Legal Disclaimer: I do not own Red vs. Blue or any of the show's characters. They are the rightful properties of Rooster Teeth.

Chapter Twenty-One: Into the Fire

"I don't really know what's more messed up," Tucker began as he looked across the underground space to the lone figure in the nondescript holding cell, "Finding out that Freelancer wasn't nearly as helpful as everyone thought they were and that they even had a dungeon here in Chorus, or getting a clearer image of what you and Tex do in your personal time."

"Haha." Leonard Church fake laughed as he rolled his eyes, "Very funny."

"Tucker." Tex stated evenly in response, "Do you want to get thrown through a wall?"

"I'm just annoyed that I got called down here for this interrogation session and had to leave Junior with Jensen again." The dark-skinned man told the on again-off again couple matter-of-factly, a thoughtful frown crossing over his features as he muttered, "It's bad enough Wash just up and disappeared like he did."

"Hey now! I definitely don't want to know what you get up to in your personal time." Church snarked out loud as a blushing Tucker hastily gave him the finger in response.

"Guys." Carolina's voice cut calmly through the air from where she currently stood in the hallway next to Kimball, "We need to focus."

"Right." Tucker nodded, raising an eyebrow, "So why am I here?"

"Because your power happens to be one of the most intimidating, honestly." Church explained, elaborating just a bit by adding, "At least up close."

"Hah!" Tucker grinned, puffing out his chest in pride, "I knew it was only a matter of time before you'd all have to admit just how badass I am!"

"And we also just grabbed the first person we could find once we got the notification from Kimball and Carolina." Tex admitted in order to keep Tucker's head from getting too swollen.

Tucker's shoulders drooped slightly, but he decided to put a good face on things anyway, "Totally still counting it." He exclaimed.

"Whatever floats your boat." The black-wearing blonde informed him dryly.

"Having Grif here would make things so much easier." Vanessa Kimball noted contemplatively as she tried to move things along, "It's a shame he left the party early."

"If we still up needing his emotional manipulation powers, we can always get in contact with him." Church stated, looking rather speculative himself, "But that might not be necessary."

"So how are we doing this, exactly?" Bitters asked, eager to chime in now that it seemed as if the idle chatter was over with.

"You aren't doing a damn thing." Church was quick to say.

"But he's one of the creeps who tried kidnapping Matthews!" The dark-skinned young man tried protesting, clearly pissed.

"And that stunt you pulled earlier was beyond reckless." Kimball informed him, "You're extremely lucky neither of you got hurt."

Bitters frowned and glared at the floor as Matthews gingerly reached over to touch his shoulder, "Bitters."

The multi-colored haired man took in a deep breath and let it out, "Can we at least stay and watch?" He asked, voice tight, "I want to know why my friend was targeted."

Matthews nodded his head determinedly too.

"Eh, I can tell you that one for free." Miller called out from the cell.

"Oh, so you're in a sharing mood?" Tex asked, cracking her knuckles for added emphasis, "That's fortunate for you."

Miller shrugged rather indifferently at her intimidation attempt, a sign that he didn't know Tex, "It's no secret that we're collecting Specials. The kid's ability would make finding them much easier." He stated.

"How would that be?" Church asked with a frown, "He doesn't exactly have a long range."

"Not right now. But with the right modifications…" Miller trailed off as he grinned fiendishly towards Matthews, the action causing Bitters to step protectively in front of his friend.

"Modifications?" Carolina narrowed her green eyes at his choice of wording, "Explain."

"Yeah, I think my talk time is over now." Miller told them rather confidently, especially for a guy in a cell, "Tell you what, why don't you guys just go and fuck off?"

"You really shouldn't have said that." Church informed him almost gleefully as Tex and Carolina looked over at one another and then started to approach the cell. Tucker was right behind them with his energy blade out and ready.

"They aren't really going to do anything inhumane, are they?" Dylan Andrews asked, her voice soft from where she and Jax had been silently taking in the scene.

Kimball frowned, "We don't really work that way." She explained in a low voice, though Church grinned.

"He doesn't know that though." He added under his breath. Church turned to the reporter and her cameraman then, "What I'd also like to know is just what the fuck you're doing here."

Dylan frowned and raised her eyebrows, "Isn't it obvious?" She asked him, "We're following a story. One that apparently someone high up in the city's government is trying to cover up."

"You believe it has something to do with Charon." Church deduced.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't." The brunette reporter replied determinedly, "We'd like to help uncover the truth."

Church seemed to ponder the situation for a moment, inwardly debating whether the pair could be trusted.

"We did help bring this guy to your love nest." Jax Jonez pointed out then to help speed things along.

"Holding cell." Leonard Church corrected through gritted teeth. Oh, he was going to kill Tucker.

"Are you sure? Because that Tucker guy said…"

Seriously, Church's friend in teal was going to be dead later. He would even raise Junior in his memory and everything. "Meet us at my house tomorrow night." Church finally conceded through gritted teeth, "We're having a meeting then."

Dylan inclined her head, "Thank you."

Miller, meanwhile, gulped rather nervously after having witnessed Tex calmly punch a hole into the wall by his cell. Church figured he'd be a lot more inclined to talk in the next few seconds.

Washington and Dexter Grif made their way over to the park where the orange-wearing man had met with his Charon "contacts" before. "Are you sure this is the right place?" Washington asked, raising an eyebrow in the heavyset man's direction.

