1258 HOURS, NOVEMBER 15, 2554 (UNSC MILITARY CALENDAR)
HALO INSTALLATION: SIRCA--QOPPA--FREELANCER HEADQUARTERS

The elevator survived, well enough to be used and not be afraid of it grinding against the walls or have any stability issues. Outside of the hole that the remnant of the tank round had punched, the team of Chupadores and Spartan made their way to the Director's office.

From there, Tysiac gave Wash the data drive he collected from Director Lionel's hands during their personal meeting. And speaking of said meeting, Wash, York and Constance hadn't stopped asking about it.

"What. The hell. Happened down there?" Wash nearly demanded again, after having asked for the fifth time, his voice sharp enough as they moved to the brig, as Tysiac didn't want to hold Bethany down and back anymore than he already did.

Tysiac, having lost patience with how many times he had been asked, came to a stop as he replied, "Omega had his hands involved with Bethany's and Carolina's pasts. That's why Bethany had been stewing in the brig."

York straightened as his eyes widened the moment Carolina was mentioned, "W-what?" His voice quickly became sharp as his usual easygoing demeanor now became serious as he growled, "What do you mean, he was involved?"

The Spartan sighed as he considered his words, weighing what to tell them first, "One thing at a time, York. But I can spare you the details and say this. It's why Bethany had gotten into the Freelancer Division, why Carolina and Leonard were dragged into Project Werewolf, and indirectly, why your Director had gone off the deep end and created Werewolves. For now, we'll need to finish collecting everything we can from here and get out. The Director is still alive, but he's long since gone dark, and the Freelancer Division is dissolved and no longer in Omega's funding."

The yellow-furred Chupadore didn't take well to the short explanation as he tried to put his claw on the Spartan's shoulder. The shielding stopped him and made his clawed hand slide off, but it was enough to make Tysiac pause as York demanded, "What aren't you telling us? I'm not taking cliff-notes as the answer to this!"

"It'll have to satisfy you for now." Tysiac snapped back with impatience, having finally gotten tired of their incessant questions on the full story, making York and Wash flinch a little at the response, "We have too much to do, too much to gather before leaving, and too little time."

York's claws flexed at his sides. He didn't ask again, but his silence was louder than his demands. Wash came around and nudged York's side as he looked up to the taller Chupadore, somewhat calming the Werewolf as the two and Constance followed the Spartan further in.

Making his way to the lower levels of the facility and to the brig, the silence was almost deafening, only broken up by the thudding steps of his armor and the silent clicks of the Chupadores' claws against the concrete. Compared to the noise and chaos at the surface, the facility underground had practically looked untouched as the time the Spartan had first come in.

The brig still smelled of recycled air and faint ozone, humming with power as if the war above had never touched this place. Tysiac easily found Bethany lying on her side in her cot, the cuffs still attached to her wrists and ankles. The black-furred Chupadore woman looked up sharply from hearing his arrival and to his approach. A flicker of relief crossed her face as Tysiac could catch hearing the sigh of relief at seeing him and the others.

"Took you long enough," she said, her voice tinged in a mix of relief and frustration.

York came around to see his fellow Freelancer and gave a wry grin, "Damn, Tex. He had you wrapped up like a damsel in distress. Something of a personal taste, Tys?"

Tysiac rolled his eyes, and he wasn't alone as Constance came around and nudged the Chupadore's shoulder, "You're seriously gonna have pillow talks right now?"

"Hey," York chuckled as he recovered, "Nothing wrong with a little bondage, right?"

If there was a moment Tysiac wanted York to stop talking, he would've loved it to happen right now as he replied, "Fight's over and we're short on time. Are you going to work with us before we scavenge this facility?"

Bethany gave an unhappy look at him as she sat up, flexing her cuffed limbs, "Do I look like I'm spoiled with options here?"

The Spartan gave a silent sigh as he moved to the cell controls to deactivate the locks, memory guiding him to lower the shielding, "I'm not asking for perfection, and I'm not asking to keep you bound up and doing nothing, just don't kill everyone we're trying to recruit and try not to ditch us. Deal?"

She gave a small, humorless smile as she stood up and balanced on her feet, "No promises, but I get the message." She lifted her arms up as York came through to unlock the cuffs.

Once Bethany was freed and she stepped out of the cell, she didn't hesitate. Her leg quickly shot out in a sharp, precise kick aimed squarely between Tysiac's legs and at his codpiece.

The impact landed with a resonating thud against the MJOLNIR's armor and energy shielding. His HUD flashed a warning in bold yellow as his shields reported being depleted halfway. Tysiac looked at her with a slight exasperated look, his helmet hiding the expression but his body language easily telling, "You're lucky the shields caught that."

