Chapter 222: The Federal Army of Chorus

WEEKS EARLIER... JUNGLE CANYON, "CRASH SITE BRAVO"

Fade in to Washington's point of view, who sees several Feds assisting an unconscious Sarge nearby.

Fed Soldier: I repeat, we have three survivors in need of immediate assistance. (to a Fed) Make sure the docs are ready. He really did a number on them.

Washington: (weakly) Sarge...

Locus approaches Wash.

Locus: He's not dead. ...Not yet.

Washington: No...

Wash turns his head towards the sky and sees Locus looking down upon him.

Locus: I warned you, Agent Washington. I gave you a choice. And you chose to fight. I admire that decision.

Washington: (weakly) Fuck... you... monster.

Locus: No, I'm not a monster. I'm a soldier, like you.

Locus leaves as the screen fades out. Fade back in to reveal a broken down facility. Wash is seen wearing his blue armor, hearing the Director.

Director: (voice only) Why hello, Agent Washington.

Washington: Project Freelancer?

Counselor: (voice over) Agent Washington.

Washington: Huh?!

Wash suddenly flashes back to the past where he sees himself talking to the Counselor.

Counselor: (voice only) So you would say that you have overwhelming feelings of anger, and a need for revenge?

Past Washington: More than you know.

Washington: ...What?

Wash then flashes back to the point where he shoots Lopez and Donut. He runs towards his past self in order to stop himself from shooting Donut. However, the scene goes as it did before.

Washington: Wait! WAIT!

His past self fires at Donut, causing him to collapse immediately.

Simmons: Why did you do that?! What's wrong with you?!

Washington: No...! I was just...

Locus: (echoing) I was just following orders.

Washington: I was just following orders...

Voice: (echoing) You shot him!

Washington: What?

Simmons appears in front of Washington.

Simmons: You shot him! You shot Donut!

Washington backs away and aims his pistol at Simmons.

Washington: No, I just...! I did what I had to do!

Locus appears behind Washington.

Locus: Don't we all?

Washington turns around and shoots at Locus. However, he finds his own body on the ground afterwards instead.

Locus: (voice only) Agent Washington...

Now back in his steel and yellow armor, Washington stares down at himself.

Emily Grey: (voice only) Agent Washington? Agent Washington!

Cut to black.

Emily Grey: (voice only) Oh. Well...that was close.

Cut to Washington, Sarge, and Donut, handcuffed inside a Federal Army outpost.

F.A.C. OUTPOST 37

Sarge: Dirtbags! Each and every one of 'em! The soldiers: dirtbags! The medics: dirtbags! That good-for-nothin' mercenary, who shoots a man when he ain't even lookin': you best believe he's a numero uno dirtbag! And you...

Sarge acknowledges a Fed standing nearby.

Sarge: You know what you are...

Donut: Ooh, ooh, me! Pick me, Sarge!

Sarge: Shut up, Donut.

Donut: But I was gonna say "dirtbag".

Sarge: What? Do! Do- For the love of-! Now you've gone and given away the answer to my rhetorical question!

Washington: I have an idea. Let's play the quiet game.

Donut: Ohohoho. It. Is. On!

Sarge: Great Monopoly's top hat, Wash. Now is not the time for games! Now is the time for action! Come on, help me get out of these cuffs. There's a certain someone in this room that I feel like bludgeoning to death!

Donut: Just use your feet, Sarge. If he fights back, I'll beat him off ya!

Sarge: You're not thinking, Donut! That'll just alert more guards.

Donut: Well if I can't beat off a room full of dudes, then what have I been training for this whole time?

Washington: I would really like to play the quiet game, please.

Fed: (off screen) Officer on deck!

Cut to Doyle and a couple of Feds. Doyle approaches Wash, Donut, and Sarge.

Doyle: Agent Washington, Franklin Donut, Sarge. I... am so-oooh sorry!

Sarge: (pause) Say what now?

Doyle: Guard, uncuff these men at once! And return their weaponry, for God's sake!

