Under the Maroon
Disclaimer: You know what. I think I've said it enough times.
(**)
Admiral,
I am pleased to inform you that Code Yellow is progressing nicely. However, due to an "anomaly" the UNSC is now aware of our operative. No need to worry, rest assured, he is a professional and knows how to get a job done. And once it's done, the UNSC will crumble before us and the SPARTAN program will finally see it's end.
(**)
Sarge walked up to Grif and Carolina. "Lopez is currently checking through the info we took from the facility."
"And the other Blues?" Carolina asked.
"We contacted them. They're on their way."
"Excellent," Church said.
"It wouldn't be necessary if you guys had just stopped him there," Carolina stated.
"You're seriously giving that crap when you got your ass kicked by him?" Grif asked.
"He surprised me. I didn't think he would be such a good combatant. That won't happen again."
"Oh yeah, first time I've ever heard that excuse."
"Up yours."
(**)
"Bow chicka bow wow," Tucker exclaimed, startling the other two.
"What the hell, Tucker?" Wash yelled. "What was that about?"
"I felt a disturbance in the force."
(**)
"So, what's your big plan for defeating psycho-Simmons?" Grif asked.
"We'll need some information. If we're lucky, the stuff we got from the facility will at least give us a hint as to where he's going." Then Lopez showed. "Ah, Lopez. Did you find anything?"
"Sí."
"Good. What did you find?"
"Wait, you speak Spanish?" Grif asked.
"No, but Epsilon here can translate most human languages. So, what did you find, Lopez?"
"La instalación contiene información sobre el programa SPARTAN y varios proyectos secretos ejecutar durante la guerra."
"But what would he want with that kind of information? Unless he wants to...oh god, no. Where's the next comm array?"
"Umm, a few kilometers north of here," Carolina answered. "Why?"
(**)
With his new uniform, infiltrating the comm facility was easy. However, everybody knew about what had happened at the other facility, so now they were extra cautious. Trying to access the array would have attracted their suspicion. But he couldn't wait too long, or else the others would catch up with him. He wouldn't be so worried if it weren't for Carolina and Epsilon. Without them, the others wouldn't even have survived the last night.
Anyway, he had to find a way to the array without the others noticing. That's when he got an idea.
(**)
The security office was quiet. Three men were sitting at the monitors while two soldiers watched the door.
"Hey," one spoke up.
"Yeah?" the other replied.
"You ever wonder why we're..." he started, but was interrupted by Simmons entering. "Hey, you can't come in here without clearance."
Without saying a word, Simmons hammered his fist into the soldier's throat, breaking his neck. He then pulled the man's pistol out of it's holster and quickly shot the other four men dead. He then locked the door behind him and logged into one of the consoles. "Let's see, a little hacking here, a little overriding there and...voila. A simple security system malfunction." He turned to another screen to see various halls and rooms in the facility filling up with nerve gas, killing everybody inside.
After a few moments, he vented the gas, making the halls safe again. He exited the office and made his way to the array.
(**)
Carolina raced across the landscape on her motorcycle with the Reds right behind her in their jeep.
"How far, Epsilon?"
"Not much further. But we should still hurry it up. Every moment counts."
"You don't have to tell me twice," she said, speeding up.
(**)
Simmons walked up to the console and logged on. After a few moments, Commander Duke appeared on another screen.
"Simmons, good to see you again, lad."
"It's good seeing you, too, sir."
"So, I'm guessing we're ready?"
"Absolutely, sir."
"Excellent," he then turned to someone off-screen. "Start the broadcast."
(**)
Simmons had sat down and was currently waiting for Duke to give him further orders, when someone else entered the room. "So, you caught up to me."
"What is the meaning of this, Simmons?" Sarge asked. "Why are you trying to sabotage the UNSC?"
"I'm sure Carolina can answer that."
The Reds turned to her. "He's an Insurrectionist," she stated.
There was a moment of silence. "A what?"
"A rebel. Some human colonies don't want to take orders from the UNSC, so they formed rebel armies, which joined together to form the Insurrection. And now they are in possession of the most atrocious secrets of the UNSC."
"Which are currently being broadcasted throughout the galaxy. What will the people think?"
"That's your great scheme?" Epsilon asked. "Broadcasting a few things in hopes of the people rising up against the UNSC?"
