The outside ceremony was lined with metal barriers. A line of press and camera crew were waiting to go in.
The stage was set up with a podium in the center; being lit up with the stage lights.
Kimball's guards lined the front of the stage. The UNSC had guards stationed at the entrance to the seating area.
"Alright team, remember, keep your eyes on Kimball." Wash reminded everyone over the radio.
"We're in visual back here." Carolina stated, standing behind the curtains with Kimball to the left of her. On the opposite side was Virginia, who gave Carolina a nod.
"Stage Left is clear." Donut announced, who stood there with Caboose.
"Stage Right is clear." Tucker announced, standing with Sarge.
"Front of the stage is all clear." Simmons announced, standing with Grif and Wash.
"Good. Lopez? You all set?" Wash asked.
"Sí/Yes." Lopez said from his location.
"Excellent."
The guards began letting the news teams in to the sitting area. Everyone dispersed and took a seat. It didn't take long before everyone had settled.
A uniformed representative of Kimball came out to the stage and announced Kimball's presence. Everyone in the audience clapped.
Carolina looked at Kimball, who gave a nod before stepping in front of the curtain and approached the podium.
The cameras in the back of the seating area flashed for pictures, and everyone started to roll for video.
Teleprompters within the city began to light up with the live footage of Kimball coming out to the stage.
As the clapping died down, Kimball gave a nod.
"Greetings. Thank you all for coming out tonight."
The Reds, Blues and Freelancers turned their heads; looking at the crowd and surrounding area. The speakers boomed with Kimball's speech.
"The attack on the Capital and the recent murder of reporter Dylan Andrews has impacted-."
"Has anybody noticed anything strange?" Tucker asked as he looked out at the crowd from the corner of the stage.
"Nothing to report. No signs of anything unusual." Simmons announced.
"Looks pretty quiet back here...," Virginia began to say, until her head tilted backwards. Her eyes looked up at the elevated platform that hung next to the stage lights. "Cancel that. I got movement."
"What you got?" Carolina asked as she looked across the back of the stage at Virginia. She followed her gaze and saw the same thing."Copy. We got movement."

