Chapter Text
Sniper considered himself entirely unafraid of heights. In fact, he actively sought them out. His nooks and crannies dotted around all of their battle spots, from 2Fort to the Gravel Pit, were all high off the ground, away from the foray. No one else bothered him willingly. He got spies up there occasionally, stabbing him from behind, but at least that french wanker didn’t want to engage in pleasantries. They were more than okay with just doing what their job required, and going on their merry way.
If anyone asked Sniper why he loved heights so much, he would tell them it was for the quiet and the view. The peace that came with a spot most others disliked, and the view of being far above it all. There was something almost… instinctual about it. He couldn’t explain it. Something about the wind and the world. The silent solace. It was a nice break from the battlefield. But even once he was off the clock, he stayed for a moment. He stayed until Scout or Spy or some other concerned teammate came to find him, just observing the world post-battle like a hawk.
Today was no different. The battle had wrapped up a few hours ago, but even once he was back at base, Sniper headed up to the roof. It was dangerous, sure. Posed a risk of them getting spotted by BLU, definitely. But it wasn’t like he was the only Merc who preferred the privacy and quiet. Spy joined him up there sometimes, preferring a secluded spot to smoke over the busy, raucous interior of the RED base.
Sometimes Engineer would come up to pace as the morning light inched ever higher. He said it helped him come up with ideas. Sniper found he didn’t mind the other man’s presence. Medic did the same, but instead of pacing, he would bring Archimedes. He’d sit and pet the dove for a few hours before suddenly looking enlightened and heading back down to his lab. Sniper found he did mind Medic’s presence. But it was fine. As long as they didn’t talk to him too much.
The sun set on the RED base as the day drew to a close, covering the terrain in a warm glow. Light scattered beautifully through the leaves on the trees surrounding the base, dappling on the grassy ground. Although Sniper was too high up to properly admire the patterned effect, he could see it from a birds-eye view. It was like a lake made of liquid gold. A cool breeze cut through the warm Badlands air, brushing Sniper’s hair gently. His hat sat beside him, discarded for the time being. A pack of cigarettes and a lighter gifted to him by Pyro joined it as he smoked. It was quiet. Nice.
Sniper took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling the smoke smoothly. He should probably head down soon, but the warm evening breeze made him want to stay up here forever. He was so enraptured by the sights and sounds of the Badlands evening, that he didn't even notice Scout had sat next to him until he was startled by the sounds of a can being opened. Almost falling off the roof, Sniper practically jumped to his feet in shock.
“Geez, Scout!” Sniper gasped, “You scared the bloody life out of me!”
Scout laughed at that, spilling his drink down his shirt. His humor quickly switched to shock as the drink soaked into his shirt, staining the red fabric concerningly lighter. That was… not how normal liquids worked, but Scout was known to basically drink liquid uranium so Sniper didn’t question it too much.
“Sorry dude, didn’t mean ‘ta scare ya.” Scout replied, still smiling, “Shit- That’s gonna stain… Worth it.”
“Thought you said you didn’t mean t’ scare me?” Sniper pressed, suspicious.
“Eh, doesn’t mean it ain’t funny, jar man.” Countered Scout. He took another sip of his drink at that, pointedly ignoring any protest Sniper may have.
Sniper opened his mouth before closing it again, deciding Scout wasn’t worth his words. That little ankle biter was just doing it to wind him up, and he wouldn’t let him. This was a nice evening, and Scout wouldn’t ruin it. In fact, why was Scout even up here? He didn’t exactly partake in pleasant, relaxing evenings. He was more about running around and causing chaos. Patient was not a word used to describe Scout.
“Why are you even up here anyway?” Sniper asked, “Quiet ain’t exactly your cup of tea, an’ that’s what I came up here for. You get on Heavy’s bad side again or somethin’?”
“Nah,” Scout replied, mouth half-full of drink, “Medic- Medic wants us to do some kind’a experiment. Didn’t feel like it.”
“Don’t you think he’ll come up here lookin’ for me?” Sniper countered, “Pretty dumb hidin’ spot if you ask me.”
Scout’s eyes went wide with realisation.
“Yous right.” He murmured, “I should get–”
But the door to the roof opened before Scout could even finish his sentence. Sniper smirked as he watched Scout consider jumping off the roof, before deciding not even BONK could save him from that fall. Accepting defeat, the shorter man just flopped back down next to Sniper and muttered “maybe he won’t notice me.”
“Gd’afternoon Medic.” Sniper called, waving a hand. He didn’t even take his eyes off the sunset. “Lookin’ for Scout? He’s right here, avoidin’ you.”
“Hello, herr Sniper! I was actually looking for you, but I am glad I found you both! You are the only two left on my list!” Medic called. Sniper could practically hear the deranged smile in his voice.
“And uh,” Sniper replied uneasily, “What do you need us for, exactly?”
