A/N: Chapter 50 of Agent Reach, and time for the epic finale of the Recollection. Battle of Reach and Maine vs. the Meta, clarification on Massa's situation, and a wedding. Fuck me…how did a simple idea turn into something this long?

Sorry for the long wait. But I hope to make it up by showing you awesome shit. Also, some of you may want me dead, some of you won't.

*Chapter 50*

Reach stepped out of his drop pod, pulling his Battle Rifle from his back and glancing over to his left. Maine was next to him, flexing his powerful arms, and the ex-Spartan gave him a look. "Are you ready for this?" 'It all comes down to this moment. The time we finished this problem that started so long ago.'

Maine nodded, growling as he cracked his knuckles and wiping snow off of his shoulders. He reached for his Brute Shot, loading a belt of the explosives inside, and the two carefully made their way over to the Meta.

Missouri's helmet was gone and his heavy armor was dented in several places, but the mutated Freelancer still stood with defiance glowing in his glittering green gaze. "You won't be taking me alive!" His mouth was twisted in a snarl, and his long dirty blonde hair was wild as he reached for his Gravity Hammer, spinning it in his hands. The powerful weapon suited his brutish strength, and it gleamed menacingly.

"Never planned on it," Reach returned. 'No way in hell were we ever going to do that. He's far too dangerous to risk capturing alive. The only way is to end him.' The former Spartan knew that the Meta was significantly stronger in terms of his armor enhancements, but one suit could only handle so much; Reach's own Hayabusa armor was struggling to keep the new enhancements working, even with an AI. 'You might have us in terms of raw physical power. But strength doesn't guarantee a win.'

Maine growled in approval next to him, and Missouri's green gaze flickered past them as a loud gunshot ricocheted through the air. "Massa, no! You bastards will pay!" With a roar of animalistic rage, he leapt, taking two Freelancers by surprise. His hammer swung downwards in a powerful swing, and Reach and Maine both split up to avoid being crushed.

Reach rolled to his feet, firing his Battle Rifle. He was glad to have the reaction speed to dodge the mutated agent's attack; the force of the strike was enough to create a decent-sized crater in the ice. Missouri spun his hammer in his hands, blocking the bullets, and he activated his invisibility in an attempt to hide from the Spartan's eyesight. 'Still has that Active Camo unit. But I can still spot him.'

Reach activated his Promethean Vision, and not a moment too soon; the invisible agent was rushing towards Maine, who wasn't able to see him. "Maine! Look to your left!" 'Shit. Maine can't see him when he goes invisible.' He slapped a fresh clip into his rifle, and Maine spun around to see a shimmer rush past him. The white Freelancer growled in appreciation for the warning, and he fired his Brute Shot at the Meta, small explosions dotting the ice fields.

The Meta's camo eventually fizzled out, and his armor sparked. He rolled to avoid the explosions, ducking behind a pillar of ice. His own Brute shot peeked over to fire a trio of explosives, and Reach and Maine took cover of their own.

"Dammit. Maine, hit him from the right. I'll try to disarm him." Reach ordered. 'It'll be the perfect distraction. We just have to make sure we pull this off right.' Maine gave a gruff nod, and the two Freelancers jumped over the icy formation. Maine sprinted to the right to draw the Meta's attention, and once the mutated agent turned his attention to him, Reach activated his own Active Camo. "Eta, buy as much time as you can."

"Got it. But you might want to consider shutting down your Promethean Vision," the AI quietly suggested. "Running both takes a massive toll on me and your armor."

Reach looked at his power levels for a second, and he saw Eta was right; his suit was draining power quicker than normally with both pieces of equipment running, and Eta was being strained to his limit. "Damn. Alright, disable the Promethean Vision." 'I doubt even Alpha could manage to run all of this equipment in his current state; most sophisticated AI or not, he isn't at full power yet.'

The second armor enhancement deactivated, and Reach was now able to slip around the back of the Meta undetected. The mutated agent was trying hard to not get hit by the blasts from Maine's Brute Shot, growling in frustration. He slammed his fist down, creating a Bubble Shield, and Reach saw something unusual on the Meta's back. 'What the hell?'

