Author's Notes:

I'm sure many of you were looking forward to a Training Day Chapter for each of the mercs. However, I'm afraid I won't be able to, at least not here. My reasonings are twofold.

First, given Fluttershy's diminutive size at this point in the story, some of the mercs styles are incompatible with her frame. For example, she's too small to hold a sniper rifle, so no Sniper training.

Second, this story is, in a way, therapeutic for me, in that I get to write cute and funny Fluttershy moments in a scenario totally alien to Fluttershy's normal setting, which to me makes them even cuter and funnier...and I have no idea how to make most of the trainings cute and/or funny.

So this will be the last Training Day chapter for a while, and then I can write chapters I've had planned for a while with more cute and funny moments.

Hope you're all okay with that. And if you're upset about a merc's class being skipped...feel free to submit a guest chapter. If I enjoy it, I might just post it as an Omake.

Medic smiled down at Fluttershy as she carefully examined the medi-gun, asking questions about how it worked and the controls. This was his turn to train her, and he was happy to do so with such an apt pupil. However, it was plain his explanations of how the gun actually worked were going so far over her head they were hitting the moon.

Sighing, he spoke up. "Fluttershy, you're still too young to grasp the complexities of the medigun's workings, and lack the background education to understand the technicalities. Perhaps it would be best if we instead focused on how to use the medigun, rather than how one is made."

Fluttershy nodded. "Okay. How do I turn it on?"

Medic chuckled. "It's a bit more than that. First, see this pack?" He pointed to the pack he always had strapped to his back in combat. "If the gun isn't connected to this, it won't work. So don't let the cord get cut."

Fluttershy nodded. "Okay. Don't cut the cord."

He then pointed to the primary toggle on the main body of the gun. "This turns it on and off, so that the healing science energy comes out the barrel. Don't worry too much about aiming. It will automatically lock on to the nearest allied compatible heart in your line of sight, assuming they are in range."

"How does it know which hearts are compatible?" Fluttershy asked.

Medic grinned. "Remember your anatomy lessons?" Fluttershy nodded. "Remember the mechanical device attached to Heavy's heart?" She nodded again. "That device is the lock on point for the medigun. It's what allows the energy of the medigun to amplify the biological functions of the target to accelerate natural healing beyond normal levels." He then pointed to a switch on the gun. "And this switches between healing and overdrive modes."

"Overdrive?" Fluttershy asked eagerly.

He chuckled indulgently. "Yes, Overdrive. This mode releases a flood of energy into the subject, making them capable of taking much greater damage and causing healing to happen at a much greater rate. It also causes a surge of aggression, but that's a feature, not a bug."

The little filly nodded eagerly. "So what else do I need to know?"

Medic smiled indulgently. "As far as operating the medigun, that's it. All that's left is strategy in how to use it." He leaned back in thought. "There are two primary ways to use it to help the team; nearly all other strategies are variations of these two methods. The first is to wander around the battlefield to find those who are injured and heal them. But-"

"But wouldn't that leave you really open to enemy fire?" Fluttershy asked curiously, remembering Soldier's nearly constant yelling about 'taking cover'.

The healer's grin was wide enough to eclipse his face. "Exactly! If you aren't careful doing that, you'll end up dead before you can reach an ally in need. The second strategy is referred to as the 'pocket Medic'."

Tilting her head in confusion, Fluttershy glanced in the saddlebags Engineer had designed for her - sewn by Spy and Pyro - to hold her equipment. "I don't think you'd fit, Daddiem," she commented in confusion.

Medic tilted his head back as he laughed. "No, not like that! It is a metaphor, Fluttershy." He thought for a bit. "How much in the way of details do you remember from your first battle?"

Fluttershy shuddered a little. "All of it," she whimpered, as the image of all of her family slowly being cut down, pinned, and almost slaughtered still haunted her. It was one thing to know, intellectually, that death wasn't permanent in the fortress, even with seeing how it happened. It was quite another to get past the emotional pain of seeing those who were so greatly enjoying cutting her family down. Heavy's pained voice calling out 'Doctor!' still woke her shivering some nights.

