The Reds and Blues stared sadly at the suit of armor. Weeks after they defeated Temple and his gang of Blues and Reds they decided to pay their respects as soon as Wash and Carolina healed up. They were tired, starving, dehydrated and weak with fatigue. Then they had to fully explain what happened so they would not be wanted by any authorities or bounty hunters. With help from Dlyan and her cameraman Jax they cleared their names and had Temple locked up in prison for murder, treason, theft, attempted murder, kidnapping, terrorism and mass destruction and manslaughter.
But Caboose had requested for Loco to be buried away from the Blues and Reds. They buried him respectfully unlike Surge or Gene who had been burned to crisps. Lorezno their robot was scavenged for parts and used to rebuild Lopez who still could not speak english. They had to of course earlier on fish the robots head out of the ocean then reattach it to his new body. The Spanish speaking robot was still angry at Simmons and Sarge. And kept insulting them in spansish but of course they couldn't understand.
But once everyone was in good shape they wanted to visit the suit. Wash started to talk first staring at the armor. " Epsilon, I know we should've visited a long time ago but I just wanted to say thank you...Not just for being the hero that saved this world but for being a friend and family to all of us. Carolina may have been the only person that called you brother but with the rest of us it's been unsaid. "
Wash said choking up a bit looking at the suit of armor hanging in a display case with a sign. ' Leonard Church, a leader, a solider, and a hero.' The A.I's inside the suit were seemingly useless unable to even leave the suit or talk to them. Church's speech was written down and printed near the suit and it still brought tears into the eyes of the Reds and Blues.
" Being a freelancer and a solider I have met a lot of people. You were the greatest man I have knew. Twice you died to save me and others. When the E.M.P struck and when it was the final time Church. I hope you find Tex wherever you end up." They all gave a few words respectfully but when they approached the exit they heard a voice coming from the suit.
" What the hell?" Tucker cried out seeing a A.I. appear. He sounded scared and afraid and looked a little shy stuttering a little bit. It was bright purple mostly with glowing blue armor but it had blotches and spots of gray like Church's. " P-please don't leave me here." He begged. Carolina and Wash immediately remembered that particular artificial intelligence.
Wash and Carolina looked in shock at him." Theta?" She asked shocked. " I don't understand the A.I.s couldn't even function in that suit. " Something was off about him. Was and Carolina couldn't put their finger on it. " Theta was one of the fragments , he was Trust that particular part of the Alpha. " She explained.
" He was scared and acted like a scared little kid but he provided a shield for his partner North Dakota. North acted like an big brother to him and so did Epsilon. " Wash explained.
The A.I was nervous especially with all of them looking right at him. " D-don't stare at me but d-don't leave me alone."
Simmons nervously tried to reassure the little guy." How are you able to do this? Can any of the other fragments do this?" He asked. Theta answered hesitantly. " None of us were complete without Church. Once he deconstructed himself I would be a husk stuck alone I-n the dark like them."
" B-ut Church left bits of himself in me to save me. He didn't want to choose anybody out of all his fragments but he chose me." They heard the Artificial Intelligence voice break and his voice sounding like a sad child."
" Kid why? " Sarge asked not as gruff as he always spoke. " Church was closest to me and he cared about me. Calling me little buddy. He wanted me to be free not be trapped in the metal suit with them. But to be with all of you. He wanted me to replace him to be your friend. "
" But I was scared you wouldn't want me around at all. As reminder of your friend. So I stayed inside the suit. The other bits. .they aren't right anymore. It was worse then being alone. Seeing everyone come and go so when you guys visited I took my chance. "
" How can we believe him?" Grief stated only to see multiple glares coming his way. "Look you guys told me how Temple and his knockoff Blues and Reds nearly killed you guys. I feel just as bad for the kid but how can we trust him? Does he have proof. "
" I don't really know what your talking about. But I have proof. Church left a recording." Theta said nodding. He played it and the Reds and Blues were saddened hearing Church speak one more time even if it was a recording.
" This my last message. I've told all of you how much you mean to me and how amazing all of you really are. But I'm leaving you guys something behind. Something I hope you guys take care of. The other fragments won't be able to work without me becoming useless trapped in the Meta suit. But I can save only one of them and he will able to leave the suit and join all of you. I've given him enough of myself to be strong, memories of all of you. "
It wasn't a easy choice but it's Theta the A.I that I treated like a little brother. " Caboose looked at Theta his erratic small mind trying to understand it. ' He is Church's little brother. Church left him for us. As a gift.'
