Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ever since he was little, Mick had been waiting to meet his soulmate.

After all, when you were the one strange kid with no friends, who wouldn't want to meet the one person who would understand you?

But by the time he was 18, he still hadn't heard anything and even his parents were starting to doubt. By 22, his own hope had all but died in his chest.

Most soulmates met each other by the time they were 25. That's what all the statistics said.

Mick spent his 25th birthday alone.

But his job was good. He didn't have to worry about being weird when nobody saw him. He had his van, his rifle, and himself. He never needed anything else.

At least, that's what he told himself. But then he received an offer for a better job. More pay, and he got to go somewhere new.

That little ball of hope in his chest flared, and Mick didn't hesitate.

So, here he was. Stepping out of the Mann Co. car in the middle of a desert. There were a few vehicles already, including his van.

"Welcome to RED, Sniper," Mrs. Pauling, the woman who'd reached out to him, said. "There will be an introductory meeting at five."

He nodded.

"Alright."

*

Jeremy couldn't wait to meet his soulmate. How cool would it be to read someone's thoughts?

His parents hadn't been soulmates, which is why it didn't work. Well, that and his dad's job. But maybe they could've worked if they had been.

His brothers had all met their soulmates already (except for Jason, but fuck Jason) so Jeremy was buzzing with excitement.

That excitement dimmed only slightly as he made it to and past 25. After all, Joseph hadn't met his girl until he was thirty, so it couldn't be that bad. His dad still hadn't found his yet.

At 27, a pretty lady came to him with an offer. He could work, and run, and get paid well enough to keep his Ma from worrying. Sounded perfect.

When he got off the plane, however, a familiar smell caught his attention almost immediately.

He looked around as Mrs. Pauling led him to a car, but despite not seeing who he was looking for the smell followed.

"Now, we tried to avoid letting anyone meet each other early," Mrs. Pauling explained. "But seeing as...well, we thought it would be easier to get this out of the way ahead of time. You remember what we discussed about giving out personal information?"

Jeremy nodded.

"No names."

"Right. Confidentiality is as important for you all as it is for us. And that goes especially for the man you'll be riding with."

"Really? What is he that makes him so special? And why do I get to see him if he is?"

She didn't answer, instead gesturing to the door of a black car.

"You'll understand why I insisted you two meet before the others."

Jeremy gave her a confused look before climbing into the car. Immediately, the comforting smell engulfed him, memories and letters and postcards flashing through his mind.

"Apologies for the wait," Mrs. Pauling climbed into the driver's seat. "Oh geez- why didn't you roll down a window? It stinks in here."

There wasn't an answer, and Jeremy hugged his duffle bag tighter as he looked up at the person sitting next to him.

It was.

It really was.

"Jeremy...?"

His father's voice was hushed, with a distinct accent to Jeremy's name.

"I...dad?" he asked, just as softly.

A gloved hand reached out, brushing over Jeremy's face.

"You have grown so much..."

His accent was definitely French, if the lack of an 'H' sound is any tell.

The car started moving, but neither of the men cared. Jeremy found himself pulled into a tight hug that he returned immediately.

"I've missed you so..." his father started. "I wish I could have..."

"I know," Jeremy mumbled. "Ma told me."

His father let out a breath, tightening his hug before letting Jeremy go.

"You must tell me everything," he said. "Have you been getting my letters? It is difficult to ensure they are not tracked, but..."

Jeremy smiled, patting a side pocket of his duffle.

"Kept every single one. But you really should quit smokin' so much, I can smell it on the letters."

And that was that. Jeremy spent the rest of the four-hour drive telling his father everything, from track to baseball to the time he fell out of a tree and broke his leg. His dad asked questions and seemed genuinely excited to learn every little detail about Jeremy's life.

Near the end though, the Frenchman asked a question Jeremy didn't have an answer for.

"And what of your Autre moitié? Have you found them yet?"

Jeremy blinked.

"My what?"

His father paused.

"Apologies. I am unsure of the English term for it. Your...other half, your fated, your..."

"Soulmates?"

"Oui, yes, that. Have you met them yet?"

Jeremy shook his head.

"Nah. Ma found hers a while back, but I still haven't."

"You will, in time. I've yet to find mine either."

"Really? Aren't you like, sixty?"

"I am fifty-two."

"See? Ancient."

His father rolled his eyes with a scoff, but there was a fond smile on his lips.

"I hate to break up the family reunion you two, but we're getting close."

Jeremy had forgotten someone else was in the car with them. Woops.

His father sighed.

"Right. There are things we should discuss."

"Whadda ya mean?"

"As much as I adore getting to finally see you, Mon garçon, we cannot be this way once we arrive. We cannot show any kind of attachment to one another."

"What? But I just got to meet you!"

"I know." He exhaled a cloud of smoke and pulled Jeremy closer. "But confidentiality is our greatest defense. Revealing attachments will only give the enemy more ways to harm us."

Jeremy grumbled to himself, leaning into his father's side.

