Work Text:
0000
One tick and the time has moved onto the last day of this year. 2022 a mere day away from being gone, just like that, the past they all lived through. People are hyped to celebrate the new dawn which he wouldn’t normally care about other than getting drunk shitless, but this time he has a goal to achieve. A personal homework he had been procrastinating, so perhaps the festive spirit will give him that little push. Bandit, the man of badassery, couldn’t bring himself to ask his dear friend Jäger out. The dorky nerd, that quirky bookworm crawled into his heart and apparently found it quite cosy there. The only reason that held Bandit back from doing anything about it was due to the nature of their relationship. Pulling jokes and pranks at each other for the past how many years, and Bandit only began to show his romantic interest for the last half a year.
Hey dude, wanna suck me off?
Ah, sure. Vacuum or hydraulic?
Ha! Good one. Let’s blow it out at the back.
About time someone gets me exhaust-ed. Get it?
That was the gist of how his not-so-subtle innuendos went. Bandit tried different approaches on multiple occasions, but Jäger took all of them as jokes. IQ nearly gained aneurysm watching their interactions, for she obviously knew what the fuck was going on. Her advice and opinions were heartfelt and passionate when she screamed, Fucking ask him out. Tell him you want to be boyfriends and hold hands. You won’t get anywhere while sounding like a child who finds dick jokes are the funniest shit out there.
She’s got a point, but Bandit was fantastic at doing the opposite of whatever she says. Blitz saved her from being a murderer on so many occasions, but he may find it hard if Bandit kept up with his foolery.
Not this time, though. Bandit will work on it. Honesty is the best policy, and maybe if he expresses his interest before asking Jäger for a New Year’s Eve kiss, the man will finally get the hint.
0706
The alarm hasn’t rung yet, and yet his eyes shot open. He blames the body clock that’s constructed after decades of built-in habit. A quick run, shower, breakfast and browse on the web to see if there are still sales on the motorbike parts. Coolants, fork oil and chains. They aren’t from the brands he usually buys from, but it’s still worthwhile to check.
0943
He can sneak into the garage and look for spare jumper cables. Not his fault that his ones are always drenched and melted in battery oils. Risks come with experiments, and he only wanted to see the maximum voltage that can be packed in smaller battery units. It serves the entire base when he actively tries to improve his gadget. That’s what Rainbow operatives are meant to do, no? This is his job that no one should interfere, so with all aforementioned reasons, Bandit needs more jumper cables. Jäger made improvised versions for him far too many times and he’d rather not see the man for now.
Luck is on his side when he finds the garage empty, so he snags a few of the needed tools and accessories. He also remembers to leave a note to let people know that whatever is missing will be replaced in the near future, and walks over to his station to hide the haul. Come to think of it, Jäger also has a dedicated spot to work at. A large clearing with necessary tools, equipment and parts neatly organised, along with a cubicle where his laptop and paperworks are set aside. There are plenty of memories they made together as engineering junkies, but if Bandit has to choose, it’s that little spot on a corner of the wall. Photographs of the two working while covered in sweat and dirt. An album of their friendship Jäger recorded when he was in the polaroid phase. Bandit also took turns in taking shots of his friend holding a drone. The lanky figure is beaming, posture tall and confident like a man who’s truly happy with his own abomination of an ADS that can fly. The idea got quickly shut down when they learned the propellers cannot withstand the recoils from its grenade launcher, but Jäger laughed it off.
You never know unless you try. Right, Dom?
Yeah, right. Bandit is also about to try and see if his attempt will be a failure to learn from, or a success that may be too much to handle.
1201
McDonalds needs a better reputation because for one, it’s cheap; and two, tasty as fuck. Bandit can finish three cheeseburgers on the spot and drink gallons of beer later to wash them down. He was thinking about going out for another run after he digests all these until he feels a buzz from his pocket. A call from Thermite, asking if Bandit has beer kegs ready.
“And when did I agree to get this organised?”
Thermite groans. “Dude, we talked about this last week. I get the venue ready, Maxim brings the food and you get alcs. I know we should have talked about this sober, but hey. Shit happens when it’s just the three of us, right?”
Along with the memories that lulls back, annoyance also arises. He did take up the responsibility of ensuring this Eve's party to be filled with laughter and mistakes, but thoughts of Jäger stomped on other priorities that he should have remembered. “Yeah, I’ll get it sorted.”