The speakers suddenly screeched with feedback, and everyone cringed from the noise. A rope dropped down next to Kimball, and a familiar sim trooper in teal armor dropped down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her with one arm as he gripped the rope.
"Kimball!" Wash screamed.
"It's Bucky!" Tucker hissed.
Kimball's guards began to frenzy up the stairs, but a barrage of orbs dropped down in front of them.
"GRENADES!" One guard screamed, and they all fell backwards from the explosion.
The news reporters in the seats rushed out of the area; being motioned out by the UNSC guards. The bystanders were screaming and panicking, nearly trampling each other as they scrambled out of the area to safety.
Simmons, Grif and Wash rushed onto the stage, watching as the smoke cleared.
Kimball was being pulled up into the air by Bucky, who was being pulled up into a ship.
"Son of a bitch!" Cursed Tucker as the group rushed to the center of the stage, staring upward.
A laugh suddenly echoed from out of the shadows behind the curtains, and everyone's heads turned to the direction it was coming from.
A being stepped into the light, and in that moment, everyone's blood began to boil.
"Temple!" Wash hissed.
"Well, well, well." Temple began to say, coming into the light with his rifle in hand. "Isn't it good to see some old, familiar faces?"
"Not as good as it will be to run my sword through you!" Tucker snapped as he brought his alien sword to life.
"Nu uh, Tucker. You really ought to learn to play nice." Temple warned as he wagged a finger at him. Before Tucker could take a step forward, the stage lights above came crashing down.
"Watch out!" Carolina screamed.
Everyone dove out of the way, going into separate directions to avoid the light that smashed into the stage. Splinters of wood, glass and metal went flying into the air.
"You're not the only one with a sword anymore, Tucker." Warned a voice as it came into the darkness.
Everyone rolled onto their knees and climbed back up to their feet, as they watched a being in black-green armor step into view. A katana was strapped to his backside.
"The Hayabusa armor." Virginia gasped. "That's West's armor!" She screamed as she got to her feet and drew her SMG.
"I'm not a fan of the colors. I may change it." The soldier said as he rotated his arm, showing off the shine of the metal.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Tucker snapped. The soldier threw back his head and began to laugh.
"What's so funny? I don't get it." Caboose asked.
The soldier snapped his head forward; becoming quiet.
"I've got a bone to pick-," The soldier take ominously as he drew the katana out of its sheath. "-With you." He extended the katana and the blade pointed straight out at Simmons.
"Um, dude. I think he's pointing it at you." Grif whispered as he leaned over to Simmons.
"Um, no way." Simmons said as he tried to duck down, but every move he made, the blade seemed to follow. "Aw, what the fuck did I do?!"
"You don't remember me, Simmons?" Cracked the voice. Simmons was perplexed. "Here, maybe this will help." The voice suddenly released a series of clicks, before the man released another breath. "How does this sound?"
Simmons gasped, feeling like he was punched in the gut.
"Gene?!"
"Who the hell is this guy?!" Virginia asked. "And... why does he sound like you?" Virginia asked, confused.
"Gene is my evil doppelganger. He was a sim trooper stationed with Temple and them!" Simmons explained.
"But, you should be dead!" Grif exclaimed. Gene started to laugh.
"I told you that I would Darth Maul this shit." Gene cackled. "But seriously, you fools left me there over that cliff to die, and it only took a moment for me to find my footing and climb back over. Tsk tsk." Gene said with a shrug. "I was able to get back over that ledge and sneak out before the arrests started happening. Thus, giving me a chance to go into hiding, so I can plot my revenge." Gene twirled the sword in his hands.
"I trained and worked out and practiced and beat myself to death becoming better, faster and stronger!" His voice began to rise with anger. "I knew the Freelancer armor would be a nice, delicate cherry to the top."
He waved his hands over his sides, to show off the armor he was now strutting.
"You don't deserve to wear that armor." Virginia growled.
"Another Freelancer to add to the list of those killed." Temple spoke up from the background. "What a pity." He laughed.
"You won't get away with this." Carolina warned.
"I feel like I've heard you say that before." Temple said as he tapped his chin. "It's a shame you two weren't killed when I had you trapped before, but I see you added a new friend to the mix, and she'll just have to join you." Temple's eyes stared at Virginia. "You'll be the last three that will feel my vengeance."
"You like to hear yourself talk." Virginia quipped. "But I promise you, the only thing I'll be feeling is slight pity for when you crumble at my feet, begging for mercy!"
"Oh ho ho!" Temple put his hands up in a surrendering motion. "We got ourselves a firecracker, here!" He laughed. "He he, good. I like when they put up a fight."
Temple approached Gene and nodded his head over to him.
"Gene, why don't you have some fun before we get out of here. Show them a good time." Temple turned to a rope ladder that dropped to the ground for him from the hovering ship.
"Not so fast, asshole!" Tucker warned. Tucker ran and dove at Temple, while Gene ran at Simmons.
"Shit!" Simmons started shooting his rifle as Gene, who blocked each bullet with the katana. As Gene slid across the stage at Simmons, he swiped the katana downward.
Simmons threw his rifle up, letting it get caught in the katana. Simmons arms were buckling at the strength of Gene as he applied all his pressure into lowering the katana.
Simmons found himself shocked as the katana suddenly went through the rifle, and he found himself looking at each hand that now contained half of his gun.
Gene laughed and began to charge at him again, and Simmons only line of defense was to throw each piece of the broken rifle at his head.
Gene smacked the pieces away with the katana, then held the blade horizontally, ready to run it through Simmon's chest.
Simmons stepped backwards, only to trip over a broken stage light and land on his back.
"Simmons!" Grif cried out.
Gene leaped up in the air; the katana pulled up high over his head. As Gene yelled, he began to swing the katana downward onto the maroon soldier that laid paralyzed with fear.

Nothing.

Simmons had his arms crossed over his head, and he slowly peaked under them, catching sight of Virginia standing over him.
She had a metal rod broken from the stage light held out in front of her, and the katana was pressed against it.
Gene stumbled backwards, a bit surprised. Virginia rotated the metal rod and swiped at the katana, nearly knocking it out of Gene's hands.
"Dude, you okay?!" Grif asked as he helped Simmons to his feet.
"Yeah. That was close." Simmons huffed; his heart racing from adrenaline. "I thought I was a goner."
Virginia kicked at a broken stage light, sending it flying at Gene's face with a powerful thrust. The light smashed and shattered, cracking his visor.
Gene cursed as his head whipped back.

Tucker was tugging at Temple's foot as he attempted to climb the rope ladder.
"Get down here and fight!" Tucker challenged him as he pulled at his foot.
"Fuck off!" Temple yelled, and dropped a grenade right below Tucker.
"Shiiiiiii-!" Tucker released his grip on Temple and ran backwards, avoiding the explosion.
"Gene, let's get out of here!" Temple ordered.
Gene held his face, and as he lowered his hand, everyone could see the visor had cracked, and they could see his eye peeking through at them.
"You'll pay for that, missy." Gene warned before snatching onto the rope ladder.
The ship roared louder as it rose into the sky, bringing Temple and Gene up into the sky. Temple gave a taunting wave before climbing up the ladder to get into the ship.
Gene sheathed the katana and disappeared into the belly of the ship behind Temple.
"They're getting away!" Sarge huffed. "Lopez, you got visual?"
"Por supuesto/Of course." Lopez announced over the radio. "Darse prisa/Hurry up."
Everyone rushed behind the stage, where their ship flickered into view. Lopez turned off the camouflage so everyone could see their way to get into the ship.
Grif took a seat next to Lopez, and Sarge stood over the robot's shoulder, looking at a beacon.
"We got a clear reading of the beacon in Kimball 2.0." Sarge announced. "Follow 'em!" He ordered.
Lopez turned on the camouflage of the ship again once everyone sat into their seats, and boosted up the ship to follow after the kidnappers.
"This was actually a good idea." Wash stated as he looked at Virginia.
"I can't believe they took the bait." Tucker laughed.
"We just follow them to their base and catch them off guard." Carolina said as she cracked her knuckles, feeling ready to bash Temple's face in for what he had done. "They'll never know what hit 'em."
"Sorry we had to use one of your kind as bait, Lopez." Sarge apologized to his robotic comrade.
"No seria la primera vez/Wouldn't be the first time." Lopez sighed.