"Make no mistake Jeremy, this will be different. I am not so eager to leave you again."

He hummed.

"Alright guys, we're here. Spy, get your mask on."

His father sighed again, pulling a small bundle out of his pocket and slipping it over his head.

"Honestly, I find the outfit ridiculous."

Jeremy looked up at him and immediately had to cover his mouth to keep himself from laughing. His father gave him a look.

"Go ahead."

So Jeremy let himself dissolve into a fit of laughter, hunching over in his seat. Eventually he got himself under control, and looked back up.

"What's with the sock on your head?" he asked.

"Apparently as the team Spy, revealing my face goes against my contract," Spy explained. "Personally I don't see why it is necessary, but, Que pouvons-nous faire?"

*

Sniper sighed, closing the curtains in his van and sitting down by the edge. He wasn't even sure where to go for this meeting thing. Was it really necessary he be there?

Movement caught his attention and he peeked through the curtains. Someone sprinted past, whooping and jumping as he ran for the main building.

Is he even old enough to do this? They were going to be killing people out here, and this...kid was acting like he was on a field trip.

Speaking of trip-

Sniper winced as the kid stopped running so abruptly he went flying forward into the door. Yikes, that must've hurt.

Another man walked up to the first, this one much older and wearing a crisp red suit. He appeared to be talking, but the younger was looking around like a feral animal.

He was kinda cute though.

The pair eventually went inside, giving Sniper a chance to slip out of his van. He'd rather avoid these people if he could. After all, he was the Sniper and most of them would probably die anyways. Better not to get attached.

The inside of the building was much cooler than inside, thankfully. He may be used to the heat, but that didn't mean he liked it.

There was a set of steel double doors near the entrance, a sign above reading MEDBAY in big block letters. Good to know. The other wall had a row of doors, each with different symbols. Sniper noticed one with the same crosshair as the patch on his sleeve. Yeah right, there was no way in hell he was sleeping in here. He had his van, and that was perfectly fine.

There was another set of double doors further down, this one reading GARAGE. Eh, Sniper probably wouldn't use it. And the end of the hall opened up to a large common area, with an entryway that seemed to lead into a kitchen space.

He took a seat as far back as he could get, out of the light and removed from the others. As comfortable as the giant armchair across the room looked, it was right next to one of the lamps and seemed a little too in-focus.

The other two men were nowhere to be seen, so Sniper could assume they were probably unpacking. Had he been the first one to get here? He hadn't seen anyone else.

He tipped his hat down, relaxing a bit as the minutes passed. Eventually, people started to trickle into the room. First, the man in the suit again. He took a seat near Sniper, lighting a cigarette and pulling out a small notebook. Next, a short man in a hardhat and a...well, Sniper guessed it was a man. He couldn't really tell through the full suit and mask the figure was wearing. He seemed to be saying something to the other, but Sniper wasn't actually too sure on that. They sat down on the big red couch in the center of the room.

Next came the kid again, chatting excitedly with a man large enough to make Sniper tense. Geez, was the guy even human? How was this kid not terrified, the guy could break his neck with two fingers.

Next came in a pair Sniper was equally confused about. One immediately stood out at loudly Scottish, and the other looked ready to go punch Nazis in the face. Finally, a man only slightly shorter than Sniper himself came in with a white lab coat and a white bird on his shoulder.

They all took seats around the room as Mrs. Pauling came in, with nobody paying Sniper a second glance. Good, just how he liked it.

Mrs. Pauling walked them through an explanation of what they'd be doing. Starting Monday, they'd gear up and start fighting. While nobody is allowed to reveal their identities, friendship is highly encouraged among their own team.

"You'll be living with each other for the next several years, so it's good to form connections with each other," she said, shooting a strange glance in the direction of the man smoking near Sniper.

"Okay, so uh, Mrs. Pauling," a voice started from across the room. "What about soulmates? Cuz, like, I swear-"

"Soulmates are a rarity. I highly doubt anyone here will have to worry about it."

Why was the kid worried about soulmates anyways? They're all probably gonna die on day one.

After the rest of the introduction speech (and explanations of a weird 'Respawn' thing that Sniper figured was complete bullshit) Mrs. Pauling told them to chat amongst themselves for a bit while she brought it dinner for everyone.

People started talking, but Sniper just leaned back. He picked up a few different accents, some he recognized and some he didn't. Seems like everyone was from somewhere different here.

"Well hey there," A voice said. It took a moment to realize the man in the hardhat had turned and was speaking to him.

Shit.

"Hey," He said, voice rough from lack of use.

"You seemed pretty quiet. Was startin' to wonder if y' fell asleep back there." The man chuckled, offering a hand. "Pleasure to meet y', I'm the team Engineer."

Sniper cleared his throat and shook the offered hand.

"Sniper. Nice t' meet ya."

"Sniper huh? Must be pretty good if you're here then," The Engineer said warmly. "Where y' from?"

Sniper hesitated, and the Engineer chuckled.

"Nah, no pressure. I just didn't recognize the accent. 'Course, mine doesn't leave any room for doubt on where I grew up."

