Chapter 1: A Step Back
The room was silent as everyone worked, monitors showing various readouts and the subject's vitals as mechanics, engineers, doctors, and scientists did their best to make sure their test would go off without a hitch. Among the giant group of people were two soldiers, both suited up in full combat armor, one in red and the other maroon. The silence was broken as the room's door was slammed open and entered a man in aqua-colored armor who paused to look at the subject with clear befuddlement.
"What the fuck?"
All eyes in the room turned to the man before hurley turning back to their workstations, the subject, Caboose clad in standard-issue blue with a Mark V helmet, wires running into armor very different from standard-issue turned to him and enthusiastically waved, his entire body moving with the wave, not noticing the panic looked on the others in the room.
"Hey, Tucker I'm gonna meet a pig!" Caboose said pausing as he remembered he wasn't supposed to move, holding his breath and becoming still as a statue as Tucker looked at him with confusion before looking to the two other soldiers in the room for clarification.
"I said you were going to be a guinea pig, bluetard!" the red soldier said before turning to Tucker lightly chuckling to himself.
"Is that why he's wearing the fucking Meta's armor?" Tucker asked, gesturing to Caboose, getting a nod from Sarge.
"Yeah, Kimball figured rather than destroy it would be better to see if we could reverse engineer some of the armor enhancements," he said gesturing to the others in the room, "But, when Church went kaput and you went all Kilimanjaro on Hargrove's forces you burned most of them out,"
"So you're trying to fix them?" Tucker said as Caboose started shaking, "Breathe dumbass!" he shouted the soldier in blue taking a deep breath before falling to the ground.
"Fix them? I did that within five minutes using parts of Simmons 2.0, stuff from that freelancer room on that ship and a gallon of elbow grease" Sarge said with a grin, gesturing to his maroon companion who nodded, the sound of nails on a chalkboard coming from the movement.
"You fixed them?" Tucker asked in disbelief, looking to Caboose then back at Sarge, "Wait….all of them?" he said voice full of worry.
"And made some improvement," Sarge said with obvious pride, "Used some of those teleportation grenades and some of the doodads I found laying around that freelancer room," he chuckled to himself, "I'd say it's deadlier than ever...though I regret I couldn't add the cupholder...or muffin button."
"And you decided to take the improved armor and give it to the biggest idiot ever…. Caboose and that everything was going to be okay…..does Carolina know about this?"
"We're not stupid," Simmons said with a huff, "Sarge added a passcode so he can't use them without permission," he said getting a nod from Sarge before coughing into his hand with a look of fear in his eyes as he imagined Carolina's reaction. "...and don't be a narc,"
"Let me guess the passcode is passcode," Tucker said, giving them a look as Caboose walked up behind him, Sarge's and Simmon's eyes widening.
"What's a passcode?" Caboose asked as the room fell silent as there were a bright flash and a loud bang a gasping Tucker looking to the spot where Caboose had been.
"Where did he go," Simmons whispered, a female scientist coughing to get their attention.
"Data show that all of the suits enhancements activated at once…the...improvements by Sarge adding the possibility of him even being off-planet….if the suit didn't instantly cook him," she said looking to the screen as data ran down the screen, "If he is alive he could be anywhere and anywhen," she said to the silent room, the former simulation trooper looking to each other in disbelief and panic.
"...Wash and Carolina are going to fucking kill us," Tucker said.
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"How would you like some payback for that eye?" asked a soldier in black armor to another clad in yellow, Agents Texas and York respectively.
York went to answer only to be interrupted by a scream, both former freelancer's crouching with their guns raised at the ready, following finely honed instincts learned from a life of combat.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh" and with a loud thud Caboose slammed into the ground, leaving a sizable crater in the cement of the slums the agents had been chatting in, "owwww…. Tucker did it.,"
"Caboose?" Tex asked as the blue stood up, steam shooting out of the vents on the suit, getting a curious look from York, "Simulation trooper from where I've been,"
"Awe...did former number one on the leaderboard finally make a friend?" York said getting a glare from Tex that made the hair on the back of his neck stand.
"Warning, the current course of action has a 79% chance of severe inj-" the mechanical voice of Delta, York's A.I started to say only to be cut off by the yellow freelancer.
"I get it Delta," he said with a sigh, fondness in his tone towards his A.I as he looked at the blue soldier picking himself off the floor, gun still raised glaze focused on the still-steaming armor.
