1 . Name: Maelgwyn @ 2011-11-29 07:29

All of Me
Maelgwyn
Soldier x Engineer
Beta’ed by TeratoMarty. You may thank Marty a million times for being rather patient with me, and making this easier, more sensible, and well, sexier, than what I had originally written!

I think I got the formatting right here, and there may still be errors - but a lot of that comes from the copy process - the text box here isn't kind to Word's stupid paragraphing.

~~~
The vast area was deserted; its buildings standing stoically as a reminder that civilisation existed. The only thing that didn’t feel as being here for decades was a bottle green Landcruiser. The air was still; the only discernable sound was some cicadas in the background. The midday sun blared onto the area, bathing it in an almost angelic glare. The area was the previous day’s battleground; with bits of blue and red equipment strewn about and ominous blood stains.

The Engineer sat under the awning of a particularly dilapidated building, pad in hand, pencil in mouth. He rested on his trusty icebox. His iconic welding goggles hung haphazardly around his neck. His pad was covered with scribbles, most illegible though serving a function to the design of his latest creation. He was at peace – something that didn’t happen often in his world since he signed up to the RED team.
As a particularly difficult equation taunted him, he mused. He left behind a life of academia. He left his fellowship, his grants and his teaching. All because of a stupid decision and his pig headed pride. A Texan is not a Texan without his pride. Not many on his team knew him well, with the best being the Scout and…

A rhythmic crunch alerted him to the presence of someone else. The footfalls were slow, which discounted the Scout. But they weren’t slow enough for the massive Heavy. The Engineer grimaced, taking the pencil from his mouth and holding it in his gloved hand. He didn’t need that to know who it was though.

“At ease private,” the Soldier said, almost shouted.

“I’m not at attention you buffoon.”

The Soldier stopped and snapped a customary salute. Any insult seems to bounce off of him. It’s possibly the lack of his vocabulary or that he just did not care. Not that the Engineer did not like the Soldier - on the contrary. Heck, he drove the man here with him at his request, as with the last few times. He was a god in the battlefield and had saved his ass a few times. But his propensity to bellow was grinding his inner peace back into dust.

‘Have you seen any BLU scum?’

‘No partner, no blue,’ Engineer swept his hand around to indicate as such, ‘And I’d ‘preciate it if you would turn it down a notch. Tis nice and peaceful like, jus like home’

The soldier did not respond immediately. He stood at attention, nervous eyes fluttering around to find the invisible threat.

‘You sure, maggot, there’s no BLU?’

The Engineer sighed. Luckily the Soldier was able to interpret the body language and clasped his hands behind his back and put his feet at shoulders width. He then approached the engineer slowly with measured footfalls. The engineer remarked that his stride was constant - always 38.6cm from the toe of his boot to the heel of the next. He grinned internally. After two months here, he found that people were fun to analyse. Like, the Heavy and the Medic. Everyone knows that they have a ‘special’ connection, but they seem oblivious. Or that the Scout, below that cock-sure persona that he keeps up during the day, cries when he goes to bed missing his brothers and mother. That was something that the Engineer could relate to.
The Soldier on the other hand… He knew the numbers on him. He was 182cm tall. He kept his hair at a precise 5cm. He woke at 5:30am every morning. He turned in much later than anyone else as well. He wore some cheap cologne on the days where there were no skirmishes. On skirmish day he would not wear anything of the sort – claiming that the smell would make him detectable. The Demoman always retorts that his incessant bellowing makes him a target on the battlefield. He seemed to exude masculinity and something else. In the eyes of many on the team, especially the Engineer, he was Perseus, the legendary Greek. The Engineer heard a rustle as the Soldier sat. Even sitting, the Engineer mused; the Soldier was taller than him.

‘Fine day yesterday private!’

‘Uh yeah,’ the engineer mumbled as the pencil returned to the corner of his mouth. The quietness seeped back, interspersed with the heavier breathing of the Soldier. His cologne hung in the air, its woody aroma just on the edge of his sense of smell. He glanced over at the soldier, his back perfectly upright against the corrugated iron cladding.

‘Two kills to you!’ the Soldier hit his chest patriotically, ‘and not one respawn!’

‘Sure,’ the Engineer was barely listening to him as he lazily contemplated whether to increase the regeneration rate on the turret. The base metal cost of doing it was prohibitive but it would give their team an edge in the next skirmish. But…

‘Did I ever tell you about the Nazis I took down in Poland?’