Okay, that was pretty funny. The man's accent really was as thick as American southerners could get without leaving words out of the sentence.

"Oz."

The Engineer laughed, and it was strange to have someone laugh because Sniper meant to make them laugh, instead of him making a fool of himself.

"Y'er an Aussie, huh? Bet you feel right at home here then."

Sniper hummed. This guy wasn't too bad.

It didn't take long for Sniper to get uncomfortable. Even with the Engineer's surprising friendliness, he still didn't want to stick around long. So he snagged one of the bags Mrs. Pauling brought in and was out the door before most people had even realized the woman was back. He didn't do people, and it was better to quit while he was ahead.

What, was that a person?

The voice cut through all the chatter as Sniper slipped out the door and made his way down the hall. He stopped, glancing back at where the rest of his team was still socializing.

Had he really heard that?

No. He'd probably just heard someone say it. After all, most of the team probably hadn't even seen him. Of course someone would be confused.

Whatever. It wasn't important.

The day before matches came and went without much fanfare. Sniper stayed in his van, reading and getting a feel with his new rifle. The Engineer knocked on his door at one point, bringing him a plate of food around sundown and an invitation to eat with the team. Sniper declined the offer but took the food with a quiet word of thanks.

He ate it, went to sleep, and got up at six AM to meet the team before battle.

Sniper stuck to the back of the group, letting the louder guys take the lead. They were allowed one minute to get prepared before the other team would start trying to capture their control points. Personally, Sniper didn't really see why they were worth protecting, but he wasn't getting paid to judge. So he slipped away from the group as soon as possible and made for an old building with a ladder leading up to it.

The top proved to be an ideal spot, with a small window with a great view of the whole area. Sniper sat himself down, double-checked his gun, and waited.

The match started. Sniper watched as the two teams began fighting, shouts and gunfire dulling to background noise as Sniper focused.

Someone was going after his medic. He aimed, exhaled, fired. Dead on. The figure dropped like a stone and his Medic looked around in surprise before running off with his weird glowing gun.

Another. Then another. It took several shots before Sniper realized something.

He'd already shot these guys. He'd watched them drop, watched the blood splatter against the dirt- What was going on?

A noise behind him caught his attention and he swung around just in time to see someone lunge for him.

"OI!"

He dove sideways, pulling out his kukri in time to block a second attempted stab. His attacker looked identical to the smoking man from his team, except this one wore blue instead of red.

"What the hell-"

He swung, only managing to get the enemy's arm. He never had been good at physical fights. He managed a lucky stab to the man's gut, and his body dropped with a thud.

Holy fuck.

"I did not sign up for this," He muttered, wiping off his blade and picking up his gun again.

The kid from before was actually holding his own, sprinting past enemies and hitting people with his bat. He stopped for a moment, looking around, and that's when Sniper saw the figure in blue coming up behind the kid.

He aimed quick and he aimed well, and the body landed right next to the kid. Sniper swore he could hear the yelp from his nest, and a small smile broke over his face. This kid was kinda cute.

He shook his head. Focus. He had other people to deal with.

The days passed quickly after that. Sniper fell into a routine. Work, shower, head to his van, maybe spend dinner in Engineer's workshop with him if it wasn't too bad a day. Most of the time though, he was alone. He'd still only spoken to about half the team, though by now everyone had apparently started talking about the elusive team sniper nobody actually knew anything about.

"I'm not elusive," Sniper muttered. "I just don't like talkin' to people."

"Hey, you do you," Engineer said. "I'm just saying what the guys have been talking about."

"Why do they care anyways? 'S not like teamwork is necessary for what I do."

"They're curious. And they aren't that bad of guys either. Hell, the kid's pretty sure his soulmate is here."

Sniper raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously? What makes him think that?"

Engineer chuckled and shrugged.

"I guess he keeps hearing things on the battlefield. Stuff about him being cute or fast or somethin'. It was hard to tell with how much he was talkin', but he seemed pretty excited about it."

Sniper hummed. The kid was fast. And cute, despite Sniper's best attempts to keep himself from paying attention.

"Good for him then. Better hope it's someone on our side and not the other."

"Amen to that."

The next day, Sniper couldn't help but let his thoughts wander to the Scout. Who was his soulmate? Most of the guys on the team seemed so different from the excited, hyperactive kid running around the field. But clearly someone was meant to be Scout's match, if he was hearing things.

He shot down the enemy Soldier, who'd been aiming for the baseball-wielding blond. Scout's jaw dropped when the body fell, before he did a salute to the general surrounding area. He'd started doing that whenever Sniper saved his ass, and it was a sweet little gesture.

The next time he shot someone down though, he heard something new.

Holy shit it's our Sniper!

He looked up, but there was nobody in his nest. Weird. He looked back down, scanning the field, and locked on to a familiar face staring right at him.

He's looking at me?

The Scout's expression changed and he seemed to be excited about something, but a motion behind the kid caught Sniper's attention again.

Move it kid!

