(A/N) Howdy all, (little Americanism from the lone Irish dude), here with a new update for you all, written by the fantastic Jerem6401! And this time, it's a Penn chapter, so be afraid guys. Be very afraid. Hopefully we'll have another update tomorrow, all things going to plan, but we'll definitely have one on Thursday regardless, so you won't have to wait too long!

Enjoy!

Chapter Seventy – Red On My Ledger

Pennsylvania

Written by Jerem6401

"Cause when you chose to raise your hand

That's when a boy messed with a man

And I will hunt you down my friend

And I'm gunna tear you limb from limb."

– Saliva, Hunt You Down

My fist launched into the metal wall, splitting it like paper around my knuckles. I tore my arm upwards, using the razors on the back of my gauntlet to shred a metal gash above it. I shouted in fury as I turned to the table next to me, grabbing it and ripping it into the air. It fired across the room and smashed into the opposing wall before splitting in two.

"HOW!" I shouted as I slammed my arm again into the metal wall, causing even more damage. It didn't hurt. Nothing could hurt me now. Not with the anger boiling in my heart. I wanted pain. I wanted to feel something right now, besides the anger that was driving me to break everyone in that room with me. "How could she beat me again?! How could they get away?!"

"They had us outnumbered, Penn," Scope spoke from behind me. "What could we do?" That was her excuse? I turned and grabbed her chestplate, before ripping her to the side and forcefully pressing her against the metal wall. I could see the shock through her helmet. I could have killed her right there if I wanted to. And I definitely wanted to…

"That was our chance!" I shouted as I pushed her even harder into the wall. I could hear the metal creaking as it started to dent. "Our chance to kill those fucking freelancers! All of them! Alaska was in that building! Maine was in that building! Carolina was right in fucking front of me!" I turned and threw Scope to the floor.

"Penn!" Inferno started, "we'll get another chance. Just hold out for…" I grabbed his throat and lifted him into the air.

"Don't try to patronize me!" I growled. "Will there be another shot? Maybe. But not like we had!" As images of the mission played in my head again, like a skipping record, I started to crunch down on Inferno's throat. They were all failures in this as well. We all were. I didn't care that they were my squad. I didn't care that I would need them in the future. I had a bloodlust… and someone needed to satisfy it.

Inferno grabbed at my arms, try to force my hand away. I felt Grendel grab my shoulder, before I was ripped away, dropping Inferno in the process. Grendel wrapped me in a bear hug, trapping my arms at my sides. I knew getting out of that wasn't going to be easy. Grendel was passing eight feet in height when fully armoured, and I had seen the man knock a warthog aside like a baseball. But he had decided to use his strength against me at the wrong time. I planted my feet on the ground and bent forward. I used every ounce of my strength to hoist the giant, 1 ton man into the air. I kicked off, jumping backwards and slamming his back into the wall behind us. His grip on me loosened with the impact, giving me my chance. I ripped my arms apart, breaking his hold. I turned slightly and rocketed my heel into his chest.

He smashed into the wall again, before dropping to one knee to shake off the strike. I looked at his armour. The infamous Insurrection behemoth-class armour. Known around the universe for being completely impenetrable, or so Ark had claimed. I balled my hand into a fist, and reasoned that it was finally time to test that out. I slammed my fist into the side of his head, keeping him on his knees. Then I struck again, and again. Out of everyone in the room, he was the most dangerous to me… and I wanted to prove he wasn't really a danger to me at all.

Over and over I smashed my hand into his temple, desperately trying to break through the unbreakable metal. I could feel the blood under my glove, running down through my fingers and into my palm. Grendel was now completely unresponsive and was just taking shot after shot. Finally I felt it, a small dent forming. I pulled my arm all the way back before crashing it into his head once more. A crack fired over the top of his helmet and his visor became a shattered spiderweb. This punch completely knocked Grendel out, rocketing him into the floor. His helmet cracked off the ground, and he laid motionless in the dust. I took some deep breaths, staring at the fallen monster before turning to the others. I ripped off my helmet and threw it to the ground in front of them.

"Anyone else!?" I shouted, holding my arms out to my sides. There was a beat of silence, before I felt a slight movement underneath my chin. I stood perfectly still, catching my breath after the assault. Silhouette's blade was shimmering in the light, only inches from my throat. He stared grimly at me, until I sighed and lowered my arms. Inferno and Scope cautiously walked by me to help Grendel back to his feet. Silhouette cautiously put away his sword and returned it to its sheath. There was an understanding happening between us. I knew he could have killed me when he had his blade against my throat. And he knew, now that his knife was away, I could easily kill him before he could arm himself again.

"What the hell are you thinking, Penn?" he asked. I lowered my brow. It took some serious guts to talk to me like that. I thought I made it apparent that I was in no mood for any type of insubordination.

"Watch it," I threatened, pointing a finger at him. "Know your place, soldier."

"And I do! Under your command. And for what? This?" He motioned towards Grendel, barely getting to his knees. I looked at the behemoth, examining the thick crack in his armour. Who knows what damage was done to the head underneath. Chances are Ark was going to get real pissed over that one. Not that I cared, of course.

"This," I began, "is what happens when we fail a mission." I kept staring at Silhouette's visor, but slowly shook my head. "Get the big man to his feet," I said sternly. "Then you four get your armour off and pack it in. We're done for the day."

