Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

To say the newcomer was impressive would be an understatement. North watched as she repeatedly whooped York, Wyoming, and Maine's asses in pugil sticks, hand to hand combat, and lockdown paint. It wasn't even a competition. Somehow she was able to defend herself against three highly trained operatives.

North stood with his twin sister South, along with Wash and Carolina on the observation deck to watch a new recruit take on York, Wyoming, and Maine. To say the newcomer was impressive would be an understatement. North watched as she repeatedly whooped York, Wyoming, and Maine’s asses in pugil sticks, hand to hand combat, and lockdown paint. It wasn’t even a competition. Somehow, she was able to defend herself against three highly trained operatives.

Wash was right, North mused, this is no ordinary trainee.

Currently Agent Texas was winning another round of paralyzing paint. North couldn’t help but laugh with the others as Texas shot York repeatedly in the crotch.

“I do not want to go against her. Ever.” Wash said definitively.

North nodded his agreement and returned his attention to the battle below where the next round was about to start. FILSS finished the count down and he jerked at the sounds of live ammo being discharged.

“Are they using live rounds on the training floor?” Wash asked in a surprised, somewhat out-raged tone.

North stepped closer to the viewing window to get a better look at the situation below. The barriers were being blown to bits by the rounds; clearly they were not meant to be hit with real bullets. This wasn’t right, this was dangerous - deadly even.

He watched alongside the others as Texas managed to avoid the bullets and effectively lock down both Maine and Wyoming’s suits. A mixture of worry and awe settled in his gut. He was relieved to see that York had stuck with the lock down paint. Cheating and attempting to seriously injure a teammate was not part of York’s personality, though it was obviously a component of Wyoming’s and Maine’s. Wyoming was soon covered in the paint and stuck between parts of a broken barricade. Maine was also doused in lockdown paint after unsuccessfully attacking Texas. Finally, able to breathe again, North relaxed and took a step back.

“That was a new one.” He mumbled, watching as York tried to get up, dazed from the hit he took.

As North was turning his head to talk to Wash, a movement on the battlefield below caught his eye.

“York!” North cried as he watched Maine toss a grenade at Texas. She easily side-stepped it but didn’t realize York was still disoriented behind her. He watched, unable to do anything while his best friend was about to be blown up by his own teammate.

He was frozen in fear as he watched Texas shoot York’s suit with the paint multiple times, moments before the grenade detonated. Immediately North and the others ran toward the training room. He couldn’t stop thinking of his friend, injured or maybe even dead a level below.

Once they had made it to the training room, North ran over to his friend, his heart beating dangerously fast and a sick feeling in his stomach. Before he could do or say anything, the med team arrived. He stepped back from York’s immobile body to give them space. Wash and South moved to stand next to him, both watching the medical personnel work on York.

A snarky comment from his sister halted the endless, anxious thoughts rolling through his mind. “Can’t believe she did that to him. Shot him and sacrificed him.”

Before North could refute the statement, Wash spoke up. “Lock down hardens the armor. She probably saved his life.”

North quirked an eyebrow, impressed by the idea that Agent Texas’s was able to think of that in the heat of the moment. It was a life or death situation and her split-second decision had might've saved one of his best friends.

“Quick thinking,” was all he said though, as the Director appeared before them. North joined the others and scrambled to attention as their leader began an angry rant. He found himself surprised by the Director’s words; there would be no punishment for Maine or Wyoming who had violated protocol and injured their teammate.

Wash seemed to be the only other one taken aback by the Director’s tirade.

North sighed angrily as the Director dismissed them and watched the med team carry York off to the infirmary.

Chapter Text

It had been about an hour since the incident. North knew Carolina would be with York and figured the medical staff needed time to work on him, so he had decided to clean himself up.

He brushed his hand over his head to remove the excess water from his hair. He turned the knob to 'off', wrapped a towel around his waist, and exited the shower. The tall, brute of a man tip-toed quickly to his pile of clean clothes, and dressed socks first. He’d been on the MoI for a while now but he was still not used to the cold metal floors. It was almost embarrassing, except that the rest of the team did it, too. Highly trained agents that were wusses when it came to frigid floors.

Once he had pulled on his sweatpants and a dark purple tee, he headed towards the med bay. The halls were quiet as he walked, save for the echoes of his every footfall. During the day when the ship was bustling with activity and it was incredibly noisy with every little sound reverberating of the metal walls.

North turned the corner and entered the infirmary. He watched as a medic finished talking with Carolina and left to attend other patients deeper in the facility. Carolina sat beside York’s cot, her back to North. She was still in her bulky armor, her helmet haphazardly lay by her feet. North politely cleared his throat before walking over to the redhead. She nodded in acknowledgement and returned her gaze to York.

North frowned as he examined his injured friend. Half his face was covered in clean, white gauze. It was impossible to tell how extensive the damage was just looking at him.

“How bad is it?” He asked tentatively.

Carolina released a small sigh, keeping her eyes on York’s face. “His eye seemed to have taken the brunt of the impact. They think he’s lost all vision in it. Maybe one day he’ll regain some of it back but..” she trailed off, seemingly not convinced.

“Well he’s a quick healer. He’ll be up and at’em in no time.” North responded.

Carolina smiled, though it looked more like a grimace. “It’s sad we know that’s true.”

After a moment of silence, North spoke up, “You want me to watch him the rest of the night? So you can get some food? Or take off the armor?”

Carolina contemplated it for a second but ultimately shook her head. “I’ll be fine, North. Thanks.”

He shrugged, “If you’re sure...”

“I am.” She replied shooting him a reassuring look before turning back to the unconscious brunette on the bed.

North placed a hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her, though it didn’t seem to register. He slowly backed away from his friends and exited into the silent halls, already planning to return with food and clean clothes for Carolina to change into. The armor was comfortable enough to work in, but not for an all-night affair.

She was tough, Carolina. As the leader, she was usually the one watching out for her teammates. Since York wasn’t able to comfort her, North would. Or at least he would try to. She put up a rigid front to make herself seem invincible, but despite the enhancements, they were still human.

Before returning, though, he needed food himself. He was famished after missing dinner to talk to Wash and then to watch the match. As he neared the mess hall doors, North glanced down at his watch. It was late. Most, if not everyone except Carolina and him were asleep, resting up for another rigorous day of training. Spending most of one’s day running intense physical and mental drills was draining, so the halls were usually empty at night while the agents recuperated.

The twin sighed and reached to open the door, but it opened on its own. He halted just prior to the threshold. No, not on its own. In front of him stood a woman. She had bronzy blond hair loosely tied up and she was dressed in all black with a small, white Project Freelancer emblem on the chest of her shirt. He squinted his eyes slightly, trying to place her face with a name. She stared unwaveringly back at him, her face even, void of emotion. They stood there facing each other quietly. After a few moments longer, she quirked an eyebrow at him, as if asking Are we going to do this all night? North raised an eyebrow in response, not moving, causing her to look irritated.

Another moment passed.

North was about to ask who she was. This area was meant for the agents of the Project, not ship personnel and since he knew all the agents...

Before he could finish his thought, her expression changed, though since she wasn’t highly emotive it took a good eye to see it.

“How’s Agent York?” She asked hesitantly.

The question surprised North, but then again the news of the match most likely spread quickly through the ship. “Permanent damage to one eye, but fine otherwise.” She gave a single nod in response. “You a friend of his?” North ventured, trying to suss out the mystery woman in front of him.

She smirked humorously, “I’m the one who shot him repeatedly with lockdown paint. Let’s leave it at that.”

Chapter Text

Whatever North expected her to say, it wasn’t that.

“Agent Texas.” He affirmed.  She continued to meet his gaze, offering nothing in response. “You’re not a new recruit are you?” He questioned.

The soldiers Wash and he had met just before the match started referred to her as one. But her skills and prowess in combat suggested otherwise. She had defeated York, Wyoming, and Maine for God's sake.

“No.” she replied flatly, placing a hand on her hip.

Her response confused him. Where had she been all this time? An agent like herself would’ve been with his group near the top of the leader board. She bit her lip, suddenly looking self-conscious, as if she knew where his thoughts were going.

What does she have to be worried about? North wondered.

She cleared her throat to regain his attention. “Look, it’s been real fun.” Her words dripping with sarcasm, “but if we could move this along...” She trailed off, her blue eyes on North expectantly.

He remained motionless for a heartbeat, hundreds of questions rumbling around in his head, but he took a step back and turned so he faced perpendicular to the doorway, allowing her room to exit.

She passed in front of him, inches between them, as she exited the mess hall. North couldn’t help but notice she was a head shorter than him. He thought she was kind of cute, but then he remembered her skill in combat and her unknown origins. She was an unknown. And unknowns were dangerous.

She strolled away from him, down the hall he had walked through only a minute ago. His gaze followed her form until she turned a corner and disappeared. He blinked and shook his head gently, finally entering the mess hall.

As he grabbed some food, he continued to ponder Agent Texas. The air of mystery around her intrigued him. She appeared out of the blue. None of his buddies seemed to know anything about her. She seemed to know her way around the MoI and how things were conducted in Project Freelancer if she was being trained against three other agents. It was almost as if she’d been a part of the Project for as long as the rest of them had.

Deciding he was too tired to worry about the new agent, he grabbed some food and headed to the locker room to pick up clothes for Carolina.

For obvious reasons, he decided not to bring up his encounter with Agent Texas when he next saw her.

Chapter Text

“And then this asshole shows up! Walking out of the smoke all dramatically. He’s got shark teeth drawn on his helmet. It was super creepy.” Wash continued vividly. He was recounting his experience from their latest mission, the extraction of the Sarcophagus.

Wash was amusing to listen to, evident by the small smiles on North and York’s faces as they watched him. “Next thing I know guy’s blasting us with flames. Seriously! Who the fuck brings a flamethrower to a gun fight?” Wash asked incredulously.

“From the numerous scorch marks on your armor, I assume the flamethrower was an effective choice.” York smirked.

 North couldn’t help but chuckle in agreement. He too had seen the burns outlining Wash's armor after they had returned to the MoI.

Wash shot York an ‘I am not amused’ look but was not discouraged. “So our bullets don’t seem to be doing much damage. I throw a grenade but he hits it with a burst of flames and it explodes midair.” His face and voice intense. “Carolina, clumsy person that she is,” He said jokingly, “knocks this large gun off a table and it lands between us. I bravely abandon my shielded spot and grab it. It shoots this wicked looking green plasma ball that lands right at his feet. And what happens? It bounces! It fucking bounced off the floor and blew up on the ceiling!"

Before Wash could continue or York could make another snarky comment, Carolina sat down at their table and interrupted. “And that’s when I had to save your ass because you were too busy complaining about the gun. In the middle of a literal firefight. Standing out in the open. Also I’m going to remember that clumsy comment next time I lead drills.” The redhead finished with a wicked grin.

Wash frowned, pausing for a moment, then: “Okay but seriously, who designs bouncing bullets?!”

North slowly shook his head, trying not to laugh. “We may never know.”

“It’s heartbreaking really.” York responded, equally amused.

Wash rapped his fingers on the table, “I’ve got a training session to get to. I’ll see you assholes later.” Wash quipped good-naturedly, leaving North with Carolina and York.

They sat quietly together for a minute. “Wasn’t a very smooth mission was it?” North sighed as he looked at York and Carolina across from him.

“That’s an understatement. I wish the Director had been a little more upfront about what we were dealing with.” Carolina retorted.

North and York shared a look. After the mission the two of them had discussed the Project. Both had doubts that they were on the right side of things after being attacked by the military and law enforcement. Both questioning Agent Texas’s timing. Was it her presence that had changed things or was it the nature of the missions?

Agent Texas.

York had mentioned Carolina’s feelings toward the newcomer. They were overwhelmingly negative. Carolina had been number one for as long as North could remember. And then Agent Texas shows up one day, out of the blue, as stubborn and skilled as Carolina. He could understand his friend’s issue with her.

Speaking of which, North hadn’t seen the newest Project Freelancer addition since the run in at the mess hall. She never joined the rest of the team at meals, in training, or in class. They’d only seen her on the mission.

There was definitely more to Agent Texas' story, and he was determined to figure it out.

“Earth to North.” York snapped his fingers in front of North’s face.

“Sorry,” he replied sheepishly, noticing that Carolina had left.

“I asked if you were nervous about getting the AI implant.” York repeated.

North gave a slight shrug, “Kind of hard not to be. Having a sentient computer program in your head sounds more than a little dangerous.”

“Agreed,” was all York responded.

“When do you go in for yours?” North continued.

“Tomorrow morning.” He answered, looking anxious, “Aren’t you scheduled after me?”

North nodded, “A few days later. I guess to make sure your transition goes well.”

“That sounds ominous.” York paused, “Did they actually say that?” He sounded more worried than before.

North sighed and held his friend’s gaze, “No, they did not say that. They’ve done this procedure before with no issues. You’ll be fine.” He tried to sound upbeat, for York and for himself.

York nodded gratefully at his friend, looking a little less pale than before.

Chapter Text

“Well, the Director seemed pissed.” Wash said, apprehension in his voice.

“That’s putting it lightly,” South responded dryly, “Guess he forgot who gave us the bad intel.” She accused.

“Careful.” Carolina warned, always quick to defend the Director. South just rolled her eyes in response.

They had failed their mission to take out the Insurrectionist leader. On top of that, they had narrowly missed being caught by a nuclear device after falling into an enemy trap. It was a rough mission to say the least. At debriefing the Director was furious that the leader had escaped, seemingly not at all concerned about almost losing his top agents. The team was reprimanded for a good five minutes - which doesn’t sound long until you’re the one being verbally abused.

The Director had finally gone quiet, his back to them, when the Counselor dismissed them.

North was in the back of the group with York, both eyeing the defeated postures of their friends as they headed to the locker room to change and clean up. The two quietly planned while the others continued to discuss the mission and the following rage fit from the Director.

The team entered the locker room. Everyone monotonously opened their lockers and began stripping off the armor. It was silent and depressing.

York glanced around and then met North’s eyes, raising an eyebrow in question. The blond nodded assent causing York to grin.

“Party in the rec room in half an hour!” York exclaimed, “Tomorrow morning’s training session is cancelled, so what better way to spend it than hungover on pizza and beer?” He asked jubilantly.

North watched as the apathetic faces slowly came to life.

“I thought we were banned from holding anymore get-togethers?” Wash asked York, “Because someone rode down the halls on a skateboard calling random people ‘bowling pins’ and trying to knock them over?”

“Hey now,” York insisted, “There’s no need to start naming names.”

“I think you put seven people in the infirmary.” North mocked.

“Not helping, North! And I barely touched them!” York mock defended. “Look, I’ll get the food and drinks and Wash can pick out the music.”

“Yes!” Wash pumped his fist in the air while the rest of the crew groaned. Wash was known for picking annoyingly upbeat music, something the team could desperately use a dose of.

“Half an hour.” York reminded before heading for the showers.