The thought was instant as he aimed, even though he wouldn't be able to hit the enemy Soldier in time.

But Scout did move. He dropped into a roll and avoided getting nailed over the head with a shovel. It gave Sniper the second he needed to fire, shooting right into the Soldier's neck.

Scout turned back towards him.

He's so cool!

Sniper blushed, grateful the kid couldn't see him.

*

Scout felt lighter than air as he finished the match. He'd finally figured out who his soulmate was!

It explained why Scout only really heard thoughts on the battlefield. After all, he'd never even seen the Sniper before (though he's guessing that's who he'd seen leaving the intro meeting). A Sniper. That was so cool!

Did the Sniper know? He had to now, right? They'd totally just mind-talked to each other! Was there a word for that?

After the match, Scout was quick to sneak away and find Spy outside.

"I found him!"

Spy raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he smoked.

"Did you now?"

"Yeah! He's our Sniper!"

"The Sniper?" Spy's tone shifted slightly. "The man speaks to no one. How do you know for certain?"

"Well, okay, maybe we haven't confirmed it, but I know it's him! He shot some guy behind me and I finally saw him! And I was super excited because I've never seen our Sniper before, and then I heard it! I heard another thought, and it was somethin' like 'he's lookin' at me' or something, 'cept it was like a question, and-"

"Mon lapin, slow down."

"Right, sorry. But he thought that and like, who else would be thinkin' that in the middle of fightin', y'know? And we were kinda just starin', and I was gettin' really excited, but then he must'a seen something I didn't because he told me to move! But like, mind-told me, y'know? And I did and there was totally a Soldier behind me, but he shot the guy! It was so cool!"

Spy chuckled.

"Congratulations then. Do you have plans to talk to him?"

"Obviously! I tried to find him after the match, but it's like he just disappeared! Where does he go?"

Spy shrugged.

"His room in the base remains untouched. Though he seems to visit the Engineer on occasion. You might ask him."

Scout nodded, so excited he almost missed the way Spy's shoulders seemed to relax ever-so-slightly at the mention of the Engineer.

"Say, Pops...why are you in Engineer's workshop enough to know that?"

Spy coughed mid-hit, smoke puffing out as he caught his breath.

"He is my teammate. I see it perfectly reasonable to ensure he can be trusted."

"Uh-huh. And you haven't heard any voices bein' here, right?"

It was hard to tell, but Scout thought his father might have been blushing slightly under the mask.

"Certainly not."

"....Riiiiight."

The next morning, Scout sought out the Engineer.

"Well hello Scooter," the man said with a smile. "What's got you in here?"

"Well, I kinda just had a question," He said, trying to play off his nerves as his usual restlessness. "Uh, I've been askin' around, and you're kinda the only one who knows anything about our team Sniper."

"Well, kid doesn't like talkin' much, but we get along fine. Why'd you ask?"

"Y'know how I've been lookin' for my soulmate? I think it's him, and I really wanna know for sure but I can't ever find him everywhere and he always disappears right after matches and never comes to dinner and-"

"Woah now, take a breath son," Engie said. "You say he's your Soulmate?"

"I think so, yeah. I only ever hear stuff when we're fightin' and that's the only time he'd ever see me since he disappears, so..."

He shrugged. Engie chuckled, a soft smile on his face.

"Well, ain't that somethin'. Tell you what, why don't you bring him his dinner tonight? I usually do it, since he ain't too fond of crowds."

Scout nodded again.

"Thanks!"

He left after that, bouncing through the halls. He had to make a good first impression. This had to be perfect.

*

The knock on his door was different today.

Usually Engie would knock twice, then call out to him. But this was different. This was an excited, erratic knock on the door.

Sniper's shoulders tensed. He wasn't even sure the others knew he was out here, so who would be knocking on his door?

Cautiously, Sniper peeked through the curtains.

Oh, it's him.

The Scout stood up straighter, glancing at the windows quickly. Sniper pulled back.

"I uh...I know you're in there," the kid called. "I brought dinner. Uhm...I was kinda hopin' we could talk."

Sniper hesitated. Why would the kid want to talk with him? Sure, they'd had...whatever that was on the field earlier, but-

"Please? It's kinda important."

Sniper sighed. Slowly, he crossed the van and opened the door.

"Right, uhm...thanks."

He took the covered plate from Scout's hands, keeping his head down.

He's so tall.

Sniper paused.

"...You say somethin'?"

He looked up slightly, just enough to see Scout shake his head.

"No, I mean, not...I thought something, and I think- well, I'm pretty sure- you probably heard that, uhm-"

Sniper chuckled. Kid sure was awkward.

Scout blushed.

"'Course I am, I keep hearin' you during matches and can't even talk to you."

Sniper raised an eyebrow.

"Hearing me?"

"Yeah! Like just now, when you thought I was awkward- at least I think that was you, and I was pretty sure we were talking during the match today, so-"

Oh. Ohhh, that's what he meant.

"Right, uhm...do you...want to come in?" Sniper asked quietly. "Might be better t' talk in here."