Fed: Yes sir. (walks up to Sarge) Really sorry about this, sir. I'd appreciate it if you decided not to bludgeon me to death.

Sarge: Ah, I suppose I could settle for near death.

Donut: Bye, handcuffs. Aw, wait. I didn't even get to use my safe word. (whispering) It's "Chrysanthemum."

Washington: Okay, wait, stop. Stop!

Doyle: Um, what is it, Agent Washington?

Washington: What is it? What is it! First, you send men to kill us. Then you send men to capture us. And now that we're here, you're giving us guns and saying you're SORRY?

Doyle: Uh... Is that a problem?

Wash aims at Doyle.

Washington: Only for you, if you don't-

Doyle: O-oh dear. (faints)

Donut: What a weenie.

Cut to Wash, Sarge, and Donut standing outside atop a bunker.

Washington: I don't understand. None of this makes any sense.

The group notice Emily Grey talking to Doyle.

Emily Grey: (enthusiastically) Now just take it easy for the rest of the day. Remember, "You're no good to me dead." Although, I suppose I could run some experiments on your body.

Doyle: Uh, thank you, Emily. Ahah, your help is always appreciated.

Emily Grey: Anytime General Doyle! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have limbs to amputate! (leaves)

Doyle: Of course.

Doyle approaches Wash, Sarge, and Donut.

Doyle: Gentlemen. I'm afraid I have nothing but apologies for you today. It must be the thin air up here, I-I've been doing a lot of travelling lately and my body's still adjusting to-

Washington: (approaches Doyle) "Doyle," right?

Doyle: Oh, uh... well yes. Very observant. General Donald Doyle of the Federal Army of Chorus at your service.

Sarge: At our service?

Donut: Full service?

Washington: Okay General. Let me catch you up to speed on what the past few days have been like for me. I've got a canyon of shipwrecked survivors all trying to hail a rescue, when a squad of soldiers, all wearing your uniform, come down and attack us with their leader, a big black suited son of a bitch who goes by the name Locus. Then once he leaves, I've got another guy named Felix telling me you and yours have been terrorizing this planet and to top it all off, that we're wanted men for crashing on it in the first place! (angrily) So please, if you could do your best to convince me not to kill you this very second, that would REALLY BENEFIT THE BOTH OF US!

Sarge: (nervously) ...Uh, yeah!

Doyle: (sighs) Yes, I see. None of this happened the way that it should have. Tell me, how much do you know about the New Republic?

Sarge: They don't try and kill us, for starters.

Doyle: A note-worthy quality, yes. But uh, what else do you know about them?

Washington: They're rebels, fighting to overthrow a corrupt leadership. They heard our distress call and hoped we could help.

Doyle: And you heard all of this from a mercenary, hired to assist them at all costs? ...A bit of a biased source, don't you think? These "rebels" aren't looking to free this planet, their aim is to dominate it! They were given ample opportunities to move to uh, form their own society, somewhere else on Chorus; it is a large planet, I can assure you. But nooooo. They are determined to uh, "take back what is theirs!" I'll admit, times were hard, but as a planet cut off from the rest of the galaxy we did our best to govern the people. But it wasn't enough. Suddenly buildings were exploding! There... There were riots in the streets! Complete and utter panic, everywhere! These were not acts of freedom, they were acts of terrorism! And we could not risk warriors of your caliber allying with them.

Washington: So you sent your men to kill us?!

Doyle: Absolutely not!

Sarge: I've got a few cracked ribs that beg to differ! And a hipbone that strongly disagrees!

Doyle: Again, I must apologize. The way this was handled was not at all what I had wanted. Upon hearing of your arrival on Chorus, I ordered Locus to confirm his findings and bring you to us as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it appears as though I should've been more specific in the exact method of your acquisition.

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Washington: So what, this was all your mercenary's fault? Y-You expect me to believe that the general of an army can't control his own men?