" Carolina and Wash know about him, he is the fragment that is was Alpha's trust. He has the personality of a scared kid. He was the most human out of all the other A.I.s. He is very shy and nervous. He is a saint. I want all of you to take care of him. Everyone I'm begging you. Goodbye Theta little brother. Goodbye everyone."
" We are keeping him." Caboose said threateningly. " Church left him for us. His going away present and his last good...deed. His little brother. "
" I'm sorry. " Grif apologized shortly before Lopez began to speak. " No podemos dejar este frágil Fragmento aquí. Esta es la última solicitud de amigos. Por supuesto debemos aceptar ." ( We cannot leave this fragile Fragment stay here. This is out friends last request. Of course we must accept.)
" I fully understand. We are always looking for a extra member to come in." Donut said letting out a innuendo of course. " I agree with them. " Theta looked at the others pleading quietly.
" We can't leave this kid. It'll be disgraceful to ignore the last request of a fellow solider and brother in arms. "Sarge reported.
Tucker looked at Theta. " Let's just hope he doesn't hold up to the Church family tradition of being a asshole." He said smiling grimly. " But at least we have a piece of Church left."
" Theta. I know from before we didn't talk except if North was around. But I want you to know you are welcome to be with us. " Wash said with a smile.
" He speaks for all of us." Doc reported. " It would to nice to have a new friend and a gift one last time from a old one." But O'Malley his split personality had other thoughts. ' Amazing a new pawn to play. With this young Artificial Intelligence I could slaughter my enemies especially with his ability. '
They all looked to Carolina for her opinion. She was conflicted and confused but she couldn't stand the thought of leaving the A.I all alone again. " He is coming with us. But the question is which one of us will have him as a A.I." They all looked at Caboose.
" Really? !" He asked excited and happy then he had been in a long long time. " Theta I am going to be your new best friend. Are you excited? " He asked with a gigantic smile underneath his outdated helmet." Are you ready little buddy? , He asked and Theta replied a bit nervous but happy.
" Y-yes. I can't wait C-c-caboose." Theta said before connecting to Caboose and hearing Caboose let out a scream of joy.
"Let's go back to our base and enjoy our retirement with Theta. " Wash said with a smile.
" Caboose stop walking back and forth. " Tucker yelled out as all of the Red and Blues glared at the freakishly strong dimwit who kept running back and forth. " It's been half a fucking hour just lay down you ass." Tucker ordered as Carolina cracked her knuckles threateningly.
None of them were in armor instead in old clothes and tank tops and shorts. Carolina had her hair down and wore mostly dark blue. Wash had on baggy gray clothes with his hair cut short military style. More or less the guys had the same clothes but in their colors. Except for Donut who wore a pink bathrobe.
" You keep talking and talking to Theta. " They had decided to sleep on their ship after flying most of the journey. " Can't he just relax." Carolina grinded her teeth frustrated.
" I couldn't sleep." Theta answered looking scared." North used to do it one and then. And I just got used to it. There's not much else that can help."
" Wait a minute I got a idea." Simmons said. " Sarge made up this song everyday he sang on top of the base looking up at the stars before going to bed. It got stuck in my head now and then . "
" Don't you fucking dare." Grif said angry. Carolina and Tucker looked confused but they rest of them began to sing some of them reluctantly but getting getting upbeat and happy. Grif was fuming. " I just wish that Grif was dead. Put a bullet through his head." They sang in unison.
Sarge pulled Carolina to the side and explained. " Back in Blood Gulch every night after Simmons and Grif retired to their bunks I would go to the top of the base. Look up at the stars and wish that Grif died a gruesome and agonizing demise. Those were the days. Bur at every base I've been singing that song. No matter who is around. " He said with a smile.
" Is that why everyone sleepwalks and tries to shoot Grif in the face?" Carolina asked and Sarge nodded before returning to singing till finally Theta relaxed and they fell asleep. And after Grif muttered cursed words and insults at them.
Grif woke up later that night feeling a pistol being jammed up against his face a very bulky one held by Carolina who kept singing the song her eyes closed.
Theta looked at the mess that covered their reconstructed base that was rebuilt after Donut burned it and after they dealt with the Blues and Reds. Sister was passed out with most of her armor taken off. Revealing pale skin and freckles and messy unevenly cut hair.
" W-wy does this place have lights on? And there's some many chip bags around and loud music. " Theta asked confused.
" Sister had a party. " Caboose said." Whose birthday is it?" He asked naively. " Nobody my sister must have thrown a party and got drunk and high off her ass for the thousandth time. And all those wasted douchebags left so they wouldn't have to clean up." Grif answered bitterly before receiving glares from everybody.