"Really? Sweet! I mean, yeah, sure."

Sniper stepped back, letting Scout climb in. After closing the door, he turned and immediately cringed.

He's gonna think I'm disgusting. His van had definitely seen better days, and Sniper hadn't been able to get ahold of garbage bags or dish soap yet.

"It's not. Disgusting, I mean. I've got seven brothers, so lemme tell ya that this? This is nothin'."

Surprisingly, the words actually helped a bit. He sat down, opening the wrapped plate and smiling at the delicious smell of steak and potatoes.

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked. Scout turned from where he'd been looking around and laughed a little.

"No, I uh...I was too excited."

Sniper hummed. He wasn't used to this. Any of it.

"...So, uhm...where are you from?" Scout asked, sitting down across from Sniper.

"Oz. You?"

"Oz? Isn't that from a book or somethin?"

Is he making a joke?

Sniper cleared his throat.

"Right, er...It's what some of us call Australia."

"Ohhhh."

"But, uh...what about you?"

"Boston, born and raised. My dad's French though."

"Yeah? Must be weird with the Spook walkin' around then."

Weirder than you know.

Sniper hummed.

"Well, given...this whole situation," He said, gesturing between them. "Guess I'll have t' start talkin' more."

"You don't have to!" Scout said quickly. "I mean, I'm sure the team would like t' meet ya, you've saved all our asses a bunch, but I'm not gonna force ya t' talk or anything."

Something about Scout's behavior made Sniper's mouth twitch upwards.

"Nah, I suppose I should properly meet these wankers. Given we're gonna be stuck with 'em for the next few years."

"They aren't all bad! I mean, pretty sure the Doc is crazy, but the rest of them are pretty cool!"

Sniper hummed. he'd give it a shot. After all, he'd already found his soulmate. Who's to say he couldn't make some friends too?

Chapter Text

Dell's spirit animal showed up when he was six years old. It was a little pug puppy that barked at everyone except Dell. The little creature had found it's way into one of their apple trees and refused to let anyone else help him down.

Dell named her Gala, and ever since then he's been buzzing for the chance to meet his soulmate. After all, who wouldn't be?

It was Gala that had Dell go through eleven different college degrees, and even after all that he hadn't met them yet. Part of him wondered if the pug really was his spirit animal, but her lifespan alone was proof that she was.

And yet, it was Gala that led him to the Mann Co mercenary call. She'd found a file about it and brought it to him, refusing to leave him alone until he brought it back to Mrs. Pauling and asked for a position.

Miraculously, he got the job. So he packed up his things, put Gala's little vest on, and boarded the plane for New Mexico.

*

Fritz wondered at first if he even had a soulmate. Most children in Germany gained their Geistführer (spirit guide) in early childhood. He'd all but lost hope when, at eight years old, a dove appeared on Fritz's window.

No animal approached Fritz. Ever. so he'd immediately let the bird in and found something for it to eat. While it ate, he dug through every book he had on Geistführer until he found one that explained how to tell.

In his excitement, a name hadn't even crossed his mind until he tripped over a different book he'd left out the night before.

"Archimedes..." He mumbled, trying the name out on his tongue. The dove had cooed and flapped its wings, and so Archimedes was decided.

Despite his own interest in biology, the day Archimedes brought him a brochure for medical school was the day Fritz's life path changed. After all, you didn't go against your Geistführer. Not if you wanted to meet your other half.

Archimedes was also the one to drop a German-to-English dictionary on his desk that made the man learn English. When the second Great War started, Archimedes was the one who led Fritz to safety. He did the same when Fritz lost his medical license, leading him to the best lawyer he could get and preventing him from going to prison.

And yet, he never once led Fritz to a person. Until Mann Co. tracked him down and offered him a job.

The offer felt too good to be true; he could do his experiments and meet people? In an English-speaking country no less.

He'd turned to his dove, who was pecking repeatedly at the contract sitting in front of him.

Who was he to say no?

*

Dell's car stopped outside a plain red compound. He'd already been given a 'uniform' (It wasn't that different from his usual work clothes) Gala was barking and spinning in circles, like she usually did when she was excited.

"I know pretty lady, but you're gonna have to get along with these guys," Dell said, setting her on the ground. "We're gonna be livin' with 'em."

He looked up only to see a giant bear climbing out of a trailer with the help of a man just as large.

"Sweet mother of God..." He muttered, deciding maybe it would be better for him to carry Gala. Especially once he also saw the full-grown panther being led by a man in a suit and mask.

Something ran into his leg and he looked down. It was a Beagle, holding a baseball cap in it's mouth and wagging it's tail erratically. It took off again and a young man came running past.

"Sorry- Bailey get back here!"

"Scout, get your mutt under control!" The man in the suit shouted.

"I'm tryin'- and she's not a mutt!"

He ran off, leaving Dell with a slightly confused smile on his face. This really was gonna be something, wasn't it?

Gala yipped, licking at his face.

"Alright alright, let's go find our room."