Doyle: Y-Y-You're mistaken in assuming I have any control over Locus whatsoever! He is a dog, that has long since broken from his leash. ...But we need him. (walks towards the edge of the roof) As I'm sure you already observed, I'm not a battle-worn soldier ripe with military expertise. On the contrary, I was simply next in line to run the army should something happen to its leader.

Washington: Wh-what do you mean? Lieutenant General? Major General?

Doyle: (embarrassed) Uh, personal secretary to the Brigadier.

Washington: (shocked) What?!

Donut: Where'd all the other guys go?

Doyle: Some of them left before things took a turn for the worst, but uh hmmmm...most of them were killed. Yes, definitely they were killed. Not many of us left these days, I'm afraid.

Sarge: But you're supposed to be the evil Empire! With giant warships and floating space lasers! Not camping out in the snow, that's stuff for rebels! And the sadly endangered polar bear...

Doyle: Well, we are doing significantly better than before! We still have multiple bases of operation and Locus has managed to acquire top-notch military equipment! He even helped us strategize some of our more recent victories. Mmm, though I would not consider your rescue to be one of them.

Washington: I also wouldn't consider it to be a rescue.

Doyle: Well, I can assure you that he was punished severely for taking such drastic measures against you! I made sure he wasn't paid a single penny for the job!

Washington: How comforting.

Doyle: Gentlemen, I am fully aware that I may never gain your trust. But let me be perfectly clear: we are not your enemy. The New Republic has your men and I can promise you, they are likely recruiting them into their rebellion as we speak. Now I can inform my troops not to attack them, but I cannot stop them from defending themselves. I'm.. also unable to promise you a safe escape from Chorus in the middle of this conflict. Most of our ships are shot down before they can escape the atmosphere.

Washington: So what can you promise us?

Doyle: (sighs) If you can help us defeat these terrorists, it would not only save our planet, it would also save your comrades. Then, once the skies are clear, you can leave this forsaken planet once and for all!

Sarge: (to Wash) ...Hmmm, I don't like it, but I'm not really seeing another way out. (to Doyle) Unless beating you unconscious would somehow work.

Doyle: (laughs nervously) Highly doubtful.

Sarge: Drat. I guess I'm in.

Wash looks at Donut.

Donut: No man left behind, right?

Wash turns to Doyle.

Washington: I still have one question for you General.

Doye: Uh which issss?

Washington: Where are.. our... robots?

Cut to the inside of a bunker. Lopez is seen reactivating next to a Fed technician.

Lopez: (stands) Heauegerkergerk!

Fed Technician: All right! Fixed up and ready to go.

Cut to Lopez's HUD.

Sarge: Bienvenidos robo-buddy! You're back in the world of the living! Viva...la viva.

Cut back to Lopez.

Lopez: Yo no estaba muerto. Mis miembros simplemente dejaron de funcionar y ellos me tiraron en el basurero. Fue la experiencia más agradable que he tenido en años. Después aparecieron ustedes. [I wasn't dead. My limbs just stopped working and they put me in the trash can. It was the most enjoyable experience I have had in years. Then you showed up.]

Sarge: (chuckles) No need to thank us son.

Lopez: Me hice amigos de una rata espacial.[I made friends with a space rat.]

Donut: We have got a lot of catching up to do!

Lopez: Cuéntame más tarde. Seguro que es estúpido y confuso.[Fill me in later. I'm sure it's stupid and confusing.]

Washington: Now, what about Freckles?

Fed Technician: (confused) Uh, what's a "Freckles?"

Locus suddenly appears before the group.

Locus: Agent Washington is referring to a MANTIS-class military assault droid. And you won't find it among this wreckage.

Fed Technician: Ahah, I'll uh, just look somewhere else then. (leaves)

Lopez: Ay mierda.[Oh shit.]

Wash positions himself in front of Sarge, Donut, and Lopez and aims his rifle at Locus.

Washington: (distrusting) Locus.

Locus approaches the four.

Locus: The droid was malfunctioning. It refused to surrender, and was therefore destroyed.

