A two-digit number of reviews! And an even larger number of silent favs/alerts - I AM THRILLED. Yeah, so this took a little longer than anticipated. There's not as much plot progression as I initially intended either, BUT I will do better next time! Also, I have found a glorious beta reader who has graciously removed the most glaring errors for your enjoyment.

"There's somebody in the BLU base."

"What?"

"I said there's somebody in the BLU base!"

"Who?" Sniper glances up briefly, caught up in the task of rendering his rifle immaculately clean.

"Aw, come on! I don't know, someone! I heard some voices, that is all." Scout huffs in frustration and kicks Sniper's shin sharply. "Let's check this out."

Sniper sets his weapon down slowly, with exaggerated care, and smirks at the boy's barely concealed frustration. "You sure you weren't imagining things?"

"Are you…" Scout has gone slightly red with suppressed anger and has to gasp for air before he continues. "Are you shitting me? I just ran all the way back here to tell you!"

Sniper decides to be nice and drops his act of incredulity before Scout actually blows his top. Spy may have gotten Respawn back on track, but Sniper certainly doesn't feel like undergoing the unpleasant procedure without a solid reason. "I didn't see anyone coming. How many do you think were there?"

"Jesus, I don't know. I heard maybe three voices, but for all I know there might have been more. Do you think they've sent in a new team?" Scout is practically vibrating with adrenaline at this unexpected discovery. It's his fourth week at the base without any sign of a battle, or even anything resembling a purpose on the horizon, so his question sounds hopeful rather than upset. He is, Sniper suspects, yearning for a distraction from his fears relating their own company, so much so that he is very much willing to get back to work, whatever that may be.

"I'm not sure. Spy didn't say anything like that." Not that Spy has been saying anything much. He has barely talked to anyone after he returned together with their supposed Pyro, just once deigning to let them know that yes, this is Pyro, no problem there. The team's reaction to this statement ranged from resigned doubt to outright indignation at this supposed truth.

The man in question has done little to dispel their doubts; his behavior remains highly suspicious and atypical. To call Pyro weird would be to partake in a gross understatement – his vague, uncertain references to their common past, his obvious ignorance of the most commonplace knowledge, even his almost childlike language, everything about him sets Sniper off. Medic has been very intent on getting the man inside his office, but has been unsuccessful so far. Spy, in a decidedly unsubtle maneuver, has done all he can to keep the Pyro out of the Doctor's reach, thus basically admitting that something is wrong with him.

Scout rolls his eyes. "'Course he didn't." He grabs Sniper's arm and pulls him up. "Let's go!" Sniper wrestles his arm free from Scout's grasp, but he nods somberly and trots behind the boy. The hallway is empty. Most of the doors stand open, allowing some of the noon sun to flow through and give the bleak linoleum floor an almost pleasant shine. Just as they are about to enter the staircase, though, a high voice in their backs makes them both flinch. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"Oh, hell no", mutters Scout under his breath and shoots the advancing Pyro a nasty look. "None of your concern, you moron. Go back to your room."

Pyro's eyes widen and take on a hurt expression. None of them have been particularly nice or patient with the boy, but Scout has developed a spontaneous hatred of him, even though he seems to be more or less harmless, all incongruities notwithstanding. "Can I come with you? I'm lonely in my room", Pyro says to Sniper with a small, hopeful smile.

Sniper glances down at Scout and shrugs. "Yeah, why not." Ignoring Scout's murderous glare, he opens the door and begins to descend the stairs without another look back. At times, something about Pyro feels awfully familiar, like the way he moves or the tilt of his voice when he is surprised. Other times…this isn't Pyro. Can't be. He's too young, he's too stupid, he's too weird. RED probably got him out of an asylum for pyromaniacs, which would at least explain the weirdness. None of the possible explanations explain the uncanny similarities to the old Pyro, though. Said similarities are the only reason for why there is a silent, albeit distrustful acceptance of the boy's presence, but Sniper occasionally feels a vague impulse to observe him more closely, in the distant hope of recognizing something else about him.

"I wonder if they changed something about the team", says Scout after a while. Sniper casts a questioning glance over his shoulder. "I mean, maybe they have a new strategy or something. One that prevents them from getting killed.

