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Engineer was running through the trenches, knee deep in mud and cursing under his breath. It was pouring like hell, the roaring sounds of the fight were deafening and he lost radio contact with Soldier around ten minutes ago. Normally his booming voice would shout orders trough the radio without a pause, but now there were only static noises.
Another turn and the mechanic stopped dead in his tracks. Damn-
Soldier was sprawled in the dirt with his eyes closed and his face pale like a ghost. His blue uniform was soaking wet and Engineer could spot dark red blotches of blood on his side where his hand was clenching the shirt. His chest was still going up and down, in an painfully slow, irregular pattern.
„Soldier? Rocket-boy! Dagnabit, Maggie!“
Engie was shouting against the screeching staccato of bullets and shells raining down on them and the suddenly so much louder heartbeat in his ears.
Just two steps and he was at the side of the fallen man, kneeling down in the wet and bloody soil. With a shaking hand he touched the haggard face and swallowed hard; Soldier was so damn cold, but under the contact he opend his eyes slowly and gazed up to the blue sheme above him.
„Maggie, dagnabit, damnit, I need to get you to Medic. C'mere!“
Engineer reached out for Soldier's arms, but the man just shook his head. He grunted a bit because of the movement, then closed his eyes for a moment. To find his voice again and probably the cousciousnes too.
„Nah, not a good idea...“ He coughed and then looked up to Engineer again.
Stormy grey eyes met the green glasses of the mechanic's goggles. They were tired and cloudy. There was just so much pain in them.
„Hey, we could fix you up like we did with me!“ Engineer raised his Gunslinger and cracked a hopeful smile but it lasted not longer than a second.
„Hardhat, you have 11 PhDs and you're so much smarter than me, but even I know that some things can't be fixed up like that.“ Soldier raised his hand to Engineers face and prodded at his goggles.
„Just take them off a moment, will 'ya?“
Without a second thought Engineer took off his hat and his googles and looked down into the grey eyes of his beloved friend.
„Ah …there's my sunshine...“
Engineer chukled quietly and shook his head.
„Do we have the time to be sentimal now, hun'?“
"Not like there would be a better time now, or?"
Soldier smiled this tired smile of a pained man and looked in these babyblue eyes of his Sunshine. The man, whom he knew for years now, whom he fought with, side by side and whom he started to love just some month ago.
„There's Respawn at last … it will just take longer, won't it...“
Engineer glanced to the side and nodded without a word. Then a sigh slipped over his lips.
„Yeah there's always Respawn, you're right. Just tooks longer, 'cause we needed its engery for the sentries.“
Soldier took Engineer's head in his cold, calloused hands. They smelled like gun powder, sweat and blood. The small smile on his face faltered slowly.
„You're my American Dream, Sunshine... y'know...“
Soldiers voice faded.
Good god, Engineer was thankful that it was raining.
--
Engineer stood up, took the old battered helmet of his friend and put it on. With a sharp tug he broke Soldier's dogtags and stuffed them in his pocket. Finally he slid his goggles back over his eyes.
He was needed back at the headquarter where his friends were still fighting.
A last glance over his shoulder to the dead body, which wouldn't vanish any time soon.
Respawn stopped working two hours ago and Engineer didn't find any spare parts to fix it.
He would never see those grey eyes again.