Wash stared out over the cave from a observation balcony. Down below Tucker, Caboose, Sarge, Grif, Simmons, and Donut practiced with their squads on a obstacle course Wash had designed after the one on the Mother of Invention. He remembered that was his obsession in the program when he wasn't good enough. Tex had last man standing, Carolina had endless hand to hand simulations, York with lock practice. He would spend hours perfecting the course, then have fillis make a new one. North would sit and watch him sprint over obstacles. He would mark times of 7 minutes or under on courses that took Carolina 20. Down below they were in their squads trying the course for the first time.
Wash, Sarge, and Donut had each gotten their own squads after the rescue. Wash heard his Lieutenant walk quietly up the steps stopping to lean on the rail with Wash. "Course is ready Sir just give the word and we can start." Said Jason Webb a 20 year old kid that had volunteered to be Washs LT after others became wary over the xfreelancer. He was a few inches shorter than Wash with spiky black hair and light blue eyes. He had a light scar running from the hair line between his eyes and ending at his nose. Webb had said it was from a mission when he and his squad were blown off a 2 story building. He had hit his head when he landed cutting a deep grove in his forehead. His other two squad members, Karmic and Parlors were also dedicated to Wash. They like Webb had volunteered when no-one else would. Karmic was the same height as Webb with red hair and green eyes. He was a quiet but effective soldier. He was only 19 years old and had lost his legs to a fed IED. He walked on prosthetics and told Wash to treat him no different. Parlors was a 20 year old with brown hair and dark grey eyes. He was shorter than the rest of the squad but made up for it in skill with heavy weapons. His only past was two years of war.
"Tell em to start Webb, I'll be shouting advice from up here." Wash said rubbing his neck. Due to his injures he was whereing combats boots with grey cargo pants and a tan instructor shirt Kimball had given him. The other adorned their personal squad colored armor. Wash squad had their recruit armor with a yellow stripe bordered by grey stripes on their left arms. "Yes sir, you want a chair?" Webb said watching his CO shift weight off his healing knee. "Sure Webb thanks." Webb hurried and grabbed a chair from a supply closet helping his CO sit down. "I'll go start it up sir." Webb said going back down to the control room. He plugged his headphones into the consul and pushed the button on the mic. "Course 1 simulation start Red team first. Orange, Red, Maroon, Light red, and Aqua on standby order. Begin." Sarge took off with Jackson, Fallow and Dax.
Wash watched as Red team worked through various obstacles working perfecty sinc. Wash had put them though six of these courses everyone harder then the last. Wash would take his squad out later when everyone was gone to shower or eat. During the day Wash ran many of the simulations, with his squad. Wash watched as Tuckers squad finished the course. Wash scribbled notes on his data pad to use tomorrow, but right now was his turn to put his team through the ringer. "Grey team line up." Wash shouted as he half hobbled to the elevator. Three resounding 'Yes sir's echoed as Wash stepped out of the elevator. Webb, Karmic, and Parlors stood at attention facing Wash. "Training routine 3, you have a hour to complete it then the course get going." "Yes sir." The three sounded off as they took off running. Wash had five training routines they followed. Three was the longest at a hour. It included a 4 mile sprint, 100 push ups and sit ups, 50 two count jumping jacks, and stairs until the hour was up.
Surprisingly his squad boasted to the other squads about his routines. It was funny to see his squad sprinting the two miles from the training cave to the mess have at lunches leaving the others in he dust. Tucker claimed they were on steroids. Wash laughed at the thought as Webb finished his run comming in at 20:24. Wash was impressed with his squads performance as, the other two finished two minutes later. They worked through there sets easily as the hour ended. "Ok ten minute break." They sat in silence as they gulped down water. Karmic was the first to break the silence. "Sir, why do you work us so hard, I mean none of the other squads do half what we do daily." He looked slightly ashamed for speaking out. "Do you honestly want to be like them Karmic or do you want to be this version of you." Wash said sitting down on the ledge of a obstacle. "No sir, I love who I've become I almost wish the others would too ya know." He said "People have their own ways of leading Karmic and you can't change them." "Why do you work us hard sir?" Webb asked. "I work you three harder then they do because your capable of it. You knew that volunteering for my squad was going to be a challenge. So I work you guys hard because your motivated to meet that challenge. Trust me I will do these routines with you and I will make them harder, but your also my squad so I care about you guys too." Wash said smiling and making eye contact with each of them. "Sir can we make a deal just for tonight." Webb said. "What kind of deal Webb?" Wash said suspicions growing. "I think we should have a night just to relax as team you know a movie, some snacks." Webb said eager. Wash thought for a minute taping his fingers on the obstacle under him. "I guess we could but after one exercise, use your stealth skills to get a movie, swipe some snacks from Grif, and prank Tucker tonight." Wash said smiling. "Why Tucker sir?" Webb said. "We all need some laughs, I'll see you three in the lounge in three hours." With that Wash hopped of the ledge and walked toward the lounge. Two hours later Parlors came in with a box of snacks from Grifs stash, and Webb with a old earth movie. Wash was on the couch his knee supported with pillows. Webb put the movie in and they waited for Karmic. He walked in ten minutes later and sat in a well used bean bag grabbing a box of Oreos. "Mission was a success sir." Karmic said with a dramatic salute. "Good job guys lets start the movie." Wash said as Webb pushed play.
