team fortress 2 · mercenaries · chaotic · slapstick humor · multiplayer game · combat · distinct classes · absurdity · violence · ensemble cast
The fluorescent lights of the mercenary base hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the worn concrete floor. Dust motes danced in the beams that cut through the grimy windows, where the New Mexico sun baked the desert outside. In the administrator's office, the air was thick with cigarette smoke, curling around the monitors that flickered with camera feeds from every corner of the base. The Administrator sat like a queen on a throne of leather, her fingers tapping ash into a crystal tray. Ms Pauling stood before her, clutching a stack of papers, her pencil tapping nervously against her thigh. "Let me get this straight," Ms Pauling began, her voice tight. "Tomorrow, we'll be getting a new member on the mercenary team?" The Administrator took a long drag, exhaled slowly, and said, "Yes,…