AN: I'm back, again. I doubt any old fans are still around but here's a new chapter. :)

I bolt awake abruptly. I turn to the window and see the blue-black sky with twinkling specs of light.

Shit I forgot about Pyro.

I bolt out of bed and volt out my window. I sprint toward our meeting place. The cold desert air washes over me like I just dove into a lake. I feel the last of the Spy's warmth leave me in seconds. I arrive out of breath and in record time to see Pyro playing with her Zippo lighter. Before she sees me, I realize I still have the Spy's mask clutched tightly in my hand. This is not something I want to talk about. I shove the cloth deep into my pocket. I feel comforted having it with me.

"About time!" she jokes, looking away from her tiny flame.

"Man...there's so much I don't know where to begin."

"Agreed." sighs Pyro.

We sit in silence for a moment, remembering the day's events. Was it all really today? I stare at Pyro's lighter. I put my hand in my pocket for my matches but only find the mask. I give a long exhale.

"Honestly, I don't know what we would've done without our Engineers." I say, breaking the silence and distracting my mind. "There's no way we could've gotten anywhere without them, especially RED Engie."

At the mention of them, I see her tense. That tears it.

"Why do you hate him so much?" I finally ask. I know it's a touchy subject, but they're our partners now; this needs to be settled.

She's silent.

"Look," I say with a cooler tone, "I understand that it's something personal, but with the situation at hand, it's important for this to be addressed if we want any kind of plan to work. We need the Engineers."

Pyro nods solemnly, downcast, and takes a deep breath before relaying her story.

"I'm guessing you did overhear our argument, then?" She asks, knowing the answer without me having to speak.

"I hate him because he's from Texas, I hate him for knowing I'm from Texas, and I hate him for making it so hard to hate him."

I don't ask what she means, trusting her to continue after a moment.

"I was born and raised in Texas, but I hated every second of it. I was bullied constantly. Well, that's an understatement. My family and I were the only black people within a fifty mile radius. Not a week would go by where a hate crime didn't take place. They called my family terrible things. Things I wouldn't like to repeat, and did everything in their power to bully us out the neighborhood. The police didn't care. Anybody not attacking us, physically and verbally turned a blind eye, which is no better to me.

"I begged my parents to move us out, to take us somewhere safe to live. The fact of the matter was that we didn't have the money. Being poor just made the Texans more savage, gave them another reason to tear us down.

"I was miserable, depressed, and angry at the world. The only thing that kept me together were my parents. Through even the worst of times, they managed. They were always happy and gave me the best life they could. I was too wrapped up in myself to see or appreciate their sacrifices. By the time I finally realized, it was too late. They… they took it too far. Those people- those monsters took my parents' lives. I wish they just killed me too."

Pyro dropped her head and breathed deeply for a few moments. When she raises her head I expect to see tears, but I see something frightening. I don't know how to describe the look in her eyes.

"I was only seventeen. I did what I thought was right."

Her words sent chills through my bones.

"I burned the whole town to ashes." she says matter a factly, gazing at the horizon. The setting sun reflects in her eyes as if reflecting the city she destroyed. She looks as though she's watching the ashen remains drifting through the air. As I watch her, I see her fingers tracing over the uneven texture of her scar.

"For the next three years, all I did was drink," she smirks a bit, "I'd tell you more, but it was really all a haze. Team Fortress Industries saved my life. An agent tracked me down. She told me I lit a trail of fires across the state of Texas and Teufort would love to have me as a part of their team. Even now I admire that woman for approaching a drunken pyromaniac in the midst of a spree. I'm thankful that she never saw me without my suit; who I'm even thanking is a mystery to me."

I nod, finally understanding, but she has to realize she can't blame the Engineers for other people's actions.

"And I know," she says, as if reading my mind, "The Engineers had nothing to do with my past. It's just easier to have someone I can blame my pain on, someone to hate other than myself."

"Pyro…" I start, sympathy coating my words, but she suddenly hushes me.

"Shh…" she says, placing a finger over her lips, "Someone's coming." she whispers.

"What?"

"Shh!" she hisses and quickly gestures for me to follow her into the abandoned hut. We leave the door cracked behind us and huddle at it's opening, listening carefully.

Gray Mann seems to appear from nowhere, sending a sickening chill through my body. His shiny shoes crunch across the desert sand. Within seconds, the BLU Spy appears, approaching from the direction of Pyro's home. They're both silent for a few seconds, wind stirring the air around them.

"I assume you've guessed the nature of this meeting" Mann says with a smirk, hands clasped behind his back.

"Of course, sir. Seeing as the RED Spy isn't with us tonight, I'd assume it's because you've realized what a detriment he is to our plan. 'e seems to 'ave fallen in love. At the very least 'e vill no longer agree to sabotage 'is team." BLU Spy replies, business like.

"Indeed. This stalemate must be broken and I believe that removing RED from the equation is what needs to be done." Mann says.

"My thoughts exactly. Say no more, sir, our problem will be solved."

"Excellent. I trust you to take care of him and his little girlfriend, as well; I can see her causing just as many problems as him. I look forward to our next meeting." Mann nods his farewell before walking out of view. The BLU Spy does the same.

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