An hour later, the team was gathered in the Rec Room. The clinks of a billiards game were muffled by the loud disco music and indistinct conversations. The food was almost gone, beer cans and soda bottles dotted the room, and a movie was playing on the screen, though no one seemed to be watching it. Everyone was dressed in their comfys and they were finally relaxing after a hard few days.

“So Carolina shot him with the grappling hook and it got him right in the nuts! She yanked on the line and Wash came flying in, crotch first!” York grinned.

The table exploded with laughter. North sat with Wash, South, Wyoming, and CT while York stood over them, a beer in hand, animatedly recounting the story of Carolina pulling Wash into the Pelican by the balls. Wash’s face was red, and he seemed resigned to the fact that he would never live this down, quietly pursing his lips and letting out a heavy sigh.

“Let’s not make that a habit, Carolina.” Wyoming suggested, half joking, half serious.

“As long as get your ass in the ship and don’t hesitate when a nuclear device is about to detonate, then we shouldn’t have problem.” Her eyes looking pointedly at Wash.

“Well if someone would just tell me what happened to Georgia I wouldn’t have hesitated!” Wash exclaimed.

“Ooh. Poor Georgia.” Wyoming responded dismally.

“What the hell happened to Georgia!” Wash pleaded, frustrated.

York chuckled, “Aliens got him.”

“I thought the MoI ran him over?” South pondered.

“No, I’m pretty sure he flew into a star.” CT offered.

They group laughed and continued to tease Wash, each suggestion more outrageous than the last.

“Really guys?” Wash tried not to smile, “You guys are dicks. I’m gonna go join my real friends playing pool.” He taunted, sticking out his tongue.

North’s group roared with laughter as they heard the agents chant “Hook”, Wash’s new nickname, and began teasing him about the grappling incident. There would be no escape for the poor kid.

As the night wore on into the next morning, the party simmered down. Eventually it was just North, York, and Carolina. York was barely conscious, head in his hands as he sat at one of the tables, mumbling incoherently.

“You want to take him and I’ll clean up?” North asked, already piling used utensils onto a stack of dirty plates.

Carolina sighed, “Yeah, I guess it’s my turn for York duty.” She joked, moving towards the drunk infiltration specialist. She put his arm around her neck and wrapped her arm around the trunk of his body and lifted him up.

North often forgot how strong she was, since York weighed like a bag of bricks. She nodded goodnight and slowly led York into the hall and towards the suites where the agents were housed.

North turned from the doorway, heading for the sound system and lowering the volume. Now that everyone was gone there was no need for excessively loud music.

“Oh thank god. I was coming to rip the stereo out of the wall.” A voice behind him remarked.

Chapter Text

North spun around to see a petite silhouette leaning in the doorway. Her eyes glinted in the dim lighting from the rec room watching him intently. She looked relaxed and yet ready to spring at a moment’s notice.

Dangerous, his mind whispered.

Her hair was loose and she was dressed in all black, just like when they met at the mess hall: black leggings and a black tee with the Project Freelancer emblem.

“You’re just coming to complain now? Music’s been blasting for hours.” North replied in an amused tone. “I’m impressed by your patience.”

Agent Texas pushed off from the wall slowly walking into the room, eyes sweeping over the space. Whether to get a feel for the room or to check for hidden threats, North would never know for sure.

“I’ve only been within earshot for a few minutes.” She said in what seemed to be her usual even tone. No hint of emotion. Was she upset? Amused? It was impossible to tell.

“Well in that case I take my last statement back.” North quipped good naturedly, cleaning up the plates and bottles that lay around the room.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched her. She had stopped in the middle room and stood facing him, head cocked ever so slightly to the side, thoughtful look on her face. He continued his work without glancing back at her. When her face was in view again, it held her emotionless expression again, and her eyes returned to gazing around the room until he spoke.

“You usually up this late?” He questioned.

“Why do you ask?”

North threw a load of plates and cans down the trash shoot, brushed his hands clean on his dark pants before answering. “Well, it’s the second time I’ve run into you at this time of night.” He hesitated but continued, “Also, this party’s been raging for hours and you only heard the music minutes ago. You had to be coming from somewhere or going to somewhere.” He finished.

She stood taunt, watching him for a moment. “I’m a night owl.” She finally responded. North gave her a look that said he knew there was more to it than that, but let it go.

He moved to turn the projector off; the movie was long forgotten, replaying the menu screen infinitely.

Music’s off. Movie’s off. Trash thrown out. North went over his checklist mentally, making sure he left the area clean. They didn’t need another excuse for the Director to yell at them.

The other agent was still gazing around the room. “Agent Texas-” he started.

“Tex.” She said immediately, focusing on him.

He nodded and watched as she shifted her stance, “Tex. It’s been fun,” he said with a smile, repeating her words from their previous run in, though his words lacked her sarcastic bite. “But it has been one hell of a day.”

“So I heard.”

He stayed put, surprised she had opened a dialogue. He barely knew her, but he did know that she was closed off. Never giving emotional indications, never offering more details than necessary.

She shrugged at his questioning stare. “The Director mentioned it. He was rather ticked off today. Thanks for that.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” North mentally noted that she had met with the Director and that he had discussed the mission with her. Usually information and intel was on a need to know basis and compartmentalized. Why would he tell her?

“That’s what this was for?” She asked, gesturing around the rec room.

“Just something to help lift our spirits.”

“Hm,” she contemplated his answer, “I usually train. I find hitting things brightens my mood.” She flashed a wicked grin, gone almost as soon as it appeared.

“I’ll bet it does.” North smirked. “So is that where you were? Training? I think York was taking bets on whether or not you’d show up tonight since the invite was extended to all agents.”

“I didn’t want to ruin Carolina’s mood.”

North noticed she didn’t answer his first question but allowed her to lead the conversation. “Probably best to stay clear of her. Though you do a pretty good job avoiding all of us.”

“Would you prefer I not?” she asked.

“I just find it curious is all.” His eyes still on hers.

“Well you know what they say about curiosity.” She replied in a low voice before turning on her heel and sauntering to the doorway.

“Goodnight Agent North Dakota.”

“North.” He called quietly as her figure disappeared into the hall.

Chapter Text

North tossed and turned, slowly waking from deep sleep.

His room was pitch black, quiet, and cold; perfect sleeping conditions. And yet moments later his eyes blinked open. He was laying on his stomach, arms underneath his pillows, blanket around his waist with his pale back exposed to the frigid air.

His mind was calm and yet...restless. In the back of his head he could feel the presence anxiously running.

“Doing okay?” He asked quietly to the darkness.

A small, purple figure appeared to his right, which he rolled over to face, grabbing the comforter and tucking it under his chin.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” A small voice regretted.

North had had Theta for only a few days. The AI was flighty and still very anxious, especially at night and around other people. North had been working with him, trying to make him more comfortable and thus less hyperactive in his mind. So far nothing had really worked so he was usually woken up at night by the program. He thought about pulling Theta one evening but had felt an immediate response. Theta didn’t say anything but North felt him become even more agitated and frightened so he ditched the idea right away.

“I know, buddy.” He reassured the projection that stood floating in front of him. “How can I help?”

Theta shrugged and remained silent.

North watched his AI shuffle as he tried to think of times Theta seemed most calm but came up blank. He tried to think of times when he himself was relaxed and remembered his mother reading stories to him when he was young.

“Want me to read you a book?” North suggested.

Theta nodded, “Yes, please.” He said in a small voice.

“Alrighty.” North groaned as he pushed himself up and off the bed.

Using the purple glow from Theta’s projection, North grabbed his hoodie from the top of his small dresser. It was his favorite clothing item; incredibly soft on the inside and a dark purple color with his Freelancer name embroidered on the back. He fished a pair of pants out of the dresser and pulled them on. As he opened his door, Theta blinked out. North stepped into the dimly lit hall, thankful to whomever suggested lowering the brightness of the lights at night to conserve energy.

He closed his door and turned right, headed towards the library.

The room was small. A few rows of bookshelves, a table and chairs, a couple of lamps, and a couch in the corner. The room was dark so North used what little light came from the hall through the open doorway to locate a lamp. He flicked it on and went over to the shelves.

“Any preferences?” He asked.

Theta appeared in front of him, shaking his head.

North scanned through the books. “Ah.” He said, grabbing a book and walking over to the couch. “I’ve always wanted to read this one.”

He sat down on the couch, pulling the coffee table closer to rest his feet on. He opened the book and flipped through the first few pages until he found chapter one.

Theta disappeared only to reappear seconds later on the armrest next to him sitting crisscross.

North smiled at him and began reading.

“MOTHER FUCKER” A voice screeched.

North woke with a start, eyes wide searching the room.

He had fallen asleep reading to Theta, his head resting on the armrest with his body stretched across the couch. The book lay face down on the coffee table.

“Theta.” He murmured.

He appeared in front of North. “It came from somewhere nearby.”

North nodded, standing from the couch fully alert. He walked over to the doorway, peeking out but seeing no one. He looked at the AI.

“That way.” The purple figure pointed. North began to silently make his way down the hall.

As he came to an intersection Theta motioned to the left and he followed. A few doorways down, North came upon one of the many onboard training rooms. It was the only doorway he’d come across that was open and had full lights on.

“Sit tight.” He whispered and Theta’s projection vanished.

North peered into the room looking for the culprit with a dirty mouth.

“Oh.” He said in quiet surprise.

Chapter Text

North stood in the doorway, unsure of what he should do. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes on the form before him. He inhaled deeply and stepped into the room. A blond-haired agent sat on the floor, legs straight out in front of her. She was hunched over, her face obscured by her hair and her left hand gripped her right forearm lightly, guarding what he assumed was an injured wrist by the way she held it.

North knelt next to Agent Texas. Tex, she had told him to call her. When she didn’t acknowledge his presence he slowly reached out toward her arm. She flinched as his hand came into view and moved her arms away from him much like a stubborn toddler would.

North laughed lightly, “You’re being ridiculous.” In a more gentle voice he coaxed, “C’mon, let me see it.”

She finally looked up, showing North her face for the first time since he found her, her expression dispirited. Tex met his gaze for only a second before looking back down again. After a moment’s hesitation she moved her arm towards him. He smiled softly and grabbed her hand with his own, using his other hand to keep her arm steady. He rotated her hand in a gentle circle, testing the joint. She winced and snapped her arm back as soon as he pushed her hand up, palm facing out. Her blues eyes became visible again as she looked up to glare at North.

He gave her an exasperated look.

She huffed moodily but stuck her arm back out. North squeezed along her forearm and the palm of her hand. When she didn’t grunt in pain, he released her.

“I think it’s just a sprain.” He said sitting back. She nodded and avoided eye contact.

Tex cradled her injured arm to her chest and finally looked at North. “What’re you doing here?” she asked.

“I was unceremoniously woken up by someone shouting ‘motherfucker’.” He replied, giving her a look.

She frowned, confused. “It echoed all the way to the rooms?”

“I never said I was in my room.”

Tex pushed herself up with her good hand, facing North who also got up.

She cleared her throat.  “I guess I should let you get back to sleep.”

North shrugged, “We’re already wide awake. And we have to be up in an hour anyways.”

“I don’t have to be up in an hour.” Tex replied, misunderstanding the “we” North mentioned was himself and Theta. “I’m on a different schedule than the rest of you.”

“Why is that?” He asked.

“Where were you tonight?” She challenged.

“If I tell you will you tell me?”

Tex remained quiet, not confirming nor denying. He went for it anyways. “I was reading to Theta.”

“You have an AI?” She looked wary.

“Theta come on out buddy.”

She’s scary, came a voice in his head.

After convincing Theta that she couldn’t hurt a projection and wouldn’t hurt a teammate, his translucent form appeared over North’s shoulder.

“Theta, this is Tex. Tex meet Theta.” He said looking between them. Theta remained silent and still. In the back of his mind he could feel his AI’s uneasiness.

“I know it’s a little weird.” He said to Tex, “But you’d better get used to it. I’m sure you’ll have one soon enough since you’re part of the Project. Though, you seem to be a special case.”

“I already have an AI.” She responded flatly.

“What? When?”

“Someone had to be patient zero.” She sighed, “I’m gonna head to the med bay.”

Before North could gather his thoughts she was gone.

“I have no idea what’s going on with her, but the more I interact with her, the more driven I am to figure it out.” He mused to Theta.

"I know, we share thoughts." The program paused, "Why don't we get an early start to the day?"

North nodded, flicking off the lights as he left.

Chapter Text

It was the next morning, well, the same morning technically, after North had dealt with the injured Agent Texas. He couldn’t get the encounter out of his head. He had so many questions for her. But not only was she impossible to find, she was extremely vague whenever he did see her.

There was more than meets the eye. She was an agent, he knew that much for sure. But she was on a different timetable than them. And she was the first to get an AI. Was that why she was kept away from the rest of the agents? To make sure the AI integration worked? But why bring her forth now?

He scrunched his face and shook his head, trying to unjumble the mess in his head.

“Pay attention!” York yelled at him, sprinting up to North.

“Sorry!” He apologized, and took off as York tagged him.

Today was a 'fun' day.

The agents had paired off and were competing in mini-events for a reward. A 2 by 2 by 400* relay around the track was the final stage. North acted as the anchor, hoping his longer legs would help them catch up to Carolina and Wash who were currently in the lead.

He ran hard around the track but it wasn’t enough.

He slowed down past the finish line, putting his hands on his head to open his lungs up. Carolina was huffing and puffing a few feet away from.

“Nice try.” She teased, patting North on the shoulder and walking away. North nodded, unable to speak, still catching his breath.

York walked over, “You’ve been out of it all day. What’s going on man?”

North took a few more deep breathes and lowered his arms. “I’m sorry. I was just up late.”

“Theta wake you up again?”

Theta blinked into view, “The first time, yes.” He was comfortable around York and Wash. More so than North would have liked at this moment.

York grinned, “The first time? And who woke you up the second time?”

“Tex.” The purple figure blurted out before North could get a handle on him.

“Tex?”

“Thanks for that, Theta.” North grumbled sarcastically as the AI faded away. It wouldn’t take York long to figure it out.

Thankfully the Director and Counselor appeared causing the agents to stop talking and line up.

“Very impressive run. Nearly beat the track record for a 400 meter lap.” The Director congratulated Carolina and Wash.

“Thank you, sir.” They replied in unison.

Carolina branched off, “If I may ask, sir, who holds the record?” A hungry look in her eyes in anticipation of a challenge.

The Director paused but ultimately answered, “Agent Texas.”

North heard York’s sharp intake of breath beside him as he placed the name Tex.

“You two will have tomorrow off from training and will be placed next on the list to receive AI.” The Counselor spoke.

Carolina and Wash looked pleased and murmured another round of thank you’s, though the former still looked miffed by Tex’s accomplishment.

As soon as they were dismissed York spun to face North. He opened his mouth but North interjected, “Not here.”

York frowned but nodded and the two followed the rest of the group towards the locker room.

