Open in on the space pirates firing at the armory.

Space Pirate 1: What's going on?

Space Pirate 2: The targets are inside, but they must have some of the best soldiers with them. Our men can't get near the armory, even with cloaking.

Space Pirate 1: How's that possible?

Cut to armory interior. Freckles is mowing down the space pirates, repeating "target eliminated" while Caboose yells excitedly.

Caboose: (Shouting) Good Boy Frecklllles!

Cut to the rest of the Reds and Blues firing at the armory entrance.

"As much as I love shooting fish in a barrel, I think we may have overstayed our welcome." Sarge says.

"My kill count keeps rising!" Ash yells and he reloads his DMR.

"Yo, Simmons." Tucker starts. "What's the deal with Lopez!"

Cut to the garage.

ARMORY GARAGE

Simmons: (removing Lopez's head from under the Pelican) Got the last piece out now.

Doc: (over radio) Thank goodness. Is he ok?

Grif: (while a headless Lopez is choking him) He's just fine. Argh!

Cut to the armory.

Sarge starts to back up to the garage entrance while still firing.  

Sounds like it's time to 'vaminos'." Sarge says. "Come on, let's boogie!"

Caboose, Ash, Doc, and Donut all run into the garage.

"Just so you know. I get very motion sick." Donut informs.

Once all four are inside, Sarge backs up inside as well. Tucker runs towards the garage but is stopped by Doyle.

Doyle: Wait. Wait! If the pirates know we're on board the Pelican, what's to keep them in the city for the explosion?!

Tucker: What?

Doyle: I mean they'll just come after us. We'll lose our home, we'll lose everything for nothing!

Tucker: Well there's not really any other options.

Tucker goes to board the Pelican while Doyle stares at a Mongoose behind him. Cut to outside the armory.

Space Pirate 1: I think they're falling back! Get ready to-

Space Pirate 2: We've got movement.

Doyle races out of the armory and down the street on the Mongoose.

Doyle: You'll never take me alive, you bastards!

Space Pirate 3: (confused) Where's he going?

The space pirates hear the Pelican's engines and turn to look at the armory just as the ship rises out of the garage and speeds off.

Space Pirate 1: Locus, Felix, come in. The Reds and Blues have escaped but they left Doyle behind.

Cut to the Tartarus Bridge.

UNSC TARTARUS

Space Pirate 1: (over radio) He's driving into the city.

Locus: Something's not right.

Felix: Yeah, the fact that they're calling us instead of fucking chasing him!

Cut back to outside the armory.

Felix: (over radio) First person to put a bullet through the General gets TWICE the original bonus!

Space Pirate 1: Hell yeah...!

The space pirates go to chase after Doyle. Cut to Washington and Kimball inside the maintenance tunnels.

ARMONIA · UNDERGROUND MAINTENANCE TUNNELS

Kimball: What do you mean, he's gone?!

Tucker: (over radio) He just took off on a Mongoose. He said if we all went on the ship the plan wouldn't work.

Washington: We'll find him. Just make sure the Reds get you to safety. We'll radio them when we're ready.

Tucker: (over radio) Yeah, yeah.

Kimball: What the hell does he think he's doing?!

Washington: Calm down. I'll get him on a secure line and handle this. (radios Doyle) Doyle, what the hell do you think you're doing?! We need you on that ship!

Doyle: (over radio) Believe me, I would love to be on board. But, right now, I'm the only thing keeping Charon from leaving the city. How soon can you be at the reactor? I can't lead them on forever.

Washington: (sigh) We're not sure. Without Epsilon, we're running blind down here. We may have to surface and risk moving on the streets.

Cut to Armonia streets. Doyle slows his Mongoose to a halt.

Doyle: (sigh) Then don't bother...

Washington:(over radio) What do you mean?

Doyle: Armonia's nearly abandoned and I know every back alley and shortcut. At this rate, I'll reach the reactor before you. (speeds off into a nearby tunnel)

Kimball:(over radio) Don't even think about it...!

Cut back to the maintenance tunnels.

Doyle: (over radio) Stop arguing and listen to me! I can wait to trigger the meltdown but, once it begins we only have about fifteen minutes. Where is the extraction point?

Washington: The intersection at 51st and Tenor is wide enough for a Pelican but it's a few miles away from the reactor. We were planning on grabbing a Warthog from the training facility to make it in time.

Doyle: (over radio) Very well then. Go help Carolina. I'll meet you all at the Pelican once this is done. (screeching tires and Doyle's frightened squeal is heard) Providing I don't crash and die on this horrible thing!

Cut to Carolina and Sharkface fighting in the streets. Washington radios in while they continue fighting. Sharkface swings a right punch that Carolina ducks under. He goes for a spinning hammerfist but Carolina catches his arm and lands a punch and knee against his face.

Washington: (over radio) Carolina, it's Wash. When can you get to the LZ?

Carolina: (grabbing Sharkface's arm and swinging him around her before tossing him aside) Kinda hard to say.

