Red vs Blue: Heavy 'META'L

Recovery One (1)

A steel soldier with yellow accents walks past four dead bodies and approaches York's corpse. He then kneels and fidgets with his armor until he hears a voice.

Voice: Prime display activated. Restoring functions.

Delta then appears above York's body.

Delta: Hello, how may I be of assistance to you?

Soldier: Instruction: identify yourself.

Delta: Executing; I am intelligence program Delta, as created for the special operative program Freelancer. I have been assigned to agent Foxtrot Twelve. Or, York. My assignee was recently killed in combat.

Soldier: I noticed. Hold on.

The soldier stands and turns on his radio.

Soldier: Come in, Command. This is Recovery One. I've located the Delta A.I. He appears in tact.

Command: This is Command, we need a full inventory of the carrier's equipment before it's decommissioned.

Recovery One: Why do you need that?

Command: Recovery One, please respond to the directive. Perform a complete inventory.

Recovery One: Roger Command. Recovery One out. Delta, instruction: run a full system diagnostic, with detail on armor components, analyze inventory.

Delta: Executing, result: all components present. Armor at 70% peak capacity.

Recovery One: Not bad for an old locksmith. Hey, need you to start a countdown for me. One hundred on the clock.

Delta: Initiating. One hundred. Ninety-nine. Ninety-eight. May I make an inquiry?

Recovery One: Go ahead.

Delta: Why was I not destroyed?

Recovery One: What?

Delta: When an assignee is killed in action, protocol dictates that all intelligence programs be destroyed.

Recovery One: Yeah that's what they told me at first too. But you were encrypted until you could be recovered. I'm here to recover you.

Delta: Recovery carries risk. Destruction ensures that an A.I. will not fall in to enemy hands.

Recovery One: Are you complaining?

Delta: Not at all! Just noting a discrepancy.

Recovery One: What do you want from me guy? You cost a lot of money, okay? It's cheaper to recover you than it is to delete you. Go bitch to the accountants.

Delta: If I have offended you, I do apologize.

Recovery One: Yeah, I'm all busted up about it. Now, store yourself in a portable component, okay? I'm moving you.

Delta: You could insert me in to your own A.I. slot. I do not show it as occupied.

Recovery One: I don't think so.

Delta: If you are having difficulty, I can walk you through the implantation procedure.

Recovery One: I don't do that.

Delta: Are you Agent Washington?

Recovery One: That's me.

Delta: Then I understand. You had, difficulties with your assigned A.I. unit.

Washington: Difficulties? Yeah, I suppose that's a word.

Delta: In that case, I must insist that you terminate my program. Destruction ensures that an A.I. will not fall in to-

Washington: Look, Delta, just relax. I don't think you're in any danger of getting hijacked by one of the four dead guys here with us.

Delta: Three.

Washington: What?

Delta: My sensors indicate only three inert human forms. Yourself and one other remain active.

Washington: Wha-

Several rifle rounds shoot past Washington's head. Washington starts running.

Washington: Great, thanks for telling me!

Delta: I suggest you return fire.

Washington: Ya think?

A plasma grenade lands at Washington's feet.

Washington: Son of a-!

Washington and a white soldier run past each other shooting, and Washington comes up dry.

Washington: Dammit.

The white soldier reloads, then retreats.

Washington: What the hell?

Delta: Perhaps he realized that York's equipment was charged to detonate. Currently T-minus four,

Washington: Instruction! Storage, now!

Delta: Executing.

Delta disappears back in to York.

Delta: Two. One.

Washington collects Delta and jumps off the building as York's body explodes behind him, and lands below.

Washington: Well, at least that was easier than the last one.

The radio sounds out as Washington starts jogging.

Command: Recovery One, this is Command, we have a level one distress signal, immediate response necessary.

Washington: I just wrapped that up, Command. I'm headed home.

Command: Negative, Recovery One, this is a new signal.

Washington: That's the fifth one this month.

Command: Affirmative.

Washington: (sigh) Alright, send me the coordinates. I'm on my way.

Washington reaches his jeep and drives off. Unaware, two figures were watching everything transpire.

???: <Why did we not help him?>

???: Because we've still yet to figure out if he's after you know who. Plus, I don't think Wash will trust me after everything that's happened so far, mate. Please tell me you got the coordinates.

A small black hologram appears on the black soldier's shoulder.

Hologram: Yeah, I did. And with luck we might be able to get there before Wash does.

(SEASONS 6-8 BEGINS! OH, I HAVE SO MUCH PLANNED FOR THIS BOOK!)