As soon as they had gotten cleaned up and grabbed dinner, they headed back to North’s room where he gave York a brief rundown of his encounters with Tex. He was unsure what was going on with her and honestly didn’t know much about her.

“When were you going to tell me this!” York asked in disbelief.

North shrugged. “I wasn’t planning on telling anyone.”

York paced back and forth a few times before plopping down on the bed. He was silent as he processed the information.

“Wow.” He said eventually. “Are you going to see her again?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like these are planned meetings. Every now and then I just happen to run into her.”

York nodded and they sat in silence for a few minutes before York sighed and stood up.

“I’m off to bed since someone lost us the race I have to be up early tomorrow morning.” York quipped.

“Oh, please. If anything I was too busy trying to make up for the time you lost us.”

York chuckled and opened the door. “Good night.”

“How’re you doing Theta?” North asked once the door was closed.

Theta popped up on the armrest of his chair. “Good.”

The AI had felt rather calm today and North was eager for a good night’s sleep.

“Good,” was all he said in return as he got ready for bed.

Chapter Text

North lay on his bed. It was late like usual, but he couldn’t sleep and this time it wasn’t Theta’s fault. His mind was on the day’s mission.

“Alright. Are we clear on the mission parameters? Remember, I want him alive if possible.” The Director had asked. The team was silent so he dismissed them. North had walked along with York, Carolina, South, and Wash. Agents Florida and Wyoming had located the rebel leader and were waiting for back up.

The team met up with 479er in the hangar. After she had a brief chat with Delta, they loaded up. Carolina took the copilot seat upfront while the twins sat across from Wash and York. It was a quiet ride over to the leader’s location. They had dropped from the sky attacking from above. The agents hurtled out of the craft and were immediately under enemy fire.

Carolina took topside while Wash and York attempted to shut down a warthog firing at them. North and South were also below, trapped behind a broken warthog. North and South distracted the enemies outside while Carolina, York, and Wash met up with Florida and Wyoming who had previously infiltrated the base.

North had heard the rest of the story from York: They were under heavy fire and Carolina was busy arguing with Wyoming over something trivial. A cloaked figure sprinted past them, almost-but not quite-blending in to the environment perfectly. As soon as Carolina saw it, she chased after it, abandoning her team and running out into the open.

Apparently Tex had showed up. She and Carolina managed to work together briefly to coordinate with York. He cut the power allowing Tex and Lina to enter the bunker where the Leader was holed up. There was a fight wherein Tex had taken a blade to the back and an axe to the shoulder joint. Carolina had begrudgingly admitted that Tex was “still able to perform at an admiral level” despite her injuries, but she “shouldn’t have gotten hit in the first place”.

The Leader then offered them information on the Director. Tex had hesitated, wanting to know more while Carolina got angry and attacked, catching the Leader in the stomach with his own dagger.

North had always wondered if Carolina protected the Director out of respect and admiration or something else. She was quick to defend whenever CT or South insinuated something about him, or whenever Wash questioned his methods.

After exchanging insults with Tex, the two had carried the injured Leader to the extraction point, which is where North met up with them. 479er landed nearby and they loaded up, eager to get back to the MoI. Tex sat away from the rest of the group and didn’t speak. Her suit was dripping with her own blood due to the injuries she had sustained, though she barely showed any indication of them; only wincing every now and then. North had kept his mouth shut but cast glances in her direction every now and then.

The enemy Leader had been transported to the med bay upon arrival while the agents filed into the War Room where they were debriefed. The Director was upset that the Leader was injured, possibly mortally wounded, but he was also pleased to have him in custody. The Leader had been giving the Director problems for a while now, since before North had even joined the Project. They had never been given any details about what it was the enemy had been doing, but it must’ve been bad enough to send an elite force chasing after him across the galaxy.

North yawned and sat up in bed. “How ‘bout a walk?”

Theta readily agreed.

North slipped on his shoes and favorite hoodie, closing the door behind him as he left with no set destination.

He walked around a bit, enjoying the monotonous, dim halls that numbed his hyperactive mind.

Eventually he realized that he was near the med bay. Maybe Tex is there, he wondered. She had been injured on the mission, though she didn’t seem the type to hang around in the infirmary.

At this time of night the med bay was dark with only a few soft lights on here or there. He walked past the front foyer and through a hall of empty examination and operating rooms all the way to the back area. There were a few cots lined against each side of the room. North stopped just inside the doorway.

At the far end was the Leader. He was bandaged up with tubes running between him and a cart of important looking medical equipment. His head was wrapped in gauze as was his whole midsection. A light sheet covered his legs. There was a lamp on in the corner across from the leader that cast a warm glow on the otherwise empty room.

In other words: no Tex.

North sighed in disappointment and turned to leave. In the corner of his eye he caught a shimmer of movement, though nothing was there. It was near the lamp, just outside of its bright halo of light, close to the captured enemy. North now had his back to the occupied cot and lamp, facing the empty medical hall he had just walked down. He wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, or if he was just tired and overworked. Did you see it too? he asked in his mind. He felt Theta nod.

Instead of leaving, North reached out and closed the door.

Chapter Text

North held his breath as he turned around to face what looked like an empty room. Theta had confirmed the presence of a movement and now he was determined to figure out what else was in here.

His blue eyes scanned the room from his spot by the door.

Nothing.

He slowly walked forward, head on a swivel looking for the nearly-invisible entity.

He continued to creep further into the room. Every now and then he would glance behind him. In the back of his mind Theta quietly analyzed everything his senses reported-sight, sound, smell, touch.

Nothing.

Not being able to see the threat made him wish he was in his armor which was equipped with motion trackers which would be really handy in this situation.

Once North was standing in the center of the room he stopped. His heart was racing, his breathing elevated, but quiet. He wondered if rebels had somehow snuck onto the MoI and were trying to rescue their Leader. Guess I’ll be the first to know, he thought pessimistically.

North slowly turned in a circle looking for another hint of movement, anything that might give him a clue as to who or what he was facing.

There, Theta pointed out in his mind. Another distorted shimmer. It was still here. His breath hitched in his throat as he turned slightly away from the location of the target. It was closer than before, only a few feet away, closer to the door now, as if it was trying to sneak past him and escape.

Having no weapons on him to neutralize the threat with, he’d just have to settle for a good ol’ tackle. Theta helped him estimate the prime spot to aim at. Here goes nothing, North thought.

In a flash, North turned and launched himself. His body connected with something solid and large. He and the unknown collided and fell to the floor. It was loud as the two scuffled to the ground. As it moved North could see its outline. Definitely human.

North managed to trap its arms next to its sides as he straddled the trunk of its body. He pressed his forearm on the unarmored throat. After a moment, it gave up and remained still. They were both breathing heavily, the only noise in the room now.

“Disengage the active camo. Now.” North growled.

When nothing happened he shifted more of his weight onto his forearm.

“Fuck! Fine!” A frustrated voice responded.

Before North could place the voice, the intruder became visible.

“Tex?” He whispered incredulously. He leaned back, removing his arm from her throat and looked down at her. She was in full armor. “What the hell are you doing?”

He felt Tex sigh heavily beneath him. “I was just making sure the Leader was safe.”

“Bullshit.” North deadpanned. “And take off your helmet.”

“Can I have my arms back then?” She asked with more than a little attitude.

North stood up and took a few steps back, watching her carefully. She sat up and removed her helmet, eyes immediately landing on North. She did not look happy.

“What are you doing here, Tex?” He asked again.

She hesitated, an internal battle raging. North continued to meet her stare until she eventually gave in.

“I’m just trying to get information.” She replied quietly, looking away from him.

“What kind of information?”

She pushed herself up and walked toward the rebel. “He said he had information about the Director. I figured maybe he’d have something useful.” Her voice was muffled as she faced away from North, now standing beside the Leader’s cot.

“Why would you want information on the Director?”

She shook her head, refusing to answer.

“Tex,” he begged, “Please, just tell me what’s going on.” He closed the gap between them, now only a few feet behind her. Her breathing was labored, she was obviously distressed.

The Leader stirred, and slowly blinked in the scene before him. He looked at North confused, but then his eyes landed on Tex. “Allison,” He exclaimed, “You’re alive! How?” His relieved tone turned into a puzzled look. “I thought you were dead. I-I don’t understand.” He went quiet looking at them for answers. When none came, his eyes drooped and he relaxed back into the bed, mumbling, “It’s a dream. Always in my dreams.” He fell back asleep as quickly as he had woken up.

North couldn’t see Tex’s expression. Did any of that make sense to her? She was quiet and still, so North remained so as well. He wanted to ask her more questions but he was afraid of pushing her too far. Instead, he tried to piece together what the Leader had said but quickly came up empty.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, and probably would have stayed like that forever, until the hall lights clicked on.

Someone’s coming, Theta confirmed.

“Get your helmet back on.” North ushered.

Without turning around, she clicked it back on and disappeared before his eyes. “Tex.” He said into the room, “This isn’t over.”

A moment later the door opened and one of the medical staff members walked in, surprised to see North there. “What are you doing here?” She asked suspiciously.

North mumbled a lame excuse and slid by her, trying not to sprint down the halls back to his room. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it.

His walk had only made his mind even more restless.

Chapter Text

It had been a hectic few days. The day after running into Tex had gone by in a flash. North didn’t know how he made it through training he was so tired. He had wanted to find Tex immediately, but instead had skipped dinner to go back to his room where he fell asleep instantly. The next morning-today-he felt well rested but was still keen on talking with Tex. Since he had no idea where to find her, he went about his day like normal. He spent most of his time training with Theta, and after dinner and social time in the rec room he had gone to bed.

He wasn’t surprised by the presence that soon woke him up. By now he was used to it. Sometimes he would walk the halls, and other times, like tonight, he would read to Theta until the AI calmed enough for North to go back to sleep. Which is how he ended up in the dimly lit library at 0300 hours.

North read out loud in a low voice. Theta’s demeanor changed when North had opened the book, and he felt himself relax as well. It was hard to find a quiet moment when you were stuck on a ship for months at a time.

In the early days the ship would resupply every few months, allowing North and his buddies to go to bars and clubs while the ship was restocked. Nowadays he couldn’t remember the last time they were allowed to deboard. As Project Freelancer progressed, it seemed their stops became fewer and far between.

North’s thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked lightly at the door. He rested his book on his chest and glanced at the entrance. Tex stood in the doorway, an uncertain look on her face. She looked tentative and without her usual aura of ‘fuck off’. North gave a slight nod and watched her slowly enter the room. Theta disappeared as she approached since she still scared him, and North pushed himself up, setting the book on his lap. Tex slowly lowered herself onto the opposite end of the couch, facing him, and pulled her legs up to her chest wrapping her arms around them.

She took a deep breath. “I guess we need to talk.”

North gave her a ‘you don’t say’ look but didn’t speak. He was surprised she had come to him at all. A part of him expected her to return to the shadows from whence she came.

“I’m not really sure where to start.” She bit her lip. Already she had been the most open that he’d ever seen. She didn’t have on her expressionless mask or hard voice. Her shoulders were slumped and she wore a nervous look on her face. It was refreshing.

North didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure what to say.

“You can’t tell anyone about this. Even if...even if you hate me after, you can’t say anything. Not to South or York or Wash.” She continued carefully, looking deep into his eyes.

“I won’t hate you. And I promise.” He replied in a matching tone.

She didn’t look convinced but nodded and ran a hand through her hair.

“I don’t remember most of it," In a slow, quiet voice she began, “I woke up a few days later in a bunker in the middle of nowhere. The man you know as the Director was there. I knew him as Church back then. We were all stationed together after basic training. There was a small group of us-me, Church, Jones, and my sister.” She smiled briefly, “Life was good. We ran drills some days, slacked off others. And that’s how it was for a while.” The smile dropped, replaced with an agitated look. “Something changed, though. Church became...different. He became withdrawn and easily irritated. My sister was close with him, he was always chasing after her, but he wouldn’t open up, even to her. All she knew was that he was working on something big. Something he thought could end the war once and for all. He would never tell us anything, so we let him be.”

Tex paused, looking at North for reassurance, and continued. “And then, I guess, my sister got through to him. Church began to include her in his plans. Soon she too became closed off. I tried to talk with her but no dice. We fought about it all the time."

Tex frowned, "The rest I don’t remember, I just know what people told me. We had gotten into another argument. Nothing new there, we were sisters, afterall. We bickered every day. But this one was different. It escalated. Insults and accusations were thrown, and soon it was punches. Also not a big surprise. When two sisters are combat specialists, it’s not rare for us to get physical.” Tex shrugged, acting as if it were normal for siblings to get into physical altercations on the daily. North never hit South more than a punch in the arm or the occasional shove.

Tex continued. “Church tried to intervene but it wasn’t enough.” She wiped her eyes and shrugged again. “And then it was over. Church hit me in the head with a vase, or something of that nature. I don’t know if it was the blow to the head or if I repressed the memory, but I don’t remember any of it. I woke up to Church who was crying and angry as he explained to me what I had done. I didn’t believe it at first. I would never do something like that. She drove me crazy, but I loved her. But he had pictures and video and witnesses, one of the other officers stationed with us."

Tex looked down at her hands and took a shuddering breath, "The evidence was undeniable. I had betrayed my own blood. I had killed my sister.”

Chapter Text

North was enthralled by Tex’s confession. It was hard to believe the story she had laid out before him. And as good as she was at manipulating her emotions, he knew these were genuine.

“Hey,” he said gently, trying to get her attention.

She refused to look up, nervously rubbing her hands. North moved closer and reached out, wrapping her hands with his. Tex finally met his eyes and she looked absolutely defeated.

“Well, you owe me five bucks because I definitely don’t hate you.” North teased and gave her hands a quick squeeze before releasing them.

“Why not?”

He thought about it for a second, “You’re loyal and protective of those you care about. Otherwise you wouldn’t be brokenhearted about your sister. And you wouldn't have saved York when his other teammates couldn't care less who they injured while trying to take you down. It just doesn’t add up to me.” After a moment of silence North cleared his throat and asked, “How did you end up here?”

“Church holds the only copy of the video files. If I don’t follow his orders, he sends them to the UNSC. You know how serious they take crimes against their officers. I’d be hunted down and face maximum punishment.” Tex paused debating whether to divulge more. “I haven’t spoken to my family in almost a decade. Since the...incident. Church knows I wouldn’t hesitate to turn myself in out of guilt and the pain of knowing what I’ve done. So he tracked them down. It wasn’t hard for him, really. We’d been friends for years so he knew where we grew up and all about our family. It probably only took him a day or two to find them.”

Tex rested her head against the back of the couch as she looked at North. He hated seeing her like this. He wanted nothing more than to see her happy again. Or at least back to her usual lethal and emotionally evasive self.

“So you were hoping to get something from the Leader that you could use as leverage.” Tex nodded confirmation to North’s statement. “And did you get anything?”

