Sorry about slow updates, this chapter has just taken me awhile to get together with school, art projects and other writing projects(RvB writing projects at that(this chapter is also unusually long)). I'll try to be quicker at updating this one because by far you wonderful fans of this like this far more than a lot of my other fics.

I'm working on a rewrite of this for a heads up. The first few chapters specifically since they're so old. It'll pretty much be the same, like the same jokes and plot events, just written better and a few elements tweaked.

Recommended music for this chapter: "Hustle And Cuss" by The Dead Weather, "Never Too Late" by Three Days Grace, "My Love" by Sia and "All I Wanted" by Paramore.

I must apologize for the angst tone of this chapter, it just had to be done to progress the story. Future chapter contain more humor, I promise. Also, this chapter introduces two more canon characters in the mix. Next chapter you find out what's got the characters in a tizzy. I tried not to make it too lame.

I find it necessary to point out I had this chapter written before the Revelation episode with the warthog. So no, I did not copy it.

Summary: Two freelancers find out about recent discoveries and flashbacks ensue to when Church uncovers a secret about Wash.

Also a heads up that this chapter is a lot more violent than the others.

Chapter 10, Mute

=One Week Prior=

Clanking and squeaking, the men stood, guns drawn and aimed at each other, sweat dripping down off their foreheads the way it similarly dripped from the ceiling, a fan whirling above. It hadn't rained in weeks, but the roofing in abandoned warehouses weren't exactly good.

The dirt floor was dented with footprints, the empty suitcase tossed uselessly on the ground.

The deal was simple: they get forty thousand dollars; he gets a clean slate, what a pity he had to make it end this way.

Now normally they wouldn't kill people but this bastard knew way more than he should have not to mention he'd lied to them and such a crime wasn't about to happen on their watches.

It was nearly silent with the exception of the dripping, heavy breathing and the thumping of hearts only the men could hear as pure adrenaline coursed through his veins.

Sure this was dangerous and sure he could die and sure he knew everything but it didn't matter. Oh no he lived for this. This was why he was a freelancer; for the danger and thrill. And he'd be damned if he had it any other way.

There was a smirk threatening to spread across his face as he prepared to launch his attack.

Just one shot…

He tensed to bolt with little sign on the exterior. Nobody had ever been able to stop him and this would be no different.

With his thoughts racing, finger hot on the trigger-practically tingling-he ran his eyes discreetly over his surroundings keeping sure that the entrance to the warehouse was behind him. Letting that smirk spread across his face, he met their eyes. "You really think you could stop me?" They pulled their triggers but he was prepared and somersaulted away with the bullets pelting his trail.

Horror filled their veins as he landed and fired three bullets: through their hand so they would drop their weapons. Out of the four guys three of them were grasping their hands in pain. The oddball aimed his pistol.

"You bastard!" he shouted in fury and agony before he fired. The bullet barely pierced his shoulder on its way. But this guy wasn't done being pissed and all so he aimed for a shot to the head. It surprised him the man wasn't even reacting to the pain.

Suddenly out of nowhere the muffled sound of an engine began to grow louder. It became almost slow motion as the men turned to face the area it was approaching. This gave him all he needed. Aiming he fired and killed the one man with a bullet to the head. It was too late when the others realized his plan as they were as good as dead.

Pressing a button on his armor he let the green and purple metal cover him.

He somersaulted away landing on his feet by the wall.

The warthog plowed through the front half of the building causing wood to fly around and the structure to groan. Splinters scattered the ground along with large sections of wood. Luckily, though the whole place hadn't collapse he'd been worried. She hadn't cared all that much but he suspected that was because she wouldn't have had trouble escaping. The selfish bitch never seized to amazing him.

He sprinted over and jumped into gunner turning the massive gun and aiming it at the remaining men. The empty shells flew around him in a fury, bullets lighting his face up yellow. Easily they were dead, blood splattered throughout the room in his fury.

Long ago, longer than he could remember that a used to bother him and make his stomach knot but now it was as casual as taking a shower-which reminded him he needed one of those. The sticky blood and dirt was starting to get annoying.

"Nice work, North."

He glanced down at his twin sister seizing fire as they were dead anyway. It wasn't odd that she hadn't called him by his name in fact he would've been more surprised if she'd called him Mark.