He slipped past the bear and a man in a military uniform with an eagle on his shoulder - they really did get all types of spirit animals didn't they? - and into the main building. The doors opened to a hallway with doors lined on both sides. The right wall had two sets of double doors, and the other had seven doors with different symbols. Dell's first pass-through showed none of them had the symbol on his sleeve, so he pushed open the first set of double doors.

The first thing he registered was how sterile it was. The air felt like the feeling one gets after using mint toothpaste. It was also very white. And from the look of it, the room was some kind of medical area.

There was also a man. A tall, dark-haired man in a sweater vest that hummed as he went through the drawers. A bird was on his shoulder, and said bird cooed and immediately flew over, circling Dell's head and making Gala start barking again.

"What- oh, Archimedes, no! Leave that man alone!"

The man came over, waving a hand until the bird flew over to sit on a cabinet across the room.

"Heh, apologies. He's not fond of people," the man explained. His gaze fell to the patch on Dell's sleeve and he smiled. "Ah, you must be our Engineer."

Dell cleared his throat; the man's accent was oddly attractive, which matched the rest of him.

"Yep, that's me. Judgin' by the room, I'm guessin' you're our Medic."

The man grinned.

"Ja, that is me. Pleased to meet you Engineer."

"Pleasure's all mine."

They shook hands, though it was slightly difficult with Gala wriggling in Dell's arms the whole time.

"Well now, who is this little creature?" He asked, gaze drifting down to the excited pug.

"Ah, that's Gala. She's a bit excitable around new folks."

"Understandable. Archimedes once tried to poke someone's eye out." He laughed, a jovial sound that tilted slightly towards unhinged. Dell had never heard a laugh quite like that, but it fit the man's demeanor.

"I'd bet that was some story. Best hope he doesn't try that with your soulmate or it'll be a real awkward first meetin'."

He chuckled, and the Medic laughed with him.

"Oh, you are funny. I look forward to getting to know you better, Herr Engineer."

Dell blushed, pulling his hat just a bit lower.

"That's awful kind of ya. Sorry for bargin' in, I was trying to find my room."

"That's quite alright. I believe yours is the one next to mine. Through there," He said, gesturing. "I am unsure why they have a connecting door, but..."

He shrugged. Dell smiled.

"Thank you kindly. I'll get out of your hair then."

"Oh, you were never in it. I will see you around, yes?"

Dell nodded, then carried his suitcase and excited Gala through the door. The room was spacious; tools lined one wall, with an open room off to the side revealing a bedroom and another door that was probably a bathroom.

"Well, ain't this a nice place. What d'you think Gala?" He asked, setting her down on the floor. She spun in circles for a moment, then immediately ran back and started scratching at the door they'd come in from.

"No, Gala, that ain't our room. You can't go in there."

The little pug ignored him and Dell sighed. He'd have to warn the Medic about Gala's love of birds. She just couldn't resist trying to catch the damn things.

Oh well, he could do that later. Right now, he just needed to unpack.

*

When Fritz finished putting his things in the bedroom of his office, he returned to the main hallway with Archimedes on his shoulder. The bird clearly couldn't be trusted, since he'd already tried to open the door and follow the Engineer through his door. So, better to keep an eye on him until the dove calmed down.

The main room was already furnished, as well as several obvious additions from the other team members including a dog bed, a standing post that had a strange fixture on the top, and I very wide scratching post.

Well, this should be interesting.

He hummed, sitting down in one of the chairs and petting Archimedes' head gently. He could hear voices, so the rest of his team must not be far.

A man walked in then, face hidden behind yellow aviators and a hat tilted low over his face. The owl on his shoulder hooted softly, and he looked up. He looked surprised to see someone and sat down in another chair in the corner of the room.

"-Bailey don't- oh shit, dog incoming!" A voice shouted mere seconds before an excited beagle bounded into the room and made a beeline for the man in the corner. It launched right into the man's lap, scaring the owl into the air.

"OI!" He shouted, trying to get the dog off as it started frantically licking at his face. His hat and glasses hit the floor as a young boy came tumbling in.

"Sorry! Bailey get off him!" He grabbed the dog, who squirmed in an attempt to free herself. "Sorry, she's usually not so excited. I mean, she is, but she's real good about not jumpin' up on people like that. Normally at least- Bailey!"

Said dog had wiggled its way free and was back in the other man's lap, though he was more prepared this time and got her to calm a bit with some ear scratching.

"No worries. Me dad has a dog for his, and she's a bit of a cuddle hound," he said in an accent Fritz didn't quite recognize. Interesting.

The owl, which had been on top of the strange post, flew down and landed on the dog-owner's shoulder with a soft hoot. The kid immediately froze, as did the other man.

"He's...never done that before," the man said slowly.

"Never?"

"No one except me."

The pair smiled at each other, and Fritz smiled to himself. How badly he'd dreamed of something like that happening with him back in his youth.

Another man entered, followed by a giant panther. Archimedes cooed anxiously, flying up to the post.

