Finally! After a few days of bouncing ideas around, I finally have the eighth chapter of Retribution on board for your entertainment!
Before we begin, I just want to say thank you to all you wonderful readers out there. Though this is not as popular of a fanfiction as others out there on the WWW, I never expected such a broad range of an audience. Your patience with my fledgling skills is greatly appreciated.
Without further ado, I bring you...
Chapter 8
North awoke the next morning feeling warm and content, leaning against a downy pillow while still seated in a chair in the Recovery bay, feeling a soft breeze flick hair that had fallen into his face. Delaware lay asleep next to him, her face serene, breathing softly through her nose. They were still holding hands, and Theta and Chi were sitting together silently, sharing some form of communication with flickers of light. No one else was in the room. All felt right in the world at the moment.
The solitude was broken by the door opening, and North sat up quickly to see Texas enter the room, balancing three breakfast trays in her arms. "Time to wake up," she said, making no attempt to stay silent in the otherwise empty room. Delaware woke up with a start and looked around for the source of the noise. North sat up with a yawn and a stretch, while Chi and Theta looked over at Texas curiously. She set down a plateful of eggs and bacon for North, while Delaware go t a plateful of fruit and toast. Tex had a plate of sausage and toast in her lap, but she still kept her helmet on.
"Sorry I don't have any juice or coffee for you guys. FILSS is on the fritz again," the black-armored agent said to break the silence. They muttered that it was no problem, still uncomfortable. It was a very strange situation; three supposed friends sharing a meal with nothing to say.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" North asked Tex finally, and she shrugged.
"No idea. It's blank right now, so something might come up really quick. Don't schedule anything for today, if you know what I mean," she replied, and both North and Delaware blushed furiously, refusing to meet each others' eyes.
Suddenly, the intercom blared to life as FILSS' automated voice rang through the hallways. "ATTENTION. ALL ACTIVE FREELANCER AGENTS, REPORT TO COMMAND CENTER FOR IMMEDIATE MISSION ASSIGNMENT. THIS IS A LEVEL 1 DIRECTIVE. ALL ACTIVE FREELANCER AGENTS, REPORT TO COMMAND CENTER FOR IMMEDIATE MISSION ASSIGNMENT." Texas and North both sprang up. North hastily clipped his helmet on while Texas ran for the door.
"Hey," Delaware called as they were at the door. "Be safe, you two." She gave them a small smile, but her eyes reflected a certain yearning to go along with them, to be involved in that kind of excitement.
"We'll be okay," North said.
"Yeah. I'll make sure that your squeeze comes back in one piece," Texas teased, and North gave her a soft punch in the arm.
"Good luck to you, Theta and Omega," Chi called from where she was projected by the bedside table, but no AIs appeared by their hosts to return the farewell. Instead, they spoke in their agents' minds as they raced to the Command Center.
"They're both nice, but they're so sad, too," Theta said to North as they had a small conversation inside his head.
"I know what she's been through has been hard, but Dawn's made it through alright," North responded to his AI.
"Not just Agent Delaware. Chi's very sad too, but she never says why. It's like something happened to her that she can't talk about, but she really wants too."
North had no time to reflect on this as he joined up with York, Wyoming, and South, who were racing from the wash racks. Meanwhile, Texas and Omega were bickering again.
"That AI is a weakling that should be ground into digital dust. She hampers the mission of the Project," Omega hissed in Texas' ear.
"Still, she can change her form while you can't. Delta said that only the powerful, older AIs can do that."
"Delta this, Theta that, Gamma this, blah blah blah. When will you begin thinking for yourself instead of relying on the thoughts of others" the AI replied scathingly, but Tex ignored him in favor of not running into the doorway that admitted them to see the Director. The older man was standing by the holographic projector, his face clouded over in concentration. All the agents lined up at attention and waited for him to address them.
"Freelancers; the rogue Agent CT, has been located on a small lunar colony that we are currently orbiting, along with the leader of the Insurrectionists and a small contingent of Insurrectionist troops…"
An icy feeling gripped at North's heart. CT had never been his favorite person, but when she had gone rogue, it had hit the team pretty hard. They acted less like a team now since her betrayal, always suspecting one another and scrutinizing every action. The Director was sending them off to capture CT, and North didn't know if things could go smoothly with this mission.
"Your mission is to extract her from this location," a low, concrete bunker appeared on the table, "and bring her back here by any means necessary, as well as retrieving the leader of the Insurrectionists. This mission will be far more dangerous due to terrain and proximity of civilians." The bunker decreased in size to accommodate a flat desert terrain and a few large highways spreading across the scene, packed with vehicles.
"Agents, this mission is crucial to the future of the Project, and failure will not be tolerated," the Director spoke severely, and they turned to look at him. "Not all of you will be going on this mission. Team A, which will shut down the security system and draw away the guards, will consist of Agents South Dakota, Wyoming, and York. Team B, which will extract the objectives, will consist of Agents North Dakota, Texas, and Maine."
