In Need of Assistance? (TF2)

Sixty-Seven: Guilty Until Proven Innocent

        "What do you mean he hasn't told you his birthday?" Salvador asks as we get out of the truck. "It's his birthday."

"Pyro's secretive like that," Engie explains as he takes things out of the back of the truck. "So we just do it at the start of every year."

"But you don't know exactly how old he is, either," Salvador continues.

"I've got an idea."

"I think I do, too. He goes to my school and everything," He helps Engie take our bags, and I forcefully take my suitcase as I want to carry it at least once in my lifetime. Salvador stares at the weathered three-story tall baby-blue painted building. Looking at the building, all I can think about is the boxes I have up there right now. It'll be a pain to unpack them, but at least the apartment came furnished. I filled only a couple of those boxes with what I had at the fort. The rest of them are from my old apartment.

RED-affiliation has its perks, as always. My termination hasn't spread, I don't think, so I might as well milk it while I still have it available. The landlord is a nutcase. I called him a conspiracy theorist and Engie just called him 'Sniper.' This implies that Sniper believes the Moon Landing was a hoax, and I'm unsure if it was a comparison or a direct correlation. It wouldn't surprise me if Sniper actually put credence in that. He's stated multiple times that he's anti-social and grew up in the middle of nowhere. Throw in a couple of alien sightings, and we have a natural-born spook on our hands.

Speaking of which, he catches us in the third-floor hallway before I put my key in the door. Soldier and Pyro are with him, Soldier holding up a wooden platter with the top on. "I baked you a cake for your new home."

"You didn't have to," I sigh as I side hug him. "Thank you, Solly." He sniggers.

"It's RED velvet."

Salvador scoffs. "What else would it be?"

"Brr hermrr hrr heh krh," Pyro sasses, and Salvador nods.

"Blue velvet is a crime. Pyro gets it."

Engie takes the key from me and opens the front door. "Alright, inside before something bad happens to the cake." I follow him in, a majority of both teams inside waiting for us. They all say 'surprise!' in their own way and warmth encompasses my face. Engie puts his hand on my shoulder. "House warming party."

I exhale through my nose. "Ah, why are you all like this?"

"Because it's the holidays and we're like in-laws on your ma's side," Scout snarks, sitting at one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. "But, hey, congrats on the new place."

I bow my head. "Ah, yes, thank you all for being here." Neuro takes the platter from Soldier and smiles at me.

"I'll get some candles on this bad boy." I follow her to the kitchen where everyone has gathered. Demo, Spy, Pilot, Alpha, Samia, Priyanka, and Miss Campbell are the ones that aren't present. Maybe they're still on their way back home. Scout's present, at least, and I know why two of them are staying away. Scout's in a better state now. He and Salvador talk with Pyro and Cashew, and they all lost me immediately as they got into comic books. I float over to Soldier.

"How's Zhanna doing?"

"Out-standing!" He reports, beaming and bursting with happiness. "We're having a boy! He shall be the strongest warrior to tread foot on American soil. Such is the way of natural selection."

I snort at his ramblings. "Congratulations, Soldier! When are you two due?"

"We will deploy him in April."