Project freelancer: The Forgotten Agent

Closure

"Being a part of Project Freelancer gave me a new perspective of the world. It gave me new experiences as well, even though I almost died multiple times," Shadow chuckled, " I was a stubborn little shit back then, I probably still am. I don't think I'm going to stick around much longer, by the looks of it, you guys have your hands full."

"You sound like you're going to leave." Washington says sadly.

"I've been looking for you guys for 3 years but within those years, I've been treated like shit by Locus and Felix. I need to find them so they can get what they deserve." She pounded her fist on the table, "if I told you what they did to me, you would be on the same page."

Just the thought of all the bullshit she went through disturbed her. The past 3 years were a blur to her, but the one thing she remembered clearly was Felix and Locus. The Suns began to rise and the room filled with sunlight. Her story lasted a whole night and by the looks of it, everyone was still interested.

"What? That's it, that's exactly what happened." Shadow leans back in her chair and took a deep breath, "now look at me, I'm just a torn down soldier. I'm no good anymore." The room fell silent. It seemed that the Reds and blues wanted to hear more, but there was anything else to explain. Shadow took one long deep breath and asked, "so, do you know where everyone else is? I miss them, even South and Maine. I remember when..." She stopped for a second as she saw that Carolina and Washington shifted uneasily in their seats.

"Um, Shadow," Washington paused, "they're all dead." Shadow sat up in her chair.

"What do you mean?" Shadow stared straight at Carolina, "Carolina... What happened?" Tension grew between them as shadow stared at her with cold and tough eyes. She realized that Shadow wasn't the same agent she was when she joined project freelancer. Her facial expressions were more cold and hard. She had gained a scar a on her eyebrow and upper lip. The one Henry had given her was still there but it isn't as prominent as the other two. This wasn't the same girl she had met in the hangar all those years ago. She was tougher, meaner, colder, and a hell of a lot more of a bad ass. This girl went through Hell and showed it. Carolina was almost scared of her. She realized that the whole time Shadow told her story, she hadn't smiled once, even at the good parts. Agent Arizona was gone, Shadow has finally shown herself. Her true form. As Carolina told what had happened after Shadow was kidnapped, she could see the disbelief and horror in her face. All of the agents were her companions... Teammates... Friends... Family...

"Where's the director?" Shadow asked.

Carolina hesitated a bit before she answered, "he's dead..." This is when shadow lost her shit.

"Son of a bitch!" She yelled with anger, "that piece of shit got what he deserved." Shadow grabbed the seat beside her and threw it at the wall with all her strength, "because of him... Almost everyone is dead, we're the only survivors, aren't we?" Carolina reluctantly shook her head yes. Shadow took a deep breath and walked outside.

It was humid, the morning dew covered all of the surrounding vegetation. The wildlife on Chorus was yet to be heard. It was silent but calming. The view that shadow had was breathtaking. She saw the valley below which reminded her of when she had to escape. Carolina walked outside and began to walk toward her.

"Carolina, do you ever wonder why we're here?" Shadow asks.

"Yes." Carolina answered

"I used to think that life was meaningless after I was captured, that everything I did was for nothing." Her voice faltered a bit, "for the longest time, I began to believe that I was put here to be tortured... Well, that's how life was for me from the start."

Carolina walked forward and put her hand on shadows shoulder. She grew since the last time she saw her, "life is hard, sometimes it is unforgiving but that's what makes it worth living. Look at it this way, all of the obstacles you've encountered have made you stronger. They've turned you into one hell of a badass if you ask me." She turned and stared into the valley, "we were in the middle of a civil war on this planet. The Republic and Rebels have made a temporary truce once they found out that their war was caused by Locus and Felix. We have to go back and help."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. I'll stick by your side through the battle." Shadow had finally cracked a smile, "let's go kick kick their asses."

.:.:.:.:.

If there's one thing I learned from Project Freelancer is that even your biggest rivals can become your friends, complete strangers could become family, strength isn't an illusion. Your past does not define who you are. Now that I look back, I have learned from every mistake I made. I've grown wiser and stronger. I guess you can say this is a bit cliché. But in spite of all of the shit I went through, I couldn't do things on my own. Being alone can only take you so far until you're on the ground without anyone to lift you back up. This isn't the end of my journey...

It is just the beginning...
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