Hello Everyone. It's been awhile, hasn't it? So to start off, I know there's really no excuse for not posting a chapter for an entire year, but life for me has been a roller coaster as of late. I now have a part-time job and a new computer (Previously I was uploading all my stories on an Ipad). I'm informing all of you that this hiatus is over, and during the summer I'll be updating both the Red vs Blue/Corpse Party story, this one, and the Deadpool/Corpse Party story regularly to make up for the lack of chapter posts.

Chapter 12

"Doc, what did you find out in your scan of the Meta?"

The purple-colored medic looked over at Wash. "Umm, it's hard to say. He's added so much non-standard equipment to his armor that I can't really get a good reading on him."

"I didn't want you to run an intelligence report on him. I wanted a medical one." Wash said firmly.

"His power systems are stressed from trying to maintain it all." Doc replied. "Is he missing some component that control all this, or-"

"Physically. Is he fine physically?" Wash clarified.

"Yeah, I guess." Doc said.

"Good. I'm watching you all. Give me any trouble and you're dead. Don't believe me? Ask your buddy about his friend, Donut."

Nora stuck her tongue out while Wash's back was turned.

"What a stuck-up." She whispered.

"Yeah. We noticed." Jaune replied.

"I don't understand this at all." Ren said. "Agent Washington's goal is to get out of prison, we know that. But what does the Meta get out of all of it?"

"Maybe he wishes to redeem himself aswellI?" Pyrrha suggested.

"Unlikely. I don't see how recovering something like that would give him immunity from killing his teammates." Ren stated. "He must be in it for some other reason."

"Well, why don't we ask him?" Nora whisper-screamed.

Their quiet discussion was interrupted when a bullet hit the wall between Ren and Jaune.

"Next one's going in between your eyes." Wash said. "Be quiet."

"Wash, where has your humility gone?" Pyrrha asked.

"Humility is not a luxury I have." Wash shot back. "This is my one chance. Don't make it more difficult by forcing me to kill kids."

"Hey, he does realize that I'm the one who scanned Donut's dead body, right?" Doc asked.

"I think he was just making a point." Simmons said. "Hey, I have an idea! Give me your scanner thing."

"My scanner?" Doc replied. "Why? It can't be used as a weapon."

"Maybe it can." Simmons said. "If I can overload the power cell, you may be able to fire an overcharged burst."

"Interesting thought." Ren replied.

"It could short out the Meta's systems." Simmons said. "Either that or..."

"...Or what?" Doc finished.

"Huh? What? Nah, nah, nah, nah. No 'or', just that, forget the 'or'." Simmons replied.

"You were going to say explode, weren't you?" Doc asked.

"No."

"Were you thinking explode?"

"Will you just give me the damn scanner?"

"Hey, wait." Pyrrha whispered. "Did you hear that?"

"Oh Simmons! "Simmons!"

"Yeah." Jaune said. Sounded like..."

"Where are you? Yoo-hoo!"

Washington went over to the front of the base and took a quick look.

"Looks like just one of them." He observed.

The Meta growled a response.

"I don't know if he has it." Wash said. "I can't see from this far."

Another growl.

"No, you stay here. Guard the rest. I'll go out there. If he gives me any trouble, just kill the prisoners and come help me."

Jaune let out a groan. "Well there go our chances of getting rescued."

"I hope your friend doesn't give him any trouble." Doc added.

"If it's one of my friends, he won't stand a chance." Simmons muttered.

Back in the desert, Tucker, Weiss, and Blake looked around for the Reds

"Yo, dudes!" He called out. "Sarge! Grif! Where'd you go?"

"Looks like they're all gone." Blake remarked. "Ruby and Yang too."

"I can't believe they just left us!" Weiss exclaimed. "How inconsiderate!"

"Um, hey, guys?" Caboose said.

Weiss paid no attention to the blue idiot. She had her fill for the day with these morons. Blake scanned the horizon, looking for any traces that would tell them where the Reds had gone.

"Um, have you seen Church?"

"No, I'm looking for the Red guys." Tucker replied. "Looks like they fixed one of the jeeps and took off."

"Oh. Well that's not good." Caboose remarked.