‘Yes,’ he let the syllables drawl.

‘Well I think I should tell you again! Pepper Pete and I were storming…’ The Soldier was avidly telling one of his favourite stories about storming some base and taking out the entire Polish based Nazi panzer division. Or something. The Soldier had by now taken the grenades off of his bandolier and was pushing them around on the dirt. The Engineer grimaced as they clanged together. He was surprised that they didn’t detonate prematurely with the abuse that they put up with.

Something was wrong.

The Engineer couldn’t pinpoint it initially. He could feel a prickling running up his spine. He stiffened. What was causing it? The Soldier laughed hauntingly as he regaled more about his solo win against the common foe. He hesitantly put the pencil in the spiral of his pad, and rested it on the icebox. He stood up nervously and placed his goggles back on his eyes.

‘What?’ The Soldier demanded, his story prematurely ending ‘I demand an answer this minute private!’

‘Shhh…’ the Engineer tried to get the larger man to be quiet, waving his hand. Then he heard it. The faint mechanical buzz, the clunk of a flywheel slotting into place. It was a familiar sound, one that he has heard time and time again ‘Partner, you hear that?’

‘What has your training bra in a knot?’

‘Can you hear it? The buzz?’

‘The Soldier had stood, white dust staining the back of his pants ‘Spy?’

‘No, not a spy,’ the Engineer said, his voice dropping a few octaves ‘Worse; sounds like the respawner went live. That usually doesn’t bode well for us.’

‘I can take them hippies and make em back into garden food!’ the burly Soldier took his pistol from his belt.

‘No!’ the Engineer swatted the larger man’s hand in a vain attempt to get him to lower his pistol. ‘This time, we can’t.’

‘Why not you sissy Canadian?’

‘Flywheel clunked. That means more than one. And the whine is too loud for less than 4’

‘More than four?’ the Soldier’s voice trailed off as his brain caught up to the predicament that they possibly faced.

‘We had better git along, little dogies’ the Engineer grabbed the couple of loose possessions that he had out and stuffed it into the back of the vehicle
The Soldier stood still, waiting for the wave of BLU or whatever it may be to come.

‘You may be a coward and run, but I’ll cover your retreat!’

‘Look you ham headed dolt, as gosh darn sweet as that is, we cant win. And you told me that unless fighting can result in victory, we mustn’t fight. We need to get back to the others. Now, you move or you will end up dead as a mouse in a trap!’ the Engineer grabbed his arm as the Soldier continued to look for the enemy. The stronger man resisted at first, his natural instinct to stand and fight. But the sensible thing, as he had learned, was to listen to the short Texan.

‘Fine! We will tactically regroup but I will cover the retreat,’ the Soldier stated as if the idea were his own.

The Engineer was puffing by the time he had gotten into the drivers seat. The sheer exertion of moving equipment and people had strained the Texan. He smoothly turned the vehicle on and as he heard the satisfying slam of the passenger door, slammed the car into gear and floored it. The vehicle sped off, its tires flicking tiny stones onto the air as it veered to the exit.

The Soldier hung his body out of the window of the truck, pistol in hand. The Engineer could just hear the bangs as he fired the revolver. In the rear view, he saw a fresh spray of blood as the Soldier whooped with his kill. Dull clangs echoed through the car as their retaliatory shots hit the hardened vehicle. The Engineer gritted his teeth, hoping that neither of the BLU or RED gunmen decided to use something more dangerous than light arms, and that they wouldn’t inadvertently shoot something important, like a radiator or a tyre.

The Engineer grabbed the Soldier by the belt and yanked him back in the truck as they passed the exit field. The first signs of obvious BLU activity were apparent with the control points started to glow and some muffled cries were heard, but about what was something the Engineer wasn’t hanging around to find out about.

~~

The truck wheels skidded to a halt, the Engineer let out a sigh as he flopped back into his seat. He was tense the entire drive, waiting for the inevitable problem, like the diff breaking or the engine overheating. Thankfully there was nothing of the sort. The Soldier was quiet. Excessively quiet. There even weren’t the quips about the Engineer’s choice of country and western - or his extraordinary kill from a moving vehicle.

