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“I’m beginnin’ to think y’all don’t want me as a rival, you just want someone you can despise and be despised by.” The BLU Engineer stared down his captive, angry, tired and upset.
“Labourer, if this is your idea of interrogation, you might as well give up now.” RED’s Spy chuckled, not dropping his facade despite his battered frame, broken arm, and tears in his eyes.
No one knew what possessed him to start trying so hard to steal the blueprints, maybe not even he knew himself. All the BLU team knew was when it began, with a scream of pain.
Attempt #1
Dell Conagher woke with a start, his goggles astray and hardhat laid forgotten on the floor. He realized he had fallen asleep on his desk, and more importantly, he believes his Spy got caught in one of the traps, but when he got up to investigate, it was the RED spy uncloaking in the net by the door.
“Spy? It is way too later fer whatever you’re doin’ ‘round here, go back home.” Engie loosened the net to let him free.
Instead of any explanation, Dell was met with a gun to his head as Spy put him in a chokehold. “The blueprints, Engineer. Give them to me.”
“Or what, boy? We got respawn, if’n ya haven’t noticed.” Dell folded his arms, unimpressed.
“I wouldn’t count on that, dear~ I turned it off. This could be the last bullet ever pushed through your terrible head.”
“There’s alarms fer that boy, those ain’t gonna be stopped unless the power’s out, and it clearly ain’t. Can I go back to bed, now?”
The Spy’s eye twitched, staring down his rival. How dare he. He was supposed to buy it. He was supposed to believe him, trust in danger. He let go of the Engineer with a shove, spitting at the floor in anger. “I will not rest until I get these blueprints, Conagher.” And in a huff, he left.
“I ain’t interrogatin’ ya. I’m just fuckin’ tired.” Dell rubbed his face “So now you’re gonna sit here and wait and think about this. There ain’t no reason fer this. There’s just…” Dell stopped himself before getting angrier than he already was. “I just gotta teach you a lesson.”
Spy’s smug expression fell slightly, before he forced a laugh. “I know you’re hiding something. You wouldn’t go this far to protect nothing.”
Attempt #5
“The flamethrower’s new.” Spy coughed up smoke, batting ash off his suit.
“I had hoped you’d get the message…” Dell grumbled, setting down the fire extinguisher.
Spy laughed smugly. “The only message I am receiving is the fact that you’re wearing down. Soon I shall win.”
“I’m tellin’ ya, this vault ain’t go nothin’ you’d want. Please… Please go home.” Dell motioned for him to shoo.
“Fine. fine. You want your goddamn prize? You want me to reward this kinda shit? Fuckin’ fine!” Dell snapped at the Spy, untying his arms, unlocking the vault, and shoving its contents into Spy’s hands.
Dell couldn’t have been more than sixteen, watching that room burn down. His companion and best friend Mumbles had set it ablaze. All because Greg Conagher, Dell’s very own father promised him into the mercenary career. His only condition, his only freedom was going to college.
“... So… You, uh… Wanna get somethin’ to eat?” Dell asked his silent companion, who was sniffling. It was all he could think to say. Mumbles sobbed, holding onto Dell’s arm and passing him a drawing. It was of them both in MumblesLand, as the two deemed it.
“... I love you too, buddy.” Dell sniffled, hugging them close.
And there was that same drawing in Spy’s hand. He didn’t understand. These weren’t blueprints at all. “... You… You dare mock me? After months of trouble you hand me a child’s drawing?” He stared up at Dell fiercely.
“If you’d have listened to me, you woulda figured that out by now. Now go home. I’m tired of nearly killin’ ya every night.” He slashed the ropes with Pyro’s fire-axe. “Get the fuck outta my sight and don’t come back.”
He let the paper drift to the floor, his hand twitching. “... I wasn’t supposed to lose.” He got to his feet, trembling in rage. “ I wasn’t supposed to lose! ” He yelled “I have been at this for a quarter of a year for a fucking drawing?! You managed to play me so… So excellently, so terribly , and I believed- I believed when Rei said that you had trapped your workshop something valuable was there and it was… Nothing… And… So am I…” Spy’s rage fizzled into sadness as he sobbed, clutching his broken arm.
“It ain’t nothin’... And neither are you.” Dell shook his head. “You ain’t… You just don’t understand. It’s important to me, that’s all. There was never anythin’ to win.”
“You don’t understand… I was trying to win your respect.” Spy didn’t dare look up and Engie.
Dell laughed at that, the sound weak and hollow. “Boy, you got a funny way of doin’ that. You’ve always had it, yer just… Dumb.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Let’s getcha to the Doc, huh? You need that arm fixed.”
“Oh, just kill me. I’m a failure.” Spy pleaded, softly. “... I will be gone tomorrow. Off on contract in Venice. For old time’s sake… Please.”
Dell dropped down to his knees too, cupping Spy’s face. He raised his pistol slowly, slowly…
And shot the security camera watching the scene. “So… Think she bought it?” Engie grinned, pulling off Spy’s mask for him and kissing his cheek.
“Oh, undoubtedly. I’ve been called about off-hour work five times now.” René grinned, resting his good arm on Dell’s shoulder.
“C’mon, let’s getcher bone set, pardner.” Dell scooped up his forbidden lover easily, carrying him to the Medbay, the cameras already pre-setup to fool the Administrator.
Reichard, René’s twin was already waiting in the Medbay. “Doctor Reinhardt asked me to help this time.” They explained, helping set René down on the operating table.
They all knew why this was. No one could blame him. Reinhardt was the RED Spy’s former partner before everything went south. It was only Rei’s pleading to help out Dell and their brother that convinced him to go through with the plan.
Rei washed their hands, removed their brother’s jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, setting the bone and turning on the Mediray mounted from the ceiling. “How did it go?”
“I got the shit beaten out of me and it was wonderful. Very emotional, I think.” René grinned, taking the lit cigarette Dell gave him.
“It wasn’t hard, I know he didn’t mean it, but I can’t help but get worked up over what he had to say.” Dell rubbed his eyes, holding Spy’s hand.
“And now, you can tag along, and we get a paid vacation in Venice.” Spy kissed the Engineer’s hand.
With Spy’s arm set, Engie kissed him on the lips and sent him to respawn for the night, excited for the trip.