Where Is Home?
Chapter 10: A Step In The Right Direction
Description: Carwash Sibling AU. Instead of simply beating Agent Washington to a living pulp, Locus captures him along with Agent Carolina, leaving the Blood Gulch Crew without their Freelancers. Now captured, Agents Carolina and Washington must work together in order to survive against the mercenary's, but that's hard to do when an unethical type of torture is used on the young duo. How can they will themselves to escape, when their captors are reminding them more and more of their childhood?
A/N: Yo, so I'm back in school again, but guess what, I'm actually taking a Parenting class now... so I might ACTUALLY know what I'm doing sooner or later, hahaha *Cries*
"Well, that could've gone a lot worse..." Simmons mutters, smirking victoriously while the Feds and Rebels round up the pirates, handcuffing them and lining them up against the base's wall.
"No kidding," Grif replies, hopping out of the Warthog once he parks it. The hood is broken in and oil drips out occasionally, but otherwise, the car is still in good shape. "Hey, any idea where the fuck Sarge went? One minute, he's in shotgun shouting something stupid, the next, he's jumping out of the car outta fucking nowhere!"
"How should I know? I was the one manning the turret!" Simmons points out, pointing at said turret on the Warthog with meaning in his voice. "Why don't you go ask Donut? He was on the field with the Feds and Rebels, remember?"
"I'll go find him for ya," Tucker offers, walking past Simmons and Grif. "I need to talk to him anyways. You two love birds watch the pirates, 'kay?"
"We're not-" But Tucker is already walking away, swinging the handle of his sword idly as he walks off in search of the Red Team leader.
He doesn't have long to wonder where he's gone, quickly finding Sarge along with Caboose in the pirate base. Sarge is snooping through files in what appears to be an office, while outside the office is Caboose, seated on the floor while he eats all the candy out of a candy jar. "Hello, Tucker," Caboose greets when he sees the aquamarine trooper, smiling and waving at his friend. "Look! Mr. Sargent found candy!" He cheers, holding out the jar so Tucker can take a piece. When Tucker doesn't, Caboose shrugs, holding the jar against his stomach again. "Oh yeah... Tucker, Mr. Sargent wants to talk to you!"
"Thanks, man," Tucker says, walking past Caboose, before he stops in the doorway, glancing over at the younger Blue. "Don't eat too much. You'll get hella sick that way. And save some for Wash and 'Lina, 'kay?"
Caboose nods, and with that, Tucker leaves the younger Blue trooper to do as he pleases. Inside the office, papers and boxes are scattered everywhere, with Sarge in the middle of the chaotic mess. He's sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of the office, his helmet and armor still on while he looks over all of the documents he's managed to dig up in the pirate base. Tucker says nothing at first, preferring to sit in front of Sarge, picking up one of the documents to read it. His eyes widen when he sees Washington's name on it, the document being an old yet obviously official UNSC Recruitment Registration Form. Looking it over, Tucker frowns, noticing several inconsistencies. Wash's last name has been changed several times, he notices first, yet his first and middle name remain the same on all of the forms.
"What're you looking for, Sarge?" Tucker decides to ask, since he's still confused as to what exactly Sarge is doing in here.
Sarge almost jumps, having not noticed Tucker, before he sighs, shaking his head in frustration. "Well... call me over-protective, but I was hopin' to find some damned info on Wash 'n 'Lina in 'ere... was hopin' I could help 'em somehow."
Tucker smiles behind his helmet, unable to hide the appreciation from his voice. "That means a lot to all of us, man. But hey, we gotta talk about something," He sets the document in his hand aside, focusing his attention on Sarge. "Did any of the pirates spill about how we can get into the tower yet? 'Cus most of us are clueless."
Sarge nods, standing up with a groan as he cracks his back. "I'm gettin' too damn old for this shit," He mutters, before signaling for Tucker to follow him. "Come on, trooper. I think I know how we can get our asses up there."
Tucker nods in return, jumping up and following after Sarge. Hopefully, the Red Team leader actually knows what he's doing...
