Two Freelancers stood shoulder to shoulder in a room filled with large screens, one clad in steel and yellow, the other in silver and orchid. They were silent as they watched as a Red was brought into the room flanked by two grey soldiers.
"Thank you gentlemen, would you please excuse us." The Counsellor said to the two soldiers, who left the room soon after. "You are Private Walter Henderson, correct?"
"Yes Sir." The Red respectfully replied.
"You can dispense with the formalities Walter. Please feel comfortable to speak as candidly as you wish. Can you tell us what happened at your outpost, Walter?"
"Yes Sir-ah, yes. I had been there about six months. Everything was pretty much like normal and one day this... ship... crashed."
"I see. Is this the ship to which you are referring?" The Counsellor asked as a holographic representation of a transport ship.
"Yeah. Yeah that's it."
"Please, tell me what was on the ship Walter."
The silver and purple soldier leaned against the wall and pulled out a combat knife, playing with it and zoning out of the current conversation, clearly uninterested in anything the Red had to say. Only really hearing bits and pieces in case he said something of interest.
"… Not a Blue, somebody else. Actually, she looked like them." Henderson said, turning to look at the two freelancers, alarmed by the sight of one wielding a knife. Under the helmet of silver and purple, the freelancer smirked, pleased to see Reds reaction.
"Don't worry about them for now, Walter. Put the knife away Arizona. Please, continue." The Counselor said while Arizona shrugged, placing the knife back in its sheath. The conversation continued as Henderson went back to his story, until the two escorts returned.
"Please, follow these men to your new quarters. You'll be with us as long as absolutely necessary. You have my word." The Counselor told Henderson as he followed the two soldiers from the room. "Agents, what do you make of all this?"
"I think it sounds like exactly what I encountered." The steel and yellow solider replied. "Except it's stronger now and becoming more so all the time."
"Does that concern you?"
"Nah, I'm sure Wash is really excited about it." Arizona sarcastically stated.
"You've both been through a lot with this program, especially you Agent Arizona. You were close with both Agents New York and North Dakota."
"Well, York was her brother, Sir, hard for her not to be close with him. As for North..." Wash trailed off taking a look at the female soldier to his left.
"Enough Wash. It's done. Drop it."Arizona growled, clearly not wanting to bring up the past.
"As for you Agent Washington. The Epsilon A.I. we assigned you-" The Counselor continued, turning his attention to Wash.
"Has already been discussed to death. I'm over it." Wash replied turning his attention back towards the screen.
"Now your… physical problems…because of your last encounter-"
"We are both fine, Sir. I lost people I cared about; Wash got shot in the back by someone he trusted. It's over. Done and dusted." Arizona interrupted.
"Very well. Now that our agency in under investigation, the Director feels it is important for us to be as open as possible. With each other. If our suspicions are correct, the Meta has made another addition: The Omega A.I." The Counselor informed them.
"It was Omega and… Tex right?" Wash asked.
"Yes, it was."
"The Meta doesn't leave much behind. It's gonna be hard to track."
"We think the best place for you to start, would be the Omega's last known location. The soldiers there have the most experience with our program."
"I see. So we should contact these experts-"
"We do not like the term 'experts'."
"Because no one really knows what our program is doing?"
"Let's just say the term 'expert' is a little too… complimentary in this particular case. Do you both still have your old suits of armor?"
"Of course. Wait… Why?" Wash asked.
~8~
Arizona stood at her locker, her dark brown hair tied in a braid to keep it out of the way, and her grey eyes were focused on two sets of dog-tags. They both belonging to someone she cared about, someone she lost. She reached out and grabbed them looking them over before putting them both around her neck with her own, lost in thought.
"You alright Zona?" Wash's voice broke her from her thoughts.
"I'm fine Wash."She replied as she put on her helmet and slammed her locker shut.
"Did you want to stay behind? I mean… You've been through a lot. First York and then North-"
"Shut up Wash. Just drop it. They're dead, nothing we can do about it. You asked me to help track down this bastard so that's what I am going to do. Let's just go."
"Right."
~8~
The two Freelancers stood in a boxed canyon, looking at the two bases at opposite ends. They were both suited up in their old armor as requested.
"I'll check out Blue base, you head over to Red." Arizona suggested, as she walked away, not really leaving her partner any room to disagree. Wash nodded and walked in the opposite direction.
"Hello? Is there anyone here?" She asked as she approached the base. "I really don't have all day. So if someone is in there shout out or something."
Silence.
"Command. Come in Command. This is Agent Arizona." Arizona said into her radio.
"We read you, go ahead Arizona."
"I'm at Outpost 1-A. Looks abandoned."
"Roger that. See if you can find any evidence that would suggest where they all might have-"
"Hey! A-hole! What's with all the noise? People are trying to sleep here!" A yellow soldier yelled down to Arizona, clearly irritated.
"On second thought, I've found someone. Arizona out." Arizona approached the yellow soldier who walked slowly down the ramp, complaining. "This Blue base?"
"It was."
"What do you mean?"
"Everybody's gone. Transferred. Something about this base being obsolete now or, whatever."
"Right. And where were they transferred?"
"I don't know! All different places. Nobody told me anything."
"I wonder why." Arizona muttered before speaking into her radio. "Wash, come in."
"Reading you Zona."
"Seems like the Blues are gone. Any luck with the Reds?"
"Only two of them here. One mentioned we should talk to a soldier called Caboose. He was transferred to Rats Nest."
"Copy that Wash. Let's get the hell out of here."