Bethany only replied with a glare, though her expression was more frustrated than actual anger, "No. You're lucky the shields stopped me. That's for locking me up and the fucking cuffs, asshole." She tested her leg the Chupadore had used before massaging her wrists. She didn't look at him when she spoke again, but her voice cracked just a little, "You fucking left me alone." Bethany didn't storm off. She lingered around the brig's doorframe, her gaze low to the floor, waiting.

She had every right to be angry, even with her being left alone to stew in her thoughts from what all happened. But Tysiac couldn't afford to hold a lot of guilt. Not with everything he and the Movement needed from the Director's computer and data.

Constance said nothing, but her eyes tracked Bethany's every move--like studying a data point she hadn't yet made sense of. York, leaving the now empty cell, gave a low whistle at the display, "Glad to know you still have that temper, Tex..." He shifted his attention back to the Spartan as Bethany didn't respond, his tone getting sharp again, "Alright. We got Tex out. Now, about what you said--Omega, Tex and Carolina. Start talking."

Bethany's flinch at the names was more than apparent as Wash was the first to notice as he gently asked, "Tex?"

She shook her head, York's eyes widening just a little and Constance seemingly uncertain of herself in seeing the Freelancer. Bethany gave a small mutter, "Just... I still... I need to breathe and not look at this damn room right now..."

Tysiac gave a nod, adding an exhale as he began to move to Bethany, his voice low, but resonant when he was close, "Will you need to be outside and get your bearings, or are you able to join us to his office?"

The Chupadore woman didn't respond right away, but her eyes did flick to him briefly. Behind them, Wash, York and Constance watched the interaction, not having much to scavenge or collect from the brig as they waited for the two. After a bit, Bethany exhaled slowly, shaking just a little, before glancing to the exit, "...Give me a second."

Tysiac nodded, "Take what time you need." He turned his head to the three Chupadores and gave a small movement with his head, leading the group on and down the hallway to the same elevator that led to the aftermath of Tysiac's and Bethany's fight.

York gave a wide eyed look at the crater Tysiac had caused when the Spartan had intercepted Beth before the elevator doorway, "I don't think I recognize that being there before... Part of what happened with Tex being in her cell?"

"Correct." Tysiac replied, his tone a little curt as he didn't want to dwell more on the fight. Instead, he began his own explanation as the Spartan kept his voice steady, "When we confronted Director Lionel, we uncovered a lot over both Freelancers. With Carolina, her death at Sidewinder Base wasn't an accident, and neither was the Director responsible, as Omega had deliberately used Church in his Werewolf trance to attack her."

The silence hit hard, York especially as his shoulders drooped, his breath shaky and tight and his clawed fingers clenching a little at his sides. Constance remained composed, but it definitely seemed like it affected her in a way, "You're... certain?"

Tysiac nodded, "From the security footage Lionel had on the data crystal itself. The Director had never planned either Chupas to fight, and when Carolina had been thrown over the edge, beaten and clawed apart, it was pretty clear the Director was dismayed. Hard to miss it when you see him leaning over the edge, yelling Carolina's name."

York looked down, his expression pained as Tysiac finished, "D-damnit..." He muttered, clutching the key necklace with one clawed hand as Wash kept close to the Werewolf Chupadore.

Moving on to the elevator, Tysiac continued, "The Director kept Carolina out of nepotism, which is why she was in Pro--Freelancer Division. Why Omega targeted and had Carolina killed is still unknown to me." He quickly corrected himself.

Constance didn't seem too bothered by the correction, though Tysiac could tell she heard that. Regardless, she didn't press on that and instead stated, "I think you do know."

Tysiac turned to the Chupadore and shook his head, "Ideas and theories at best. However, with no evidence to back any of it up, they're less useful other than assumptions. And in my line of work, you never make assumptions."

That seemed enough to mull the woman's questions as she piled into the elevator with the Spartan, York and Wash following close behind. Tysiac shifted the topic back to the information, "In addition, Director Lionel holds Omega suspect that he had been involved with Bethany's accident, the one that led her to signing onto the Freelancer Division."

Wash jolted as he stared at the Spartan in surprise, "The shrine? Why would Omega want her crippled?"

Tysiac shook his head again, "Uncertain. But its possible Omega didn't expect Carolina to bend backwards and make the Director save Bethany." He almost wanted to add in his suspicions in Beth's "experimental surgery", as that was prime grounds to adding anything the Director wanted in Beth, which would've fueled the reason why he kept her so close and spoke so familiarly with her.

With a soft noise and the elevator door opening, the group stepped towards the now abandoned desk of Director Lionel. Wash moved over to the desk to get access as Tysiac continued, "What is worse is that Omega's attempts at either killing or capturing Bethany and Carolina had stretched back to their childhood." He looked over to York and asked, "Did Carolina ever talk about how she lost her family?"