Dr. Grey blinks as she hears her office door slam open, before turning around, watching as a young Rebel comes running in, holding up a phone for the woman. "Phone-call, Dr. Grey!" The young soldier explains, smiling as Dr. Grey takes the phone and nods in appreciation to him.
"Hello? This is Dr. Emily Grey speaking." Dr. Grey greets, half expecting it to be Doyle asking more questions about the Freelancers, then again, he and Kimball have been doing pretty well these last few days.
"Uh... Dr. Grey?" Tucker asks through the phone, sounding slightly hesitant. "Yo, uh, think you can get teleported here to the pirate base? We captured all the pirates, so now we've got that one alien tower under wraps... think you can come and check it out?"
Dr. Grey barely hides her enthusiasm as she immediately begins packing a duffle bag, an excited look in her bright purple eyes. "I'll be right over, Captain Tucker! Oh, this is so exciting!"
Just as Dr. Grey hangs up and prepares to leave the doctor's office, Doyle comes running in, stopping dead in his tracks when he sees Dr. Grey's bag. "Emily? Where in the devil are you going?"
Dr. Grey grins at her uncle. "Tucker has requested I come to the pirate base and investigate the alien tower," When Doyle's eyes widen, his niece giggles under her breath. "The pirates are already captured, Uncle Donald. Don't worry, I'll be perfectly safe!"
Doyle sighs, nodding in defeat. "Well... alright then. But you be careful in there!" He orders, a bit of sternness in his voice.
"Where's Emily goin'?" Washington asks from where he's crouched behind Doyle, Maine-Bear being held with one hand, his other hand gripping the back of Doyle's shirt.
Emily grins, crouching down to get on Wash's level. "I'm going on a super secret mission, David!" She explains, and Wash's eyes widen in amazement. "I'm going to be investigating an alien tower and all of the alien technology inside of it!"
"Really?" When Dr. Grey nods, Wash's smile grows even bigger. "Wow! I wanna come with you! That sounds super cool!" Before anyone can stop him, Wash is already starting to run down the hallway, though he appears uneasy on his feet. "I'm gonna tell Care-Care so that she can come, too!"
Once Wash is gone, Doyle glares at Dr. Grey. "Well said, doctor," He mutters, definitely unhappy now that Wash is so determined to go with her. "And here I thought you were the expert."
Dr. Grey blushes, shrugging as she laughs it off. "I guess I have a lot to learn still... at least he's walking again." She comments, and Doyle's eyes widen as he realizes that she's right.
Up until this point, it's been impossible to get Wash walking again. It seems this event was exciting enough to get him going after all."... You may be right, Emily, but I doubt that it's a good idea to bring them." Doyle comments, still unconvinced that this can end well.
"Why not?" Dr. Grey questions, raising an eyebrow as she smirks at her uncle. "Some air would be good for them, and the Reds and Blues will be watching them 24/7, along with me and the soldiers. The lieutenants have been helping with them now, right? It seems like the troops are taking it well after all... besides the ones who hurt Patches."
"We still have no idea who did it," Doyle points out, obviously concerned by the matter. "What if the vandal tries to attack Carolina and Washington directly?"
"We'll be watching them the whole time, Uncle Donald," Dr. Grey repeats, smiling hopefully up at her guardian. "Besides, whoever did it couldn't be at the pirate's base! Whoever did it is probably still at this base. In fact, it's probably safer to bring them along with me, as to keep them away from their potential abuser!"
"Well..." Doyle sighs, before nodding his head in utter defeat. "Alright, fine. But you be careful with them, Emily! Like you said, they are in very vulnerable states!"
Dr. Grey is tempted to call out Doyle's obvious protectiveness over the Freelancers, but instead, she simply nods, smiling as she runs past him, excited beyond belief for her new mission.
"CAROLINE!"