"Wait," Carolina spoke angrily, gesturing at the Director. "You're leaving me behind?!"
"That is correct, Agent Carolina, and you would do well NOT to question my decision. The mission's leader will be Agent North Dakota, in your absence." The Director paused. "Consider this time to recuperate from such a demanding schedule. You, Agent Washington, and Agent Virginia will remain here on board the Mother of Invention, should assistance be needed."
"Better luck next time," South sneered at Carolina as she passed the aquamarine-armored agent on her way to the Armory.
"Alright, Teams, listen up!" North called to his teams before they could disperse altogether. "Grab your gear, do a weapons check, and meet down at the Pelican in 2 hours. We only have one window of opportunity at this, so we get to it fast. Synch?"
There came a chorus of "Synch!" from the agents assigned to the mission, and they left without a word. North couldn't help but feel nervous, though. This was his first time being the mission leader with the project. He had been team leader on the Sarcophagus mission, sure; but this was different. Every single life of those Agents was in his hands.
North was suddenly grabbed by the shoulder and pulled into an adjoining hallway, and a hand clapped over his mouth to prevent him from crying out. He was slammed against a wall by an aquamarine gauntlet, and the snarling face of Caroline got close to his…too close.
"I don't know how you got to be Leader of this mission, North, but I don't think that you're the best man for the mission. You won't think things through all the way, and you're too soft-hearted to be able to take down CT if you have to."
North didn't understand. What was Carolina saying, and why was she doing this? Her over-abrasive nature in confronting him was leaving him vulnerable, and he only wanted to cower. She had more of the experience, she should be leading the mission. He was like an Omega wolf cowering to an Alpha, and Carolina seemed to revel in the power that she had over him.
"Maybe you should just go back up to the Director and give the position to me. You know that I could do it," she said in a sickly sweet voice. Maybe she was right, maybe she should-
North's thoughts were interrupted by a gloved hand grabbing Carolina's shoulder and pulling her back out into the main hallway. She spluttered and growled before turning to see the blue-armored, silver visored, silent hulking form of Agent Virginia towering over her. The blue agent said nothing, but Carolina felt almost naked under the hidden scrutiny of the mute's gaze. If there was one person that Carolina was afraid of, it was Virginia. The agent never talked and had no AI to speak, unlike Maine. Virginia was a silent and efficient killer who never questioned orders and expected no praise for a successful mission. The stare that Virginia gave Carolina was enough to send Carolina away hurriedly, but not without one last murderous glance at York as she passed him.
"Thanks," North mumbled to Virginia as he rubbed his throat. Per usual, nothing was said in return. Virginia never really interacted with anyone, so North never had a reason to talk to the mysterious agent. He finally got a good look, and realized that Virginia, underneath the ODST armor, was female as well. "Well, I guess that I need to go and visit the Director, and give-"
Virginia cut North off with a soft punch to the arm that derailed his speech and his train of thought. She gestured after Carolina's retreating form, then to the locker room where the others were getting ready for the mission. It was as if she was trying to say, "Are you really going to let your team down? Can she REALLY do a better job than you can?"
"No, I need to do this. For the team. For the Project." Virginia nodded at North's determination, clapped him on the shoulder in a gesture of good faith, and walked away, silent as a shadow. As North was still slightly shaken and lacking confidence, he decided to go visit a friend.
"Can't you just leave her alone for a bit?!" Julius yelled in exasperation as North entered the Recovery Bay. Delaware sat at the edge of her bed, testing the reflexes of her arms and legs. Julius was standing in a white coat and holding a clipboard, staring at his patient so she would not strain herself.
"Hey there," Delaware said to North as he sat down in the chair next to her, and she crossed her legs daintily. "What's going on upstairs?"
"Director's found CT. He's sending us after her," North replied simply, trying to not sound too subdued.
"Well, it gives you something to do, right? Better than sitting around and watching my skin cells grow, eh?" she tried to crack a joke, and North's mouth jerked upwards. Delaware frowned and nudged him. "So what's wrong?"
"I was made Mission Leader for this assignment," he admitted, and Delaware hissed.
"Let me guess…Carolina was not happy."
"No. She cornered me just now, and said that I didn't deserve the position, that I'd be distracted and let my team get hurt because I wouldn't have my head in the game." North started shaking slightly, and he was hyperventilating. "What happens when someone does get hurt? What if a whole bunch of civilians die? I have everyone's life in my hands on this mission, and I'm going to be so worried about South, and-"
A finger to his lips cut off North's worries. Delaware drew back slowly, her face very serious, her grey eyes flashing. "North, you're going through the same things that Carolina thinks about on every other mission. These worries are completely natural."
North was confused, and Delaware continued. "Carolina cornered you in that hallway partially because she's worried that YOU are not thinking about the same concerns as she is. She thinks for the entire team because they're not related to her. You are related to South, so you might place value of her life over anyone else's. I don't think that will be a concern for you because South will insist that she can take care of herself. And she has Wyoming looking after her. Listen," she said, grabbing his arm in a vice-like grip. "People might die on this mission. There's always the risk. And we take those risks to keep others alive and to complete our objectives, no?"