The RED base was dark, as the automated defence lighting had not yet turned on. The Engineer grabbed the grubby rag from his pocket and mopped the sweat from his brow.

‘What in tarnations was that?’ the Engineer tried to break the uncomfortable silence as the engine ticked down. ‘You have any ideas?’

The Soldier grunted. It couldn’t be construed as either a yes or a no. This was infuriating to the Engineer. He wrung his hands on the steering wheel. Then he noticed something rather different.

‘How long have you been looking at me? You always look eyes front’

‘Why should I tell you, you sorry excuse for a Canadian soldier? You chickened out instead of fighting like a real man. Should write you up for that.’

The Engineer found his face get hot with rage. The same pride that all Texans have also triggers a fairly common sense of injustice. Sadly, they also are not known to have a very long fuse, so to speak. He ground his teeth in frustration. In an attempt to show his ire, he took off his goggles and tried to stare down the bigger man

‘Because, you lummox, I’m sure not the pretty lass in the corner of the room at the debutant. And I just saved your keister out there,’ the Engineer poked his gloved finger into the Soldier’s chest, ‘so what’s your issue pal?’

The Soldier looked away, back to looking out the passenger side window. He slammed his elbow into the windowsill and thumped his chin onto his fist. Still hot with rage, the Engineer felt a pang of guilt. He may not be perfect, he surmised, but he was there to help. The seconds ticked over, with the two men not facing each other.

‘Fine,’ the engineer said as he opened the drivers door, ‘sulk. But I want you to know, I may not be the strongest or the fastest but I can handle myself.’ The Soldier whirled his head around, as the Engineer stepped out onto the walkway that led towards the base. The Engineer was sure that he was going to say something, but he didn’t make a sound. There wasn’t even a command barked out. Confused, the Engineer turned and grabbed the edge of the door.

‘Look pal, I appreciate your help but I’m not your charge or missus or something. Just… look, Ill grab us a beer when we get inside. OK?’

‘Roger that sir,’ the Soldier primly replied, belying any feeling.

‘Well, come on. We’re not drinking it in the car. Too gosh darn hot tonight. Even the cicadas reckon so.’

‘Yes sir!’ was the reply as the door swung open and the soldier stood. His expression went back to cool professional as he executed his manoeuvres to position himself towards the base. Each pace was the same, as if dictated by a marching band. As the Soldier stood stoically, the Engineer scooted around the back and grabbed his things.

‘Better drop this junk off at the ‘shop,’ the Engineer stated as he walked towards the entry door. The lights burst on, flooding the area with light. The Engineer blinked as the bright mercury bulbs hurt his normally sheltered eyes.

‘Dangit, damnit,’ the Engineer turned and shielded his face for a few seconds as the spots dimmed from his vision. He turned as the spots faded to check where the Soldier was. He had stopped exactly 70cm behind the Engineer.

‘What maggot?’ the Soldier said as the Engineer realised he had been staring at how that shirt hung on his broad shoulders and the bandolier hung to the strong curves. The Engineer coughed as his face turned red.

‘Sorry partner, my eyes don’t work too good with the bright lights.’

‘Roger.’

‘Well,’ he coughed nervously again, ‘lets get inside’

~~

The workshop was considered organised chaos to most. To the Engineer it was home. Parts of test equipment lay where they were dropped, or had exploded. Blueprints for new devices lined the walls, like disturbingly geeky pinups. The Engineer removed his hard hat and put it on the horn of a steer skull that was haphazardly mounted on the wall. As the Engineer flopped into a worn office chair, he reached around to the mini fridge and grabbed two beers by reflex. The Engineer twisted the lid off of a bottle and handed it to him. The Soldier took the bottle warily and sniffed it pensively, as if it was poisoned or not what it should’ve been.

‘Don’t mope. It’s a new one. Look,’ the Engineer snapped the beer out of his hand and passed him a new one, ‘I’ll have this one, you have the new one’

Seemingly satisfied with the idea, the Soldier took a rather large swig and sat on a discarded crate near the desk. His back was perfectly straight with not a crease on his uniform, the Engineer mused as he took a swig from his bottle.

‘Woah! Easy there partner - these might not seem like it but they kick like a mule!’

The Soldier, however, did not seem to take the suggestion into play at all. He tilted it again, and the last of the bottles’ contents disappeared.

‘Sir, may I have another, sir?’