Grif frowned and gripped the flash drive in his hand tight enough that it nearly broke, suddenly noticing the two figures in black suits standing nearby, "Yeah. I really am." He replied.

"Oh, look who finally decided to show up," Felix grinned as they approached, eyes taking in Washington as well, "And he brought a friend too."

"Agent Washington." Locus' tone was curt and even, "Control informed us about you."

"Lucky me." Washington frowned, "I didn't know you needed to recruit more agents."

Felix shrugged, "Grif's powers are interesting and we already had a file on him. Better to have two moles than just one, wouldn't you say?"

"I have a file?" Grif asked, raising a dark eyebrow, "What the hell for?"

"You'd be surprised." Felix smirked and then his countenance became deadly serious as he held out his hand expectantly, "Now hand it over."

Grif gripped the flash drive tightly once more, "What are you going to do with this?"

"That is none of your concern." Locus interjected, "You and your sister will remain unharmed."

"But that's…!"

Washington held up his hand to keep Grif from protesting any further at the look of impatience suddenly flashing across Felix's thin face, "It's the data Church collected on all of the recruits." He noted, "I doubt they mean to use it for benign purposes."

"Just seeing what our opponents are like. Nothing wrong with that, is there?" Felix taunted.

"And if you can use some of them, all the better, right?" Washington narrowed his gray eyes, "Like Grif."

"And you, don't forget." Felix informed the former Freelancer smugly.

"I'm here by choice!" Washington tried to protest, yet he still sounded conflicted.

"And so is Grif. Which is better than some get." Felix held out his hand again, the last vestiges of mirth gone from his features, "Now hand it over."

Grif reluctantly did as he was told, and watched warily as Felix pocketed the drive.

"Always a pleasure." Felix muttered, giving them both a mocking salute as he and Locus started walking off, "Until next time." Before he left, however, he paused and turned to face Washington once more, "Oh, yeah, there's a new order for you about tying up a loose end. I'd get right to it if I were you."

There was a heavy silence following the mercenaries' departure that was only broken by Grif saying, "I know why I have to help them." He stared at his companion in steel and yellow speculatively, "What about you?"

Washington sighed and rubbed at his wrist, "It's complicated, Grif."

"Right." Grif shrugged indifferently and turned back in the direction of Church's home and the party still taking place within. He really didn't want to go back, but he needed to check on Kai's antics and see how Simmons was doing.

"This is going to get worse before it gets better, you realize." Washington told him softly.

Grif let out a frustrated sigh, "I know."

Neither of them said anything else as they headed back the way they came.

Richard "Dick" Simmons was surprised when he opened his eyes to find himself lying on a bed in a room he only vaguely remembered. He murmured to himself something along the lines of what happened as he clutched at his head, surprised at the ferocious headache that was there.

"You drank yourself into a stupor last night is what happened." Grif's voice informed him calmly from the doorway.

Simmons felt himself blushing at the other man's presence for some reason, especially when he noticed that he was holding out what appeared to be a tinfoil-wrapped breakfast burrito, no doubt from that nearby diner, towards him. "I didn't…did I do anything embarrassing last night?" The redhead couldn't believe he'd passed out in Church's home of all places!

"Nah. No more than usual." Grif grinned, "You sure are a lightweight though."

"I am not!" Simmons sputtered indignantly as he tried getting up, only to hiss at the pain in his skull instead.

"Here." Grif crossed over into the room to sit by the cyborg on the bed. Simmons tried to ignore just how heated his face got as Grif handed over the burrito, "Hangover breakfast of champions." He explained in his pseudo-sage voice.

Simmons took the no doubt grease-filled offering without complaint, "Thanks."

As he chewed on the tortilla wrapped around eggs, cheese, and tomatillo sauce, Grif regarded him rather seriously for a moment, "Hey, Simmons?" He began rather hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Simmons paused in his eating, looking towards Grif expectantly. Oh no, what if he had done something ridiculous last night?

But Grif merely shook his head and said, "Nothing. Never mind."

Simmons almost wanted to press him further because he still seemed troubled, but then Grif was eating in his usual savoring manner and Simmons felt the need to do the same. Their sitting together like they were was oddly comforting and nice after a surprisingly decent rest. Not that either one of them would ever admit it out loud.

"I still don't think this is a good idea." Antoine Bitters stated as he and Matthews carried a food try down to the holding cell where Miller was being kept.

Matthews smiled nervously, "But you're the one who always says I should face my fears." He reminded his friend, "So that's what we're doing, yeah?"

Bitters frowned, "Yeah, but…" But he'd meant in regards to standing up to his asshole parents, not delivering food to potential kidnappers.

"And besides, doing this gets me out of the house." Matthews nodded reassuringly, "It's all great, Bitters."

The other teen frowned, "Let's just get this over with."

But when they reached the holding cell proper, the two were shocked to find the place absolutely empty.

"Damn it." Bitters muttered to himself. This was definitely not good.

Author's Notes: As you might have guessed, this chapter sets up some future plot points. Also, breakfast burritos are yummy! :D As always, thank you for reading! :)

Next time in Specials: aftermaths of both parties and breakouts, Wash and Tucker have a chat, training mishaps occur, and Grif ends up having a surprising encounter with a rather unnerving stranger. :)