“Yes and no.” She replied. “He wore a helmet when Carolina and I came across him. And with bandages and bruises covering his face, I didn’t recognize him until he spoke. The Leader is Jones.”

“The same Jones you were stationed with?” North questioned.

“The one and only.”

North processed this for a minute. “Did you follow what he said the other night? Something about Allison?”

Tex nodded again, slower this time. “Allison,” she took a shaky breath, “was my sister.”

“Oh.” North said in quiet surprise. Jones had confused Tex for her sister. “Have you gone back to the med bay to talk to him again?”

“Not yet. He’s been in and out of the OR and they’ve been monitoring him heavily trying to repair the damage Carolina did.” Tex scowled at her rival’s name. “Things should calm down in the next few days, though.”

“Okay. Are we going at night, again?” North asked.

Tex cocked her head, “We?”

“Yes, we. Do you have a problem with that?”

She looked worried. “No but...are you sure about this, North? Telling you about this is one thing. Actively involving you is something else. If he finds out you’re helping me...” She trailed off.

North took a second to think about it. Sure, the Director was a dangerous man. He’d known this from day one. Now he knew how far the Director would go to protect the Project. He would blackmail and threaten loved ones.

North thought about South. They had been arguing more and more recently due to her jealousy of his AI. But they were siblings. No matter how much they fought, he’d always love her.

But they were endangering their lives every day in the Project. At least this way he might be able help Tex and bring to light the Director’s extortion.

“I’d be honored to help you, Tex.” North stated in a low voice.

She smiled back, almost looking tearful, as if no one in a long time had offered her support, which was probably true. She’d been stuck on this ship for years with a man who was once her friend but had taken advantage of her. She was alone with her past and her secrets. North was probably the first one she had opened up to and he couldn’t imagine betraying that trust. He had known deep down before even thinking about it that he would help her. And her grateful smile was more than enough reward.

Tex leaned against the back of the couch again, looking more at ease than he’d seen before. He moved back to rest against the armrest and opened the book. He began reading quietly, trying not to think of the intense blue eyes that were fixed on him.

Chapter Text

“You totally deserved it.” Wash directed to York as they sat down next to North in the mess hall.

Less than an hour ago, York had trapped Wash in a chokehold and gave him a violent noogie. In retaliation, Wash had managed to closeline York which had knocked the breath out of him for a minute when he landed hard on his back. His throat was sore and his voice was gruff when he spoke. Afternoon training that day had been a hand to hand lesson. Since North had paired off with South, York was stuck with Wash. It had started as a serious day of training, but by the end it was just short of rough-housing.

“Oh please.” York responded, wincing a little from his injury, “You started it.”

“Not uh.”

“Yeah huh.”

“Not uh.”

North knew where this was going. He quickly interjected, “You’re both idiots.” Which caused his two friends to scowl at him momentarily before focusing on their dinner.

“We still on for poker tonight?” Wash asked. On Saturday nights some sort of activity was thrown together by the agents. It usually consisted of a game or movie, though sometimes they would have an unofficial battle of skills through races or another type of physical challenge. In the locker room it was decided that for tonight’s activity they would gather in the rec room for some low stakes poker.

North nodded, “I’ve got nothing better to do. Why not lose my next paycheck before I even get it?” He joked.

York grinned, “That’s the spirit!”

“What variation are we playing tonight? We’ve done Texas hold’em the last few times. I wanted to try...”

North didn’t hear Wash’s suggestion. As if she had heard her codename, Tex appeared in the open doorway of the mess hall. She met his eyes, trying to relay a nonverbal message. North tilted his head, not understanding. She responded with an exasperated look before snapping back to her usual hardass expression. Confused by the sudden change, he turned back to his friends who had noticed the mysterious agent.

“I’ve got to go.” North said loudly, trying to draw their attention.

“Who was that?” Wash asked.

“Who was who?” North replied a little too innocently.

Wash nodded to the mess hall entrance where, unsurprisingly, Tex was no longer there. “Weird,” was all he said as he looked back at North.

York on the other hand had pieced it together with his previous knowledge of North’s handful of interactions with Tex. “Don’t have too much fun.” The brunette teased with a twinkle in his eye.

North rolled his eyes as he stood up. He dropped the dirty dishes in the bin before exiting the mess hall.

Tex was leaning against the wall to his left, dressed in an all-black outfit, her hair tied up in a loose bun.

Once she saw him she turned and walked down the hall. North followed quietly behind her for a couple of minutes until they stopped at a door a few halls past where most of the agents’ suites were, including his own. He had never had any reason to explore these halls since they dead-ended and there was nothing down there.

Except Tex’s room, he noted, as she opened the door and stepped through. She quietly closed the door behind them and waited patiently for him to acquaint himself.

Her room was the same as the rest of the one’s he’d been in. Her bed was pushed in the corner with a nightstand and lamp right next to it. A chair and desk were along another wall and a dresser on the third wall. Her room was neat and from first glance it almost looked as if no one lived there. The only personalization to the room was a picture frame on her nightstand and an excessive amount of pillows piled in the corner of her bed.

North glanced back at Tex who had kicked off her shoes and moved to sit on the bed. She leaned back into the numerous pillows and watched him cross the room and sit in the chair, waiting for her to say what was on her mind.

“Are you absolutely sure you want to be involved?” She asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

“I stand by my previous decision, Tex.”

She glanced at her watch and then back up at him, “Jones will be out of surgery any minute now. It’ll probably be about two hours before he’ll wake up based on past observations. His next operation that was scheduled later this evening was moved to tomorrow morning, so we have a perfect opportunity to get to him.” She paused, “Hopefully he’ll be lucid enough to give us something useful.”

North mulled it over momentarily, “Sounds like a good opportunity. What time do you want to go?”

“Midnight work for you?” She asked.

North nodded. “I’ll meet you in the library ten ‘til.”

Chapter Text

North could sense Theta’s uneasiness, a familiar sensation. The AI had been on edge since North had agreed to assist Tex. Well, more so than usual. He was hoping Theta would speak up, to share his cause of concern, but it never came. It was just a soft feeling of dread in the back of his mind. It was unnoticeable most of the time due to his busy schedule. But as he prepared to meet with Tex, it was almost deafening.

“Talk to me Theta,” the blond spoke with a calm tone. The AI unit soundlessly appeared in front of him, shifting his stance almost constantly; another sign of his anxiety. North continued, “What’s troubling you, buddy?”

The purple figure finally responded, “Agent Texas is a stranger. We are about to join her dangerous mission against the Director. We don’t even have all necessary information.”

“Valid points.” North nodded, “But I believe she needs our help. You know I’ve felt like there’s something sketchy going on in the shadows. And yes, I know, if I wanted transparency I shouldn’t have joined a top secret military operation.”

“To oppose the Director is an action that cannot be taken back.”  Theta remarked. “What if he punishes you? What if he punishes South?”

“South can take care of herself. Look, I understand your concern, Theta, and I won’t ask you to be a part of something you’re not comfortable with. I can pull you before I go.” North suggested.

He couldn’t imagine being without Theta, but he wouldn’t force his AI. He knew Theta was right about Tex and the situation but it didn’t change his mind. He was already inconceivably invested since Tex had confided in him. He couldn’t imagine letting her down now.

He tried to chalk it up to helping a friend, but every time he saw her he believed it less and less.

Theta shook his head. “I trust you. Just...be careful.”

North smiled at the floating figure, grateful that he had decided to stick around. “I’ll protect us both.”

Theta disappeared as North dressed in a black shirt, black pants, and slipped on a pair of shoes. He glanced down at his watch. 23:43. Time to go. He flicked out the lights and closed the door as he headed down the hall.

Tex was there when he arrived a few minutes later. She was in all black, her blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and her blue eyes scamming the lines of the book in her hands. She glanced up at him as he walked in, slowly lowering the paperback. He nodded in greeting once they made eye contact and Tex responded with a nervous half-smile.

“Ready?” North asked after a short silence.

Tex took a deep breath and stood up, her shoulders squared and her stance deliberate. All traces of worry gone in a moment replaced by an intense, collected aura.

She nodded, “Jones should be unattended and the med bay empty. We need to get in and get out quickly. The longer we’re in there, the more likely we’ll be caught. And if Church finds out...” Tex trailed off.

“That would be very bad.” North finished.

“That’s putting it lightly.” Tex replied as she walked past North and out the door.

They walked casually down through the halls, looking like two people taking an innocent moonlit stroll, minus the moonlight. The halls remained quiet and empty as they uneventfully reached the medical observatory doors. They glanced around quickly before slipping in.

The med bay looked exactly the same as his previous trip; dimly lit and free of staff. The two agents walked briskly past the reception area and the dark examination rooms. Tex walked in front of North who was constantly scanning the environment and looking behind them for medical staff and patients. Thankfully they came across no one as they reached the back room lined with cots. Jones was asleep in his bed at the far end, though this time his head was free of bandages.

As they approached, North could see bruises still lining the side of his face. Jones was lying on his back, a blanket covering the bulk of his body and most of his injuries, a courtesy of Carolina.

Tex stopped beside the bed, turning to North with brief uncertainty in her eyes. He gave her an encouraging nod and she reached out to tap Jones on the shoulder. She was an inch away when a hand shot up and gripped her wrist.

In an instant, she had freed herself and held a blade in her other hand. The whole ordeal probably took less than a second.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jones asked, confused as he looked up at Tex.

Chapter Text

North gripped his own knife in his hand without realizing it. He relaxed his stance and pocketed the weapon, glancing over at Tex. Her eyes were locked on Jones’ and it was a few more seconds before her posture softened, though she kept her blade out.

Tex cleared her throat, “I’m part of Project Freelancer.”

Jones rolled his eyes, “No, really?” He replied sarcastically, “I meant what are you doing here.”

“I need answers. Do you remember the circumstances under which I left with Church?”

“That’s what this is about?” Jones asked incredulously. “I already gave you everything I had. And that was enough to get you out of here.”

Tex looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I sent Rowan to meet up with you with a copy of everything that I had found. He came back, said he’d delivered it to you, and that was that.”

“Wait a second. Rowan Hayes?” Jones nodded in response to her question. “He was one of the first to join after Church had put word out about open positions.”

Jones was silent for a moment as he processed the new information Tex had supplied. “You know that explains a lot actually. He left abruptly a few weeks later and I never heard from him again. And that’s why you’re still here all these years later.” He finished quietly.

“What information did you have?” She implored, taking a step forward.

He sighed apprehensively. “The gist of it is, you weren’t responsible for what happened.”

“I don’t follow. I mean, I saw the video myself.”

“Have you ever heard of Devil’s Breath?” Both Tex and North shook their head, though the latter wasn’t given much attention to. “It’s a drug. It sort of looks like cocaine in those old movies we used to watch when we snuck off base. Only the tiniest amount must be inhaled and the person will be completely susceptible to suggestion. After the effects wear off, they have no memory of what happened.” Even in the dim light North could see Tex pale. Jones went on, looking regretful of the memories it was dredging up for Tex. “I ran into Church at one of the libraries and he was acting weird. Well, weirder than usual by that point. Now you might remember my penchant for computers. So I hacked into his account and went through his history, and found him researching it. I didn’t think much of it. A month or so later I overhear one of Churches goons talking about it. He was showing it off to a few of his buddies just before lights out.

Eventually everything went down and you, Church, and a few of his buddies left. I heard what happened and it made no sense to me so I started digging. I have his search history, his account summaries where he paid for it and audio from that night. Church wiped out the video files but missed the separately stored audio files.”

The room was silent again. North’s mind was trying to piece together this new information with what Tex had shared with him.

Tex still looked visibly sick but managed to whisper, “What happened?”

“From what I heard, Allison walked in as Church was explaining to a buddy of his how he had been using the drug on her because she wouldn’t join him with Project Freelancer. She was pissed and tried to leave so she could report him. But that would have ended his military career and his “genius” idea to protect humans from the aliens.

They argued loudly so you came downstairs to see what was going on. He flashed the smallest puff at you as soon as you entered the room. A minute or two later you were replaced by a mindless drone and he easily manipulated you into attacking Allison. Then he told you to pack up and you guys were gone within the hour.” Jones paused and sighed, looking down at his hands briefly. “It took me a while to obtain the files and manage a meet up between you and Rowan when the MoI docked. And I foolishly had assumed everything had gone per the plan.” He looked up at Tex, “I’m so sorry. You could’ve been free of this long ago.”

Tex took a few steps back and took a shuttering breath. “Do you still have the files?”

“I made a backup on a portable drive before I gave it all to Rowan. It’s on one of our smaller, well-hidden bases called Chilkoot.”

A light flicked on in the hallway. “Tex we need to get out of here.” North said grabbing her arm.

“It’s hidden on behind a loose control panel in Sector B along the west wall, about knee level.” Jones spoke fast and quiet as the two agents backed away towards the exit.

They made their way through the room and emptied out into the hall lined with empty operating and examination rooms. They heard footsteps headed towards them and ducked into one of the rooms and behind the door. Tex had her eye looking through the gap. North was pressed against her and looking through the gap above her.

About thirty seconds later a med staff assistant passed by and they snuck out of the room and were soon out of the medical wing, both on high alert.

Chapter Text

They walked silently through the dimly lit halls, North following Tex. Her expression was somewhere between disbelief and anger and her body language was clear; she needed time to process and deal with the news. So North kept quiet and remained respectfully behind her. Besides, the silence allowed him time to think as well.

As they came upon the suites, North slowed down in front of the hall where his room was. Tex continued to trudge on down the hall, lost in thought. North sighed and opened the door to his room glancing once more after Tex.

Maybe it was the noise of the sliding metal or maybe she had finally noticed the lack of footsteps behind her, but she stopped in the middle of the hall and turned around. He remained outside his room, waiting for Tex to say or do something. She took a deep breath and shifted her weight a few times. Even from this distance he could see the uncertainty on her face. Gone was her usual confidence.

“I just can’t...I mean would you mind....do you think...” Tex trailed off multiple times, hardly meeting his eyes and once pointing with her thumb over her shoulder towards the hall where her room was located.

North managed to figure out her meaning. He shot her a reassuring smile and nodded. He closed his door and walked to Tex, pausing in front of her. She looked almost exactly like the time he had found her late one night in a training room with a busted wrist--defeated, hardly holding it together.

Acting on instinct, he placed his hands gently on the side of her face and placed a kiss on the top of her head. He pulled back and returned her timid smile.

“Thank you.” She whispered. “For everything.”

North nodded in response and they finally began moving again.

Tex opened her door and North followed her in stopping just past the threshold, the door closing behind him. She kicked off her shoes, pulled off her sweater to reveal a black (big surprise there) t-shirt and sat on her bed. Her desk chair was near the foot of the bed and North moved to sit in it.

“I don’t bite, you know.” Tex teased gently.

“For some reason, I find that hard to believe.” He joked but slid the chair around until he was beside her at the head of the bed. She snuggled deeply under the blankets and faced him.

They watched each other silently for a long few minutes before Tex spoke again.