"You say that my worries were only a part of the reason that Carolina cornered me in that hallway. Why else would she do that?"
Delaware frowned thoughtfully for a few moments, thinking very seriously. "Imagine the Freelancers as a…pack of wolves, if you will," she said, using hand gestures to place emphasis on her words. "In Carolina's eyes, she and York are the Alpha pair, and always the ones in charge of the missions. Okay, then you've got you, Wyoming, and Maine. You guys are the Betas, the ones that she can count upon to be her seconds when she needs back-up. And then, you skip over the Deltas and the Gammas down to the Omegas. The Omegas are South, Wash, and, formerly, CT. This whole structure, however misguided it may be," and Delaware made a circular motion with her hands, "makes up Carolina's ideal team."
"So, what's changed?" North asked, leaning forward in interest.
"Texas came on board, and Carolina felt challenged. She didn't want to face the idea that someone else was better than her, so she classified Texas as an Omega to satisfy her ego. Shortly thereafter, Maine gets blasted in the throat and Connie betrays the team. This leaves Carolina a bit shaken because her ideal team is now not so ideal. She reacted the way that she did today because when the Director chose you as Mission Leader, she felt like you were threatening her position as the Alpha," she calmly explained.
"Alright, flex your fingers," Julius interrupted quickly, and Delaware began twiddling her fingers in front of his face obnoxiously. He swatted them away good-naturedly and started writing down on his clipboard.
"My point with this, North, is that you don't have to let Carolina get under your skin like that. This mission will go off without a problem, South will have people watching her back, and you can focus on the objective, which is getting to CT and the leader. And if you do have trouble, you have Carolina, Wash, and my c-Virginia up here to help you if you need it," Del said reassuringly, clapping him on the shoulder. "Oh, I just remembered something." She reached over to the bedside table and handed him a long dagger, the same one that she had been examining the day she was attacked. He fit his hand around the leather hilt, gripped it, and pulled the slender silver blade out of its sheath, examining the blood groove and the serrated edge. "You might need this for the mission," she said, closing her hand on top of his to make sure that he held the blade tight.
"I-I don't know what to say," North spluttered, putting the knife away for easier access later.
"You don't have to. Just remember: keep focused on the mission, and don't be afraid to ask for help," she reminded him gently.
"North," a voice called from the doorway, and North turned to see York standing in the doorway, a rifle in his hand. "It's time. Let's go."
North got up with a groan from all the armor he had on, and he gave Delaware one last wave as he trotted behind York down to the Launch pad. Delaware stared after him with a slight crease to her brow.
"Is there something wrong, Del?" Chi appeared on the bedside table as Delaware lay back against the pillows with a huff.
"I don't know, Chi. I just have a funny feeling that something's not right here," Delaware responded. Chi's orb-like shape shifted and changed to a soft sky blue.
"I have a feeling that you are right. We must be prepared for anything."
There came a shrieking of metal that was lost to the empty void of space as the frigate exploded right at the center, bits and fragments floating away into the endless vacuum. The five robed figures watched the screen as the pieces of the ship exploded simultaneously, but kept very close together in a last ditch effort to remain a single ship.
"Let that serve as a reminder that we shall not be crossed," the high-pitched male voice cackled at the destruction and loss of life.
"The souls of our enemies shall be condemned, as they were so many eons ago," the deep growl agreed.
"Accursed humans. They have no right to scavenge off of what is rightfully ours!" The gravelly voices chimed in harmony with those of its brothers.
"This war has continued for far longer than any of us have anticipated. This war…our war!" The cultured voice decreed victoriously.
"Has there been any word from our lieutenants as to the location of the failing Construct? Or even to one of the dead cities?" the fifth, oldest voice addressed the other four in the room.
"No, Father. All news has been negative," the other four voices responded as one.
"That is unfortunate, but not unexpected." The central figure rose up, tall and muscular, and stood from the chair to approach the holographic projector in the center of the room. "Soon, the entire galaxy shall tremble before my building rage. All those that our race fought to save from the Great Plague shall cower before their rightful masters once more, and we shall cleanse them of their impudence and insubordination with our purifying flames." The bright, insane red eyes from the shadows of the cloak burned like gleeful embers as the picture of the frigate continued to shatter and the poor, damned souls on board were lost to the vastness of the starry night.
Well, I think things are getting off to a very good start within the NorthxDelaware universe. Things are heating up within the Freelancers as they try to go after CT and the leader again...and the mysterious voices suggest that something wicked brews. A third player may be entering the Human-Covenant War, one that wishes to cow the warring races into submission, or seek their destruction.
I shall keep plowing ahead with this. Please read and review, and ask me questions! Or produce APPROPRIATE artwork based off of this story. Or any of the above, whichever is most likely.
Sincerely yours,
anna1795