"Tex?" Caboose asked, a wide smile breaking out on his face hidden by his visor as he pulled her into a tight hug, her gun falling to the ground as she tried to free herself from his absurdly strong grasp. "I thought you died in the emp!" he shouted.
"Emp?" Tex asked her tone full of confusion before sighing in defeat, surrendering herself to Caboose's inhuman strength, glaring at a smirking York, daring him to comment.
"You know, when Church and Wash fought the Meta and all the A.I fragments were destroyed." Caboose said with enthusiasm pausing for a couple of seconds before continuing to talk, "Except Epsilon," he said with a sad sigh letting go of if Tex.
York and Tex shared a look, Delta's form appearing looking confused by the blue soldier's words, his appearance making Caboose gasp his already big smile widening.
"Delta! You're back too! This is the single best day ever...of all time," he said reaching out to hug Delta only for his arms to fall through the small hologram.
"Tex….I think your friend has some screws loose," York said watching as Caboose kept trying to hug Delta, leading to York receiving a small hug that popped his back and made him wish for a chiropractor before Caboose's attention returned to the small A.I.
"Maybe I can be of assistance?" Delta asked his form flickering to York's shoulder, Caboose stopping as the A.I fixed him with a look, "My scans of his suit's systems show a shocking amount of armor enhancements...which would be almost impossible to run without an A.I….along with some modifications I cannot identify...his appearance from out of nowhere and the heat generated by his armor leads me to believe that he appeared by sung some, or all of those enhancements," Delta looked to York, "I request to be allowed a more thorough analysis of his systems to see how he was able to use the enhancements without the assistance of A.I…..preferably first hand," York looked to a contemplative Tex who after a couple of moments of thought nodded to her fellow former freelancer.
"Hey buddy, my friend Delta is going to take a look at you, okay?" York said reaching to the back of his helmet and removing Delta's chip and walking up to an excited looking Caboose.
"Okay Mr. Yellow man!" he said with a wide smile under his visor as York slipped the chip into the A.I port of his Mark IV helmet, Delta's from appearing after a few moments before seeming to flicker in and out.
"Delta?!" York asked with worry.
"I am fine York," Delta said, his form seeming to settle. "It seems that during Epsilon's time with the simulation troopers he used...Private...Captain?...Caboose's helmet's storage to store excess data both gained by his brief contact with Alpha and from his...travels, as well as a backup of his data, backed up till his deconstruction...not enough to become a fragment, but enough to fill me in on Caboose's situation...as well as the situation of the galaxy and time he has come from and the fates of use fragments and the Alpha," the A.I said a sadness in his tone at the fate of his fellow fragment flickering once again as he delved through the large amount of data now available to him.
"How does Caboose know about the Alpha?" Tex asked, looking to Caboose then to Delta a hint of worry in her tone, "...does the director know that I've been in contact with Alpha?" she asked, ignoring the surprised look York was giving her.
"No, if records from Caboose's armor are correct then he is relatively safe" Delta paused as his form flickering again, "Though I cannot promise that with the threat of Agent Maine who I believe is now going by as the Meta and the Director who I feel would not hesitate to continue in his single-minded ambition for the goal of resurrecting of Alisson Church" Tex glared at the A.I.
"I meant no offense, Agent Texas...just wish to affirm you," Delta nodded to himself, his form flickering one final time before remaining solid " I have analyzed what I've deemed the most relevant data I could find and strongly recommend that we take care of Agent Maine and get into contact with Agent North Dakota while the individual now known as the Meta possesses only Three A.I…..with you two and Agent North I estimate a 78% chance of success….85% if we can get Theta to help run this suit," the A.I said.
"Isn't South with North?" York asked as Tex started to pace back and forth lost in thought, "And I don't want to ruin your plan, but do you even know where they'll be?" he asked, Delta giving him a nod and bringing up a map showing two red markers and four white ones.
"Using the data available I have estimated two possible locations of where North and South are, as well as four possible locations where Maine will attempt to ambush them," Delta paused before continuing, "I have learned that Agent South still has residual…..feelings from her time aboard the Mother of Invention…..she could be a tactical risk, should she believe that either myself or Theta to be obtainable,"
"Come on Dee, South may be a bit of a bitch, but I don't think she'd leave use for dead…..well leave North for dead," York said with a chipper tone trying to raise the mood of the alley.
"She may not do it herself, but the data I have analyzed shows that she is more than willing to put someone in the position to be killed if it were to benefit her or allow for her to receive an A.I of her own," Delta said, York's shoulders sagging as he leaned against a wall the alley silent, the mood on the alley darkening as he punched the wall.
