We're so close to the end, so close to throwing things together, and I just can't thank all of you enough for all the fun I've had with this prequel! I'm hoping the answers and reveals will answer some questions and be worth your guys' wait. And again, thank you just so much for everything!

Special thanks to washingtonstub, analiarvb, freshzombiewriter, notatroll7, a-taller-tale, ashleystlawrence, thepheonixqueen, guigui-bossu, spooky-circuits, Yin, secretlystephaniebrown, ephemeraltea, astupidusernameme, and staininspace on tumblr and AO3 for the feedback!

Texas Time
Chapter Twenty-One: City at War

After everything that she had been through, just in the past day's worth of excitement and adventures, Tex thought her costume fit her wrong.

It was such a dumb sensation, looking at herself in her signature suit – the one designed by Alpha, the one she hand picked the insignia for – and thinking that something she so often wore like a second skin wasn't right but that was exactly how she felt. Like it was made for a different person.

With an invasion going on and no doubt endless battles to come, Tex pushed the oddly existential feelings far away from herself. There wasn't time for that ridiculous thought.

Not when downtown was apparently a disaster that York couldn't handle himself.

Like before, traveling invisibly turned out to be the only way to really make it to downtown without delay. She ignored so many monstrous aliens and so many cries for help along that way but she did what she had to.

They would save more people – save the whole damn city – if they united to take on the real cause of the threat. And she was only going to be able to do that with York and anyone else they pulled together.

She hoped.

Tex reached downtown's shopping square and looked with some degree of panic at the large, alien structure landed there. It managed to be both smaller than the ships in the sky and larger than the closest buildings to it.

"Real talk," she muttered to herself, becoming visible. "Where's the best place to punch it…"

The thought was almost amusing enough to distract her when there was not so subtle hissing behind her.

Fists up, Tex turned and looked around for an alien to punch, only to see nothing behind her. She raised a brow when suddenly there was something tugging on her pant leg.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure those are registered as lethal weapons, put 'em down."

She glanced down to see York's head and shoulders popping out of the ground, head tilted at her.

Tex felt a wave of relief and annoyance toward her old friend all at once and she lowered to the ground in order to look more levelly at him. "I thought you were dead," she informed him.

"Yeah, that's been a common theme. I can see how you'd make the mistake," York said, sounding far more bitter than Tex had ever heard from him before.

It was then that Tex really took in his appearance. York was haggard by anyone's standard, let alone his own. His hair sticking at all ends, bruises and scratches all over his face, and even what little she could see of his uniform was torn and bloodied.

"What the hell happened out there?" she demanded.

"I'll explain in a bit," York promised, holding out a hand to her. "First, let's get out of the limelight a bit. We're no good to anyone if we're big, brightly colored targets for the invaders."

"Speak for yourself," Tex huffed, taking York's hand all the same. "My costume's perfect and blending."

York snorted but otherwise didn't argue, pulling Tex the rest of the way through the cement and into the passage below the streets.

It was a bizarre feeling – terrifying, if Tex believed in letting herself get scared at all. Watching the layers of concrete, blacktop, and cement pass through her own eyes as they were lowered into the air pocket of the sewers.

She didn't know how York could stand to do it so much. But she supposed he also had more experience.

"I could've punched my way down here," she reminded him once her feet touched the ground, just for good measure.

York gave her a snort and crossed his arms. "Oh, that would have been inconspicuous."

"I would've been invisible," Tex joked. "Really, though, York, give me the lay of what's going on here. And I'll think about sharing what I know." She frowned. "First off, what the hell happened on your guys' mission?"

Immediately, York's expression dropped into a scowl. "What mission, Tex? There wasn't a mission, there was a freaking ambush waiting for us at the coordinates the Director gave Carolina. Half the team didn't even make it back to the Earth's stratosphere. And we ended up bringing this force," he motioned toward where the skies would have been if they were above ground, "with us."

"Gee, that was helpful," Tex huffed.

"Hey, get judgey all you want, but it's not like we made things worse," York informed her. "The moment we touched down and tried to regroup, Carolina took off – no one has any idea where to – and we were swarmed! Dozens, maybe hundreds, of these guys were already waiting for us."

Tex took her turn to scowl knowingly. "You don't say."

Almost immediately, there was a shift in York. He stepped back and apraised her carefully. "You know something you're not telling me, Tex?" he asked cautiously.

"A few things," she acknowledged.

"Any of them can tell me just where the hell you've been the last few days?" he asked angrily. "I've not been able to hail anybody but Wash until now."

Some relief washed over Tex. "So Wash is on his way?"

"Yeah," York continued, curt and cautious. "Do you know about anyone else?"