"Then maybe we can finally get some work done," a voice commented. I turned to see Harper strolling into the room, his 'crack-team' of soldiers following close behind. "We might finally have your squad out of the way… so you won't mess anything else up for us."

"Excuse me?" I asked, turning to square off with him.

"If we had been alone on this mission, it would have been a success," he replied. "Your arrogance and downright incompetence just screwed it up. Hell, we would have done a better job if I had just gone in myself!" He took a step closer as a deep, throaty laugh started behind me. I looked to see Grendel shakily getting back to his feet. He snickered a few more times, shaking his head while he did.

"You sure you wanna be mouthing off to him, pal?" he asked Harper. Grendel rubbed the side of his helmet, before looked towards me and following it with a small nod. "Good shot by the way. Don't know if I deserved it… but good shot all the same." That tough son of a bitch.

"Look at this crew," Falcon began, " what a disgrace. Fighting with each other like school kids."

"Because we can take it," Inferno replied, tensing at the other man's insult.

"Because we all took part in the mission," I interrupted. "And we're all at fault. I don't go storming around the base looking for other people to drop my blame on. Maybe next time you think I can't get a job done… you should take a look in the mirror and really think about what you've accomplished."

"Much more than you, Penn," Harper replied, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Every freelancer is dying to be trapped in a room with you, Harper, so they can be the one to take you down." I took a step closer. "And every Freelancer is praying they don't get trapped in a room with me. That's what you don't get, old man. You're nothing but talk. A verbal threat that might stab them in the back when they aren't looking, while I'm breaking down their front door, and looking them in the eyes. You're just the monster hiding under the bed! I'm the nightmare that keeps them awake! You think you instil fear in those guys?"

I leaned forward, putting my face right in front of Harper's. "You have no idea what fear is, Ian. And I'm damn tempted to show you." I stood up straight again and turned around. As a started walking away, Harper's voice began again.

"Fear is something you know all about, isn't it, Cass?" I stopped, and cocked my head over my shoulder.

"You don't get to call me by…"

"You spent your whole childhood living in it, didn't you?" That bastard. That filthy DEAD bastard! "Never could impress Daddy, could you? 'I tried my best, Daddy! Please don't hit me, Daddy! I promise I'll be better, Daddy!'"

I turned around again, now facing Harper squarely. I saw my team tensing up, but still listening intently, while Harper's squad did the same. "Face it! You weren't orphaned! You ran away from your problems, just like you did with Project Freelancer. You never should have made it here. You're just a street-rat swinging away and acting like he's some kind of soldier! Trying to impress a Daddy that he never could."

That was it!

I pushed forward and grabbed Harper's collar, before launching him backwards across the room. His squad watched him pass, and as they turned back around, I was in the middle of them. I clotheslined Crosshair to the ground and smashed my forearm into Firefly's head, making him slam into the wall and slide to the floor. Grendel had a tight grip on Circuit and Falcon, since the two didn't exactly rely on strength. Geist and Silhouette paced around each other, daring one another to make a move while I made my way towards Harper. I grabbed his throat and lifted him off the ground, before pressing him into the wall, just as he pulled out his pistol and pressed it against the side of my head. Now it was a question of who would act first. Would he blow my brains all over the floor, or would I crush his windpipe to dust?

"That man," I said in a low growl. "Was not my father!" Harper fought for air, but made sure not to miss a word I was saying. "I never saw my father's face. He found me on the streets. Saw potential in me. So he supplied me from afar with everything I needed to become what I am. He got me into the UNSC. He made sure I was on the front lines of every mission, no matter how dangerous. He made sure I was training myself, sculpting myself, and turning myself into a machine. A walking weapon. It's because of him that I'm here. I'd be nowhere without that man. And I know destroying Project Freelancer and its fucking Director, would make him proud." I tightened my grip and I could hear Harper cock his gun.

"Enough!" a voice shouted. We both looked to see Ark step into the room, with Goliath following close behind. "Penn! Let him go! Now!" I grunted and looked back at Harper's eyes, before reluctantly letting go. Harper rubbed his neck as he tucked away his pistol.

"Damn ape," he growled.

"You two, enough with this," Ark said again. "Harper, you know damn well this is just as much our fault as Penn's. And I don't know how you learned about Penn's history, but there will be no more talk about it. And Penn, you'll get another shot at the Freelancers. And I mean soon. Prep your squad. You guys have a mission." Ark tilted his head and looked at Grendel's destroyed helmet. "How the…"

"Must've been faulty," Grendel jumped in. "Damn thing broke during a training session." Ark looked back at me, to which I shrugged.

"We'll get you a replacement," Ark added. "Get ready for deployment." I nodded and went back to my team, shoving Harper's shoulder out of the way as I went.

"Keep it up, Penn," he called back. "I'm a patient man. And you'll let your guard down one of these days." Harper and his team made their leave as my squad rallied around me.

"Guy's an asshole," Scope commented.

"Quite. Do you have any thoughts on him, Penn?" Silhouette asked. I smirked as I picked my helmet up off the ground.

"I think Harper might even outrank Alaska," I replied.

"Outrank?" Inferno asked. "What rank?"

"Let's just say I have a list," I added. I walked away from the team, before turning my head back to them. "And I've been meaning to cross a few items off of it."