"Took you long enough," he complained glaring lightly and almost teasingly at her.

"Not my fault your damn warthog wouldn't start. Take it to a repairman."

"I can handle it myself thank you very much." He hopped down as she climbed from the driver's seat.

Sometimes she found him so infuriating. The way he handled their meetings, their missions and the way he was so stubborn. If she was honest with herself she didn't want to deal with him anymore. Though North might be her brother they were too different-or was it similar?-to work together efficiently. The Chairman begged to differ by saying that none of his other agents worked like they did. That was hard to believe when all they seemed to do was argue. Hell they sometimes even fought each other psychically. Just the other day they had fought over the shower in their shared apartment and North had ended up on top of the door and the couch had been covered in tears from her knife. Maybe he just didn't have a lot of good agents? She didn't know and didn't really care. Hell he was her brother and the Chairman was her boss so as long as she was getting the hefty paycheck she was receiving now, there wouldn't be any bitching on her part. After all four thousand dollars a week was certainly paying for her needs.

"You get the information?"

"Of course I did," he said smugly as he reached into the suitcase still on the ground, splattered with blood and dusted in dirt. He brought his hand out clasping the tiny device they had bugged the room with. It had caught everything in audio. "The camera's up in the corner." She ran her jade eyes up to where he was motioning and saw the blinking red light out of the blackness. It had to be a good sixteen feet up.

"How the hell did you get that up there?"

"I did it from the roof, there's a hatch up there." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Her brother was like this every time. He could take out a whole army and come up with some lame excuse and shrug. It never ceased to amaze her and if there was anything she admired about him, it was his nonchalance.

"But how'd you get on the roof?" His eyes glassed over for a moment, deep green and vacant. And for a split second she wondered if he would answer and what he was thinking about. Too long ago, they used to know everything about each other and almost predicted flawlessly what they were both thinking. Now they hardly even talked to each other. Their connection that their mother had always believed was because of being twins was now nothing more than a whisper of breeze.

He shook his head and his eyes grew bored. It hurt to think about it for him because he loved and cared about his sister but for her it was something dull. "I just climbed…hey how about we get this stuff back to the Chairman?" She nodded and he held out the bug for her to take. She did so wondering why it felt like he was a stranger. "I'll get the camera." So he started off as if there was no one else there with his face blank and cold.

Outside the warm air was humid making his skin sticky, the sound of police sirens and the river just over the railing flowing. The surroundings were rusted metal water tanks, dirt and falling apart warehouses like this one. The place seemed so abandoned that it was a wonder anyone had been here today in the first place.

He went to the side of the building and climbed atop a rusted dumpster jumping up only a moment later to grasp a pipe that had just about fallen off. It creaked and cracked a little but held up as he heaved onto his feet above. Now he was standing on a ledge about a foot wide. Below the ground seemed too far and it blurred his vision. Though he'd long ago learned that facing fears and overcoming them were a part of the military he'd never quite gotten used to heights.

After a bit of sliding he was able to grab hold of a vertical pipe and climb up it to the tin roof. It wasn't very stable but he proceeded cautiously to the hatch. Whatever reason it had been installed for at the time remained a mystery. The place used to have an attic so he supposed that could've been why.

Kneeling down he pulled it open and reached down to remove the camera. Light spilled in from the opening and caught South's eye as she attempted to gather the bodies into one place. How the hell he'd actually done that she didn't know and though she didn't really care he always managed to spark her curiosity.

A few minutes passed silently before he had the camera and closed the hatch. Almost done. He started to stand cursing at his joints as they popped a little.

Before he had the chance to begin moving towards the edge his phone began to ring. He frowned in confusion and annoyance.

On the roof it was fifteen degrees hotter, making him sweat so his clothes and hair stick to him and droplets ran down his face. Pulling it out of his jean pocket he read the name lit up in the screen. It was the Chairman. What could be so important it couldn't wait for them to come? "Hello?"

"It's been confirmed," the Chairman said flatly a bit of terror in his accented voice.

Though he hadn't been specific about it North knew damn well what it meant. And terror filled his veins too raw in its power. Overwhelming, helplessness, hatred, anger, sadness, he was feeling everything in an instant. It made him feel weak as shaking began to rock his body enough he felt unstable standing. He managed to choke out a response despite his constricting throat. Even with all the heat, he suddenly felt cold.

