>>84 I wanted to keep Spy as a character who is, at heart, just another flawed human. I could've gone the moustache-twirling route, but I guess I find antagonists with mundane motives to be more compelling than "he's an evil fucker, that's why he did it". ...not to say it's the wrong way to write a story, it's just not how I wanted this one to be. So in short, uh, thanks! I'm glad this stuff entertains more people than just me. >>85 Not in this story, sorry. The next one I have planned... well, I dunno about coercion, but depravity and sex are in the offing. Getting close to the end here, and in case anyone is confused, starting this vignette from Medic's POV was very intentional- I wanted a third party who could only speculate on the other people's thoughts and feelings. Also, everyone loves Medic. I can't thank Drillbot enough for his help in making this story make sense. On with the show! ______________________________________ Medic helped Engineer move the screen that separated the feuding pair, then pulled up a chair for the Texan and stepped back to watch the proceedings. There were various reasons he could have cooked up to explain his interest in observing this discussion, but Engineer hadn't asked for any, and both of them knew the truth: it was schadenfreude. (He must be feeling pretty short with those two. I had almost expected him to question my perverse curiosity... on the other hand, I'm the one who helped facilitate his plan by giving them a place to languish. It isn't like he'd have the gall to try and kick me out of my own surgery.) Beyond the harmless enjoyment of seeing others in pain, Medic had other reasons to watch – he was an avid researcher, after all, and even data he'd never planned on gathering might someday be useful. Humans were fascinating animals in every respect, and Medic loved seeing them interact, particularly when bloodshed might result. As he sat down by a supply cabinet, one of the doves came to roost by his head (Archimedes? Or are you Juvenal?); Medic smiled and studied the two men who had beaten each other within an inch of their lives, only to be denied the convenience of the respawn system. “I suppose y'all have figured out why we're here by now,†Engineer said, frowning beneath his ridiculously American hat. Spy looked like he wanted to frown back, but was incapable of doing so; while the serious damage to his brain and the back of his skull had been repaired by the Medi-gun, the injuries to his face were gruesome and not at all life-threatening. He looked like he'd been stomped on by an elephant – his nose was nearly crushed flat, both cheekbones fractured, and there was so much swelling around his eyes that he could barely open them. His lower jaw had fared better, but the only reason Medic had seen fit to let his teeth grow back was so that he wouldn't choke on his own blood while he slept. Spy gave a hoarse sigh. “If I am not mistaken, zis is your idea of punishment. Mssr. Mundy jumped me last night, and I... retaliated, in full force. You probably wish to know why. I will take my 'ypothesis a step further, and suggest you also wish to see zat we agree to no such altercations in ze future.†“...right,†Sniper rasped, fidgeting as he leaned against the headrest on his bed. Where Spy's face was swollen and bruised, his was pale, glistening with sweat. The Medi-gun had sealed the tears in his ruptured organs, but Medic could tell just by looking that he hadn't slept well. What the morphine had done for his pain, it hadn't done for the accompanying nausea, and Sniper seemed sicker now than before he'd been given the shot. His throat was an ugly shade of purple. Engineer nodded slowly, a humorless frown still chiseled into his features, something that even Medic found unsettling – like a house with no windows or a fish with no eyes, it seemed almost aberrant. “Aye-ffirmative. ...look, boys, you both know how things work around this place. You're not bein' paid to be friends, but you are bein' paid to win fights. This team is supposed to operate like a well-oiled machine. However the individual parts might feel about each other, they've all gotta' work together with precision – the kinda precision that can only come with trust. If two members of this team can't pass each other in the hall without tradin' nasty looks, how can the rest of us count on them t'put their differences aside in the heat of battle and do whatever's necessary to win? How can either of them stick his neck out for a guy, when all he's thinkin' about is how that same fella' might come after him in the locker room? “Furthermore: if this kinda' feud starts affectin' the team's success in the field, how d'you think the RED company is gonna' be feelin' when it comes time to rotate this crew? They can't just terminate our contracts out of the blue, but they can ship us out t'somewhere so wretched and so insignificant, we'll all be prayin' that respawn goes down so we can freeze to death and escape this world for good.