Washington comes running full-speed into the rec-room, face-planting a few feet away from where Kimball and Carolina are sitting on the floor, coloring together on construction paper. Immediately Wash is bawling, the sound awful and broken. Quickly, Kimball gets up from the floor, walking over to stand above Wash, before crouching down on the floor with him. He clings to her at once, sobbing into the general's shirt while Kimball pets his back. Eventually, Wash calms down, breathing heavily as he tries to regain his composure. Kimball stays patient, staying with the man until he's seemed to calm down enough to clear his throat and speak, to which she stands again, towering over the crouched man.
"Davy?" Carolina responds, looking puzzled by her little brother's sudden appearance. "Where'd you come from? And when'd you learn to run?"
Washington pauses, pondering this as well, before he shakes his head almost violently, snapping out of it. "Carol, we're gonna go somewhere!" He spits out, before anyone can interrupt him. "Dr. Emily says we getta go with her on a mission!"
"A mission?" Carolina asks, sounding extremely excited as she jumps up, scooping her stuffed Dalmatian off the floor. "Then what're we waiting for? Let's go get ready!" She says, running off with Wash stumbling after her out of the room, making a run for their shared bedroom.
"A mission, doctor?" Kimball repeats, once Dr. Grey enters the room, looking a bit worn out from having gone after Wash. "I sincerely hope that Wash was kidding."
"I'm afraid he isn't, General!" Dr. Grey answers, blushing as Kimball gives her a slightly judgmental glare of disapproval. "I understand your worry, General, but I assure you, they'll be perfectly safe with me at the base. All pirates have been accounted for, and besides, they could benefit from the fresh air! Please trust me, General Kimball. I and the Simulation soldiers will take care of them until I'm done researching the towers. Besides, you and General Doyle are very behind on paperwork for the armies. I'm sure a break from the kids will do the two of you some good as well."
Kimball still doesn't look convinced, but she ultimately sighs in defeat, nodding her acceptance to the doctor. "You ARE the expert, Dr. Grey. If this will help them... I won't keep you from healing them. Just make sure they're not hurt, alright?" She almost begs when she says it, her eyes pleading and worried.
Dr. Grey chuckles, reminded temporarily of a younger version of her dear uncle, fretting over her at eight years old when she was admitted into Chorus' finest university for the prodigies of the planet. "Everything will be just fine, General," She promises, smiling confidently at the slightly older woman. "Now I have to go: gotta make sure they wear power-armor." With this, she goes, leaving Kimball worried and concerned in her wake.
"Can you remind me why I had to ruin Washington's stuffie?" Sharkface requests, leaning on the wall of the meeting room. "Doesn't seem like it was necessary."
"Now the generals do not trust their soldiers," Hargrove explains, calling the mercenary's from his ship. "It's only a matter of time before they miscalculate and leave themselves open to a direct attack."
"And then we slaughter 'em," Felix whispers under his breath, standing beside Locus in front of the monitor. "I can't wait to chop Tucker's stupid fucking head off..."
"Calm down," Locus orders, giving his partner a stern glare. "We are here to exterminate everyone on the planet and capture the Freelancers, remember? Don't let your need for revenge get in the way of that."
"Whatever..." Felix growls, looking away with a pout as he crosses his arms stubbornly. "Look, when we get 'em back... count me out of the re-raising bullshit."
"I don't trust you near them regardless," Hargrove promises, glaring at Felix harshly. "After your last incident with Agent Carolina, I doubt she or Washington will trust you near them again. In fact... I believe you might be useful after all," The millionaire grins, looking away for a moment, deep in thought. "Yes... even if they are re-raised by the simulation troopers before we arrive, we can still regress them in mere minutes. With a little triggering," He looks at Felix when he says it, smirking evilly. "They will be at our mercy once more, and believe themselves to be nothing but small children."
"Price won't like that," Sharkface says, and when everyone glances at him, he shrugs nonchalantly. "The dude has lost it. He seriously believes they're toddlers. He'll do anything to protect 'em... even turn on us."
"Aiden Price will be of no problem to us," Hargrove assures, even as Felix and Locus exchange an unconvinced look. "I will keep him busy on the Tartarus while you all retrieve the Freelancers."
"And when will we do that?" Felix asks, raising an eyebrow curiously at the computer monitor.