“‘Will?’ Party’s tonight!”
“I know.” He knows it all too well. “See you there at what, six?”
“Yeah. Don’t forget - we need two kegs and maybe some other drinks for people who wants something other than beer, okay?”
“Not okay. Beer is the one and only and other people can suck it.” Bandit ends the call, ignoring anything else Thermite was about to say. Of course he will buy a range of options for wimps to enjoy, but it will be three kegs instead of two. With that in mind, he should go back to the base and swap the motorbikes with a proper car. Two wheels aren’t enough to carry boxes and cartons.
1337
Stout, pilsner, ale. White and red wines he cannot remember the names of, same goes for other kinds like vodka, cider, rum, gin, carbonated whatever people may fancy. He has bought one more keg of pilsner to put aside, thinking of drinking them before meeting up with Thermite and Kapkan at wherever the party is going to be. The idea of having a secret stash in his office sounds like a good idea, so Bandit carries it under his arm and walks in, hoping nobody would see him.
“Brunsmeier!” Having someone calling him by his last name isn’t a good sign, and judging by who it is, Bandit grimaces while bracing for an unfavourable encounter.
He doesn’t turn around. Rather, it’s better to walk faster and hope her short legs won’t be able to catch up. That, however, is a stupid wish and we all know it. She can power walk to outpace him and block his path. Bandit has no other option but to address her accordingly. “Yeah, what?”
“Did you take our jump cables again?” Mira shoots a glare. From Bandit’s angle, she resembles a honey badger that’s merciful enough to only snarl for now.
“Yes, sorry, I’ll buy them as soon as the holiday’s over.” He played this game far too many times with her to argue. It’s better to say what she wants to hear and move on before she notices-
“Wait,” Mira has a better vantage to see what he’s holding, “is that a beer?”
“Yup.”
“What’s that doing in our base? You know we made rules to not drink here.” Reasonable because they are all professionals here. Plausible for her to be agitated when it’s him and the other rowdy idiots who trashed Hereford while enjoying their leisure a little too much. The last Six struck her iron hammer to keep their workplace sober; despite all the righteous logic, Bandit isn’t too fond of how Mira is talking down at him.
“It’s for no one else.”
“Obviously. Take it back home.” Mira keeps it calm.
Bandit doesn’t give two fucks about her mood. “I will take it wherever I want, since it’s mine.”
She eats his defiance and has it fuel her temper. “I won’t repeat it again. Take it back home.”
“Maybe if you say, ‘please.’”
“Why you little-”
“Dom!” Someone else calls out to him, and it’s a voice causing his heart to skip a beat. The man is light on his feet as he jogs over to the verbal showdown, putting a pause to the brewing tension.
“Hey.” Bandit cringes at how his tone instantly soothes down when he sees Jäger.
“Marius, can you please tell your friend why alcohol is prohibited in the base?” Same effect seems to work on Mira. She isn’t angry at the other German, after all.
“Oh,” Jäger takes a look at the keg, at his friend, their leader figure, and then a quick breath before saying, “I see that you got what I asked you.”
Confusion arises but Bandit hides it faster than Mira. She quirks her head, gauges at the two men in front of her and squints. “You asked him to bring this here?”
“Yeah.” Jäger doesn’t avert his eyes away from her. He keeps them locked and grins. “We’re thinking of making rockets for the party tonight. You know, like we all did back at school. Thought it’d be fun to impress the crowd, but cola and mentos get too sticky sometimes.”
“Uh-huh.” Mira has her arms crossed. “No. That sounds like bullshit.”
“It's true.” Bandit doesn’t miss a beat from hopping on the wagon that Jäger haphazardly whipped out of nowhere. “Jordan told me to surprise the crowd and for once, I’m not doing anything too dangerous.”
“Is that so?” She is yet to be convinced, but Jäger eggs her on to have some faith. There are more interrogations disguised in genuine concerns, and finally she shrugs while appearing somewhat convinced. “Make sure he doesn’t put his mouth on it. It’s on you, Marius.”
“Yeah, okay. Take care.” Jäger waves at her and nudges Bandit to do the same. The way they send her off is akin to two children left alone at home, and that’s when rules are meant to be broken. “Okay, why did you bring this here? You know what you guys did back at our old base.”
