Ch 19
Six spent the next day observing Red team, watching as Simmons kissed Sarge's ass, Sarge was coming up with convoluted plans to get Griff killed, and Griff was being lazy.
"And I thought the freelancers were nuts. Looks like the sim troopers just beat that mark." The spartan muttered.
Carolina came back, where everyone gathered.
"We're going home?" Simmons asked.
"Back to our old base?" Sarge continued.
"That's right, assholes. And you're taking us with you!" Church stated, appearing next to Carolina.
Valhalla
Outpost 17A/B
The large group arrived at the abandoned training bases, completed with two large bases, and a roaring waterfall.
"Wait, what about the military? This could all be a trap." Simmons said.
"What are you talking about?" Carolina asked.
"Wash said that the UNSC had troops here, waiting to ambush them. Of course, they're not here. It's empty." Six said.
Carolina glared at Wash in response.
"Sarge, where's this base of yours?" Six asked.
"I'll show you, Six. Come on. With you on our side, those dirty blues will rue the day they were born!" Sarge said.
"Sarge, you know the red vs blue war is fake." Six said, but Sarge paid no attention.
Six became aware of a conversation between Grif and Simmons about hourly wages. Six wasn't sure the sim troopers were being paid at all. And since they were now fugitives, it certainly wouldn't happen.
"I'm tired of all this waiting! Simmons, you said Lopez was shot here. Lets go get him back. Leave no man behind. Leave no robot without his nuts. No warthog un-lubed." Sarge said.
"That doesn't make any sense." Simmons said.
"He's a robot, Simmons. We can rebuild him and activate him at any time. Gives us an edge over those pesky blues. In the battle of ghosts vs robots, robots always win. Except in anime." Sarge replied.
The group approached the base, and Six heard latin music playing from a radio. He also saw a scarecrow, with a UNSC helmet attached to it. Next to that, was a house that appeared to be made from cement and had a straw ceiling.
"There he is. Spanish inquisition! Someone's been torturing him." Sarge said, as they looked at Lopez.
"He kind of looks like a scarecrow." Simmons said.
"You said Lopez. Anyone else here?" Six asks.
"Wait. It looks like a garden. Is that compost? Sustainable housing? Oh no." Simmons said, as he realized who the owner was.
"Oh, hey guys!" a high-pitched voice said. Six turned to the voice, and saw a figure wearing pink armor.
"Pink armor?" Six asked.
"It's lightish red!" the person said.
"Donut, it's called pink." Simmons said.
"Hi Sarge. Long time no see." Donut said.
"I thought you were dead." Simmons said.
"Dead? What are you talking about?" Six asked.
"Washington shot him a while back." Simmons explained.
"Fill me in later." Six said.
"I can fill you in right now, if you want. Just step in my house, or in front of everyone." Donut said.
"Nope! Not going to happen." Six said, fully aware of the double entendre.
"Anyway, do you know what removes blood stains from armor, not a lot I tell you. I laid their forever, wondering how I was going to get all of that dark red, of this light red." Donut said.
"Someone helped you? Who?" Six asked.
"Guys, think about it. Medical attention, lifestyle choices, that can only mean one thing." Simmons said.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in." a voice said, belonging to a purple armor that walked up to them.
"And who are you?" Six asked; almost at his wits end.
"Simmons, is that doc behind us?" Sarge asks.
"It is, sir." Simmons said.
"Simmons, get my gun." Sarge said.
Six sighed and headed to take a nap in some shade. This was pushing him at his wits end. Hopefully Carolina would just let the vendetta go. He woke up and followed Sarge and Simmons to their base, where they ran into Grif.
"Hey guys. Did you find Lopez?" Grif asked.
"Yeah. Donut had him nailed to a board." Simmons said.
"Bad choice of words." Six muttered to himself.
"I thought Donut was dead." Grif said.
"Yeah, we really need to stop saying that." Sarge replied.
"He almost was, but Doc fixed him up and they live together. They say hi, by the way. And they fixed us this banana bread." Simmons said.
Six looked at the desert, and noticed the card saying 'hope you like nuts' from Donut.
"Nice. I'm going to have to forget to send them a thank you card. Simmons, when you said Donut nailed Lopez to a board…" Grif started.
"I mean with nails. I should have been clearer." Simmons said.
"Is Donut gay, or does everything that comes out of his mouth is an innuendo of some form?" Six asked.
"We quit trying to figure that out years ago." Grif said.
The group headed into the base, finding their rooms still the way they were when they were forced to abandon it. Six headed into the kitchen and grabbed some food to eat, his enhanced hearing picking up on a conversation happening upstairs.
"He's a real dirtbag, alright. But even if he's six feet under, we'll still be in the same damn place." Sarge said.
"Sir?" Simmons asked.