"Once," York grunted, his voice rough as his memories seemed to be giving him a dour look, his claw around the key necklace, "And barely anything outside of it being a car accident. Something about hitting some leftover mine. She never wanted to talk about it, and I didn't push."

"It wasn't a leftover mine," Tysiac said as he leaned against the wall.

That was more than enough to make the dots connect between the Chupadores, especially York as he looked up to stare at Tysiac. He looked like the world just crashed around him in words only as he whispered, "You... He... Killed her family?"

Tysiac nodded, "It was supposed to be a capture mission, either Carolina or Church, maybe even the mother being alive might've been part of the plan." The idea of capturing Leonard or their mother hadn't crossed Tysiac's mind until recently, but it would've fit Omega's methods. More leverage, and more people to use to blackmail.

The Freelancers quickly turned from horror to confusion, as Constance chimed in, "Church? What's the grump-ass wolf-boy have to do with any of this?"

Tysiac looked back to York, "Carolina ever told you her full name? Or even her last name?"

York blinked, before shaking his head, "No. We ususally never got into telling anyone's names. I assumed her first was Carol, since Carolina was a reserved agent name to her..." His eyes widened as his voice slowed, "N... No... You can't be serious..."

"Church," Tysiac summed it up, ripping the bandaid off. Both Wash's and Constance's eyes widened slowly as the Spartan continued, "Carolina Church, Leonard Church, and Director Lionel Church."

Constance sputtered on the spot, "Are!? Wh-Ho... The Director's!? You mean he's been..."

Wash muttered, more to himself than anyone else, “She trusted us. And we didn't even ask.” He looked up to the Spartan and asked gently, "Does Tex...?" The small stumbling from York caught Wash's attention, realizing his friend's own take to the revelation.

York's yellow fur paled, his eyes widening to almost dinner sized plates. York's throat bobbed. He looked like he'd been shot without a sound as he took a step back and looked like he was about to collapse if it wasn't for the wall just behind him.

"But..." York's voice faltered as he stared at Tysiac. And it didn't take long for the Spartan to realize what rocked York this hard. It appears Carolina had been keeping even her relationship with the Director a secret. And it only begun to be confirmed as York attempted to speak, "She never said. N-never told me..."

Tysiac nodded to Wash as York had to lean himself hard against the wall, "Bethany knows. In fact, she was the one who berated the Director over his treatment between both of his kids. Just one problem."

He tapped one part of his helmet with his chin to bring up the recording, the suit easily reading his intentions as it brought the clip up and to the right time as the Freelancers soon heard the low volumed, but still angry roar of the Director: "I have no son."

Apparently it was the first time either of them ever heard Director Lionel Church raise his voice, even with the volume not shaking the room as Constance's eyes flew wide open. The sound of the Freelancer's breathing filled the silence of the room. Tysiac didn't stop there as he shifted around, "Ordinarily, I would've let Beth tell you three this, as its her own history. But given she isn't present, I'll have to."

Constance had to lean against the wall, "Fucking... How many more of these are you going to throw at us?"

"Just this one's left." Tysiac cracked a rare smile before beginning, "I said before that Omega was involved with both Carolina's and Bethany's pasts. With Carolina, Omega used her own brother to attack and kill her, and earlier on in the loss of her mother and whatever happened to Church in his disappearance from the car wreck."

York whispered, though it was still audible enough to the Freelancers and Spartan as he interrupted Tysiac, "He never came back. She thought he was dead..."

Tysiac paused for a bit, his thoughts reorganizing before continuing, "But after Omega failed catching her or Church when they were kids, Omega shifted his sights to Bethany. Unfortunately for him, she wasn't at her family home. From what I recall, Beth said she was staying with Leonard just before her family was killed and her home burned down to hide tracks that Omega had any involvement."

Wash's fur paled, "Why...? All this, just... Two families being destroyed just to get at Tex and Carolina?"

"That's my biggest problem, and why I told you," Tysiac answered, his head turning to Constance, "I don't know why. And I have nothing concrete to point to. But from the sound of it, it's nothing I want happening. Another reason why I fought and kept Beth here as much as I could."

"And you would've chased me down, if I tried to leave." Her voice rang out, almost devoid of the same energy as Tysiac turned to look at Bethany, her tail low to the ground as she looked at him and the others. She straightened up, though it was clear her breath of fresh air didn't help settle the whole list of revelations running through her head, "Hope it hurts knowing, as much as it did with me..."

Red vs Blue © Rooster Teeth. Halo © 343 Industries. Concept by Myshu, assisted by The Department of Chupapology.