I did what I had to in order to stay in the states.
These men, they aren't my team, just new experiments. We don't have the bond my old team and I shared. I almost feel, threatened by them. The fact I can hide behind a mask of insanity is probably my saving grace here. That, and the Heavy Weapon's Expert I work with, falls to the same whim all Heavy's do, which is guarding me. Perks of being a Medic, I suppose.
I don't call him Heavy though, and I never will. It's actually typically Ex. I just knew I couldn't force myself to call him Heavy. Regardless of title for his job, he will never be Heavy to me. My Heavy, his name is Misha, and he lives in Russia, way up in the mountains with Three younger sisters and his mother. Misha I cried for, once the train left. Ex, Ex I would never cry for.
I did what I could to stay in the states, and I must hide behind these aging men in order to survive. It's odd, being the youngest on the team, granted I'm not very old to begin with, not truly. Scout had always been youngest, I was third, stress and genetics making it appear a little different. Now, with Ex and the others, I am youngest and the team seems divided between babying me, and forcing me into working harder to play with the 'Big Dogs.'
Scout, if this is what you faced, I am so sorry. This is awful.
When I heard that we were hunting my old team, I could barely contain my excitement at seeing them again. Covering the glee with Scientific Bull-shit was the best I could do. Triumphs? Hardly. These men were too old to work with, the uterus' that was me getting bored. No one wants to hang around with a gaggle of old men constantly.
The glee though, at the idea of seeing my team, of seeing Heavy, it made Ex suspicious. I know it did. He got, in a way, clingy. He was always around, I couldn't even play with Archimedes without him watching over me. The best I got was the fact he didn't know German, and much to his frustration, I could freely speak in German without him knowing a thing I said.
Nothing beats having a bilingual bird either. Archimedes will follow orders, most of the time, in English or German, as long as they are simple. He's my saving grace and the only way I can still be me behind Ex's back, and right in front of him if need be.
The worst of it is Ex's temper.
I can honestly say he terrifies me. He is the team leader here, so I do rank under him but I'm not one to lay down submissively if someone barks at me to. Ex didn't seem to like that, and our first meeting involved a broken nose, a fractured cheek-bone, and Archimedes trying to claw apart Ex's face. I was fine, getting hit was nothing new, but the second Ex dared to swat Archimedes out of the air is when the real fight started.
I hadn't been carrying weapons, but regardless of popular belief I wasn't defenseless without one. Actually, the rest of my old team had made sure I was able to defend myself. I actually broke Ex's nose, punching him with an easy upper-cut. When he grabbed onto me, I bit him. I never learned to fight fair, just to be aggressive enough to escape and bolt. When I was free from his grip, I swept his legs out from under him and ran, scooping Archimedes in my hands and entering my labs, locking it up.
I've seen Heavy get angry, and for a long time, I thought that was the only thing that would scare me since my short time in the camps.
I was very, very wrong.
When Ex slammed against the lab doors, the steel dented and my heart made way to my throat. I locked myself not in my room, but further back and into my office, shoving my desk in front of the door and hiding in a cupboard. I hated small areas, but it was safer here then facing Ex. I sent a silent thank you for Sniper and Spy teaching me how to hide years ago. "MEDIC!" I heard Ex roar, and I knew I wouldn't be leaving my office for a long while.
It actually took three days before they got in. I had been asleep on the floor, back against the wall and Archimedes on my shoulder. I work up when Archimedes and the other doves started making a lot of noise, flying around frantically. I sat up to see Ex looming over me, ignoring the attacks of my birds and a cruddy splint over the bridge of his nose. His expression was dark, and I had yet again felt my heart pause. At this rate I figured a heart attack would happen before long. I was younger then these men but still at risk. Ex extended a hand, and I couldn't help but to flinch back a bit. When nothing happened, I looked up, his hand still there, waiting for me to take it.
Carefully I did and carefully I stood, watching him. He actually hugged me, muttering apologizes and such. I couldn't understand why, but it had slowly connected that it came with his job. H.W.E's always protect their Medic.
Protection, I think, became obsession. Now, as we gather things to leave, if I so much as stumble I'm swept off my feet and into Ex's grip. The rest of the team was either annoyed, or disturbed, not nearly as much as I was though. His doting nature did not stop the cycle of order, defiance, and rough patches. I refused to leave my old uniform, my vest stained with Heavy's blood a source of pride. I also refused to bow to his whims, regardless of the tactics he used.
Seduction was a little bit harder to fight against.
Call it what you may there were times he flat out flirted. I shot him down most times. He was attractive, I'll admit that. I used him for some tension relief, but homosexuality has gotten me into trouble before, for one, and two, my heart belonged to Misha. I know myself, I don't get drunk and carve someone's name into a vital, beating organ in my own body for shits and giggles. Misha's name scarred my heart and I'd like to keep it like that.
Partially because cutting like that again would also likely kill me.
Hereditary heart problems are fabulous.
Anyway, regardless of the somewhat attractive man that Ex was, even his large muscles and strong jaw couldn't win me over this time, and I'm sure he hated it. But the game of cat and mouse had to continue, I didn't want sent back to Germany, and I was so close to seeing my old team again.
