A/N: I've actually been reading the reviews, and this might come across as a bit of a shock: I really do agree with some of them.

Yes, I feel that Reach, as a Spartan, should be a quieter type, as well as keeping his emotions in check. Also, he does seem to 'fit in' a bit too quickly, and it's not logical.

But one said he should have qualms about killing CT. In my opinion, not really. Reach never met her prior to that fight, so he has no real connection to her.

As for the whole 'Tex is alive' thing, I have a pretty good idea how I'm going to play this out, as well as explain why CT called her a shadow. Don't worry, it won't be a Carolina-bashing fic either.

Also, I might need to re-watch the earlier seasons of RvB, as this takes place during Season 10 and I'll need to get to the Blood Gulch crew eventually. And I'll be adding my OC Freelancer in this chapter, too.

But, enough of that. Here's number 7.

*Chapter 7*

Reach sat on his bunk, feeling frustrated. Not only did CT and the leader of the Resistance escape, but Texas suffered a serious wound in the ensuing battle.

He thought about his earlier outburst, and the way he turned on Carolina afterwards. 'Un-fucking-believable. You're supposed to be a Spartan, and be able to keep your emotions in check.'

Reach let out a small sigh and stood up. 'I'm not going to get anything done by dwelling on this. I'll just have to keep myself prepared when the time comes, and move on.'

He walked to the shower, turned it on, and stepped inside. The water began to drip around Reach's body, and he rested his arm against the shower wall. 'I think I'm accepting all of this too soon. At this rate, if I believe everything I'm told, then I'm gonna get screwed over, and bad.'

Satisfied that he was refreshed enough, he stepped out, putting on a fresh set of fatigues laid out for him on the bunk. 'Something still is weighing on my mind. Back then, CT said the Director had broken major laws, and we'll all end up paying for his crimes when the war's over. Plus, why did she say that Texas was a shadow? Something's not right about this…I'm going to have be on my guard.'

Reach walked out of the dorm, heading for the cafeteria as he heard his stomach growl in hunger. 'I suppose I should get some food. It's been awhile since I've last eaten.'

He walked down the hallway, stopping when he heard two people talking. York and Carolina.

"Carolina, give it a rest! You've been acting like this ever since Reach first showed up!" York exclaimed, seemingly agitated. Reach leaned against the wall, silently listening. 'I think I know why, too.'

He heard Carolina sigh in defeat. "You want to know why? Fine then. I'll say it. All my life, I've trained to be the best. That's all I do. That's all I ever do. It's not just Reach, either. Both him and Tex show up from nowhere, and they're seemingly better than me. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is, to work for something so much, only for others to take it right under your nose?"

Reach closed his eyes, still not saying a word and alerting the two Freelancers to his presence. 'I figured that was the case. I can understand that feeling, even though I never personally experienced it.'

Having heard enough to understand where Carolina's was coming from, Reach stepped forward, finally revealing himself to the two. York nearly jumped back in surprise. "Reach!? What are you doing here!?"

"I heard," the former Spartan replied bluntly. York began breathing hard, and Carolina's face started to turn crimson when Reach put up a hand. "Don't act like that. I don't blame you."

York and Carolina calmed down, and the redheaded Freelancer looked away. "York, go on ahead. There's something I want to talk to Reach about, personally." The tan Freelancer looked uneasily towards Reach, who gave a small shake of the head. 'Don't worry; I have this under control.'

York blinked slowly, getting the silent message, and walked away, calling over his shoulder. "I'll wait in the cafeteria with Wash and North."

When York's footsteps disappeared from their hearing, Carolina drew her hand over her face. "How much of that did you hear?"

Reach didn't bat an eyelid as he replied. "Enough." Carolina opened her mouth, probably to defend herself, when Reach shook his hand. "Don't. I can understand why."

Carolina's green eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You do?" Reach nodded, feeling no reason to dive deeper into it. 'They can't possibly know what I had to go through on that hellhole of a planet, the one I'm named after. These people never had to deal with the threat of annihilation, and probably never will, for it seems that alien species and humans get along fine.'

Carolina calmed down, running a hand through her hair and closing her eyes. "I'm…sorry." Reach shook his head, not needing an apology. "Don't be." 'You don't need to be.'

Reach walked away, having nothing more to say, when Carolina called him one last time. "Reach, I wanted to ask you something. Back then, if CT had come quietly, would you have still killed her?"

The former Spartan turned around, locking his gaze with hers. "No." 'If she had, then half of this shit wouldn't have happened.'

Feeling no reason to add more, he walked away, continuing his walk to the cafeteria. Upon entry, he saw that many of the Freelancers were still a bit shocked by the fact that Texas was the one injured. And it wasn't just her, either. Florida sustained a serious shoulder injury as well, having been hit with a tomahawk, too.

The older Freelancer seemed to be not concerned with his injury at all, though. "I just hope that Tex can recover from this. She got hit pretty badly." He winced as he tried to pick up his fork, gritting his teeth.

Maine let out a grumble, cracking his knuckles and jerking his head over towards a new Freelancer, one that Reach hadn't seen before.

