Note: i am exercising my right of artistic license by enlarging the "size" of the maps. They are still the same, just much larger. Like... it would take at least twenty-five minutes to walk from one end of "Badwater Basin" to the other. This feels like it will be a pretty long thing, but i'm posting this little blurb to see what people think before I get too invested. If anyone wants to maybe proofread, let me know. :) i freely admit that this was inspired by the beginning of A Fine Lie, but then it started to grow its own flowers and i just couldn't stop it. If that's not okay, then i'm sorreh. * He ground his bloody teeth together, tried to will himself into death. Engineer was still roaring behind him, all words and coherence absorbed by a make-shift gag. He could hear the RED Soldier breathing heavy, could hear the RED Heavy cursing lewdly. His body trembled with rage and agony - he was bleeding out from shot wounds and he would awaken in respawn within two minutes. But until then - he was forced to lie here, bear witness and die. Demo tried to speak and failed. Engineer had quieted some, now wheezed in time with the Soldier's gasping breaths. Uniform cloth, stiff with starch and crusted blood, rustled insistently. Engineer choked. The Heavy whispered something. Demo coughed. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. The Soldier came with a grave huff and Demo fell into nothing. A shock of cold shot up his spine and he was standing, wavering on his feet in respawn. Automatically, he reached for the flask permanently attached to his waist. The liquid bit his throat and made his eye water, but it helped clear his head. Demo patted himself down quickly, making sure everything was still there. Sometimes respawn glitched and forgot a finger, a weapon, spy's head... but no, he had all of his gear. He waited, wondering if Engineer would pop up soon. There was no way Engineer could survive the gaping slash in his side for much longer. Courtesy of that fucking RED Yank's shovel. He didn't know if he should wait. What that RED had done... it happened in war, sometimes. But there was no way to predict how Engineer would react. There was a curse to his right, a rolling American voice, and Demo turned. "Hardhat," he blurted, "Is... there anything I can do?" That was the only thing he could offer and Demo felt his heart go cold at the blank look on Engineer's face. "Men are ugly to each other. Fact of life." He did his own pat down, voice thin. "But, if would be nice, if I could have a swig of your brew." He gestured, almost shy. Demo unclipped the flask, handed it to Engineer. "Keep it, lad. I got dozens." "Thank you kindly, Demo... means a lot." The Texan wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. He glanced at Demo, confirming that it was indeed okay to keep the flask, and pocketed it. "I'm gonna stuff that shovel up that -" "HEY WHAT ARE YOU FUCKS DOING WE GOT A CART TO PUSH," Scout materialized with his mouth open, as usual, and smacked Engineer's hardhat off as he blazed out the door. Engineer's face shifted in a way that Demo couldn't read, but quickly smoothed back to the casual smile. He retrieved his hardhat, pulled a craft box off of one of the benches, looked at Demo. "Scout's right." "Let's get to it," Demo offered, his voice much stronger than he felt on the inside. They stormed out into the war and Demo left his doubt in respawn. They had a cart to push.