When Tex was done explaining herself, I decided we needed to head back to the vehicles. We had left Caboose there for far too long and I was anxious to check on him. True, Sheila could probably defend him better than any of us could, but I didn't want to be this far in the forest for much longer. The shadows seemed darker here. Deeper. It made me nervous.

"Are we finished here?" I said impatiently. "We need to get back."

"I don't think we should go back just yet," she said. "I'm sure Meta will be waiting for you there. We should spend the night here before we check."

"And what about Caboose?" Church asked.

She shrugged. "Sheila could probably defend him better than any of us could."

Hmm.

As we organized spots on the ground on which to sleep, Tex spoke aloud to the Blues.

"What is it with you guys and getting other girls while I'm gone?" she asked, irritated and not bothering to lower her voice at all.

"Dude, are you seriously going to give her the same lecture you gave Sister? That's really mature," Tucker said.

"Shut up," the black soldier growled. "How would you like for your balls to be permanently removed from your body?"

"Aww, you don't need an excuse to touch them, baby."

I frowned and went over to them, sitting down next to the Blue before Tex could carry out her threat. "Who's Sister?"

"She joined us a long-ass time ago," Church explained. "But we were able to get rid of her. She was really damn stupid."

"Whose sister is she?"

"Grif's."

"That explains a lot," I muttered under my breath.

Tucker laughed. "Yeah, definitely."

"Hey!" Grif interjected. "I know she's dumb, but you can't call her that! You screwed her!"

I glanced at Tucker sharply, and he looked back at me with a nervous laugh.

"You got it on with the only chick in the canyon at the time?" I asked.

He shrugged with a guilty smile, and I raised my eyebrows at him, not amused. Wash was smirking in the background.

"I hope you know you lose points for taste right there."

We laid out a few supplies we had brought with us, Tucker complaining to me copiously.

"Aw, come on, Ells," he was saying as we spread out a couple blankets. "You can't blame me for being a dude."

"No, I can't," I replied, a little miffed. "But I'm having an odd sense of déjà vu. When Grif's sister was here, you went after her because she was the only girl in the canyon. Now, look who's the only girl in the canyon. I see a pattern."

"Hey!" Tex protested. "I'm a chick too!"

"Yeah, but you've got your own relationship issues to deal with," I responded wryly, indicating the powder blue soldier near us. "After seeing you and Church, none of these guys wants to touch you with a ten-foot pole. Right, Tucker?"

I looked at him. Tex had just bent over to set a blanket on the ground and he was staring at her ass.

"Tucker!"

"What?" he said, snapping out of it. "Oh, right. Yeah. Poles."

I smacked a palm to my forehead, standing up and moving away from the aqua soldier. I was feeling rather irritated for some reason.

We eventually settled down, but I knew I wouldn't be sleeping tonight. I removed my helmet for comfort, however, and laid my head against the rock upon which I had perched before.

Just as I heard the Reds and Blues begin to snore, I heard a rustle just near me. I raised my head a fraction of an inch and saw a dark figure moving among us. Tex.

She crept over to where Church was lying and shook his shoulder gently. He jerked awake, but she shushed him and beckoned him silently. He frowned, confused, but followed her as she left and walked deeper into the forest.

The moment they had disappeared from view, I sprang up as quietly as possible and followed them.

"Tex, where are we going?" Church asked her. She didn't answer him but continued to lead him away from our sleeping group. "Tex?"

"I need to talk to you," she said quietly, stopping in a small clearing. "Church, I need your help."

I stopped, hiding in a patch of trees just before the clearing. I had a perfect view of the couple and watched silently.

"Need my help?" Church repeated. "You've never needed my help before. With anything."

She turned to face him. "Times change."

I glanced behind me, my feeling of unease increasing. I had left my weapons and helmet back at our campsite.

"What do you need?" he asked, perplexed. "I can try to help, I guess."

Tex's face instantly melted into a gentle façade. That couldn't mean anything good.

"Church, I don't know who I am," she said. "We've been through this before. The key to finding out my story lies with the Director. If I can get to the Director, then I can find my answers."

"Wait… what?" asked Church. "I thought you said you wanted to bring him down!"

"I don't care what happens to him. All I want is to know."

"You—you lied to us!"

She gazed at him steadily, her gentle demeanor slowly slipping. "Yes, Church. I did."

"So… so you don't really want the AIs?"

She continued her unwavering stare. "Oh, yes. I want the AIs. But not for Command."

Church just gaped at her, uncomprehending.

"Church, the only way we can be powerful enough to get to the Director now is if all the AIs are reunited." She paused. "That includes me… and you."

"Me?"

"Yes. The AIs are obsessed with you. They want Alpha so that they—or, I guess, we—can be reunited and return to the "creator." I don't care about that shit, but I know that if they find the Director, I can get my answers."

"You've been on Meta's side the whole time…" Church said, his voice cracking.

"We don't have to think of it as sides," Tex said, attempting not to sound cold. "Getting all of you away from the bases just made it easier for us. You have fewer defenses out here and can't resist us. Why do you think it was so easy for you to repair your vehicles and track the AIs? We wanted to be found. We wanted to lure you from the security of your bases and bring you out into the open so we could get you by yourself. Once we have all the AIs in the jail they'll be powerful enough to overtake the facility and break him out again." She watched him. "Church, come with us."

Church hesitated, gazing at the girl he loved, wounded. She had betrayed him and lied to him. Again. And he had fallen for it.

"…No." He shook his head. "Hell no. I'm not going to help that psycho dickhead escape. I don't want anything to do with it."

Tex's eyes visibly hardened. "In that case…" she said, reaching down to her belt, pulling out a handgun, and pointing it between Church's eyes. "I'm not going to ask nicely anymore. You don't have an opinion in the matter. You're coming with me."

I started at the appearance of the gun and sprang into action. I reached down to my armor and grabbed my own weapon, but before I could rescue Church, a hand clapped over my mouth. I began to struggle against it, but froze as I felt a sharp point in the small of my back.

"I wouldn't be using that gun if I were you, my dear," O'Malley's voice whispered in my ear. Through the darkness, I could see white armor gleaming from the arm that had muffled my voice. "Drop the gun and we won't shoot you right in the back."

I didn't move.

"Drop it," O'Malley snarled quietly. "Or we'll kill all your sleeping friends after we're done with you."

God damn it. I let my gun fall to the ground. Meta held still, not moving his gun from my back or his hand from my mouth as we watched a now frozen Church and Tex.

"You—you wouldn't really shoot me…" Church said quietly. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" asked Tex fiercely. "I have before, if you don't remember, and I won't hesitate doing it again." She clicked her gun.

"I—I—" Church stuttered. Finally he sighed, resigned. "I suppose I have no choice."

"Good boy," she leered, indicating the trees beside her. "Time to go now, honey. We have a ship waiting for you."

I expected Church to have a Church-ish response. Curse at her, call her a bitch, something. But no. Church bowed his head after flashing her a look of utter heartbrokenness and stepped through the forest. I thought I saw her eyes widen a moment at seeing his hurt expression, but the look only lasted a second and she was back to business.

"Meta," she barked gruffly at the trees. "I've got him. You know what to do now."

Meta let out a growly chuckle and, before I had a chance to defend myself, he punched me in the side of the head forcefully. I was ripped from consciousness.