"After they've unlocked the towers, of course," Hargrove explains, chuckling under his breath. He briefly reminds everyone in the room of a cartoon villain. "With Dr. Grey accessing the towers, I have no doubt that she will find out how they work. And once we find out how they work, we might just find a weapon powerful enough to destroy them all."
"That sounds dangerous," Locus adds, looking hesitant. "What if the Federal doctor accidentally self-destructs the tower?"
"She won't," Hargrove promises, sure of this fact. "She's a prodigy, one I had hoped at one time to acquire, but she is too determined to help the armies. Such a shame, too. She would have been of great use to me..." He trails off, before shaking his head stubbornly. "Go now. Protect the rest of our bases and await further instructions. You'll know when to strike..." With that, he disconnects, leaving the mercenary's to wonder what might happen next.
The pirates forced to stand against the wall look up together in surprise when they see Dr. Grey, not that they hadn't expected her to come. They had been warned in advance of the Feds and Rebels, but had been ordered to lose on purpose, even if it meant getting captured. Hargrove had already explained in earnest that Dr. Grey was required for his plan to work. However, it isn't Dr. Grey that makes them look up in shock: it's Agents Washington and Carolina. They watch them walk out of their old pirate base, watching intently as the two Freelancers follow after Dr. Grey, holding hands and in full body armor again. The pirates all exchange a few befuddled looks, not knowing how to react to this discovery.
"Are they already re-raised again?" One pirate asks, raising an eyebrow underneath his helmet at the two siblings. "It's only been, like, a few weeks. They couldn't have been fixed that fucking fast!"
"Keep it down!" Another pirate growls, keeping her voice at a lower volume than the other pirates. "You wanna get caught? Look at 'em; they're holding hands. They're still regressed as shit, man."
"But why are they here!?" The first pirate asks, slightly frantic. "I don't think the Feds and Rebels are THAT dumb to bring 'em!"
"They think we're powerless... the bitches," A pirate states, a little farther down the line from the other two pirates who've been talking. "Blooming, you still got that video camera in your helmet?" He asks, looking to a pirate to his left. When the pirate nods, he smirks behind his visor. "Turn it on, but keep it quiet, and send the footage live to Hargrove... he'll wanna see this."
"Incoming message!" A pirate shouts, snapping Felix and Locus out of their earlier argument. "It's from Blooming... wasn't he stationed at the tower base though?"
"Let me see!" Felix orders, pushing the pirate out of his way as he hits a button on the computer's keyboard, turning on the video feed. Locus stands behind him, curious.
Locus squints at the screen from behind his visor, eyes widening in shock at the sight. "Is that-"
"-Shut the fuck up, dumbass!" Felix snaps, before looking back at the TV screen, focusing in on the two Freelancers and Dr. Grey. "Well I'll be... looks like they're not regressed anymore..."
"They're still regressed," Locus promises, looking to the screen just to prove it, sighing in relief under his breath as he recognizes the way Washington and Carolina cling to Dr. Grey for support as she leads them across the empty dirt path in front of the base. "See? They are still dependent on Dr. Grey and the Reds and Blues."
"Good," Felix mutters, sounding just a bit thankful. "I am NOT going through that regressing bullshit again..."
Locus raises an eyebrow, before glancing at the only other person in the room, it being the pirate who had been originally watching the computer screens. "Soldier, leave us," Locus orders, voice stern as he keeps glancing between the pirate and Felix. "I need to have a word with Felix."
"But-" The pirate begins to object, but one growl from Locus has the poor pirate up and running, not brave enough to dare defy the mercenary.
Once the pirate is gone, Locus stares at Felix's back, watching the way Felix tenses up under his gaze. He's got something on his mind, and Locus is determined to find out what it is. "Felix," Locus says, his voice going more calm than it has since Washington and Carolina were taken away. "Talk to me. There's something more, isn't there?"