†Medic twisted open a thermos of tea and leaned back in his chair, watching the two miscreants squirm as Engineer spoke. Everyone on the team was so accustomed to Soldier's tirades, it was easy to ignore him and carry on with whatever business was at hand. Medic regularly saw his team-mates eating, dressing, and even shaving without so much as a flinch, while the lantern-jawed American bawled them out. When Engineer was delivering a stern lecture, though, it seemed these men felt they had no choice but to listen. Medic wondered if it was respect for the most educated man on the team, or if in their weakened state, Spy and Sniper just couldn't raise their usual mental defenses against nagging. “I understand your position, Engineer,†Spy said quietly. “I... spent much of ze night thinking about my actions, and ze incidents zat brought us 'ere. I could try to blame Sniper for our fight, but truth be told, I... ...I 'ave done things zat were unnecessary. Much of ze fault lies with me.†Engineer sat up straighter, looking surprised. Medic couldn't blame him. (I had taken Spy to be a full-blown narcissist. ...well, even a mindless brute can feign emotions when he thinks it will get him out of trouble. Still... if I didn't suspect otherwise, I'd think he was being honest.) The doctor took a sip of tea and glanced at Sniper, who gripped the mattress with one tense, white-knuckled hand, then half-turned and pointed the other one at Spy. After two false starts that could have been mistaken for heaving, he found his voice. “Unnecessary?!†Sniper exclaimed, sounding cracked and hoarse. It must have taken all his strength to yell with a smashed trachea, because he coughed and grimaced from the effort, and was much quieter when he finally managed to speak again. “Fuckin' A, mate! You're bloody right it's your fault, if you- if you hadn't blackmailed me, none of this would have- none of-†He was shaking now, his face twisted into a sharp-toothed grimace of rage. There was something else there too, some other overpowering emotion that left him too choked-up to continue, and he clutched a hand over his face and gritted his teeth. Medic just listened curiously, doing his best not to interject on the conversation. These were scientific observations, after all, and he didn't want to influence his subjects in any way. Somewhere under the mass of bruises, Spy's eyes were wide as dinner-plates. Engineer was shocked as well, and he started to rise from his chair, then hesitated. (Blackmail? Interesting, it seems this is news to Engineer. ...what a powerful response, he's positively livid! Now, what is it about this that's causing him such strong emotion?) The Texan's face flared red with anger. He started to speak, stopped himself, then sat down and took a deep breath. “That's a pretty serious accusation there, Sniper. You know what he's talking about, Spy? ...have you been blackmailin' him?†It was clear to Medic that the group's mediator was struggling to control himself, as though something about this development was making it hard for him to stay neutral. Engineer's words were unbiased, but he was giving Spy a murderous look. Spy lowered his eyes. “As I was saying, I 'ave done things zat were not necessary. ...things I shouldn't 'ave. My regret at 'aving committed zese acts 'as been with me longer than ze injuries to my face, I can assure you. I 'ad... attempted to rectify ze situation on Friday, but by ze time I was able to 'ave a private discussion with Sniper, 'e was quite inebriated and, it seems, unable to form a clear recollection of what I said.†“Yes or no, Spy. Did you commit an act of extortion against that man?†Engineer sounded nonplussed. Sniper, on the other hand, seemed to be having some sort of fit; he had pulled his knees up against his chest and was glaring at them, muttering and shaking with emotion. A low, defeated groan escaped the masked man. With what must have been a superhuman effort, he cleared his throat and said, “Yes.