“We didn’t break anything, didn’t we? Other than some limbs and my ribs.” Ah, the good old days. They had nothing better to do during their down time, so shenanigans were bound to happen. Too bad they woke up at the infirmary with Doc looking like Satan himself.
“Unbelievable.” Jäger keeps looking back to make sure no one overhears them. “So are you really going to drink it here?”
Sheepish and wide-eyed. Jäger bares the expressions of a gutless goody two shoes, and Bandit cannot believe he finds them remotely adorable. “Why not?”
“Dom.” There is a hint of concern in his stern tone.
And it works better on Bandit. Mira would weep if she saw this. “Okay, maybe not all of it. Just a sip.” He unlocks the door and hoists the keg on a shelf. There are cups with some gathered dust, which is clean enough by his standards. “One for you and one for me.”
Jäger hesitates, but he seems at more ease after leaning against the door. “Okay. Why not. Just one, though. We can’t leave here smelling drunk.”
“Psh. What are we drinking? Just water, Mari.” Although he boasts of being a heavy weight, Bandit heeds Jäger’s words and drinks only a half a bit more. Idle chats and more lame jokes aside, this is what Bandit calls a relaxing afternoon. Favourite beverage in his hand, his favourite person to hang out with. “So are you coming to the party tonight?”
“Yeah. Monika’s been reminding me about that.”
Bandit reminds himself to exempt IQ from his tomfoolery this week. “Cool. Stay for the countdown, too.”
“That’s the highlight! Of course I will stay.” Jäger puts his cup aside. “I bet people’s gonna kiss this year, again.”
“You know it.” With Rainbow being an international hub of an organisation, people are more open to different ways to celebrate the New Year. Some are fine with the whole tradition of countdown kiss, as they did last year. Bandit had one from fairly intoxicated and hyped Blitz, and he saw Jäger giving one to Fuze. Not that it mattered back then, but he can’t say the same this time. “Stick with us. We need to hog the other kegs and make sure no one finishes them, yeah?” Since he’s in charge of arranging the drinks, it’s a must to place vodkas far away from the beers.
“As long as it’s a dark brew, I’m in.”
Bandit merely smiles but underneath his cool exterior, he’s damn proud at choosing stout for the occasion.
1517
They bid goodbye to each other for the time being. Bandit goes back and places orders for what he took from the garage, and takes a quick nap to withstand the long night.
1726
His fucking alarm didn’t go off and now he has to hurry over to the venue. It’s not terribly far away, but the plan to look half-decent is thrown out the window.
Or is it?
Splash of cold water, deodorants, a couple of snips with scissors on his beard. He doesn’t need to put huge effort here when he’s already handsome. Charm comes from within and he knows Jäger isn’t a superficial type. Bandit reassures himself as he puts on a flannel shirt that smells decent and already ironed three months ago.
1807
Here he is, at some hotel’s rooftop venue that Thermite organised. Despite the doubts of him gathering money from all the other operators, the place has an outstanding view of a city skyline and the setting sun. There is a large LED panel with a digitalised clock, black with yellow font that screams the time ‘05HRS 53MINS 17SECS.’ Thermite is happy with what Bandit brought in with a trolley, and Kapkan raises his arm for a greeting while tending the grills. Since he is meant to help with other set ups, Bandit proceeds to place the alcohols accordingly. Kegs near by the panel, vodkas next to the barbecue. Kapkan seems quite happy to have his preferred supply closer, so it’s a win-win.
Ash comes in a bit later for the safety briefings and watches the three men nod. The automated but half-attentive ‘yes’ and ‘mm hmms.’ When she mentions Harry, none are really phased, but Thatcher and Mira? They are definitely more awake now. It’s better to promise that this will be a tame get-together without any funny businesses. That’s what Bandit intended to do, anyway.
1923
The three chow on what Kapkan cooked already while busy teasing each other about who they will kiss. Thermite knows where Kapkan’s heart lies, since the man has not only one, but two love interests fawning over him. Kapkan doesn’t let Thermite off easy by claiming there’s no one special for the man other than his own right hand to keep him company at night, so he may as well french kiss his palm. The two argue and bicker until Thermite diverts the attention on Bandit.
“How about you? Is Elias gonna slobber all over you again?”
