I don't want to set the world on fire

"Team building exercise" to help build morale and foster teamwork (but probably mostly annoy everyone) and give us something lighthearted to do after all the trauma of the evaluations. It was brought up that it might make more sense for this to be something one or more of the Medics come up with, as opposed to the Administration, since as we all know Ms Bathory is a monster and she hates fun.

Our mercs getting time off to visit family and the like. This could have the consequence of limiting who our mercs interact with, but also allow for a change of pace and some exploration of their lives outside of TFI.

An environmental event, such as a sand storm. Has to potential to be exciting and scary!

An off base trip for the mercs, perhaps to Las Vegas. This would also probably be something the mercs would plan themselves, but it could create lots of possibilities for fun shenanigans.

Please let me know what you think, and if you have any additional ideas, share those as well! 

Liam rubs at his eyes, feeling uncharacteristically drowsy for having an afternoon nap-

-wait

Did he even take a nap? No. Wait.

He reaches his hands to his neck.

He touches bare skin.

"WHOA. IT’S GONE. ITS FUCKIN’ GONE!! WOOOOO!!!!”

Liam doesn’t even care that he’d probably been drugged, he’s practically in tears over the fact that his hideous collar is finally gone. Though when he goes to stand up, it’s too fast and he stumbles to the floor. That he doesn’t care about either. He crawls over to Hamlet, who has now trotted over to find out why his master is yelling so much. 

"AW HAMMY, IT’S GONE!" Liam smooches his dog on the nose before bolting out the door, because naturally if his is gone…

One, the sheet of paper sticking to his face via dried saliva;

Two, the fact that his head is still snugly pressed against his desk;

Three, the lost time, really, he could have sworn that five minutes ago was not five hours ago, where did his day go, it got sucked in a black hole;

Four, the lingering smell of chloroform that rests deep in his nostrils. Ugh, he hates that smell.

Liam rips that package off his door, because whatever’s inside is probably important and valuable. He pulls out the headset, slightly puzzled because it looks just like the one he has for work. However, once he reads the note inside, he immediately understands. Never has he been more sure that Pepe is probably a real life wizard. 

The Scout makes a brief, high pitched noise of excitement and fits the headset over his ears. “HEY PEPE I GOTCHER-oops hold on-“ 

"Heyy!! Lia—wait—"

He presses the red button. Shit, he forgot about the button.

Pepe’s only mildly aware that he’s grinning at a beaker. 

"Hey!! Oh God YES! It fucking works!! But—uh, heh—status normal here, I’m at the workshop with some potassium chloride and being a big boring dork here. The workshop’s boring, Over."

He grins, presses the button again.

"You bet it works! It works real well, actually. You’re the best borin’ dork there is. Over." 

This was too great. It wouldn’t replace being physically close, but at least now they can regain some privacy without relying on passing notes. 

Thank god he's alone in the workshop right now, he wouldn't be as comfortable talking to Liam so freely if it wasn't the case. Still, he glances at his surroundings to make sure he's not at risk of being overheard. 

He presses the button again. "I'm making explosives.  I'm guessing that I can make some for you too, and then we can go outside and blow shit up. Over."

He's also been increasingly irresponsible with his chemicals, but they got Respawn and it's not like they'll be doing it indoors anyway.  But he would never try to endanger Liam. Of course not, what kind of boyfriend would he be?

"I'll leave you a crate of the stuff and some detonators, and then we could meet up and then we blow up some junk together...together-ish, I mean."

A wave of guilt twists his gut.

>:|

*Opens his mouth to retort something that is both scathing and gramatically incorrect, but thinks it twice.*

Think you’re gonna be pretty impressed. 

*Pepe's eyes skim the blueprints with ease, occasionally stopping on--*

What the fuck is going on with the hip joints? That makes no sense, it'll never support its own weight like that.

*He taps the legs' section of the blueprints.*

Liam rips that package off his door, because whatever’s inside is probably important and valuable. He pulls out the headset, slightly puzzled because it looks just like the one he has for work. However, once he reads the note inside, he immediately understands. Never has he been more sure that Pepe is probably a real life wizard. 

The Scout makes a brief, high pitched noise of excitement and fits the headset over his ears. “HEY PEPE I GOTCHER-oops hold on-“ 

"Heyy!! Lia--wait--"

He presses the red button. Shit, he forgot about the button.

Pepe's only mildly aware that he's grinning at a beaker. 