“What are you thinking?” She asked quietly.

“That you’re likely the strongest person I know.”

“Everyone wants to appear tougher than they really are.”

“That may be true but you’re still here, Tex. You’re still fighting. After all the shit that you’ve gone through you haven’t given up.”

She stared off into space for a moment before meeting his eyes. “It’s like being in quicksand. The more you fight, the faster it pulls you down and the worse it gets.” Her voice cracked.

“We just have to get to Jones’s base, find the evidence, and turn it over to the UNSC. Then you’ll finally be free of Church.”

“You make it sound so simple.” She replied. She was starting to blink slower and slower, her speech slowing down. “How are we supposed to get off this ship? And infiltrate the base?” She asked, yawning.

North shrugged. “We’ll worry about that later.” He paused, watching her nestle deeper into her outrageous number of pillows, “It’s been a long day, you need to get some rest.”

North awoke slowly, a tiny smile on his face as someone continued to run their hands through his hair and down the side of his face. He cracked open his eyes. The room was still dark though a little lighter than before. Tex must’ve turned on a lamp at some point, he figured. His arms were folded as a pillow on the edge of Tex’s bed inches from her head. She was still in bed, the covers no longer a cocoon but around her waist. He met her gaze as she continued her motions.

She looked rested and stronger than the other day. Her expression, though, worried him. Her mask seemed to be back on.

“I think we’re past that, you know.” He spoke softly and without moving.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Tex replied, averting her gaze to her hands that were ruffling his hair.

North waited and she quickly relented. “I’m sorry, it’s just habit now. It’s a defensive measure I’ve been using for the last ten years.” She said, smiling and tugging on a strand of his hair to lighten the mood.

“I know.” He returned the gentle smile. “Any idea what time it is?”

Her hands stilled as she glanced over at the clock on her nightstand, “Quarter ‘til 0700.”

North sat up, instantly alert. “I’m supposed to meet York and Wash for sparring at 0700.”

“Is it just you guys?” Tex inquired.

“Yeah, we meet up in one of the smaller training rooms a couple times a week.”

“Need a fourth?” She asked with a smirk, looking more like usual self.

Chapter Text

The lack of missions since Jones was captured and the fact that she was on a different schedule contributed to North forgetting just how skilled Tex was. It had been a long time since he had seen her in action. As he and the others got their ass kicked by her, he could clearly see why she was at the top of the leaderboard. She was fast and precise and won every round, barely breaking a sweat.

Originally the plan was to have two sets of two fight, but soon the guys took the time to catch their breath and rethink their strategy as Tex was busy dueling with the other one. A few times Tex took North down in a not so subtle way; once grinning and straddling him as he lay breathless on his back after she had trounced him once again, surely taking her time to get up and off him. Thankfully before North could do something stupid, or York and Wash could comment, Tex had turned and challenged them both, swiftly distracting and defeating them. In a strange way Tex was more relaxed than she had been previously. Training really was her way to cope with stress.

She seemed to be enjoying the verbal sparring almost as much as the physical. For the most part it was York who was taunting her and she was more than happy to sass him back.

“Oh please like you even laid a finger on me.” Tex rolled her eyes at York.

“I knocked you hard in the stomach that one time.” York pointed out.

“Yeah, and how’d that end for you?” Tex stated, grinning.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to.” York replied indignantly, rubbing his neck.

“You were turning blue, York.”

After an hour and a half, the crew was exhausted and starving. Well, mainly the boys. Tex looked fine.

“You want to join us for lunch?” Wash directed at Tex.

She glanced down at her watch, “Raincheck? I’ve got a training session to get to in half an hour.”

Wash nodded and wiped his brow, “Next time then.”

Tex smiled at the open invitation, “Definitely.”

North watched his friends, glad they were getting along. He had worried her not-so-sunflowers-and-roses reputation would make them standoffish and that Tex would close off.

Wash and York shouldered their bags and headed for the doorway.

North waved them on. “I’ll meet up with you guys in the mess hall.”

“How are you today?” North asked gently, once his buddies had left.

“It was a lot to take in, but I’m better now.” Tex reassured him with a soft smile. “I’ve got training before and after your group session tonight. Afterwards, we should work out a plan for Chilkoot.”

North nodded. “Of course. We can meet at my room, just stop by whenever you’re done.”

Tex leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. “Thanks.” She quietly said before walking out of the room.

North smiled after her and left a moment later to meet Wash and York.

They were already stuffing their faces when he arrived. North grabbed his own tray of food and joined them.

“Getting your ass kicked is hard work.” Wash commented.

York smirked, “She definitely didn’t go easy on us.”

“I figured you’d be used to Carolina kicking your ass by now.” North joked.

“’Lina’s whooping my ass alright, just in a different context.” York winked and held a hand up, “High-five anyone?”

North and Wash laughed and shook their heads. “That was terrible, York.”

The brunette shrugged it off, “I figured North might know what I’m talking about.”

North chuckled, “Not in the least.”

York grinned and raised an eyebrow, “You sure about that?”

“You’ll be the first to know.”

“I will hold you to that.”

“Even though she tried to beat me up, I like her.” Wash commented.

“If by ‘tried’ you mean ‘successfully’. And me too.” North agreed.

“Me too what?” A voice cut in.

The three of them looked up to see Carolina.

North and Wash glanced at York, unsure of what to say given Carolina’s rocky relationship with Tex.

Seamlessly York answered, “Just talking about how amazing we were this morning. Though, I beat both of them repeatedly.” He said as Carolina sat down next to him and across from North and Wash.

“Now hold on a second,” Wash cut in with a feisty grin, “If anyone was the winner today, it was me.”

North smiled and remained silent as Wash and Carolina spoke, the former never mentioning Tex’s presence. North shared a look with York, both less than pleased with keeping their training guest a secret, but knowing it would only open a can of worms.

Chapter Text

It was the end of the group training session. North stood along with York, Carolina, Wash, Wyoming, South, and Maine in a half-circle around the Director and Counselor. They held their helmets in their hands as the Counselor instructed them on what they needed to work on.

The training room doors slid open behind the leaders and a suit of black armor walked in. Tex stopped beside the Director, facing the rest of the team. North looked at her but through her helmet he couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Agent Texas, you’re not scheduled for another twenty minutes.” The Director stated.

“And they were scheduled to end fifteen minutes ago.” She replied.

The Counselor gave the Director a look but the latter shook his head.

“You are dismissed.” The Counselor addressed the group.

“Why doesn’t she train with us?” Carolina questioned, trying-and failing-at sounding objective.

“That is no concern of yours, Agent Carolina.” The Director asserted.

“What makes her so goddamn special?” Carolina asked in a hard voice.

The rest of the agents exchanged surprised looks and stayed quiet and still. Carolina was never one to talk back to the Director. In fact, she was the one who respected him the most, repeatedly defending his honor to other agents and personnel questioned him. Apparently, when it came to Tex she was unable to keep a lid on it.

Tex, surprisingly, was quiet. The only indication of her response was her now aggressive stance.

“Carolina-” The Director started but was interrupted.

“She never trains with us. Doesn’t use our locker room, mess hall, or suites. Doesn’t attend classes. How is that fair?” Carolina ranted.

“Oh, grow up.” Tex finally interjected, taking a step forward. “Life isn’t fair, sweetheart.”

Carolina ignored her comment, still focused on the Director. “She’s given special treatment and yet we’re all evaluated on the same scale.” She said in a calmer, though clearly still frustrated, voice.

“There is no difference, Carolina.” The Director replied through gritted teeth, not pleased with her outburst.

“Then why doesn’t she train with us? Or live and eat with us? Or go to AI class with us?” Carolina pestered, wearing down the Director’s patience.

“You’re still taking AI theory? How cute.” Tex teased in a mockingly sweet tone.

“Agent Texas!” The Director snapped, effectively silencing her.

The Counselor leaned in and whispered something to the Director. He waved him off and returned to Carolina’s glare. “Fine. Counselor, add Agent Texas into the group training schedule.”

The Counselor nodded and began tapping away on his tablet. Carolina looked surprised at the Director's response but frowned once Tex opened her mouth. “Can’t promise I’ll play nice.” Tex stated in a wicked tone.

Carolina opened her mouth to retort but the Director held his hand up and for the first time that day, she listened. He walked up to Carolina, getting in her face. “If you ever pull something like this again, Agent Carolina, you’re gone.” He said in a dangerously low voice.

Carolina swallowed hard and nodded, barely able to meet his eyes.

He took a step back and dismissed them again.

North exhaled the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. His heart was racing and his nerves were hyperactive, ready for anything. Everyone shuffled around nervously, whispering in hushed tones about what had just happened. York stepped up to talk with Carolina leaving North standing by himself. He watched as the Director turned to face Tex. He said something far too faint for North to hear and watched Tex nod once stiffly, then stalked off with the Counselor.

It was settled then. Tex would be joining them in training. With the feud between her and Carolina to be number one, it probably wouldn’t last long due to them killing each other. And probably damaging the ship or killing someone else in the process.

York walked by with Carolina, indicating with his head for North to join them as they followed the rest of the team out of the training arena. They were all talking in quietly, every now and then peeking back to look at Carolina, wondering how she had escaped punishment for her outburst.

North glanced at Tex who was walking away in opposite direction, her back towards him, before he joined the group, walking beside York.

“Was that your plan?” North asked Carolina in a low voice.

Carolina shrugged, looking straight ahead. “I didn’t have a plan. I just wanted to know why she gets special treatment.” She replied. It almost sounded as if she were hurt. Carolina took a deep breath and steeled her gaze. “It doesn’t matter now.” She continued in a hard voice as she increased her pace, leaving York and North in the dust and pushing her way to the front of the pack.

“That didn’t sound good.” North commented.

“Yeah.” York sighed.

“Where did that even come from? Did she find out about Tex training with us this morning?” He asked.

York shrugged, “I didn’t say anything. I guess she just really wants her name in the top slot. She’s been number one so long without any serious competition, y’know? It’s just a hard adjustment for her.”

North said nothing as they entered the locker room.

Chapter Text

North showered after training and sat with Wash and Connie at dinner. Carolina and York didn’t show up. He figured they were discussing the incident with the Director. Wash and Connie made small talk and managed to skirt the topic.

North excused himself and headed to the library to pick up a new book for him and Theta to read while they waited for Tex in his room.

North lay on his bed and began reading to his AI. Theta’s projection sat near his head on the pillow and quietly followed along. They had only gotten a few pages in when there was a knock at the door.

“It’s open.” He called.

Tex walked in, the door closing behind her.

“We’ll finish this later, buddy.” North said to Theta. He shut the book and set it on the nightstand as the purple figure blinked out.

Tex sat on the end of the bed facing North, who sat up.

“You’re done early.” He noted.

“Church had some things to deal with after Carolina’s tantrum. The Counselor had me run a few drills but eventually he left to help Church. I was out within the hour.”

“What’d Church say to you as we left group practice?”

Tex shrugged it off. “Just some vague threat about if I’m not on my best behavior.”

North sighed and shook his head. “Nothing good will come of this.”

“It wasn’t my idea to lump us together.” Tex huffed.

“I know, but you are now. And you’re not exactly even-tempered when it comes to Carolina nor are you on the Director’s good side like she seems to be.” North replied, giving her a pointed look.

“Fine.” Tex mockingly held up her right hand. “I promise to be good. Alright?”

“I feel so much better now, thanks.” North said sarcastically, but still managed a smile.

Tex moved up the bed, resting her head on his pillow and laying on her back next to where North sat beside her. “It’ll be fine. What we really need to focus on is what Jones told us.”

“Right. Any ideas?”

Tex shook her head. “I can’t figure out a way off the ship without us being caught. And if we can’t get off the ship, the rest of the plan doesn’t even matter.”

“There’s got to be some way we can sneak off the MoI.” North insisted. “Bribe one of the pilots to take us?”

“They’re all terrified of Church. And rightfully so.” Tex added.

“What about the next time we dock?”

“That could be a few weeks or a few years. Who knows anymore?”

An hour later and they were still trying to come up with something. Every idea North came up with was shot down. Tex really had thought of all their options and none of them were viable.

“Why don’t we talk with Jones? Maybe he’ll be of some help?” North offered.

“How would he be able to help?” Tex groaned, frustrated.

“I don’t know but what have we got to lose?”

The two arrived at the med bay a few minutes later. As it was not past midnight like when they usually visited, the lights were on and a few staff members roamed around. The two agents hid around the corner and looked through clear windows into the med-wing. They tried to come up with ideas on how to get in without raising suspicion, leaning into the hall and pointing out various people and objects as they formulated a plan.

“Shit.” North whispered turning so he was hidden by the bend of the hall. He put a finger to his lips before Tex could open her mouth and used his arm to hold her back when she tried to stick her head out. She did not appreciate his actions and shot him a glare but remained silent and still. They heard the metallic scrape of the doors opening and two sets of footsteps leave, heading away from them.

“...should take care of it. What’s next?” The Counselor asked.

“Begin mission prep. We’ll assign teams tomorrow and leave for Chilkoot the following day.” Ordered the Director, his voice quieter than his partners.

“What about Agent Texas?” They could barely hear the Counselor.

“I’ve already...” They didn’t hear the rest of Church's response, now out of earshot.

North and Tex stood quietly in the hall. After North had counted out a minute, he released a breath and relaxed his stance, satisfied that the Director and Counselor were far enough away. Tex was still tense and alert. He could see the wheels in her head turning, trying to figure out what they had just heard.

“We need to come back after hours and talk to Jones.” Tex said in a worried tone. “Church knows about the base. What if Jones told him about the evidence he has there?”

“I guess we’ll find out. Sounds like the next mission is to Chilkoot. I guess that solves our dilemma of getting to the base.” Tex nodded absentmindedly in response, her face scrunched up in concentration. “Look, why don’t we focus on the next steps of our plan and once it’s early morning we’ll come back and talk to Jones?” North offered.

Tex nodded again, but paused. “What do you think they meant?” She asked quietly.

“By what?”

“They mentioned my name but I couldn’t hear Church’s response.”

“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out later.” He promised, leading her away from the med bay.

Chapter Text

North stood with Tex, Wash, Lina, South, York, and Wyoming geared up around the simulation table in the briefing room. The Director had called them in for a mission early this morning. Tex had stayed over after being shaken up by the conversation they had overheard outside the med bay late last night. “If Jones told Church that I planned to gather evidence against him and run to the UNSC, he’s not going to sit by and watch it happen.” Tex had said. “I have a bad feeling about tomorrow.”

North had seen the worry on her face in the morning when they received the notice for the mission. She tried to hide her anxiety, but lately she was getting worse at it. Or North was getting better at reading her. After her momentary lapse of emotion, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and left without a word to suit up.

They had slept through the night, missing their chance to speak with Jones.

“Now is everyone clear on the mission parameters?” The Director asked.

“Are you sure this is good intel?” Carolina questioned. “We’ve scanned this area before and there were no signs of activity.”