At first, Felix doesn't look like he'll open up, but after a moment of contemplation, he groans, and turns to fix Locus a look from under his helmet. "I fucked up," He starts with, 100% serious for once in his life. "I fucked up bad, Locs. I just... I got so fucking pissed when she spat on me," He looks like he'll close up again, but after a nod from Locus, he continues to explain himself. "I don't... I can't do that again. I can't risk it," When this needs further explanation, he stiffens, but continues regardless. "I care about them, okay? Ya happy? Felix McScouty cares about something that isn't himself for once in his life! I don't wanna... I don't wannt hurt 'em again, Locs."
Locus considers Felix for the longest time, head tilted in consideration as he ponders how to react to the shorter man's distress. "I understand," He offers, somewhat pathetically. He's not good at this sort of thing- it's supposed to be Felix wrestling the information out of Locus and calming him down- but now the game has been fucked up, and Locus never read the rules. "However I doubt that you will be put into a position that you shall harm them a second time..." It's a lie, but Locus is making leaps as it is.
Felix doesn't appreciate it. He let's out a small little groan-like sound, like he's coughing and exhaling at the same time, before he looks away, unimpressed. "Forget it. Just go call Control and tell 'em we found his fucking Freelancers," When Locus makes a move to step forward, maybe offer some form of apology, he swings around and growls full force at the tall mercenary, angry and upset with his situation. "Fuck off, Locs! I don't wanna hear it! Just go call Control... and that's an order, soldier."
Locus waits another moment more, tempted to call out Felix for playing that card, but again, he never read the fucking rules to this Monopoly of a partnership, and therefore still isn't sure how to approach his partner. He should probably know how, but with everything that's been going on over the last few years... well, Locus has always been better working alone. He sighs, once, to audibly show Felix that he disapproves of the other's reaction, but Felix doesn't buy into the pity-fest and ultimately ignores his trusted friend. Looking away, Locus finally walks off, shoulders hunched and he hides the fact that he's practically dragging his feet as he makes for the door, off to call Control. After all, he has to follow orders.
Sharkface passes Locus on the way out, raising an eyebrow at the other mercenary's obviously sadness, but Locus provides no explanation for it as he passes on by, too upset over something he considers petty to talk about it. Not that Sharkface would be ideal to talk to about this sort of thing. Frowning once Locus has left, Sharkface makes his way towards Felix, as the orange mercenary tends to know Locus better than him. Surely HE'LL know what has Locus so upset, right? Sharkface stops, however, when he notices that Felix is hunched over the control panel of the monitor, gripping the keyboard like it's done him wrong as he almost shakes with anger. Whether Felix's anger is fueled by Locus or himself, Sharkface has no clue.
"What the fuck happened in here?" Sharkface asks, because something has obviously just gone down. Something big. "A nuke go off in here or what?"
"Shut the fuck up, Peanut Gallery." Felix growls out, but it doesn't have the passion it usually does when he insults Sharkface, or anyone really. Felix always gives it a certain fenice; today it's mediocre at best.
There's a pause, before Sharkface smirks and whistles, shaking his head. "Wow, man. You really musta fucked up this time, huh?" It's casual, Sharkface thinks, then he says it.
Felix wants to punch Sharkface in the face. He also wants to quit his job, run away with as much money as he can carry, buy a mansion on some random-ass colony planet, and watch TV until he's old and dead. He also wants to bring Locus with him. And Carolina and Wash, too. Instead, Felix settles for ripping the keyboard- cord, mouse, and all- off of the table in front of him and throwing it with all his might into the monitor. Instantly, the screen shatters, and glass goes flying everywhere, a shard or two scratching and damaging Felix's visor and fucking up the paint-job on his helmet, but he doesn't care. Breaking the monitor has not improved his mood, surprisingly, but it does make Sharkface back off a bit, surprised by the much shorter mercenary's venomous reaction.
"Yeah, okay, I can tell now is a bad time..." Sharkface sounds it out, backing off a few more feet from the other man. "I'll just... come back later..." With that, he takes off, leaving Felix to feel worse rather than better while he brushes the glass of his armor.
A/N: Some harsh shit, but again, I have a mind to follow canon for the most part with this story-line... which means a lot more sad stuff to come! Please R&R!
~CabooseHeart.