‘Fer petes sake, don’t call me sir like that. And sure, you can have another, just take yer time.’

This chain of events seemed to go for hours. The Engineer had more than a few, the Soldier quite a lot more. The Soldier on his third started to recant how he beat Rommel with his bare hands in the deserts of Africa. By six, he was telling him how he beat Napoleon at the Battle of the Bulge. The engineer, too good-humoured at this stage did not feel the need to correct him. He doodled further on a random pad.

‘Y’know, pal,’ the Engineers words slurred from the alcohol, ‘I think we’re sleepin at the base tonight. We can talk to that woman in the mornin’

‘Yes sir!’ the Soldier sounded enthusiastic. This was lost on the Engineer.

‘Jimminy crickets, cut the sir stuff out!’ the Engineer scowled

The Soldier looked wounded. The Engineer felt terrible. To break the silence, the Engineer started to shuffle random paperwork on his desk. ‘Y’know what, partner, I have a special wrench. Wanna hear its story?’

‘Yes Engie!’ the Soldier lent forward.

Unfazed at the familiarity of the gesture, the Engineer grabbed out the most beat up wrench at the bottom of the draw that he had progressed to, ‘This was my grandpappys. He made the first sentry with it. Its not as good as the ones I make, I know…’

The Engineer was forced to stop as a big set of hands grabbed him around the neck. He could feel the Soldier’s stubble as he was pulled into a kiss. Shocked, the Engineer swung his wrench, hitting the Soldier on the top of his head. He yelped and let go, allowing the Engineer to break free. Standing up, he spun to the Soldier, who was nursing his head.

‘What are you doing? What the…’ the shock on the Engineers face told more than the words said as he yelled at the big man.

‘Sorry sir,’ the Soldier grumbled, the shock of the injury worn off, ‘I just…’

‘You just what huh?’ the Engineer started to talk more normally. The Soldier grumbled something, so the Engineer picked up the volume, ‘Speak up private!’

‘I just think you’re alright, OK?’

Stunned, the Engineer sat back down. Sure, he had thought of the Soldier along those lines. He was a strapping man, all angles and such. Hell, he had seen the man from his questioning glances at the post battle showers. But he made sure that he didn’t bring up his preference with them. Things like being ‘funny’ were not something that you didn’t bring up in Texas. Many fine, upstanding citizens had been strung up, beaten or shot due to it.

‘Look, I’m sorry,’ the Engineer finally said as he took off his glove, showing a nasty scar, ‘This happened last time something like this,’ he gestured in the air ‘happened. I was…’

This time, the Soldier gently placed his finger across the Engineers mouth to quieten him. ‘Engie, I think you’re swell all right? Don’t make me say it again. Permission?’
‘Fer what?’

The Soldier went back in, his embrace possibly fixing many spinal problems with its force. He kissed the Engineer passionately again. This time though, the Engineer didn’t resist. The Engineer felt the Soldier’s tongue swirl around his mouth as the big hands slowly ran up and down his back. The Engineer felt the hard muscles of the other man move, as he was effortless picked up and moved to the cot near the wall. The Soldier's wide frame pinned the Texan to the ratty foam mattress.

As the big hands fumbled around, the Engineer finally realised all the forays, the uninvited attendances, the looks… it was the true Soldier. It wasn’t the stiff, formal speak or the cusses that he did on a day-to-day basis. It wasn’t the rigid formality or the bugle calls or the war stories. It was a man, a man who has his own insecurities and problems. He’s no god, or super hero. The Engineer gingerly reciprocated the hug, hoping secretly that it would never stop. As the soldier attempted to kiss his neck, the thick strap of his goggles stopped the giant.

‘Uhh partner, you might want to take em off – it’ll make it easier for you.’

‘Oh. OH!’ Soldier said excitedly as the engineer slipped them over his head, tossing them towards the desk. They skidded across the top, wiping out stacks of sorted equations. Soldier then did the unthinkable. He wiggled a hand free and took his helmet off. The Engineer all but stopped as he looked into the blue eyes of the Soldier. Gone were the crazed looks, the barrier that he had put up to protect himself.

The Soldier then continued down, kissing the Engineer gently, much more than the other man thought he could do. His rough hands ran over his body, probing the Texan’s folds. He then started undoing the bib of his overalls. As they hung off of his stocky frame, the Soldier started undoing the man’s uniform shirt. As the cool air of the base hit the warm Engineer, he began to shiver.