Washington: (over radio) Well, we're going to need you pretty damn soon. Doyle's riding to the reactor.

Carolina: Doyle?

Washington: (over radio) Long story. Kimball and I are heading back to help you.

A metallic screeching catches Carolina's attention. She looks up and spots a monorail track above her.

Carolina: Wait... How about I come to you?

Washington: (over radio) What...?

Carolina: Make sure the extraction point is clear and get ready for one hell of an entrance.

Epsilon: (appears next to Carolina) You know that intersection isn't really close. I can't handle your speed boost for that long.

Carolina: Can you handle one jump?

Epsilon: A jump?

Carolina looks up as the monorail train passes over her.

Epsilon: Thank god for public transportation.

Carolina leaps into the air just as Sharkface lunges at her. Realizing she is gone he looks up. Carolina leans out the door of a train car and gives Sharkface a salute. He growls angrily, pulls out his grappling hook, and fires it at the train, pulling him on board. He crashes through a window and prepares to continue fighting.

Sharkface: (puts away grappling hook) You're not runnin' away this time.

Sharkface extends a flamethrower, aims, and fires. He reels back in shock when the flames suddenly fly back at his face. He looks at the shattered window, realizing that the wind will blow his flames back at him.

Carolina: Sure you wanna try that again?

Carolina smashes the window next her, causing all the windows down the car to shatter, creating even more wind inside the car. Realizing his flamethrower is useless, Sharkface retracts it and prepares to fight. Cut to Armonia's nuclear reactor

ARMONIA · NUCLEAR REACTOR

Doyle: (walking up to the controls) Oh, this is going to violate so many safety regulations...

Washington: (over radio) Are you at the reactor?

Doyle: Yes. Gave those pirates the slip and arrived safe and sound. (walks up to a computer) I'll start the process. Uh, where are you?

Cut to the LZ with Kimball and Washington just as he finishes off a space pirate.

Washington: Just cleared the LZ. All we're waiting on now is Carolina. How long do you need?

Cut back to the reactor.

Doyle: (begins typing on the keyboard) Not long. Just need to overheat a few things here and expose a few things there...

Space Pirate 1: (off screen) C'mon, this way.

Doyle: Oh... no...

Kimball: (over radio) What is it?

Doyle peeks outside and spots several space pirates searching for him.

Space Pirate 1: We found his Mongoose. He can't be far.

Doyle: I... uh... might not have given them the slip after all.

Washington: (over radio) Do you need backup?

Doyle: No. (walks back to the computer) Just a little more time.

Cut to the monorail train where Sharkface and Carolina continue to fight. Carolina leans back and dodges Sharkface's punch before landing a punch against his face. He swings with at her his left arm but Carolina ducks under it and lands a straight punch and an uppercut. She spins around, quickly landing two punches and a hammerfist. She jumps up and hits him with a tornado kick, sending him stumbling backwards. He stops himself by grabbing the car's poles. He growls angrily and charges forward. Carolina dodges his crescent kick and blocks his round kick. He punches at her with his left hand but misses and lodges it in one of the train car's poles. He tries swinging at her with his right hand but she dodges it and begins quickly punching him. She kicks the back of his legs, launching him up into the air, before hitting him with a downward hammerfist, freeing his hand and sending him crashing to the ground.

Sharkface gets up and they both prepare to continue fighting. Carolina dodges two more punches before Sharkface tries to hit her with a back kick. She circles behind him and and leaps off one of the chairs, hitting him in the face with a round kick.

Sharkface: (swings a right haymaker that Carolina dodges) Stop it... (swings a left haymaker that Carolina dodges) bitch!

Carolina dodges another two haymakers. Sharkface goes to hit her with a reverse elbow but she blocks the strike. He grabs her arm and swings her into the wall. Carolina blocks his superman punch but he still hits her with an uppercut. He misses his next punch and Carolina jumps up, grabs the rails along the top of the car and kicks Sharkface. He rolls backwards and pulls out his grappling hook, firing it at Carolina. She dodges it, the hook latching onto the door at the front of the car, and she yanks the cable, sending Sharkface flying towards her. She grabs the seats and kicks Sharkface back again.

Epsilon: (voice only) This is our stop.

Carolina picks up the grappling gun off the floor. Sharkface gets up and prepares to fight but is surprised to see Carolina yank forward on the grappling hook, sending the door it was still attached to flying at him. The doors smashes into him, sending him flying out the back of the car. Sharkface hits the street below, with the wreckage of the door landing beside him. Carolina soon rolls and lands safely onto the street, panting. Carolina sits back as Kimball and Washington run up beside her and take aim at Sharkface.

Washington: You weren't kidding about the entrance.

Carolina: (to Sharkface) Face it; it's over. You lose.