"Seriously? Why are you so obsessed with that loudmouth egotistic bowling ball?" Weiss asked.

"What's an egg-o-tistik-ol?" Caboose replied.

"Nevermind. Forget I said anything." Weiss said.

"Maybe Church went with them, or maybe they took him, I don't know dude." Tucker suggested.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Caboose said. "I don't think that would happen."

Blake raised her eyebrows. She and Tucker turned around.

"What? How the fuck would you know?" Tucker asked.

Blake widened her eyes at seeing the figures behind Caboose and nudged Weiss, who looked in her direction in response.

"Cause if he was gone, I think some people who were looking for him might be really mad that he's not here...and we might have to explain to those people why he's not here...and those people might not like our explanation...and those people might hurt us with plasma guns and plasma grenades."

"Oh, right." Tucker said.

Blake palmed the hilt of Gambol Shroud. "This isn't good."

"I mean the alie-"

"WE KNOW!" Weiss shouted.

From the backside of the wall, Ruby looked at Sarge through the scope of Crescent Rose, with Yang beside her.

"So what's the plan?" Yang asked.

"I don't know. Sarge just made a bunch of exploding noises with his mouth and acted out some sort of slow-motion action movie." Ruby replied.

"That's the kinda plan I like." Yang said grinning.

"Freeze!" Washington called out to Sarge, whose back was turned to him. "Turn around."

Sarge did as he was told. "Well, well. If it isn't our good buddy Agent Washington."

"I got a couple other names for him." Yang hissed, cracking her knuckles.

"Shush!" Her sister scolded. "Let Sarge do his thing!"

"And just what are you doing here?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Sarge." Washington said. "Where's the rest of your guys, where's Epsilon?"

"Someplace safe." Sarge replied.

"He's going to get himself killed one day." Ruby sighed.

"You can either tell me, or you can tell the Meta back at the base."

"The Meta is here?" Sarge asked in fake surprise.

"Yes." Washington said. "And he really wants a chance to repay you guys for all the trouble you caused him."

"Should I load a round?" Ruby asked.

"Didn't you just tell me like 20 seconds ago to let Sarge do his thing?" Yang replied.

"I seem to recall you caused him some of that trouble yourself." Sarge shot back.

"Situations changed. Now drop your weapons."

Ruby watched as Sarge dropped his shotgun.

"What's he doing?!" She whisper-screamed.

"Hey, 'let him do his thing', right?" Yang said.

"Oh, will you quit with that? This is serious!"

"Just so you know, gonna want that back in a minute." Sarge said, switching to his pistol.

Washington kept his rifle raised. "I said, drop your weapons."

"All my weapons?" Sarge asked.

"Yes."

"You sure? Maybe I can just keep the pistol. Y'know these things aren't quite as effective as they used to be."

"I'm loading a round." Ruby deadpanned.

"Drop it! Now!" Wash barked.

The pistol fell to the ground.

"Well that's what people say."

"Good. Now, march."

"Son, you can insult me. You can ambush me. You can even take away my weapons. But if you think I'm gonna step one single pinky toe inside of Blue Base, without my SHOTGUN, you must not know who you're dealing with."

"Ooooh, nice." Yang said. "Burn Wash, burn."

"That wasn't a burn, that was a deathwish." Ruby corrected.

"Oh have a little faith, Ruby. When has Sarge ever let us-oh wait I just heard what I said."

"I said move." Wash repeated.

"And I said, shotgun." Sarge countered.

"Yes." Wash said. "I have your shotgun."

"No, I mean, shot-GUN!" Sarge replied.

"Does he want you to step in, Yang?" Ruby asked.

"I dunno, maybe he's trying to use some sort of reverse-psychology on him, like play stupid. That or he's just actually being stupid." Yang replied.

"What is this, you think I'm going to give you your shotgun because you asked?" Wash said.

"I said, SHOTGUN!" Sarge yelled. "SHOTGUN, damnit!"

"Oooooh, I think I get it now." Ruby said.

From behind the wall, they could hear a muffled, "Oh yeah! Shotgun! That's my cue!"

"Huh?" Washington said, turning around. "Wait…What're you up to?"

