Chapter 8. And i can tell you guys one thing. This is gonna be closer to 12 chaps before I'm done with this one. (And im sorry if this bugs any of you who like consistancy, but Omalley and Doc are making an appearance)
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"You have everything MJC?" Donut looked back to the private.
The blonde hair swung in his face as he nodded.
"You sure?" Another nod.
"Alright. Church, let's get going."
"Okay."
As the three left the dark corridors of Red base, the Blood Gulch sun was blinding. They stood just outside the base until their eyes adjusted, hands shading their eyes. As MJC removed his hand, the view of the canyon couldn't help but feel...Familiar somehow. It probably was just reminding him of previous deployments, or maybe home. He spaced out for so long he hadn't realized that Donut and Church had already left.
Up with Donut and Church, they hadn't realized MJC had stayed behind. Church, knowing to look behind from the annoying habit...annoying....wrong word... frequent... knowing from the frequent habit from Caboose, and feeling the lack of the other presence, looked back. There he was, running up after them.
"Donut. Wait for a second. MJC's catching up." Donut stopped and looked back, and the sound of a sigh escaped his helmet.
"Come on MJC!" He shouted after him.
MJC caught up, panting. "Sorry...I... spaced out for a bit...." He shoved all those words into three panting breaths. Church patted his back. "Catch your breath while we walk. We have to get back to Blue base. It'll be dark soon." It was true. The sky was beginning to cool with streaks of purple and blue on the one side of the sky. They kept walking, coming to that arch that Tucker nearly fell off coming over to Red base. MJC hesitated to cross. "I'm....I'm scared of heights....." A fear of heights.....Same for Caboose......Caboose.....Church repeated the name over and over in his head, feeling a tears every now and then, the tears soaking into the padding inside his helmet.
"It's okay Caboo- MJC. It's safe. This rock is harder than it looks." Church stumbled over the words. He was so used to calling after Caboose. After ten minute of coaxing, and encouragement, all three made it to the other side. Nightfall had come quicker than expected, and it was now nearly impossible to see. They had to take out the flashlights from their weapons. They walked for about three hundred yards until "OOMPH!" MJC had tripped on a large rock. As Donut went to help, the rock began to move, then it stood. "Tucker! I thought you went back to base!" Church shouted, catching Tucker, who almost fell over again, legs giving way. "What's wrong with you?" He was answered with the sound of sobs littered with the occasional 'Caboose'. "Aw...Tuck...Come on man. Stand up. We're going back to base."
MJC, with Donut's arms around his, and his arms around Donut's shoulders, couldn't helped but feel at fault for the Blue's actions. And like, he was the reason both of them were calling him Caboose...The name sounded nostalgic. Was it a friend? Or maybe its an insult. No. Church was his friend. He wouldn't do that.
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Twenty minutes passed until the group of two Reds and two Blues came to the only remaining inhabited base in the canyon. Donut had to support Tucker as they went into the warmth of Blue base. Blood Gulch got sub zero temperatures when the sun dissapeared. Of course, Church being, well, Church, went to the back of the base. To the only place no one dared to go since- Caboose's gravesite.
Unknown to the other three, Church had beed crying since they found Tucker like that. Church had to go there. He was hurting more than ever, so he decided to help it out, trying to unload the needles that pierced into his insides everytime he heard that name. He figured if he made himself hurt even more, the needles would break, and he could live his life. He turned the corner, frost on the headstone. Written with bullet impacts were the initials MJC. There was nothing else. Just a broken boulder and three letters that on ehad to brush the overgrown grass aside to view. The flowers that were put there at the funeral were shrivled and sad. Blackened by the cold and passed time. Church kneeled above where the casket had been buried. He slowly lifted his hand and slowly ran his fingers over the letters, through the lines and uneven shot dents. The blue paint that had filled them had long flaked away, leaving only the paper thin outline. Then he felt the ground begin to shift, like he was on top of a giant gopher hole. Then he fell. It was only a twenty foot drop onto soft earth. And with the MJOLNIR armor, it was nothing. Church though, stunned by the sudden change in emotion lay dazed, trying to regain his composer and balance. He looked around. He was in those tunnels that spanned throughout the entire underground of Blood Gulch. He got up, and looked around straining to remember the layout. He stopped dead as he looked beside where he had landed. The metal makeshift casket. Church, trancelike went towards it. He reached for the door and lifted the locks on it. The casket opened smoothly, and Church struggled to keep his eyes open. The door flung backwards revealing what was inside. Church's heart fell when he saw the blue armor. But as he realized the true contents, what was revealized was that, there was no body. The armor was in there, but Caboose wasn't. He picked up the chestplate. On it, were Caboose's initials engraved. MJC. And what he saw next, that was engraved made him sick. Horrible words: Numbskull, moron, idiot, fucktard, team killing, dumbass...About every term he and everyone else used on an everyday basis to insult him. His eyes bacame watery, as they scanned the rest of the inside of the chestplate. 'Friends call me:' was the heading to it all. "Caboose.....I'm sorry... When I find you....." He clenched his fists and ran along the only open tunnel.
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Overhead, watching the Blue's realization of his comrade's fate, was a purple armored rogue. Not on either team, but there to help both. Or destroy... Inside of the medics mind was the AI Omega, formulated from pure hatred. Commonly called O'Malley.
Kill him now. While he's still vulnerable and alone. Doc could feel the AI begin to take control as his hand involuntarily shifted towards the nearby sniper rifle. "O'Malley. No. Please." That 'P' word always stopped him. He didn't know why, he didn't know how. But he hated it. Doc heard the AI growl in displeasure. "I want to help him out. He just wants your old host, O'Malley." O'Malley, knowing the true inner feeling about the kid had caused him to stop willingly. They had seen the casket fall, and Caboose emerge. He had been disoriented, and stumbled everywhere. Doc had sensed a new emotion, if you could call it that, in the AI. Perhaps pity. But whatever it was, it had kept O'Malley quiet, and allowed Doc full control of his body the entire time Caboose was in their shooting range. He had dissapeared the same path that the cobalt Spartan was now. Doc and O'Malley retreated into the cave behind them.
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MJC sat on his temporary barrak, watching Donut unpack. When they came in, Tucker had been the only reason Tex hadn't ripped their heads off there and then. Tex had quickly taken Tucker from Donut, and took him to the Infirmary. She came back and the Ex-Red filled her in. MJC had found his way to the Kitchen and poured a glass of orange juice. Donut took off his helmet, his magenta eyes almost glowing, pale skin scarred, white hair flourescent. He scanned the room Tex offered them. It was rather basic. A double bunk with matching sets of sheets, a table and a chair. Donut thanked her and she left. MJC had come back in and instantly called the top bunk.
"Nuh uh. The top bunk is mine!" Donut quickly retorted.
"Thumb wrestle for it!" MJC thrust out his arm, thumb pointed upward. A playful but deadly gleam flickered through the albino's eyes. "Your on!"
Alas, MJC was beaten. After three rounds, his scissors were shattered, along with his mood. He had been pouting on the lower bunk ever since. He swung his legs forwards and backwards childishly, orange juice sloshing rhythmically. That's when the idea hit. He smirked devilishly, and lifted the glass above the opposite facing man who continued unpacking, unaware of the orange liquid that would soo cover his entire body. He tipped the glass, allowing the orange juice to freefall towrds the white head.
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(Outside the base)
"MJC!!!!!!!"
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Woot! Score one for MJC! Orange juice attack! Purely for laughs and to lighten the mood a bit. XDDDD Longest chapter so far. I'm sorry for that. I love the way this chapter came out. R&R!!!! Thankies!
Jazzy