Sharkface: (struggling to stand up) Over? Nah. (he shakes his head) No. You can break me, burn me, bury me alive... (falls back to the ground and rips off his helmet) As long as I'm still breathing it will never be over. I will hunt you. I will burn you! (gets to his knees) As long as I'M ALIVE, you're all as good as DEAD!

"Can someone kill him?" Ash asks over the radio.

Kimball and Washington exchange glances and shrug before proceeding to gun down Sharkface.

Epsilon: (appears next to Carolina) You know, I don't think he'll be getting up from that one.

Carolina: Me either.

Washington: (offering Carolina a hand) You ok?

Carolina: (as Washington pulls her up) Thanks to you. Now, let's get out of here.

Washington: Grif, bring the Pelican around.

Donut: (over radio) Actually, Lopez is flying now. Grif hit too many trees trying to drop off the Blues.

Grif: (over radio) Allegedly!

"Why did we let him fly in the first place?" Ash asks over the radio.

Kimball: Doyle, we have Carolina and are at the extraction point. Are you ready?

Cut to Doyle at the reactor.

Doyle: Almost. Just give me a few more minutes and I-

Space Pirate 1: (walking into the room) Found him!

The space pirate shoots at Doyle but he ducks and kills the space pirate one with shot from his magnum.

Space Pirate 2: (off screen) The hell was that?

Doyle: Oh no. (turns around and stares at the damaged computer) No, no, no...

Kimball: (over radio) Doyle, what is it?

Doyle stares at a sticky detonator on the floor.

Kimball:(over radio) Doyle, are you ready?

Doyle: I'm afraid...

Cut back to Washington, Carolina, and Kimball at the LZ.

Doyle: (over radio) I'm afraid I won't be joining you.

Epsilon: What?

Doyle: (over radio) The controls are destroyed.

Cut back to Doyle at the reactor.

Doyle: (picking up the sticky detonator) There's no way to overload the reactor with enough time to leave. But, I can still trigger an explosion if I damage the core myself.

Space Pirate 2: (off screen) It came from over here!

Kimball:(over radio) Don't be an idiot. We need you alive. Just stay low and we can come to you.

Doyle runs outside and hides behind a wall as a squad of space pirates rushes into the room.

Doyle: Kimball, I'm surrounded. And, someone needs to be here to pull the trigger.

Cut back to Washington, Carolina, Epsilon and Kimball at the LZ.

Epsilon: (sighs) Son of a bitch...

Epsilon disappears just as the Pelican lands behind them and the rear hatch opens.

Doyle: (over radio) It's just as you said. Sometimes you have to risk lives-

Kimball: Then let me do it! If Felix isn't in the city you'll be putting the sword right in his hands!

Doyle: (over radio) There's no time!

Simmons: (from inside Pelican) C'mon, let's go!

Carolina: (putting a hand on Kimball's shoulder) Kimball...

Doyle: (over radio) Oh, for god's sake, Vanessa. I know it's not perfect but I'm rubbish as a leader and even worse as a soldier. This is all I can do.

Washington: (tapping Carolina's shoulder) We have to go.

The three of them prepare to board the Pelican with Carolina half dragging Kimball on board. Cut to Doyle at the reactor's core.

Doyle: We'll finally have a chance, a real chance. And if Felix is out there, I know you can stop him.

Space Pirate 2: (off screen) There he is!

Doyle: They've spotted me. The timer on this detonator barely lasts a minute. You need to go. (fires grenade onto the core)

Kimball: (over radio) God damn it, Doyle! Stop!

Doyle: Chorus still needs you Miss Kimball. So...when you die, you had better be damn sure that those you leave behind can carry on without you. ...I know I am. This is General Donald Doyle... signing off.

Kimball: (over radio) Wait! Don't-! (radio cuts off)

Cut to the extraction point. Carolina pulls Kimball aboard the Pelican. The rear hatch closes and the ship takes off. 

"What a hero." Ash says.

Cut to Doyle staring at the reactor core as several space pirates walk up behind him with their guns raised.

Space Pirate 2: (chuckles) Any last words... General?

Doyle: I'd like to quote the great William Shakespeare... but, to tell you the truth... I don't actually think he said it...

Space Pirate 3: (spotting the grenade on the reactor) What the hell is that?!

All the pirates turn and spot the grenade. Cut to the bridge of the Tartarus.

Space Pirate 3: (over the radio) There's a bomb on the reactor!

Felix: What?!

Locus: (to the pilot) Get us out of here!

Cut to the reactor core just before the grenade goes off. A few beeps later, it detonates. Cut to the Pelican flying away.

Simmons: We're not going to make it!

Washington: Brace for impact!

Grif: Hey, where's Carolina?

Clanking can be heard atop the Pelican. Cut to outside the Pelican. Carolina fights to walk across the top of the ship, her grav-boots keeping her attached.

"She's doing a North!" Ash yells.

Carolina: Church! (forms bubble shield)

Epsilon: (voice only) Here we go!

The bubble shield expands around the ship as the music cuts out and the screen cuts to white.

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07-26-2022