" What did I say?" He asked only to feel Wash punch his shoulder. The glutinous orange wearing solider let out a scream of pain.
" Not in front of the kid." He warned shortly before Sister was rudely woken up by Carolina. " Come on it's not that bad. I didn't leave anything burning and they're aren't any stragglers around. " Sister said shortly before looking at Theta confused.
" Who the hell is still?" She asked confused. " I am T-heta. I didn't k-now a lot about you since Church barely interacted with you. I am a Artificial Intelligence or A.I." He said fidgeting. He was flustered and he didn't know why.
It felt similar to Church's memories of Tex but this was genuine and he wa confused. " I-t is nice to meet you Kaikaina. " He said trying to act confident. He began talking to her explaining things trying to leave out the parts where he was nervous. Or needed a song song to go to sleep. She talked to him as well.
" ¿Soy yo el único que lo ve ya enamorado de ella?" ( Am I the only one seeing him already having a crush on her?)
Lopez asked only for Sarge to reply. " Your right those two are going to be good friends. Especially since how they are hitting it off already. " Lopez face palmed and glared at Sarge.
"Viejo estúpido. A veces quiero meter esa escopeta en tu garganta." ( Stupid Old man. Sometimes I want to shove that shotgun down your throat.) Sarge laughed thinking it was a joke but Sister, Donut, and Grif more or less understood.
" This place is now a mess and it smells like a drugged out rockers tour bus. Head to the simulation room and train and then help clean up." Sister muttered as she put back her armor."You can't leave till you complete it flawlessly and then you have to clean this base top to bottom without any breaks. "
" Caboose is it okay if I spend sometime with her? " Theta asked. " But come back Theta I want to show you my pet Freckles this cute little robot that got new batteries a while ago." Caboose answered." Don't try to take so long. Freckles is kind of impatient and might shoot one of us." He cried out happily with a wave.
Sister was more or less okay with having the A.I. in her head and she began to talk. "I can't believe her. We are not even fighting anybody or currently at war. Its total BS have to train. " She said. " She is a total bitch. "
" She's sort of my sister. We ...were related to their old friend Church. " Theta admitted. " I was one of those A.I fragments and Church managed only to save me." He said sadly.
" Sorry. " She apologized when she activated a simulation of a classic ear zone. Human soldiers with assault rifle's and pistols. " Son of bit-" She muttered barely able to jump away from gunfire. She wasn't that bad a shot but the bullets still hurt but they couldn't kill her or harm her permanently. " Wait I think I can help you." Theta cried out." I can create a shield. I haven't done it in a while and I need you to trust me."
" Nothing to lose." By creating a shield Theta allowed her cover and by lowering it she could fire safely at the enemies. " Thank you dude." She replied half a hour later slightly exhausted but happy it didn't take hours like it would've been. " Your actually more useful then my brother. Grif would've been napping behind cover. " Theta was nervous but replied.
" No problem anything for a friend. " Theta cried out with a smile.
" What are you doing? " Theta asked Sarge as he started looking at designs and robotic parts and machine parts. Simmons however was working on a computer and electronics at the same time.
" Working on a body for you rookie. You can't just time hopping from body to body like some sort of Phantom." " I've been gathering both human and robot parts from friends of mine." Sarge asked
" Where did you get them?" Theta asked but Sarge ignored the question. But Simmons talked to him while Sarge kept working focused in his work.
" It's better not to ask and besides he won't tell you. One time he got a pair of fresh dad human hands and I don't even want to think about it. Besides I am working on the systems and countermeasures for the body. You want to help me out?" Theta nodded.
" I am thinking maybe have my shields be able more then a dome. Maybe a translator for Lopez and other languages. Including alien ones. I don't think I would be good at fighting. " He admitted.
" None of us but Wash and Carolina were. We were noobs left in a boxed canyon with weapons. Besides I could teach you a lot of things. " They started to talk and bound. After a while after Sarge left Theta admitted something deeply to Simmons. " You used to be just like me but now your confident and cool. You would've been a good brother or dad or will be something. " Theta looked up to Simmons literally. Simmons choked back some tears and continued to work.
" Come on out." Sarge ordered as Theta nervously hid behind a door after gaining his new permanent body. "
" What does it look like? Tucker asked before Theta walked out nervously feeling scared and self conscious. " Looking good dude." Sister cried out as Theta looked at his reflection with the Puma. Their vehicle a jeep equipped with a E.M.P cannon.
Pale skin and he looked to be in his early twenty's maybe about 19. Young and athletic with messy brown hair eith blue highlights. Scars on his face and one glowing eyes. " I-I feel different. I'm okay."