‘Not used to this cold y’know…’ the Engineer practically breathed it out as the Soldier started to suckle on a nipple. The Soldier chuckled. It sounded much more evil than what was intended.

‘Won’t be cold for long, hippie.’

The engineer chuckled a little; sometimes things were harder to control. His chuckle was cut short as the gruff man’s hands reached down the front of the bib. The Engineer’s nerves went into overdrive as the calloused hands grabbed his dick. He moaned softly as the soldier started to move his hand to the base of his dick. He felt the hot breath move back up to his ear lobe.

‘How’s that private?’ the soldier whispered into his ear. The fact that he had a tone that wasn’t loud or louder that made the Engineer sigh in pleasure.

‘Sure is nice,’ he breathed out as the rough hand massaged his balls, ‘You want me to get out of these?’

‘Affirmative’ the soldier said as he removed his hand. The Engineer kicked off his boots as the Soldier removed his overalls. The Engineer then started to remove the Soldiers over coat and bandolier, dropping them unceremoniously on the floor. The soldier then twisted the white shirt over his head, showing off his physique to the stocky man. His jaw was agape at what he saw. The man had more scars than the Engineer thought possible. His chest was just fuzzy, the little brown hairs obvious against the white of his skin. The soldier growled, not in frustration, as he took off the Engineers underwear.

‘Eyes forward soldier!’

The Engineer felt exposed as the Soldier straddled his waist, the coarse fabric of the Soldiers pants rubbed on his sensitive dick. The Engineer could smell the sweat and lust on the Soldier’s skin. The Soldier taunted the Engineer with a smirk. The Engineer’s heart stopped just for a moment as the Soldier started to kiss his sternum and move lower, leaving a cold trail of saliva on the Engineer’s skin. The Engineer’s erection got harder as the rough hand started to masturbate the Engineer.

Then he felt something interesting - something that his 11 PHDs could never have taught him. He felt the Soldier take his hand away, and the coarse fabric slip down his legs as they dangled off the cot. For that fraction of a second, the world stopped and he felt as if he was alone. His grin quickly turned to concern until he felt the chapped lips touch the top of his cock.

‘Oooooh’ the Texan slurred the last of the syllables into a moan as he felt the soft tongue ‘Whatcha doing down there son?’

‘Quiet, hippie,’ the Soldier was barely understandable

‘Didn’t yer momma tell you that it’s rude to talk with your mouth full?’ the Engineer chuckled. In retribution, the Soldier started speeding his movement. The Engineer’s breath shortened, engrossed in the perverse sounds of slurping. He bucked and writhed, his moans of pleasure reassuring the military man. The Engineer rested his hand on the back of the Soldier’s head. He started to guide the Soldier faster, pushing him deeper. The Soldier spluttered, the Texan pushing him to the edge of his gag point. The Engineer slackened his grip, concerned that he was hurting him. Unfazed, the Soldier continued his assault on the Engineer’s throbbing member, with each motion slowly deep-throating the Texan further. The Engineer closed his eyes as his head lolled back onto the hard mattress. Finally, with a massive groan, the Engineer unloaded into the eager mouth of the Soldier.

‘Cream gravy!’ the Engineer cried, holding the Soldier on his slowly softening cock.

~~

The next day started for the Engineer like any other. The old alarm clock chirped shrilly just before 6 in the morning. The Engineer knew that there was a daily flag raising ceremony. He also knew that if the flag were to be raised, there would be a bugle. And Soldier would play that bugle. And with a crushing hangover, it would be murder.

The Engineer flopped his arm over and slapped the top of the machine. The radio started to warble out some music, unrecognisable for the static that plagued all the receivers on the base. The Engineer mused to why it is an issue, as he did every morning. He winced as he opened his eyes to the familiar sun blaring in, exacerbating an already extraordinary hangover. He lifted himself off the bed.
Except he couldn’t lift himself up, leaving the Engineer puzzled. Why couldn’t he lift up his torso? He strained again, lifting himself only millimetres off the fabric. His muddled brain went into overdrive. Was the Medic doing some kind of experiment on him? But if it were an experiment, he wouldn’t be in his room. Did he hit his head and become paralysed? A snort and a murmur stopped his musing as he looked over. The Soldier twitched his nose as he shuffled, grabbing the Engineer a bit closer.