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely, please come here immediately there's plenty we must discuss." With that the dial tone took over.

He stood completely still knowing everything they'd done was in vain. What was the point? Everything felt useless: the sun, the stars, the earth, the birds chirping and the breeze, the camera in his other hand-all of it. Why was he even trying? Why did he still think this wasn't real? It all looked wrong, the way he was standing here, the way he was holding his cell phone, the way the clouds looked peaceful and undisturbed. His throat began to constrict more as he thought it through and it slowly began to slip him.

"You okay, brother?" South shouted from below seeing how pale his face was.

Instead of answering he tossed his phone down and it clanked down on the tin roof and then sliding off to land in the dirt shattering to pieces.

She knew something was wrong now. "Mark? Mark please come down here and tell me what's wrong." She was growing more frantic as he stayed silent and a bit of horror filled her body.

His lips moved finally after a moment but he was too quiet for her to hear. "What?" He bowed his head brown hair falling down around his face and hiding it.

"Mom…"

"Mom? What about mom?" Their mother was something they never spoke of. She had been killed in a home break in when they were three years old. It was odd he was speaking of her now but it only raised South's terror. An alarm inside her was going mad-an alarm between them. It was the most major thing she had ever felt between them. And she knew exactly what it meant.

"I miss her every day."

"Me too now come down here." He looked at her now, the look of a child in his deep green eyes. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and down his neck yet his eyes were still full of them.

He took one step fearlessly towards the end of the tin roof his shoes threatening to slide. "North stop!" she screamed at him. But even as she did it he closed his eyes and took another step not caring if he slid. Why would he jump off? Would she ever really know?

He outstretched his arms and leaned forward. Shrilling out a scream he let himself fall. Turning away she heard the crash. To make matters worse the scream too. It was so hurt and loud and painful you would've thought he was dead. But perhaps that's what made it so bad. That he was still screaming ten seconds afterward. The fall hadn't been enough to kill him unfortunately enough.

She spun around to see that his legs were splayed impossibly and one arm was bent back too far. His face was bloodied and he was screaming on his back. It was likely that he would be crippled permanently if he lived.

So she did the only thing she could think of: she pulled out her pistol and shot him in the face. Then she gathered their things and fled to finish the mission they had started.

Instead of being angry she began to sob tears breaking through her steel shield put up to keep people away. She whispered she was sorry and that everything would be okay even if she knew better because she needed to hear it.

A seagull called out and a flock of pigeons flapped by as if understanding everything.

==One Year Previous==

"How does it feel?" Church asked as he took a seat in the deep red lights at a round table covered in maroon tablecloth.

The night was beginning to take shape: people dancing around on the wooden dance floor cascading the multicolor lights above it and conversations were in full swing Tex was sitting a few tables away eating the remnants of a piece of cake she'd been dissecting all night long. Music blasted loud enough you had to be close to converse and leftover plates covered in crumbs were left scattered around the table.

Church had been sitting with Tex most of the night glancing at Wash as he sat in the chair alone for awhile with his eyes on Mass. He'd never seen his eyes leave her the stare tender, speaking of things he couldn't say. He'd never seen anybody stare at someone like that not even himself or Tex.

Finally he'd told Tex he had to go for a minute and got up with a grunt to speak with him.

Wash didn't say anything for a moment almost as if he hadn't heard him.

Church felt a bit of jealousy towards him. There was so many things that they could feel together and do together that him and Tex never could. And having been married for three years things were getting a little…tense. Maybe that was because Tex was still being insistent on not discussing adoption with him. Of course he was a little hesitant on his own knowing that Tex was…well Tex. And let's face it Tex isn't exactly what you'd consider the mother type. Even if she hadn't killed anyone for a year.

"Church?" he said instead of answering his voice a little softer than Church had been expecting.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever felt like you could just…die?"

"Die?" Church repeated in confusion.

"Because you love her so much?" Church paused. It was an odd question. Tex had never had the ability to feel that so he doubted she had but he knew that he had before.

"Yeah I have. Take it that's how you feel." It clearly wasn't a question but Wash nodded.

"I know she feels the same way. I just feel kind of sad still …" Church scooted his chair over to his side and Wash's dark gray eyes met his with the lights reflecting in them. They were bittersweet.