"Archimedes!" Fritz shouted. "Get down from there, it won't do anything!"

"Actually it is probably for the best your birds keep their distance," the man in the suit said. He was smoking a cigarette and exhaled a large cloud of smoke. "Perle is not fond of birds."

The shorter of the two other men - the Scout, if Fritz had heard correctly - Turned and gasped.

"Pearl! C'mere pretty kitty!"

The panther slinked over, headbutting the kid so hard he stumbled. He just laughed, reaching to pet the giant predator.

"Hey lady, it's been awhile. You still the only woman in Pa's life?"

The man in the suit rolled his eyes.

"My love life is of no conscern to you."

"Like hell it isn't!" He quipped back.

"Not here it isn't, Scout. Need I remind you of our current company?"

The room filled from there, with both people and animals. The animals consisted of two more birds, a Red panda, and a bear. A whole, full-grown Grizzly bear that curled up behind the largest armchair.

And, of course, the pug from earlier. Said pug came in last, running circles around the room before jumping onto the couch seat closest to medic and spinning excitedly.

"Alright alright, simmer down Gala," the Engineer muttered, picking her up and sitting down. "Sorry about her, guess she's excited to meet new people."

"It seems like many of the guides are happy to meet each other," He said, nodding to where the Scout and Sniper had settled into the corner. Bailey the beagle was sprawled out across their laps while the owl pecked at Scout's hair.

"Well ain't that somethin'," Engineer said softly. "What are the chances of findin' your match here of all places?"

Archimedes flew down, landing on the armrest beside Engineer.

"Ja, I was surprised as well. But they aren't the only ones."

He gestured towards the Spy, who was currently trying to ignore the Eagle perched beside him. Meanwhile the Soldier was on the floor near Spy's feet, petting the giant predatory feline who'd made itself at home over his legs.

"Now that is somethin' special," he said, turning to his own Spirit Guide who was currently sniffing at Archimedes. "Makes you think how they managed to get here in the first place, don't it?"

"Nein. I don't know if it is different in other parts of the world, but in my homeland, we believe our guides alone know the way to our other half. Ignoring their signs is turning your back on fate, and your fated, for good."

Engineer hummed, reaching a finger out to Archimedes.

"Oh, I wouldn't-"

But he cut himself off when, instead of trying to tear the digit off, Archimedes cooed and hopped onto it with a light flutter of his wings.

Fritz's eyes turned to the Engineer, seeing him in a completely different light.

"Yeah, it's pretty much the same in America," Engineer said, completely unaware of the rockets firing in Fritz's brain. "Though, we see them more as suggestions. You follow what you can, and it'll work itself out."

Without warning, Gala leaped from her place on the couch to Fritz's lap, spinning a few excited circles before snuggling into the German's side.

"Agh, sorry. She's usually better behaved than this." He reached out to take her, and Fritz put up a hand.

"Nein, she is fine where she is. I don't mind." He smiled, scratching the little dog's ears and making her curled tail wiggle.

Archimedes, now settled on Engineer's hat, pecked at it affectionately.

"You know, if anyone else had reached out to Archimedes like that, they would have lost their finger," Fritz said softly.

Engineer's eyes widened, and he glanced up towards his own hat.

"...That so?"

Fritz nodded, smiling.

"It is."

The Engineer cleared his throat.

"Well then, I guess we'd better redo our introductions." He offered a hand and a fond smile. "The name's Dell."

He grinned, taking the hand offered.

"Fritz."

Chapter Text

Pearl had come to him when he was seven. She was small but feirce, and stuck with him through everything.

This included when he joined Mann Co. and took on the role of the Spy. He didn't think anything of it, and even got to see his son again.

Then he'd met the eagle.

It followed him constantly, and often the bird's owner followed. Honestly, the Soldier followed Spy around like a lost puppy, it was pathetic. He was always trying to interrupt what Spy was doing, whether it be reading or cooking or whatever else.

At first, he'd tried to be polite about asking the man to leave; when that didn't work, he tried a firmer tone. Then he tried directly telling the man he didn't want to see him. Nothing seemed to work.

Jane didn't remember when he'd met Liberty. He didn't remember much of his past. No childhood, no family, nothing. The earliest thing he could remember was waking up in a hospital with an eagle next to his bed. He'd named her Liberty, and trusted anything she tried to show him. That's what led him to Mann Co. And to his soulmate.

He couldn't believe he'd found his soulmate. Liberty never liked anyone, but the first day on base she'd landed firmly next to Spy and hadn't left the man alone since.

Truly, Jane thought it must've been another one of the things that he saw but wasn't really there. But the giant cat on his lap was definitely real, and definitely liked him, so it must be real.

Pearl was a nice cat too. She'd stay with him while he did his morning workouts, and had actually helped him a few times when he was...confused.

But Spy didn't seem to like him. He'd talked to Engie about it, and Sniper, and Demo, but they didn't know why the frenchman refused to stay in the room with him for more than a few minutes.

The only one who gave him any kind of advice was, surprisingly, Scout.