A loud noise, like a motor, started up, getting closer to the wall.

"Uhhh, Ruby?" Yang said in a worried tone.

"What is that noise? Wash asked.

"I think we should MOVE!" Yang shouted, grabbing Ruby and jumping out of the way, just in time to make way for Grif, riding straight into the wall with the jeep.

"Do I hear a…"

The wall shattered into a million pieces. Time seemed to slow down as Sarge jumped out of the way. Although Washington's helmet covered his facial expressions, there was no doubt this was the last thing he expected to happen.

"...CAR?!"

The jeep hit him right in the torso, forcing him to hold on to the car for dear life.

"How's my bumper taste, asshole?" Grif taunted, but it was only well lived for a moment, as Wash quickly recovered from the shock of being hit and clambered up to the hood, only to be face to face with Yang.

"Hey, Wash. Feel like going for a joyride?"

Wash groaned, and swung the butt of Sarge's shotgun in her face, Yang blocking it with her gauntlets. The two continued tussling, each attempting to get a hit in. At one point, Yang grabbed a hold of Wash's hand holding his rifle. Wash's hand reacted by pulling the trigger, sending bullets flying through the windshield at Grif, who ducked down to avoid them.

"Hey! Didn't anyone ever tell you to not distract the driver?!" Grif yelled.

"Sorry!" Yang shouted back.

Grif then noticed between the two of them a ledge onto the waterfall, which would surely cause the vehicle to topple. He slammed his foot on the pedals, hoping to find the one break pedal. Finally finding it, the vehicle slid into a stop, with Yang grabbing onto the windshield to prevent her from falling. Wash was not so lucky, being tossed into a bunch of strange glowing yellow boxes.

Sarge ran over to the Jeep, and Yang handed him his Shotgun she plucked from Wash during the fight.

"Nice work soldier. Told you I'd get it back." He grunted.

"How 'bout next time we choose a codeword, we don't choose something you say every 5 seconds." Grif said.

"Just drive, numbnuts. Sarge replied, climbing into the passenger seat. Yang held onto the windshield and sat on the hood as they drove over to where Wash landed.

Wash clambered to his feet, shaking himself off and groaning. Then, out came the jeep, with Sarge standing in the passenger seat with his shotgun pointed at the barrels, which he realized by now were explosives.

"Agent Wash.,."

"Son of a bitch."

"You just got-"

Whatever Sarge said after was cut off by the sounds of explosions.

"Goddamnit, messed up my one-liner."

"Thanks for letting me help, Sarge." Yang said.

"Are you kidding? You'd make a perfect Red Team soldier! I've been saying that since Blood Gulch!" Sarge replied. "The amount of Blue blood we could spill together…"

Back at Blue Base, Simmons had finished messing with Doc's medical tool.

"Okay, now's our chance, Doc! Hit him with an overcharge. It should overload at least one of his systems."

"Um...You do it." Doc said.

"What?! Me? I don't even know how to fire that thing!" Simmons whispered.

"Just pull the trigger and let go! It's super easy!"

"Nonono, you're trained with it, you should do it. Go!"

Simmons nudged Doc in the direction of the Meta.

"You can do it, Doc!" Nora whisper-screamed.

"What if I miss?!" Doc asked. "What if it doesn't do anything but make him mad? I already made him mad once and that didn't really work out very well."

"Yeah, I mean he is a pacifist, so how would he know where to aim?" Jaune added.

"Ssshh! Just let him do it!" Ren shushed.

"But-"

"Do you want him to do it, or us? Ren said.

"Point taken."

"We...Well then we'll just, we'll improvise!"

"Yeah, I don't feel entirely comfortable with that answer." Doc said.

Team JNPR's eyes went wide as plates as they saw a tall plume of black smoke rise over the base.

"What the heck was that?" Doc asked.

"Uh oh!" Simmons squeaked. "I have a bad feeling someone just caused some trouble!"

The Meta turned around, his Bruteshot's blade looking particularly sharp today. Jaune's teeth started to chatter.

"OH NO! IMPROVISE! IMPROVISE!" Simmons yelled as Doc powered up his tool.