miller as the three of them stopped in their tracks. “I see you found your friend, The Invisible Man.†“Aye,†Demoman said with a nod and a smile. “I suppose we won’t be needin’ you anymore, now will we?†Harlan didn’t smile; his face was as stern and as hard as it’d been at the radio station. “We need to talk,†he said, crossing his arms. “Should we head up to somewhere more private?†Sniper and Demoman exchanged worried glances. Demoman nodded. “Aye, up in th’ room…†He gestured towards the upstairs with his head. “Is this… serious?†“I should say so,†said Harlan. He walked up the stairs, and the other three men followed him in a rather tense, awkward procession, with Pyro bringing up the rear as he let out a pitiful whimper. Demoman unlocked the door and let everyone in, closing it quietly behind him. The private investigator walked over to the window, looking outside of it briefly before turning to his audience. “What’s all this about then?†Sniper asked, arms akimbo. Harlan took a drag on his cigarette and let out a stream of smoke. “I was lookin’ into your friend here and managed to stumble across some information that might be of concern to you…†he looked towards Pyro, piercing through his black lenses. “Your friend here is in serious debt, and could very well be guilty of fraud and identity theft.†“That’s a load a’ gobshite,†Demoman said. He shook his head and looked back to Pyro. “Right, boyo?†Pyro looked down at his pidgeon-toed feet and pressed the tips of his index fingers together, avoiding eye contact with anyone else in the room. “Holy dooley,†Sniper muttered. “Pyro, you didn’t…†“He did,†said Harlan. He reached into the inside of his coat and produced a stack of papers. “Apparently he’d been buying a great deal of products from a company called Mann Co., enough to completely destroy his credit rating. They’d gotten suspicious after they were getting more orders from the same address under different names…†Harlan flipped through the papers. “Jim Smith, Susan Shelley, Ignatius P. Sulferbottom, Weena Mercator, Chuck Catapault, Ivanna Suckerbutt…†Harlan stopped reading to glance towards Pyro, who was covering the scarf over his mouth as he giggled. “Bill Packer, L. Ron Hubbard, L. Ron Hudda, Not L. Ron Hubbard…†“Like th’ science fiction author?†Sniper looked at Pyro in confusion. “Irrsh uh lurrng sturreh,†Pyro said, bowing his head. “Urr durn wurrnuh trrk aburt urt.†“What’d he say?†Harlan asked. “‘E said ‘e dinnae wanna talk aboot it,†said Demoman. He put a hand on Pyro’s shoulder. “Well, he’s gonna have to start talkin’ about it,†said Harlan, tucking the papers back into his jacket. “Mann Co.’s lookin’ for him and have been wanting to press charges unless they’re paid, and on top of that, some of those names I listed off are real people, and he used their real credit cards to purchase Mann Co. merchandise.†He looked at Pyro. “The Feds been lookin’ for you too. You’re in big trouble, little man.†“Jesus, Pyro!†Sniper put a hand to his forehead. “How… why d’you do that? “ “Uh nurrded urt,†said Pyro, covering his face. “Uh rurrn urt urf murneh.†“How?†Sniper sputtered. “How could you have possibly spent all of it? Wot th’ bloody hell did you spend it on?†Pyro flinched at Sniper’s angry tone, and started to choke out a few small sobs. Sniper heaved a great sigh and put his hands on Pyro’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, mate, I’m sorry, I just…†He never finished, as Pyro just started to cry into his chest. Wrapping his arms around the Pyro, Sniper just gave Demoman a helpless look. “Listen, Miller,†Demoman started, approaching the PI, “our friend ‘ere is not completely… together in th’ ‘ead. He’s a good lad, but ‘e’s not cut oot fer livin’ on ‘is own. Is there any way we can keep ‘im outta prison?†“I’m no lawyer,†said Harlan as he shook his head, “you might be able to get some leeway if you have a professional look at your buddy there. There’s evidence that he’s been scammed out of a lot of money and I think just one look at this guy would tip off a shrink that he’s…†he looked Pyro up and down as he tried to pick his next word, “… off.†Demoman fell silent, and tapped a finger to his lips, looking between his friends and the investigator. He started to pace a bit, and then turned back to Harlan. “Thank ye fer tellin’ us that, lad,†he said. “We’ll make heads an’ tails a’ this.†“You figured all that out awfully fast,†said Sniper, looking towards Harlan with narrowed eyes. “I’m good at my job,†said Harlan. “You ask the right people, you come across the right records… things fall into place.†Sniper just sneered at the PI, and rubbed Pyro on the back. “You say so, mate.†“You need anything else,†Harlan said, pulling a card out of his pocket and handing it off to Demoman, “you give me a call. We’ll keep in touch.†“Keep in touch?†Sniper repeated. “Aren’t you done yet?†Harlan gave Sniper a wry look. “I’m never done,†he said. “Not in this line of work.†He turned to leave, gave a sharp wave as he headed for the door. “Good luck out there.†“Thanks…†Demoman didn’t get to say much more as Harlan left the room and shut the door behind him. He stuffed the card in his pocket and looked to Pyro, who was still clinging to Sniper. “Now wot d’we do?†Sniper chewed his lip and furrowed his brow. “Wot if… we faked ‘is death?†Demoman rubbed his chin. “Had a mate that tried that once. Dinnit work out that well, poor sod. Got buried alive. Dinnit know yer not s’posed tae fake yer death inside a coffin.†“Yer mate sounds like a bloomin’ idiot,†Sniper scoffed. “He wos,†Demoman sighed. “I’ll miss ‘em somethin’ awful. He’s passed on, God rest ‘im.†“Well,†Sniper said with a shrug, “that’s wot happens when ya go buryin’ yerself alive.†“Naw, that’s not ‘ow he died,†said Demoman. “He wos heard eventually an’ we dug ‘im up.†“Oh,†said Sniper. He tilted his head. “How’d ‘e die, then?†Demoman sighed. “Lead poisoning.†As Sniper just looked at Demoman with a perplexed expression, Pyro backed away and released Sniper, and plopped down on one of the beds. “Urm surreh,†said Pyro, bowing his head. “Urm nuurt grrrd wurf murrneh.†“That’s a bit of a’ bloody understatement, innit?†Sniper rubbed the back of his head. “Pyro, I think ye’d better git cleaned up,†said Demoman. “I’ve got some calls tae make.†“Whurt urrburt muh strrrfff?†Pyro asked, jerking up his head in alarm. “We’ll take care a’ yer stuff, dinnea worry,†Demoman said, waving away Pyro’s concern. “But ye cannae get on a plane smellin’ like someone threw a firecracker inna bog. Scrub yerself good. C’mon.†He pulled Pyro up off the bed and guided him to the bathroom. “We promise we won’t peek at ye.†Pyro hesitated to step inside as Demoman opened the door. Eventually, he shuffled inside, and gave Demoman one last nervous glance before shutting the door gently behind him. “BE SURE TAE GIT BEHIND YER EARS, YE WEE FILTHY MUDPUPPY.†Demoman let out a laugh, and Pyro replied with muffled whining. Sniper sat on the bed, his bed, and rested his foot upon his knee. “I’m not sure I trust that bloke, Tavish.†“Who, Harlan?†Demoman asked, walking over to the phone. “Why’s that?†“He knows too much too soon,†said Sniper. “I don’t know… I feel like this ain’t the first time he’s been lookin’ fer Pyro, y’know? Like maybe he’s a cop…†“A copper? Him?†Demoman scoffed as he picked up the receiver. “Naw, Stew wouldn’t a’ got a private dick that’d rat ‘im out. Don’t worry yer ‘ead there, lad. I’ll call Engie an’ let ‘im know we’ve found th’ lad.†“All right,†said Sniper, standing up and heading for the door. “Oi!†Demoman twisted around to follow Sniper with his gaze. “Where d’ye think yer headed off to?†“Out fer a bit,†said Sniper. “Jus’ need t’ walk an’ clear me head, is all.†“Suit yerself, then,†said Demoman. He started to dial Engineer’s number, and Sniper went out the door and headed downstairs. The man at the hotel desk looked up from his newspaper at Sniper as he walked through the lobby. “Not goin’ out with that friend a’ yours?†he asked. “Mind yer own bloody business,†Sniper snapped back. The man shrugged and went back to his paper as Sniper walked out of the hotel and along the sidewalk. Sniper shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around just to check if Harlan was in sight. He saw no sign of him, and walked down the street, his head down as he thought. He thought he might feel better if he could find out more about this Miller bloke; do his own investigtion on this investigator. Then perhaps he could be at ease. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ It was about 20 minutes after Demoman had hung up with Isle that the phone rang. Pyro was still in the bathroom, and the water could still be heard running. No doubt he’d be in there for a while. Demoman picked up the receiver and put it to his ear. “‘Ey, who’s this?†“It’s Engineer!†said the voice on the other line. “Rosie just gave me yer message. I was out real quick, been dealin’ with a whole ‘nother situation with Soldier. How’s Pyro?†“I made him take a bath,†said Demoman, glancing briefly at the bathroom door. “He stinks somethin’ horrible.†“I can imagine he wouldn’t be takin’ too many baths if he was homeless,†said Engineer. “He’s all right otherwise though, yeah?†“Well…†Demoman started, only to be cut off by Engineer. “Uh-oh. That don’t sound good…†“He’s not hurt or nothin’,†Demoman said, hasty to quell any fears Engineer might have, “he’s in debt. Bad debt. An’ ‘e might a’ been stealin’ credit cards an’ commintin’ fraud too.†“Oh, good Lord…†Engineer breathed. “We might be able tae git ‘im off if we kin say he dinnae know wot he wos doin’ wos wrong,†Demoman said, hunching over and making a calming gesture with his hand, as though Engineer would be able to see it through the pone. “It’s possible, aye?†Engineer let out a loud sigh, and was silent for a few moments. “That figures,†he said. “Of course Pyro’d have some crisis as well.†“As well?†Demoman repeated. “Jane’s… Soldier’s problem is worse than I’d thought,†said Engineer. “I left him with Doc an’ Heavy in Venice just ta get him away from his brother. The man’s downright frightening, Demo. I ain’t ever met anybody like him.†“Why? Wot’s he doan’ tae ole’ Solly?†Demoman leaned against the wall. “I can’t say fer sure,†said Engineer. “He’s hurtin’ him, he’s controllin’ him… he gives me the creeps. I don’t like him one bit an’ Jane hates ‘im even more.†“Ye thinkin’ a’ roughin’ him up then, aye?†Demoman asked. “I can certainly say I’m sorely tempted,†Engineer chuckled. “But I don’t know if that’d work. I don’t know. An’ now Pyro’s in trouble with th’ law…†“He hasn’t been arrested yet,†said Demo. He turned away from the phone just to make sure the shower was still running. “Maybe we can erase wotever identity he’s usin’ now, jes’ pretend like this ne’er happened…†“I don’t know, Demo…†Engineer sounded tired. “We’ll work somethin’ out. When are you comin’ back.†“I figure we could leave tomorrow if there’s nothin’ else we need,†said Demoman. “I’m sure Pyro’d be excited tae see ye again.†“I’d like t’ see ‘im again, too,†said Engineer. “Tell ‘im I said ‘Hello,’ wouldja?†“A’ course, mate!†Demoman said with a grin. “Dinnae worry, lad. Everythin’ll work out in th’ end, jes’ you wait.†“I sure hope so,†said Engineer. “If you still got those teleporters I gave ya, y’all can go on an’ use them…†“Dinnae worry, they’ll git their use,†Demoman replied with a wave of his hand. “We’ll bring Pyro o’er there safe n’ sound.†“Thanks, Demo. You stay safe getting’ back, ya hear?†“Oh, c’mon now, would ye ever expect me not tae?†Demoman asked. “… I think you an’ I both know the real answer t’ that, pardner,†said Engineer. Demoman let out a loud laugh. “That’s why I like ye lad! Take care now, aye?†“Will do, buddy,†said Engineer. “I’ll talk to you later.†“Bye, lad,†said Demoman, and hung up. He looked back at the bathroom door. The water was still running. Pyro had been in there for quite some time. Demoman stepped up to the door and rapped his knuckles on it. “Oi! Pyro! Ye dinnit drown, did ye?†“NUUR!†Pyro called back. His voice was still muffled, as though he were holding a hand over his mouth. “NEERD MURR TURRM!†“If ye say so, lad,†Demoman said. “Dinnae be too much longer, aye? Ye’ll turn intae a prune.†“Kurr,†Pyro responded. Letting out a chuckle, Demoman shook his head and walked towards the window. “Strange one, that lad…†______________________________________________________________________________________________________ By the time Sniper had finished his walk around the block, he’d smoked two cigarettes and managed to pick up a decent cup of coffee. There was something about not having any real destination in a city of dull noise that took some of the edge off. Not that’d he’d let his guard down completely, of course. Fortunately any shifty looking characters he’d walked past noticed the nasty scar running from his nose and over his cheek up to his ear as well as his usual scowl, and let him be. The scar, of course, had been a gift from the old BLU Spy, and just about the only partially positive thing that bastard had ever done to him. Moonchild thought it’d been sexy when they first met. As he ran his thumb over the mark, he suddenly felt his good mood evaporate like morning fog. Not that it mattered; he was back in front of that seedy hotel again. He took one last drag on the cigarette in his mouth and tossed the butt on the ground before he headed back inside. The first thing Sniper noticed was that the clerk wasn’t at his desk. The second was the muffled, frantic noises coming from the direction of his hotel room; shouting, scuffling, and splashing. He headed upstairs with haste. The shouting was not angry or violent, but more distressed and frustrated. He jammed his key in the lock, swung the door open and stepped onto wet carpet. He retracted his foot, and looked up to see the hotel clerk hitting the bathroom door with his shoulder in an attempt to barge open. Demoman was merely looking on with a bottle in his hand, and looked up to see Sniper. “Wot in th’ blazes is goin’ on here?†Sniper demanded, his voice going hoarse. “Pyro’s flooded th’ loo or somethin’,†said Demoman. “Won’t come out.†“It’s leaking into the room below!†shouted the clerk. “Do you have any idea how much it’s going ta cost to replace this carpet? Or to pay for plumbing repairs?†“Och, ye could use havin’ this place fixed up a bit,†said Demoman. “Ye’d git more business tha’ way, ye ask me.†“I wasn’t askin’ you!†the clerk snapped. “Help me break down this door!†“Oh, no, no, no, ya don’t wanna be doin’ that.†Sniper grabbed the clerk by the shoulders. “You burst in there an’ see him without all his stuff on… well, I don’t know wot he’d do but I’m not in any hurry t’ find out.†“I doubt it’ll be much worse than the mildew that I’ll have to deal with!†the clerk shot back. “You get him outta there before I call the cops!†He shrugged off Sniper and left, slamming the door behind him. “Wot kinda stick has he got up his arse?†Demoman asked. He took a casual sip from his bottle of gin. “Yer really not helpin’, you know that?†Sniper said. He pounded on the bathroom door. “Pyro, git outta there now, yer floodin’ the place!†“URN UH MURRNUT!†Pyro shouted back. “No, I’m not waitin’ a minute, I mean now!†said Sniper. “Look, Demo an’ I won’t look at ye, jes’ git outta there, will ya?†“Tuwrls,†said Pyro. “Wot?†Sniper glanced over to Demoman, who merely shrugged. “Tuurwls!†Pyro repeated. “Gert murr turrwls! Ur nurrf murr!†Sniper let out a groan. “Fine. More towels. Then you’ll come out, right?†“Yersh,†said Pyro. “You’d better!†said Sniper, throwing up his hands. He opened the hotel room door and leaned over the railing, looking down at the clerk. “Our friend needs more towels!†“Is he out yet?†the clerk asked, looking up from his phonebook. “Not yet, he won’t come out unless I get him more towels,†explained Sniper. “Where’d ya keep ‘em?†“Hold on, I’ll get ‘em for ya,†the clerk grumbled. He stomped away from the desk, cursing in Yiddish under his breath. Demoman started to chuckle. “Wot a spectacle this ‘as turned into, ey?†“Yer not really helpin’ any,†Sniper said, crossing his arms. “Wot’d ye want me to do?†Demoman asked. “Puttin’ down the bottle would be nice,†said Sniper. “Fuck off!†Demoman jabbed a backwards “v†made with his fingers up into the air. “Here’s yer towels!†The clerk came back, and tossed a pile of fresh towels at Sniper, who stumbled forward and caught them. “I’m chargin’ you shmucks extra for this!†And he stormed off. Sniper lifted his foot to close the door. “Pyro!†he called out. “We got yet towels mate. You can come out now!†“Urr yoo luuking?†Pyro asked. “Naw, I won’t look, mate,†Sniper turned his head and closed his eyes. “Neither’s Demo. Right, mate?†Demoman covered his remaining eye with his hand. “Aye!†he said. “I’m practically blind as a bat!†The door opened, and Sniper could feel steam bellow out onto him. He heard wet, slapping footsteps, and felt the towels leave his arms. He could heard Pyro waddle about, and the towels being unfolded. He cracked one eye open to see Pyro from the back, completely covered in towels like a mummy. He immediately shut his eye closed again, ashamed that he’d even ventured a peek. “Yurr currn urpen yurr eyssh nurr,†said Pyro. Sniper opened his eyes to look at a pile of towels sitting in the middle of the floor, with only a pair of goggles peeking out between them to indicate where Pyro’s eyes were. “Ye look like yer a livin’ laundry bin,†Demoman said. “I think we’re gonna be needin’ tae git ye some new duds.†“Urrn murr shtuff,†said Pyro. “Uh nurrd muh shtuff.†Sniper sighed. “Right, right…†he said, nodding. “We’ll git yer stuff. Jes’ don’t cause any more trouble, right?†The pile of towels shook as Pyro nodded. “Rrrrght.†Inwardly, Sniper wondered if Engineer had any idea what he’d be getting into.
