Reaching new Heights

Just some Helmet Party

The Red Soldier stood on the empty ground, clutching his rocket launcher with white knuckles. He was alone in the clearing, his Red jacket contrasting heavily with the green trees.

"Come on Maggot, you are stronger than this!" The soldier shouted at himself. He tensed his body and turned his rocket launcher to his feet to launch into the sky, but then. He froze.

He wasn't worried about hurting himself. He'd fought tens of thousands of men in his time! He had taken out a bullet by himself with nothing but a pair of chop sticks. He'd spilt blood on every god forsaken non American corner of the earth, but the sky? No.

"Argh God damn it." Throwing down his helmet with a solid thunk, the Soldier cursed and stomped his boots. "You are a lily livered coward. Just launch yourself in the air and stop being a pansy!"

His red face was twisted in frustration as he rained curses upon himself. One last time, he'd show the Blue coward who was better. Once again he placed the helmet on his head, took up his rocket launcher and widened his stance.

"On the count of three! One...Two...Thr-" He screwed his eyes shut as he crouched to jump. No fear, no fear.

"Hey Solly!" The Engineer walked from around the corned.

"AAH!" He fired the rocket, propelling himself a short distance. He waved his arms and legs in the air frantically before dropping to the ground. He landed with a whumph, knocking the air out of his lungs. He was lying on his stomach, arms and legs skewed. From beneith his helmet, he saw the Engineer run up to him.

"Gee, I'm sorry there. Didn't mean to startle you." The Engineer reached down to help the Soldier up but he was brushed off.

"Your sympathies are not needed private. I am not so injured that I can't get up myself." The Soldier pulled himself up and started to dust off his jacket and pants. He started to walk forward but was stopped by a twanging pain in his leg. He frowned and stared at his leg, traitor.

"You know, I was just experimenting with my dispenser over there around the building, care to take a look? I'm thinking of replacing the type of rocket the Level 3 uses." The Engineer causally dropped. It was the easiest way of dealing with the Soldier.

"Fine idea. Just give me one second." The Soldier grunted and hobbled over to the dispenser where he leaned casually against it. It was leaning, it wasn't relief at having bruises and scrapes healed. He sighed in relief before coming over to examine the rockets the Sentry gun used.

The Engineer moved next to him, holding the rocket launcher of the disassembled sentry gun. "Now I've modelled the sentry gun after your standard rocket launcher. But, I was thinking of changing it perhaps to the Direct Hit. It's faster and more accurate."

"That sounds like an excellent idea private!" The Soldier had no idea. He used the Liberty Launcher. It had the name of liberty and freedom in it! It was also much more fun to kill more people at once. "In fact, why don't you have two types of gun in your gun. Half standard rocket launcher, half Direct hit."

"Huh," The Engineer mulled it over. "That actually sounds like a decent idea if I could fit the two of them in. Let me see your rocket launcher."

"Negatory. I cannot do that." Soldier hid the rocket launcher behind his back. It looked exactly like his standard rocket launcher but it was called the Jumper. It was designed to teach how to rocket jump. It would be humiliating for Engineer to find out his weakness.

"Now why not?"

"..." The Soldier looked around for an excuse, not looking the Engineer in the eye. "It needs to be cleaned. The Art of War clearly states that uh...all fighting materials must be kept prefect in working order."

"No it doesn't."

"Yes it does!"

"Solly" The Engineer pointed his finger at the Soldier. He gulped, the Soldier hated when the Engineer did that. It reminded him too much of...well every figure of authority he'd ever known. The Engineer was not in charge of him. Only he told himself what to do.

"Make me!" The Soldier took his rocket launcher in hand and shot a blast at his feet, trying to rocket jump away. Not like a coward of course, a tactical retreat.

He landed flat on his back, the air knocked out of him. The Engineer ran over to the Soldier and picked up the fallen rocket launcher, turning it in his hands. As the Soldier adjusted his helmet and got to his feet he had to admit, the Engineer looked pretty good handling a his gun. The Soldier felt his face flush under the helmet as the Engineer stared him down.

"Soldier, This isn't your rocket launcher. What is this?" The Engineer rolled the rocket launcher in his hands, examining the reloading mechanism and the increased ammo space.

"It's called a tactical advantage." The Soldier got up and dusted himself off once again. "I am going to rocket jump much better than that sorry Blu disgrace of a Soldier!"

The Soldier reached for the Rocket launcher but the Engineer held it tantalizingly out of reach. "Now why would you want to do something crazy like that?"

"Are you calling me scared? I am no coward. I am going to launch myself in the air and smash my boots into the brains of the blu team." The Soldier snapped in frustration. He didn't need the Engineer to make fun of him.

"Calm yourself down. I saw you trying to rocket jump earlier."

