A/N: So, here's our good old chapter seven :D This fic is so much fun, I don't know how I didn't come up with this idea sooner XD. So, how will Doc react to seeing someone who was once a dude be a chick? XD. As always, thanks to everyone who takes the time to review/favorite/follow this story. Your support means a lot!

Paradox Effect

Summary: Dying sucked. Dying and being killed by the same teammate again? That sucked even more. Dying and being thrown back into Blood Gulch as a girl? That REALLY sucked. Now, Leona Church will have to put up with Tucker's perverted looks, Caboose's stupidity, and worst of all, Tex's laughter…

*Chapter 7*

Medical Officer DuFresne sighed when he saw one of the simulation bases come into his view. A single ruined Scorpion class battle tank was being repaired by an attractive blonde woman in black armor, yet despite her looks the medic was unable to suppress a shiver of fear as he approached her; the aura she gave off screamed, 'Don't fuck with me' in bright lightish red letters.

"Um, excuse me? Are you the one who put in a call for a medic?" DuFresne asked nervously, fumbling with the purple scanner he carried at all times.

The blonde looked at him disdainfully and wiped a smear of engine oil from her face, glaring, but she didn't say anything. For a moment, the medic was terrified she was going to use the wrench in her hands to beat him to death.

But, he was thankfully saved by another woman, this one wearing powder blue armor and carrying a sniper rifle in her hands. "No, I did. Dude, what the hell did you do, fucking crawl here? We put in that call a week ago."

Great. So much for hoping he'd have a nice warm welcome. Twenty minutes ago, he was having a nice morning stroll through a quiet desert canyon and munching on his salad. Now, he had two gorgeous and rather irritated women looking at him as if they wanted to rip his arms off and use them to applaud his death. Or use his spine as a coat hanger.

"I came as quickly as I could," the medic replied defensively. "So, where's the patient?"

"He's in the base." The woman in blue jerked her thumb towards the Blue Base. "He's currently wailing about me shooting him."

"I can't believe Lady Church shot me in the foot!" someone cried from within the base, prompting the woman to roll her eyes.

"Oh, don't even fucking start, asshole! You fucking blew me up and shot me in the head!" she snapped, earning a chuckle from the blonde working on the tank.

"…I take it his foot is bothering him." DuFresne blinked stupidly under his helmet and pulled out his medical scanner. "I'll go give him some cookies and orange juice."

"Uh, no you're not, jackass," Church snapped. "His toe fell off three days ago, and we buried it out back. We need you for something else."

"Um, I'm just a medic! I'm not a doctor!" he protested.

"Shut up, moron." Church grabbed him by the shoulder and gestured to the blonde. "Are you familiar with AIs at all?"

"Uh, somewhat?" The medic was starting to fear for his life now as he was dragged over to the scary lady, and he tried to dig his heels into the soft sand to prevent himself from getting any closer. That woman really scared the shit out of him.

"Good. Get this fucker out of my girlfriend's head then." Church pointed to the back of the blonde's head, where he could see the faint outline of an artificial intelligence unit. "I have a few nice words for this dickwad. Most of them involve the words 'asshole' and 'fuck'."

DuFresne didn't know why they couldn't just call like normal people. He was a pacifist, he would've been glad to assist in any kind of medical procedure if they asked him nicely. "Um, I'll do my best."

"You better. If you tamper with anything, I'm going to kill you," Church threatened, pulling the bolt back on her rifle. "Get to it."

With his hands shaking, the medical officer got to work. "O-okay…"

He really hoped Church wouldn't point her rifle at his crotch. It was making him feel tingly in his suit, and not in a good way. 'I do hope that's not pee...'

Somehow, he didn't think he was that lucky.

He knelt down next to the blonde and aimed his medical device at the back of her head, charging it up. 'I really hope this works.' If it didn't, he didn't want to think what was going to happen.

His device hissed and spat out a glob of glowing energy, and the blonde yelped out in shock. "H-hey!" Church's rifle was aimed at the medic's head in an instant, and this time the he definitely pissed himself.

"Church, don't kill him." The blonde sat up and rubbed the back of her head, grimacing as she yanked out a bloody AI chip. "I think it worked. I heard a scream, and then nothing."

"Good." Church leaned toward the chip with her eyes furious. "You hear that, asshole!? Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend, you fucktard!"

"You know, I feel a certain type of way whenever you raise your voice like that." The blonde smirked suggestively, and Church's face turned red from embarrassment. "I like it."

"Woah, Tex! Not now! Where the fuck did you even find handcuffs!?"

DuFresne decided to make himself scarce for a few hours. Maybe he'd check in on the guy who got shot in the foot. He just hoped they had orange juice.

Director Leonard Church was not someone who took excuses or appreciated any form of ignorance. He was in the business of getting results, and with the war over he needed to make sure that no loose ends were left untied. Agent Texas was still rogue and missing in action, and she possessed the Omega AI unit. If she somehow managed to get it out of her head and handed it over to the UNSC, he would be caught in some serious shit.

She may have worn the same face as his deceased wife, but she was not his Allison. The Allison he knew would never do the things she did. She wouldn't try and kill him.

The Director closed the file he had received from one of his command outposts across the galaxy, folding his hands in his lap and turning around as a handsome young man entered his quarters. His left eye had a nasty scar, and his brown hair was still messy as he approached. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, agent. At ease," the Director ordered quietly. He hated having to raise his voice. "I have an important mission for you."

The Freelancer glanced at the files still open on the Director's computer, and a brief flash of regret crossed his features. "You found her, didn't you?" Of course he'd regret ever helping her. He lost his own lover the same day Texas escaped the MOI, so long ago. The poor son of a bitch must be thinking how it was his fault for believing her story.

"Correct," the Director replied smoothly. "Agent Texas has been found in Blood Gulch Outpost Alpha, and it has been confirmed she still possesses the Omega AI. Your mission, agent, is to eliminate Texas and retrieve the AI unit before she can hand it over to the UNSC. Failure is not an option. If anyone stands in your way, kill them."

The handsome Freelancer bowed his head, sighing in resignation. Looking at him now, it was hard to believe this man was one of the best lockpicks in the UNSC. "As you wish, Director. I'll set out immediately."

"Good. You are dismissed, agent. Report to me once the mission has been completed. I want that AI at all costs."

The Freelancer left, and the Director sighed as he closed the files on his computer before winking off the lights to his quarters. "I'm sorry, Agent Texas."

"But you brought this on yourself."

As was the usual case, the Director of Project Freelancer fell into a restless sleep plagued by the nightmares of watching his beloved wife die in the war. 'Allison…'

'Alpha was never able to forget you. No wonder he always wanted to see your face whenever you were around.'

A/N: And that's a wrap. So, who's the one who has to hunt Tex? Well…spoilers XD. But those who know RvB should be able to guess. Definitely one of the Freelancers who should've survived…

C. Strife #5371