It looked like a heavily modified AI unit, and energy flowed into Missouri's suit. He seemed to have some measure of control as to how much power was used, and he let out an animalistic roar, parts of his armor glowing red. He grabbed his own Brute Shot and as if he could spot Reach despite the camo, fired.

"Ah shit. So much for that plan. Plan B." Reach jumped out, plucking his Battle Rifle and firing. 'Fucking perfect. Whatever is in that AI unit, it's powerful. He couldn't have gotten his hands on Beta, could he?' Alpha had warned them that the Beta unit was highly unstable, and reached the same level of rampancy as the Zeta and Epsilon fragments. But it was also much more powerful, capable of handling a full set of MJOLNIR armor.

The Meta spun his alien weapon to block the bullets, and Reach ducked under a frenzied swing. The blade passed over his head, and the ex-Spartan used his leg to trip the bigger agent. Missouri stumbled to the ground, swinging his weapon in desperation. He was hoping to hit any part of Reach, and the blade would've found its mark in his leg if Reach didn't jump back. 'Too close. Damn, even without being used as a puppet, he's far stronger than last time.'

Missouri got back up in a flash, throwing another shield down as Maine and Reach peppered him with firepower. "Get ready! He's going to make a move!" 'Thank God Maine brought a Rocket Launcher as backup. We could really use it.'

The Meta leapt into the air, firing his Brute Shot. The two Freelancer switched places, Maine grabbing his Rocket Launcher and firing. The Meta spun, avoiding the projectile, and sliced the heavy weapon in half with one powerful swing. Maine discarded the useless weapon and went to land a punch, only for the mutated agent to block the strike and land a devastating hit of his own. Maine tumbled into the snow with a growl, and Reach planted his combat knife directly into the Meta's chest, twisting. "Give up. There's no hope for you."

"Never!" Missouri coughed, pulling the knife out and throwing it onto the snow. Blood seeped from the wound, staining his armor, and his breaths were coming out thick and fast. "I won't stop until every last one of you lies dead!"

It was pure animal rage, almost like the berserkers in ancient times, and Missouri grabbed two syringes filled with liquid from his leg pouches. He stabbed them into his armor, piercing it with the amount of force behind them, and his eyes glowed with anger as he let out another beastly roar. Reach was stunned for a moment, and he realized what the Meta just did. 'Rumbledrugs. He used fucking rumbledrugs. As if he wasn't ridiculously strong in the first place.'

Rumbledrugs were used by the Insurrectionists in an attempt to combat Spartan IIs, and they were effective, in a sense. The user was capable of incredible feats of strength, but also prone to severe mental instability; many died before even laying hands on a Spartan, causing a lot of damage on themselves and anyone unfortunate enough to be in the immediate vicinity.

His eyes glazed over, the Meta threw his weapons aside, ripping the armor covering his arms clean off. The bulging muscles pulsed and throbbed as the drugs coursed through his system, and Reach sighed before giving Maine a small nod. "We have no other choice. He's far too unstable now." 'I would've preferred to give him a soldier's death, or at least a humane one. But he's too far gone. He's become an animal.'

The freak of nature leapt with a snarl, fist ready to pound both Freelancers to a pulp. Reach countered with a fist of his own, his robotic hand landing squarely on Missouri's jaw with a sickening crack. Despite the bone being broken, and several teeth now missing, the Meta was far from done. With blood flowing from his mouth, his tight fists were now swinging uncontrollably; if one of those hits landed, either Maine or Reach would be lucky to not suffer serious internal injuries.

Maine grabbed one of the Meta's arms and twisted with a growl, the limb breaking. Yet even as the bones cracked, it did only barely hamper his attempts to beat Reach to death. "Try and get him down!" 'A good, hard hit to the back of the knee should be enough to incapacitate him. Drugs or not, he can't walk if his legs are done for.'

Maine slammed his armored boot onto the back of Missouri's knee, driving the bottom in, and the mutated agent crumpled to the snow, one of his legs lying limp and useless behind him. Missouri let out a furious roar, struggling to fight even with a broken arm and ruined leg. He swung his other fist at Reach's visor, and the ex-Spartan saw a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye. He rolled under it, prepared to fire his rifle, and he saw an unexpected sight.

