A:N: Here's another one-shot, though more dramatic this time around, without further ado here we go:

Washington was cleaning an assault rifle with Caboose prattling into his ear as he worked.

To anyone else that would most likely be really annoying but Wash had come to find it soothing in a way, whilst Caboose certainly was testing at times he usually meant well and besides he was harmless.

To anyone that was not on their own team.

Wash did make half an effort to listen but it was so easy to drift off into more pressing subject such as how much ammo was left, who was making sure they had food tonight, what time and place the Reds were going to 'attack' again.

"Washington did you hear me?"

Wash answered "Of course Caboose."

Caboose said relieved "Oh that is good because I don't think Tucker would be pleased if you left him alone to fight an army."

Wash stilled his movements attention now solely on the Blue soldier "Caboose what army? You mean the Reds right."

Caboose shook his head "No Tucker just spoke to me in my head and told to get you because there is a ship coming and he doesn't know what they want."

Washington loaded up his weapon in quick well rehearsed motions he told Caboose sharply "Go get Church and head over to Red base and wait for me there until I assess the situation. Do you understand Caboose?"

Caboose stayed quiet then said "I can do that."

Washington didn't really believe he had listened to half of that, so he said "Look just go to Church OK?"

Caboose piped up "Yes I will! Maybe Church will be over that headache that only happens when I am near him!"

"Yes he might be, go Caboose."

Washington started running towards Tuckers last location radioing Church as he moved, "Church do you read me?"

"Wish I couldn't, what's up Wash you gotten lazy enough that you can't be bothered to talk to me in person anymore?"

"I've sent Caboose to find you, take him with you to Red base and wait for me there, I'm going to get Tucker now."

"Hey since when do you give the orders around here?"

"Since Tucker spotted an unknown ship heading our way and we have no current intel on who's aboard or how many of them there are."

"Oh shit! You think it's the UNSC?"

"I don't know. ."

"Hey Wash-!"

Washington's radio cut off as he came up to Tucker's side crouching down beside him, "Where did you see it?"

Tucker pointed to the right "Over there. They're definitely heading this way whoever they are."

Washington spotted them trying to judge the ships origins by any markers or emblems, "Why didn't you radio me directly first?"

Tucker said "I tried but it's like the signal is dying, weak or jammed somehow. I was lucky enough to get through to Caboose let alone get a hold of you."

Washington looked through his gun scope watching the shuttle, it circled about three hundred meters from his position then started to fly back the way they came.

Tucker said "Huh looks like a false alarm they're leaving."

Wash had a horrible sensation telling him that it wasn't that simple, when he seen a shimmery figure drop towards the ground he yanked Tucker back with him towards Blue base.

Tucker yelped "What the hell Wash!?"

Washington snapped "Save your breath for running they dropped someone and I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of facing them out in the open!"

Tucker ran instep with him as they drew closer to Blue base saying "Oh great! Who are they? Could they be another freelancer gone wild because that's all we nee-!"

A shot rang out and Tucker crumpled to the ground.

Wash stopped dropping to the teal soldiers side "Tucker! Where were you hit? Talk to me."

Tucker groaned but lifted his helmet he tried to talk but a horrible wet sound burbled out, Wash felt around for the wound his nerves tight as he knew the shooter was still out there and could be lining up a second shot every second he wasted. Tucker need help though, and when he seen red blood spill out of his throat area his insides turned to ice.

"Tucker stay with me don't you dare loose consciousness!"

He slung the teal soldiers arm over his own dragging him over the last few meters into Blue base once in there he sat Tucker down against a wall to dig quickly through cupboards for medical equipment Doc had started supplying more in both bases.

He grabbed a bunch of gauze and removed Tuckers helmet pressing it firmly against the wound.

He didn't look good.

Tucker's eyes were glassy and his face was losing color.

Wash said "Hang in there Tucker you're going to be alright."

Tucker blearily looked at him, his hand clumsily grabbed Wash's shoulder offering a weak grin before the bloody hand slipped off and his head went limp.

Wash froze, no this couldn't be happening, "Tucker?"

He didn't move.

Washington felt for a pulse "No. No DAMMIT TUCKER!"

He laid him down yanking off his own helmet starting chest compressions, "One two three."

If Sarge could survive a shot to the head if their stories of Blood Gulch were true Tucker could pull through this.

"Four five six."

He wasn't even sure he was doing this right, he had never learned CPR but it couldn't be hard you just pump and breath.

"Seven eight nine."

Was he supposed to breath now, didn't matter it couldn't wait, he tilted Tucker's head back blowing in two deep breath's then resumed pumping.

"Come on Tucker."