"Look man, my Pa's a weirdo," the kid said, glancing over his shoulder. "But he's all fancy and stuff, right? When he got with my Ma, he was bringin' her flowers and fancy dates and shit. Try doin' that or somethin', y'know? 'Seduce him' or somethin'."

That made sense to Jane, in a way. Spy was a fancy man, he wanted fancy stuff. So, with a lot of help from Engie, he managed to find a nice flower place and pick out flowers that looked nice together. A mix of purple and yellows that both his friend and the flower worker assured him was a perfect match. And, for an extra little surprise, Soldier had found a really nice watch with silver and bronze and all the fancy style things he knew Spy liked on his stuff.

Jane came back excited, holding the gifts and knocking on Spy's door. This had to make Spy finally smile.

Spy opened the door, his glare immediately deepening when he saw Jane.

"What do you want?" he asked bitterly. Jane hesitated, then cleared his throat and held out the flowers.

"These are for you."

Spy eyed them, then scowled and pushed him away.

"I do not know what will get it through your skull," He snapped. "I do not care if your bird likes me, I refuse to tolerate this foolishness any longer."

Jane froze, but Spy wasn't done yet.

"I am sick of you constantly getting in my way. I do not want you, I do not want this bond, and I do not want your pathetic little gifts. Get out of my sight and leave me alone."

He turned and slammed the door in Jane's face. And Jane was alone.

He was always alone.

The days that followed were...strange. Soldier was quiet, barely speaking at all and instead keeping his head down any time he was in the common spaces of the base. He didn't wake the team up anymore, didn't talk during battles or meal times, and even Scout had said he wasn't going on his usual morning run anymore. It was all suspiciously lined up with Spy's final rejection, and even the Frenchman couldn't lie to himself about being concerned. And, frustratingly, Pearl had abandoned him in favor of trailing after the dejected patriot.

"Okay, Spy, what did you do?" Engineer asked firmly as soon as Soldier left the room one evening.

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Spy deadpanned.

"Yeah ya do. You did somethin' and now Soldier's more upset than a turkey on Thanksgivin'. Now what did you say to him?"

"Nothing I haven't told him before."

The Texan's eyes narrowed.

"Spy."

Spy rolled his eyes.

"All I told him was that I have no interest in letting our guides du coeur dictate who I choose to love."

"You-" Engie rubbed his eyes and muttered a few colorful curses. "You have no clue about anythin', do ya?"

"Pardon?"

"This is important to him," Engie snapped. "Soldier...I've talked to him. His first memory is wakin' up in the hospital at 19 with nothin' but that bird'a his to go on. He had to get his own name from the hospital, and I'm still not sure they actually knew it."

Spy frowned, but Engie wasn't done talking yet.

"He was excited to finally have someone who was supposed to understand. Don't you understand that hope? The hope that there's someone in the world who doesn't care how fucked up you might be? He just wanted some attention Spy, and you've been nothin' but cruel to him since we got here."

There was a long silence, during which Engie's words echoed through Spy's mind. He did understand, more than Engie probably realized.

"Regardless of his situation," Spy said quietly. "I will not let any creature - human or otherwise - tell me who I am supposed to love."

"You know damn well that's not what he was after. All he wanted was to know you. He didn't care how. He just wants to know someone's there for him. For God's sake your cat understands that more than you do."

Spy didn't have a response to that, and Engineer gave him a final glare before walking away.

Having a mark wasn't unheard of, but it was certainly rare. Spy knew that, which is why he held no interest in Soldier.

It was a small mark, easily hidden by gloves or sleeves, on the inside of his wrist. A small white star, but upside down. He wasn't sure why he of all people had this extra tipoff, but it felt a lot more meaningful than some bird following him around.

Still...maybe he had been too harsh on Soldier.

The man in question was outside, stabbing his shovel into the ground over and over.

"And what is the point of this?" Spy asked, walking over to him.

Soldier tensed, standing up straight and starting to walk away.

"Wait."

He paused.

"I...may have made a mistake."

Soldier didn't move, so Spy stepped closer.

"It...appears, I may have been too harsh with you. And for that...I apologize."

Soldier looked down, rubbing his wrist.

"...I should've left you alone," He said softly. "You don't want me."

Something about the man made Spy's heart soften a bit.

"I...It is nothing to do with you, Soldat," Spy said, his voice more gentle than it was before. "I simply...have other factors in play. I cannot trust the animals alone in this."

He came around to stand in front of Soldier, hoping he was meeting the man's gaze beneath his helmet. When the American didn't say anything, Spy's gaze drifted to the man's still-fidgeting hands and something bright caught his eyes.

Oh.

He placed a hand over the small star, causing Soldier to still.

"But...maybe I can give this another chance, if you would like?" He asked gently.

"....Really?" Soldier asked softly.

"Oui. I think I may have reacted too quickly."

"Oh. Uhm...okay."

Spy smiled, reaching out to lift Soldier's helmet.

"Wonderful. I hope to make things up to you."