Several minutes into the film the could here Grif shouting at Tucker door. "Tucker did you steal from my food stash?" "What the fuck man it's ten get the hell out." "No someone stole from my food stash and I'm pissed." "Fine one sec." They could hear Tucker shuffling out of bed due to the lounge being three doors down from Aqua teams rooms. Karmic paused the movie with a smirk as Grey team listened. "So what the fuck is...shit what the oof." Tucker said as a load puff went off. "What the ahh." Another puff went of clouding Grifs voice. Grey team listened to the suppressed cursing as the two walked toward the lounge. Karmic scrambled and pressed play as all of Grey team suppressed laughter. Grey team stayed stone faced as Tucker and Grif walked by coated in rainbow powder from head to toe. "What the hell are you guys doing here shouldn't Wash be running you through another of his routines." Grif said pissed. Wash spoke up first. "Nope not today it's grey teams movie night, lucky charm. Wash said as he threw a empty box of Oreos at Grif. "Wait you assholes stole my food what the hell, wait lucky charm you asshole Wash." Grif said as he stomped back to his room. Tucker cursed and went back to his. As soon as Tucker door shut Webb burst out laughing. "Lucky...Charm..nice one sir." Webb said in between gasps. "Just call me Wash guys screws formalities. But did you see his face when I threw the Oreos." Wash said crying from laughing so hard. They watched the rest of the movie before walking back to their quarters. "So Wash every Monday night." Karmic said. "Yeah I think we could manage that." Wash said as he walked into his room. He changed into his shirt and shorts before slipping into bed.
Wash awoke to the sound of screaming as his stiff body resisted standing up so quickly. Wash grabbed a cane by the door and peered into the hall. Webb was in shorts and a muscle shirt rubbing his eyes as Parlors stepped out in sweats and a t-shirt. It took Karmic a minute to put on his legs before stumbling out of his room. "What the hell is going on." Webb asked. "I don't know I heard screaming." Wash said leaning heavily on the cane trying to stretch his knee. "Let's walk down the lounge see whats." Wash was cut off by a large explosion outside of the building. "Shit get your gear on now." Adrenaline fueled Wash as he put his new aviator armor on. He grabbed his gun from his closet and limped outside to his squad. "Let's go sinc." Wash said running down the hall. "Sinc." They walked out of barracks to see Kimballs headquarters on fire. Wash ran to Tucker squad as they pulled Kimball from the building. She was conscious trying to clear her throat of smoke. Red teams focused on putting the fire out as Wash, Tucker, and Caboose used their teams to form a perimeter. Doc worked on wrapping Kimballs burns as she talked to him. His eyes went wide in shock. "Wash get over here know." Webb nodded to Wash as he jogged over to doc. "What is it Doc." Doc took off his helmet and looked at Wash. "Felix attacked her Wash he's working with Locus." Wash took off his helmet and ran a hand through his spiky blond hair. "Fuck." Was all Wash could say at the moment. He walked over to the teams. "Felix is working with Locus spread outing your teams and secure the base. Radio back if you find anything then kill it." "Webb you three go too I'll stay with Kimball and Doc." They all nodded and left to scour the base.
Wash helped get Kimball to the med bay as the squads searched. "This is Grey squad sector four looks clear wait what fuck there on the cliff." Webbs voice cut to static as gun fire ripped from sector five. Wash cursed under his breath. He couldn't leave Doc unguarded. The other teams would be responding, Wash just listened and hoped.
Webb had caught sight of Felixs orange accents as Parlors fired. Felix jumped down and kicked Webb in the chest throwing him hard into the cave wall. Parlors swung the butt of his gun hitting Felix hard in the side. The mercenary let out a small yelp as he collapsed. Karmic knocked him on his back with a kick. Felix grabbed his side as two guns poking into his view. Webb recovered and trained his gun on Felix. "You really think you can take me on." Felix laughed reaching for his concealed combat knife. "Fuck you Felix." Karmic said. Felix went to stab him in the legs when the blade caught metal. Felix was halfway up preparing for screams of mercy not a gun hitting him back to the ground. "Should have payed more attention Felix." "Let's motivate him not to try anything hmm Parlors." He nodded they shifted their guns and shot Felix in the legs. "Fuck!" Felix said writhing in pain. Karmic slung Felix over his shoulder hitting the mercenarys legs on something now and then to keep him occupied. "Wash come in over." Parlor said over comms. "This is Wash were in the med bay." Wash answered relived to hear from his squad. "We have Felix captured." "Ok take him to us."
Wash stared in disgust at Felix when he was dropped on the bed by Karmic. Felix looked scared half to death looking at his legs that had three bullets holes each. "Nice job guys." Wash said. "Fucker here thought he could stab me in the shin. Look on his face was priceless when I knocked him back with the butt of my gun." Karmic said sitting in a chair on the left side of Felixs bed holding a pistol to the mercenary. "You fucking traitor son of a bitch, we trusted you." Webb shouted causing Felix to shrink back slightly. Sure he had never met Wash squad after Wash had become their CO but he never expected the three kids to have the skill of freelancers. "Big mistake there Webb, Wash I see you've corrupted the youth to your style. Classy." Felix said shifting his hands slightly. "They kicked your sorry excuse for a mercenary ass, didn't they." Wash said as Felix eyed Webb turn his back to talk to Wash. "Not yet." Felix said ramming his knife into Webb's back penetrating the soft organs in his abdomen. Wash caught his Lieutenant as Karmic shot. Felix head jolted to the right as blood splattered on the white tile as Felixs limp body hit the floor. Wash held Webb as Doc moved to stop the steady blood flow from his back. Doc and the medics took Webb into the OR while Wash stood looking at Felixs body, blood oozing from the cracked visor. "Wash, what do we do." Parlors said taking off his helmet. "We see how far this treason goes, then we fight until you, Karmic, Webb, and every other soldier on this planet doesn't have to anymore."