The Meta was impaled through the chest with an Energy Sword. Specifically, Tucker's. The aqua soldier withdrew the blade, and as the Meta still struggled in Maine's iron grasp, he gave a thumbs up to the two Freelancers. "Not bad for a 'rag-tag idiot', am I right?"

The sword was soaked with blood, and Reach lowered his rifle. "What are you doing here? Where's Massachusetts?" 'Did Wash kill her, or is he wanting to deal with her himself and sent Tucker to assist?'

"Trust me, she's not going anywhere anytime soon." Tucker deactivated the plasma blade, and he looked at the Meta curiously. His efforts were becoming weaker, and Maine gave a sharp nod; he wasn't going to break free. "Shit man, this guy is one pain in the ass. What the hell did he take, steroids?"

"You could say that." Reach aimed his rifle at Missouri, the agent's eyes still glazed, and rested his finger on the trigger guard. "But for now, let's take care of the problem at hand, shall we?" 'He's done. We finally ended it. One less thing to take care of now.'

He fired, and the Meta's eyes widened. He gasped out, blood flowing from his throat, and as he sank back, he managed to utter a final sentence. "I-I'm…free…"

Maine released him, and Missouri sank to the ground, dead. It was finally over. Blood trickled from various wounds on his large body, and Reach grabbed the AI unit from his back. "Eta, hail the nearest UNSC forces. Tell them the Meta has been killed; after that, we can work out a deal to prevent us from seeing iron bars." 'All that remains are seeing our names cleared and bringing down the Director himself. And a wedding.'

"Understood." Eta opened a COM channel, linking directly to a UNSC airbase five clicks south of them. "UNSC Airbase Gamma-Omega7, this is Project Freelancer AI designated as Eta. We have killed Agent Missouri, also known as the Meta. Do you copy?"

"We read you loud and clear. The commanding officer is en-route to your location now; hold your position."

The call ended, and Reach let out a sigh, taking his helmet off to wipe his head. "Well, let's hope the CO is willing to listen."

-0-

Massa's eyes were squeezed shut, expecting the infinite darkness of death. She'd deserve it, considering what she did to the man that trusted her and fought by her side.

But it never came.

No searing pain, followed by nothingness.

Instead, she blinked open her eyes to see a hole in the ice beside her, and the barrel of Washington's pistol smoking. He hadn't shot her at all. "Why? Why are you doing this!? Kill me, dammit!" 'Dammit Wash…kill me! Rather die than being forced to live like this.'

Washington lowered the weapon, his grey eyes dark with anger and hurt. "I'm not killing you. You don't deserve the satisfaction of death." His hand was shaking, and for a brief moment Massa wondered if he was going to smack her.

But like the bullet she wished hit her in the head, it never came. Instead, Washington continued on, voice thick with anger. "It is much more satisfying for me to know that you'll rot in a cell for all eternity, compared to the alternative of me ending you. I'm not stooping to your level. I'm better than you, and you're not worth the hassle or waste of ammunition. Forcing you to live, with others' blood on your hands, is something I can rest easy with."

He pulled a pair of cuffs and clamped them around her wrists, yanking the brunette to her feet. "Your brother is dead. Now, start walking, or I'll do it for you."

Head hung low, she had no choice but to do what he said. The rifle jabbing at her back was enough motivation.

He made her walk across the ice fields, and he stopped when he saw a Pelican dropship fly overhead, landing by where Agent Maine, Tucker, and a man wearing red/black Hayabusa armor stood. "Huh. Looks like Reach made a phone call."

Massa didn't answer; her eyes were watering when she saw her brother lying lifeless on the snow, and she felt her knees go weak. "J-Jason…I'm sorry." 'I tried so hard, not just for you. I tried for Alaska and New Jersey. And yet, it turns out I was nothing more than a bitch who got what was coming to her.'

Reach turned to Washington when he saw them approach, and he rested his BR85 Battle Rifle against his shoulder. "Washington. I had Eta call the nearest base, and South's successfully extracted Donut and Epsilon." He was tall, but Massa should've expected it; he was a Spartan III after all.