†Engineer put a hand over his face and rubbed his eyelids, still frowning. “Well, don't that just beat all. That's great. What the hell'm I- ...look, you two, we're gonna' hafta' talk this over until you make up, or make amends, or- or figure out some peaceful resolution to whatever the hell it is you pulled on him, Spy. Now, what happened?†He looked over at Sniper, his expression wavering as underlying emotions picked away at the surface. “What is it he did to you, Mundy?†To see the normally-aloof marksman reduced to a frothing, snarling animal was singularly unusual, as far as Medic was concerned. What happened next went beyond anything he could have possibly expected, though; at Engineer's question, Sniper paled, then stared at his friend with wide-eyed horror and began shaking his head. “Aw, no... no, I can't- 'm not gonna' talk about- no, no, not- I just- can't tell you about-†Sniper choked on his babbling words, and his chest started to heave; to everyone's surprise, the man was suddenly on his feet and staggering away from his sickbed. Medic flinched and pointed towards the bathroom. “Raus, raus!†After Sniper had slammed the door and locked it shut behind him, an uneasy mood descended on the infirmary's occupants. Engineer seemed drawn between pursuing the one man, or strangling the other. “I could be mistaken, Spy, but I think he's pretty upset about what you did. Care ta explain?†Spy's expression was obscured by all the bruises, but there was a glimmer of remorse in his eyes. Engineer seemed to catch it, too, but it only caused him to deepen his frown. The masked man sagged back against the headrest, then sighed. “I... I will only tell you zat I wronged 'im. Ze details of what 'appened between us, I feel I cannot disclose in good conscience, for 'is sake.†Engineer sprang to his feet and was at Spy's bedside in an instance, his prosthetic fist raised threateningly. “Oh, that's a load of bullshit, Spy! You spill yer guts right now, or I'm gonna' do it for you, y'hear?!†Although tempted to intervene, Medic decided the opportunity to see Engineer savage someone with that murder-weapon was too good to pass up. He leaned forwards, perched on the edge of his seat and watching raptly while the doves descended to pillage his cup of tea. Even knowing full well that respawn could undo anything Engineer might inflict on him, Spy cringed in genuine alarm. “Wait! Ah, God, just listen to me! ...before you came in 'ere, ze man was 'orrified to know you would see him in zis state. I don't know if 'e didn't want you to worry, or if 'e just wants to be a tough guy, but I am inclined to believe it is ze latter.†The Gunslinger emitted a mechanical growl, and Spy winced. “Ze blackmail occurred several days ago, yet 'e 'asn't told you about it! Why do you think zat is?! I can tell you why, it is because 'e values 'is pride over everything else!†At this, Engineer stepped back and lowered his robotic fist, clearly dumbstruck. Medic narrowed his eyes curiously and studied the American's expression, as though the finer details might betray things beyond the scope of his own theories. (That looked like a slap in the face for Engineer. ...does he expect Sniper to tell him about things like this? If the incident involved a breach of contract, I can imagine keeping it a secret. But Spy doesn't seem to be talking about it that way, he makes it sound more like a source of great embarrassment than something Sniper could get fired over.) Curiosity was burning in Medic's chest, and found himself rising from his chair. “Amylobarbitone is not foolproof, Herr Engineer, but it could encourage our friend here to tell you more about ze matter. ...normally I vould not administer ze drug to someone who is already under ze effect of morphine, but...†Medic chuckled lightly, shrugging his shoulders. “Vhat is ze worst zat might happen, it kills him? Ah- respawn vould even remove ze opiates from his body, and ve could try again in earnest!†Engineer was still flabbergasted by Spy's words, and it took him a few moments to realize what Medic had said. “Wha- oh, well... I uh, I appreciate the offer, Doc, but I think I'm first gonna' try talkin' with Sniper, see what he has ta say about all this. You just... you keep an eye on Spy, alright? Don't- don't shoot him up with anything unless I say so, I'd rather we get to the bottom of this... y'know, without resortin' to chemical persuasion.