“Eugh. No.” Bandit has no problem with Blitz, but the man becomes a complete dog when he’s beyond tipsy. The smooch felt like incessant licks from a Labrador rather than a sane adult man.
“Then who?” Kapkan puts some more skewers on to refill what they ate.
Bandit can keep this a secret, but it won’t be a bad idea to have some support from his so-called brothers. “It’s-” but then they are his close friends. He’s okay with Kapkan since the Russian is capable of keeping his mouth shut, but Thermite. The energetic, emotionally-driven and empathetic boom man. Thermite won’t keep still. He will throw looks at Jäger, wriggling his brows while throwing all kinds of hints as means of being subtle. The perfect specimen to ruin his plan. “No one.” Bandit keeps his mouth shut and watches Thermite throw his head in disappointment.
And yet, Kapkan stays still, visibly musing on the slight pause that Bandit had before responding to him. Hoping the man will keep his deduction to himself, Bandit raises his skewer at Kapkan for a cheer. A signal to be sent and understood by the other party. Kapkan, in return, purses his lips and shrugs.
2147
Party is running smoothly. Guests started to fill in at half-past eight, and the area has been bubbling with festive wonders. Sens has taken the stereo system to blast some strong beats and synths, animating the scene with undulating vigour. Since Thermite is the main host here, he had to facilitate games and icebreakers rather than bugging Bandit about his secret kiss. Kapkan likewise ended up cooking more for the guests, so he stopped flashing a knowing look minutes ago. Bandit himself didn’t have any spare time to find Jäger and mingle because there were complaints about how cold the rooftop was. He was the only man with free hands, so it’s on him to go down by the reception and request portable patio heaters to be installed.
And now he’s in the elevator with a staff member who works at this venue, and judging by the bags under their eyes, they are clearly underpaid and overworked. Jam packed together in this confined place with three sets of heaters, Bandit hears soft donks across him. It’s the staff standing lifeless, wavering like he’s a bobble head balancing on the elevator’s momentum. He’s obviously taking a much needed millisecond of a snooze.
“Hey.”
“Huh- yes?” The staff gains his sense back upon being called.
“Long night, huh?” Taking pity isn’t what he does, but Bandit knows what it's like to be in a job that tires mind and body.
“Kind of.” A small chuckle shows it’s much more than that.
Knowing this elevator isn’t connected to the rooftop, Bandit is aware that the heaters will have to be carried over while climbing the stairs. It’s him and this skinny young man hoisting giant appliances, and that’s a sure way to tire both of them out. “You can just leave them at the level we’re getting off.”
“Oh no, sir, that’s okay.” There is a worry in his voice.
“Really. I can get my lot to fetch these. We workout for a living, after all.”
It’s a rally between them, both insisting they will do the job. In the end, Bandit wins by assuring that him and his friends need some workout to burn off the meat they ate. Guilt flashes across the staff’s face, but there’s also relief. They drag the heaters out and the staff also opens one of the rooms labelled maintenance. He places a door stop which slips at first, so he pushes it in again. Then he ventures in to show where more of these heaters are stored, and informs it will lock by itself when closed shut. “Let me at least help you to carry one up there.” The staff rubs his hands on the pants while giving the door stop another kick to keep it in place.
“That’s really fine. We’ll let you know if we need anything else, okay?” Bandit bids farewell and hops upstairs to get taller fellows for muscle power.
Sledge and Thorn are bright red from what they had been chugging on, but Castle has a clearer mind. Mira and Gridlock join to carry the second lot, and then there comes Tachanka and Kapkan. Bandit smirks at his friend and the older man, to which Kapkan scowls while mouthing ‘shut it.’
Three heaters can work, but it’s better to have another one for all four corners. Bandit climbs up yet again to call another pair for help, but instead he bumps into someone who seems to approach him with an urgency.
“Are you alright?”
“Watch it-” Bandit soon sees Jäger holding onto the rails of the stair, trying desperately to not fall on him. “Oh. Yeah, I’m fine. Where’re you off to?”
“Nowhere. I was looking for you, actually.” They are close enough to know that Jäger hasn’t drunk much. “Need some help?”
Bandit doesn’t need to be biased to say Jäger can handle heavy weights. Slender he may be, but he saw the man carrying toolboxes and other machinery plenty of times. “Yes, actually.” Thinking this is a good chance for them to stick together until the countdown, Bandit beckons his friend to follow along.