"Hey!! Oh God YES! It fucking works!! But--uh, heh--status normal here, I'm at the workshop with some potassium chloride and being a big boring dork here. The workshop's boring, Over."

He grins, presses the button again.

Auuugh, fuck—yes, I’m okay! Are you okay???

*His voice sounds higher than usual, and…well, not okay. Especially not when he looks at Liam, a little more than five meters away, so close and yet so far. Distress wrinkles his brow, actually.*

Yeah..yeah I’m fine. Sorta. 

So..wait. It’s like a-a..like an electric collah that only works when we’re nearby? But-that-that doesn’t make any sense! Well, actually it does.It hasn’t done nothin’ till you came by, I thought it was a bomb, to be honest. 

..So we can only stand this far apart. We can’t get any closah than this with these on. No hugs, no high fives, no tag teamin’ in battle, no…we-

-we can’t really..be togethah like this. Can we? 

*The realization of what that means finally sets in, and Liam looks as if he’s suddenly heard that a family member has died. His face is expressionless, his mouth parted slightly as his gaze moves from down at his own shaky hands, and back to Pepe.*

*He tugs at the metal box on his collar uneasily, and he feels it bite into his skin when he turns his head to face Liam.

That's right, they can't be together like this, they can't go to each other's rooms, or touch each other, or double-team anyone in their way on the battlefield...

What to do now?*

I don't know. 

*He takes a deep breath.* But we'll figure it out. It's not like they forced us to transfer away to separate bases, or if they fired us and dumped us in a ditch.

And it can't be a permanent thing. This thing can't have an unlimited power supply either, and...I dunno, I'll think of something. If we work hard enough I'm sure we can disable the collars, or at least have some workarounds.

*In any other circumstance he would've put his arms around Liam's shoulders and squeezed, but all Pepe can do is stretch his arm at him. Then lower his arm; he probably looked stupid.

And he hopes he sounds more optimistic than he really is.*

*Liam immediately turns* There you are-aw shit dude you got one too?

Did you find outaaAAAGH!-

*And not soon after Pepe’s does Liam feel a sudden, violent shudder throughout his body and he too, starts to convulse. It’s powerful and it feels like he’s burning on the inside. He has no idea what’s going on till he watches Pepe suffering as well, and he immediately stumbles backwards till it stops. 

Eyes wide and heart racing, he clutches at the damned device fitted to the collar and looks back over at Pepe.* 

Auuugh, fuck--yes, I'm okay! Are you okay???

*His voice sounds higher than usual, and...well, not okay. Especially not when he looks at Liam, a little more than five meters away, so close and yet so far. Distress wrinkles his brow, actually.*

It’s my final year, I’m getting ready for graduating, and doing the final run for preparing portfolios, resumes, and whatnot to become part of the big bad world of adults! Yay! \o/ Isn’t it exciting?!

Actually I am mildly terrified. 

So they are both going to refuse to fight. If everything goes well…

….Well. Nothing can really happen well, knowing the Administrator and her penchant for abuse of power. 

The Pyro is scared; not only for him, but for Liam as well. The last time he overtly protested against something he ended forcibly recruited by TFI, among the arrests, the—no, he doesn’t need any of those thoughts right now, his hands are shaking enough already. 

Pepe fidgets in his corner, pacing back and forth like a caged animal, until the gates finally open and he is let out into the field. His Powerjack feels heavy in his hands, and he walks up to meet Liam.

If either of them wants to change his mind and continue with the battle, now is the time.

He drops his Powerjack at the side, clapping Liam on the shoulder. 

The field is eerily silent, and it’s making Liam tense up. He has no need to strategize for this, but soon Bathory will know what’s going on, if she doesn’t know already. What if she planned for this, what if she had something lying in wait for this situation? Liam can predict far more of the outcome of just fighting Pepe, rather than doing nothing, just…waiting for her response. But the fact is he doesn’t want to fight, so this is all he can do. To wait. Will he and Pepe set an example? Who the fuck knows, but this is his choice and he feels he’s made the right one. 

He doesn't know what Bathory will do to them, to Liam. Will she lock them up somewhere dark until they lose track of time? Maybe she will simply have them shot and thrown off a ditch. Or tortured. Torture seems like something that the higher-ups here would do and--

And he practically melts into Liam's hug.

"I'm scared."

He hugs him back,as tightly as he can.

"Last time I ever tried something like this, I--it really didn't end well. I don't know what they'll do to us either but...I don't regret it, Liam.