Prologue

"Blast door breached!" FILSS said in an even tone over the comms.

Colorado immediately turned around to shoot a Charon soldier in the head, the bullet dropping the corpse to the floor. Beside him, the Red and Blue simulation troopers also turned and laid down fire of their own.

"You two get in there! We'll hold them off!" Sarge shouted at Tucker and Epsilon.

Colorado and Talon watched the duo enter the room and the door closed behind them. Together, the former Freelancer and the AI opened fire, their DMR and magnum firing in tandem. While the crimson soldier used whatever cover he could, the similarly-colored AI took center-stage, any shots going through his holographic body.

He squeezed the trigger and another Charon soldier fell. This happened again and again. "How many men does he have on here?" Colorado asked, his voice clearly Midwestern.

"Uhh, I'd say enough," his AI said in the same voice. His hologram flickered as it was pelted by bullets.

In only a matter of minutes, the hallway ahead was full of troops. Everyone knew if they stayed here any longer, they would certainly be killed. "Fall back, men!" Sarge ordered, blasting his shotgun two more times before retreating himself.

Colorado was the last to dive into the room, tossing a grenade outside before the door closed.

"So yeah... that way's not looking like a good exit anymore," Grif said, getting his breath back.

Talon appeared above Colorado's shoulder, no longer life-size like he was a few seconds earlier. "Door's sealed. No way they can get through."

Simmons lifted his foot up as sparks leaped out from the bottom corner of said door. "We... may not have a few minutes."

"Unless they cut their way through," Talon quickly added in a dry tone.

All the soldiers moved away from the wall, waiting for the inevitable. As the sparks climbed higher, Sarge spoke up. "Well boys, you know what they say..." He tossed the plasma rifle he carried to the ground and replaced it with the shotgun on his back. "Today... is a good day to die."

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Everyone turned to see Grif reunited with his "Grif shot". "F**k that."

Sarge merely smiled and pumped his shotgun with a chuckle. Everyone went to work and geared up with whatever they could use inside the trophy room. Colorado topped off all his magazines and made sure his armor enhancements were working. His enhanced motion-tracker and his broad-spectrum HUD could see the Charon troops outside, waiting to tear into the room.

"You think the laser on this thing still works?" Simmons asked as he looked over the Monitor that Epsilon had used during their time fighting against Project Freelancer.

Tucker watched as the maroon soldier walked past. "We got this. I mean, we do got this, right?"

Epsilon was hovering above the aqua soldiers shoulder. "I keep running the stats in my head... well I mean, we're close, but no. We're still short one piece."

"What do you mean?"

The AI fragment looked up at the ceiling. "FILSS? The suit."

All the troopers stared in shock as the unit rose out of the ground. They all recognized the suit, and the memories ran through them, none of them capable of being described as good. Doc/O'Malley's medical scanner slipped out of his hand and hit the floor.

"What. The hell?" Tucker said, voicing what was on everyone's minds.

"I saw it when I connected to the terminal. It's got everything we need. Tucker, take off your helmet." The soldier looked at his friend like he was nuts.

As the unit lowered back into the floor, Tucker, now wearing the armor of the late Agent Maine, stood in a battle stance and whipped out his sword. Colorado stood behind him, his DMR at the ready.

Epsilon reappeared. "So how does it feel?" he asked.

"Kinda... tight in the crotch. But I could get used to this," Tucker answered as his new suit changed to his aqua.

"Now that's a good look for you," Donut commented.

The two refocused as a Charon soldier shouted, "Prepare to breach!" loud enough for them to hear.

Sarge hefted his shotgun. "Gentlemen, looks like this is it." The leader of Red Team, war veteran, and former Helljumper. It-

Simmons was crouched down next to his superior and took the words out of Colorado's head. "Sir, it's been an honor." The Red Team suck-up, signature nerd, and electronics expert. You have always been a close friend, Simmons. No, not a friend, a brother.

"(If I die, make sure my parts are recycled.)" Lopez, Red Team's robot and mechanic. I always enjoyed your voice, Lopez.

"I love you too, Lopez!" Donut, Red Team's rookie, morale-raiser, and optimist. You were annoying, but I can't imagine our adventures without you, friend.

"I would like to say that it has been a blessing to be with you all. To being a family!" He shouted the last part as a toast to them all.

"To being a family!" Talon echoed.

"Aw, that's so sweet," Doc said before switching to O'Malley. "Now let us strike fear into the hearts of our enemies, mwahahaha!" Another good friend, Doc. Another good friend.

"Smartest thing you ever said," Grif called out to no one in particular. You were always a brother to me, Grif. Just like you and Simmons.

"Yeah! Let's get them!" Caboose said enthusiastically as usual, aiming Freckles at the door. Same for you, Caboose.

Epsilon said his goodbye last. "Hey, uh, I just wanted you guys to know that, out of everyone I've ever met... I hate you all the least." And without you, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't change it for the galaxy, Church.

Tucker smiled beneath his helmet. "See you on the other side, Church." You were always a good man at heart, Tucker.

They all saw the sparks hit the other corner.

Epsilon let out a heavy sigh and tossed away the sniper rifle his avatar always held. "Not this time, buddy."

Talon walked up to him. "Church... what are you doing?"

"What I need to do, Tal."

"Are you sure... about this?" Delta asked, his green avatar appearing.

"I'm sure."

The crimson avatar breathed deeply and swallowed. "If this is goodbye, then..." He grabbed Church's hand and shook it. "I will miss you. We all will."

"I know. Begin recording, D."

"Recording." With that, Delta vanished.

"Hey guys... if you're hearing this then it means you did it. You won. You kicked the s**t out of Hargrove's forces. I knew you could. But this is my last stop. See, when I came into this world, I was really just a collection of somebody else's memories.

But with your help, these memories... they-they took form! They became my voice, my personality. And, after a while, I... I began to make brand new memories of my own. All of these things are what make me who I am... but they're also holding me back. I can't run this suit as Epsilon, but if I erase my memories, if I... deconstruct myself, the fragments I'll leave behind will have the strength to get you through this. I believe that.

I wish that there was another way. But I'm leaving this message, as well as others, in the hopes that you'll understand why I have to go this time... hehe, it was actually Doyle who made me realize something that I've never thought of before. There are so many stories where some brave hero decides to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and everybody lives happily ever after.

But the hero... never gets to see that ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith."

Church flashed into white before the light was snatched up, his voice still carrying. "Ain't that a b***h."

Talon stood through the whole message in a strict pose, his right hand raised to his crimson helmet in an stiff salute. He stood like that even after Church went away, after his fragments had spread to each of the Reds and Blues. With a deep breath, he broke and walked back to Colorado. He stared into the unique maroon visor and saw his reflection and that of the door a micrometer of its axis in the background.

He jumped back in, and was reunited with the one he had come to call his little sister.