The Director said nothing and instead shot Carolina a dangerous look for questioning him. Carolina yelling at him about Tex’s “special treatment” was quite recent, so it was probably too soon for her to be misbehaving again.

Once she had lowered her eyes and the subject was dropped, the Director dismissed them with a “Good luck soldiers”.

The agents filed out of the room and sauntered to the hanger where 479er was waiting for them. North sat between Tex and South. The aircraft was silent except for York and Wash arguing over something stupid. North had missed the first part of the conversation, so their mentions of cheese whiz and bungee cords meant nothing to him. Tex was staring straight ahead and South was chatting with Carolina, so he kept to himself.

Their arrival at Chilkoot was less than quiet. They had been made almost immediately and were bombarded with rockets and missiles. 479er dropped them on the tarmac before speeding away to safety, only returning when they had completed their objectives and cleared a landing zone. North, South, Tex, and Wash were Team A and were to disable as many enemy vehicles and weapons as possible as well as provide cover for Lina, York, and Wyoming (Team B) whose job it was to infiltrate the base, steal what information they could off the computers before wiping them. Team A began setting up cover fire, using cement barriers and vehicles as shields. Tex, though, had cleared a path to a side door in the main building and sprinted away before North could utter a word.

“What the hell is she doing?” South yelled over the gunfire.

North shook his head and concentrated on returning fire.

He couldn’t hear Team B clearly, but he could distinguish the frustration in Carolina’s voice as she watched Tex run off. Eventually Team A began to clear a new path to the door which Team B followed, disappearing into the enemy complex.

An hour passed, or maybe it was minutes. It's hard to tell when you're being shot.

Tex appeared beside North and South, flicking off her active camo.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” South hollered. “You can’t abandon your teammates like that!”

North’s sister lowered herself so she was protected from incoming bullets by a metal barrier to face Tex.

“I thought I was part of team B.” Tex suggested.

“Bullshit! You weren’t talking with them either, you just ran off.”

“Yeah, seriously not cool.” Wash added as he continued to fire at the rebels.

“Look. We can deal with this later, alright? We need to start clearing an LZ, the rest will be back any minute now.” North interrupted.

He heard his sister huff angrily but she nodded, reloaded her weapon, and raised herself out from behind the barrier. Tex nodded and followed suit.

“What if we-” North started, but was cut off by a spray of blood and his sister collapsing onto the pavement.

North ducked and knelt beside her. Tex and Wash veraciously returned fire, not knowing what else to do. North heard them summon the other team back and call 479er for an immediate evac.

The bullet had caught South in the neck, in the chink of her armor. He tried to stop the bleeding with his hands, putting pressure on the wound, but it didn’t seem to be helping.

Carolina and York appeared right around the time that 479er landed. Wyoming sprinted up to the group, breathing hard, but helped York and North load South into the aircraft while the remaining members provided cover fire.

York activated his healing unit in hopes it would be enough to stabilize South once they had gotten inside. North continued to apply pressure to his twin’s neck with bandages from the kit onboard, but blood was still seeping through.

“ETA 13 minutes!” 479er shouted from the front of the craft. He heard Carolina chewing Wyoming out for something and Wash talking quietly with York.

North knew they were going as fast as they could, but he wasn’t sure that it was going to be enough. South was pale, though she was breathing slower due to the healing unit. He couldn’t imagine life without his sister and prayed he’d never have to know.

Chapter Text

North sat in an uncomfortable chair besides South’s cot in the med bay. She’d been in surgery for the last few hours and had only just been moved into the recovery room. Immediately upon landing the med staff had taken his sister to the OR. North tried to follow them into the restricted area, but was redirected to an empty examination room where he was given a quick update and a change of clothes. He stayed there for the first few hours, sometimes pacing, sometimes sitting and tapping his foot anxiously.

He feared the worst when there was a polite knock at the door and a practitioner entered the room. Thankfully, she came with good news: his sister was stable and out of surgery. He was led to South’s bedside, one of the many in the room, though the others were all empty. Something nagged in North’s brain, but it dissipated as soon as his eyes landed on his sister’s pale form, bandages around her neck. He sat in the chair next to her, which is where he found himself when Tex walked in an hour later.

She hesitated in the doorway, her eyes scanning the room. She narrowed her eyes at something in the back of the room, but before North could speak up she turned her attention to him.

“How’re you doing?” She asked gently, walking over to him.

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “As well as to be expected, I guess.” He looked over at his sister, still heavily sedated. “I’m trying to figure out what happened.” North continued, “I just don’t understand why the sniper only took one shot. He could’ve gotten all of us at one point or another but he waited until South stuck her head out. When you and the rest of B team returned, they didn’t fire even though you guys were out in the open. It’s almost like she was the target.”

When Tex said nothing, he glanced over at her. She looked uncomfortable and was looking down at her hands. She took a deep breath and finally made eye contact. North leaned forward, concerned by the look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, resting a comforting hand on her hands.

“I’m so sorry, North.” Her voice cracked. “That bullet was meant for me.” He pulled back, confused.

“What? How could you know that?”

“The sniper didn’t shoot until I was there and had disengaged my active camouflage. They had an hour to get into position from the time we landed. Do you really think it took them an hour to get on the roof or to a window or wherever? One shot was taken, North, and it came from the bunker. South was positioned in front of me as I covered our backs from the rebels on the tarmac. She moved out from behind the barricade the same time I did, effectively putting herself between me and the sniper.”

North stood up, too upset by what he was hearing to sit still. He paced, rubbing his temple. “There’s no way you can be sure of that, Tex.”

“Church is tying up loose ends. Once he got his hands on Jones, it was all over.” Tex explained, “Jones has been a thorn in his side for the past decade. Now that he’s gone, I’m the only one left and I’m a liability. With the intel from Jones, he knew about Chilkoot, so I’m betting he also knows I’ve been searching for a way out. If he gets rid of me, no one is left to fight him. No one to bring to light his misdeeds.”

“How’re you so sure Jones is gone?” North questioned.

Tex frowned, “Notice anything missing from this room? I’ll give you a hint. He told us where to find the evidence in Chilkoot Base.”

That’s what was bothering him when he first entered the room. He turned to the back of the room, and sure enough Jones’s cot was empty. The machines that he had been hooked up to were gone and fresh sheets adorned the bed.

North looked back at Tex, unsure of what to say, what he could say.

“I’ve out-lived my usefulness. He no longer needs me to do his bidding; he has 50 specially trained operatives for that. He doesn’t need me to be his guniea pig for testing the AI implementation operation anymore.” She paused, “I’m a threat, North, and what do people do to threats?”

He stopped pacing. She was right, of course. With Jones gone, Tex was all that’s left between him and getting away from murder and blackmail.

“What’re you going to do?” North asked.

Tex’s expression changed, looking a little less despondent. “Escape to the UNSC with evidence of the Director’s crimes.” Tex glanced at him, watching his reaction.

“Does that mean...” He trailed off, not daring to believe what she was implying.

Tex nodded and North returned her smile. “You found the backup files!”

A beacon of hope in their miserable situation. If she had the backup files, she could finally be free of the Director. North opened his arms as Tex jumped up and into his embrace. His heart was racing from the incredible news. Though, having Tex in his arms was a contributing factor. They were pressed together so tightly, he could feel her heart beating as fast as his.

Tex pulled back slightly, her eyes lingering on his lips before meeting his eyes, making him smile more. She tipped her head up towards his as he leaned in.

“So that’s how it is, huh?” A displeased voice from the doorway startled them apart.

Chapter Text

North’s head shot up, his eyes landing on his redheaded friend. He glanced over at Tex to find her glaring at Carolina, a scowl on her face. Remembering how volatile the two were whenever they interacted, North took a step forward, putting himself between Carolina and Tex.

North cleared his throat. “Hey, Lina.” He greeted cautiously. “What’s up?”

“What’s up?” She repeated in a bitter tone. “I came to see how you’re holding up after your sister was critically injured. But clearly you’re doing just fine.” She said looking pointedly between Tex and him.

He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, trying to think of what he could say to placate her. Being caught embracing and almost kissing her mortal enemy would be hard to talk himself out of.

When she realized neither he nor Tex planned to say anything, she spoke again. “How long has this been going on?” She directed at North.

He offered a half-shrugged, not quite sure where their relationship stood now. They had been toeing the line between platonic and romantic more and more lately.

He glanced back at Tex. She looked irritated at Lina’s presence, but her gaze softened as she focused on him.

North offered a soft smile and turned back around, “Its still new.” He paused, “We’d appreciate if you would keep it to yourself. Just for now while we work this out.”

Carolina pursed her lips but nodded after a second’s hesitation. He was relieved to know she would respect his private life. Even though she was immensely upset at his behavior and prossibly felt betrayed.

He heard Tex shift her stance behind him.

She still looked unhappy about being in the same room as Carolina, but she also looked worried. He figured she would be relieved that their relationship-be it friendship or something more-would still be kept a secret. As long as it was on the down low and the Director never caught wind of it, they had some semblance of surprise. Nothing good would come from the Director knowing of his involvement with Tex.

If it wasn’t that that was bothering her-that Carolina saw them together-it must’ve been about what the redhead may have heard. Neither he nor Tex knew how long Carolina had been standing there. Did she walk right in or was she eavesdropping before making her presence known? There was no way to know.

While North trusted Lina to keep their relationship quiet, if she had heard any of their slanderous talk about the Director she would almost certainly let him know.

“This isn’t over.” Carolina warned gently, snapping North out of his worrisome thoughts. “You and I are going to have a talk. Soon.” She pointed forcefully at North.

“Sure thing.” He replied.

As Lina turned to leave he called out, “Hey. Thanks.”

She nodded and walked out.

Once Lina’s footsteps had faded away, North let out a breath and slumped back into his chair beside his sister.

He glanced up at Tex who was biting her lip and looking anxiously towards the doorway.

“I’m sure she didn’t hear anything.” He reassured.

Tex rolled her eyes and walked to the entrance of the room, looking outside to make certain that Carolina wasn’t hiding nearby. “You don’t know that, North.” She turned towards him. “If she heard anything, anything at all, she won’t hesitate to tell Church.”

She was right of course. He tilted his head towards the back of the room where Jones used to reside. “Do you think the Director-”

“I have no doubt.” Tex interrupted. “That’s how he learned about Chilkoot Base and who knows what else.” She paused. “Jones is long gone by now, probably since we saw Church and the Counselor leaving the med-wing the night before we were assigned the Chilkoot mission. Jones must’ve told him my plan if he tried to have me killed.”

North winced, knowing the bullet meant for her had instead found his sister.

Tex sighed heavily, frustrated by the uncertainty of their situation. The Director already knew about their visit to see Jones and some part of Tex’s plan to break free. He didn’t know if Jones had given the Director any indication of his role in aiding Tex, but now with Carolina possibly overhearing them, their chance of success was dwindling before them.

From the look on her face, Tex had realized the same thing.

“Why don’t we go train for a bit in the martial arts room? Hitting things always seems to make you feel better.” He joked softly, earning himself a half smile.

“I like where your mind’s at. Are you sure you want to come, though?” She said gesturing at his sister.

“I’ve been sitting around all day; I need to move a bit, get the blood flowing. I’m sure she’ll be fine for an hour or two.” He pushed up from his seat and they headed to the locker room to change.

Chapter Text

North and Tex left the martial arts gym and headed to breakfast. Amid sparring, they discussed their plan now that Tex had the backup files and Carolina may have overheard their conversation in the recovery room before interrupting their almost-kiss. Tex would attempt to leave early in the morning, before the agents woke up but after the night crew had finished assignments, around 0400 hours. They just had to survive the day.

North was going to stay behind, mainly because he refused to leave his sister. Her condition was too critical to move her, and it also wasn’t her fight. He wasn’t going to involve her in something she would probably be against. She was so eager for an AI unit that she wouldn’t care much about the Director’s misdeeds as long as she got one.

North wasn’t sure what would happen to him. It was a miracle Tex and he had gotten this far without being caught. Now that Lina was a witness to their relationship, it wouldn’t be hard for the Director to label him an accomplice. He just had to hope Tex would make it to the UNSC and could convince them to strike fast. If they hesitated, he was sure his fate would be worse than that of Jones-whatever that was.

They agreed to stick together and watch each other’s backs until they made it to one of the escape pods in the underbelly of the ship. Now that Tex trained with his group, it wasn’t too challenging.

But before training, was breakfast.

North followed Tex into the mess hall. It wasn’t too busy yet, but it would fill up within the hour. They grabbed food and sat at an empty table in the corner, both instinctually facing with their backs to the wall. They didn’t talk much, mostly pushing around their food and keeping an eye out for any incoming threats.

They didn’t worry about being seen together like they used to since one way or another, they planned for it to end before the agents woke up tomorrow morning.

York and Wash sauntered over with their food ten minutes later. Wyoming and Lina had been behind them, but both looked displeased at the company and left. The latter huffed and glared at both Tex and North before she sat elsewhere, facing them so that she could keep an eye on them.

“Ouch.” York said as he sat down, glancing away from Lina’s harsh gaze. “Guess you two should’ve stayed in hiding. At least then North would be spared her angry eyes.” He joked.

North sighed, looking away from the redhead. “Wouldn’t have helped.”

“What does that mean?” Wash asked between bites.

“Tex came to check in on my sister and me last night. Lina happened to walk in at a...less than opportune moment.”

York grinned, “And what does that mean?”

North shook his head and shot him an exasperated look. “Not the important part of the story, York.”

He glanced at Tex whose eyes never left her rival a few tables over.

“Training is going to be so much fun today.” He said sarcastically. York and Wash nodded agreement.

Somehow during training Lina and Tex didn’t kill each other. Instead it seemed like the calm before the storm; each agent was cautiously observing the other from afar. They avoided each other in training, refusing to engage. This only furthered North’s theory that Lina had been eavesdropping. Why else would she all of the sudden act less aggressive and more reserved during a training program where she usually took advantage of the near-lethal weapons and an in-range competitor.

He watched Tex’s back during the session and was offered the cold shoulder treatment from Carolina.

York shrugged and followed the redhead out of the training room a few hours later when they were finally released. He was caught in the middle and North didn’t blame him for trying to stay on her good side.

North and Tex had to make it through dinner, free-time before lights out, and then all the way to 0400 hours. It seemed so simple and yet very daunting. There was a nervous knot in North’s stomach, and from Tex’s face, he assumed she felt the same. The two of them silently walked with the rest of the group towards the locker room to get cleaned up, and half an hour later, were back in the mess hall for dinner, though neither felt very hungry.

Chapter Text

One long hour later, North and Tex shuffled from the mess hall, over to the rec room where many of the agents relaxed and socialized before lights out. Sticking to a group was probably their safest bet if the Director was actively seeking Tex, and possibly North as well. They ignored the side-glances from their coworkers who were still wary of Tex and her dangerous reputation. But they both had larger things to worry about than MoI gossip.