Bewildered Church tilted his head slightly.

"For what?"

"For her."

"Why?" He fidgeted in his seat and looked back towards her as she sat at the head table laughing and conversing with her family. Her deep brunette hair was curled and loose around her face and a veil sparkling down to her mid back. Clad in an ivory gown covered with crystals.

"Because I'm not right for her and she could've done so much better."

"Obviously she loves you and that's the important thing," Church said with a smirk and Wash chuckled.

"You think you're so funny don't you?"

"Oh I am funny you're just jealous." Wash shook his head a smile on his face anyway.

That was over so they fell into silence listening to the pop song blaring from the DJ. That tender look took center stage again as he watched her.

Church glanced at Tex as she swatted at Sister who was bothering her like she was a fly. Her face was full of annoyance. As much as she would never admit it Sister wasn't so bad just immature. And though that was annoying minus that she was fun to hang out with.

"Sooo…"

"What?" Wash faced him looking a little confused like Church should be gone by now.

"What are your plans?"

"Plans? What do you mean?" He leaned back to get a better look at Church out of suspicion raking a hand through his hair absentmindedly. By Church's stiff shoulders, sweat and just plain unnatural smile he was nervous as hell.

"Like uh, what are you guys gonna do next? Like…majorly?" When it hit Church could tell because his face went white as his cheeks got redder.

"What? Why's it matter?" Church looked away sheepishly chewing on his lower lip. He hadn't expected the response he had received.

"I'm just curious," he mumbled.

"That's a lie just tell me truthfully why you wanted to know if we're going to start a family." Church sighed trying to shake the nervousness from his body or at least from his voice. It was stupid of him to even say such a thing and it made him feel exactly that-but he had to. It was the only way he might ever get somewhere.

"Well I just kinda wanted to know because I thought that if you guys had kids then…you know Tex might change her mind." Wash chuckled lowly running a hand through his hair but mirthless.

"I see, that makes sense." He looked at Mass now and his eyes were sad instead of tender and almost as if sensing it she waved to them excitedly.

Church looked at Wash trying to decipher what he was thinking and why his mood had suddenly changed.

"Well?" He didn't look at Church as he spoke though you would've expected his voice to be blank instead it was bitter.

"She would make a great mother wouldn't she? All that energy and excitement…and she'd be so happy…" his voice only grew bitterer as he went on. "But I can't give that to her." What he'd said caught Church off guard and he jumped a little.

"What? Why not?" Wash didn't look at him resting his arms on the table and his face in them. When he spoke his voice was muffled.

"Please don't make me tell you."

"Dude c'mon is this a mental thing? Because if it is I might have to beat you around."

"It's not that," he said confidentially turning his head to face Church, his temple resting on his arms.

"Wait so you've got something wrong with you?" He turned his head into his arms again.

"Yes."

"What the hell is it? How long have you know? Does she know?"

"I've known since I joined the Freelancer Program I just didn't care. And of course she fucking knows…" He tried to seem casual like he hadn't avoided the first question. It was too personal in his opinion not to mention he felt embarrassed at all that this had happened in the first place.A conversation like this was better left for him and his new wife not Church and his damn nosiness.

"Why didn't you care? And don't think I didn't notice you didn't answer." Wash groaned a little. Usually he was pretty good with faking but Church had caught him off guard and cornered him.

"I fucking hate you. I didn't care because I didn't think I'd ever get married or want to have kids anyway Church. Hell I'd enlisted in the military, the last thing on my mind was love and shit like that. Besides thinking about it didn't exactly make me that happy so back then I just didn't think about it. I didn't even have a reason to. The woman I was with wasn't wife material let alone mother." He took a deep breath and brought his face up to meet Church's his eyes challengingly as if he was demanding him to try and make him tell.

"Ahhh." Church rose to the challenge gladly. "C'mon Man I'll tell Tex about your infertility if you don't give me a reason." Wash's eyes drifted to Tex who he knew would spread it around like wildfire and then there would be awkward moods everywhere he went not to mention murmurs when they didn't think he could hear. Let's not even mention the fact some would give him the sympathy treatment and he'd have to hear about it.

"You're an asshole." He ducked his head a little and whispered. "Kiss my ass." He moved away. "Listen, I'm taking your threat very seriously but for now I think I'll just have to take that as opposed to telling you and you telling Tex. I don't want people seeing me any different."