Lowering her head, Tex shook once. "CT didn't make it," she ground out. "Wyoming did and… I don't know. The whole thing is suspicious, York. I walked in on the scene and she was dead."

By the time she looked back up at York, she found an unimpressed fellow Freelancer.

Tex blinked a few times before raising a brow. "What?"

"What do you mean what?" he asked back. "You supposedly have all this information you're not keen on sharing with me and now you want me to believe someone I've worked with for years killed another one of our teammates? One of our friends?"

"Are you saying you don't trust me?" Tex demanded, voice edging on vicious.

"I'm saying I trust all the Freelancers until proven otherwise," York said firmly. His face dropped and he stepped back, glancing down the tunnels. "Fuck. I forgot the rookie's on his way here."

Confused herself, Tex came up alongside him. "That's suddenly a problem?"

York gave her a look that spoke volumes even through his visor. "Of course it is. Our friends are dying and we have to tell Wash that his mentor was killed. Doesn't that bother you? I thought you two were really tight."

She could tell what was underlying his tone, the subtle accusation was loud and scathing even if York was trying not to be.

How could she, a hero, be so heartless in the face of so much death?

"Because I think CT and I knew more about what's going on here than anyone else," she finally answered. "I believe that CT died trying to prove it. And the only thing keeping my head on straight is that I have the proof." She held up the computer drive she had pulled from CT. "And you and I are going to put a stop to this with it. Because that's what CT would have wanted."

He looked unsure of himself, staring at the drive intently. For once York didn't seem to have anything ready to say. But someone else did.

"Is it really, though?"

Both Tex and York spun around to face the approaching party in defensive positions. It wasn't often that someone could sneak up on professional heroes. But the tension soon eased as they saw Wash walk out of the sewer's shadows.

York stood upright again and let out a rush of air. "Wash, buddy. Worried me for a sec there," he said, apparently not taking the curious smile on Wash's face with the same unease that Tex was feeling. "You must've gotten that from CT, all the sneaking about and…"

Realizing what he was blabbering about, York tensed up slightly again, at least enough to put a hand over his face and shake his head.

Tex stood upright, but her eyes narrowed in on Wash's calm expression.

Over her time in Freelancer, Tex had learned to see Wash in many ways, butcalm never really described the former sidekick.

"What did you mean by that?" Tex asked, promptly ignoring York attempts to insert his foot in his own mouth beside her. "'Is it really though'? What did you mean?"

"What CT would have wanted," Wash clarified, stopping a few feet short of joining their circle.

Sensing more of the tension, but still looking more concerned than suspicious toward their teammate, York stepped toward Wash. "About CT… Listen, Wash, you might want to sit down. We've got some news about your old partner…"

Before York could get much closer, Tex grabbed his arm and yanked him back toward her. Something that was met with a curt yelp and then a glare as the other hero phased through her hand.

"What would CT have wanted, Wash?" she asked intently. "After all, you knew her best."

Wash smirked and held out his hand. "Whatever it is you have? If it was CT then she would have wanted it to go to me. She trained me how to be a detective-like thinker. I know how she would have coded and protected information. In the even that something happened to her, I'm your best bet. So just hand this over to me and let me deal with it."

At once, York went on edge, stepping back to Tex's side and giving her a not so subtle look.

Tex clutched the drive in her hand tighter and glared at Wash.

"How did you know that CT was dead, Wash?" she asked thinly.

Wash remained silent, his hand still outstretched. "You're not exactly quiet. I overheard." He waited a beat before straining his hand. "The drive."

York crossed his arms. "You heard your partner for the last three years was possibly murdered by one of us and the only thing you're worried about is a stupid paper trail? What the hell is wrong with you?" He then glanced sidelong to Tex. "Both of you. I'm concerned about the motivations for both of you."

"I need the drive to help you," Wash pressed darkly. "Hand it over. It's what CT would have wanted, you fools!"

And in an instant, Tex felt everything come together. Her eyes widened and she pulled the hand with the drive back. "Fools?" she repeated.

Realizing what he said, Wash's face dropped.

"There's no need for name calling, my dude," York said, waggling a finger at Wash for the offense.

"York, shut up," Tex snapped. "That's not Wash!"

York glared at her. "What are you talking about? I think I'd know who is or isn't Wash–"

Without warning, Wash lunged forward, his kick to York's chest only missing its mark because the other hero managed to become intangible at the last second.

It was something Wash quickly recovered from, catching himself on his pivot foot and immediately moving into spinning kick for Tex which she only barely managed to cross block.

The speed and dexterity might have been Wash's but the onslaught of the moves and the viciousness behind them rang more falsely.

