A New Agent. (Rewritten!)

Ch. 30

In Valhalla, where both bases fire off a bolt of energy.

Carolina, along with the Red and Blues, drive into view. Wash walks up to Carolina as she hops off her Mongoose. Tennessee was driving her.

"Pelican's over there. That's where Tex ended up."

"You mean her body ended up there."

"Right."

"Show me. Tennessee, follow."

The ex-Freelancers leave for the crash site until Simmons runs up from behind one of the Warthogs.

"Wait! What about the military? This could all be a trap remember?"

"What are you talking about?" Carolina asked.

"Wash told us we were fugitives of the law. Bandits. Cast out by society with no hope of redemption!" Sarge shouted.

"Yeah, and that the UNSC would be waiting for us when we got back to base!" Simmons added.

Carolina turns to Wash. Tennessee began roaring with laughter.

"It was a possibility..."

"So let me get this straight..." Tennessee began.
Tucker, along with Caboose, calls Epsilon over to them.

"Psst! Hey Church! Over here!" Tucker called out.
Epsilon appears in front of the two.

"Yeah, hey. Can't talk too long. My connection with Carolina's memory unit's not so good. What's up?"

"Ah, not much, my first time here so I'm just taking it all in. Really enjoying the scenery. What about you?"

"Well, I mean, yeah, you know, now that you mention it the trees are kinda nice. Especially in comparison with the desolate environment of the sand and the- wait, wait, wait, wait, is that it?!"

"No that's not it! What the fuck are you doing with Carolina?"

"Hey, calm down! Turns out she's more complicated than we thought."

"Like Monopoly! Or like the board game." Caboose comments.

"Church, just because you want to get close to someone doesn't mean that you have to end up inside them!"

Brief pause.

"...Oh come on. Aren't you going to say it?"

"No, because I'm pissed off!"

"Alright, alright, look guys. I'm still on your side, okay? But if Carolina is hiding something, I'm going to have to stay close to her in order to find it. See? Proximity is the key."

"I thought memory was the key?"

"Yeah, and the sword. Sword is the key too!"

"Caboose, shut up!"

"Hey, I gotta go. We'll talk later. By the way, don't trust Tennessee. He's worse than Carolina."
Epsilon vanishes

"We should probably get a key ring." Caboose says.

——Carolina and Simmons——

"So are you going to give us something to do?"

"Just sit tight. In fact, don't do anything. At all."

"Fine." Simmons sighed.

"Now that's the kind of order I can get behind. Next do you think she'll tell us to sleep in tomorrow or order us to stop bathing a week?" Grif yawned.

"Wait, what? You've done that?"

"No...I wanna say 'no'."

"We've been sitting tight for days. If I sit any tighter, I'll strangle my seat." Sarge grumbled.