Reach caught Massa looking at Missouri's corpse, and he walked over to her calmly. "I gave him a good death. He needed to be set free."

His tone was blunt, and Massa gasped when the Pelican's rear bay lowered and the man came into view. It was the same person who she had told to go fuck himself and said that Washington died. It was none other than UNSC Chairman Malcolm Hargrove himself, and the older man wore an incredibly smug expression on his face. "Why, we meet yet again, Agent Massachusetts. How delightful."

Massa looked away, and the Chairman extended his hand towards Reach. "You have my gratitude, Agent Reach and Agent Maine. You eliminated Agent Missouri, and with help of Recovery One, have brought Agent Massachusetts into custody as well as capturing the Beta AI. I believe I owe you quite the favor for your helpful actions."

"Thank you, sir," Reach shook his hand, removing his helmet to reveal a brunette man with dark eyes. A scar traced his jaw, and he blinked slowly. "I wish only for the dropping of false charges against me and my fellow agents, South Dakota, Washington, and Texas."

"Sounds fair," the Chairman agreed. "The UNSC hereby clears you of all charges, Lieutenant. Consider yourself and the others as free men and women." He glanced over at Massa, standing silently, and he walked over to her. "Such a pity. You had great potential to be a benefit to me, and you threw it all away."

"Even if I had another chance…" Massa whispered. "I would've done mostly the same thing. The only thing I regret is doing what I did to Wash." 'I deserve it, don't I? I did nothing but bring harm, lie, murder, and steal.'

'And I'll accept whatever fate the courts decide.'

She was unceremoniously escorted onto the ship, and the door closed behind her.

-0-

Later…

Reach tugged on the tie on his dress suit, an eyebrow twitching in annoyance as he looked down. "I look ridiculous in this…"

"Hey, this is the biggest day of your life," Washington chuckled, wearing his own dress uniform. "You gotta look the part at least."

"Wash, do me a favor."

"What's that?"

"Don't ever let me wear this thing ever again," Reach grumbled, bringing a laugh out of the half-blind Freelancer. The suit was uncomfortable, and everything about it screamed civilian. Being a soldier, he was unaccustomed to the loose clothing; his previous suits were always trim and fit him perfectly.

Washington only chuckled, and the two Freelancers left the room where the Reds, Blues, South and Maine were waiting on the bridge. All of them were in suits as well, and as Reach stood at the makeshift altar, a pair of doors pushed open. The former Spartan's breath caught in his throat at the sight of his wife, wearing a white gown for the first and only time, and he looked at her in amazement. "Allison…" 'She looks beautiful.'

Allison smiled when she saw him, her face barely covered by a veil, and Reach held her hand as she stepped onto the small platform. "Enjoy the view, my love. You won't see me in this again."

"Same thing to you," Reach smiled, kissing her hand.

"Ahem. Can I get your attention, please?" Alpha interrupted, now in a suit of armor again. Everyone turned to face him, and he sighed before reading from a small black book. "I've never done this shit, but here we go. We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Allison Church and Adam Ehler in the bonds of holy matrimony. Adam, do you take Allison to be your lovely wedded wife, in sickness and health, till death to you part?"

"I do."

"And Allison, do you do all the same shit I just said to Lieutenant Cyborg?"

"I do."

"Then I declare you two as wed. Now make out and enjoy the fucking." Alpha closed the book shut, throwing it at Tucker. "And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go talk shit to one of my fragments."

Reach kissed Allison, and the two newlyweds held each other close. Their previous kisses of importance paled in comparison to this one, and he quickly picked her up bridal style, carrying her to their bedroom with many claps echoing in their ears.

Once inside, Reach placed her down, and Allison pulled off the veil before opened her arms to him. "Come here, my love."

Reach had never been happier in his life.

A/N: And that wraps up Chapter 50.

Thank you for everyone who's stayed with me throughout all 50 chapters, and I hope you enjoy the next 50.

This story will be on break until the summer, mainly so I can focus on my other fanfics and finish rewrites. Until next time,

-DPLxBeAsTxSnIpE