"This is agent Washington's log," Washington said in his helmet's record. As the new helmet had seen little usage the storage space was mostly empty and Wash's last helmet was lost. "The Meta and I located the Epsilon A.I. and we were ambushed by the assumed to be dead agent Texas, Meta and I engaged Texas and after," Wash grimaced a little, "a few lucky punches. The Meta was able to trap her but then proceeded to attack Epsilon and I. Most likely thinking he could trap or utilize the Epsilon A.I. and Texas in her A.I. form." Wash would need to ask one of the other solders on how she survived the E.M.P.
This only reminded him of what happened next. "Then the blue and red solders crash landed almost on top of us and we engaged the Meta and after a near death experience, the Meta was thrown of the nearby cliff. After a few minutes of restless sleep I awoke to find both the Epsilon and Texas A.I. units were captured in the A.I. capture unit." The next part would be hard to explain but it was the truth. "Then the blue and red solders offered me to join them, I accepted choosing the life of a boring test solder then as a prisoner." Wash took a moment to turn over to the blue and red solders. "I ended up taking the identity of the blue's leader and now we are being escorted back to the blue and red's bases with an escort on a UNSC air craft, end log entry." As the recording system closed Wash started to walk to his new 'team'.
On the way through the long plane Wash counted 3 soldiers in the back of the ship, 2 doing an arm wrestling contest with the last just watching the other 2 UNSC. In the middle of the plane were the blue solders were being examined by Doc. Finally the red solders were talking to one of the UNSC solders and it didn't seem to be going very well.
"I don't understand," Sarge looked at the UNSC Solder "Why do we need an escort to our base? We know where it is. What are we getting a parade?"
The Solder let out a large sigh, "No you aren't getting a parade, your being-"
"That makes no sense!" Sarge started to lode his weapon. "I thought we killed your ultimate enemy, the agent that no team has even gotten one shotgun to the face to the guy! And you aren't giving the red team as much as a parade!" Sarge started to point his weapon at the solder.
"With an argument like that I would say a parade is more than in order for the red team." Simmons agreed with his leader.
"Wait will there be cake at this parade, Oh maybe even blimp!" Grif said clearly being very sarcastic in tone.
"Yeah, and maybe the blimp will be a giant cake and you will run towards it and it will smash right on top of you. Both killing you and giving me a delicious cake topped with your blood." Sarge said to the golden solder turning over his weapon to the solder.
"You guys are crazy," the UNSC solder said to the three red solders.
"Are we really crazy or are you the crazy ones?" Grif asked the solder.
"What? How am I crazy?" the solder asked.
"Well," Simmons turned to the solder, "your people tried to sends Freelancers to hunt down and capture an A.I. right?"
"Well uh, wait why should I explain the UNSC's plans to you? And you aren't getting a parade because you crashed my plane!" the solder yelled. "And that's why you sociopaths need to be brought back to your base in a military armed plane transporter!" Simmons looked down the way of the plane to see 3 armed guards in some arm wrestling contest.
"Well if you ask me, I'd say you-"Sarge started to say.
"No you can just go and sit down and shut up for the rest of the flight back to your crazy training base" and with that the UNSC solder started to walk to the front of the ship.
"Well Sarge looks like I won't get my blimp cake after all" Grif said relaxing in his seat.
"GRRRRRRRRR" Sarge started to grumble as he started to go to the other side of the plane to look out one of the windows in a clearly angry manner.
"Nice going Grif, now we have an angry and overconfident Sarge when we get back to base." Simmons started to worry what Sarge would do when they got back to base.
"Whatever, I'm the one who got the kickass weapon from the rouge freelancer." Grif kicked under his seat showing the weapon he 'took' from the Meta.
"Wait you kept that! You were supposed to give that to the Solders for evidence!" Simmons said in disbelief.
"Technically I was supposed to give it to the UNSC to move it to the next location this plane touches down." Grif started to explain. "And when we land I will take this kickass weapon and put it up on my wall."
"That sounds stupid."
"Well were you the one who took it from the scary freelancer?"
"You didn't take it; he dropped it during the fight!"
"And I call that the second time freelancers leave their stuff lying around, and I get the rewards."
"Wait," Simmons said a little confused. "The second time? When was the first time?"
"You don't remember? Oh then I'm not spoiling this," Grif snickered to himself. "Simmons theirs going to be a lot of changes in Red base."
Simmons sighed thinking back at how things would be different now without Donut. "Man what I wouldn't give to have Donut back."
Grif tried to remain quiet at Simmons comment but still felt like bosting a little. "Well at least his killer is dead right."
"What?" Simmons said incredulously. "The Meta didn't kill Donut."
"Wait what?" Grif looked back at Simmons a little confused and shocked.
"Thanks Doc," Tucker had just finished being checked up by Doc while Caboose stood a few feet away talking to himself. "You are sure you won't check on Caboose to?" Tucker said as he started to get up to stretch.
"I don't think there is anything I could do to help him" Doc commented as Caboose continued to talk to himself.
"Lite blue armor, sometimes white-ish armor, kind of fat," Caboose continued to list stuff as random.
"Well try something I don't want hear stuff like that for the rest of my life." Tucker complained.