North followed Tex to an empty table in the back of the room where they sat quietly discussing their plan for early the next morning. The amicable chatter and sounds of a billards game effectively muffled their conversation.

They planned to stay low in Tex’s room once they left the rec room, hoping Carolina had kept her mouth shut to the Director about his involvement with Tex. Around 0400 hours they would make their way to the lower levels of the ship where the emergency pods were. Tex would board the pod and at around 0430 and North would launch her at the same time the garbage was floated. They hoped the clump of debris would help shield her if the MoI was alerted to the pod departure. Since they had never used an escape pod, they weren’t sure what would happen onboard. Would alarms go off? Or would no one notice?

Following this, North would return to his room and pray that Tex made it to the UNSC and could excite them into immediate action against the Director.

As they were debating final details, York sauntered up to them, halting their conversation. He pulled out a chair and slowly lowered himself. “What’s going on?” He asked.

Tex kept her mouth shut, offering nothing.

“What do you mean?” North responded evenly.

“Lina seems...different today. As do you two. I can’t help but feel they’re connected.” When neither North nor Tex spoke, York went on, “I know you said she caught you in a, how did you put it? An inopportune moment. But she seems...conflicted. And you two have been heads-together all day. It seems a bit overdramatic for all of you just because you two are...whatever you are now.”

Finally, North replied. “She may have overheard us talking before she walked in. What was said could be cause for her conduct today.”

York frowned, “What exactly was said?”

North glanced at Tex, unsure of how much he could divulge. She met his gaze and asked, “Do you trust him with your life?”

“Unequivocally.” He responded without hesitation.

“And what about your sister’s? And mine?”

North nodded again, while York watched in confusion.

Tex drew in a deep breath before addressing the one-eyed agent. “We have proof of crimes the Director committed including murder and blackmail.” She explained to him in a low voice.

York opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to understand what he had just heard.

“And you think Lina overheard you?” He asked when he could formulate thoughts.

North shrugged. “We have no way to be sure. Tex is going to leave tonight on an escape pod and we just have to hope she makes it to the UNSC swiftly and safely.”

York nodded, tapping his finger as he digested the information. “What’s your plan to disable the evacuation alarms that will trigger with a pod release?” North and Tex stilled, casting side-glances at each other. York, understanding what their reaction meant, released a resigned sigh. “What time are you planning on leaving?”

Tex hesitated, “Why?”

“What is my job, Agent Texas?” He paused, “I can disable the alarm. They’ll have no idea a pod was launched.”

“Are you sure you want to get involved, York?" North spoke up. "The Director isn't really known for his merciful manner.”

The infiltration specialist nodded. “I’m not going to sit around with my thumb up my ass while you two risk your lives to put away a murderer. I’ve shared my doubts with you before, North, about the Project. I trust you.”

“0430.” Tex replied, a grateful look on her face.

It didn’t last long, as her eyes landed on a red-head walking towards them.

“Brace yourself.” North stage whispered to York.

“I’ve been looking all over for you, York.” Lina said when she got closer to their table.

“I’m where you often find me; hanging out with an old buddy of mine.” He smiled, trying to charm his girlfriend. It seemed to have the opposite effect.

She scowled down at them. “I’d be a little more careful when it comes to who you cozy-up to.” While she only looked to York, North felt the jab at him and Tex.

“It’s just North, Lina. There’s nothing to worry about.” When she failed to respond, he stood up. “Good chat guys. We’ll catch up later.” He gently grabbed Carolina’s arm and led her toward the opposite side of the room where an arm wrestling tournament had broken out. Nothing brought her spirits up like competition and physical violence.

Soon she was enthralled in the games and had lost interest of Tex and North in the corner, allowing them to slip off to Tex’s room.

Chapter Text

North and Tex made it back to her room without incident. It was a tense and silent walk that was a stark contrast from the jovial rec room. They had another six and a half hours before they would need to start making their way to the lower level of the ship where the escape pods were housed and meet York.

The metallic scrape sounded the closing of the door behind them. Tex kicked off her shoes and stripped off her hoodie as she walked toward the bed, dropping the clothing item on her desk chair. She sat down on the edge of the bed in a tight, black tank top, watching as he stood only a few feet into the room, unsure of what to do or say.

He cleared his throat and looked away from Tex’s intense gaze, instead opting to glance around the barren walls of her room.

Tex remained quiet for a moment longer. “Do you remember that time you found me in the training room? I had just injured my wrist.” North nodded as she rubbed her arm at the memory of it. “It was the anniversary of her death. I was beating myself up over it. Literally.” She added with a small smiled. “And you came in and made sure I was okay even though I was being stubborn.” She paused again. “I think that was when I started to trust you. I don’t know why. After a decade of being an emotionless bitch to everyone, you were somehow able to cut right through that.” A tear streaked down her face, enticing North closer. He sat down next to her on the bed, gently wiping the tear away once he’d settled. “No matter what happens, I am eternally grateful. Because of your help, I may be able to get justice for my sister. And for myself.”

North didn’t realize his hand that had wiped the tears away still caressed her cheek. Or that her own hand had moved to hold it there.

He spoke in an equally soft tone. “For reasons unknown, I was drawn to you. Maybe it was your fierce skills on the field. Or the mystery surrounding your appearance. One way or another, I could never get enough of you.” He stopped, “And I still can’t.”

Tex wrapped a hand around his neck, leading his head towards her. He kissed her slowly at first, wrapping his arm around her and gently pulling her against him, unsure of what she really wanted. But it became clear as she fisted his shirt in her hands, pulling him harder against her, melding her body against his. He responded by slipping his hand under the edge of her top, mapping invisible patterns across her back, enjoying how her grip on tightened and her breathing accelerated.

Tex removed her mouth from his, only to trace a line of kisses along his jawline and down his neck. He shivered and laid soft kisses on her bare shoulder. Her hands went to his waist, and she leaned back against the pillows, tugging him down on her. One leg wrapped around him while her arm snaked to his shirt again, pulling him closer.

North pulled back slightly, meeting her eyes, “Are you sure you?” He asked, supporting himself on his hands to look at her. Her golden hair was fanned out around her on the pillow, her cheeks flushed, and she wore a hungry look in her eyes that he was sure matched his.

She nodded and barely muttered a “yes” before they were entangled again and her hoarde of pillows pushed to the floor.

North drifted in and out of an uneasy sleep. The distraction helped for a bit, and cleared his mind. But eventually his thoughts returned to the imminent undertaking. A million things could go wrong, especially now that Lina was in the mix. He could not predict what she would do, nor did he know whether she overheard North and Tex talking or just saw their embrace. And the more he tried to determine her possible course of action, the more frustrated and worried he got.

He let out a sigh and glanced at the clock. Three hours to go.

Chapter Text

North stirred as he heard the metallic creak of the door opening. He closed his eyes tighter against the light from the hallway and relaxed once the door finally shut, plunging the room back into complete darkness. He had practically fallen back asleep moments later when he heard a slight “umf” from Tex as she knocked into the furniture, probably her dresser which was closest to the door.

Tex shifted slightly. “You could turn the light on, you know.” She mumbled at him, her voice slurred with sleep.

North nodded into the pillow barely hearing her, much less comprehending her words.

Wake up! A panicked voice inside his head yelled.

If I’m still in bed, and she’s still in bed...

His eyes shot open a second later, a bolt of dread shooting through his veins as his muscles tensed.

“Tex?” he whispered.

“Hmm?”

Her response came from right behind him where she lay.

Then who just opened the door?

“Tex!” North warned right as he heard someone lunge beside him. A ‘thunk’ came from the nightstand next to his head, like the sound of something small but substantial being stabbed into wood.

Adrenaline rushed through him. He kicked off the covers and jumped off the end of the bed, hoping whoever was near the head couldn’t quite locate him. He heard and felt Tex do the same, both of them finally understanding the situation. Her light footsteps sounded as she reached to turn on a lamp.

Feeling around on the bed was Wyoming, a wicked looking dagger in one hand and a pistol strapped to his hip. As soon as the room was lit and he realized the bed was empty he turned, his eyes darting between Tex and him.

“What the fuck is going o-” North started, but Wyoming was in no mood for small talk.

“Sorry.”  Was all he said in response, and he definitely did not sound or look apologetic.

With a feral grin the assassin dashed toward them. North was closest and assumed his combat stance. Wyoming extended his arm and swung the blade at North, who dodged.

Wyoming came at him again. North was able to block him with one hand, and slammed his other fist into his abdomen. The opponent grunted in pain, but it only seemed to piss him off. He rapidly jabbed at North, who did his best to defend himself, his arms up and covering his face. But he left the rest of his body open and a strong kick to his stomach sent the blond tumbling back.

Tex moved to meet Wyoming, dodging his first swipe. She stepped in close, effectively hitting him in the solar plexus. He huffed and stumbled a few steps back, trying to recover his lost breath. He lurched toward her again, swinging his bladed hand towards her throat. Tex threw an arm up to block, and took a shot at his head to no avail. Wyoming leaned out of reach and swiped again. She jumped back then bent low, extending a leg and rotating, knocking Wyoming onto his back.

Before he could pop back up, Tex pounced on him, knocking the dagger from his hand and pushing her forearm to his throat. North quickly collected the dagger, standing defensively near Tex.

Wyoming squirmed, trying to rid himself of Tex, but she pressed harder on his throat until he choked and settled down.

“Why?” Tex asked in a hard voice. Wyoming said nothing.

She shifted more of her weight onto his throat. He tried to hold out, but seconds later he wheezed out a desperate “alright”.

“Because you have quite the target placed on your back.” When Tex said nothing, Wyoming continued. “There is a hefty sum of money for your head. It was just too good to pass up.”

“A bounty?” North clarified.

Wyoming barely glanced at him, but his silence was confirmation enough.

“You’re not allowed to take side jobs while an Agent. That was one of the rules when you signed up.” Tex countered.

“Yes, because when people think of me they think ‘now there’s a guy who follows the rules and regulations’.” He replied, rolling his eyes as if the thought were utterly ridiculous.

“You would risk the wrath of the Director just for money?” North interjected.

“First off, yes. Secondly, I would only face his displeasure if I were caught-which I never am. And thirdly, who do you think put out the reward for killing our dear Texas?”

Tex bit her lip as she processed the information, her eyes locked on the man under her.

Suddenly a thought occurred to North, “How long ago did you take this job?”

Wyoming eyed him, trying to gauge his interest. “You want to know if I had anything to do with South’s injuries, I presume.” North nodded hesitantly. “Hazard of the job, I suppose.”

North growled and took a menacing step forward. Tex turned to look at him, holding one hand out to stop him. “Wait. He may have more information.”

Wyoming moved abruptly, yanking his arms free from being pinned under Tex. He shoved her off and sat up, his pistol in one hand. He had been working it free of the holster the whole time, hidden from North’s view by Tex’s body.

As Wyoming opened his smug mouth to release another snarky comment, his hand moving to aim at Tex, North propelled the dagger at him. It made a soft noise as it sunk into his neck, causing the would-be assassin to slowly sink back down. Tex jumped back as blood flowed silently from his neck, his eyes wide with surprise and pain.

Tex and North watched as a few moments later Wyoming stopped breathing and finally stilled.

Chapter Text

“Well shit,” Tex breathed, her eyes trained on Wyoming’s lifeless body.

They both jumped at the sound of Tex’s alarm going off, originally set to wake them up when it was time to prepare for the trek to the escape pods. No need for it now.

Tex stepped around Wyoming, warily watching him as if she expected him to pop back up at any moment and continue his assault.

“Do you have the evidence?”

Tex pulled at her necklace to show him the small drive hanging from it, “Hasn’t left my side since I found it.”

“We need to get moving then. If Wyoming isn’t heard from soon, the Director will be suspicious.” North paused and frowned. “Well, more so than he is now.”

Tex nodded and grabbed fresh clothes to change into.

“Do you need your AI chip?” North asked as his eyes landed on the chip on her dresser.

Tex shook her head, “Haven’t used him in over a week.”

That didn’t sound right. “Why not?”

A shudder ran through Tex as she opened the door. “He can’t be trusted. By anyone.”

North ignored Theta, who felt confused and curious about why his ‘sibling’ had been deemed untrustworthy. That was a discussion for another time.

They calmly exited the room and walked towards the elevators. Thankfully the halls were dim and empty like usual.

North let out a breath as the doors to the lift closed and they began their descent.

It was quiet and tense in the elevator, save for the mechanical hum of the motor. Without turning, North reached over and grasped Tex’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. From the corner of his eye he saw a slight smile form and she returned the gesture.

They exited the elevator once the doors opened and walked until they located a framed emergency plan.

“There.” Tex pointed. “Shuttles are a few halls over.”

North nodded and followed her as she led the way. He found himself constantly looking behind them for potential dangers.

Eventually they made it to a hall lined with about twenty-or-so doors. Each one connected to a small shuttle that could fit ten people each if ever there was an emergency.

They stood outside one of the first doors and waited.

One minute passed.

Then two.

Once five minutes had slugged by, Tex turned to North. “He’s late.” Her voice gave away her emotions, though he knew she tried to hide them.

“I’m sure he’s fine. You know York, he’s always running late.” But he couldn’t hide the worry in his voice either.

They agreed to wait a few more minutes, their anxiety increasing with every passing second.

“That’s it. I don’t have the time to stand around and wait for the Director to find us.”

“It’s a little too late for that isn’t it?” Came a cold voice from behind them.

North spun around to see the Director flanked by five of his elite security. The guards were armed with various firearms and wore old versions of the armor suits that the Agents wore.

Old, but still effective.

“Church.” Tex greeted in an equally unfriendly tone.

“You just couldn’t let the past remain in the past.” He shook his head as if disappointed.

“You’re one to talk. You’ve been hunting down the Insurrectionist leader for a decade.” North interjected, much to the chagrin of Theta.

“And you,” North regretted his words as soon as the Director’s heartless eyes turned to him. “Your betrayal will be your ending. If only you had been as loyal to me.”

“You see, I have this rule about not blindly following others. Especially overly-ambitious murderers.”

“Funny.” The Director sneered. With a flick of his wrist North and Tex were surrounded by the enemy guards, their wrists bound before they were prodded forward to follow the Director who had already turned and stalked down the hall.

They ended up in an abandoned section of the ship. No one ever went down here because there was never any reason to. It was old and creepy down there.

They slowed as the Director punched in a code and stepped inside the opened doorway. North and Tex hesitated, neither wanting to learn what horrors resided inside.

A sharp poke from the barrel of a rifle jerked North into movement. He tried to think of something-anything-to do. But with his wrists bound and an armored guard surrounding him, he could think of nothing. And even if he could break free, there wasn’t really anywhere to run.

The room looked much like the decrepit exterior they entered from. Before North could get his bearings, his eyes landed on a crumpled figure in the corner.

On a nasty looking cot laid Jones. His clothing was covered in blood, dirt, and other unidentifiable things. He looked thin and pale. Somehow, he seemed to be in much worse condition than when he was in the infirmary. Even with the noise of six guards clunking in in full gear he didn’t move.