The man was huge, easily almost as tall as both Reach and Maine. He had a jagged scar across his face, and his dark green eyes glittered with menace. His lips seemed to be curved into a sneer as he raked the other Freelancers, and he wore blue and green armor.

'What the fuck is with this guy?' Reach wondered, already wary of the newcomer. Something about the way he carried himself told the former Spartan that he was not a person to fuck around with, and that he didn't suffer fools lightly. 'If you ask me, he seems to be a little hotshot.'

The man towered over Florida, sneering. "What, are you scared that big, bad Tex is going to die? Get a fucking grip and stop being a coward." The cafeteria was hushed, for even though Reach had only been here for a little time, Florida seemed to be a well-respected, veteran soldier.

Florida stood up, meeting the man's gaze. "Missouri." The man, now known as Missouri, scoffed and walked away. "Pathetic."

Reach's eyes firmed up. 'Something's not right about this guy. He seems to think he's the top dog. Funnily enough, I didn't even see him until today, and his name wasn't on the roster. Could this guy be a spare who didn't make the cut?'

Reach turned away, for it wasn't his business or his concern. 'I have enough to worry about without wondering where the hell this guy showed up from. I should be worried about keeping myself alive and intact, though my outburst showed that something's wrong.'

He heard Missouri's loud footsteps, and he ignored them as best as he could. 'Just pretend he isn't even there. Think about maybe looking into what CT said back then, and some possible mental problems I might be having.'

Reach eventually heard Missouri stop behind him, along with his booming and yet slightly obnoxious voice. "So, I hear you're the one who let Tex get nearly killed. Bad mistake, rookie."

Reach still ignored him, placing a spoonful of mashed potatoes on his plate (A/N: Don't know why, but I'm really hungry for some now…) and moving to get a carton of protein enhancements. 'He isn't there. Stop worrying so fucking much.'

"Hey, I'm talking to you, bastard!" Missouri yelled, fed up when Reach didn't respond. 'Dear, oh dear. Someone sounds a little bitchy.' The former Spartan heard Maine grumble something, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see everyone back up, as if something bad was about to happen. 'It seems to me that Mister Missouri here has quite the bad reputation for being a sourpuss. I wonder what we'll do next.'

Just before Missouri grabbed his shoulder, Reach placed his food down and sidestepped, avoiding him. 'Nice try.' He met Missouri's fury filled glare evenly, not flinching. "What?"

Missouri balled his hand into a fist, his breaths coming out quickly in fury. "I said, you are the one who let Tex nearly die. Now, you have me to answer to." Reach raised an eyebrow, not at all concerned. 'Is this guy an enforcer or something? He seems to be a bit of an asshole, if you ask me.'

'All the same, I best be careful. This guy seems to be unpredictable, and if I'm careless, it won't be pretty.'

Missouri leaned forward until he was right in Reach's face, and the former Spartan still didn't budge. "Thirty minutes from now. Training room floor, hand-to-hand. Be ready, meat." He walked away, with many crew members casting frightened stares in his wake.

Reach felt a large amount of annoyance build up. 'Seriously, what the fuck is his problem? I have enough shit to deal with, without this asshole's challenge. Honestly, I might as well not bother.'

'Even though I hate competition, a Spartan always honor's a fighter's challenge. If I refuse, I break that code.' Reach let out a small sigh, thinking. 'I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.'

As he pondered on about accepting Missouri's challenge, North Dakota and South Dakota walked up to him, both beyond uneasy. "Reach, don't even think about it. There's a reason why Missouri's not on the roster; he killed several training instructors during a test!"

Reach eyed South's slightly frantic expression. "Really?" 'For all I know, this could be South's way of getting me back for beating her in a match. I remember how bitter she was afterwards, and I wouldn't put it past her to think of something like this to mark against me.' "Prove it."

South's eyes widened in anger. "Are you accusing me of-" North put his hand over her mouth, preventing her from saying more. He held up his datapad, showing footage of Missouri killing not just one instructor, but five of them. "There's your proof, Reach. This guy is beyond dangerous. I really wouldn't recommend fighting him, especially in hand-to-hand combat. His guy is a nutjob, and that's putting it lightly."

'And I can see why,' Reach thought dryly as he watched the footage of Missouri's rampage. he blinked, walking away from the two to sit down and eat in peace. "I see…"

North called him back one last time. "Also, I don't blame you for mistrusting South. She was really upset about losing that match to you, you know."

Reach nodded and began to eat quietly, leaving the two purple and lavender Freelancers to themselves. 'So, it seems that my earlier suspicions about Missouri not being someone to take lightly were correct. The bigger problem is, what do I do about his challenge? Do I accept it, or do I say fuck it and ignore him?'

The next person to walk up to him was Maine, and he was slightly surprised to see the anger burning in his eyes. "Maine?"

Sigma appeared on the silent Freelancer's shoulder, translating the deep growls and hisses. "Personally, he would like to see you take Missouri on and teach him a lesson, but he also would hate to see you get injured in the process. This man is very dangerous, and he doesn't know when to stop, either."