†For his part, Spy looked unimpressed at the suggestion of truth serum. He shot Medic a glance that seemed to say “Don't even think of it.†“Very well, Herr Engineer,†Medic said politely. Deep down, he was sort of disappointed, but it wouldn't be the last chance he'd ever have to use mind-altering drugs on people. He watched as Engineer set his hat down, and approached the locked door. ______________________ Engineer lightly rapped his knuckles on the door, and spoke quietly. “Hey... Mundy, are you gonna' be okay in there? Is it okay if I come in? We've gotta' talk.†As he waited for an answer, Engineer wrestled with the heavy ball of guilt that had settled in his chest. (Everyone knows we're not supposed to be killing each other around here. He would've been punished one way or another. I just thought this would be the best way to get him and Spy talking about it, and next thing I know, he's having some sort of panic attack and I've got a whole bunch of uncomfortable questions for both of them.) A faint sound got Engineer's attention, and he realized it was the door unlocking. He steeled himself, then slipped inside and closed the door behind him. There was a sour smell in the air. Sniper had closed the lid over the toilet and was seated on it, draped back against the water tank. He lifted his head, and Engineer felt a heart-wrenching pain when he saw the bushman's despondent face. Tears stung the American's eyes; he clutched a hand over them and leaned back against the door, suddenly feeling like the biggest bastard in the world. “Jesus, darlin', I'm- th-this is my fault, I shoulda' just let Sarge march your butts across the countryside, and- and minded my own business... I didn't know who started it... Oh God, you didn't deserve any of this.†The last thing in the world that Engineer wanted to do right now was cry, but he was having a hard time exercising his will on the situation. His body shook with silent sobs, and he was overwhelmed by the desire to just leave, leave before Sniper had a chance to reject him. Something brushed against his shoulders. It was Sniper's hands. He uncovered his eyes and looked down to see the taller man, leaning forwards to give him a reassuring hug. “...naw, don't... don't be like that, mate. Y'didn't know any better. ...I shoulda' told you about what happened, but I couldn't bear to. Has Spy blabbed t'you and the Doc about it?†Engineer shook his head, and held Sniper against him. “He wouldn't say what it was. First he fed me some crap about keepin' it mum fer your sake, but then he- he said somethin' that bothered me. He asked me why you hadn't already told me.†Sniper hung his head and sagged against Engineer. “...dunno if I can talk about it, t'be... perfectly honest. I, I couldn't do it out there. Got sick just thinkin' about it.†“But why? What's so bad that y'can't open up about it?†Engineer was speaking clearly, despite the tears streaming down his face. He gently patted the other man's head, trying to calm himself as much as Sniper. (How in the hell has everything gone wrong so fast? Yesterday afternoon, it felt like all my troubles were over. Is caring about someone supposed to tear you up inside? Is this always going to be about two people trying to hide awful secrets from each other?) “I mean, we both came out about so much this week, I didn't imagine there was... there was anything you wouldn't trust me with.†“'s not about trust. ...is it? Maybe it is, in some way, but... aw God, don't take that badly,†Sniper said, and pressed his face against Engineer's collar. “It's- urrgh, it's just too... I can't figure out the right word. 'Humiliating' is close, but... not, not quite right. Christ, truckie, I feel so disgusted with myself. It's bloody pathetic, I know it is, but I- I can't stand the thought of you thinkin' less of me for it.†“You thought I'd hate you for bein' queer, too.†Engineer gave a pained sigh, and felt torn between holding him closer in guilt, and pushing him away in resentment. “I love you, and seeing you like this is makin' me feel rotten and helpless. How can I do anything for you, if- if you don't believe that I'm not gonna' turn my back on you?