“I am glad you asked!” Medic exclaimed, immediately making Sniper regret his question. Scout had such a deep scowl on his face that Sniper feared it would be permanent. “I have a new experiment to do with your genes I wish to try. Truthfully, it should do nothing, but you never know!”
Because that definitely put Sniper at ease.
“...Right.” Was all he replied with. Scout groaned audibly. Medic laughed at that.
God, was Medic’s laugh always that creepy?
“There is no getting out of this!” Medic called cheerily, “You will not survive the fall from the roof, and Heavy is waiting at the bottom of the stairs. It would do you well to comply!”
“Hey, hey, I’m gettin’ up, take a chill pill.” Sniper assured, grabbing his hat and lighter as he got to his feet. He tried to not make too many concerning noises as he did so. He didn’t need Medic adding things onto his list of experiments.
“Oh, I know, mein freund.” Medic took a step closer, “I was talking to Scout.”
“Okay, okay! Geez! I’m comin’!” Scout exclaimed, jumping to his feet.
“Gut, come along then!” And with that, Medic turned down the staircase, trusting that Sniper and Scout were following him.
…
“But seriously, do ya really think I won’t survive the–” Scout began.
“You won’t.”
X
The medbay was never comforting. It wasn’t supposed to be. It was intended to be cold, clinical and sterile, perfect only for its intended purpose of healing. And on occasion, hurting. Today, it was being used for a series of tests on each of the mercs. Medic assured each one of them that it would have little to no effect, aside from possibly some cold-like symptoms and maybe heart issues that would resolve on their own. This did not assure Sniper. He knew Medic. There was no such thing as a completely redundant test. He did everything–even the insane stuff–for a purpose.
Scout went into medbay before him. He came out with a bandage on his arm and a frown on his face. That was promising.
“He said I wouldn’t feel anythin’ immediate, but I dunno man…” Scout grumbled, “I definitely feel somethin’.”
Sniper scoffed.
“Yeah, it’s minglin’ with all that uranium you drink.”
“Oh, screw you, bushman.”
Sniper chuckled at that. His laughter didn’t last long though, because as soon as Scout left, it was his turn.
The main room of the medbay was just as cold and uninviting as he remembered it. Sterile floors and walls blinded him even through his sunglasses as the bright overheads reflected off of them. An examination table sat propped up in the middle of the room, with hooks for the medigun above it. The medigun was currently turned off and sitting stationary on a table along the back wall. That was a good sign, it meant this experiment didn’t require healing.
“Hello!” Medic called, “Take a seat on the bed, mein freund.”
Sniper did as he was told, albeit uneasily.
“‘S this gonna hurt?”
“Only marginally! Just a needle. A small pain, ja?” Medic assured, “In fact, to prove it to you, I will inject myself first. You will see it is nothing to worry about.”
“Oh, doc, you don’t gotta–” But Sniper’s assurances were too late. Medic was already mid-injection with a syringe full of clear liquid.
Medic had injected himself on the inside of his right elbow, not necessarily into a vein, but in the general area of one. He winced at the needle’s injection, but once the initial insertion was over, he just smiled. Then, the second needle was inserted into his shoulder. This one seemed to hurt more, judging from Medic’s reaction, but not significantly more. It was over pretty quickly, and Medic seemed pleased afterwards. He rolled his head back, shivered a little, and applied bandages to the areas he’d injected, before turning to Sniper.
“See? No need to be a baby like Scout, ja?” Medic encouraged.
“Don’t worry, Doc. I’m not scared of needles.” Sniper assured, and to prove his point, he rolled up his sleeves in preparation.
As per Medic’s demonstration, the injections didn’t hurt any more than regular injections. The second one hurt more because of adrenaline, according to what Medic was rambling about, and they both did similar things. The first one was… something to do with his genes, and the second one was supposed to affect Uber in some way. Medic was particularly interested to see the effects on himself, Sniper and Scout because these three got Ubered the least, if at all. Despite the assurances that nothing would happen, Medic seemed to be looking forward to something happening.
Either way, Sniper was free to go once Medic had checked his vitals and taken a few notes.
Despite Medic’s constant reassurances that nothing would happen, Sniper agreed with Scout. Something was definitely… different. He’d have to consult Scout on how he felt at some point… His back felt tingly, like someone was dragging a feather over the skin over and over again. His arms felt tight, too, like he’d gotten new scars there. When he checked himself over later, there was no visible signs of anything wrong, per se, but that didn’t diminish the sensation.
Sniper just headed back to his RV, a mild headache blooming in his skull. The night was cool and dark, the moon the only source of light out. Crickets chirped calmly and stars shone with fervor. His RV felt like a beautiful little respite from the chaos of the day, and this night made things even better. It felt calm and peaceful as he got ready for bed, pulling his clothes off haphazardly before changing into his bedclothes. He felt along his back and arms before he put his shirt on, and although he didn’t feel anything, the skin was definitely tender. He’d tell Medic at their checkup.
Despite all of that, Sniper clambered up the ladder to his bed, collapsed on top of the duvet, and fell into peaceful sleep.