The Engineer’s heart stopped for a second. What was the Soldier doing here? Foggy memories of transpired rang though his head. The Engineer’s face went beet red. The soldier mumbled something else and rolled into the Engineer, finally unwrapping the smaller man as his arm moved back under his head. The Engineer sat bolt upright, his head reacting poorly to the sudden movement

‘Nah, just set them on fire,’ the Soldier muttered. Thankfully, the Engineer did not actually know what that meant as he slipped off the bed. His weary limbs plodded towards the door as he scooped up some discarded clothes. He opened his door and veered right, putting on the clothes as he walked towards the kitchen. Breakfast sounded good, even on the queasiest of stomachs.

As he opened the door, he was bombarded with the smell of burning food. Bile rose in his throat. He sucked it back down and walked into the room. Pyro was standing at the small upright, cooking god knows what. The Scout was sitting on a bench, eating his sugary cereal that his mother sent him every week.

‘Hey hard hat!’ he said happily as he chewed through another mouthful of the noxiously coloured crap. He dribbled milk down his chin. ‘You OK? You look like crap. Didn’t catch enough Zs eh?’

The Engineer groaned at both his tone and tempo. It was way too fast and high-pitched for the level of hangover that he had. ‘Tone it down string bean,’ he half mumbled as he shuffled closer to the coffee pot and the freedom of caffeine.

‘Oooh you are not feelin well? Or just had one too many eh?’ the Scout’s tone was mocking as he tipped his hand several times at his mouth. He knew that it would grate on the nerves of the Engineer. ‘You shouldn’t drink that much – you’re too old. If you were as good as me though, I would be fine, but, I’m kind of a big deal.’

‘At ease gentlemen!’

‘Gawd damnit Soldier! Quieten down! You sound like a herd of buffalo and that is not a good thing!’ the Engineer rubbed his temples with his gloved hand as he reached out for the coffee pot

‘What’s that supposed to mean, private?’ the Soldier continued to bellow

The Engineer replaced the pot and started to take a mouthful of what should not be called coffee. More accurately, it should be called hot swill with a side note of burnt.

‘Uhh’ the Scout’s whine should have proved to be omen, but was lost on the Texan. The Engineer turned around, and proceeded with a comedic spit take.

‘Uhh boy, what did you?’ the Engineer was too shocked to finish his sentence

‘What is your major malfunction?’ the Soldier demanded. The Pyro, clutching his plate, finally sat down and noticed the looming Soldier in the doorway. He chuckled, slowly turning to laughter. The Soldier was still saluting, but was wearing a slightly too small shirt - one with a wrench on the sleeves. He was pale, showing how much the alcohol had taken its toll on the beefy man.

‘Where did you grab that shirt?’ the Engineer slowly was returning to normal, his amusement showing through the shock. Well, the proverbial cat was possibly out of the bag.

‘It’s mine,’ the Soldier stated matter-of-factly.

‘Uhh, partner, I would take a closer look, if you know what I mean.’

‘Yeah, ya knucklehead, I don’t think it is yours - unless you’ve got to tell us something,’ the Scout quipped, barely able to contain his laughter. The Pyro continued to laugh, slapping the table for good measure.

The Soldier’s entire face furrowed, the concentration evident to try and understand the other men. The Pyro pointed to the badge on his shirt. The Soldier puzzled as he looked down at his arm. The embarrassment was evident on his face.

‘Err,’ the Soldier stammered. The Engineer thought it was cute. ‘Well, as you were!’ The Soldier quickly unbuttoned the shirt, leaving his white undershirt on, and stuffed it under his arm.

‘Don’t worry brudda,’ the Scout smirked, ‘we won’t say nothin. Nothin at all.’

‘Say what cobber?’ the Sniper walked in, sucking a long drag on his cigarette. The Pyro started to mumble out part of what had just happened. The Scout, finally standing after slurping up the milk in the bowl, smacked the gas masked man on the back of the head.

‘It’s about how Pyro just tried to burn down the kitchen,’ the Scout quickly filled the gap to prevent the man from mumbling out something rather more inappropriate. The Engineer looked relieved at his quick thinking.

‘So, just a normal morning with you sheilas?’ the Sniper smiled and filled up his coffee mug with the last of the brew.