Chapter Text
It really was him.
Engineer.
" Well, what d'ye know ", Engineer chuckled, he looked very relieved.
" Ye look like hell, spooks ."
Spy couldn't help a little smile.
"I've been through one, mon ami. Tell me, where exactly are you?" Spy answered him and eyed the surroundings of wherever Engineer was. The man himself didn't look a day older to how Spy remembered him. He gazed over his shoulder at the body of Engineer in the capsule; there, he had grown a beard and looked rather ill due to his condition.
" Ah, I wish I had an answer to that. After I… Well, died, I found myself in a dark void of sorts. After I kept walkin' I came to a computer. I've been here ever since. "
Yes, Spy can remember the death of Engineer very well. They had just found the briefcase - Spy, Engineer, Soldier and Demoman. They had triggered some kind of an alarm, and Engineer got his arm stuck between electric doors. The living dead were coming from different directions, and the doors wouldn't budge. Engineer told them to go, to leave him. Demoman stayed with him, to try to help him. He said they'd catch up.
The living dead were coming. Spy and Soldier had no other choice than to leave with the briefcase. That was the last time they saw Engineer and Demoman.
It was a relief to see Engineer alive and well, and at the same time it ached Spy's soul. He had thought that Engineer was dead. That they were all dead.
Whatever happened in that other world wasn't real. It hasn't even been 24 hours when Spy woke up, he still had hard time processing everything.
"What have you been doing this whole time?" Spy asked, leaning over the console a little.
" I was tryin' to reach out. Anywhere, anythin'. I was able to build this, place, with my mind ", Engineer explained and gestured with his hands. He was standing in a room that looked like a workshop, not a surprise really. Engineer seemed to feel safe and like home at a workshop.
" I don't know exactly how this all works, but I've worked with what I have. "
"Yes, I understand", Spy said, not really sure if he did.
"Do you… Know what became of Demoman?" Spy asked him carefully. Engineer shook his head.
" No, partner. Sorry ", he said miserably.
" I… was here alone ."
"You need not to apologize. There's nothing you could've done…" Spy told him, pressuring his words.
Engineer was ready to continue. He adjusted his goggles.
" Just some hours ago, I found this… Trail, of sorts. I followed the code and sent a message. Soon after, ye answered ."
The puzzle pieces were coming together. Spy's awakening must've affected the virtual world code or something. Spy gestured with his hand as he said: "Hold on, Engineer, I'll go get Pauling and Medic."
-
Pauling explained Engineer the same things she told Spy. Engineer seemed to take it easier than Spy had expected. But, then again, Engineer knew about this kind of stuff more than Spy did.
"Tell me, have you seen a bright red back door anywhere?" Pauling asked from Engineer, who then gazed over his shoulder. He turned the camera a little and said: " Ye might mean that door right the' ."
In the corner wasn't exactly a door, but rather a transparent image of one. It was bright red, so it must be the back door.
"Yes, that's it!" Pauling beamed.
"But, there is a problem", Medic pointed out correcting his glasses; "The door isn't quite there."
"If we try the same method we used to pinpoint Spy…" Pauling started thoughtfully. She started using the console, pressing buttons and writing some kind of code; "We might be able to correct it."
Spy eyed her actions closely. Pauling didn't seem to hesitate much or consider her actions for long. Spy wasn't sure if she just knew what she was doing, or if she was just taking her previous victory for granted.
The bright red back door started taking physical shape, and finally Engineer was able to touch it.
"We've got you on this side, Engineer", Medic told his comrade and moved to prepare the medigun for Engineer's arrival.
Engineer grabbed the handle of the door.
" Say when ."
-
Engineer made it out of the virtual reality, but it didn't go as 'easy' as Spy's. Engineer was in even worse pain than Spy had been, and soon after Engineer was out his right arm started to necrotize in dreadful fast pace.
Medic had no other choice than to amputate his arm. Engineer was recovering from his ordeal, and Medic was seeing to his recovery.
For now, the team had nothing else to do, other than to wait for Engineer to wake up. Maybe he could provide the team new insights on how to help the others out of the virtual world.
-
Spy found himself in the empty dining hall. He walked a little circle for a moment before he sat down around the nearest table. He leaned his arms on his legs and let his head hang by his shoulders. Miss Pauling had followed him and she too found herself in the dining hall.
To her Spy didn't look shaken by only what happened to Engineer, but by something else as well. His own mental state. Pauling walked in front of Spy and looked down at him.
Spy straightened up and stroked his legs a little.
"Oh what I would give for a cigarette-" he murmured, apparently he was having symptoms of withdrawal as well.
"One would think you'd be weaned by now, being in an artificial sleep for months", Pauling chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood.
Pauling sat down next to Spy. Both of their clothes were stained in blood.
Pauling took a deep breath and let it out as a shaky exhale.
"It was my fault", she said, a soft sob in her tone; "I was too confident. I thought that- because we got you out rather easily, maybe I'd be able to-"
"You can't blame that on yourself", Spy snapped at her. Spy agreed with her, she was too confident- but that was as far as it went.
"This is beyond us all. You couldn't possibly have known what would happen."
Pauling was holding back tears. She looked like she'd break any moment now. Spy sighed and shook his head. He looked at his hands, fiddling with his fingers he continued: "We can't trust our instincts here. Our only hope to get everyone else out is Engineer and his expertise on the subject."