†The marksman looked up at Engineer, then winced away the tears that were threatening to come, and took a long, deep breath. At length, he spoke. “You're right, I've... well, I've just been so caught up in worrying 'bout how you might see me, I couldn't muster the courage to stick me neck out, y'know? To put more faith in you. I'll-†Sniper grunted quietly and clutched at his empty stomach, fighting back waves of nausea; the man's pride clearly weighed heavily on him, to the point he couldn't even admit his shame without a struggle. Engineer found himself thinking back to the night he'd found Sniper drunk in the mess hall, and his eyes stung with tears; he put a supporting arm around the bushman's shoulder and gently rubbed his back, trying to ease his tension. After a few moments, Sniper relaxed a little and rested his head against Engineer's collar, breathing steadily. “...the sneaky bastard overheard us talking,†Sniper said, his voice low and hoarse. “He threatened to out me to th'rest of the team, unless I- well, he took me to his bedroom, then sat me down and started to suck- rrgh, then things happened between the two of us.†A scowl twisted Sniper's face, and he covered it with his hands, embarrassed to be telling Engineer that he let Spy fuck him, embarrassed at the memory of how good it felt at the time, of how used he felt afterwards. “I should've refused, should've called 'is bluff, but I- I panicked, and just did what 'e wanted.†As Sniper finally got the words out, he shuddered and tightened his grip on Engineer. The little guy held him close, feeling sick rage begin bubbling up inside of him. It was all he could do to control the tension in his body, lest he make a slip with The Gunslinger and break Sniper's shoulder. “You shoulda' told me, or- or someone! I don't rightly know what the law says about extortion of sexual favors, but that man has gotta' pay for what he did to you! Look, it ain't right, just lettin' him do what he wants. Where's the justice in that?!†“Tell who, mate? Tell 'em what? The part where Spy found out I'm a poof, or the part where-†Sniper grimaced for a moment, choking on his words. “...the part where him an' me shagged so he'd keep his mouth shut? You know why I can't launch a formal complaint to the Administrator about this. And it'd only drive more rifts between us all if the team were told. I've been used before for worse reasons... b-but look, I really just wanna' put this behind me. Salvage what's left of my dignity and move forward.†He looked up at Engineer and managed a tired, sickly smile for the American, who was still furious and horrified over what he'd learned. “You saw what I did to 'im. Would it really be better for us to drag this out? Fight again? Get more people involved?†For a moment, Engineer's face was twisted with anguish; as he pulled himself together, he realized that more than anyone else, Sniper had the final say here. The whole affair left a bad taste in his throat, though, and he still felt driven to defend his lover's honour. “How's he gonna' make amends for what he did to you?†Sniper closed his eyes, frowning thoughtfully. “...I was thinkin' about that on and off, during the night. Got a pretty good idea worked out, although it'd... it'd have to wait for a long weekend. ...'ere, I think for now, you oughta' go let 'em know I haven't died.†Engineer nodded, smoothing back Sniper's messy hair. “Alright, stretch. ...you gonna' be alright?†Letting go of Sniper was the hardest thing he'd done all day, and it hadn't been an easy day by any means. Engineer knew he couldn't show up all puffy-eyed without getting some unwanted questions, though; as quickly as was possible, he ran some cold water from the sink and splashed his face, then ground the palms of his hands against his cheeks and sighed. The sharpshooter nodded shakily. “Yeah, I just... need a minute t'get me nerves back together. ...bloody hell, I feel awful. Tell Medic to come fix me up, or I'm gonna' drown myself in the toilet and let respawn take care of things.†Engineer was looking rather grave as he returned to the infirmary; he suspected he was going to need weeks to fully digest what he'd learned, but for now, what mattered most was getting his dear friend healed so things could get back to normal. (Normal? Well... what passes as normal here.) He crossed the room to where Medic was sitting, and ran a hand over his stubbly scalp as he tried to find his voice. The doctor had become a bored-looking sculpture of a man with an empty cup, festooned with live, cooing pigeons. He turned his head as the little guy approached, spooking most of the birds away. “Hmm? Vhat is ze patient's condition, Herr Engineer?†“He's agreed not ta cause any more trouble with Spy,†Engineer said, sounding a bit rough. “Would you heal him up with the Medi-gun? There ain't any reason t'have him takin' up space in your surgery now.