YES! YES! YES! YES! Updates make me happy! I love the way you've characterised the Pyro; I'm trying to think of what kind of syndrome he suffers from, maybe he's afraid of open spaces? Also, surely he'd have spent most of his money on all those toys in his cellar? That stuff is expensive on its own, let alone with enough of it to fill an entire cellar. Plus, the electricity bills for the lights would be expensive... AARGH! So curious! Thanks for the update!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY This is great! MORE.
I find it hilarious that Pyro wanted to turn into a Klingon via a really long shower.
See Pyro? This is where you end up when you buy TF2 hats.
Nice update! I especially love all the fake names Pyro gives. L. Ron Hudda and Not L. Ron Hubbard were my favorites. >>121 Is that what he was doing in there? >>122 Hah!
That was a really good update!! I can't wait for more!!!!!
I hope the next chapter will balance out all the cute of this one *throws up sugar*. Time for some Johnny!
What, is that some sort of filter or are you just stupid? (test) bump
no, you're probably just stupid
I hope it turns out alright for Pyro, but hey, this is Cat Bountry here. No happy promises.
Oh we are happy monkeys! 'L. Ron Hudda' warmed my heart. Sniper, you really need to start working on getting your son back/getting some visitation rights about now. It's starting to get awkward. I can't imagine that getting Pyro onto a plane will be easy...might this necessitate a trip to Boston to use a teleporter, I wonder? I'm curious to see how Scout gets dragged--er, incorporated into all this. I'm excited to see exactly what flavor of trouble Spy is busy stirring up. And how Jane is surviving his European vacation. Can't wait for the next chapter! (captcha for this was Stuttgart. Haw haw haw.)
>>130 Sniper, you really need to start working on getting your son back/getting some visitation rights about now. It's starting to get awkward. It's been all of two days since the end of Reunion though. I guess as far as pacing goes in the story it feels longer but as far as the actual amount of time that's passed... it hasn't been that long. But yeah don't worry, that will happen. I just have a lot to juggle.
Last two chapters have been pretty dull so I don't have much to say about this chapter.(forgive me Jesus for saying something negative about Cat Bounty's writing. I know I have sinned) Maybe cause Pyro just feels so OOC (and that's saying a lot since he/she/it doesn't really have a "character" to start out with) This just reads so different than your Respawn Pyro. Is that just me? Or maybe I just wanted more Solly torment. I'm rather excited for the next chapter which feels like it will promise Spy, Jane, Engineer and Johnny. Good luck! Glad to know you didn't die too! It was almost a month since you updated.
>>131 Wow only a few days? Seems like it had been weeks. >>127 I wondered that too
>>131 Whoops, with all the travel time I assumed it had been at least a week since the end of Reunion. Thanks for clearing that up.
>>129 You know, I honestly cant recall a Bountry fic where things turn out alright for Pyro (that wasnt focused entirely on someone else).
I've read most of Bat's stories, and Reunion was my favorite (after that being Respawn of the Dead), so to hear that there was a sequel to it made me excited. With that out of the way. PYRO!! For once, I want something good to happen to the guy. Normally I don't like Solider but I would love to see him succeed. Also, Sniper to be reunited with his son, or at the very least let River know that Sniper will always support or something (it is Cat writing the story, dramatic twist endings tend to be a thing of the norm). Excited for the next update! :D
I have a feeling this is going to be a very long fic, considering the pace, and you said it will eventually end up in present day? Can't help but prepare myself for death(s). Hopefully Soldier's situation will turn out alright at least. I'm all too familiar with sociopaths like Johnny...
I thought there was an update god dammit
guys, learn to sage. I love this fic and you keep giving me hope induced heart attacks when you don't sage.
Sorry it's taken me so long to update! Apparently I only really get motivated to finish something if somebody offers ponies as a reward. Here's part eight then. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Soldier wasn’t tired. He was lying on the couch in Heavy and Medic’s living room, in the dark, clutching a blanket around himself and keeping his eyes closed. His biological clock was set to early evening despite the fact that it was late at night in Venice. Heavy and Medic were in their bedroom, in their shared bed, which Soldier tried not to think about. There were no strange noises to be heard, no sounds of depraved, perverted, godless homosexual intercourse emanating from behind their closed door. Besides, he had to remind himself that he promised not to rag on either of them about… that anymore, even if it disgusted him, made him unable to stop thinking about it… But no; everything in the apartment at least was quiet. Their giant Siberian dog was asleep on a giant pillow by the open window, and the doves had returned to their roost on the roof. There were sounds of the occasional tomcat fight or a dog barking but otherwise it was so maddeningly quiet in this city. Soldier had grown to depend on the sounds of police sirens and the occasional car alarm as background noise; years before that, the screaming and crying of other patients in the mental ward. He felt as though the quiet would drive him insane until he heard the sound of people shouting. He opened one eye and looked out the bay window. There was nothing to see but the same old view of the waterway and the houses on the other side of it, but the shouting sounded close. A man and a woman, perhaps from the home next door, were having a heated argument in Italian. The dog lifted her head from her pillow, stared in the direction of the noise for a few seconds before losing interest and resting her head again. As the woman’s voice got louder, and the man’s voice became more desperate and frightened, Soldier felt himself relax a bit more. He rolled over and closed his eyes again, and by the time the sounds of shattering dishes could be heard from next door, Soldier was asleep. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When Soldier woke up, he awoke as he always did; opening his eyes and then sitting immediately upright. This startled the curious dove that had been walking on his chest to investigate this sleeping stranger, and it flew back to the kitchen. “Good Morning, Herr Doe,†Medic called from the kitchen. “I see you are avake, yes?†Soldier snapped his head around to look inside the kitchen, where Heavy and Medic were having breakfast. They looked at him and then turned back to their meal. “Sleep vell, Herr Doe?†asked Medic. He took a sip of tea and skimmed over his newspaper. “Sufficiently, yes,†Soldier said, walking into the kitchen. “Do you normally… vake up like that?†Heavy asked. “Like what?†Soldier asked, crossing his arms. “Like, jumping up like that,†said Heavy. “Like something stabbed you.†“It’s called being alert and ready to face the day,†Soldier said, looking annoyed. “Not that you’d know anything about that.†“Tea usually helps,†said Medic. “Vould you care to have a seat?†Soldier grunted, and sat down at the table, his arms crossed. Medic poured him a cup of tea and placed it in front of him, and Soldier looked down at the teacup with a sneer. “I don’t drink tea, remember?†he said. “Vell, ve have no coffee, so it’s tea or juice,†said Medic. “Perhaps I could get some for you vhen I come home zis evening, if you behave yourself.†“‘Behave myself?’†Soldier repeated. “What do you take me for? A child?†“Of course not,†said Medic. He pushed his chair back and stood up. “But leaving you to your own devices has proven to have… distressing results in ze past. Zat is vhy Heavy vill be accompanying you for ze day.†“What?†Soldier looked at Heavy in shock, then back to Medic. “I don’t need to be babysat, thank you very much!†Heavy chuckled. “Heh. Baby…†“You shut your cakehole!†Soldier hollered at him, leaning on the table and pointing at Heavy. Medic came up from behind Soldier and set his hands onto the man’s shoulders, forcing him back into his seat. “Enough,†he said. “Ve have been gracious enough to allow you to stay viz us temporarily, and it vould not kill you to be appreciative. Ozzahvise ve might change our minds and send you back home to your brozzah…†Soldier slumped in his chair. “Fine,†he said. “Excellent!†said Medic. “Now, I must be leaving.†He quickly leaned over to give Heavy a peck on the lips, causing Soldier to shudder. “Don’t kill each ozzah while I am out, all right?†“I promise,†said Heavy. He chuckled and flashed Soldier a grin. “Auf Wiedersehen, mein Kuschelbär!†Medic said, giving his Heavy a wave as he made his way out of the kitchen and then out of the house. Soldier went to look out the kitchen window to see Medic on his moped, wearing a helmet as it scooted off. He wondered how the German could ride a prancy little vehicle like that with even the tiniest sliver of dignity. Then again, this was Europe. It was like this pretty much everywhere. “You have not eaten breakfast, Soldier,†said Heavy. “You are not hungry?†“I told you, I’m not supposed to be called ‘Soldier’ anymore,†said Soldier, turning back to Heavy. “Oh, right,†said Heavy. “Is Jane now, right?†“I prefer to be called Mr. Doe, thank you very much.†said Soldier. “Not ordering me?†Heavy sounded incredulous. Soldier said nothing. Instead he went to their icebox, and peered inside. “Don’t you have any meat? And bacon or sausage?†“We left plate for you,†said Heavy. He pointed to a plate that had been left on the counter by the stove. Upon it were two eggs, a few sausages and two slices of toast. “Been there whole time.†“I could’ve made my own breakfast,†said Soldier, as he took his plate. He sat back down at the table, causing the table to rattle with the force that he plopped himself down. He then hunched over his breakfast and hungrily shoveled forkfuls into his mouth. Heavy watched this curiously, and Soldier looked up from his breakfast to glare at him. “What’re you looking at, Comrade?†Heavy tilted his head. “You eat like starving wolf,†he said. “You should slow down. No need to rush.†“Why do you care?†asked Soldier. “It’s none of your business.†“Just saying,†said Heavy with a shrug. He got up from the table, and Nikita, who had been under the table, rushed out with excitement. “When you finish breakfast, maybe we can go out, da?†“Go out where?†Soldier asked. “To see city!†said Heavy, as he tussled Nikita’s fur. “If you do not like Venice, we have trains, can go somewhere else… Florence, Rome… you wish to go?†“I’ll think about it,†said Soldier. He bit off a piece of sausage. “Or we can just go for walk,†said Heavy. “You could use it. Vould be good for you to relax.†“Fine,†Soldier said before stuffing his mouth again. Heavy said nothing more, and went upstairs, followed by his dog. Soldier turned to look behind him, and then swiveled back around to drink the tea Medic had left. It was Earl Grey. He actually didn’t mind drinking tea, but something about being in Heavy and Medic’s home made him feel as though he should have his guard up. Yes, he’d agreed not to harangue them anymore, but the need to assert his masculinity remained. Not an inch could be given to either of them. It wasn’t even a personal thing at this point; just routine. The tea was still hot, but he gulped down as much as he could before Heavy could come back in. Once finished, he stood up and went to dump his dishes in the sink. Unlike his sink back at home, this one was empty and spotless. He dropped his dishes in unceremoniously, where the clattered loud enough to make him wince. When Heavy failed to holler at him, he left the kitchen and went back into the living room, looking around for the Russian. He noticed the stairs leading upstairs, and peered up the stairwell, leaning on the banister. Heavy came back down, now out of his robe and fully dressed, with his dog trotting behind him. “You are not going to change clothes?†Heavy asked. “I’ll be fine,†said Soldier, crossing his arms. “Stop acting like we’re going on a date or something.†“Vhat?†Heavy looked confused. “Forget it,†said Soldier, shaking his head. “Let’s just leave already.†Heavy smiled, and leashed his dog. He then grabbed Soldier by the wrist hard enough to nearly yank it from its socket, and they headed downstairs for the door. Soldier was dragged along until the door was opened, and he squinted under the light of the bright sun. He held a hand over his eyes. “Come,†said Heavy, pulling Soldier close to him into a side-hug, “Is beautiful day. We relax and enjoy ourselves, yes?†“Sure,†said Soldier with a weak nod. “Why not?†____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Johnny was experiencing one of those gut-feelings that he was prone to having. Experience had taught him that, more often than not, these feelings were right on the money. Something was wrong. As he sat up in bed awake next to his wife, he could only think of one immediate thing that it could be. Jane. The clock at his bedside said it was 3:30 AM. He couldn’t sleep. There would be no way he’d be able to sleep until he made sure. He thought of that short Texan man, Dell, the man that had the audacity to come into his own home and insult him… Johnny wouldn’t stand for that. Couldn’t stand for that. He got up from his bed, got dressed, and without a word to his wife, left the house and drove away. The highway was empty tonight, and the lights hanging over the asphalt only served as a reminder of how lonely it was. 18 wheelers were lined up on the sides of the roads, the drivers no doubt catching some much needed rest as Johnny barreled past them. As the yellow lane dividers sped past his vision, he could only think of one thing. Jane, that ungrateful son of a bitch; he’d better be home. If not… After a half-hour drive, he pulled onto the street where the apartment complex was. Jane’s car was still parked outside. Small relief, Johnny thought. But at the same time, that nagging feeling wouldn’t leave. He parked the car, locked it and went inside the building. Even at three in the morning, the neighbors in the complex could be heard in the halls; playing disco records, having loud sex, arguing… typical slum trash, Johnny thought. He finally stopped in front of Jane’s door. He dug into his pocket for his copy of Jane’s room key, and opened the door. The apartment was completely dark, though Johnny had to admit he wasn’t expecting otherwise. He flicked on the living room light. It was empty, of course, which didn’t surprise Johnny in the least; even less surprising was that Jane had never bothered to clean. Slowly, he crept from the living room, past the kitchen and down the hall, to his brother’s room. As he gripped the doorknob, he put his ear to the door. Silence. Johnny scowled, and twisted the doorknob as though he were cracking a safe. Once fully turned, he pushed the door open to let in just a sliver of light, and peered in towards the bed. Crumpled sheets. He pushed the door open more, and his eyes went wide as he saw no human shape anywhere on the mattress. He flung the door open, stomped to the bed, and ripped off the sheets. No one was there. Johnny flipped the mattress over onto the floor, letting out an angry, animalistic bellow. “JANE!†He shouted. He barreled out of the room and flung open the bathroom door. “JAAAAAAAAAANE!†The shower curtain came down with one swift jerk, the rings clattering as the plastic sheet was torn away to reveal a bare tub with a yellowed ring around it. He balled up the curtain and threw it to the ground. “YOU UNGRATEFUL SON OF A BITCH!†he roared. He stormed back into the living room. No doubt that the engineer had something to do with this. Johnny looked around the room, leaning over the coffee table and shuffling through a stack of junk mail before sweeping it to the floor. One envelope landed on a device shoved in the corner of the room; a device that Johnny had never seen before. It looked like a pair of bars with dimmed lights embedded on the ends, and propped up on a stand. It was spinning slowly, rotating like a ballerina on a music box. He knelt down beside it, and held his hand out to stop the bar from spinning. It gave out an odd, mechanical noise. Johnny noticed that there was something scrawled on the red metal of the bad in white; “SOL ENT†in bold, capital letters. Johnny retracted his hand, and the machine beeped again as it resumed its spinning. Curious, Johnny waved his hand over the device, and noticed the lights brighten and the spinning increasing in speed. He took his hand back and watched as the lights dimmed and the spinning slowed. Johnny stood up, and put down his foot on the device, which was wide enough for one man to stand on. It was spinning even faster now, the beeps becoming more frequent and the lights shining brighter. He shifted to put his other foot down on top of it, and noticed the machine whirring to life. It started to hum louder, spin faster and shine brighter until his vision went white and he became disorientated. When his eyes adjusted, he blinked to find himself in a dark shed. No… it was a garage, as evidenced by the truck in front of him. He splayed his fingers as he ran his hands over the hood. The garage door was open, revealing the dark night sky lit up only by stars. He turned around, and in the low light noticed many more devices like the one he had used, all lined up next to each other and hooked up to generators. Johnny recalled hearing Soldier mention offhandedly that his job had once included “weapons experimenting or some mumbo-jumbo.†How convenient for him, he thought. He maneuvered his way around the truck, and came across a work bench against the wall. There was a lamp on the desk, and Johnny flicked it on. On the desk were blueprints, pencils, tools, a ruler and a compass, as well as more personal items. There was a teddy bear wearing goggles, a hard hat and overalls next to a framed photograph. Johnny picked up the photograph and held it under the light. The photograph was of a woman and a small girl, sitting on a porch and smiling at the camera. Johnny tilted his head. The woman in the photo was very pretty… Dell had been a lucky man. Had been. Jane had mentioned that he was a widower. It was then that Johnny began to formulate an idea in his head… a message to send to Jane’s dear friend. It was obvious now to him that he’d helped his younger brother get away. No need to needlessly pursue his brother on the off chance he wasn’t even here, he though as he held the photo high above his head at arm’s length. His grip on the framed photograph loosened, and it fell to the ground. The glass shattered upon impact at Johnny’s feet, scattering on the concrete floor. With a calm disinterest, Johnny bent over to sweep the broken glass aside to sift out the photograph from the frame, lifting it up to the light. His lips started to stretch into a grin, and his tongue poked out from between his teeth to run over his dry lips. Yes, a message, he thought, as he free hand wandered down to unbutton his fly; a message that the Engineer would not soon forget. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Heavy?†Soldier looked up to his companion, away from the ducks lingering in the water down at the bottom of the hill. “Vhat is it, Ja- Errr, Mr. Doe?†Heavy asked. He took a lick at his gelato with his large tongue, trying to keep it out of the reach of Nikita. She was sitting next to him, staring at the frozen treat with yearning. Soldier hadn’t talked much with Heavy during their outing so far; he’d had far too much on his mind. He was sure Heavy had noticed, though Heavy seemed content enough to regale Soldier with stories about his family life at home in the Soviet Union. Soldier still hesitated, though Heavy seemed to be in a good mood… he found himself debating whether or not it would be tactful to perhaps ruin it. He let out a sigh, and said, “I wanted to ask you something about Medic.†Heavy raised an eyebrow. “Oh?†It was too late now, Soldier thought. No turning back. The Russian was obviously curious. “I need to know for sure,†said Soldier, taking in a deep breath, “was Doc… was he ever really a Nazi?†Fearfully, he looked to Heavy, trying to read the larger man’s face. The Russian’s brow knitted, and he looked pensive for a moment, before giving Soldier a smirk. “Nyet,†he said. “Doktor vas never a Nazi.†“You mean it?†Soldier asked, leaning forward. “I need the truth, Ivan. I don’t appreciate being lied to…†“Am not lying,†said Heavy. “Doktor vas never Nazi. He hated them.†“Really?†Soldier scooted closer to Heavy, craning his neck towards them. “Why’s that?†“Not sure I should be telling you,†Heavy said as he shook his head. “Is very personal. Doktor might not like me sharing…†“He doesn’t have to know anything,†Soldier insisted. “C’mon. Throw me a bone here, for once.†“Vhy don’t you eat your gelato before it melts?†asked Heavy, peering at the melting, neglected dessert in Soldier’s hand. Soldier looked at it, and finished the treat off in a manner that would have made the husky beside them look civilized. After wiping his mouth with his bare arm, he looked back at Heavy, who was taking his precious time. Heavy gave a soft laugh. “That vas fast.†“I’m serious here, Heavy,†Soldier insisted. “If he killed Nazi scumbags, I want to know. We’d have that in common!†“I tink that is more his place to tell you,†said Heavy. “Not mine. Is something he does not like to talk about. Very upsetting. Very sad.†“What, is he Jewish?†Soldier asked. “Nyet…†Heavy was taken aback slightly. “No, not Jewish.†“Then what?†asked Soldier, leaning closer. Heavy put a hand on Soldier’s shoulder and pushed him back. “Not good to be nosing,†said Heavy flatly. “Is very rude ting to do.†Soldier frowned. “Well, pardon me for asking questions, then,†he grumbled. “Nyet, Mr. Doe, is not…†Heavy heaved a great sigh. He finished his own gelato to buy time, and looked to Nikita, who simply stared at him and wagged her tail. “Soldier,†he started, and continued before he could be corrected, “Nazis did not like men like Doktor… men like us. He had to hide who he vas to be safe. He had lover that vas not so lucky…†“Oh,†Soldier shrunk back. “I didn’t know…†“Is first time you ever asked,†said Heavy. “Perhaps, maybe Doktor can tell you himself one day. But, for now… do not tell him I told you anyting. He can be… vhat is vord…†Heavy bowed his head as he tried to search for the word in English. “… Secretive, I tink. That is vord.†“Huh,†said Soldier. He looked out to the water, and at the paddling of ducks. “I suppose I can understand that.†“Very well,†said Heavy, and clapped Soldier enthusiastically on the back. “Is good to hear. Now, come.†He stood up from his seat on the grass. “Where are we going?†asked Soldier, getting up. “To market,†said Heavy. “Then home. Ve should be meeting Doktor vhen he comes back. Then ve have supper, yes?†Soldier nodded. “Yeah… that’s fine.†“Good!†said Heavy. “Come, let’s get going!†He picked up Nikita’s leash, and lead her back up the hill and to the street as Soldier followed, looking at his feet as he turned this new information in his mind. Perhaps he owed Medic another apology for all those Nazi jabs in the past. And why hadn’t Medic thought to correct him on it? Surely, anybody else would have under such false accusations… right? He stopped, nearly missing his step. As he corrected himself, and looked up to see Heavy waiting for him on the street, he decided that he would have to speak to Medic personally on the matter. Perhaps there was more going on there than Heavy was letting on… yes. It had to be. He jogged back up to the road, and resolved to ask Medic about this further that night.