"You obviously don't understand the nature of this information. If you were a parent and suddenly heard that the UNSC kidnaps children and replaces them with dying clones? Every parent that ever lost their child would become suspicious. Everybody would be suspicious."
"The government did those things to ensure humanity's survival," Carolina argued.
"Yes, war is atrocity committed in the name of survival," Simmons replied. " That's what my commander always says. "But the SPARTAN program was started to fight us, the Insurrection, humans who weren't a threat to the survival of our species. And the war is over. What they did is no longer a deed for the greater good, but a crime. A crime they have to take responsibility for. Think about it, Carolina. Everything you've been through. The things your father put you, and so many others through. Does it actually make you feel better that he "did it for humanity's survival"?"
Carolina thought about that. She really wanted to say yes, but couldn't. She just couldn't. Instead, she jumped forward and threw a punch at him. He pushed himself backwards, falling to the ground with his chair and rolling backwards onto his feet. He then tried to kick Carolina, but she ducked under it and threw another punch at him. He blocked and punched her in the face and tried to knee her in the gut, but she caught his leg and flipped him over.
As the two continued their fight, the Reds stood and watched. "Err, shouldn't we do something?" Sarge asked.
"Why? They seem to be doing fine."
"But what if Simmons wins. The UNSC would be defeated. We would be defeated."
"We didn't even know of the UNSC until a few months ago."
"Yeah, but still. Lopez, what do you think?"
"Mata al traidor!" (Kill the traitor!)
"This isn't the right time for jokes, Lopez."
"Por qué te preguntan si no me puedes entender?" (Why do you even ask if you can't understand me?)
"Hehe, okay, that one was pretty good. But still, we need to do something."
That's when Carolina was thrown to the ground and Simmons pointed a pistol at her. The Reds then pointed their weapons at him.
"Stand down, Simmons!" Sarge ordered.
Simmons looked at him for a moment, then threw his pistol at him. As Sarge tried to catch it, Simmons jumped forward and knocked him down. Grif tried to shoot him with the brute shot, but Simmons kicked it upwards, making it fire at the ceiling. He then kicked Grif in the crotch and turned to Lopez. Lopez had aimed his battle rifle, but Simmons knocked it out of his hands. Instead, Lopez threw a punch, which Simmons caught.
Lopez stared at his fist, wondering why Simmons was capable of holding a robotic arm back, just then remembering that Simmons was a cyborg. Simmons pushed Lopez back and shot him in the limbs, disabling them. He then looked at the others, who were trying to get up. "Do yourselves a favor and stay down," he said, picking up his pistol and aiming it at them.
A swishing sound could be heard and his arm fell to the ground. He looked behind him to see Tucker holding his sword and Wash aiming his rifle at Simmons.
"Oh good. You guys made it," Epsilon exclaimed.
"Church. It is so good to see you. I missed you so much. Did you miss me, too?" Caboose asked.
"Yeah, I actually did."
"I knew it."
"Focus, Caboose," Wash said. "So, it's true. You're an Insurrectionist."
"Yeah," Simmons answered.
"...That's it. You betray us after everything we've been through and this is all we get? So, all of it just meant nothing to you?"
"Don't try to oversimplify things, Agent Washington. You're good guys. And I do consider you my friends. But none of it ever changed the way I feel about the UNSC. Believe me. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I was doing the right thing."
"Then you'll understand that I have to do what I think is right," Wash said, ready to pull the trigger.
"Don't you dare," a female voice spoke up from behind them. The three Blues turned around to see Snyder, West and Roberts standing behind them, Snyder holding two pistols, West holding one and Roberts holding a shotgun. "Drop your weapons!" The three did and then walked over to the others. "Alright, now then..." she said as they aimed their weapons at the group.
"No," Simmons said, stepping in the way.
"What are you doing?" Snyder asked. "You're siding with the enemy?"
"They're not the enemy, Angie. They can't stop us anymore. We've won. Please, just let them be."
Snyder pondered that for a moment, then sighed, putting down her guns. "Fine, Dick. You got it. Let's just get out of here."
"One moment," Simmons said, turning to the others. "I just want you guys to know that I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to see this. You were supposed to by in the canyon, unknowing of the plan. I can't change what has happened, I can only tell you this: go back to the canyon and forget about me."
With that, he and the other Insurrectionists left.