Medic quickly scooped her up in a tight hug. "There, there, Fluttershy," he whispered, comforting her. "Don't fret, don't cry, the pain will pass in time." He held her like that until her shivers stopped and she nuzzled his chest. "Do you remember how my counterpart - the BLU me - was fighting that day?"

Fluttershy sighed. That part wasn't as painful, since there wasn't any actual killing happening there, as the BLU Medic hadn't done any killing and the BLU Heavy hadn't actually hit anyone. "Umm...he was staying close to the BLU Big Daddy, and...that light coming off him was the Overdrive?" At Medic's nod, she continued. "He kept him in Overdrive, staying close behind him...using him as cover?"

"Exactly!" Medic proclaimed. "Well deduced! The second method, the 'Pocket Medic', involves choosing one fellow mercenary who is able to both deal and take large amounts of damage and staying behind them so that they absorb damage meant for you while you keep them in Overdrive...staying in their back pocket, as it were."

Fluttershy nodded. "And that way, any injured allies come to you, instead, where the Overdrived ally can protect them as well!"

Medic applauded. "Well thought!" he proclaimed, setting her down.

She glanced at the Overdrive switch. "The BLU's have the interface devices, too, right? Why doesn't the medigun lock onto them?"

"The two teams use a different frequency," Medic explained.

"Could you find the other team's frequency?"

"...yes...why?"

Fluttershy tilted her head in thought. "Well, if pumping energy into the device and the subject amplifies healing and restores strength...couldn't draining energy out of it slow healing and weaken strength?"

"Draining the health right out of them?" Medic concluded. "In theory, yes. In practice, without somewhere for the extra energy to go, the medigun explodes. I tried that once."

"What if you hooked the medigun's exhaust to a different energy based weapon? So that the drained energy was immediately released in an attack? Like Mama's air gun?"

Medic raised his hand as he opened his mouth, about to explain why such a thing wouldn't work...and paused. "...well I'll be..." he muttered. "Why did I never think of that? I will need to speak with Engineer about designing such a system." Leaning over, he stroked Fluttershy's head. "Well done, little one."

Fluttershy smiled happily, leaning into the caress.

"And I have a surprise for you." Reaching into a compartment in the lab. "Since you've been such a good student, I think you're ready to try out what you've learned." He opened the box, revealing a miniaturized version of the medigun and connected pack, small enough for Fluttershy's frame...and with a hoof grip.

Fluttershy gasped. "For me?" she asked, awed.

Medic grinned widely. "Consider it a late birthday present," he said, hugging her. He then helped her situate it to her back. "Now, the smaller size means it isn't as efficient as mine, and the Overdrive won't give as big a boost...but you're far more maneuverable than I, so I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out." Once it was strapped onto her, he stood up with a wide grin. "Now it's time for the practice round Soldier's insisting we do now to keep our skills up after our 'shameful performance' on your birthday. We've divided up into two teams. Since you'll be Medic for one team, we've added a rule that Medics - that will be you and me - aren't valid targets, so no attacking us."

Fluttershy giggled. "We still get to attack, right?"

Medic laughed. "You've gotten vicious, little one. I like it!"

The teams had been divided rather evenly. On Fluttershy's team were Heavy, Pyro, Spy, and Sniper. On Medic's team were Soldier, Demoman, Engineer, and Scout. Once the teams were divided and separate bases had been proclaimed within the fortress, the practice battle commenced.

While at first it seemed rather even, with both sides taking hits and/or casualties as they fought, balance started to sway towards Fluttershy's team. Not only was Heavy constantly in Overdrive, but there was no sign of Fluttershy.

Eventually, it looked like Scout would sway the balance as he snuck up behind Heavy, determined to get a one hit kill by bashing his head in from behind. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken one thing into account. Heavy's pack looked full...but he'd only brought Sasha, using his own fists for Melee. He should have wondered what else was in the pack.

As he came up from behind, the pack unzipped from within. Fluttershy popped her head out and threw one of her Butterfly knives, catching Scout right in the eye.

Fluttershy (headstab) Scout

Giggling, Fluttershy ducked back into the pack. Her medigun was braced between her own body and Heavy's back, locked in Overdrive and switched on, so it was always pumping into Heavy. She also had her frying pan - a gift from Demoman - and her butterfly knives. She took being a 'pocket Medic' quite seriously.