Posted this to my tumblr earlier, and I'm putting it here, now. Involves Heavy and Soldier having a fistfight. Concrit very much appreciated. --- “You did it! I can’t believe you actually beat them.†The team had been pushed back, far enough that the last stand was made the last stand around the bomb hatch itself. But they’d won. There was a collective sigh of relief. “You heard her! We did it, men!†Soldier was out of breath, sweat dripping from his face, yet he still managed half a yell at their victory. He turned to the group for a round of high fives and was met with tired stares. The Scout gave a half-hearted effort but shook his hand out afterwards at the force of it. “Aw, jeez, try not to break my arm, wouldja? Well, whatever, I’m goin’ home. See you losers later.†The Pyro and Engineer mumbled their assent and followed in the Scout’s general direction. The Soldier stared after the retreating half of the team. Robbed of the moment, his expression soured. He stood there for another couple of moments grumbling to himself as the Heavy and Medic discussed plans for the weekend. He stole glances at them in between muttering to himself. Then he marched over, a scowl on his face. “We won, but what do YOU have to say for yourself, doc?†The Medic started at the rude interruption and turned to face him. “Nothing. Except that I have no idea what you are talking about.†“What I’m talking about?! You’re the one who nearly let us all down. I expected better!†Medic give him a cool look, lips pressed in a thin line. “If you are going to throw accusation around like that, at least tell me what the hell you mean.†“Running around like you don’t know what you’re doing, then cowering behind that chunk of blubber. While I get run through respawn like some dirty laundry! No field medic in my team is going to act like some COWARD.†He barked that at the Medic’s face, helmet tipped up so he could glare. Soldier’s sideways jab at him failed to faze the Heavy. Instead, he thought of how incredibly off-kilter the man’s accusations were. Medic had followed the Heavy, true, but the flitting off was to save the Pyro, Engineer, and even the Scout when he was able to stand still a moment. “Soldier should understand value of teamwork, not berate comrades-†Soldier swung around, teeth bared and nostrils flaring. He was close enough that Heavy could smell the sour stink of his breath. It was that of a man both dehydrated and stressed. Still, Soldier had already used up any sympathy he might have had. “I UNDERSTAND well enough.†“Does not look like it from where I stand.†“What I think you’re doing, I think you’re picking a FIGHT. Is that it?†Heavy responded coolly. “And if I am?†“Just like a Commie. Always trying to get involved where he doesn’t belong.†Heavy was not a communist, but saved his breath. Let the Soldier think what he would. He was not about to invite quizzing on his family situation. Besides, even if he did tell him, where was he to find a better method of drawing attention away from anything he’d rather the Soldier ignore? All he need do is spout something that sounded vaguely like it came from the tenets of Marxism-Leninism and the man would latch on like a bulldog. Like now, in fact. It was almost boringly predictable. “Ты глупец…†Still, he wouldn’t mind a fistfight, if it came down to it. There was no point in punching robots, after all. “I know an insult when I hear one! Put ‘em up, Sputnik!†And Heavy had respawned recently, where Soldier had not. The man was already swaying slightly on his feet. Maybe someday the Soldier would realise he was being unreasonable. And they would have a fair fight, like gentlemen. Until then, Heavy mused while cracking his knuckles, he was going to enjoy humiliating him. Soldier screamed and rushed at him. He swung his fist in a wide, erratic arc. It was easy to block. His reply was to clock Soldier in the jaw. Follow up a blow to the stomach with the other fist. It was unexpected. Soldier crumpled, but got in a jab close to Heavy’s kidney while going down. It wasn’t right on mark, and his layers of muscle and fat protected him somewhat. The pain was still significant, though. Heavy willed himself not to let his knees bend any. Brawling on the ground was something he wanted to avoid. “You know…†Heavy adopted a thoughtful tone. He watched the bruised and bloodied man across from him catch his breath before went on. “Was not so long ago Uncle Sam and Uncle Joe were friends.†Heavy was somewhat winded himself. Even so, he delivered the words with care, prepared himself for the Soldier’s inevitable reaction. Any moment now… He could see the Soldier’s jaw tighten. He figured it out, and then… “LIAR!!