The Director noticed this too and motioned towards one of his men. With a harsh shake, Jones woke up. His eyes were unfocused as he glanced around the room. Eventually, though, they focused on Tex.

“I’m so sorry,” he cried, “I didn’t want to. You have to believe me! I would never-” With another nod from the Director, the same guard hit Jones in the face with the butt of his rifle, knocking him out cold.

North stared at the scene in front of him with open horror.

“I knew as soon as he was on board you would seek him out. I really hoped you wouldn’t.” The Director paused. “Its your fault really,” he gestured to the broken form of Jones. “If you had left him alone and remained loyal, he would’ve been fine.”

“So this is what it comes to, Church?” Tex inquired, leveling a glare at the Director, who shrugged nonchalantly.

“Do you really think for a second we believe you would have let him go?” North added.

“Touché.” He looked thoughtful, “I guess not, especially since he has outlived his usefulness. A man only needs so many prisoners.”

Tex took a threatening step forward but the guards grabbed her before she could get very far.

The Director tsked and pulled a gun out, aiming at Jones head.

He turned back to Tex. “Unless of course you would like to hand over whatever you found on Chilkoot? Then maybe we can work something out.”

Tex spit at him, hellfire in her eyes. “You son of a bitch. You think I’m just going to give it to you? After learning how you forced me to kill Alison?” She asked incredulously. “Fuck no. I am done being blackmailed into submission. You want the evidence so bad, you can fucking find it yourself.”

“Well then,” The grin that formed on the Director’s face was chilling. “I can think of a million ways to get that information. You forget I’ve known you since we were young adults. I know all of your fears and faults.”

“You can torture me all you want, Church. But I’m not giving you shit.”

“I already know that, darling.” The gun moved until it was trained at North. “Which is why you won’t be the one I physically torment.”

Chapter Text

North froze. He felt Theta whimper and curl up in his mind. He wanted nothing more than to punch the living daylights out of the man in front of him, but he would be shot before he could do much damage.

He apologized to Theta mentally. He should’ve pulled the AI before he left. Now the innocent sentience would be subject to a long and painful death.

“Stephenson, go check their rooms. See if you can find anything.” The Director demanded before looking back at Tex. “You know, I really thought Wyoming would succeed. He ‘always gets his man’.”

“Too be fair, as a sniper specialist, he probably shouldn’t have attacked me with a knife.” Tex replied.

“You should’ve let him kill you. At least then you would have spared your boy toy from torture and eventual death.”

“No.”

North, along with everyone else in the room turned towards the voice. It had come from one of the Director’s guards. North turned back to look at him. The room was silent as the gears in the Director’s head churned, trying to suss out which of his security dared speak up.

It didn’t take him long to figure it out, and he leveled a glare at the guard farthest in the back. It took North only a few seconds longer to see what the Director saw.

The officer in the back wore different gear. The suit was the newest model that the Agent’s were assigned. And the helmet...that’s what gave her away. She was one of the only to wear that style of helmet. It was not a standard issue piece of equipment and it was definitely not something someone in the Director’s elite security would have.

The Director hesitated; should he keep up appearances for Carolina’s sake? But she had been in the room the whole time, so she had heard too much.

He sighed. “What a web you have just gotten yourself tangled in.”

The suit shimmered until it was the usual cyan color. “I am not going to let you torture North. Nor will you kill the Leader. He should be turned in, like you said you would do.”

“I say a lot of things.” He snapped. “You should leave now, Carolina, and I might forget that you were ever here.”

She shook her head. “I can’t let you torture my friend. And from the look of it,” she gestured to the limp form of Jones, “you’re quite familiar with torturing people.” When the Director said nothing but scowled, she continued. “I trusted you. I defended you time and again whenever people began to doubt you. And this is how you repay me? By killing two of your agents and the Leader?” She sounded wounded and angry. “I thought we were family.”

“We are. You’ve got it all wrong, Carolina. Let’s go somewhere and talk about this.” He extended a hand out towards her. North could tell from his tone he was losing his patience, though.

“And when we return from talking will they be mysteriously dead or missing?”

It seemed that Carolina had finally opened her eyes, much to the joy of North. He half-expected her to accept his offer. And for her sake, he kind of hoped she had once the Director clenched his jaw and glowered at her. He motioned to his guards who immediately began to corner the red-head.

While the Director, and North, were focused on Lina, Tex had had enough. She kicked the guard closest to her in the chest, sending him sprawling into the guy behind him. North followed suite, kicking one of the armored officers. Since one had left and the other was Lina, there were four plus the Director they had to contend with. Lina, North, and Tex made their way toward each other, their backs together as they faced their perpetrators.

The Director looked amused, the gun back at his side. Carolina passed North a pocket knife which he used to slice the ties off his hands before giving it to Tex.

Three well-trained operatives versus four guards and a madman.

When no one made the first move, the Director decided to spur on the conflict. “Are you planning to stand around all day?”

Chapter Text

North breathed heavily, staring down at the unconscious body of one of the Director’s guards. He glanced up in time to see Tex ram her knee into the guy of another one, finished him off with a blow to the head. Carolina was staring down the Director. He was silently daring her to attack him, confident that his shining star of a student would never turn on him.

After a moment of complete silence, save for the labored breathing of the three Agents, Carolina spoke without turning. “I trust you, North.”

Though she didn’t ask it outright, he knew what she really meant. The Director looked slightly apprehensive now.

North nodded before realizing her back was to him and she couldn’t see him. “Look at Jones. That’s nothing compared to what he’s done in the past.”

With a single nod of acknowledgement, she snapped a punch. The Director crumbled to the floor, too surprised by the betrayal to defend himself.

He couldn’t see Lina’s expression, but he knew it was pained. She thought the world of the Director.

She took a second to compose herself and turned to face North and Tex. She glanced at Tex, “Tie him up.” Tex was all too happy to oblige.

Lina stepped closer to North. “You need to tell me everything. I deserve to know everything after what I just did.”

He squeezed her hand, wishing he could comfort her, but had no idea how. The man she looked up to, almost like a father figure, was a murder and liar. There was no gentle way to explain that to her.

He remembered how strong she was though, and that she had already risked it all to help North and Tex, the latter of which was her nemesis.

While North explained what he had learned and experienced in the past weeks, Carolina remained quiet, soaking in the knowledge of the Director’s actions.

He finished talking and looked at her trying to gauge her reaction.

She simply nodded, “I agree. The UNSC can have him.” She turned towards Tex who had long since finished binding her former friend. “Grab him and lets go to the bridge. We can contact the UNSC from there.”

Tex muttered assent and grabbed the Directors unconscious form as Lina opened the door.

“What about Jones?” North asked as they began to exit. He didn’t want to leave him alone trapped in the room, but also didn’t want him wandering around.

“We’ll drop him off at my room. York’s there, probably worried and curious.” Lina replied.

“Yeah, whatever happened there? He was supposed to meet us, not you.” North asked gently, not wanting to sound ungrateful.

A fond smile appeared on Lina’s face. “You know how when he’s trying to hide something he tries to look innocent? Well he looked too innocent.”

North shared a knowing chuckle.

Following a brief stop to leave Jones with York, they arrived on the bridge about ten minutes later where Tex unceremoniously dumped the Director on the ground. The Director groaned, but otherwise remained out of it.

Carolina began hitting buttons and tapping screens in an attempt to get in contact with the UNSC.

North moved to stand near Tex. “Are you ready?”

“More than you know.” She reached and grabbed his hand, “Thank you, for everything. I don’t think I can ever repay you.”

He was leaning down to place a quick kiss on her lips when a voice boomed. “Agent Carolina.” He acknowledged, “I must say I was surprised to receive your call.”

Startled, North glanced to the projected screen where a man in uniform sat; the only identifier was a UNSC patch and metallic badge reading Hargrove.

Carolina cleared her throat before speaking in a strong voice. “The Director is yours. We have proof of his crimes.”

The man-Hargrove-sat back, surprised and contemplative. “Why now? I’ve been pestering for years.”

“It took until today to fully understand the extent of it.” She replied, not wanting to give too much of her personal involvement away.

“What crimes, exactly? And what proof do you offer?”

The red-head turned to Tex who stepped forward.

“I have physical and testimonial evidence of murder, torture, blackmail, and illegal substance acquisition.”

“Impressive.” He paused, “I’ll be there on a shuttle with an armed escort and a few members of my committee in four hours.”

Tex and Lina nodded and then the screen clicked off.

“Well, we have four hours to kill. I think I need a drink.” And with that Carolina left.

North and Tex kept an eye on the Director who had come to an hour or so later. At first he tried to barter with them. When that failed he turned to nasty threats.

North was a little taken aback by the horrific details he went into, but Tex seemed unfazed and smirked down at the fallen leader before tying a strip of cloth around his mouth to muffle his madness while they waited.

Chapter Text

Around ten ‘til the shuttle was due, Tex glanced at the radar and noticed the UNSC had arrived. She helped coordinate the docking procedure as Lina and York walked in. York whistled, impressed, as he saw the beat up and tied up Director. Carolina refused to make eye contact and walked over to Tex, asking her for an update.

“Want to go get the UNSC?” The blond asked once she was finished explaining what little had happened since they’d seen each other last.

“York, with me.” Carolina ordered and left to greet the landing party.

The group arrived a minute later with Hargrove, ten guards in armored suits, and two other people he didn’t recognize but wore fancy cloth outfits similar to what Hargrove wore.

The pleasantries were kept short. Tex hesitantly handed over her drive but soon relented. Due to the extent of Jones injuries they didn’t want to transport him yet. Tex agreed once he had healed a bit they would both meet with the committee at their headquarters.

“Again, I thank you all for your assistance. We’ll be in touch.” Hargrove spoke.

One of the guards in the back shuddered, almost as if from laughter and made an odd noise. His buddy next to him must’ve asked if he was okay, but in a low, raspy voice the first guard assured him all was well. North wasn’t sure what was so funny about Hargrove’s words, but was distracted as final round of handshakes began. Then, the drive and the Director were hauled away. As the last of the guards left following their leaders and their new prisoner, North walked over to Tex.

She had a weird look on her face as she stared back at one final, lingering guard. His head was tilted to the side, staring back at her. Before North could ask if they knew each other or something, the guard abruptly turned and followed his people.

York, of course, was the one to break the silence. “So, what do we do now?” He glanced between the three of them.

North shrugged.

“What do you think, Carolina?” Asked Tex.

Sometime during the events of the last few hours they had gained a mutual respect for one another, as evident by the lack of bite in her tone when she usually addressed the redhead.

Lina straightened up as all eyes turned to her. “Sleep for now. Then at breakfast we make the announcement. We can decide what to do from there.”

The group agreed and the couples went their separate ways. Tex opened her door, planning on grabbing a few of her things before they headed to North’s room which was free of dead assassins.

North waited just inside the doorway as Tex packed some clothes into a small bag.

She shut the top drawer of her dresser, her training outfit in her hands, when she froze.

“North,” she said in a wavering voice. He took a step forward out of concern. “Do you remember where my AI chip was when you left?”

“On top of your dresser.” He replied, confused. “Why?”

“It’s not here.”

“What? We just saw it a few hours ago.” He stepped towards her dresser as she looked around the room, panic infiltrating their thoughts.

“When need to tell Carolina there’s a nasty AI on the loose.”

They walked towards Lina’s room, but when they arrived the door was open and she stood talking to an one of the information analysts. She waved him off gravely as they walked up.

“What happened?”

“He and another guy work overnight shifts and had just grabbed some breakfast before headed to bed. They found Stephenson in one of the hallways that connects the mess hall to the suites. He said his helmet was off and he had bloodied claw marks on his head and neck, like he was trying to dig something out of his brain.” Lina twisted her face in disgust. “I can only hope you have better news, North.”

North pursed his lips, trying to figure out the best way to tell her one of the AI chips was missing. Before he could get a syllable out, Tex had already started talking. And what she said was worse than he could’ve ever imagined.

“Omega.” She said.

“What?” Lina asked, confused.

“That’s what he was trying to get out of his head. He wore an older suit that couldn’t handle the brunt of the AI unit. Omega knew it would fail soon enough, tortured the guy for fun, and jumped ship. Literally.”

North gaped, trying to comprehend the situation. Her AI tortured people for shits and grins?

Lina had keyed in on something else Tex had said. “What do you mean ‘jump ship’?”

“He can transfer units. From there he can influence and even control people. I don’t know how but he did it once before. I haven’t put him in since. I think Stephenson tried to take it since the chip was sitting out on top of my dresser, probably when Church had him snoop around my room for the drive.”

The redhead contemplated this, “Where is Omega now, then, if Stephenson is dead?”

“I believe he is in one of the UNSC guards. That guy who sort of convulsed, that’s what happened when Omega infected O’Malley.”

“What about the guard that lingered behind while the rest of the group left? He was staring at you strangely.” North inquired.

“That was the same guard. The problem is we don’t know how Omega jumps from person to person. Once they make it back to their cruiser, he might have hundreds of people to choose from. And once they land back at HQ..” she trailed off, letting their imaginations fill in the rest.

“Meet me back on the bridge in thirty. We can discuss strategy then and try and contact the shuttle.” Lina demanded and shut the door.

“We’ll find him.” North reassured Tex.

“I hope so. He’s similar to Church in some ways: ambitious, strategic, and will do whatever it takes to see his plans through, even if it means doing awful things.”

“And you think he has plans?”

She nodded. “He was living in my mind for nearly a year. I’ve gotten a glimpse into his thoughts. It’s the stuff of nightmares.”

He wrapped an arm around Tex, pulling her close as they neared his room. “Never a dull day onboard the Mother of Invention.”

Tex snorted in sarcastic agreement, opening the door.

“Well, we do have thirty minutes to kill in the meantime.” North suggested with a raised eyebrow and a playful smile.

“Really?” She couldn’t stop the slow grin that formed from the ridiculousness of It all. “I just informed you of an artificial madman that can control people and that’s what’s on your mind?”

He shrugged, lounging on his bed while Tex stood over him, an incredulous hand on her hip.

“We’ve barely had two minutes to ourselves. To be ourselves. We’ve been working to secure the Director’s imprisonment, glancing over our shoulders constantly. And now who knows how long we’ll be dealing with Omega. Days? Weeks? Months? I think we deserve a few minutes to relax.” He paused and feigned contentment, closing his eyes, “But if you’re not interested, I could go for a nice nap.”

She jumped onto the bed beside him, “I guess a few minutes to ourselves couldn’t hurt.”

North grinned back at her as she wrapped an arm around him and pressed in closer, finally meeting his lips.

They had a few hours before the UNSC shuttle docked and Omega gained a larger hunting ground. So they spent their thirty minutes lost in each other, grateful once again for the companionship and distraction before they geared up, a spring in their step to meet Lina and York.

“Alright,” Carolina started, “Here’s the plan..”