Pyro laughs. Sniper and Scout exchange exasperated looks and continue their conversation over his hysterical snort. "Well, something like that I suppose. BLU would be stupid to let the same thing happen again."

"Yeah. Hey", Scout quips after a brief moment of hesitation, "Pyro, you remember what happened with BLU?" If this is an attempt to lure Pyro into admitting to being a new team member, it's certainly not very subtle.

"I…yes", Pyro begins slowly, stopping in the middle of the stairs as if too preoccupied with the task of remembering. "There were…technical difficulties."

Stepping out into the open, Sniper lowers his shades against the painfully bright gleam of the sun and waits for the other two to follow him. The haunting echo of the Spy's default lie makes him feel slightly sick. He is so tired of it, of the half-truths and the riddles and –

And there is no use in despairing over any of it. Sniper inhales deeply and holds his breath for as long as it takes for him to stop that panicking trail of thought. He is glad to hear Scout and Pyro emerge from the base behind him, grateful for the distraction.

"Hey, so I thought you keep an eye on the base and I go find out what's going on over there", says Scout nonchalantly and twirls his bat in anticipation. "And Pyro here can go back inside." Sniper examines the BLU base from the distance and shakes his head, then turns to face the Scout. "Forget about it, I'm coming with you."

"Yeah, right. Because you're so sneaky." Scout snorts.

"Fuck sneaky, what about smart? If that's really a new team over there, they won't be happy to see y-"

"They wouldn't see me. I'm too fast."

Sniper rolls his eyes. Talking the Scout out of any particularly moronic ideas is never easy, but with the enormous amount of pent-up energy that currently clouds his mind, it seems near impossible. "Last time you went over there to just check out what's going on it didn't do anyone any good", he answers. It's not very fair to say something like that, but it effectively shuts the boy up. Pyro looks from one to the other in confusion.

By the evening of the third day without combat, the confusion and frustration was tangible. Sniper had told the rest of the team about his observation without further objections from the Spy, who had taken to keeping an eye on the exits. Aimless suspicion seemed to hover in the air. Medic and Engineer had become the leading advocates of the it's-all-an-elaborate-trick-thesis, which did little to soothe the nerves of those without any idea as to what might have happened. Spy apparently adhered to their belief, given the severity with which he monitored the team's presence. Sniper himself just wanted out, with the dull grey of his room growing more oppressive by the hour. There had to be something he could do to end this ridiculous limbo. From out of his window, the BLU base looked alluringly calm. Sniper was well aware that Scout was just waiting for someone to agree with him that somebody should examine the base more closely, no matter what the headquarters had supposedly ordered. Feeling only half-guilty, Sniper left his room to search for the boy. He passed the kitchen, where Pyro and Demoman were playing cards in amiable silence, stopping briefly to ask if either one had seen Scout. Pyro answered with an apologetic grumble and a shake of his masked head, but Demoman nodded and pointed downstairs.

Upon entering the basement, it took Sniper barely a minute to locate the swearing Scout. He entered quietly, making sure not to interrupt Scout in his task of prying open one of the air vent entries. "You may want to be a bit more quiet down here", he finally said after watching the boy's fruitless struggle for a while.

Scout whirled around. "What the- Aw, hell. You're not going to tell anyone, are you? I just want to take a quick look!" Sniper shrugged vaguely and approached the steel cover that kept Scout inside . "You can get out of there?"

"Sure! Except, you know…" Scout motioned toward the grill. "You can't open it." Sniper examined the situation for a moment, then reached for Scout's bat, which had been cast aside carelessly. Inserting the narrow end into the small gap Scout had managed to create with his bare hands, it took Sniper little force to open the grid a mournful screech, the grill twisted to the side, allowing Sniper to get a firm grasp n it and wrench it out.

"I could have done that," remarked the Scout almost instantly and crawled into the narrow opening, turning around briefly to grin at Sniper. "Hey, thanks man. I'll be back in a couple of minutes, just don't tell Spy or something." With that, he scrambled off, the loud echo of his movements gradually ebbing away.