.....................JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHNNY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And once again, Cat Bountry, you stab me through the heart. I figured that Johnny would find the teleporter sooner or later [even if I have to question the fact that none of the characters thought of that], but I didn't expect this. Not. At. All. Also, I retract all statements of Johnny ever being sympathetic and now wish for him to torn apart into pieces by a pack of wild wolves.
This latest instalment is excellently written, and I was just so gob smacked when I found out it was an actual update. Mainly, I was chuckling myself through the first third seeing as the characters were spot on. The second third was curious, and I felt a little lost on some of the conclusion that Johnny kept coming to; how he knew he was in Dell's house was one that continued to nag at me. he is in a garage and there are blueprints, I mean, I guess he understands because of the red paint on the teleporter as a reference to Jane's (and Dell's) employment to Redmond.Co. I also don't understand what "SOL ENT" has to do with anything (powered by solvents? glue?); it's possible there is Valve canon I don't know of... The last third seemed very out of character for soldier- he appeared to be too forgiving with everything he was doing. All of his anger and mental dystopia from the first third had dissipated (drugged gelato, anyone?), and instead of demanding answers or being cold, he was simple... someone else. He was too embarrassed to be the canon soldier you seem to have developed, who is quick to anger and hides behind a ferocious mask because of various issues along with post traumatic stress disorder from *every* part of his life. In this last part, he just asks questions, and comes off as someone innocent, swayed by social opinions and not wanting to tread on toes. Towards the end, he starts to come back into character with the whole "throw me a bone" act, and some of his actions (messy eater! messy eater!). If this is a big transition play by you, then fair enough. Overall, what you're doing with this is a fine job; the only thing I can do is offer constructive criticism peppered with bad after thoughts in brackets. Also, cake and hugs. Cake and hugs for all!
>>143 [spoiler]"SOL ENT" stands for "Soldier: Entrance."[spoiler] Hurm... I kind of meant for Soldier to be acting outside of his comfort zone, but I'm not sure if it came across well enough. Perhaps I can amend this when I post the final to dotchan's site.
Well, SOL ENG with a G instead of a T could be Soldier-to-Engineer, the way that particular teleporter's calibrated...? Didn't even give the poor dog a piece of the cone. Heavy, ya big meanie.
>>143 I'm going to assum "SOL ENT" is short for "Soldier Entrance" or something similar. The teleporter Soldier would use to Enter Engie's place from. That's what I figured it must be. As for everything else, Soldier seems to have a lot more on his mind than murder, Nazis, Commies. He's also in someone else's place, so he doesn't have any authority he can wield. It's not like you can really shout someone down in their home when they're doing you a favor... Especially a Heavy. That's asking for an asskicking without respawn to save you.
If Johnny goes after Rose I'm not sure how to feel about that...Unless Spy saves her. Then I might do one of those "OH NO!!...Awwwww yeah!" reactions. Everything is going to turn ok cause Spy is going to save Engineer right? OMG, it's just like Respawn, but reversed and HAPPY ENDING! No bad end Cat. Johnny is so screwed, nobody messes with the team mom! Don't worry Dell everyone will come to the your and Jane's rescue!
....Oh wow. I just thought of something. What if Johnny takes Soldier's entrance pad, puts it in his place and when Soldier comes back....DUN DUUUUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!!!!!! Mmmm yes, that needs to happen I think. More JohnnyxJane interaction please
Johnny is starting to creep me the fuck out. My mother is an attorney who practices family law (which is probably the most brutal/horrible kind you can practice), and I sometimes shadow her as a paralegal assistant. She’s currently representing a woman who was being stalked by her abusive brother and we actually went out the other day to met up with her so we could organize a case binder for the upcoming trial. It's a high risk case because her brother tried to kill her and takes absolutely zero responsibility for his actions. Just reading the scenes with Johnny is giving me goose bumps because both the man from my mom’s case and this character are so achingly similar. The brother controlled everything she did, monitored her spending money, emotionally and physically harmed her, and made sure he knew where she was every second of the day. And after that last scene with Johnny, fuck it, I’d LOVE to push him into fast moving traffic, and I’m not usually one to get this angry over fictional characters. I’m REALLY holding out for some kind of happy ending to this whole mess, ‘cause it would break my heart into a billion pieces if there wasn’t. Your writing is wonderful to cause such strong emotional reactions from your readers.
Love this update, but oh my god whoa. Johnny is a creepy motherfucker. I, too, am hoping this has a happy ending...
Damn, Cat, you sure know how to go from warm and fluffy to stomach-churning. Just imagining how the, er, discovery in the garage is going to play out makes my blood run cold. I feel like Soldier retained enough of his canon self that his acting less hostile isn't too much of a jump--Medic's threat to send him back home if he doesn't play nice also makes it seem, to me, less forced. He's still got something to prove, but interacting with others on a level of friendship (insert pony joke here) is starting to chip away at his resolve, and a little bit of a real person is peeking through. There's a really interesting glimpse at Johnny as well. His grotesque dependency on control over his brother really reinforces that at his core, he's a rather pathetic boy. "Deeply repulsive"-pathetic, that is, not "deserving of pity"-pathetic. Blah blah pop psychology blah. Few characters have been able to make my skin crawl as thoroughly as your Johnny. I wish I could go day-tripping around Italy with Heavy.
I have a feeling Engineer is not going to take this lying down, for once. Im more wondering how John expects to get back to his home after that little escapade. I got the impression that Soldier and Engie lived fairly far from each other, so without a car (and assuming he isnt dumb enough to steal the Engineer's, who knows what that thing's rigged with) he has nowhere to go. Ohgod, what if he finds Engie's daughter?
Huzzah, an update! I should have told you to work on this story when I sent you the butterfly pony. I didn't think Solly's behavior was too far off the mark, considering that he is out of his element
>>152 The teleporters are two-way, remember?
Just realised that a train from Venice to Rome would take like, 5-6 hours. By the time they got there, they'd have to go back, unless they brought the doctor with them. Train trip! Train trip! Train trip!
@Cat Are you going to provide any reactions to the Heavy and Medic in Venice? Do they embrace it? Do they ignore it? Do their neighbours know about them? I'm excited to read more!
>>156 PLease don't bump threads that haven't been updated in a long time. If you want to contact the author, use the mail adress ! BatCountry has their email here, so bumping a thread for asking a comment is unnecessary. Please don't bump oldthreads okay ? Just put the word " sage " into your email field and the thread will not be moved to the top of the story-list.
Wow. That was the most humiliation spelling error I made on this site. I am ashamed to have mispelled Cat Bountry.
That spelling error made me giggle. However, considering it's only been three days since the last discussion of this chapter, and only five since the last chapter was posted, I would hardly say it's been a long time.
>>157 Well, technically, my name is spelled incorrectly on purpose, as it's a spoonerism, so you spelled it correctly, which is incorrect. Heh. Oh yeah and I finished Part Nine already. Here it is! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Mornin’, Pumpkin!†Engineer said, turning as his daughter came into the kitchen. Her hair was pulled back in a messy, frizzy ponytail, and she had her backpack slung over one shoulder. “You hungry? I made breakfast!†He gestured to the plate of toast and eggs on the table. “I’m fine, daddy,†said Rosie. “I should get goin’, if I don’t wanna fight fer parkin’ space.†“Nonsense!†said her father. “Growin’ girl needs a good breakfast. Helps ya do better in class.†He nodded towards the empty chair across from him. “C’mon.†Rosie gave an overly dramatic sigh as she pulled out the chair and sat down. She stabbed at one of the eggs in the yolk, and stuffed it in her mouth. “We outta bacon?†she asked, mouth half full. “Yeah, I need to pick up some more,†said Engineer. He looked down at Guard Dog, who was halfway under the table. “We wouldn’t run out so often if you jus’ stopped sneakin’ him strips of it.†“Sorry,†Rosie said, shrinking back in her chair. She quickly shoved another egg in her mouth. She swallowed, and quickly changed the subject. “You leave th’ garage door open again?†“I might have,†said Engineer. “Why d’ya ask?†“I think I heard a coyote or somethin’ in there last night,†she said. She bit a hunk out of her toast. “I heard some stuff fall over late last night.†“That’s funny,†said Engineer, rubbing his chin. “That ole’ sentry usually scares away anything that might run in there. If it beeped I woulda’ heard it.†“Maybe it snuck in,†said Rosie, shrugging. She took another bite out of her toast. “Or maybe it was a bird that flew in or somethin’.†“I suppose so,†said Engineer, leaning on the table. “You know, I hope you don’t talk with yer mouth full at school. Ain’t very becoming of a young lady.†Rosie finished off her toast. “Sorry,†she said, and then quickly downed the glass of orange juice that had been sitting by her plate. “Won’t do it again,†she said as she stood up from her chair. She leaned over her father and kissed him on the cheek. “Bye Daddy!†“Wait, don’t forget your lunch!†Engineer said, getting up to grab a paper bag. He handed it off to his daughter before she headed out the door. He walked out onto the porch to watch her get into the old Studebaker. He waved at her as she started the car and pulled out, and Guard Dog nudged the screen door open to bark at the vehicle as it drove away on the main road. With a shake of his head, he looked down at his animal companion. “Teenagers,†he said. Guard Dog just tilted his head, and Engineer patted his side. “Let’s go see about that coyote that got in, hmm?†They stepped off the porch and walked to the garage. The door had been open, yes, but even with the door open the sentry should have let out a string of beeps loud enough to wake everyone up. Usually the largest things that were able to get in were birds or bats... or Spy. Had he snuck in last night? No, that wasn’t like him at all… Spy wouldn’t sneak in there without gloating about it to Engineer afterwards. He took too much pleasure in giving Engineer a heart attack. That seemed to narrow it down to an animal until Engineer stopped short of the garage, and noticed his truck’s tires. The tires were completely flat, leaving the vehicle sitting on its rims. Engineer ventured closer, and crouched down by the wheels, examining the long tears in the rubber. “How in th’ hell…†he muttered as he stood up. Without even thinking, he turned his head towards his desk, and froze, his stomach dropping like a lead weight. The blue prints he’d been working on were gone, replaced with a pile of burnt paper and ashes. His whittling knife was embedded in the wooden surface of his desk, and beneath it was a message scrawled in thick, black marker. “I FOUND YOU, HORSEFUCKER. JANE IS MINE. YOU FUCK WITH ME AGAIN AND I WILL DIG UP YOUR WIFE AND FUCK HER IN HER COLD, ROTTING CUNT.†Engineer found himself just staring at his desk. His mind was still reeling from shock, and as he read those words over and over again, he could feel his bile rise and his skin break out in a cold sweat. JANE IS MINE. “Oh God,†Engineer muttered. He put a hand over his mouth and doubled over. His vision lit up with sickly yellow and blue spots, and he tried to take deep breaths through his nose. He screwed his eyes closed and barely managed to suppress the urge to spew. Somewhere behind the ringing in his ears he could hear Guard Dog whining in concern. After about twenty seconds of slow breathing, he pulled himself upright as he tried to relax. Johnny had found him. Soldier had indicated that Johnny had already paid his monthly visit to Jane. Obviously, he must have gone to Soldier’s apartment and found he was gone. And the teleporter… I FOUND YOU, HORSEFUCKER. Something crunched underneath his foot. Engineer looked down to see that he’d stepped on a piece of broken glass. Upon turning around, he saw more glass scattered on the ground, as well as an empty picture frame… the frame that had a photo of Irene and Rosie. His heart started hammering in his chest, beating against his ribs like a frightened bird trying to escape a cage. He bent down, and scanned the floor for the photograph. His eyes finally fell upon it, as the photo was lying next to the leg of his desk. He reached forward, plucking up the photo delicately between two fingers and his thumb. As soon as his thumb made contact he noticed his thumb run over something that wasn’t the glossy surface of the photo. As he brought the photo closer into view, he noticed that there were milky, dried up globs on the surface of the photograph, with one large spot obscuring Irene’s face, which had run down her body. Engineer felt his throat constrict and his whole body shake. YOU FUCK WITH ME AGAIN AND I WILL DIG UP YOUR WIFE AND FUCK HER IN HER COLD, ROTTING CUNT. It was then that Engineer threw the photograph to the ground and let out one long, anguished scream. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Rosalie Conagher, please come to the Principal’s office. Thank you.†Rosie jolted in her seat in surprise. She hadn’t been paying attention to English class, instead doodling dragons and shirtless Elvish men on her notes. She quickly shut her notebook closed as all the other students in the class turned to look at her. Blushing, she shoved her notebook into her backpack and stood up from her chair. “You’re not in trouble, are ya, Rosie?†asked the scrawny, bespectacled boy next to her. “I sure hope not,†she said in a hushed voice. “Are we still on for DnD night?†he asked. “I’ll let ya know,†she answered, and quickly maneuvered her way between the desks and walked at a brisk pace out the classroom door. The school halls were all empty, as classes were in session. First period had barely just started. Was she in trouble? The school year had only just started, she hadn’t been falling behind yet, and she couldn’t think of anything she could have done to wind up in the Principal's office. She made her way to the main office, and as she opened the door, she peeked her head inside. The secretary at the desk looked up, her plump red face cheery and bright. “Oh, good morning, Rosalie!†she chirped. “Principal Kahn will be seeing you in a minute.†“Thanks,†said Rosie, slipping into the office and sitting in one of the chairs against the wall. “D’you know what this is about?†“I’m not sure,†said the secretary. “We just got a call from your father. It sounded very urgent.†“My father?†Rosie asked. Before the secretary could respond any further, a tall, balding man with a bushy mustache came out of his own private office from the side. “Rosalie, good morning,†said Principal Kahn. “How are you?†“All right, I guess,†said Rosie sheepishly. “Would you mind stepping into my office?†he asked, gesturing towards his door. “Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble or anything.†Rosie nodded and stood up, following the Principal into his office. She sat down in the chair across from his desk. Kahn pulled out his chair and sat down, lacing his fingers on top of his desk. “I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here,†he started, his eyes smiling. “Yeah,†she said, nodding. “Well,†he said, leaning forward and adjusting himself in his chair, “your father just called us; he said that there’s a bit of a crisis going on and he asked us to pass onto you that he wants you to stay with your grandparents for a while.†“What?†Rosie asked, sitting forward. “Why? What happened?†Kahn hesitated, squirming in his chair and clearing his throat. “Apparently, there was a break-in at your garage last night. Your father is worried about your safety and thinks you should stay away from the house for a while.†“Break-in?†Rosie gasped. “I thought it’d just been a coyote, I didn’t think…†“Now, now,†said Principal Kahn, lifting his hands to gesture her to calm down, “your father has assured me that he’s gotten everything under control. He’s just concerned about your safety and wants to make sure you’re somewhere secure for a while. That’s all.†Rosie simply nodded. “Well… all right, I guess…†“Don’t worry,†Principal Kahn continued, “we’ll have someone bring over your homework and lesson summaries for the day. You’ll be all taken care of.†She didn’t say anything to this, opting to just nod. Meemaw and Pop-Pop actually lived fairly close by, and she could still go to class… had Daddy asked for her to not go in? What was going on? “Also, your father wanted you to just stop by before you head off, to pack your things,†said the Principal. “Hopefully you won’t be gone too long. We’ll be waiting for you to come back to school safe and sound. All right?