"You did?" The Soldier got quiet and looked at the ground. The Engineer saw how much of a failure he was? Oh no, that was not good at all. His voice was gruff as he snatched back his rocket launcher "Well then, I'll just leave...go practice over by those trees. Stop bothering you."

He plodded off, newly found gunboats pinching his toes. He whirled around when he felt the Engineer tap him on his shoulder. "Now you don't have to leave Solly."

"Yes I do. You go build your sentry. I can do this alone."

"Dangnabbit, you can't keep going off on your own like this."

"And why not? I am perfectly capable of acting like an adult and sorting out my own problems." The Soldier began to raise his voice, letting himself grip his rocket launcher tighter.

"You're acting like a kid." The Engineer frowned and pulled back his arms.

"Kids are afraid of heights, Kids are afraid of fire and guns. I am not a child Engineer and do NOT treat me like one!" The Soldier was screaming. He was red faced and angry.

As he breathed hard, he clenched his jaw, as he saw the Engineer just send him a look before walking off towards the base. The Soldier's mind was still red hot. Ha, take that Engineer, nobody told the Soldier what to do! He was invincible. Now that he was alone he could start training again. He gritted his teeth and started staring at his training rocket launcher.

As he once again prepared to send himself into the sky, he focused on the image of flying. Then he saw the Engineer's face. He felt a strange feeling of guilt. But why would he feel like that? It wasn't his fault. The Engineer should have given him some more space. He didn't need to be babied.

He shook his head and crouched once again ready to jump. He'd give himself a countdown. Three...Two...On- perhaps he was wrong to yell at the Engineer. Wait, he needed to focus. But the Engineer was just trying to help, he might have somehow offended the Engineer. He was a strange man, always working with machines. He had probably taken some sort of strange offence to some of the Soldier's civil words.

He would go, explain how the Engineer was being completely irrational then he could jump in peace. As he thought, the Soldier walked towards the base mentally rehearsing what he would say. He would say, Engineer it appears you took offence at what I said. That's rediculous. Man up! Yeah, perfect.

The Soldier fidgited at the door of the Engineer's workshop. He knocked on the door in bold knocks.

"Hello?" The Soldiers stomach jumped. Okay, it was easy. Just go in and explain.

"Umm, it's me." Damnit! Men didn't say 'Um!'

The Engineer didn't turn around from the metal he was welding. He snapped angrily. "What is it Soldier?"

"It occurs to me you took offence at what I said." Too late, the Soldier realized the impact of his words.

"Really?" The Engineer took off his welding mask but held the still burning torch in his hand. "You know that some people on this base actually care about their team mates?"

"Of course! I make sure everyone is in top fighting order." The Engineer signed and walked over to the Soldier.

"Not like that. You're a hell of a guy Soldier but sometimes I swear your head is so far in the clouds." The Engineer moved closer to the Soldier.

"That was the point! Rocket jumping gets you in the clouds!" He was confused. What in the hell was the Engineer getting at?

"Argh! You are so god damned infuriating. You hurt my feeling Soldier, plain and simple. Now either I get an apology or I will personally kick your behind out of here so fast your grandmother will feel it!" The Engineer had his face pushed against the Soldier's face. His brow was wrinkled and the Soldier could see the eyes behind the welding goggles. They looked angry and hurt.

He opened his mouth and his eyes started watering as he said, "Engineer you are burning my hand!"

The Engineer looked down to see, he had left his torch in and it had set the Soldier's jacket on fire. "Aw Hell." Beating the sleeve with a rag, the Engineer extinguished the flames and examined the blistered flesh.

"You idiot, why didn't you tell me sooner?" He saw the Soldier on a work bench and got up to move the dispenser.

"You were talking and I was supposed to listen." The Engineer paused as he thought that through.

"Yeah, but not when you're on fire."

"I wanted to say...sorry." The Soldier looked at the floor. The Engineer smiled and sat next to the Soldier.

"Thank you Soldier, that means a lot to me."

"Hey! Now don't you be getting mushy and womanly around me. Decreased morale means decreased performance." The Soldier wiped his eyes with his unburnt sleeve. "Also, I only cried because I was on fire. The smoke burned my eyes."

"Whatever you say." The Engineer sat on the bench and took in the comforting glow of the dispenser.

The next day the gates opened at Gorge and Red Soldier burst out the door. He pulled out his rocket launcher, took a deep breath, and jumped. He was propelled into the air. Clenching his teeth, repressing the urge to panic, he focused on his landing. He smiled as he landed with a splat. His gunboats landed directly on the skull of the unsuspecting Blu Soldier.

He laughed in exhilaration and flashed a thumbs up at the Engineer. It was his best rocket jump ever. He felt like he was going to do it a lot more often. After all, it felt good to deliver a nice solid American boot to the head.