"Dammit Lina, where are you when I need you," York said with a sigh looking to the sky, Caboose looking at him with excitement when he mentioned Carolina's name.
"Lina?," he asked tilting his head to the side, thinking for a moment, "You mean Carolina?!" Caboose said excitedly, "She's a very nice lady!" he exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet as York's eyes widened, quickly grabbing the blue by his shoulders.
"Carolina's alive!" York yelled, Tex's attention being drawn to York and Caboose, "Delta where is she?" he asked shaking the blue soldier.
"Location unknown," Delta said, appearing on Caboose's shoulder, York's face tightening.
"Come on Dee, you know where North, South, Alpha, and Maine are, but not Carolina?" he asked expectantly, letting go of Caboose's shoulders a bounce still in his step. "Come on Dee, if we're going after Maine don't you think she'd want a little payback...maybe work off some of the stress from Project Freelancer? I know I do," he said with a wink, to the confusion of Caboose.
"York, I know you want to see Agent Carolina, but chances of successfully capturing Maine and retrieval of the three A.I fragments in his possession drop below 50% if she were to be included," the A.I said looking at his friend with a knowing look.
"Bullshit!" York yelled, "How the hell would our chances decrease with her around? She was one of the best!"
"While Agent Carolina is an exceptional agent, her personal feeling and competitive nature when concerning Agent Texas, would only hamper our chances, and more than likely lead to losses on our side….possibly even herself,"
"Dee," York said with a sigh, hands on his face as he tried and failed to come up with an argument to Delta's analysis.
"I am sorry York," The logical fragment said with a tone of sadness, looking at his long time friend and partner.
"...How about after we get Maine?" the former freelancer asked, sliding down the alley's wall, sighing and rubbing the side of his helmet that hid his bad eye.
"I will use any available processing power to go through the rest of the data….narrow down her location. I hope to have it by the time we encounter Maine," the A.I said, getting a grateful nod from York.
"Thanks, Dee," he said turning to Tex, "I know you want to get Omega bu-"
"But, if Maine is still hunting the A.I's and Alpha then it would be better to take him out before he can obtain anymore," Tex said, cutting off York and nodding to Delta, "Can we remove any of the enhancements from Caboose's suit? I'd prefer to have some more firepower...and not leave the fate of the mission in his hands,"
"No, they have been hardwired into the suit...with my current limitations as a fragment, I would be unable to remove any of them… their removal without at least a full A.I would result in destruction and with the modifications...I cannot guess at the amount of destruction would be caused by an error during their removal...the tricky nature of this suit is probably a failsafe to prevent the thief of the hardware" he paused, some of the enhancements on the suit lighting up before going dark, "They are all operating within what I assume to be recommended levels, however, I will only be able to run one of the enhancements at a time...two should the situation call for it, though that would bring risk to myself" the A.I said.
Tex looked at York expectantly gesturing towards Caboose, the former agent in yellow looking back and forth at her then to Caboose before the unasked question clicked in his head.
"Oh hell no," he said pointing at the armor, "No way in hell I'd ever wear that armor," he looked at her, "Why don't you wear it?"
"It's not like I've got a human body under this armor, York," she said with a sigh, "Unlike my previous body, this one can't take off the armor," she crossed her arms" Sorry Delta looks like you're stuck in him for a bit,"
"Hey! Don't go giving Delta away without asking me first," York said, sending a glare to Tex, before looking to Delta.
"Sorry York, but I believe it would be wiser for me to remain with Caboose," he said, sounding somewhat regretful.
"Dee?" York asked with a dejected tone.
"It is safer for everyone if I have control over the suit's armor enhancements….they have already been used once without an A.I….I'm still running the numbers on how Caboose was not flash cooked by the armor...or how he managed to arrive right next to you and York.." the A.I said before ejecting his chip from Caboose's helmet, storing himself in the blue's armor.
"Fine Dee I get your point," York said with a sigh taking the empty chip and sliding it in before a small smirk working its way across his face, "You'll be missing me in no time,"
"Yay! Slumber party with Delta!" Caboose said understanding that Delta was going to be staying with him for a while, getting a wry grin out of York and an almost silent chuckle from Tex.
Looking at each other, both former freelancers nodded.
"So Delta," Tex said as Caboose listed off everything they could do at a slumber party.
"What is the plan?" York asked.