The ship ride was long, and when we got to New-Zealand, I was shocked when Sniper was shot. I had to pretend not to be, saluting and grinning behind Ex. I studied the rag-tag group. Engineer, Heavy, and Scout, they weren't there. I noticed that right away. I did see Zhanna, Heavy's sister. She was much taller than pictures implied.
"H'me Wr'k'r!" I jolted, smile fading as I looked at Pyro, who was pointing an angry and shaky glove at Ex. "Y'u H'me Wr'k'r! Y'u t'k M'd'c!" That was both the angriest and clearest I've ever heard Pyro with his mask on. He marched through the rising water, and I saw a red dot center onto his chest.
"Nein!" I yelped, spooking the team I was with. I leapt off the rail before anyone could stop me, and stood in front of Pyro, heart pounding in my chest as I glared up at the men I was with. "Don't shoot zhem, Bitte." I said, locking eyes with Ex. "Please."
Ex hesitated, and the gun went off again. "M'D'C!" I rested a hand over my chest, blood staining the water around me now, my blood mixing with Sniper's. Sniper, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a bottle of pills, tossing them to Demo to give to Sniper.
"Fix him." I said softly, Demo nodding and following orders. Chaos broke out around us, the elder Mercs moving to fight the newer ones. I felt Pyro's arms lock tighter around me, the world starting to ebb and flow with shadows tainting the edges of my vision. I saw Ex marching towards me, furious, and Pyro's flare-gun appearing over my shoulder. There was a flash, and the blinding white was replaced by heavy darkness, and silence.
I woke up some odd time later. Pyro sat beside me, my head in his lap. By the heat, I think we were on the shores of Australia, how we got there, I don't know. Pyro looked down at me, somehow expressing concern through his mask. "M'd'c?"
"H-Hallo Pyro." I whispered, managing a soft smile. I hurt everywhere, and the lights, everything was too bright, too loud. Pyro helped me sit up, the only one near me, the rest of the team hanging back a bit, a few arguing. Sniper growled, shoving Soldier back.
"He bloody saved my life, Ya' Wanker!" Sniper snapped, walking over to where I sat. "Regardless of him bein' with them 'e saved me. 'E's our Doc, and 'e stuck to it in the last, Dammit."
Soldier growled louder, being held back only be Zhanna. "Enough." A low voice said, and I turned, seeing Heavy leaning against a rock. I felt my heart rise into my throat. Heavy looked toward me, blue eyes cold, calculating. "Explain."
"I vas going to be deported." I said softly. "I am a criminal in Germany, I can't go back zhere. I took a job vhere I could to stay in zhe states. I didn't zhink I vould see you all again." I said softly, keeping my eyes locked on Misha. "I had to pretend until I saw you. Zhose men..... I-I couldn't fight zhem on my own and leave to find you myself."
Misha's shoulders straightened a bit. "What have they done to you?" He asked, and I shook my head a bit.
"Nozhing too terrible. Zhere vas an incident between Ex and Archimedes but......." I froze, panic setting in. "A-Archimedes! H-He's on zhe ship!" I tried to get up, only to have a searing pain rip from my chest outward. I tumbled, Pyro catching me. Sniper rested a hand on my back.
"Doc, Archimedes will find his way to ya. He always does." He said, and scanned the sky. "In fact..." He let out a whistle, and an owl flew to him. Sniper told the owl to guide Archimedes and the other doves back towards here, and the owl flew off quickly.
Pyro made me lay back down, not even allowing me to sit. I looked up at Sniper and Pyro, before glancing at the others, who wouldn't look at me, and Heavy, who stared up at the sky the second I looked at him.
My family was broken. Pyro was right, our home had been destroyed. I let out a low sound, and glad for my injuries, because then the onslaught of tears could be excused for pain or worry for my birds. I threw my arm over my face, my two still trusting team mates edging a little bit closer, trying to comfort me. I could sense Sniper's slightly awkward feelings, and Pyro hugged me carefully.
Footsteps slowly approached, and I moved my arm when I was picked up off the ground, Misha's strong but careful arms holding me close. "Rest, Doktor. Day has been long." He said, voice low. The rest of the team looked over, watching as I nodded and leaned against Heavy. Heavy and I had a special kind of relationship, and no one could drive a wedge into that. The little fling I had with Ex when I was bored, it was nothing. Just like leaving Ex behind was more frightening then heart breaking.
I rested my head against Heavy's shoulder as he went back to that rock, sitting down and leaning against it. I rested in Heavy's lap, and quietly told him everything, listening to his heartbeat as I spoke. At some point, I lapsed into German, which Heavy could understand if I spoke slower. Which I was, voice trailing off as I got drowsy. Someone had tried to repair my wound, but without proper supplies they did a rough job. It hurt, I hurt, I was so tired.
As I fell asleep, I felt a light brush of feathers against my cheek, Archimedes curling up against me. I smiled faintly, having my two closest companions with me and safe. Maybe the home my team built, could be fixed up, piece by piece. I had to hope, at least.
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