†“All right,†said Rosie. “Thank you, sir. Is it all right if I head on back now?†“Given that this is a family emergency, I certainly don’t see why not,†he said. “You have permission to leave the school grounds.†“Thank you, sir,†she said with another nod, and got up from her chair. “I guess I’ll be seein’ you later, then.†The Principal smiled and gave her a sharp little wave. “Take care of yourself, Kiddo,†he said. She offered him a nervous smile, and made her way to the door. As she walked past the secretary and went to pick up her backpack, the secretary looked up from her typewriter. “Have a nice day, dear,†she said in her usual flute-like tone. “I’ll try,†said Rosie, and left the office. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Engineer was sitting in the kitchen, polishing his old shotgun, the one he’d nick-named the Frontier Justice. Guard Dog was sitting on the floor, watching him with interest. The dog turned his head as he heard the sound of the old Studebaker pull up by their house, and wagged his tail with excitement. He stood up and walked to the door, peering out the screen as Engineer focused on cleaning his gun. “Daddy, what the heck is goin’ on?†Rosie demanded, stomping inside as Guard Dog danced around her. She stopped, and her father looked up from what he was doing. “What’re you doin’ with that gun?†“Listen, Pumpkin,†Engineer set down his gun and stood up, “right now all I’m concerned about is you hightailin’ it outta here an’ gettin’ t’ Meemaw an’ Pop-Pop’s house, all right? I can handle this.†“I wanna know what’s goin’ on, Daddy,†Rosie said, putting her hands on her hips. “What happened in th’ garage? Did you even call the police?†“Rosie,†Engineer sighed. “Please. I can explain everything once this all blows over, but right now I need you t’ pack yer things an’ take Bandit with you t’ my parents house…†“You didn’t even answer my question!†Rosie said. “Did. You. Call. The police?†Engineer bit his lip. “I can’t afford to get the police involved with this,†he said. “Why th’ heck not?†Rosie shot back. “This is… I need t’ take care a’ this myself,†said Engineer, getting up from the table. “I don’t want anythin’ happenin’ t’ you. If you got hurt ‘cause of this, I don’t know what I’d do…†“Daddy, do you know who broke into our garage?†asked Rosie. “‘Cause I think ya do an’ yer not tellin’ me.†Her father looked as though he wanted to step towards her, but retracted his foot. “Darlin’, please…†“I mean it, Daddy!†said Rosie, balling up her fists. “You expect me t’ not be worried, what with bein’ told I’m not safe in my own home, comin’ here t’ see you with a gun… where did you even get a gun, anyway?†“I’ve actually had it for a very long time,†Engineer admitted. He put a hand on the barrel. “Listen, when this is all over, I think I should teach you how t’ handle a gun… a young lady should know how t’ defend herself…†“Stop changing the subject!†Rosie shouted, and stamped her foot. “You can’t jus’ hit me with this an’ expect me t’ just be all hunky-dory with it! For all I know, you could be settin’ yerself up to get killed!†Her eyes started to brim with tears. “I already lost mom, I can’t lose you too…†Engineer approached his daughter, and wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his shoulder. As she started to cry, he rubbed her back and rocked her, her tears starting to soak into his shirt. “It’s all right, Pumpkin,†he said gently. “I’m sorry, I just don’t wanna lose you either. That’s why I want you to get away from here… there’s a very bad man set out to hurt me, an’ I don’t want him t’ have access t’ you…†He gave her a squeeze. “I’ll explain everything else when this is all over. I promise. I just don’t want you worryin’ anymore than you already are, all right?†Rosie didn’t respond at first, but she eventually gave a shaky nod. She and her father parted, and she wiped her eyes and sniffed back any further tears. “All right,†she said. There was a hint of insincerity in her voice, though it was obvious she was trying to suppress it. “Are you… are you gonna be okay?†“Don’t worry,†said Engineer. He cupped her cheek in his hand, and brushed back some stray strands of hair behind her ear. “I’ll be just fine. Yer old man’s tougher than you realize. Now, you go pack yer things. I’ll take care a’ everything.†She gave another nod, and turned to head back to her room. Guard Dog stood in the middle of the kitchen door, and looked up to Engineer, as if asking him what was going on. Engineer rubbed the dog on his head. “You’ll take good care a’ her,†he said, “won’t ya, boy?†Guard Dog said nothing, and just panted. Engineer sat back down at the table, and inspected the Frontier Justice. For not having been used in over eight years, it was still in excellent condition. He cocked the barrel open and reached for the box of shells he had sitting on the table, picking up a pair and inserting them into the barrel. The gun cocked back closed with a satisfying click, and Engineer felt a rush of adrenaline that shot through his system in an almost Pavlovian response. Holding the gun in his hand, it felt like riding a bicycle again for the first time in a long time. He usually didn’t rely on this gun as much as he did his sentries, but he was certainly no stranger to blasting a hole in an Enemy BLU. The cold steel felt much heavier now in his hands than it did back then. Visions of giving that son of a bitch Johnny a bellyful of buckshot played over and over in his mind. Of course, there’d be no respawn out here. No chance of seeing Johnny walking around in a few minutes as though nothing had happened. Johnny would be dead permanently. He shuddered. Normally respawn negated any moral objections he might have previously had to killing people, and perhaps it had desensitized him to it more than he would have liked to admit. His work at RED had been more like an ongoing competition, like some kind game. This made the possibility of shooting Soldier’s brother far more serious. He couldn’t very well go after Johnny through the teleporters; for one thing, it’d be murder and it’d be illegal, and for another it would probably lead to the police discovering the teleporters, which could no longer be kept secret. That wouldn’t do. He’d probably have little choice but to wait for Johnny to try and come back, set up a trap for him. That way, he’d be defending his home against an intruder, and he’d be blameless… but he was still plotting murder. The man was a monster but he still had a wife and children. Engineer put the gun in his lap, and hung his head. Guard Dog ventured close to him and whined, looking up at his master and wagging his tail, holding it low to show uncertainty, and tilted his head. Rosie came back out from her room, dragging a suitcase behind her. Both her father and the dog turned their attention towards her. “C’mon, Bandit,†she said to the dog, and the dog trotted happily towards her. “You remember how t’ get ta Pop-Pop’s?†Engineer asked. “We’ve been there a million times,†said Rosie. “I know th’ way.†“Good,†said Engineer. He offered her a smile. “Good girl.†She set her suitcase down and walked towards her father, and before he could stand up she threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. “If you get hurt, I’ll never forgive you for it,†she said. Engineer let out a nervous laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind.†He said. “I mean it,†said Rosie. “I’m serious.†“I believe you,†said Engineer. He gave his daughter a kiss. “Everythin’s gonna work itself out. You’ll see.†Standing up straight, Rosie took a deep breath. “All right,†she said. She went to pick up her suitcase, and opened the screen door. “Bandit, wanna go for a ride?†No sooner had Rosie uttered that last word then Guard Dog rushed out of the door with excitement, barking merrily all the way. Rosie watched him go, and then looked back at her father. “Ya need any help with that?†Engineer asked, gesturing to the case. “I’ll be fine,†said Rosie. “Bye, daddy.†“Take care a’ yerself, Sweetheart,†said Engineer. She left, and the screen door swung closed behind her. He got up from his chair to watch her leave through the screen, saw her throw her suitcase in the trunk, get in the car with Bandit and roll off and away. A wave of relief washed over him. She’d have no part in this, and would be one less pawn for Johnny to try and play against him. Good. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The garage door was now padlocked shut, and Soldier’s teleporter was outside in the open, with the toothless sentry placed in front of it. Engineer had managed to jury-rig a switch to cut off the power to the teleporter should it be activated, which would trap any user coming from Soldier’s end unless they managed to power the teleporter back on again manually. As for Engineer, he was sitting on the porch, shotgun in his lap and glass of whiskey in his hand, feeling more like one of his cousins or uncles than was comfortable. It was far from uncommon to pay them a visit and see them sitting on their porches, telling each other crude stories, chewing tobacco and keeping their guns handy on the off-chance some unlucky critter might happen to cross their radar. Of course, he had no desire to use any roadrunners or armadillos for target practice; it’d be a waste of ammo. The phone rang, and Engineer nearly jumped out of his chair. He scrambled to get up, and carried his gun inside as he went back into the kitchen. The phone rang again, and he reached for the receiver, only to hesitate. He shook his head, and picked up the phone from his cradle as though handling some volatile material, and put it to his ear. “H-hello?†“Oi, Truckie!†It was Sniper. Engineer let out a sigh of relief. “How’re ya holdin’ up mate?†“Good Lord, am I ever glad it’s you,†said Engineer. “I gotta be honest with ya, things sure could be goin’ a helluva lot better.†“Why, wot’s wrong then?†Engineer put his hand over his eyes, and swept it back over his bald head. “I’m dealin’ with a bit of a crisis over here.†“Oh,†said Sniper. “I’m sorry t’ hear that.†“Is Pyro all right?†“Yeah, actually, that’s why I wos callin’,†said Sniper. “Listen, we’re at the airport right now, our flight over t’ Albuquerque ain’t fer another two hours an’ we got a truck bringin’ all a’ Pyro’s things headin’ fer Texas. I thought I’d keep ya up t’ date, y’know?†“That’s good t’ hear,†said Engineer. “Very good. Hey, listen, d’ya think you could ask Demo if he’d be all right with keepin’ Pyro over there for a few days?†There was a brief pause on the other line, letting the hustle and bustle of the airport drone in Engineer’s ear like the ocean in a conch shell. “This have t’ do with yer crisis over there?†“Yeah,†said Engineer, glancing out the window over the sink. “I’m just worried about his safety, is all.†“Safety?†Sniper asked. “Wot’s goin’ on over there, Truckie?†Engineer closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “It’s… it’s Soldier’s brother, Sniper. I’ve gotten involved with their family business by tryin’ t’ keep Soldier safe an’ now his brother is out t’ git me.†“Is he now?†asked Sniper. “Wot’s ‘e doin’, then? Sendin’ ya nasty threats?†“I… well, yes,†Engineer admitted. “But it’s more serious than that… he’s…†Engineer closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. “He’s found the teleporter that I gave to Soldier. He’s found it and he’s been to my home…†“Deactivate it, then,†said Sniper. “That way ‘e can’t get to ya again. Or better yet, ‘e tries comin’ over again, jes’ shoot th’ bugger.†“That is what I am seriously considerin’,†said Engineer. “He’s crossed a line, though. He threatened me an’ destroyed my property so he could intimidate me. I had t’ send Rosie away somewhere safe.†“Christ, he really spooked ya, dinnit’ he?†Sniper asked. “Did he get in yer house?†“No… not th’ house,†said Engineer. “My garage. He trashed my garage. Left me… left me a warnin’ t’ stay away from Soldier.†“Tryin’ t’ scare ya off,†Sniper said. “Probably full a’ hot air. Don’t let ‘im git yer goat, Truckie.†“I wish I could believe that,†said Engineer. He hung his head. “You haven’t met him, Sniper. This man terrifies Soldier t’ death. He’s big an’ mean an’ he’s… he’s crazy, but he’s not crazy like Soldier. He’s crazy like… like subtle crazy. Like he comes off as normal enough at first but when you get on his bad side he gets frightening. It’s like walking on a minefield… one wrong move could set him off.†“Ya can’t let him intimidate ya,†said Sniper. “That’s jus’ what he wants.†“Sniper,†Engineer’s voice went low. “The man threatened to dig up Irene and violate her corpse.†The other end of the line went silent. Several seconds passed before Sniper tried to speak again. “Engie…†he said, “I… I’m sorry, mate… I dinnit’…†“He found the photograph I had of her on my desk…†Engineer continued, his voice trembling. “He found it… he broke the frame and he… he’s sick, Sniper! He’s a monster! What kind of person would even think of doing… doing that?†For a while, Sniper said nothing, and neither could Engineer. To even put what Johnny had done into words would be physically sickening for Engineer, and he prayed that Sniper would have the good sense not to ask him to clarify any further. “You know,†said Sniper, finally breaking their silence, “if I were in your shoes, an’ he wos doin’ t’ me wot he’s doin’ t’ you, I’d just kill the bastard.†“It must be nice to not have any kind a’ moral dilemma over that,†Engineer said with an uncomfortable chuckle. “You want me t’ take care a’ him for ya?†Sniper asked. “Won’t even charge ya. You won’t even owe me a favor. Jus’ consider it an old friend helpin’ out a friend…†“Somehow, I feel like that will only complicate things an’ make it worse,†said Engineer. “I don’t want him killed, really, I just want him t’ leave me alone… and other than throwin’ Soldier to his mercy I don’t know how t’ get him offa my back.†“That might not even be an option,†said Sniper. “Have ya told any a’ this t’ Soldier yet?†“Oh, good Lord, no,†said Engineer. “I sent him away from his brother t’ stay with Heavy an’ Medic in th’ meantime. If I told him any a’ this, why, there’d be no tellin’ what he’d do.†“Prolly go an’ do somethin’ Soldier-like,†Sniper said. Engineer gave a soft chuckle. “Heh, yeah, probably,†he said. “I guess I don’t wanna cause him any more stress than he’s already had t’ deal with.†“Listen,†said Sniper, “I know ya dinnit’ want us to, but I think sendin’ Pyro over there with you would be a smart thing t’ do. If this nutter’s half as bad as you’ve implied, then I think yer gonna need somebody there with ya t’ help hold th’ fort. I bet he wouldn’t be half as keen t’ mess with ya if ya have someone rarin’ ta set ‘im on fire by yer side.†“I don’t know,†said Engineer, “I don’t wanna ask too much a’ Pyro, given everythin’ he’s been through…†“He’s right here with me,†said Sniper. “An’ he’s lookin’ at me like a dog who just heard the word ‘treat.’ Somethin’ tells me he’s fine with th’ idea. Hell, maybe me an’ Demo’ll keep ya company. Th’ more blokes ya got on yer side, th’ better, right?†A smile spread across Engineer’s face. “Thanks, pardner,†he said. “I’d appreciate that.†“No worries, mate,†said Sniper. “Listen, Demo said people are starin’ at us so we should probably go. We’re hopin’ security won’t give Pyro too much trouble. We’re gonna say he’s got a skin condition ‘r somethin’.†“Good luck with that,†said Engineer. “Thanks again.†“We’ll be seein’ ya, then,†said Sniper. “Later, Truckie.†“Goodbye, Sniper,†Engineer said, and hung up the phone in its cradle. He didn’t let go of it right away, but rather leaned against the wall with his head hung, looking at the floor. He then turned his gaze out the window. He hadn’t really eaten anything since breakfast. It would probably be a good idea to eat something before he returned to his post at the porch, watching the teleporter carefully. Spy had visited him the other day, mentioning blackmail to get the upper hand over Johnny but failing to give any more specifics. Perhaps he had some trick up his sleeve, Engineer thought. Or perhaps he was just blowing smoke. Maybe if he tried to come over again, he’d have three other former mercenaries with him. Four against one were much better odds, after all. If that son of a bitch saw that he was greatly outnumbered, maybe, just maybe, he’d back off. At least, Engineer hoped so.
>>159 I stand by my opinion that only new content or an Author's Note is a reason to bump a thread. When it comes to a discussion, mostly only the people involved will be interested, and I get false hope seeing one of my favorite stories adorning the top with a great amount of new replies. I don't know the exact amount of time a story needs to be untouched before it gets the tag of an "old story", so I guess it's all up to opinions. I must admit that I thought it was a week ago when this thread last updated, so maybe I was a bit too quick to correct you here. I'm sorry for that. Next time I'll do better my best to see how long ago the thread was last update.
Dear Johnny: ...oh you have no idea the size of the wasp's nest you just stepped on. I hope for a painful conclusion. Involving everything from old sticky bombs to Medic's bonesaw.
He's a sick son of a bitch isn't he? I get the feeling something horrible will have to happen to him before he stops. Just reading this update gave me a bit of that weird feeling of anticipation and anxiety I used to get before panic attacks. (that's supposed to be a compliment btw. I'm not awake enough to properly articulate how I felt, but close enough).
