C4 is walking down a hallway with her revolver in her hands and she comes around a corner and sees East. "Hey, East." She greets.

"Oh, hey, C4." East greets back.

"Just finish training?"

"Yeah, and I lost to Carolina because of One."East says

C4 scoffs. "She thinks she's so good, just because she's number one in the team."

"I know, right." East motions behind her. "The training room is being set up for you. Let me guess, Major Ash wants you to train again?"

"Yeah, he thinks this is the military. This isn't a military!"

"Father's am I right?" East asks and the two laugh.

"Well, I better get going." C4 walks past East. "Or Major Ash is gonna get on my ass again."

"Good, luck. You'll need it."

C4 mutters. "Knowing, Dad. I will." 

C4 enters a room and a soldier is typing some stuff on a computer. He looks back and notices C4. "Agent C4, you're just in time. Your father had me set up the training today."

"So what am I doing? Stealth, Destruction? Fighting a shit-ton of robots?"

"Nope, your just fighting one robot today."

C4 rubs the back of her helmet in confusion. "Just one? Can't be that hard."

"Well, your father told me to put it on the hardest difficulty. The Meta difficulty."

"What?!" C4 yells in shock. "I can't handle that."

The soldier packs up the computer. "Oh, you'll be fine. You the daughter of Major Ash." He walks away.

"Doesn't mean I'm like him." C4 mutters.

A large panel on the wall opens up and a large robot walks out, holding a training Knifle. 

"I'm so fucking dead." C4 puts her gun on her waist and pulls out one of her knives.

The large brute of a robot readies its Training Brute Shot. C4 rolls her shoulders and jumps up and down a couple times. Then she gets into a combat stance. "Let's go motherfucker!" C4 shouts.

The robot fires a few rounds at C4 and she back flips away as they create small explosions when they go off. C4 throws a couple of exploding knives at the robot, but it just catches them and throws them to the side. 

The robot fires a couple more rounds at C4 and she runs around the side of the robot as it keeps firing at her. She then leaps towards the robot with a knife in her hand and she comes down onto the robot, but it back steps and C4 lands and plunges the knife into the ground.

The robot then steps forward and wacks C4 across the face with it's Knifle and she stumbles back. C4 then regains her barrings and ducks under another slice.

C4 stands up and brings back her left fist and throws a punch, but the robot blocks it with its brute shot. Then it kicks C4 away from him.

As C4 flies away she pulls out her revolver and fires off a few rounds. The robot blocks it with its Brute shot as well. C4 lands on the ground and puts her revolver away.

C4 grunts as she stands up. "I heard stories about The Meta, is this how he actually was?" She ducks down as a grenade from the Robots brute shot flies above her.

C4 runs forward and at the robot and as she reaches it, the robot swings the blade of the brute shot through the air. C4 ducks down and does a back-flip, kicking the brute shot away from the robot in the process.

C4 lands on her feet and rushes at the robot, and she throws a punch. The robot grabs her fist and stops the punch, then it grabs her arm and throws her on its shoulder and onto the ground.

C4 grunts in pain as she slams into the ground. She stands up, only to get punched in the face, she staggers back. Trying to get her barings, but she gets kicked in the chest and falls to the ground.

The robot stands over C4 and brings a foot up. "I yield!" C4 yells and the robot backs away and deactivates. 

C4 rolls onto her side and coughs a few times. "Fucking hell, Dad. I can't fight like you!" She slams her fist into the ground as she takes a few deep breaths and slowly stands up. She flips off the robot as she gets up.

Up in the spectating area we see Ash. He crosses his arms, then walks away.

Ash exits the room and walks down the hall and Beta appears on his shoulder.

"You knew she couldn't handle that." The red A.I. says.

"I wanted to see what she could do against an opponent of much higher skill." Ash states. "And she couldn't win."

"So why did you do it then."

"Like I said, I wanted to see what she could do against an opponent of much higher skill." Ash enters his room and Beta flashes over into a container with wires hooked up to it. "I've fought many opponents of much higher skill, I won most of them."

"But you had an A.I." Beta points out.

Ash starts typing at his computer. "Yeah, I had an A.I. I'm really nothing without one. I only won most of those fights, because I had an A.I. I'm a really shitty fighter and a really shitty father." He then whispers. "I miss the old days." He then starts chuckling and it slowly turns into maniacal laughter. 

.

.

.

Everyone gathers together for a meeting. Ash stands next to Carolina and C4 is next to East.

West is addressing the group. "In short, if there's no more room in the dishwasher, then it's time to run the cycle. Don't just shove your stiff in there and walk away."

The crowd murmurs.

West continues. "For this next bit. I'm going to have Raymond come up, rookie!"

West moves to the side as Raymond takes his place. 

Raymond clears his throat. "Hey everyone." His voice cracks and he clears his throat again. Then he speaks quietly. "You got this man, you got this." He looks back to the group. "We were able to gather a lot of good intel at Falcon Base. Viper intends to steal another key located at Starlight Labs in the city sector. Immediately following this debriefing, Shatter Squad will dispatch to intercept. Secondly, Major Washington was recovered at the base." Ash and Carolina walks forward. "He's stable, but unconscious."

"Where is he?" Carolina asks.

"Recovering in med bay." West informs. "We're gonna get the guys who did this. I promise you."

"What are we waiting for?" Ash asks. "We'll suit up and kick some ass!"

"Stand down, Major Ash. We'll take care of this one without you and Carolina."

"Like hell you will!" Carolina shouts.

"I'm not asking agent, that's an order." West says. "You're both still recovering which means you two are risks, a risk I'm not willing to take when my team's on the line. We need you two here with Major Washington. Shatter Squad, let's catch a snake."

.

.

.

Shatter Squad is driving down the road in their car as One calls Starlight Labs and informs the about the attack. She ends the call.

The car then follows after an APC that attack Starlight Labs.

"Hey, check it out!" Raymond's driving. The car changes into his color scheme. "The camouflage mode is like a mood ring. Go go, gadget race mode!"

The car pulls up right behind the APC.

"We're getting too close!" Raymond says.

"Yeah, you're gonna ram them." One orders.

C4 pops out from the back and comes to the front. "HIT 'EM!" She laughs.

"Yeah, I'm gonna ram-- wait, I'm gonna what?" Raymond questions.

Suddenly something slams explodes next to the car, shaking the vehicle and almost making Raymond lose control. 

One looks out the window. "Are you guys seeing this?"

C4 looks out One's window to see Zero aiming a Spartan Laser at the car. "Oh, just great!"

Zero fires another laser and Raymond shifts gears and speeds up as the laser hits the ground behind the car.

The car speeds after the APC.

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03-05-2023