"Why would it make them see you different?"

"Just trust me on this one, okay?"

"Oh c'mon! Tell meeee!" Wash shook his head frowning and turned away. "I promise I won't tell Tex if you tell me. Because if I do she'll know that I was asking you about it and then she'll get suspicious. I'd much rather not have to tell her anything you know? So why don't you save me the trouble?"

"I don't trust you," he said flatly.

"Why not?"

"Because you're Leonard Church just a copy of the Director's brain and he was an untrustworthy bastard. After what he did tell me why exactly I should trust you either." The way he said it reminded Church of times long ago. The betrayal, bitterness and hatred in his voice like it had been during the era of Meta. It had been so long he had forgotten how full of hatred he was. The gray color of his eyes looked like a thick steel wall.

"You're right I'm sorry." His frown didn't loosen he just turned away. "I shouldn't have pushed you."

"You shouldn't have." He glanced at Church warily his face was hurt. "I'm sorry I said that. I know you're not like him. You're a separate entity. I just have trouble realizing that sometimes and I fall into bitterness and blame him and everything he created."

"You're forgiven but it makes sense. I wish I was never created sometimes. So the freelancers could be unbroken. Like, peaceful." He stared off into space as he spoke.

"I can't tell you this isn't your fault Church, I wish I could but I know that you alone prove that somewhere deep within the Director's black heart there was probably good intentions. Just tell me one thing." He nodded. "What would you have done? The committee breathing down your neck, the Alpha AI right in front of you, the knowledge that our species could end if you couldn't do something and only one way to get more AI in time?" He knew the answer.

"The only thing I could do: I'd have to torture it." Wash looked away and it was silent for a moment. His eyes were as cold as stone.

"I knew you'd say that."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"Because I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only other one." Church realized what he was saying.

"You would do it too? Why? I thought you hated them for what they did." His face got intense, that look in his eyes again.

"I fucking do don't ever think otherwise. But I lay awake sometimes after my nightmares staring up at the ceiling wondering what I would've done-picturing myself there, knowing all of it. For a second I can almost feel the helplessness and in that second I realize that was the only way. It makes me angrier to realize this and know that I had to be corrupted and that I had to lose my mental virginity to something like this. But there's no way around the truth and it haunts me-it will always haunt me. It's a mental scar I will always have over my head unique to me and only me. I'm reminded of this every day now that I met Megan. Because every time she calls out David I know she's calling for someone dead. Hell I don't even feel like I deserve the right to be called David after what I've done-after what they've done-but it doesn't change the fact I feel like this was necessary. While at the same time I wonder why it had to be me. Why I had to die inside. There were so many others you know, it fucking could've been Maine or Tex or even Wyoming-people who deserved it more than me." Church interjected here.

"It had to happen to somebody."

"I know and that's part of the reason I'm so angry. It had to happen to somebody, they had to torture the Alpha…I just hate how it has to be this way."

"Everyone does."

"Tex doesn't. The other day we were talking and drinking wine at the rehearsal dinner and she told me that she wouldn't have it any other way. That if all this hell was what led her to the spot next to you she had that she would do it over and over again and that she kept thinking that on your wedding day and it made her more and more anxious to see you."

"Tex?" Church asked in disbelief glancing at her as she smacked Sister a few times on the face.

"She was drunk."

"Oh okay I believe you now. I thought you didn't like hanging out with Tex though."

"It gets lonely not being understood very well and her being a freelancer and hating everything helps." He got to his feet then. "Speaking of which I'm going to get something to drink, do you want something?"

"Nah I'm good." He waved him off dismissively and he was off pushing his way to the table through the crowd of people. And with every step Church knew that he could never fix what had happened but there was a gift he could give him: someone to understand him.

He glanced at his watch. The place should still be open and Caboose was still awake. "Better get started I guess…" he mumbled getting to his feet and started the search for Caboose which wasn't hard considering that he was the tallest person there.

This chapter was actually much longer but this seemed like a good place to stop it and it leaves things hanging more.

Next chapter the truth is revealed about what's going on[mostly]. Sorry for slow postings but this chapter was longer.

Review! I'll give a virtual cookie to the people who guess what Church is doing [correctly]!