"He may be in shock," Doc said sheepishly. "Or maybe he is just trying to recall something."
"Why don't you just ask him?" Wash asked as he walked up to the group.
"Hey Agent Washin-"Doc started to say but Wash cut him off. "Oh right, uh hey Church." Doc said a little remorsefully.
"Church!" Caboose yelled snapping out of his funk instantly and running to Wash. "Church you are ok! It's good to see you again! Did you find Tex how did you escape the-" Wash put a hand over Caboose's mouth piece.
"Caboose, just, just promise me you will be quite. OK?" Wash order Caboose. The Blue solder nodded and Wash took his hand of Caboose's helmet. Tucker looked at Caboose.
"Caboose you know who that is right?" Tucker said looking at Caboose as Wash gave Tucker a murderous gaze.
"Yeah, that's Church, silly Tucker." Caboose said still looking at Wash.
"That's right Caboose," Wash said still looking at Tucker. "But now would you like to play a game Caboose?" Wash asked.
"Is it the quite game? Because I'm really good at that game."
"No! I want you to play I spy." Washington started to explain as Caboose continued to stare at Wash along with Doc and Tucker. "But this is special game of I spy, and here is how you play. You will go over to a window and look for your base and tell me when you see it. But the base needs to be bigger than me before you tell me. Isn't that a fun game?"
Caboose looked at Wash for a few seconds "OK Church." Then Caboose walked over to a window near Sarge who was still grumbling about Grif.
"Good job Church," Tucker said as Wash sighed as he couldn't believe that worked. "You managed to outwit Caboose, but as long as you have that armor he is going to stay on you."
"You actually sound concerned." Wash said in a slight sarcastic tone.
"Na I'm actually happy because every time I have been near Caboose he has almost killed me or killed Church." Tucker started to walk down the plane. "Good luck dealing with him Church." Wash sighed again as Tucker walked down the plane.
"I would just give him time Church you can't make a good impression on everyone." Doc tried to say reassuring him.
"I never give a good impression, I literally dragged you trapped in a wall across a desert."
"Actually the Meta was the one who dragged me there."
"Is this supposed to help me or just make me angry?" Wash said with slight anger.
"The point is you didn't kill me and fought the Meta to protect us. You may be some crazy solder guy but there is a good person in you and trust me I know when there is a good person in someone who is openly evil." Doc tried to be reassuring.
Wash turned away from Doc and started to walk back to where he was standing before, but turned back to doc. "Thanks for the words of thought." As Wash walked past Caboose and Sarge, Sarge still slightly angry looked at Wash from the corner of his eye.
"I don't think his that tough," Sarge said mostly to himself as he turned back to his window. Caboose looked out a window to the left of Sarge looking for his base. "I bet he can't even kill a blue as good I can!"
"Well" Caboose started to say a little reluctantly while still looking out the window. "At least now there are going to be more blues at blue base right Red Sargent." Sarge slowly turned to Caboose.
"I will never understand you Caboose."
"That's what Tucker says to..."
"Who knows maybe our teams can go back to endlessly killing each other for no purpose other than to see the other strung up on the bloody wall of war, waving the red flag in victory over your bloody corps!" Sarge started to say with his normal vigor.
"Um Sarge?" Grif walked up to Sarge. Sarge started to growl again.
"What is it Grif?" Sarge said with a clear anger in his voice
"Did you know Lopez and Donut are dead?" Grif asked as Simmons started to walk up behind him.
"Did you forget I told you that at that alien temple, that your rescue 'mission' brought us to?" Sarge pointed out.
"Oh Yeah," Caboose turned to Grif "thanks for my S-And miss-and."
"Caboose!" Wash yelled as he was forced to arm wrestle against one of the 3 soldiers in the back of the plane.
"Right! Not small base I Spy game!" Caboose quickly turned back to the window.
"Uh you're welcome?" Grif said and turned back to Sarge. "Anyway did you know that agent Washington was the only who killed them?" Sarge looked back at Grif then looked to Simmons.
"Simmons, as the person who was with Donut in his last moments. Is what Grif saying false and by that extent lying to a superior officer and can then be thrown out of the red army permanently?"
"Well Grif is telling the truth, as far as I can tell." Simmons said with a little doubt in his voice.
Sarge turned in the direction of Wash as the former Agent of Project freelancer as he pinned the UNSC solder without showing much effort at all. "Men," Sarge said in a voice Grif and Simmons knew all too well. "I think blue team is soon to be in a world of pain, population three."
"You know that same World of pain could also ably to use to right?"
"Do you really think that it would madder?" Grif said as he looked at his 'Leader' standing next to his window ready to land and start the same worthless battle that Grif now knew was completely worthless.
"Um guys?" Caboose said in a worrying tone still looking out his window. "Do you ever get the feeling that something bad is going to happen?"
"That's the spirit Caboose! Now just keep that bad feeling that every blue you know will soon be dead and know it will become a reality." Sarge said with way too much vigor.
"No it's kind of like a bad feeling in my head, maybe in my chest a little." Caboose continued to talk as Grif decided to go back to his hidden trophy as Simmons looked at both Caboose and Sarge looking out passionately for their respective bases.
"Well," Simmons started to walk back to a seat and maybe get a quick nap before they land "at least things could be a lot worse."