As soon as he realized that he was getting nowhere with Tex, the imposter dove for York yet again. A mistake considering York merely became intangible and gave the body hijacker an incredulous look.

York stared at Tex. "What the hell's going on?"

Tex glared at the off balanced Washington and threw a punch directly for the back of his head. It was nowhere near her hardest to give, but it was enough to send her friend tumbling toward the floor and out like a light.

"Another clue," she finally answered. "I just figured out what else's probably on this drive. And it's nothing good."

She looked up to gauge York's reaction only to catch the intangible hero reaching through her pocket. Tex's eyes widened.

"No! Motherfucker!" she roared uselessly as the suddenly body snatched York gave a lazy smile to her and held up the intangible drive.

"It's been fun, you ignoramus, but I've got an appointment to keep. Worlds to help conquer. Establishments to topple, you know the drill by now, Miss Hero,"York literally cackled.

"Omega, I'm going to punch your lights out," she informed him in a snarl. "That's a promise."

He waved and laughed before walking toward the nearest wall. "Oh, please. You can't even touch me."

Tex narrowed her eyes. "The worst part of that is that I can barely tell the difference between York's usual cockiness."

Beside her, Wash groaned and began to sit up, body wavering. "Wha… I don't… understand. Did-did I pass?" he asked incoherently.

She gave him a look over. "Sure, you passed, buddy, whatever you mean." She then turned toward the wall York's body was walking through and her mind clicked. "Holy fuck – he has to make eye contact. And right now he's heading toward his real body. I can still stop this!"

Running up to the wall, Tex stopped just short enough to look over the brick. Her scowl set in determination as she drew back her fist.

"Wait, what?" Wash murmured from the water behind her.

Paying no attention to the other rookie, Tex busted through the brick in a solid punch and sent brick and dust spewing around them. She wasted no time before leaping through the hole she had just made and running up to where a surprised York turned to face her.

"What the hell? Where are we?" York asked, not even noticing the wiry man making an escape.

"Same old trick, huh, you son of a bitch!?" Tex roared before diving at York.

"Holy shit!" York cried out in shock, going intangible just in time for Tex to dive through him and tackle the pipsqueak that was Omega's original body. He then whirled around and watched Tex struggle on the ground before looking put off himself. "Hey! Some warning next time! Yeesh," he grumped, shaking his head.

"Oh, shut up and thank me," Tex snapped before punching Omega's lights out. She sat on top of the guy and searched his hands, grinning widely as she recovered CT's drive. "Knew it."

York squinted at her and cocked his head. "Well, I'm glad one of us does."

Tex looked at York seriously, closing her hand around the drive. "York, we're taking the sewers to Blood Gulch," she explained.

"Okay. Why?" he demanded.

"Because I trust a guy's computers to still be usable there," she said, getting to her feet. "And because we'll be needing all the help we can get if and when these files prove I'm right."

York threw up his hands. "Right about what, Tex? I have no idea what's going on!"

"Right about Freelancer," she emphasized. "Right about the fact that they're responsible for everything, and I mean everything. This invasion, what happened to you guys in space… And that they're the ones who have been paying these villains to even be on the streets to begin with."

He looked at her like she had just taken a nosedive off the deep end, but Tex knew he'd follow. Just like she knew that she'd finally had it all figured out.

"What about Wash?" he asked, throwing a thumb toward their dazed and muttering cohort as he held his head and kept shaking it.

"I think he's seen enough action today," Tex decided, walking over and bending down beside her fellow rookie. "Come on, Wash," she grunted as she threw one of his arms around her shoulders. "Let's find a medical unit to send you off with."

York took the hint and quickly moved to get Wash's other arm. "Are we going to try to get anyone else? What about Dee? The other sidekicks?"

A chill went up Tex's spine as she remembered the future she had vacationed in recently, and Church and Carolina's words about the sidekicks of Freelancer.

"Let's hold off on that until we've looked over the evidence ourselves," she decided on instead. "Then we'll figure out who can help… who we can trust."

Unassured, York nodded. He then forced a smile. "Wait, you've not even seen the evidence yet and you trust me? I'm touched."

"Please," Tex snorted. "Who'd trust you to keep a secret."

"Harsh," he laughed back. He then blinked and looked to Tex worriedly. "Is there anyone else on your shortlist? I mean, I know you and Carolina haven't exactly gotten along but I vouch for her, Tex."

Wash's head hung but he still managed a, "Who?"

Tex stayed quiet before agreeing. "If we see Carolina along the way, we'll pull her in with us. I… I trust her, too. I think I get her plan."

That seemed to ease York's concern and they continued carrying Wash through the sewers.

If Tex was right, and she was pretty damn sure she was, things were about to get hairy.