Team Fortress: Soaked Through

Chapter Ten: Opened Eyes

"Demo..."

"Yeah?"

Sniper was half asleep, trying to feel his way out of bed. Instead of a mattress and sheets, however, his hand met hard, cold ground. He could hear Demo groaning.

"Jesus. Did it work?"

Sniper yawned. "Don't know. Can you see?"

"Not a thing. I can't even tell if my eyes are open."

All of a sudden, a chipper, almost saccharine voice echoed over them.

"Welcome to the Conscious Subconscious, guys! Where minds collide and souls intertwine! Go ahead and open your eyes to continue the tour!"

"Who are you?" Demo yelled into the darkness.

"Just your friendly tour guide! The name's Tractus, and I've got a treat for you! We're a team, though. We've gotta work together!"

Sniper struggled to his feet, still blind as a bat.

"My eyes are open, mate, but I can't see a bloody thing!"

A forced and trilling laugh filled the air.

"Not your physical eyes, silly! Your dream eyes. C'mon, I believe in you!"

"Dream eyes?"

"Focus all your energy to the back of your eyelids! Just mosey it it all down there!"

Sniper could hear Demo scoff, but he still tried his best to do what Tractus said. He rolled his eyes into the back of his head, concentrating. Wait. It was working! Sniper could see a blurry image of his own body as he looked down at it. He focused more and more, and the blurriness faded into something much clearer. Then, with a sudden lurch, his body seemed to solidify, and his eyes shot back to their original positions.

   The view wasn't the otherworldly menagerie that Sniper expected. Instead of a Wonderland, it seemed to be a No Man's Land. There was a black, reflective floor, shimmering like well-polished marble. But other than his reflection, Sniper couldn't see anything else.

   "Demo! Where are you? Roll your eyes back, man!"

   There was a grunt, then a dull thud behind him. When Sniper turned, he saw Demo flat on his back. Once the Scot saw Sniper, he grinned.

   "Guess I don't travel well, eh?"

   "Get off your back and help me find that B.L.U. He's still a prisoner."

   "Vell. Zhat is razer hurtful."

   With a light swishing sound, the B.L.U Medic appeared out of nowhere. He was completely upright and alert, albeit a little irritated.

   "Zhat is zhe last time I take zhe ozher side under my ving. I have already found a guide and retraced your Medic's steps zhrough ze neuron vine. And vhat vere you doing? Struggling in between realities!"

   Sniper raised his eyebrows. "A mite touchier than our Medic, aren'tcha?"

   "Your Medic isn't treated as a prisoner! He vas treated as a human being!"

   "Okay, okay. I get it. You're doing us a favor. But you can't be too careful."

   "Ja, you can't be too careful! Vhich is exactly vhy you should see me as a temporary ally razer zhan eternal enemies! You treat somevun like zhat enough..."

   B.L.U Medic quickly pulled out a knife - one quite a bit bigger than his surgical knife.

   "Zhey begin to believe it."