His lips tasted metallic, blood was everywhere, "Ten, eleven, twelve."

His hands slipped off the armor and Wash fell over him breathing heavily, shakily he felt for a pulse, nothing.

He'd failed.

He stared at Tuckers lifeless body for a moment then closed his eyes replacing his helmet, the radio immediately come to life with Church's voice nearly yelling "Wash you there!? We're in some serious shit over here!"

Wash shot up grabbing his gun sprinting over to Red base, "I'm on my way. What's happening over there!?"

An explosion boomed over the radio then static sounds fizzled over.

Wash pushed himself to run faster "CHURCH!? Church talk to me!"

He ran straight into the heart of Red base to be greeted by the still forms of Church, Lopez, Caboose and Donut.

Church and Lopez's bodies were literally in pieces scattered across the room that were nearly black from burn marks, Caboose was slumped by a wall two neat holes in the spider web cracks in his visor with Donut not two inches away from him with his neck turned at impossible angle.

Wash didn't need to check he knew they were gone.

Everything was falling apart.

Gunfire and yelling drew him down the hall to Sarge, Grif, Simmons and Doc were firing at an enemy in the shadows at the end of the corridor.

Grif yelled "Took you long enough to show up!"

Sarge snapped "Grif don't yell at a superior officer in battle!"

Grif shouted back "Oh up yours we mightn't even survive this and you're bitching about me yelling at him!? I think we have bigger priorities right now!"

Simmons fired a rocket down the hall that the figure dived out of the way of and retaliated with a grenade, Wash punched it straight back that the person barely avoided.

Simmons said "This isn't looking good I only have two rockets left."

Grif said "Oh and did it look any better before when Donut got his neck snapped?!"

Simmons snapped back "Shut up dumb ass!"

"Make me!"

Wash fired at the enemy until he was in cover, he ducked as the fire was returned, he noticed Doc huddled up to the wall beside him with his hands on his ears. Wash placed a hand on his shoulder "Doc are you injured?"

Doc shook his head "Nope I'm fine but the others.."

Wash swallowed "I know. We're going to be fine."

Sarge's shotgun jammed and in that brief second the enemy used the chance to fire shooting straight through his visor.

Simmons shouted "SARGE! Doc do something!"

Wash noticed the enemy toss something, not waiting to find out what he grabbed their shoulders dragging them back "MOVE! MOVE NOW!"

They didn't get far enough away as the bombs exploded in a shower of shrapnel and plasma, Wash got blown back the furthest hitting his head hard on the ground.

Wash sat up noticing Grif against one wall and Simmons and Doc against the other, blood ran down their fronts turning the hallway floor red as they mixed and spread in a shallow river.

Wash called out "Are you alright!"

Something was glowing behind him.

Wash turned to see Church in his ghostly form standing behind him, "Church thank goodness you're alive, the others need help."

"They're dead." A cold voice said ahead of him.

"They're all dead David, don't you see? Alone again because you didn't belong, you never did. You shouldn't have tried to fool yourself into thinking that you could in the first place."

Wash got up clutching his side "Church we have to get out of here whilst we still can."

He didn't move or say anything.

Washington noticed his feet were dissolving into pixels like he was breaking apart. "Church!? No! Stop! Please don't leave!"

The voice said "He's already gone, you lost him ages ago."

Wash stepped back as the ghostly image took on a paler hue with blue streaks crisscrossing the body like tattoo's.

"Epsilon?"

The voice laughed "Oh David always the slow one but even you get there in the end."

Epsilon let out a scream them burst into nothing.

Wash stumbled to face the enemy that had ruined everything that he had in one day, "WHO ARE YOU!?"

The figure stepped out of the shadows "Aw I'm hurt you don't recognize me?"

Wash raised his pistol only to be faced with himself, he stepped back "This can't be real, you're not me!"

The lookalike laughed "But I am! I'm you! And you just had such a great time killing off all these rejects."

Wash grabbed his head "No, I didn't I tried to save them!"

His duplicate said "Did you?"

Suddenly the events played out for him from the other side he sniped Tucker, he blew Church up, he snapped Donuts neck as he pleaded for him to stop, he shot Caboose in the face then took his chance to snipe Sarge and throw the final blow of a mix of plasma, cluster and normal grenades hoping to shred the survivors from the inside out.

He clutched his helmet "It wasn't me! I wouldn't! I'm innocent!"

A voice whispered in his ear "Are you?"

He looked down at himself to find blood coloring his armor red, dripping off his hands into puddles at his feet.

Washington screamed.

"Wash! Washington! Yo wake up!"

Wash surged upright nearly smacking his head on Tucker's chest "Woah man be careful!"