I'm thinking maybe something along the lines of a telefrag would do well. No explanation for the death, and they could just fly back to Texas with the teleporter. Or, you know, smack him with a guitar, Texas style.
>>164 You say "smack him with a guitar," I think "FLCL/TF2 crossover." Sometimes I really worry about myself. Also, loving this story and passionately hating Johnny, the sick fuck.
>>165 youmustbenewhere.jpg
So I woke up this morning and, lying in bed, I thought "Oh no, Jonny knows about the teleporters, Engie's going to be in some serious shit with RED!" I'm on the edge of my seat, so many things can happen right now. I'm scared. Thank you for making silly game characters so engaging.
>>167 I actually think that Johnny wouldn't know who to alert or how to alert about the teles, so Engie may be safe that way. I am seriously concerned about Rose, I swear to fuck if he kidnaps her I will flip a table.
HEEEEEEERE'S JOHNNY!
Sorry I took so long, I was too busy to read fanfiction for a few weeks.
I am loving this. I'm glad Rosie's been sent somewhere safe--dunno how Johnny could find her now. Anyway, really looking forward to the reunion (again, heh) of Sniper, Demo, Pyro and Engie. Yes!
My God this story is superb! You've really put a lot of work into writing it ain'tcha? ;) There's a lot going on, hence the length of the story, and this is good, because it just keeps going and going. :) I like Rosie, she's a good OC, y'know, not like a lot of OCs you see in other fanfiction who end up being, well... let's just say not so good. XD I imagined Engie as a fatherly person, and I think a daughter works better than son. The script is well written and just the whole story really, I love it! I also like (or rather dislike) the character Johnny. He's a nasty piece of work! God hate him! I like the progress with Engie and Soldier's relationship, because it's not just to the point, it's getting there, ever so slowly, like relationships do, or should go. That is what you're going for right? I mean, you've definetly hinted it, so I'm hoping to God that it's coming! XD Keep up the good work. :)
>>172 Almost all of TF2chan knows that this is a great story, so there is no need for you to bump it to the top of the list and dash everone's hopes! This is one of my favourite fanfics, and when I think I'm about to read a new update only to find some comment saying how good it is, I get pissed off, dissapointed and sad. I'm sure many others feel this way. Next time when you comment on a story that hasn't been updated in a week, put the word " sage " into your email-field and do everyone a favor! Thanks in advance.
Also mind the emoticons. Srsly.
Oh I'm sorry I wanted to show this person some appreciatation. :\ Look, I'm new to "saging", so don't go off on one just because I left a comment on someone's work.
Cat, you need to update this story as soon as possible. I'm going to have a bloody heart attack.
So I saw this, peed a little, and then realized there was no update. Life is suffering.
>>175 Emoticons are bad, I suggest you don't use them.
Why?
>>179 Because only 14 year old girls and your parents use them. That and it's explicitly against the site rules, so you know... don't argue the point. Also take heart! I've finally started working on part 10 you guys. I just couldn't work on it while I was working on my Secret Santa and it took me a while to find a place to start...
I apologise. Most rules I read do not include this rule about emoticons, so I thought it would be fine to use them, and I admit, I did not read the rules here, but I have now.
Did Cat die? It's been a month since an update. Just wondering since you usually updates within a week or so.
WHY THE FUCK DID YOU BUMP THIS? I THOUGHT IT WAS AN UPDATE! AUGH ALKJSDLF;SLK
Aw man.. I got all excited for nothing...
Sorry about the lack of updates. January was a rough month for me, I'd suffered the loss of both my dog and my grandmother within the same day. It kind of put a dent in my work ethic. Hopefully with this update I may start to get back into a writing groove. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Doc? Hey, Doc?†Medic didn’t even look up from his desk. He’d only just excused himself after dinner to finish some paperwork, and already he was being interrupted. He never minded when it was Heavy, who would usually come in to give his shoulders a rub and ease the tension from his body, but he could expect no such thing from Soldier. Archimedes lifted his head from his thorough investigation of Medic’s pen collection, and offered a curious coo. “Ja, Herr Doe?†“You’d better not be busy because I want to talk with you,†said Soldier, opening the door to Medic’s office and poking his head in. “That is, unless you are busy, then I can just leave.†The doctor swiveled around in his chair, turning to face Soldier and giving him a stern look. “Please, Herr Doe, I know you better zen zat,†he said, his voice flat and tired. “Speak your piece, bitte.†Soldier slid in through the door and shut it behind him quietly, turning his head as if to confirm that he’d not been noticed. With a sweep of his hand Medic gestured to the only other chair in his office, and Soldier sat down. His posture was rigid as a scouting prairie dog, hands in his lap, his eyes boring into Medic. “Is zhere somezing I can help you viz?†Medic asked. “I felt like we needed to talk,†said Soldier bluntly. He cleared his throat. “I never… I never apologized to you about all those Nazi comments I’d made about you.†“Oh?†Medic cocked an eyebrow. “Yes,†said Soldier, his body stiffening up even more. “I mean, I’m pretty sure I’d covered all those comments I’d made about you being queer, but… I hadn’t said anything about that other thing…†“Your accusations of me being a Nazi,†said Medic. “Yeah, those,†said Soldier with a curt nod. “And you have come to apologize for zose as vell?†Medic asked. Soldier bit his lip. “Well… actually, I wanted to ask you a question,†he said. “I need to know whether or not you were actually a Nazi. I need to hear that from you.†Medic didn’t answer right away. He was completely still, as though he were slowly trying to process this new occurrence. Finally, he shook his head and offered a faint smile. “I vas nevah a party member, no,†he said cautiously. “I had family in ze party, and were it not for zose ties I may not be here speaking viz you now. But I hated zem as much as zey’d hated me.†The relief that Soldier felt was visible and visceral, as his shoulders slumped and he let out a great sigh. “Well,†he said. “I was wrong. I guess I owe you an apology, Doc.†“You’ve been giving out zose viz increasing frequency lately,†Medic said, the faintest of smirks upon his lips. “If you keep zis up, it might become a habit.†“Don’t count on it,†said Soldier, crossing his arms. Medic turned away from Soldier and went back to his papers, writing about two lines before he realized that Soldier hadn’t left. He looked up from his paperwork and regarded Soldier curiously. “You have more to say?†Medic asked. “I have another question,†said Soldier. “This might be going out on a limb, but…†he curled and uncurled his fingers, beckoning Medic to lean in closer as Soldier leaned in towards him. “You ever kill a Nazi, Doc?†The doctor was taken aback by this question, sitting up straight in his chair and putting away the pen he’d had in his hand. Archimedes immediately started pecking at it, admiring its shiny coating and cooing in delight. By contrast, Medic stared at the bird for a moment with a distant look in his eye, before turning his attention back to Soldier. “I must have killed dozens,†he said in a very subdued voice. Immediately Soldier shot up from his chair. “You did?†he asked, startling Medic and Archimedes both. “You killed Nazis and you didn’t even tell me? It never even crossed your mind to tell me that you were a cold-blooded Nazi killer?†“I nevah zhought it to be any of your business,†said Medic, pushing up his glasses. “And even if I did zhink to correct you, I never would have zhought you’d believe me.†“Well, now I want details,†said Soldier. “This is something we’ve got in common! Hell, we should have been talking about this years ago!†“Soldier,†Medic sighed, and massaged his forehead with his fingertips. “I’d razzer not get into this now. Zhere ah simply too many bad memories. Unlike you, I wasn’t exactly electing to go and turn myself into some war hero.†“Right,†said Soldier, “you did it to get even, I’ll bet.†“I don’t feel like discussing zis viz you now,†said Medic, taking his pen back from the cup that held it, and returned to his paperwork. “Tell Heavy I von’t be much longer.†Soldier sat in his chair, not budging an inch. He was grasping for something to try and change Medic’s mind about this, lifting his hand to say something, but unsure of what. He frowned. “Is this because they killed your... y’know... boyfriend?†Soldier asked. The pen Medic had been holding clattered to the desk and rolled to the floor, and the doctor sat frozen in his chair, petrified, like he’d stared into the face of Medusa and turned to stone on the spot. His head began to turn, slowly, like a great stone wheel being pushed forward and moving by agonizing centimeters at a time, until his eyes locked onto Soldiers, bright with an icy fire. Soldier tried his best to pretend this glare did not faze him. “That… that was… I guessed,†he said, straightening his back. “Heavy didn’t tell me anything.†As soon as he uttered that last sentence, he realized that he probably shouldn’t have. Medic’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a terrible liar.†Soldier just shrunk back in his chair and ground his teeth, and just grumbled to himself quietly. “I am disappointed in Heavy, but I’m not angry,†Medic sighed, turning away from Soldier. “He had good intentions. He alvays does.†He looked up from his desk, and looked Soldier straight in the eye. “Do you really vant to know so badly? Is this the only vay I can get some peace?†Soldier just responded with an unabashedly earnest nod. “I didn’t zink I’d be telling you, of all people,†Medic muttered, leaning over to open a drawer on the lower part of his desk. He shuffled a few stray documents around to produce a yellowed envelope, and opened it, closing the drawer with his foot. He seemed to hesitate, giving Soldier a wary glance over top of his glasses before he handed it over to Soldier. The photograph was probably almost 40 years old, and was marked by creases from being folded and stuffed away. Depicted in this photograph were three young people who appeared to be in some kind of bar; one of them was clearly a much younger Medic, holding up a beer mug as he wrapped his arm around another man. This man was slightly shorter than Medic, but was built like a brick shithouse; barrel chest, arms like pythons and linebacker shoulders. His eyebrows were thick and bushy, as was the hair upon his head, and tiny curls of chest hair could be seen poking out from his unbuttoned shirt. But with the two of them was a thin woman with bobbed hair and large, bright eyes, framed with smoky make-up that made them seem even larger and brighter. Everyone in the photograph seemed to be of good cheer and perhaps a bit drunk. Soldier flipped the photograph over to see a hastily scrawled date on the back: 31/12/1937. “That,†said Medic, sitting up straighter in his chair, “vas Eli.†He reached over to point out the other man in the photograph with his index finger. “He vas killed in 1940. Executed in the street. First day after ze Kristallnact that he’d dared to venture outside and he vas discovered and shot just outside our vindow…†Medic stopped talking, choked out by old grief. “He was Jewish?†Soldier asked, looking up at Medic. “Yes,†said Medic, sounding a bit annoyed. “He vas.†“Oh,†said Soldier. He flipped the photograph around and pointed to the woman. “And who’s that?†“Zat vould be his cousin,†said Medic. “Ilse. Zey vere very close. After he had died… I’d taken it upon myself to make sure zat no harm vould come to her… I helped hide her heritage and she helped hide my homosexuality.†With his thumb and forefinger he plucked the photograph out of Soldier’s grasp, and placed it back inside its envelope. “As you can see, your comments about my being a Nazi vere not only inaccurate, but extremely upsetting as vell. But I said nozzing.†Soldier looked pensive for a brief moment, averting his eyes from the doctor’s in what might have been shame. This illusion shattered, however, upon his next question. “So how many of those Nazi bastards did you drop?†“Verdammt, Soldier, I should have known!†Medic threw up his hands in the air, and then ran his fingers through his hair. “Mein Gott, vhy did I evah tell you zis? You’re just as single-minded as evah! Dummkopf!†The bird on his desk had been startled by his outburst, and had retreated to the top of a cabinet. It now looked down in curiosity and confusion. Medic bowed his head and rested his brow in his palm, and shook his head. Soldier shifted in his chair. He reached for his back pants pocket, and pulled out the pink plastic shovel that had been there the entire time. He twiddled with it between his fingers for a while before he spoke. “I ever tell you why I went to Poland?†Medic flinched before he lifted his head to look at Soldier. His expression was quizzical, but there was a hint of interest in the arch of his eyebrows. Soldier smacked the flat part of the blade of Shovel Jr. against his open palm while he searched for the words to say. “You get along with your father much?†Soldier asked. “Nein,†Medic said, shaking his head. “No, I didn’t. I hated him.†“My father was my hero,†said Soldier. His voice was soft and low, very un-Soldier-like, something that seemed to becoming increasingly frequent as of late. “He was a veteran. He fought in the Great War, in the trenches, in Berlin… lost a leg back there. People said he’s lost his mind back there too. But when he did talk about it… he’d sounded brave. Like a real man. A man’s man. A goddamned American hero. Said he came from generations of soldiers… but he didn’t expect that out of me.†“Is zat so?†Medic adjusted his glasses. “Yeah,†said Soldier. “But I knew I had to. I had to make him proud. I had to get back at the Krauts, no matter what. And when I got rejected by the Army, the Marines, the Navy, even the goddamned Air Force… I knew I had to take matters into my own hands. So I went Poland and I killed every goddamned Nazi I saw. I did it for America… for my father…†“Interesting,†said Medic, pressing his fingertips against each other as he flexed his hands. “Did you make your fazzah proud?†“Don’t know,†said Soldier. “By the time I came back again he’d blown his brains out.†“Zat must have been very upsetting for you,†said Medic. “You seemed fond of him.†“Yeah…†Soldier looked uneasy, wringing the shovel with sweaty palms. “I guess he was but… after what you said happened to your… to your…†“My partner,†said Medic. “Yeah, him,†said Soldier. “After what you said happened to him… I think you had a better reason to kill Nazis than trying to impress your old man.†Medic seemed to consider this for a moment. “You have been far more open viz us lately. Ze medication vouldn’t happen to be playing a role in zat, vould it?†“Maybe a little,†Soldier admitted. “Maybe I’m trying to follow Engie and Shovel Jr.’s advice. I don’t know. I normally wouldn’t even give a rat’s ass if somebody didn’t like me, but…†he paused, his eyes turning to the floor and darting around as he searched for the right way to say what he was thinking, like a man groping for a light switch in the dark. “You and everybody else are different. You’re… like family. Only better than my family.†“I, for vone, have not stopped being impressed by zhis growzh of yours,†said Medic, leaning back in his chair. “I am sorry I blew up at you, Soldier. But please, you really must have more respect for vhen someone tells you zhey don’t vish to talk about soemzing. Zat’s simply being polite.†“I guess you’re not going to tell me about how you killed those Nazis then, are you?†Soldier asked. Medic smirked. “Perhaps some ozzah time,†he said. “I am sure you, of all people, could appreciate zose stories. But right now, I have papervork to finish and I have had enough reminders of past turmoil for vone evening. You may let yourself out, Herr Doe.†Soldier stood up from his chair, but didn’t leave right away. He lingered by his chair for a moment, before speaking up. “You can call me Soldier,†he said. “That is… if you want.†“Soldier,†said Medic with a nod. Soldier gave a sharp salute, “Medic, sir.†“You are dismissed,†said Medic. With a quick turn on his heel, Soldier seemed to march out of the office, his posture straight and confident, and more like he had back in 1968. Medic watched him leave through the door, and turned to work on his paperwork again, humming Beethoven to himself as he scribbled away. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Flying with Pyro was turning out to be an ordeal, to say the least. The stares from people were bad enough, seeing a person completely covered from head to foot in cloth without even a sliver of skin showing seemed to make every person walking past them uncomfortable. Mothers grabbed their children by the hands and steered them away from Pyro, old people quickly turned their gazes away and scuttled off, clusters of women stared and chattered amongst each other. All in all, it was nothing that Demoman wasn’t already used to in some capacity. Getting Pyro past security, however, was another matter. The two airport security guards no doubt had every right to be suspicious of someone wearing layers of clothes with their face completely obscured, and when Sniper, Demoman and Pyro approached the giant metal detector tunnel, Demoman knew that they would run into some trouble. “Whoa there,†said the closest guard, a chubby, balding man with a face like soft dough and a chin that looked like a bump in his neck. “excuse me, sirs? Can I, uh, check out your friend here? I don’t think any of the other passengers are going to be comfortable being on a plane with someone like, uh…†“Like wot?†Sniper asked, looking down at Pyro and playing dumb. “Like a burn victim?†asked Demoman. He put a hand on Pyro’s shoulder. “Is tha’ it, then? I s’pose ye’ll be wantin’ tae make ‘im take alla’ this off then, aye?†“O-oh!†The guard stepped back a bit in alarm. “O-oh, no, sir, I didn’t mean it like that, I just-†“Jes’ wanted tae single oot a poor sod who dinnae wanna show th’ world ‘is horribly mutilated face then?†Demoman asked, raising his voice loud enough for bypassers to hear. “Wanna strip ‘im a’ wot dignity ‘e has left an’ display ‘im like a freak, eh?†The guard raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Sir, I didn’t mean that, I’m sure he…†“A’ course ye dinnit!†Demoman boomed. “I bet ye wouldn’t know wot it’s like tae have people starin’ atcha, ey? Me ‘n Bruce do, look at me! I’m a black Scottish Cyclops. ‘E’s an Australian with no muscles an’ no natural mustache.†“Well that’s not-†Sniper was about to protest that last point before he changed his mind. “I mean, yeah! ‘E’s not yer freak t’ humiliate, ya stupid yank twat!