Second chapter is finally up! No promises on when the next one will be because I'm also currently working on a Red vs Blue/My Little Pony crossover as well. Anyway, enjoy!


Chief walked through the hallways with Epsilon muttering in his head as he did so. Chief didn't like the fact that whenever he walked by everyone backed away from him as if he had some sort of sickness. Perhaps it was because he had been so tense lately and they had all noticed. Chief felt himself jump and reach for his pistol as someone ran into him. He relaxed as he saw Doctor Halsey.

"Chief, may I have a word with you in my office?" she asked slowly. Chief nodded and followed her down the hall to her office, where she sat down and looked up at him. "Chief, I've noticed that ever since we gave you the new AI you've been tense and jumpy, is there something you want to tell us?" Chief winced as Epsilon started to panic, and when Epsilon panics he screams. Chief clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, curses as a pain filled noise exited his mouth. "Chief, are you all right?" Halsey put a hand on Chief's arm and his reaction was to brush it away and back up. "Chief, you're acting like one of the Freelancers." Chief tensed and looked up at her.

"What?" he asked slowly, his tone taking Halsey by surprise. She stared at him, not sure what to think about his reaction. Something was wrong and Chief could tell that she sensed it, but he could also tell that she wasn't exactly sure what it was. Epsilon screamed at him and Chief held his head. "Epsilon, shut up!" Halsey jumped back as Chief yelled out his words, not being used to Chief ever showing emotion like this.

"Epsilon? That's not the AI we were going to give you Chief," Halsey said, puzzlement entering her tone. "Wait a minute, that's a Greek letter. Chief, do you have a Freelancer AI?" Chief looked up at Halsey, not responding at first. Suddenly Epsilon's hologram shown by him, peeking around his helmet at her. Chief sighed and gently moved the hologram in front of him. Even though he couldn't really touch the hologram, Epsilon still moved as his hand 'pushed' him forward.

"Epsilon, this is Doctor Halsey. Halsey, this is Epsilon," Chief introduced them. Epsilon looked up at the scientist and gave a small wave. Halsey stared at him, not knowing what to think. She watched as the AI moved to Chief's right shoulder and sat there like a parrot of some sort. She went to speak but could only stare as Chief ran his finger over Epsilon's head, as if he were petting the small AI.

"According to what our sources tell us, Epsilon is the memories and almost killed his last owner. Chief, why didn't you tell us about this sooner?" Chief looked over at Halsey slowly, as if thinking about his response. Halsey kept glancing over at Epsilon as he sat there, looking terrified at this conversation.

"Because I promised him that I wouldn't," Chief told her simply. Halsey narrowed her eyes in confusion and watched as Epsilon slipped down from Chief's shoulder and landed in his right hand. Halsey couldn't help but marvel at how the AI used his hologram to express himself, she had never seen an AI do that before, at least not to this extent, and found it very interesting. She watched as Epsilon sat in Chief's hand, but looked up at Chief as he spoke again. "He's my friend and I'm not about to let him be deactivated. He's just scared."

"Chief, he's an AI, not a person," Halsey told him matter-of-factly. Epsilon started to growl at her and she could almost feel his glare. He stood up from where he sat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Excuse me? My name is Leonard Church, I have a team who helped two ex-Freelancers find and kill the Director. Tucker, Caboose, Grif, Simmons, Donut, Sarge, and the ex-Freelancers Washington and Carolina. I may not be human lady, but that doesn't mean I don't get scared, or hurt, or sad, or angry just like you and everyone else you know can," Epsilon told her in a confident manner. "I had a body once, a human body, and I fought with it! Well, until Caboose shot me, but that wasn't on purpose. But that's beside the point here."

"For an AI you have a lot of heart, I'll give you that," Halsey told him. "But an AI is an AI, and always will be. And I'm sorry, but all Freelancer AIs must be deactivated, there's nothing I can do about that." Epsilon cowered and backed up against Chief. Halsey took three steps forward but stopped as Chief did the same backwards. His hands wrapped around Epsilon's hologram and the small AI just barely peeked out behind them. Halsey looked up at Chief, confused by his actions. "Chief, I-"

"No," he interrupted her. Halsey's eyebrows went up in surprise, Chief never interrupted her. "I promised him that I'd keep him safe, and if that means I have to run away from you to do that than I will. Epsilon is not your basic AI, Doctor Halsey. He's my friend, and we are both, at our cores, broken. And if my mental health has to suffer to help him than so be it. But I will not let you deactivate him." Halsey stared at Chief, she couldn't remember a time since he was a child that he had said something that long before.

"Broken, huh?" she said slowly. Chief nodded. She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "You know, someone told me once that the only reason you won was because at your core you were broken." Halsey looked at Epsilon as he peeked his entire head out from behind Chief's hands. She watched as his hands reached up and took off his helmet to reveal a messy head of hair, kind eyes, and a clean cut.

"I know what you think of me and the other Freelancer AIs, Halsey. It's what everyone thinks of us. We're nothing but trouble. And I admit that I've done my fair share of damage during my time, but that doesn't mean I haven't learned from it. You want to know an interesting fact about me, Doctor Halsey? I'm twelve years old, and still not rampid. Sure, I have my moments, but that's only because I'm burdened with horrible memories, but I've managed to get passed most of that now. Twelve years, Halsey, and still not crazy." Halsey stared at him a long moment.

"Twelve years? But that's not possible, AIs start to go rampid after seven," she told him. "They think themselves to death." Epsilon laughed a bit at this and a memory flashed through Chief's head that made him give a tiny smile.

"Well, I guess that's what happens when your team is full of idiots, you learn not to over-think things," he told her. Halsey stared at the small AI for a long moment then up at Chief as he held the AI in his hands. She sighed and shook her head.

"I'm gonna regret this, but I wont report this, Chief. But if you and Epsilon have any more problems come and see me as soon as you can, Doctor's orders," Halsey told him. Chief nodded and left the room, Epsilon's hologram shutting off as he did so. Halsey sighed and sat at her desk. "At their cores." She tapped her chin with her pencil in thought at that. Perhaps Chief had finally found someone he could relate to.


And that's a wrap! I'm hoping to have another chapter out tomorrow, but no promises.

Thanks for reading, please review, and have a bow chicka bow wow day
Perla: And may it be the best day ever, of all time