Sniper decided to wait downstairs where the Scout was bound to re-enter the building, eager to hear what the Scout might be able to report. Above him, he could make out the sound of agitated shouting, but that in itself was no reason for concern. Maybe somebody had touched Heavy's gun. Only when there were rapid steps on the stairs did Sniper snap from his trance and leave the room, closing the door as quietly as possible before he turned around the corner with what he hoped to be a clueless expression on his face.

Spy looked positively livid. He stared at Sniper with barely concealed rage and rushed past him, grabbing his arm to pull him back into the room from which Scout had made his escape. He took one look at the dislocated grill and then turned his head to Sniper so rapidly it made a small, cracking sound. "Tell me, because I'd be most curious to hear, are you nothing but stupid? Are you really such an incredible moron?" He interrupted himself briefly, attempting to even his rapid breathing. "RED does not want us outside. Did you put him up to this?"

"Even if I did, so what? What's the problem? He's just going to look what's going on, RED won't mind. Who cares?" Sniper raised his arms helplessly. "Look, you're the only one who thinks we should stay inside. How do you even want to know something's going to happen?"

Spy ignored him and stepped to the window to peer outside. "I have been working for the company longer than you have, you know that. Is it really so hard for you to follow such easy orders?"

"If they don't make any sense, yes."

Spy exhaled loudly and glanced back at Sniper. "If something happens to him over there, it's your fault."

"What on earth could- You know what, I'm leaving. This is ridiculous."

They cross the area carefully, not daring to make any noise. Scout is impressively quiet, his adrenaline apparently transforming into full concentration. If Sniper wasn't fully convinced before that there really is someone in the other base, he sure is now, in the face of Scout's complete focus. In the shadow of the scattered buildings, they make it towards the main building without encountering any sign of life. Finally, when they both reach the southern wall, Scout leans forward to point to the series of windows above their heads. Sniper is glad they left Pyro behind. In his current state, he is not exactly cut out for sneaking missions.

Sniper turns around to face the wall and rises ever so slowly, careful not to move above a critical line. The windows are shut and no noise emerges through them, but there really is someone at the other side of the room, holding something like a plan in their hands. With the sun reflecting blindingly in the glass, it is impossible to recognize anything beyond shapes and movement. Scout can't escape his nature far enough to keep from making a small "Told you so" and then touches Sniper's right shoulder to indicate him to get moving. Sniper draws a shallow breath to ask him if that really is a good idea, but the boy has already started to move around the base, apparently in order to check the other rooms, or maybe to get a closer look at the person inside the BLU quarters. Sniper hurries after him with as much crouching as his back allows.

The other rooms appear to be empty, but they are cautious nonetheless as they rush around the base. Once they approach the other side, Sniper slows down to adjust his speed to the sneaking Scout, who is about to move beneath the window where whoever is inside must be standing. Sniper decides to leave some distance and gestures wildly to gain the boy's attention. "Now what", he mouths. He thinks that surely the Scout does not intend to just get up and say hello, but that seems to be exactly what he has in mind. The second he gets up, Sniper lurches forward to pull him back down, but Scout evades his grasp and nods to the window. Peering over the lower sill of the window, Sniper can now clearly make out the shape of a BLU Medic and Pyro by the far wall of the room, absorbed in a conversation. The small scene before him appears awfully familiar, to a degree where just looking at the two silhouettes at the other side of the room makes Sniper feel slightly dizzy. He lowers himself back to the ground and urgently tries to recall the exact appearance of the old team as Scout kneels beside him.

"Wha-", the boy begins, but Sniper shakes his head and points towards their own base. Scout nods wordlessly and takes the lead. As soon as they are out of sight, they begin to run at full speed, both spurred by an aimless desire to escape.

When they are directly in front of the side entrance from which they left off, Sniper slows down to catch his breath. "We both just saw the same thing, right?"

"Uhm", answers Scout intelligently and stares ahead idly. "I mean. They…They kind of looked like the old BLUs, didn't they? Except they're, you know. Dead."

Sniper feels a sharp jab of yearning for the outside world, for a life without any of this monstrous strangeness. He clears his voice to get rid of the strangled noise building up in his throat and tilts his head towards the RED base. "We shouldn't be standing out in the open like this."

"Fuuuck", says Scout to nobody in particular and follows Sniper into the chilly hallway.