†“Yeah!†said Demoman. Pyro meanwhile just watched the two of them go, hugging himself with a sense of self-consciousness. “Yrrr,†he said with a nervous nod. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!†said the guard. “Just please, don’t… don’t be so loud, all right? I didn’t know.†“Serves ya right fer assumin’,†said Sniper, his arms crossed. “Right…†the man looked back to his coworker, who was rolling her eyes. “Sorry. These new rules and all… we’re just trying to do our jobs. Now, if you, uh, don’t mind…†He reached back and produced a plastic bin, “just place any metal items you might have in here, please.†“This is ridiculous,†muttered Sniper, removing his aviators. “That’s wot ye said when we were flyin’ over here,†said Demoman, removing a pocket full of loose change, his wallet, and his house keys. “I know, but it’s still bloody daft,†said Sniper, placing his sunglasses, his car keys, a Swiss army knife, his watch and a few quarters. “Them’s the brakes,†said the guard with a shrug. “People’ll do crazy things these days.†He held the tray in front of Pyro. “You too, sir.†Pyro stared blankly at the tray for a moment, and then started to rummage through his many pockets. He pulled out a pocket watch, then a lighter, a spoon, a corkscrew, another lighter, a pocket full of jacks, a fork, a fist full of pennies… the entire time, Demoman just rolled his one eye and Sniper watched with mild growing concern, looking back and forth between the tray and the face of the guard. Pyro had weighed the tray down with a seemingly random collection of assorted junk, and finally stopped after he pulled out a greasy bicycle chain. “Is that everything?†the guard asked in a flat, almost bored voice. “Yrrssh,†said Pyro. “Thank you,†he said, and pointed to the giant cylinder. “Please walk through.†Pyro dashed through, seemingly excited by this giant, metal behemoth, and Demoman and Sniper followed him though with quiet resignation. Once they’d made it past security, they headed for the terminal. There were a few older folks that still felt the need to gussy themselves up when boarding on a plane, and they regarded anyone else in the terminal that was younger or dressed in more casual clothing with disdain. When Pyro waddled into the terminal, a few of them turned to each other and spoke in hushed tones, trying not to stare. Demoman looked from the onlookers to Pyro, and fortunately Pyro didn’t seem to notice, let alone care. He’d taken a seat in a chair and folded his hands in his lap, kicking his legs back and forth with anxious energy. “Ye excited, lad?†Demoman asked him. Pyro nodded. “Uhh-huhh!†“Good,†said Demoman, and took an empty seat next to him. On Pyro’s other side was an older man in a suit who had fallen asleep in his chair, snoring softly as his toupee threatened to fall off his scalp. Sniper just stood nearby, arms crossed, staring off into the empty space around the smattering of passengers moving from one place to the other. “‘Ey, Sniper?†Sniper was broken out of his brief daydreaming, and turned to look at Demoman. “Yeah, mate?†“Wot’re ye gonna do once we take Pyro back, eh?†Demoman asked. “You talkin’ about wot I’m plannin’ t’ do about Moon… Samantha?†He shifted his weigh and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Guess I’m gonna hafta find where she is.†“Ya know where that is?†Demoman asked. Sniper nodded. “Yeah… town called Bountiful. In Utah.†“Utah, huh?†Demoman asked. “An’ yer gonna jes’ drive up there?†“Yeah,†said Sniper. “It’ll be a long drive, but I reckon it’ll be good t’ have some time t’ m’self, ya know?†“That sounds aboot right,†said Demoman. He gave Pyro a nudge. “We dinnit’ git tae tell ye, but Sniper’s been a daddy fer a while now.†“Rrrurrlee?†Pyro perked up a bit. “Yeah,†said Sniper. “Gonna see if I can try an’ work somethin’ out… here,†he reached into his back pocket for his wallet, and opened it, showing it to Pyro. “There ‘e is. His name’s River.†Pyro took the wallet from Sniper’s hand, and adjusted his scarves to get a better look. He stared at it for almost half a minute before he handed the wallet back and nodded in what might have been approval. “Uh wurrnuh murrt hurrm,†said Pyro. Sniper gave him a smile. “Yeah, hopefully you’ll get to,†he said, tucking his wallet back into his pocket. “He’s so bloody smart, Pyro. I think he gets it from his mum.†“She cannae be that smart,†said Demoman. “She left ye.†“Yeah?†Sniper asked. He didn’t sound sure. “‘Ey, Pyro,†Demoman nudged his disguised companion. “Ye ever ride inna plane before, lad?†Pyro nodded. “Uh-huurrh,†he said. “Uh lurrng turrm urgoh.†“Ah, good then!†said Demoman, patting Pyro on the back. “Ye jus’ keep on yer best behavior an’ we won’t git kicked oot th’ window!†Pyro gave out a little chortle, and Demoman laughed along with them. Their laughter died down, and Demoman grew pensive. “Sorry aboot tellin’ them ye were burned,†said Demoman. “I mean, I dunno if ye are or not… I jus’ wanted t’ come up with somethin’…†Pyro shook his head. “Ursh furrn.†“Ye sure?†“Uh-huuh,†said Pyro, his voice a quiet muffle. Demoman looked up to Sniper, who simply shook his head in discouragement. “Right then,†said Demoman. “Don’t worry aboot it, ey?†“Urrkeeh,†Pyro said, bouncing back without missing a beat. It was about another hour before they could board the plane, but once they did, Pyro was barely able to contain himself. There was a bounce in his step as he made his way to his seat, plopping himself down between a window and a stern-looking gentleman in a beige uniform with a air marshal badge on his chest. Sniper stumbled, trying not to freeze. He continued to his seat, which was in the row behind Pyro’s, and sat down, only to look up and see Pyro peeping over the seat at him. “Siddown, mate,†said Sniper, raising a hand to press down on his head. “Behave yerself.†“Ah, let ‘im alone, we’ll be fine,†Demoman said as he plopped himself down next to Sniper. “How much trouble could ‘e git inta anyway?†__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ After having been detained by the airport security for two hours once they’d landed in Albuquerque, there was not much talking during the drive back to Demoman’s house. Pyro sat between Sniper and Demoman, head bowed in shame, twiddling his thumbs. “Surreh,†he said softly. “Should’a been sorry before ya lit a Sky Mall catalog on fire next t’ th’ bloody Air Marshal,†said Sniper. “We got off pretty lightly considerin’,†said Demoman. “Yeah, if Pyro probably never bein’ able t’ fly on a plane ever again is ‘light,’†said Sniper, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. “Crikey, I’m bleedin’ exhausted.†“Look on th’ bright side, lad,†said Demoman, “it’ll be a good story at least, aye?†“Yer only sayin’ that ‘cos ya had all those cocktails on th’ plane,†said Sniper, rolling his eyes. Demoman leaned forward and opened his mouth to protest, but fell back against the seat and just shrugged. “Aye, I s’pose yer right then.†“Whrrn urr weh gurrn tuh Erngeesh?†Pyro asked, eager to change the subject. “Don’ worry, lil’ fella,†said Sniper. “Once we git ta Demo’s, it won’t be very long ‘fore we’re at Truckie’s house, just you wait.†“Hurr buy!†Pyro said, bouncing in his seat. Sniper gave Pyro a quick side glance, and smiled. He couldn’t stay mad at him for long; that weird, child-like man beside him in his van… even if he’d caused a panic and had gotten both him and Pyro tackled down… and then get detained and questioned and lectured sternly for two sodding hours… Well, he was still a bit mad. But at least they’d be at Demo’s in an hour’s time, and from there, he could get some much needed rest.
All of my love. Take it.
It was worth the wait.
Who HASN'T wanted to light a SkyMall catalog on fire at some point?
Ohmigosh. I nearly peed myself when I saw that this was update. Brilliant update, too. Anything with your Medic in it makes me happy, really.
I have been really enjoying this story, and I wanted to let you know that. It's not been a comfortable read, and I mean that in the best way- the story disturbs me on a personal level, and I actually found it difficult to sleep after reading the part with Jane's brother and the aftermath of him breaking into the Engineer's garage. (Well, not breaking into, but I can't come up with a word that accurately describes what actually happened). It's affected me so strongly that I find myself wanting him to take a shotgun shell to the 'nads so that he'll stop using his penis as a club to beat everyone around him with- I feel that would take the wind out of his sails very quickly, to lose that part of him that defines his manhood. I find myself wanting this sort of outcome with an almost painful intensity- and very, very few stories get that kind of a visceral emotional response from me. Very few. Thank you, Cat, for writing this story.
Bountiful, Utah? Oh craaaaap, I think I know what happened to Samantha.
stop fucking bumping the thread
>>192 Chill, man, it's only been about two days since this was updated. Bumping is still acceptable; give it another few days before you start raging at people showing appreciation for this story.
>>191 What? What?! I wanna know!
Totally meant to sage that and I forgot. Apologies.
Not Shubert, but two things: 1) Ted Bundy snatched a victim in Bountiful, Utah in 1974 and 2) Made up of mostly members of the LDS church. Either one could be bad.
> 196 Geez, I went and looked up the town on Wikipedia to find out about Ted Bundy, and all I needed to do was scroll down some more... That's going to be interesting if you tie him (or something... "inspired" by him? Doesn't seem like the right word) into the story here, Cat.
When will the Heavy and Medic adopting subplot from reunion be brought back. I had the best mental image of them at a parent-teacher conference :)
My throat got tight during the scene between Soldier and Medic, and I was actually laughing aloud at the Skymall incident. Well done as usual, Cat! Can't wait for the next chapter. Also, I was re-reading RoTD like the big ol' nerd I am, and for the first time I noticed Sniper's chance meeting with Moonchild in the Epilogue. Gotta love cross-universe (?) continuity!
You really are an amazing writer Cat, and I loved this chapter the most so far. This one just by itself stirred more emotions than most /completed/ stories I have read. Great job.
Can a literate person get their butt over to tumblr? Cat finished the next chapter and is looking for a beta!
Testing thread bump limit.
Did someone say 'beta'? I can totally beta. Cat, my email's listed if you decide to contact me. Conversely, I can send you a message on Tumblr and we can figure stuff out from there? Email, Dropbox, whatever works for you.
OKAY HERE IS PART 11 NOW I CAN FUCK OFF TO BED. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The phone in the kitchen rang and caused Engineer to jolt out of his sleep. He’d nodded off in his rocking chair on the porch, and the sky had gone black, save for the stars spilled across the dark expanse like glitter on black velvet. He placed the shotgun he’d had resting in his lap aside and got up with a grunt, shuffling inside to the kitchen. As he reached for the phone, he hesitated for a moment as the cobwebs in his mind cleared; with a call this late at night, there was a good chance that this might not be one he’d want to take. He sucked in a deep breath and picked up the receiver. “Hello?†he asked, his voice soft and tentative. “‘Ey, Engie!†said a familiar voice in a grog-soaked, Scottish accent. Engineer let a sigh of relief. “I dinnit wake ye, did I?†“Yeah,†Engineer admitted. “I must’a dozed off while I was sittin’ outside.†“Should we wait ‘til tomorrah tae come o’er then?†Demoman asked. “No, no, you can bring Pyro over,†said Engineer. “I could use th’ company. I just gotta move yer teleporter outta th’ garage first…†“It’s nae too much trouble, then?†“No, no, not at all,†said Engineer. “Can you hold on th’ line for a few minutes, I’ll go lug it on out…†“Take yer time then,†said Demoman, and Engineer set down the receiver on the counter. Engineer walked back outside and headed for the garage. He unlocked the padlock on the bottom of the garage door and pushed it up until the door rolled back. As he walked inside, he sucked in his breath and averted his gaze from the slashed tires on his truck and the threat scrawled onto his desk, as well as the wastebin filled with broken glass. He approached the row of teleporters and picked up a flashlight sitting on top of a tool box. Switching it on, he shone the beam over the teleporters, reading the labels until he found the one that said “DEM-EXT†on the side. He set down the flashlight and crouched over the machine, lifting it up with a strained grunt and getting his arms around it. Turning around, he shuffled past his truck and his desk as he lugged it out and set it by the exit he’d kept his eye on. He looked at the teleporter that went to Soldier’s house and knelt down beside it, checking the counter on the back. It still read “04,†which meant it hadn’t been used since Soldier’s brother went back. Good, he thought. He got up, locked the garage door again and let his arms hang loose at his sides as he strolled back to the house. “All right,†he said as he picked up the phone and put it to his ear, “yer good ta go.†“Brilliant!†said Demoman. “You gonna be on yer way over, then?†“Aye, aye, dinnae fret,†Demoman assured him. “We’ll be o’er in a few minutes. Be seein’ ye then, mate!†“Be seein’ you,†said Engineer, and he hung the phone in its cradle. He walked back out to the porch and sat down in his chair. He felt as though something were off in the garage, besides the obvious. Where did he even put that photograph that Jane’s brother had… contaminated? He didn’t want to touch it, or even look at it… yes, he remembered now he’d put it in the waste bin with the broken glass and the frame… but he didn’t remember seeing it in there. He shuddered, feeling as though a tiny earthquake was shaking him right up his spine, and he hugged himself, rubbing his arms with his hands. There was no breeze, and the air was stagnant. Not cold, he thought. But he had still gotten the chills. The bar on the teleporter started to spin, slowly at first, but rotating faster and faster. Engineer lifted his head and stood up from his chair as the teleporter started to glow. With a bright flash that illuminated the entire front yard, the form of a short person appeared, wearing several layers of clothing that would have been more appropriate for much colder weather. “Pyro?†Engineer called out. Pyro turned to look at Engineer and let out an elated and muffled cry, running towards his friend with open arms. Engineer came down the porch steps to meet him, and he was nearly knocked off his feet as Pyro embraced him at full speed. “Whoa there, fella,†said Engineer with a chuckle, “I’m just as glad t’ see you but yer fixin’ t’ bowl me over there.†“Urhm surreh,†Pyro said. “Urhm jsssh shurrr hurrpeh!†“Me too, lil’ buddy, me too,†said Engineer, patting Pyro on the back. “It’s good t’ see yer safe an’ sound.†“Wurrr yur urn trrrbull, Erngee?†Pyro asked, looking up at Engineer through thick tinted goggles. “Trouble?†Engineer echoed. “Oh, well… I’ve been havin’ a bit a’ trouble, yeah, but now that you’re here… I think I’ll be jus’ fine.†The teleporter spun again, and with a flash of light, Demoman appeared In Engineer’s front yard. He stumbled off, clearly disoriented, and righted himself. “S’been a while since I done that,†he said, more to himself than anyone else. “Demo!†Engineer called out, waving to him. “Glad t’ see ya again!†Demoman looked up to Engineer and grinned. “An’ so soon, too!†he said with a chuckle, strolling up towards the porch. “Tole’ ye we’d bring Pyro back, dinnae we?†“That ya did,†said Engineer, extending a hand to Demoman. The Scotsman took a hold of Engineer’s hand and pulled him in for a brief hug, and clapped him on the shoulder. “Heard ye were havin’ a bit o’ a problem with Soldier’s kin, aye?†“A bit,†Engineer replied with a nervous laugh. “Well, we’ll see ‘ow tough ‘e is when ye’ve got some reinforcements then!†Demoman swung a friendly punch at Engineer’s shoulder. “Jes’ watch, we’ll blow th’ bastard tae kingdom come!†“Geez, everybody seems t’ be offerin’ t’ kill this man for me,†said Engineer. “It’s startin’ t’ get a bit unsettling.†“Really, Engie?†Demoman asked, giving him an incredulous look. “Think aboot who yer best mates with. Wot we used tae do fer a livin’. If anythin’ ye shoulda’ expected this.†“I s’pose I should,†Engineer said, as the teleporter bar started to spin again, bringing Sniper to his front yard with a flash of light. Sniper rubbed the bright spots out of his eyes. “Crikey,†he said, blinking as his eyes adjusted, “gonna take a while t’ get used t’ that again.†“Sniper!†Engineer called out and beckoned his friend to the porch. “Good t’ see you again!†“Not too soon, is it?†Sniper replied, strolling over to the porch. “How ya hangin’ in there?†“As well as I can be,†said Engineer. “I sure am glad you fellas have come by. My nerves ain’t exactly takin’ too well t’ this new development.†“I’m sorry ya have t’ go through this,†said Sniper, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Have ya heard anythin’, or…†“Nope,†said Engineer, opening the screen door, “Jus’ bidin’ my time… waitin’.†He jerked his head to gesture to the kitchen. “Y’all can come inside, if ya want.†“Hold on a bit,†said Demoman, looking out to the teleporter. “We got one more comin’.†“One more?†Engineer asked. “Who could-†his voice trailed off as the bar started to spin again, and as the yard lit up in a bright burst of light, a tall, middle aged woman stepped off the teleporter, brushing aside her short blonde hair as she turned back to look at the device she had just used. “Vell,†she said with a smirk, “zat’s certainly a useful piece of technology.†“‘Ey, ya made it, luv!†Demoman called out to her. He rushed down to meet her with open arms. “Wot I tell ya? Amazin, ’ ‘innit it?†“Vhen vill ve have zis technology on ze market, I vonder,†she said, and put a hand on Demoman’s shoulder as she approached Engineer. Her silent gaze beckoned for an answer. “Oh!†Engineer cleared his throat. “Well, uh… not any time soon… technically, I’m not even sure if I should be usin’ these things.†He gave a little chuckle. “I assume you must be Ilse?†“Zat is correct,†she said, stepping up to the porch, her posture perfect, and her air like that of a dignitary. Engineer took her hand and bowed slightly, refraining from kissing her hand, as Demoman was watching. “It’s a pleasure an’ a privilege t’ finally meet you, ma’am,†he said. “If I may ask, what brings you here with us this evening?†“So glad you asked,†she said, her smirk evident in her eyes. “I don’t know if Tavish told you zis, but I am a licensed psychiatrist, and I specialize in abnormal psychiatry. I would like to offer you my assistance, if zat is alright wiz you.