Maine grumbled and cracked his knuckles, his hatred for Missouri showing. Sigma was quick to translate again for him. "Missouri is the one who jeered Maine while he was recovering from his throat wound, calling him weak and pathetic."

Reach could feel the anger surging from the white Freelancer, and for good reason. 'I saw what Maine did to that sleeveless Insurrectionist. Maine is definitely not weak, but wounded as he was, there wasn't much he could do about it.'

Then he thought about what Missouri said to Florida a few minutes ago, calling him a coward. 'I doubt Florida would have even made it to where he is if he was a coward. He's a respected veteran; Missouri has no right to talk to him like that.'

Just then, Florida came up to him next, shaking his head. "Reach, if I were you, I'd let it go. Yes, I know that Missouri is possibly the biggest douche-bag on this ship, but don't do anything reckless. Let me handle him, show him that the old-timer here has a few tricks up his sleeve."

Maine let out a sharp hiss, shaking his head. His fiery red AI seemed to agree with him. "I agree with Maine. Florida, in your current physical state, you are in no condition to fight." Florida sighed, looking down. "I guess you're right. Maybe we should just let this one go."

Reach silently stood up, having heard enough. 'I know I should be above this kind of crap, but Florida can't deal with him in his current state, and all I've heard is just how dangerous this guy is. But, I'm confident I can beat him and prevent him from ruining my reputation as a soldier.'

Florida raised an eyebrow as he stood up. "Where are you going?" Maine let out a sharp hiss, shaking his head. Florida opened his mouth as if to stop Reach, but Maine put his arm out, growling. Sigma nodded, agreeing with the silent Freelancer. "Let Reach decide for himself. I'm quite curious as to what he'll do, myself."

Reach walked down the hallway, not stopping until he reached the training room door. 'Let me make sure Missouri was actually serious, and not bluffing.' Sure enough, the massive green and blue Freelancer was there, cracking his knuckles.

Reach let out a small sigh upon seeing him. 'He wasn't kidding. Now that I'm here, I can't walk away. I have no other choice, as much as I don't like it.' He entered, and Missouri glared at him, seething still. "Better be ready to meet your creator, meat."

Reach stood on his side, not giving anything away as he put his helmet on. 'I've seen the way he fought in that footage North Dakota showed me. He used brute strength and power, but lacked any sort of strategy or planning. Rather predictable, if you ask me.'

'He hasn't seen me fight, so I'll have an advantage of surprise,' Reach added before he got in a stance, waiting for F.I.L.L.S to signal the beginning of the fight.

"Hand-to-hand combat. Agent Reach versus Agent Missouri. The first one unable to battle any longer loses. Begin."

Missouri snarled and flung himself at Reach, the former Spartan aware of the predictable attack. 'Not happening, buddy. I know your tactics.' He cocked his fist back, and the force of the blow surprised Missouri, sending him stumbling. He stood back up, more careful now. "That was a lucky strike. It won't happen again, meat."

Reach remained emotionless under his helmet, flipping easily over a flurry of strikes, spinning around and lashing out with a sharp kick. Missouri stumbled again, and Reach made use of his brief moment of instability, landing two more punches. 'As long as I don't let him land a punishing blow, I'll be okay.'

Missouri then faked a kick, punching Reach in the chest. The armor dulled the pain, but with his chest still recovering, Reach could still feel the sting. 'Dammit. He got me there. It won't happen again.'

Reach jumped backwards, bringing up his hands to smash Missouri's head into his knee. He heard the green/blue Freelancer grunt in pain, and Reach didn't let up, driving an elbow into his stomach.

Missouri doubled over in pain, and Reach grabbed his shoulder before punching, his fist hitting with enough force to leave a crack in his blue visor. He then threw the green/blue Freelancer on the ground behind him, walking away. "I win."

Missouri stumbled to his feet, removing his helmet to reveal a large amount of blood on his face, and one of his eyes was starting to swell up. "You got lucky."

Reach ignored him, and he walked away, confident his clear victory would prevent Missouri form intimidating the others and make him show some respect for the veteran soldiers. 'That ought to do it.'

Reach walked into the medical bay to check up on himself, and he glanced over at Texas, her eyes squeezed shut and her breaths coming out frantically fast. 'At this rate, no matter how tough she is, she won't make it.'

He shook his head, furious with himself for thinking like that. 'No, I can't resign myself to believe that. I don't give a damn if the others think she'll die, but Spartans don't ever say that.' He wiped the blood off of his chest, looking at the old wound. 'Shit, will this ever heal up? Or did I push myself too hard again?'

After he taped up the wound, Reach crouched down next to the cot Texas was lying down on. 'I know we haven't even really talked much, but I'll stay here until you wake up.'

'After all, I refuse to let a teammate die, and you remind me of myself at times, before I was a hyper-lethal Spartan.'

A/N: Well, I hope some things are cleared up. I'm adding the reasons as to why CT called Tex a shadow within the next two chapters, I promise. See you!

Ja'ne!