Pyro is waiting for them like an obedient puppy, emerging from his room as soon as he hears their footsteps on the ground. "So? What happened?" Scout pushes past Sniper, apparently to give Pyro a thumping for his admittedly frustrating excitement, but he is stopped in his tracks. Spy appears at the other end of the hallway, with his head crooked to the side in a creepy mimicry of curiosity.

"Well? What happened?" Spy repeats the words with a slightly mocking note. Pyro's eyes flicker over to the advancing Frenchman and back to Sniper and Scout with a hint of guilt. The boy may be weird and possibly dense, but he is smart enough to sense that Spy isn't exactly the most benevolent person around.

"None of your business", snarls Scout. Spy ignores him and turns to Sniper with an expectant expression.

"BLU sent in a new team", Sniper says after a brief moment of consideration. There is no point in trying to keep this hidden from Spy, especially considering that he probably already knows. True to his nature, Spy nods, completely unfazed. "It's about time, wouldn't you say so? We'll be sent on our first mission tomorrow."

"What? How do you know?" Scout interjects, his mood considerably brightened by Spy's announcement.

"The wonders of modern technology, Scout", Spy says with a ridiculing wink. "It's marvelous what some people can do with a few wires and screws." Sniper can't help but to wonder yet again why Spy seems unable to maintain a clear line in interaction with the team. "Soldier would like to see us all to, ah, outline our strategy. I believe it will be something along the lines of the same as usual, but perhaps we should do him the favor." Spy is in a good mood, obviously. He seems positively aglow with energy and that sense of amused superiority that drives Sniper up the wall. More interestingly, he seems to have one of his sociable moments, which used to be somewhat odd in the past and are now nothing short of unsettling. Definitely unfitting, to say the least.

"What, the company didn't tell you what we should do?" Scout snorts. "They only call you when the shit really hits the fan, huh?"

"If that's what you want to call it", answers the Spy with a hint of steel in his voice.

"So you wouldn't happen to know why the new BLUs kind of look like the ones you killed", says Scout. The microsecond of hesitation in Spy's eyes is barely noticeable, but it is sufficiently out of character for Sniper to notice.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Spy inquires.

"What do you think it means? Come on, are you fucking with us or what? I know these people, I've seen them dead. Except they're right over there." Scout gestures in the general direction of the BLU base. "But oh well, I was probably imagining things, right? Those are technical difficulties," Scout goes on in an exaggerated imitation of Spy's accent. "Fuck this." The boy waves lopsidedly at Sniper and walks down the corridor, but not without bumping forcefully into Pyro's shoulder.

Spy turns to Sniper with a perfectly neutral expression. "What do you think you saw?"

Sniper shrugs. As usual, the images he struggles the hardest to retain, to summon before his eyes, evade him the fastest. Right then, yes, they looked like the old BLU team, right? Except their faces were kind of obscured by the bad light and he only saw them from the distance for a few seconds and it probably was just a strange sort of imagined déjà-vu… "A BLU team. I don't know. I didn't really get a clear look and honestly, neither did Scout." Spy nods, apparently satisfied with this answer. Sniper turns to go, but Spy stops him. "Sniper…we only do what we're hired to do. You understand that, don't you? That one must follow one's obligations?"

Sniper raises his eyebrows and nods slowly. "I guess."

"I…don't mean anyone here any harm. I know you don't believe me, but it's true. I obey orders just like the rest of you. Well, just like you are supposed to, anyway." Sniper recalls Engineer's suggestion of pressing the Spy for information, but just when he opens his mouth to ask the Frenchman what exactly his orders are, Spy gives him a small smile and shrugs slightly. "Well, I'll see you later, then."

"What the hell was that all about!" Sniper calls after him, but Spy doesn't turn around.

I have been asked why I'm not including the accents, which appears to be a bit of a custom around here. Three reasons:

I'm still not a native speaker and I feel that any attempt at imitating native accents would be doomed from the start.

German and French accents just don't sound like that. I get that the accent most people transcribe is the in-game accent, but this story is not exactly a canon recreation in the first place, you know.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: There's a plot explanation for it. No, seriously. JUST WAIT AND SEE