†____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The sound of clinking glass caused Johnny’s eyes to fly open. He stared into the darkness of his bedroom and laid there, wide awake, for a good few seconds. A second sound, the sound of a chair shifting, caused Johnny to sit upright. Miriam groaned and wriggled in her sleep beside him, but she did not wake. He turned and opened the drawer of his nightstand, pulling out his revolver. After checking to confirm that it was, in fact, loaded, he slid out of bed, moving as though he were treading on broken glass. He crept out of the bedroom and down the stairs, placing his foot carefully on each step so that it would not cause them to creak. There was light coming from his den, dim and warm. Whoever invaded his home had lit a fire in the fireplace. His nostrils flared as he stopped, and he just listened. There weren’t any more noises, but this did little to reassure him. He reached the end of the staircase and tip-toed towards his den, gun in hand, peering in to see one of his chairs turned away from the entrance. There was a glass of scotch sitting upon a caddy beside it, and a thin ribbon of smoke could be seen coming from behind the high back of the chair. “It certainly took you long enough,†said the stranger, his gloved hand reaching for the glass, picking it up and swirling it around before disappearing behind the chair. “And here, I zhought I might have to go upstairs and wake you myself.†“Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?†Johnny demanded, aiming the gun at the back of the chair. “If you’re worried zat I am a thief, I assure you zat you have nozzing zat I want,†said the stranger. “At least, nozzing material, anyway. I merely wish to talk.†“You’ve got about five seconds to get the hell out of my house before I waste you right here,†said Johnny. “I’ve got every right. You’ve broken in. It’d be self-defense.†“I do not zink zat would be wise, my friend.†Spy lifted the chair by the arms and turned it around, setting it down as he faced Johnny. He smirked. “You see, my employers, zey keep track of me… should you kill me here, a distress signal would be sent to zheir headquarters, pinpointing my location… I do not zink zey would take kindly to you killing one of zheir agents.†“I don’t give a crap who you work for,†Johnny growled. “I want you out. Now.†“Oh please, Mr. Doe, at least be kind enough to hear me out,†said Spy. “Have a seat. I zink you will be interested in what I have to say. It is about your younger brother, after all.†Johnny lowered his revolver, regarding Spy with caution. “What do you know about my brother?†“Oh, I know much about both you and your younger brother,†said Spy, swirling around the contents of his glass again. “I’ve done my homework, Mr. Doe. I know, for example, ze bozh of you are descendants of one Jensen Dahl, a man who fled from Norway in 1806 after murdering his wife and her lover in a fit of rage, settled in Pennsylvania, fathered two children and eventually went mad after contracting syphilis, ultimately ending his life by jumping from the roof of a church, convinced zat angels would catch him before he landed.†Spy took a drag on the cigarette between his fingers. “Is zat accurate?†There was no visible reaction on Johnny’s face, just a blank, unreadable expression. “Oh, it doesn’t matter, really,†said Spy, waving his hand dismissively. “I was simply trying to make a point. Zat point being, I know a great deal about bozh you and your brother. Perhaps… I even know more zhan you do about each ozzer… or even yourselves.†“The hell is that supposed to mean?†Johnny said, lips curling up into a snarl. “Tell me,†asked Spy, “where is your brother right now?†“Texas,†said Johnny. “No, but I can see why you would guess zat,†said Spy, and he clapped his hands, lightly rapping his fingertips against his palm. “Zhanks for playing, zhough.†“Get to your point, already,†snapped Johnny. “You gonna tell me where the hell Jane is, or what?†Spy took another drag on his cigarette and breathed out a stream of smoke through his teeth. “No.†“What do you mean ‘no’?†Johnny had his gun lowered, but he stepped a few paces closer to Spy, looking down at him with steely eyes. “If you’re not gonna tell me where he is, then why the hell are you here?†“I told you I know much about bozh of you,†said Spy. “I must admit, I found you far more interesting zen your brother, Mr. Doe.†Spy reached into his waistcoat and produced a crumpled white envelope, waving it between two fingers. “And quite frankly, I am far more partial to your younger brother than you.†Johnny’s facial features went slack in realization. “I know who you are,†he said, and jabbed a finger at Spy. “You’re one of the guys Jane worked with, aren’t you? You son of a bitch…†“Oh, did he tell you about me?†asked Spy, visibly amused. “He mentioned a smarmy, fruity French asshole that worked with him,†said Johnny. “I’m gonna assume that’d be you.†“Well, zat certainly sounds like him,†said Spy. “Enough stringing me around,†Johnny growled. “What do you want?†“Here’s ze deal,†said Spy, holding up the envelope. “Wizhin zis envelope, I have information on you zat I can guarantee you will want to keep a lid on.†Johnny reached to grab the envelope and Spy snatched it away. “Not so fast, my friend. In exchange, I want a favor from you.†“And what’s that?†asked Johnny. “I want you to sign away custody of your younger brother to Dell Conagher.†Johnny’s face turned a bright shade of scarlet, and his fists clenched tight enough to turn his knuckles white. “Go fuck yourself.†Spy pouted and opened the envelope, pulling out the contents and looking them over. “Have it your way, mon ami, but I do not zink zat you would want zese getting out.†“Give me that!†Johnny lunged over and snatched the envelope and its contents from Spy’s hand. As he examined the photographs he held, his eyes grew wide and his face turned red. His jaw clenched tight, and he let out a guttural bellow as he threw the envelope and the photographs into the fireplace, causing the flames to shoot up at the new kindling. “Please,†said Spy, nonchalant as ever, “as if I could not produce more. I still possess ze negatives. It certainly would be incontinent for you if zose photos found zheir way to ze authorities… or perhaps, your wife?†“How long have you been following me?†Johnny asked through gritted teeth. “Long enough,†said Spy. “You sneaky motherfucker.†Johnny approached Spy, grabbing onto the back of the chair and staring Spy in the face. “You slimy, shit-eating faggot…†“And what are you going to do now, hmm?†asked Spy, smirking. “You wish to kill me?†“Sounds like a good start,†said Johnny, the muscles in his forearms flexing like steel cables. “Zat wouldn’t be wise of you,†said Spy, shaking his head as though he were tut-tutting a child, “as I have arranged it so zat zose photos would be automatically released to your local authorities should anything happen to me.†“You’re bluffing.†“You doubt me?†The two of them stared at each other; Johnny’s eyes were alight with fury, and Spy’s were half-closed with smug satisfaction. Johnny let go of the chair and swung his arms at his side, taking deep breaths through his nostrils. He turned to the fireplace, to the warped and bubbled photographs. “Why are you doing this?†asked Johnny. “I’m simply doing a favor for a friend,†said Spy. “Jane doesn’t have any friends.†“How long are you going to keep telling yourself zat?†asked Spy. “He clearly has more allies here zan you could have ever anticipated. One man cannot fight so many people alone.†“You’re making a mistake,†said Johnny, turning to Spy. “You can’t control him. I can. Everything I’ve done for him, it’s been for his own good.†“Do you really believe zat?†Spy asked. “Come now. Surely you know better zan zat.†“Fuck you,†Johnny shot back. “How sad,†said Spy, taking another drag on his cigarette and blowing a stream of smoke at Johnny’s face. “Look at you… all of your accomplishments zat you take so much pride in, your medals and your ranking and your obedient little wife and your brood of handsome young sons… and yet you still don’t feel complete unless you control every aspect of the life of one man.†“Shut up,†said Johnny. “Shut up before I break your goddamned arms.†“So brutish,†Spy sighed, “just like your brother.†“Don’t you compare him to me,†Johnny growled. “Very well,†Spy said with a shrug, and he ground his spent cigarette in the ashtray that was set upon the caddy beside him. “Listen, I understand zat all of zis may be very sudden for you. Perhaps I should give you some time to zink all of zis over… I’m sure you’ll come to ze right decision.†He set his hands on the leather arms of the chair and pushed himself upright, adjusting his tie and cuffs. Johnny didn’t say anything, instead raising the hand which was still gripping his gun and aiming it for Spy’s head, square between his eyes. Spy stared back at Johnny with lidded eyes and lifted a delicate finger to set atop the barrel, gently guiding it away from his face. “Please,†he said, “let’s not make zis any messier zan it already is.†With that, he sidestepped Johnny and strolled towards the hall. He stopped just short of leaving the den and turned to look back at Johnny one more time. “Oh, and don’t worry about trying to contact me once you’ve made up your mind,†said Spy. “I’ll contact you.†He gave the man one last sly smirk and slipped off into the hall. “Where the hell do you think you’re-†Johnny finally moved forward to chase after him, finding that the front door was already closing. He rushed to open it, only to see that there was no sign of Spy to be found. No car, nor motorcycle, nor even a goddamned fruity moped, just an empty street and an emptier yard, save for his pet Doberman. Hagar had collapsed in the front yard, snoring loudly with a tranquilizer dart stuck in his neck. That certainly explained why he hadn’t been woken up by barking. He wondered if this stranger were just a bad nightmare, or perhaps even some ghost haunting him. No, he thought, that was stupid; just wishful thinking. But nothing like this had ever happened before. He’d never been in a position where he didn’t feel like he had some kind of control. The nerve of that frog-eating fuck, blackmailing him into surrendering custody of Jane… and even worse, implying that his treatment of Jane made him pathetic and weak… he could feel the blood grow hot in his face, so hot he could almost feel his eyeballs start to boil, as though they’d been dropped in a stew. He raised his fist and let it fly blindly as he roared, knocking off a chunk of the wooden pillar on his front porch and sending a spray of splinters onto the walkway. Now there were splinters embedded in his knuckles, drawing blood, which was now trickling between his fingers. It dripped, dripped, dripped onto the porch, seeping between the wooden slats, staining it with bright, stark red. And yet, Johnny couldn’t feel a thing.
-internal screaming- wonderful update, Cat. I was squirming with excitement during the whole read. I certainly didn't expect that turn of events, but it made me smirk.
IS GOOD DAY I never expected to feel such an overwhelming fondness for Spy, especially not in a Cat Bountry fic. If anyone has the low cunning to gain the upper hand here, it'd be him. Thank you, Cat--this only gets better with each chapter.
Cat, I'm just going to say, whenever you need a proofreader for this fic again, just send me a message. Email and/or Tumblr will work, either way. I can't guarantee the turnaround time will always be as fast as with this chapter, but I'm definitely willing to do it again. Thanks for letting me beta for you.
It's nice seeing your Spy have a heroic turnabout, after RotD. I always worry a bit when writers villainize a character in one story that they're just going to use him as a stock 'bad guy'.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
The pictures are probably of something creepy like child porn or something, isn't it? How many must suffer at the hands of this douche bag until your sick lust for suffering is satisfied, Cat?!
AMAZING!!!! JUST MADE MY WEEK!!!
I love Spy, always calm and in control
The moment when Spy pushes the gun aside is a really elegant one, actually - it's a very powerful way to show how much Johnny clings to the idea of being a credible threat, and how easily Spy sees through that. As ever, waiting patiently for more.
Why no one beta next chapter for Cat!? WHY
Found a beta! Sorry the updates have been less and less frequent. This chapter is uh... pretty heavy. You've been warned. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Checkmate.†Medic adjusted his glasses and looked down at the board. “So it is,†he said. “You’re far better at zis game zen I would have zhought, Soldier.†Soldier smirked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “You gonna stop going easy on me, Doc? I think I’ve proven I’m ready for a challenge.†It was Medic’s day off, and normally on his days off he’d be devoting his time solely to Heavy or his flock of doves. But Soldier could not be trusted to be left to his own devices, so as Heavy caught up on his Tolstoy, Medic decided to teach the brute the fine game of chess. Much to his surprise, Soldier picked it up with an alarming speed and showed an uncanny knack for strategic thinking. He’d now lost three quick games to Soldier, and Heavy, who had only mastered the game after a year or two training with Medic, pretended not to be envious as he buried his nose deeper in his book. “Zat certainly sounds fair,†said Medic, already arranging the board’s pieces into their starting positions. “Are you sure you did not play zis game before?†“No sir,†said Soldier. “Never much saw the appeal of it until now. I always assumed it was for eggheads and communists. No offense.†Heavy just shrugged, not even bothering to look up from his book. “None is taken.†“I’ll let zat pass, for now,†said Medic, as the bird sleeping on his shoulder stretched out a wing, “if only because your turnaround as of late has impressed me so.†“Yeah, well,†Soldier swung his foot back and forth in the air with an uncomfortable nervous energy, “I guess you spend enough years in a hospital with a bunch of quacks shoving pills down your throat, and a sawbones like you doesn’t seem so bad in comparison.†“I suppose I’ll take zat as a compliment,†said Medic. “Care for anozzah game, Soldier?†“Affirmative,†Soldier said, leaning forward and placing a hand on his knee. “You go first.†Medic made his first move on the board, and Soldier made his almost reflexively. They went back and forth with a steady pace, until Medic made a move that visibly caught Soldier off guard. Soldier put a hand to his chin, and rubbed it in thought. “Hey, Doc?†“Yes, Soldier?†Medic asked, sounding more than a bit smug as he leaned on the table, hand in chin. “Can I ask you a question?†Soldier scratched the side of his neck. “Zis isn’t an attempt to distract me, is it?†Medic cracked a grin. Soldier shook his head. “Negative. Just a question I’ve been wanting the answer to for a long time now. Just never got to ask.†“Oh?†Medic cocked an eyebrow. “And vhat is zat?†Soldier inhaled sharply, and held it briefly. “How does somebody turn into a homosexual?†The smile on Medic’s face melted away into a confused, blank stare. “I beg your pardon?†“How does it happen?†Soldier pressed, and made his move on the board, maneuvering out of Medic’s trap. “How does a man turn into a homosexual?†“You don’t become a homosexual, Soldier,†said Medic, countering Soldier’s move. “Zat’s a ridiculous notion. You simply are one.†Soldier frowned and shook his head. “That doesn’t make any sense,†said Soldier. “And vhy not?†asked Medic. “Because,†said Soldier, making another move, “it’s not natural. It’s not the default.†Soldier was now encroaching upon Medic, so Medic moved to sacrifice one of his pawns. “Ze default being heterosexuality, I assume?†“Well, of course,†said Soldier, moving away from Medic’s sacrificial pawn. “But it’s a mental illness, isn’t it? It’s abnormal and it’s useless.†“And why is zat?†Medic asked. “Is it because homosexual sex doesn’t lead to procreation?†He moved his rook in an attempt to trap Soldier’s advancing knight. “Is zat it?†“That’s what’s sex is for, is it not?†Soldier fell right into Medic’s new trap, and Medic smirked as he took his knight. “Don’t be ridiculous,†Medic scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. “Sex is so much more zan zat, so much more complicated… it can be an expression of intimacy between partners, it can be for pleasure… It doesn’t matter if some of us choose to do it wiz zhose of ze same gender. It’s simply an enjoyable experience, Soldier.†“Not that enjoyable,†Soldier grunted. His hand hovered over the board, fingers flexing as he tried to recover from his captured knight. “Nowhere near as good as fighting, anyway.†“You do not enjoy sex, Soldier?†Medic asked, lightly resting his thumb and forefinger upon his chin. “Is zat vhy your views of it are so stunted?†“I don’t recall that being any of your business!†Soldier snapped. He moved a random pawn forward, only to have it quickly taken by Medic. “I figure if you’re going to unnecessarily prod into my sex life, I should be allowed to at least ask some about yours,†said Medic. “Or, from ze sound of it, lack zhereof.†Soldier grumbled something under his breath, and sent another piece forward. “I still don’t buy that you just are a homosexual. Something had to happen to make you like that, right?†Medic’s brow knitted in bewilderment, bordering on consternation. “Vhat… vhat on earth are you suggesting, Herr?†Heavy had stopped reading his book, and was now glowering at Soldier over his comically tiny reading glasses. Soldier could feel that stare burning into him like a soldering iron on wood. He did his best to pretend he didn’t notice. “Well,†said Soldier, adopting a very matter-of-fact tone, “it’s common knowledge that a lot of homosexuals either didn’t have their fathers around very much or they were… you know… touched as children.†“Touched?†Medic developed a distinct tic in his eye. “Sexually,†Soldier clarified. “Are you insinuating,†said Medic, his voice slow and deliberate as though he were trying to keep a lid on the pot of his bubbling anger, “zat Heavy und I vere molested as children?†Soldier looked between the now red-faced Medic and Heavy, who was shaking his head and frowning so hard it almost appeared as though his mouth might permanently cleave through the flesh on his cheeks. “Well,†said Soldier, “that’s how it works, isn’t it?†“No, zat is not how it vorks!†Medic hollered, and smacked the table, causing the chess board pieces to jilt. The bird on his shoulder flew away in alarm. “Zat is junk psychology, perpetuated by men who are less interested in science zen confirming zheir own prejudices! You know zey had people like me killed in Germany for zhinking zat exact same zing, zinking zat men like me could not be trusted around ozzah men, around children?†Heavy had gotten up from his seat and put a hand on Medic’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. This caused Medic to instantly deflate, looking as though he were a hot air balloon that’d had the flame keeping it afloat extinguished. “Vhy are you asking dese tings?†Heavy squinted at Soldier as he rubbed Medic’s shoulders. “Vhat is the matter vit you?†“What?