The room is dark and mucky under a dim light bulb. They walk in a bit further to find the same patio heaters at the back, looking slightly old but intact. “That’s the one, right?”
“Yup. Here, you take the back.” Bandit pulls it down to have it rest on his shoulder. He can feel the weight when Jäger lifts its bottom, but they are a stable unit to move in unison. Slow and steady as they walk along the narrow spaces, but it’s doable. Then as they are near the entrance, Bandit notices a difference. He can’t see the brighter light outside of this room, which should be clearly visible from a room illuminated in a weak tinge of warm white. Unless the door is shut.
“Dom?” Jäger calls out from behind. “Why did you stop?”
There is no way for them to move forward. Bandit stares at the knob and finds a keyhole. He doesn’t want to think about it, but lockpicking is the second-best last resort. “Can you put this down from your end?”
Jäger obliges and helps Bandit to place the heater back on its stand. He mutters swear words under his breath, even more so upon seeing that the doorknob won’t turn. Bandit tries again with more force, jiggling, rocking and bashing his shoulder against the door. None of these attempts succeed, inevitably revealing they are trapped in this room.
“How?” Bandit kicks at the door again and fumes. “When the fuck?”
“I don’t know.” Jäger traces his fingertips around the door, looking for gaps. He can wedge a pointer under the frame, but the other three dimensions are sealed tight. “But we are going to do something about it. Let’s see what we can use around here.”
Bandit would credit the other man for keeping his composure, but only if he didn’t know the man better. He has seen it many times, especially when they were pinned under pressure as two last remaining defenders. Jäger keeps his demeanour in check for the first few minutes, which helps him to excel and retaliate as a roamer, but when he’s cornered, his aims become awfully shaky. That is the last thing Bandit wants Jäger to feel, so he better devise more than a few different plans before being rendered hopeless.
2211
The two check if their phones work. Problem number one is that Jäger left his one in the car, forgotten in the glove box with a charger. He never uses it at social gatherings, so it’s usually stashed away somewhere safe unless he needs it. Bandit’s one is barely alive with a shitty battery after how many times he dropped it. What miracles to still have it alive with five percent worth of charge. Yes, the Rainbow operatives are given work phones that are high end, but who carries them during their off-hours? Not these two, at such a party where almost all of their colleagues are here.
Bandit has been rummaging through the boxes and storages in the room to find anything long, thin and sharp, but all he manages to find is an old mouse trap. The coils are too thick to be wriggled into the keyhole.
Jäger has found three mops. Their wooden bodies can work as a makeshift crowbar, but the only gap from the door is at the bottom. He breaks one to lodge it under and with some effort, it slips to make another gap from where the door opens from. Bandit sticks another broken mop to lever it open, but the problem is that they don’t have enough room to move at a wider angle. This attempt also fails when two mops are shattered into shorter pieces, leaving them with one intact mop.
2254
They had been shouting. Banging for help to see if anybody from above can hear them, but the music thumps back at them. Bandit rolls his limbs from exhaustion after tackling on that damned barricade of a door for the eighth time, and he would have gone for more if Jäger didn’t hold him back. That was also the last time Jäger had said anything, because after learning that they will be staying here longer than they anticipated. Perhaps he is listening for any sign of presence outside and saving some energy until then. But he is awfully quiet, devoid of motions as if he’s imploding.
2342
Bandit is depleted and defeated. He slumps and slides down to sit next to Jäger, but can’t bring himself to check on his silent friend. No one could predict such a predicament, but Bandit is to blame for them being stuck here. In this small, narrow and damp shithole. He was the one who sent that staff away and had to get another heater when three was enough.
“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a suite here.” Bandit is in desperate need to break the tension.
Jäger massages his face to rub the exhaustion away. “Yeah. I heard it’s pretty expensive here.”
“I bet.” Their tones are casual, which helps Bandit to remind himself that there will be someone noticing their absence. It may happen before or after the countdown, but with how Kapkan has been attentive to him, people will begin to search for them. That is, if Bandit’s infamy for being a wanderer, doesn’t play into a factor.
“I guess we can wait until they finish the party. All of them will come down this way to get on the elevator.” Jäger checks the time and says there’s another twenty minutes to go through.
Bandit marvels at the logic, for the thoughts didn’t cross his mind. “You’re right. Then we’ll scream like a pair of goblins.”