†“Ja, I suppose you're right... ze worst of his injuries were repaired last night, anyways. I vouldn't heff much to operate on, even if I vanted ze practice now!†Medic laughed a little too loudly, and went to retrieve his miraculous healing gun. With Medic out of the way, Engineer stalked over to Spy's bedside. Spy looked understandably wary to have the Texan leaning over him, staring down with those piercing blue eyes. He swallowed audibly. “I assume 'e told you what happened. ...I know you 'ave little reason to believe me, Engineer, but I am truly sorry for what I-†The bed jumped as a deadly knot of metal claws crashed down beside Spy's head, bursting the foam pillow and tearing a hole in the mattress. Spy's discomfort had robbed him of his usual deadpan, and it was probably all he could do to just lay there, rigid with wide-eyed terror. Engineer's voice was low and ruthless. “...you can think of me as a hypocrite, or a bully, or whatever the hell you want, but I don't trust you. If I catch you sayin' so much as boo t'my friend Sniper, I'm gonna' make you wish you were dead. Got it?†The masked man nodded, his emotions settling down to a state of grim acceptance. “Attacking me won't change what I did. It won't 'elp ze situation, either. You think Mssr. Mundy wanted blood? 'e got it, and I was foolish enough to lose my temper and retaliate. So we both suffer, for... well, my mistake. I cannot stop you from telling whoever you please about ze cause of zis altercation, but...†“But what? Y'don't want everyone else to know what a- a snake you are?†Spy reached up to rub his forehead, then stopped himself. He knew it was probably a mass of bruises right now. “Zat is ze obvious answer, of course. I wouldn't ask you to defend my reputation, though- ze one you should think of is Sniper. 'e is as much of a man as anyone else on zis base, and I believe it should be 'is choice to disclose, or not to disclose, ze details of zat incident. Do you think 'e wants everyone to know I fucked 'im?†Without even thinking, Engineer took an open-handed swing at Spy's face; what would have normally been a jarring slap became a symphony of pain, and the Frenchman howled. Across the room, Medic was watching the proceeds silently. Engineer's attention was still on Spy, and he missed the faint, curious smirk on the older man's face. “You got a point,†he said, once Spy was no longer writhing in agony. “I'll leave it ta him.†A slightly hoarse voice cut into their conversation. “Oi, think it's time to patch him up? ...we can talk things over later, I'm due for a shower.†It was Sniper, who was looking much better than before, aside from his dirty clothes. His hawkish gaze wandered lazily over Spy and Engineer, and lingered on the Texan for a moment. The hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “...see you in a bit, truckie.†Engineer half-turned as he heard Sniper, and stared in surprise for a moment before he could talk. “Oh- uh, of- of course! ...lookin' a lot better there, slim.†As Sniper left the infirmary, Medic turned his attention to healing the other patient. That left Engineer without the freedom to browbeat Spy as he pleased, and he suddenly realized that he was feeling very drained from the whole experience. The same room as Spy was really the last place he wanted to be right now, so he retrieved his hat and headed for the door. Before he left, though, he knew some thanks were an order. “Doc, I'd like to thank you for your help in all this. I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much, takin' up space in here with those two.†He gestured towards Spy, who was quietly waiting for his face to regain its usual shape. Medic seemed quite cheerful, for his part. “It vas no trouble, Herr Engineer. ...if I had been conducting important work I might feel differently, but my latest project is still, hm, in its preliminary stage. Engineer sighed. “Well, hopefully this mess is over... I tell ya, sometimes I'm surprised we don't get more fights around here. People really take your work for granted.†The doctor shrugged, his expression mild. “Ze Medi-gun takes away a lot of ze... hands-on aspects of modern medicine, but I do enjoy having less to clean up afterwards. Ha ha ha, perhaps if I vere to perform traditional surgery on those who foolishly injure zhemselves between battles, people vould be more careful.†This idea must have appealed to Medic, because he seemed to still be musing about it as Engineer left.