"All I'm saying is we made it back to base in one piece. We even have a new member on the team, Six. Do you boys really think running off again will make matters better? Because the way I see it, it'll just make things worse." Sarge pointed out.
"You're right about that, Sarge." Six muttered.
The squad lazed around when Blue team and Carolina showed up. All of them headed into the basement of red base, a large holographic chamber.
"Let me get this straight. You guys have built an entire holographic chamber, but you couldn't figure out how to take our flag." Tucker said.
"Lopez built this." Grif said.
"That makes more sense." Tucker replied.
"And we did manage to capture your flag. So, suck it blues." Simmons said.
"Our team has more kills!" Caboose said.
"Team kills don't count." Sarge retorted.
"You don't make the rules." Caboose said.
"Technically, project freelancer makes the rules. And I say, blue team gets to add my kills to there." Wash said.
"If that's true, then Red team has my kills. I helped take down a covenant supercarrier during the war. So, suck it." Six replied.
"You're on red team?" Wash asked.
"To even things out. One freelancer per team." Six said.
"But I thought…" Wash started.
"Everyone, listen up! We've got big news." Carolina said.
"You and Wash are taking your relationship to the next level! The writing was on the wall." Caboose said.
"Carolina was closer to Six than to me, Caboose. So, Carolina would be taking her relationship with Six to the next level." Wash said.
"We found the director." Church said, appearing in his full holographic form.
"You know where the director is hiding?" Wash asked.
"That's right." Carolina said.
"He's holed up in one of his compounds we've seen over the last few years. But we've no idea of what modifications he's made, or if he has security with him." Church said.
"We need to be ready for anything and everything. So lets go over the plan." Carolina said.
"What plan?" Tucker asked.
"I thought the plan was to find the director." Grif said.
"And we found him. Good job, everyone." Simmons said.
"The plan has changed." Carolina said.
"You want to kill him, right?" Six asked.
"Yes." Carolina said.
"So what's our plan?" Grif asked.
"She wants us as bait. We hold off the security forces, while she goes after the director himself. Very similar to countless other ops we were on." Six retorted.
"Fuck that." Grif said.
"Will you guys quit complaining and do something for once?" Church asked.
"Son, are you remembering who saved your ghost ass back there?" Sarge asked.
"We almost died trying to find you." Simmons said.
"Oh, boo hoo. Complain when you've come back on your second or third life." Church flippantly said.
"Wow. Fuck off, blue." Grif said, turning around and walking away.
"Where are you going?" Carolina asked.
"I'm heading home." Grif said.
"Count me out as well." Six said.
"Six?!" Carolina fumed.
"This isn't my fight. I've no vendetta against the director any longer. There's nothing he can do to harm us." Six said.
"Count me out, too. Busting you out of a military base was loads of fun. But I'm not getting turned into swiss cheese so you could settle your vendetta. This ain't our fight." Sarge said.
"Took the words right out of my mouth, sir." Simmons said.
"Both of you, be quiet!" Carolina said, walking up to the pair.
"This ought to be fun." Six muttered, observing.
"Dude, this is bullshit." Tucker said.
"Tucker!" Church exclaimed.
"Bet quiet! That's an order!" Carolina said, walking up to the sim trooper.
"Well guess what?! I don't take order from you, bitch!" Tucker exclaimed in response.
"Well, what about now?" Carolina asked, aiming her rifle at him.
"Don't do that." Wash growled, putting his pistol up to her head.
"Wash, what are you doing?" Carolina asked.
"Protecting my friends. Lower the weapon." Wash said.
"You're siding with them?" Carolina asked, surprised.
"Is that such a damn surprise?" Six asked, aiming his rifle at her as well.
"Wash, I don't understand! We found the director. We can make him pay!" Church said.
"All I want, is for you two to leave. I've already been responsible for enough of their problems in the past, and I'll be damned before I let you cause anymore." Wash said, walking away.
"So that's it. You're just going to turn your back on them." Church said.
"Epsilon…" Wash started.
"No, I shouldn't be surprised. It's not exactly like you're new to the concept, is it." Church said.
"That's a little harsh." Sarge said.
"But you guys? After all the shit you put me through?" Church asked.
"What shit?" Six asked, walking until he stood abreast with Sarge.
"You shot me thru the head, you put a bomb in my gun, you killed me with my own tank, and that's just how we met!" Church ranted.
Everyone was now looking at the AI, as he grew in size, and anger.
"Church, calm down! What's your problem?" Tucker asked.
"YOU'RE MY PROBLEM! YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN MY PROBLEM! EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU IS JUST A PROBLEM THAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH, ON A DAILY BASIS!" Church shouted.
One by one, the sim troopers turned around and left; starting with Tucker, then followed by everyone else. Six followed the red team as they headed up the stairs and out of the base.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, Carolina. But you need to figure out the difference between your enemies, and your friends." Wash coldly said.