Donut: (shocked) He's dead?!

Locus: It was a machine. It had no life to begin with.

Lopez: Culiado. [Douche.]

Sarge: You know, it takes a lot of nerve to come strolling in here after what you did!

Locus: Does my presence upset you, Sergeant?

Sarge: It gives me an itchy trigger finger. I can tell you that.

Washington: (angrily) What do you want?

Locus: Aside from my initial examination, the men under my command were ordered to take you alive. All attacks were intended to wound, all shots were designed to intimidate. Let me assure you my raid on your base was calculated, choreographed, and designed to apprehend you. Like herding sheep to the pen. Were it not for the intervention of the mercenary and his forces, I would've succeeded entirely.

Sarge: And what, is that supposed to make us feel better? 'Cause quite honestly it's having the opposite effect.

Locus: It's supposed to make you understand.

Lopez: Yo entiendo que eres un culiado. [I understand you're a douche.]

Locus: (to Wash) Agent Washington, I am a professional. I follow orders, and I complete my missions at all costs.

Washington: I don't care what you think you are. You just stay away from me and my men.

Locus: You still don't understand. Or perhaps... you do.

Washington: What?

Emily Grey appears behind Locus.

Emily Grey: (to Locus) Excuse me! If someone tells you to leave them alone, you leave them alone.

Locus: ...Of course, doctor.

Locus turns to Wash and hands him a storage unit.

Locus: (to Wash) Here.

Washington: What is this?

Locus: Before your droid was dismantled, I had a technician remove its primary storage unit. Its "heart and mind", so to speak.

Wash quickly grabs the storage unit from Locus.

Washington: Is this supposed to be some sort of apology?

Locus: Is it?

Donut: (quietly to Lopez) This guy doesn't make any sense.

Lopez: Se debe a que está loco.[That's because he's insane.]

Locus: (menacingly) I am not!

Lopez: ALARM! MIERDA. EL ES BILINGÜE. POR FAVOR NO ME MATES. [HOLY SHIT. HE'S BILINGUAL. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME.]

Locus: (to Wash) You give meaning to meaningless objects and meaningless people, and risk your lives to protect them. Where's the sense in that? ...I look forward to your answer, soldier.

Locus leaves. Emily approaches the group.

Emily Grey: Sorry about that. I promise the rest of us aren't like him. I'm Dr. Grey.

Donut: Ooooh, a doctor! That's like a medic who saves people!

Sarge: (chuckles) You a civilian, little lady?

Emily Grey: Civilian? (laughs hysterically) I don't think you realize how bad this planet's gotten! The only people not wearing armor these days are dead! (laughs)

Washington: I know you. Your voice...

Emily Grey: Is that so? Oh, well I performed surgery on you after they brought you here. Sorry if you find a few new scars. A shot from a Concussion Rifle isn't bad, but a severe injury to the back of the skull can be a little tricky. Especially when your head is filled with pretty little wires and chips. I hope I didn't damage those neural implants.

Washington: I-I'm sure they're fine. Thank you.

Emily Grey: You can thank me by ending this war as soon as possible! Bullet wounds and prosthetic limbs have become so booooring. So, come by my office tomorrow morning for a check up. Once you're cleared, you three will be shipping off.

Sarge: Shipping off?

Donut: Where are we going?

Emily Grey: I don't give people orders boys, I just fix them when they break! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be back. Tomorrow morning. My office. 0800. (leaves)

Sarge: Mmm. Well, what do you fellas think?

Donut: I think she's... nice? She kinda reminds me of Ash, except a female.

Sarge: Not the doc, Donut, the army! The general! The whole dealio! Grif, Ash, and Simmons are out there with the Blues! Alone, confused! Probably eating, and complaining, and back talking! God damn it Grif, just shut up already!

Washington: We do what we have to, and go along with it for now.

Cut to an exterior view of the compound.

Washington: (voice only) I just hope the others aren't in too deep without us.

Fade to black.

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07-22-2022

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