A New Agent. (Rewritten!)

Ch. 29

Carolina was staring at a blast mark in a corner.

"I'm sorry, York."

"Sorry I didn't listen, to you or Tennessee. I just...I don't understand. Why her? Why Tex?" Carolina was close to tears.

Epsilon appears on Carolina's Mongoose which is not far behind her.

"Tex?"

Carolina turns around and notices Epsilon.
"You."

"Ah, shit."

Carolina walks over to Epsilon.
"Let me guess, just... wanted some information."

"Carolina I don't-"

"You don't have a clue, do you? You and your friends just think I'm some blood-thirsty merc with a bad attitude. But you know what? You're wrong. I'm much worse."

"I know worse, and look, you go and round up everyone I know just to bring me back, and then you keep us all in the dark? What the hell did you think was going to happen, Carolina? Of course no one trusts you!"

"Well I don't trust them, Epsilon. I don't trust anyone anymore. Not even those who helped me in the past."

"Oh, why not? Because having friends would ruin the whole 'psychotic loner bitch' thing you got going on? 'Cause that would be a real shame."

"It's because I had a team once."
Carolina thought back on her days in the project.
"A team with the best training, the best equipment, and despite everything that they had that made them the best, they still lied, and stole, and tore each other to pieces! So you tell me: How the hell am I supposed to trust a rag-tag team of idiots when I couldn't even trust the people that were close to me?! Even someone I once loved?!"

Epsilon looks away for a brief moment and then vanishes.

"That's what I thought."

——Desert——

Cut back in to Grif, Simmons, and Tucker inside the temple at the desert, watching Tennessee do push-ups.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I can't sleep." Grif stated.

"Yes, we know! You've been shoveling food into your mouth for an hour!" Simmons commented.

Tucker runs up behind Grif.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Tuckered asked.

"It's a nervous habit, okay?" Grif defended.

"No: where the fuck does someone find potato chips in the middle of the desert?!" Tennessee got up off the floor.

"Ah, quit your complaining. Carolina is probably miles away by now. The only thing we've got to worry about are sand fleas...and that other highly trained operative on patrol outside." Sarge stated.

"Wow. You have a way with words that just immediately makes me want to kill myself." Tucker sighed.

"Look, it's like your little fairy friend said." Sarge began.

"I thought Donut was your friend?" Tucker asked.

"He means Church." Simmons corrected.

"All we've got to do is stick together, and everything will be just fine. If nothing else, private Tennessee can whip Washington's ass." Sarge finished.

"Well somebody probably should've told Caboose that, 'cause he's gone." Grif sighed.

——Carolina——

Fade to a lighter on the floor of the island fortress with the Club Errera symbol on it. Epsilon appears on the Mongoose again, albeit very distorted.