The ship soared furiously at top speed, keeping itself cloaked as they followed behind the ship.
"Are we... back on Ambrosia?" Wash asked as he noticed the coordinates of the tracker that they installed in Kimball 2.0.
"Holy shit, we are." Grif said, seeing the familiar planet come into view.
"Gene must have been hiding out here... that's how he caught West." Virginia said, staring at the floor.
"Fucked up coincidence." Tucker stated.
They watched as the enemy ship lowered itself into a canyon, then went under a canopy of trees.
"Lopez, land at the top of the ridge." Sarge ordered.
"Sí/Sure." Lopez replied and the boosters of the ship quieted as they descended to the ground.
Everyone stepped out of the ship, their weapons barred. They went to the ledge and looked over and watched below as the enemies dragged Kimball 2.0 up to a boulder.
"Another hidden lair," mumbled Donut.
They continued to observe as the enemies pressed a keybad on the boulder's facing, and a door slid open before them. They stepped inside the door, and it quickly shut behind them.
"Let's do a thermal scan and radio frequency scan on that area. Maybe we can map out how big their lair is." Wash stated as he looked at the others.
"Lopez, you got that?" asked Sarge.
"Duh/Duh." Lopez responded as he pulled out a small machine and pointed it to the rock formation that laid down below them.
A small projection appeared before them, giving a reading of the area that laid hidden under the rock.
From the boulder, it looked like it was ramp that lead downwards into the nearby lake.
"They have an obsession with underwater lairs." Tucker grumbled.
"Looks like a collection of big rooms." Wash said as he pointed at the projection. "Only those four assholes inside, plus Kimball 2.0."
"Looks like they have some kind of tunnel and room that runs deeper into that lake." Carolina pointed out as she stretched out the projection.
"Maybe an extra area of protection?" Virginia suggested.
"Or a cell." Grif pointed out.
"Well, as long as we stay conscious of its existence, we know the general layout." Carolina replied.
"Now, we just got to figure out how to sneak in." Sarge huffed.
"Nothing wrong with using the front door." Wash pointed out. "Special delivery."
"What about some of these pipes?" Simmons suggested, pointing to the projection. "It looks like a duct system. We may be able to crawl in?"
"I'm not getting stuck in one." Grif said, shuddering at the idea. "I'm claustrophobic."
"I don't mind tight spaces." Donut stated.
"Figures." Tucker said as he rolled his eyes.
"Why not drop in at the room in the lake?" Virginia suggested. "They probably wouldn't expect it."
"I can hold my breath for a very long time." Kai bragged. Tucker smiled as he looked at her.
"Oh ho, oh yeah?"
"Well, it looks like they're staying in this center square." Carolina thought out loud as she pointed to the biggest square. "So if we all sneak in through separate areas, we can surround them and surprise them."
Wash closed the projection and looked at Lopez.
"Can you tune in to Kimball 2.0's radio?" Wash asked. Lopez pressed a button and the voice of Temple and his goons started to come through the speakers.

"Stop being a pussy." Temple hissed.
"I got glass in my eye!" whined Gene. "That bitch hit me hard."
"Oh for God's sake. Cronut, can you patch him up, please?!" Temple begged.
"Sure. I got the first aid-kit right here." Cronut announced.
"You got your ass kicked by a girl." Bucky teased.
"I will cut off your useless dick in your sleep." Gene threatened. Temple groaned, then approached Kimball, who was tied to a chair.
"Nice to meet you, face-to-face." Temple said cheerfully. "As you may know, I'm Temple."
"What a joy." Kimball said flatly. "What are you going to do with me?"
"Well, we are going to send a message to the Reds and Blues, and those freakin' Freelancers!" Temple said, his voice rising with anger. "Killing Dylan Andrews was just the start. But, we figured that was just not merely enough."
Temple lowered down, so that he was eye level with his captive.
"We're going to break them."