Wash heaved in great gasps of air the chilling words of his double echoing in his head 'Alone again because you didn't belong, you never did.' he covered his face breathing in and out deeply trying to calm himself.

"Hey Doc is he having an asthma attack or something? Cuz he doesn't look so good."

That sounded like Church.

Wash lowered his hands to look around to find the Reds and Blues all watching him expectantly with Doc by his side reading notes.

Grif said "Yeah because he's going to feel awesome waking up on a table with Doc taking care of him."

Simmons added "Yeah I guess it would it be a bit worrying, still at least he used actual painkillers and not aloe vera this time."

Donut said "I don't know what you guys are complaining about I use that stuff for all kinds of ailments especially for my injection point."

Doc asked "Hey Wash how do you feel?"

Washington rubbed his head "OK I guess."

Doc said cheerfully "Well that's good we didn't think you'd wake up so soon after getting hit by that gravity hammer."

Wash's eyes flickered around the troops he'd just killed and watched die, he really hoped it was all a dream, a horrible nightmare and each second that passed he dared to believe it more.

He couldn't help but ask though "Am I dead?"

Sarge said "I wish but unfortunately you managed to get away lightly after getting hit in one of our Grifball practices but you won't be so lucky next time. I'll be back. "

Grif said "See this is why you should clearly mark the gameplay area so no unsuspecting bystanders get knocked out for passing by."

Wash exhaled "Knocked out. Just knocked out."

Just a dream.

"So nobody attacked us?"

Church said "Well apart from the Reds the other day no. Why are you expecting somebody to jump us?"

Washington laid back down clutching his aching head "I hope not."

Doc stood up "OK everybody out, I think he could benefit some peace and quiet."

Sarge slapped his shoulder "Man up Bluetard and get fit soon. We can't fight without you because it makes the rest of the idiots to easy too beat!"

Grif complained "Yeah but we can't win when he fights."

Sarge smacked him,

"OW!"

"Suck it up ya big orange baby that's not the right attitude to have! With the right strategy and training anything is possible!"

Simmons said "I agree Sir!"

Donut all but skipped over to Wash's side giving him a quick hug "I hope you feel better so you can eat the get well soon chocolate cake I'm baking you."

Wash remained still even as Donut pulled back.

Wash mumbled "I'll try."

Sarge growled "Donut no baking for the enemy! Unless the cakes poisoned, in which case good job soldier."

Grif muttered "Like that would work now they've heard you say that."

Tucker said "I dunno, Church will eat almost anything if there's no snacks left."

Church replied "Bite me Tucker."

Donut sounded excited "Yeah Tucker dig in there!"

Simmons said in exasperated tone "Donut."

Caboose left a weed on the bench saying "I hope you feel better soon Washingtub, for a little while I was worried you stay sleeping forever but it's OK now because you are awake."

Wash forced a small smile "I'll be fine Caboose."

Doc managed to shoe them out as they bickered as usual.

Apart from Church who lingered back for a minute awkwardly "You know you were kinda freaking out there for a while, thrashing about and yelling stuff almost like you fighting an invisible enemy."

Wash stared at the ceiling "Must have been the medicine."

Church answered "Yeah I guess."He hovered for another minute then said "You know I've been in your head before, I could take another look and try and sort some things out or lock some shit up if you want."

Washington looked at him "I'll be fine, but thanks anyway."

Church shrugged "Don't mention it."

Wash watched him go then picked up the weed Caboose had left running his fingers over the plant to try and take his mind off the horrifying images still fresh in his mind.

He didn't dare shut his eyes in case the scene replayed or picked up where it left off.

There was something he felt for certain just by the actions of the simulation soldiers.

He did belong here.

Perhaps to begin with he didn't.

After all he was just the Church replacement.

The ex-freelancer that got screwed over more times than he wanted to remember that they took pity on.

Sure he had made mistakes in the past, he knew that and yes he'd ended up hurting the people he once called his friends but it hadn't been what he'd wanted.

They had turned against him bringing to life that monster locked away deep inside, the killer that had risen up protecting him from forming anymore attachments, the cold cruel logical that thinker took pride in getting a task done no matter how messy.

It was almost like a second person hiding beneath his skin, the alter ego that first appeared when Epsilon did and the one he was afraid would come back if he wasn't being careful.

A part of himself he no longer needed.

The Reds and Blues may not be the most conventional of soldiers but they take care of their own and whilst they never said anything he could tell he was one of them now whether he wanted to be or not.

Washington liked that.

His grip on the weed tightened with his silent resolve.

He would find a way to finally let go his inner demons for good.

"I'm too old to keep believing in the bogeyman."

~The end