“Goblins do scream loud.” Jäger chuckles, visibly more relaxed than before. “Horrid little things.” He leans against the sole warmth in this cold and confined area.
And Bandit draws near as well, now that his body has cooled down from adrenaline. They can talk or have idle jokes, but exerting so much for the past hour or so has worn them out. Relying on each others’ company, Bandit holds his breath to focus on a tiny sensation. A chipping on his conscience, the guilt he suppressed ever since he found out they are stuck here instead of with their colleagues. Jäger had no business suffering here with him and how dare he ask for a kiss from a friend who’s feeling miserable? Not tonight. Not this year. Bandit made mistakes so he shall own it up.
2358
The crowd cheers above, and Bandit knows the time is near without checking his phone. Jäger is motionless yet again, so he assumes that his friend has fallen asleep. The winter’s chill deepens as time goes by, so Bandit shifts ever so gently to wrap his arm around the other man.
“Dom.”
Finding out that Jäger has been awake is beyond startling, and this time Bandit fails to keep his body still. “Shit, oh. Hey, what’s up?”
“Ha, got you.” Jäger drifts away from Bandit’s shoulder. “I hear them.”
“Yeah, they are getting wild. Party animals.” It’s not only the frenzied shouting he hears. The stomps and beats are in rhythm, and Bandit can imagine the state these crowds are in as if he’s standing among them.
Jäger keeps his head up, staring at the dry ceiling. “They sure are busy. I don’t feel like I’m missing out much, though.”
“Yeah, because you’re stuck here with me.” A derogatory joke hurts less when he does it to himself.
“Exactly.” From above to him. Jäger’s gaze shifts towards the other man and holds its focus on one particular spot.
Bandit recognises the intense attentiveness. This happens when Jäger is in deep thought, untangling the wild trail of consciousness. He is captured, utterly unable to look away when the man of his life keeps staring at his lips. “Marius,” Bandit decides to take a step here and let intuition guide him, “I know this is pretty ridiculous and fucking weird, but I’ll say it.”
There are voices yelling, counting from ten to nine. “Go ahead.” Despite the explosive volume above, Jäger’s words ring loud and clear.
Eight, seven.
“Be my New Year’s kiss, will you?”
Six, five.
Jäger is closer than he would’ve ever been with Bandit. Hands settled firmly on the shoulders, he bumps their forehead together and sees the beard rustle under his sigh.
Four, three.
“Will you?” Bandit wants an affirmation. Most of his life decisions are on a whim without much consideration, but this cannot be one of those moments. There is a pull, the magnetic attraction and it’s extremely difficult to keep them at bay with sheer willpower.
Two, one.
“Yes.”
Happy new year!
The touch. Ecstatic frictions between tender flesh, the immense tingle from lips to teeth and tongue, the act of being allowed to consume and be consumed. Bandit let himself go in those intimate touches from his scalp to nape, as he locks Jäger in his embrace to be closer than he physically can. Cheers shower down on them as the new couple lose themselves in each other, revelling in spiking heat that knows no bounds. They don’t need to see the fireworks when it’s sparkling within them.
0000
Fortunately they manage to enjoy the kiss a bit longer until someone yells out Bandit’s name. It sounds like Kapkan, and looks like the bastard really wanted to see who Bandit wanted to kiss in the crowd.
“Here!” Bandit disappoints himself by tearing away from Jäger, but they need to get out of here. “I’m- we’re right here!”
The doorknob rattles and they hear a profound Russian profanity. “Hang on tight. We’re coming!” Rampant footsteps roll away and rescue is on the way.
Although he interrupted the ongoing flame for righteous reasons, Bandit keeps staring at the door, unsure of what to do with the awkward pause. He jumps again when a hand snakes on his shoulder, and with his thumping heart, a whisper tickles his ear.
“Now it’s my turn. Can you kiss me again?” There is a stifled laughter as if Jäger finds Bandit’s demeanour beyond amusing. “And pick up from where we left off?”
Bandit finally turns to face Jäger, incredulous at first but soon let other emotions fill him in. He goes for another kiss, longer and messier this time, completely engrossed even after the door clicks open.
The two men are found, entangled and bound, as a whole by his friends and colleagues.
There are witnesses now, and that’s the beginning of their new year.