†Soldier threw up his hands in defense. “I just wanted to know.†“You lack tact,†said Medic, still bristling under Heavy’s touch. “Just as before. Just as you have alvays been…†“Well, pardon me!†Soldier spat back. “I thought maybe you could confirm these things for me, Doc! Thought you’d be an expert! I thought since we were on good terms, I could ask!†Medic stared at him, mouth agape. “Soldier, you cannot just demand information like zat from someone, especially given your past behavior towards Heavy and I. Just because you apologized, zat does not allow you to act like vhat you did nevah happened!†Soldier gave Medic a confused look. “It doesn’t?†The doctor let out a long, frustrated groan and slumped back in his chair. Heavy let go of his shoulders and just gripped the back of Medic’s chair, still keeping a cautious eye on their guest. “Soldier,†said Medic, his head lolled back against Heavy’s chest, “vhy are you asking me zese questions?†“I told you why,†Soldier said, arms crossed. “I was curious.†“But vhy are you so curious, hmm?†Medic lifted his head to meet Soldier’s gaze. “Vhy would you even care?†Looking back down at the chess board, Soldier was looking as though someone had dropped a rather large and hairy insect down the back of his shirt. “You never made your move.†“Answer ze question, Soldier,†said Medic. “You brought zis up. Zis is your bed, you made it, now sleep in it.†“Is not bed though,†said Heavy. “Is chess game.†Medic just rolled his eyes and said nothing in response. Soldier tucked his hands into his armpits, and avoided Medic’s heated glare. “I… I can’t.†“Vhat do you mean, you can’t?†Medic asked. “Vhy not? I mean,†he let out a rather nervous laugh, “it’s not as zhough you zhink you might be homosexual yourself, is it?†“I AM INSULTED THAT YOU WOULD EVEN SUGGEST SUCH A THING!†Soldier shouted, his face flushing bright red. “OF COURSE I AM NOT. I WOULD NEVER BE. IT DISGUSTS ME.†Medic cocked an eyebrow. “Awfully defensive, aren’t you?†“I AM NOT BEING DEFENSIVE!†Soldier shot back, standing up from his seat with such speed he nearly knocked the board over. “YOU’RE MAKING FALSE ACCUSATIONS ABOUT ME AND SLANDERING MY CHARACTER, SIR! I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!†“Your sexuality has nozzing to do wiz your character,†Medic said. “Stop acting like a child, Soldier. You are far too old for zat. Sit down, bitte.†“NO, I WILL NOT SIT DOWN!†Soldier slammed his palms down onto the table, causing the chess pieces to jilt. “I WILL NOT SIT DOWN WHILE YOU INSINUATE THINGS ABOUT ME THAT ARE UNTRUE!†“Soldier,†said Heavy, letting go of Medic’s shoulder’s and straightening his posture, “sit down.†“You don’t scare me!†Soldier wagged a finger at Heavy as he kicked aside his chair and stepped back. “I’m not scared of you! I’m not doing what you tell me!†“You realize zis overreaction is doing little to sell your case, Herr,†said Medic. “Do you fear zat you could become a homosexual?†“OF COURSE I DON’T!†Soldier shouted. “I DO NOT BECAUSE I AM NOT AND YOU CAN GO TO HELL!†“You said zhere vere two reasons men turn into homosexuals,†said Medic, leaning forward with interest. “You said zat zey eizzer turn out zat vay because zheir fathers lacked a sufficient presence in zheir childhood, or zat zey vere molested as children, is zat correct?†Soldier went stiff as an ironing board, his face having gone from one of anger to apprehension. “Y-yes,†he said. “Yes, I did.†“Tell me,†said Medic, folding his hands and pressing the tips of his forefingers together, “vas your father… absent during most of your childhood?†“Uh…†Soldier was shaking now, his palms growing sweaty and his face draining of color, “he was… he was around… was never much of a talkative man, kept to himself… he… I admired that man, Doc.†He straightened his back and nodded to himself. “I had a father figure. You know that.†“I see,†said Medic, leaning back in his chair. He tapped a finger to his chin. “Interesting…†“What?†asked Soldier, “What’s interesting? What are you…†he started to sweat again, his face now glistening with perspiration. “Stop it. Stop it right now!†Medic said nothing. He looked at Soldier, his eyes scrutinizing and analytical, and yet also filled with what might have been pity. After a few moments of looking Soldier over, he started to speak. “Soldier…†“Stop thinking it!†Soldier said, jabbing a finger in Medic’s direction. “You stop thinking that! YOU STOP THINKING THAT RIGHT THIS INSTANT!†Heavy looked down to his doctor, and Medic looked back at him. They said not a word, but they turned to look back at Soldier. Heavy’s distress was written all over his face, and he took a step toward Soldier, opening his arms. “Is not true, is it?†he asked, his voice soft and low. “NO IT’S NOT TRUE!†Soldier hollered. “IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! JUST STOP… STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!†His voice was fraught with panic now, and he was looking around the room with a frantic energy, searching for escape. “STOP TAKING PITY ON ME, GODDAMMIT!†Medic stood up from his chair, looking as though he might advance towards Soldier with outstretched arms. “Please, Herr,†he said, his voice filled with concern, “it’s not your fault…†“Vas it your brother?†Heavy asked. “SHUT UP!†Soldier screeched. He grabbed hold of the table in front of him and threw it with violent force to the side, sending the chess board and its pieces flying through the air. “YOU SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU! I DON’T NEED YOUR GODDAMNED PITY, YOU HEAR ME?†His face was bright red now, and he stood poised like a cornered animal, ready to strike at anything that came near. Nikita was barking madly at the commotion, but keeping her distance within the kitchen. Medic and Heavy said nothing. There was nothing they could say. So they stood, just looking at him in silence. Soldier’s breathing grew hard, taking in deep breaths through flared nostrils, fists clenched hard enough that his knuckles turned white and the veins in his arms could be seen raised blue against the skin. His bright blue eyes were wide, both angry and unstable, the lids beneath them starting to shutter as Soldier let out a cry, sounding like some large, wounded animal. He fled the room, running down the hall and slamming a door shut behind him. The dog barked after him, but she was the only one to pursue him; Heavy moved to go after him but was stopped by Medic, who gently swung his hand back into Heavy’s chest. “Leave him be, Schatz,†said Medic. “I zhink he needs to be alone.†Heavy nodded. “Da,†he said. “Of course…†Medic stooped down to the floor and picked up the chess pieces from the floor, moving like a tired man much older than he was. Heavy watched Medic pick up the pieces and place them back on the board for a while, but soon moved to look down the hall. “It vas too good to last,†sighed Medic, setting the last of the pieces in place. “He’s far too damaged to stay civil for any real length of time.†“Ve pushed him,†said Heavy, his eyes not leaving the hallway. “Has right to be upset.†“I nevah said he could not be upset,†said Medic. “But he did bring zis up.†“He did not expect you to turn on him like dat,†said Heavy. He gave his doctor a stern look, his wide mouth drawn in a thin, grim line. Medic’s annoyance wilted under Heavy’s gaze, leaving him looking like a naughty schoolchild. He cleared his throat. “Give him time,†said Medic. “I’m sure he’ll be out again acting like nozzing happened.†“I hope so, Doktor,†said Heavy, coming back into the living room to pick up his book and tuck it under his arm. He turned to walk towards their bedroom, and Medic went to follow him, only for Heavy to turn back at him with narrowed eyes and a disapproving frown. Medic stopped in his tracks, and watched as Heavy went back to their bedroom without him. With a sigh, Medic retreated back into the living room and went to the bookshelf, hoping he might find something to help him with dealing with Soldier… or perhaps just Heavy. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Medic had been reading up on childhood trauma and psychology for about an hour when he heard thumping beneath him from the first floor, accompanied by yelling in Italian. His neighbors downstairs were banging on their ceiling, something that rarely happened unless Heavy and Medic were making love at a particularly loud volume. Medic slid his glasses down the bridge of his nose at he stared at the floor, and listened for any loud noises coming from nearby. He heard nothing aside from the sound of running water, which had been constant since Soldier ran in there… Wait. Medic stood up and went down the hall, towards the bathroom. As he approached the door, he stepped in something wet, and picked up his foot in surprise. He’d stepped in a puddle of water which was seeping out from underneath the bathroom door. “SOLDIER!†Medic shouted, and started pounding on the door. “SOLDIER, OPEN ZE DOOR ZIS INSTANT! VHAT AH YOU DOING IN ZHERE?†Soldier didn’t respond. Medic’s brain started to play out every grisly scenario he could imagine, and the thought of Soldier lying in the tub bleeding out from slit wrists caused him panic as he reached for the doorknob and rattled it in desperation. “HEAVY!†The bedroom door flew open, and Heavy peered out, fully alert. “BREAK DOWN ZHIS VERDAMMT DOOR!†Medic cried, and Heavy moved without hesitation, pushing Medic aside, taking a step back, and ramming his shoulder into the door… once, twice, three times until it gave, swinging open. Soldier was in the bathtub, wholly unresponsive to this break-in. He was fully clothed, but unharmed, most of his body submerged in water as the shower head continued to spray more water on his head, which was bowed. His expression was hard to read, but he appeared to be deep in thought. Rivulets of water ran down his features, flowing down the creases in his stony face and dripping off the tip of his nose. “Soldier!†Medic shouted, stepping through the water that had accumulated on the bathroom floor and reaching for the bath faucet, twisting it off until there was naught but a dribble of water coming out of the shower head. “Vhat in Gott’s name do you zhink you’re doing?†“Taking a bath,†said Soldier. He made a weak splash in the water with a limp wrist. “You have flooded our bazhroom!†Medic cried in exasperation. “Ze neighbors downstairs have a leaking ceiling! Do you not have any consideration for ozzahs?†“Do you?†Heavy asked. Medic spun around and glared at Heavy, only for his features to soften with defeat. He turned back to Soldier. “I am sorry,†said Medic. “I did not mean to bring up any traumatic memories of yours earlier, Soldier.†Soldier said nothing, but just continued staring at the stagnant bathwater that he was soaking in. “Soldier,†Medic knelt down beside the tub, getting his knee soaked, “are you going to be all right?†Again, Soldier said nothing. He idly splashed the tub water some more. “Come on,†Medic took hold of Soldier’s arm to lift him out of the tub, “let’s get you out of here and dry you off, hmm?†Soldier shook Medic off of him and let his arm dangle out of the tub, limp. Medic pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Vhat is wrong, Soldier?†Medic asked. “I’m pretty sure we both know the answer to that,†said Soldier, his voice flat. “You know zat it vas not your fault, Soldier,†said Medic. “You vere just a child.†“Ve do not judge you,†said Heavy, stepping further inside the bathroom. “Does not make you any less of man den you are.†“Neither of you had that happen to you, though,†said Soldier, still staring at the bathwater between his legs. “You don’t know what it’s like.†“I cannot say zat ve do,†said Medic, giving out a pained sigh. “But bozh of us have had our share of tragedy in our lives. You have never been sent to a Gulag or tried to stay alive in Nazi Germany…†“That’s not the same!†Soldier snapped, and slapped the water in frustrating, causing a loud splash. “You don’t hide that! People can know about and think of how tough you were to live through it! Nobody pities you! You’re not victims for it!†“Vell,†Medic looked uncomfortable. He looked back at Heavy, who gave him a reassuring nod. “You’re right, Soldier,†he said. “It’s not ze same. Neizzer of us have had zat kind of abuse inflicted upon us. I cannot imagine vhat zat must have been like for you as a child.†Soldier just grunted. “Heavy is right,†said Medic. “You are no less a man for having lived zhrough zat. You’re a strong man, Soldier, and no vone can take zat strengzh away from you. Not unless you let zem.†Silently, Soldier turned his head to look to Medic. His eyes were the only part of his face showing any sliver of emotion; they looked vulnerable, frightened, like the eyes of a child. “You know,†he said, speaking softly, “you and Heavy are the only other people that know about this…†“Ve vill not tell,†said Heavy. “Ve can keep secret. Promise.†“Good,†Soldier said with a nod. “We can’t tell anybody else. Especially not Engie.†“You have not told your doctors?†Medic asked. “No,†Soldier said, looking at Medic as though he’d suggested something absurd. “Why would I? I don’t think they’d even believe me.†“Soldier,†Medic put a hand on Soldier’s arm, “vhy vould anybody lie about somezing like zat? Vhy vould zey not believe you?†“I don’t know,†Soldier sunk back deeper into the tub. “Because I hate my brother that much. They wouldn’t believe me. They always side with him. Nobody believed me over him, ever…†“Ve do,†said Heavy. “Your brother sounds like filthy coward.†“I zink,†said Medic, “zat it would be of great benefit to you if you sought out new doctors. It sounds as if your current ones are doing far more harm zen good.†“Yeah?†Soldier sat up a bit. “In my professional opinion, yes,†said Medic. “I am sure Engineer vould agree.†“You think… you think he’d help me find some?†Soldier asked. “I’m sure he’d be happy to,†Medic assured him. “Now, how about we get out out of zis bazh and dried off, ja?†He lifted Soldier up by the arm, until both of them were on their feet, and Soldier was dripping, soaking wet. Soldier stepped out of the tub and onto the slippery bathroom floor, and Heavy swooped up from behind him and wrapped a towel around his shoulders. Reflexively, Soldier brushed Heavy off and toweled off his face. “Thanks,†said Soldier with a sniffle. “You are velcome,†said Heavy. “Next time, perhaps you take clothes off and unplug drain vhen you shower, da?†Soldier gave a grunt as he dried himself off. “Did you… need help cleaning up?†“Nein, just… take off zose wet clothes and get dry,†said Medic. “Ve’ll take care of the mess.†“Right,†said Soldier. He hung up his towel and peeled off his sopping wet shirt, and wrung it out over the sink as Medic fetched more towels. He didn’t stick around, as he felt uncomfortable being the cause of a mess other people had to clean up. He moved to the kitchen and stripped off his pants, wringing them out over the kitchen sink just as he’d done with his shirt. Nikita just watched him with mild curiosity from by the refrigerator. Unsure what to do with his pants, he laid them down on the counter and just stood in the kitchen in his underwear. “Soldier?†He turned around and saw Medic standing just outside the entrance to the kitchen. “Do you need a change of clozhes?†he asked. “Oh,†Soldier said. “Uh… yeah. I didn’t… I forgot to bring any. I should go back…†“Nein!†Medic cried out, putting a hand to halt him. “Ah… I mean… no. Zat’s not necessary. It’s probably safer for you to stay here. Actually… ve can send Heavy back if you need anyzing.†“You think I can’t just get it myself?†Soldier asked, placing his hands on his hips. “Think I’d get lost?†“I just don’t vant to potentially leave you alone viz your brother,†said Medic. “He could see you come in and cut off power to ze teleporter…†“Yeah, I guess you’re right…†Soldier relented, his head bowed as he stared at his feet. Medic picked up on his reluctant resignation. “I can lend you some of my pajamas… and, vell, I know you prefer coffee, but I could fix you a cup of tea…†“That’s fine,†said Soldier, crossing his arms and rubbing his biceps with his hands. Come to think of it, he was a bit chilly. “Thanks.†“You’re velcome, Soldier,†Medic said, trying his best to give Soldier a friendly smile, forcing it just a bit too much. It was clear he was trying very hard to somehow smooth what had just happened over, Soldier could at least read that much. But as Medic slipped out of view, Soldier was hit with the realization that no… things would not be okay. Even after he would escape the clutches of his brother, he’d still have to live with his own victimhood. He didn’t like being a victim, and he liked other people knowing about it even less. Even if Heavy and Medic would never tell another soul, they knew. And that knowledge would forever alter how they’d perceive him. Soldier sat down at the kitchen table, and was still sitting there staring at the tabletop when Medic came back in with a pair of his pajamas folded under his arm. Heavy also came into the kitchen, having finished up cleaning the bathroom. The two of them looked at Soldier, exchanging nervous glances before Medic spoke up. “Soldier,†he said, approaching the man delicately, “please, tell me... are you going to be all right?†Looking up from the table, Soldier gave Medic a hard stare, his gaze hard and stony and fitting of a man who’d gone through hell. “Doc,†he said, “I don’t think I’ll ever be.â€
Huh. Thread's not bumping anymore. Damn.
marry me.
I knew it, I just knew it! Why are you such a wonderfully horrible person, Cat?
SOBS FOREVER
Poor Solly. And, if it's not bumping up anymore, it's your fault for writing fanfic that so many people comment on.
Oh my gosh poor Solly. This kind of silly, but this chapter made me feel like crying.
I have never been so heartbroken at a reveal that I'd figured out for myself long ago. I would hug that man if he wouldn't shove me across the room for it.
Aw, shucks, you guys. So, next time I update I'll be making a new thread. Until then, I have uploaded chapters 1-13 on Dotchan.com for your viewing pleasure: http://dotchan.com/?p=2096
I guess the fact that it's not bumping anymore means that it's auto-saged or something?
>>224 I should say so, yes.
First, the wonderful uplifting joy of Spy's fantastic machinations and manipulations turning to the forces of justice. Then, the crushing ache and tear-jerking inner twist of having the suspicion, the creeping edge of something terrible, being confirmed as truth. GDI, Cat, you got me on an emotional roller coaster than puts the fecking Cyclone to shame. Geebus, I need a tissue...
I just caught up on the last chapters. Sweet jebus, Cat, this is amazing. Thankyou for writing it.
“Doc,†he said, “I don’t think I’ll ever be.†That broke my heart. Cat, you wonderful person, don't ever stop writing and stuffing me full of mixed emotions.
I kind of caught on pretty early about what happened between Soldier and his brother, so it didn't take me as a surprise, but shit man. Shit.
I didn't know there was a new chapter! It wasn't bumping so I didn't see it at the top! Poor Soldier, I don't know how to react to someone who doesn't want to be pitied.