†Soldier screamed and charged, bloody spittle flying from his lips as a bellowed. Heavy narrowed his eyes, brought his fists back up. A moment before Soldier’s fist struck him, he sidestepped. Sliding his right foot to his left, he took himself out of the direct line of attack. Gone off-centre, a blow still struck his shoulder. He lashed out, punching Soldier in the face again. Full on. He felt the impact with the teeth beneath his fist, edges cutting into his skin. Soldier staggered backwards. Then he was charging again, as if he hadn’t just got teeth knocked out. Caught off guard, Heavy got nutted in the face before he could do anything. He didn’t feel so much as hear the crunch, and then pain was stabbing at his nose. He shoved Soldier back with as much force as he could, and snorted out the blood from his nose. Soldier spat the remainder of some teeth out and grinned at him. His face, bruised to hell and back, looked halfway between something demonic and that of someone who’d been hit repeatedly with a meat tenderiser. Then, Heavy understood. He was up against perfectly irrational tenacity. With a point to prove, the man would not stop until he was incapacitated. It was almost admirable. If not for the fact that he was the one trying to dodge or block increasingly erratic blows. And sometimes failing. “Ach, dieses kindliches Behnemen…†Medic muttered under his breath. He did not turn his attention away, though. To tell the truth, they had spent enough time fighting the robots that the initial novelty had worn out. It was exciting to hear the brutal thud of flesh against living flesh again. To see two fighting men in their prime duking it out, with only their fists and their wits to help them. He saw Heavy grimace, and launch into a counter-attack. He struck Soldier around about the celiac plexus. A look of puzzlement and pain flashed over the Soldier’s face, and he tottered on his legs. Heavy followed up with a second blow before Soldier could collapse. Oh, Medic saw the air being driven out of the man, imagined the spasm of his diaphragm. It was spot on enough that it must have hit around the network of nerves there, too. Tapping his fingers on the barrel of the Medigun, Medic filed that away. They could talk about the importance of understanding physiology in a fight. He hadn’t though Heavy had that particular variety of knowledge - he preferred Sasha to his fists, after all. But when he let himself get enthused about his branch of the sciences, he was willing to try explaining to even a layman about it. His hands itched to draw out a chart or find a specimen living or dead for the task. But he stopped himself. With the fight over, the clean-up was up to him. Soldier was not getting up. One of his hands twitched against the boards, and he wheezed. Medic felt a brief prickle of aggravation at the need save Soldier interrupting his cheery planning, before remembering that the respawn here, although undeniably shittier than at the base, was still mostly operational. All the same, it would be a terrible waste of power, and they could hardly afford that now. Medic sighed but trotted over. All the same, he still turned his Medigun to the Heavy first. Let the man who was throwing baseless accusations at him squirm on the ground a little. Perhaps the pain would teach him that Medic deserved respect. “Thank you, Doktor.†He waved off the thanks. “M-Medic!†Soldier bleated the words out through broken teeth. “I expect an apology, you know.†“Ughhh.†He transferred the beam anyway, despite the lacklustre reply. The bruises faded into the Soldier’s skin as he watched, and he spat out the remains of his old teeth when new, unbroken ones forced themselves through his gums. The process was always fascinating, even if he didn’t usually get to observe it on the battlefield. Afterwards, Soldier remained gasping on the ground like a landed fish. Medic turned around and puffed himself up in preparation of delivering a lecture. “You cannot fight like this. That goes for BOTH of you.†For all that, he directed his scowl mainly at Soldier, even if he was trying to act impartial. Heavy made sure to put something approaching a suitably cowed expression on his face. Soldier grumbled incoherently. “We simply do not have the resources.†He waved the barrel of the Medigun in the air. “So if either of you have eine bessere Empfehlung?†His question was met with two blank looks. “Ah. Sorry. Suggestions? Herr Heavy? Herr Soldat?†They both looked anywhere aside from at Medic or each other. He waited another moment, only for them to continue on in the same vein. “I have nothing to apologise for.†The Soldier’s voice still held a tiny tremble, the memory of pain. He hauled himself up off the ground. “Besides, I won’t cooperate with–“ He gibbered for a moment, too incandescently angry to manage words. “With. HIM.†“Suit yourself. But I am warning you. You must come to some arrangement. Or, mark my words, if this happens again… I will take my chances healing the Pyro instead.†Medic gave Heavy a wink while Soldier brushed himself down. “Und now… Auf Wiedersehen, Herren. I have doves to feed, as I’m sure you can appreciate.†He let his lips slide into a little smile at that, thinking of easy, uncomplicated home comforts. Heavy watched the Soldier as the Soldier watched Medic retreating into the distance. He waited until the Medic was gone to clap a hand on Soldier’s shoulder. He gave him an irate look but didn’t shove it off. Ah, but defeat could do things to a man. “I have advice for you, one man to another.†The Soldier’s nostrils flared and his jaw clenched. With the medigun gone, though… Well, the Soldier could be foolhardy at times, but even he wouldn’t want to have to limp back to civilisation. “If you have problem with jealousy, stop acting like tiny baby! You are grown man.†Soldier swung a fist at him then. Well, he was not the most patient man. Heavy had anticipated it. He dodged. Then started moving away, but not before getting a parting shot. “Talk to Doktor himself! Maybe he will forgive you your rudeness!†The Soldier hurled invectives at him. But that was his problem, not Heavy’s. Heavy turned a deaf ear, and walked off. He thought about his weekend off, and what Medic might say to his theory. Probably laugh it off, if he was in good humour.