Well, this is it, the final chapter. After nearly a year of writing and work, this is the end... I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, read, asked questions, and commented. You all made finishing this piece possible.

Also, since it is the end of the story, I'd like to open my ask box to any sort of questions, clarifications, or anything you want to know about the story or its characters. You can either ask me over PM or you can find the name of my tumblr account on my profile if you want to ask me questions there. Lastly, I'd like to remind everyone to please vote for the next fic you'd like to see me write (if you're interested in that...)

Thank you all so much for sticking with this story to its end!

The white van pulled up to the gates of the Hydro base. Slowly, everyone filed out and gathered in an indoor common.

The Administrator stood up on the raised control point at the center of the room.

"Gentlemen," she started, "the future is before us. As it stands, I no longer need you to fight Gray Mann. However, I believe a new threat is rising. The threat, of a challenging team of nine mercenaries. They will come and destroy us if you do not stop them. Your next mission is to..."

"Another mission? Do you know what we just went through?" Demo asked.

The Administrator walked to the edge of the ledge and glared down at the Scot, "I'm well aware of what happened to you. However, you still work for me, so you still do as I say."

"Pah, I'm not following your bloody orders anymore. We went through hell for 2 years, saved your sorry ass, and all the thanks we get is more bloody missions? No thank you, I'm leaving."

With that, Demo walked off toward his room.

The Administrator turned and glared at the rest of the team, "Don't just stand there, kill him!"

A silent agreement passed through the group.

"Actually," Sniper said, "I agree with Demo. I'm not going to fight another team after missin two years of my life. I'm with Demo, and I quit."

He slung his rifle onto his shoulder and left for the barracks.

Soldier marched to the door just after Sniper, then turned briefly to the Administrator, "You are a communist if you think I'm going to work for you after being stuck, wasting my life in Canada for two years."

Scout ran after Soldier, "Yeah, I'm out too."

The Administrator stood, dumbfounded, as she watched half her mercenaries walk out on her. Sharply, she returned to the remaining five, "None of you can leave, you need me to continue your pathetic lives."

Spy returned a cigarette he'd been about to light to its case, "Actually, madam, I don't need you or your money."

He slid the case back into his suit jacket and strode calmly from the room.

Heavy and Medic were in a whispering argument in Russian as the Administrator stalked down from the control point.

"Well," she said, "It appears I'll need you all to work extra hard in order to make up for the shortcomings of your teammates. Eventually, I will hire replacement members, but until then-"

"No," Heavy said, "doktor and I will not work for you anymore."

"But," Medic started.

Heavy shot Medic a look, "We can find other places to get whale bladder. This is not good place anymore."

Medic sighed and followed Heavy as he left.

The Administrator took several steps toward them, "Wait, what about your family? Or all the crimes you've committed? You need me to protect you!"

Heavy and Medic continued on as if they hadn't heard her.

The Administrator slowly walked back to Miss. Pauling and the last two mercenaries.

"Anyone else interested in leaving?"

Miss. Pauling took a deep breath, "I am. It's been really great working for you, but, I don't exactly want to work in a failing industry. So, sorry, but I'm leaving too."

The Administrator stalked off with Miss. Pauling, leaving Engineer and Pyro alone on the control point.

Medic was packing up the usable parts of his old lab with Heavy.

"You know," Medic said, "I'm going to miss experimenting on everyone."

"I know doktor. But we will find new and better place for you to experiment. Until then, you can always experiment on Heavy."

Medic smiled, "Danke Heavy. It shouldn't take me long to find a new lab. Zhough, I might vant to get anozher medical license first."

Heavy chuckles, "Yes, medical license is good for getting job."

From the door, the two heard the familiar throat clear of their spy.

Medic glared at Spy, "Vhat are you doing here?"

Spy's thumb rubbed the handle of a worn black briefcase, "I'd like to speak with you," he glanced at Heavy, "in private."

Medic crossed his arms, "And vhat do you vant to talk about?"

"Please just come with me."

Medic sighed and reluctantly followed Spy out to an old supply closet.

"Vhat is it Spy?"

Spy held out the briefcase to Medic, "I believe this belongs to you."

Medic took the case and ran his hand across the aging leather. It seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place how.

He moved to an empty supply cart in the closet and set the briefcase on the metal surface. Carefully, he worked open the case's stiff latches.

Inside, three unused syringes sat nearly beside a row of six vials with faded labels. On the side of the case was a coil of wire attached to a battery coated in white crust at one end. Strapped in the lid of the case was a pair of well-worn brown notebooks.

Medic slowly took out one notebook and flipped it open. His own handwriting stared back at him with a dull black face.

For a while, Medic just stared at the notebook and case. This was it, his missing work. The project he'd worked on and lost so long ago was back in his hands. It may not have made everything right, but somehow, it took the hatred he'd been holding onto all those years.

Medic looked up to thank Spy, but he'd already left.

With a soft sigh of satisfaction, Medic closed the case and went back to packing.

After everyone else on base had left, Engineer and Pyro entered the Administrator's office.

The old woman was hunched over a blank desk, staring at the wood. Upon hearing footsteps, her head shot up and her chair turned toward the door.

"Thank god," she breathed, "it's just you two."

Engineer held out a letter of resignation, "Ah'd like to put in resignation for Pyro and Ah."

The Administrator started laughing, "Your resignation? Oh Dell, you and Ms. Avila can't resign. There's no way either of you will ever find work in the real world. You'll both be put in asylums the moment you enter the first city."

Engineer crossed his arms, "And workin here'll be much better? Look around you. Take a good look at the aftermath of this war you've fought. Does this look like a victory? Does this look like somethin still worth fightin over? Hell, is your life even still worth livin anymore?"

The Administrator stopped laughing, "I advise you to watch you next words Mr. Conagher."

Engineer glared at his boss, "Why, because you know what Ah'm sayin is true? Ah'm done dealin with you. You've torn my family apart and enslaved a good couple a generations a Conaghers. You've wasted most a my life by forcin me ta work here. And for what? A little extension of your life?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Oh Ah have a pretty good idea of what Ah'm talkin about. Ah may not have liked Gray, but he had a point in sayin nothin would change if Ah came back here," Engineer drew a pistol from his belt, "And Ah've decided Ah'm not gonna let my nephew suffer this fate like me and my daddy and his daddy before him."

Engineer brought the pistol up and aimed it between the Administrator's eyes.

The Administrator's eyes widened, "You wouldn't dare."

"Ah'm done bein told what ta do."

With a practiced twitch, his fingers pulled the trigger.

The bullet entered Helen's brain and quickly ended her life. With nothing left to run it, her body fell back in its chair and became an unceremonious heap on the floor.

Dell kept his eyes forward, letting the bliss of freedom spread through his body.

Soon, Ignacia reached up and grabbed his outstretched arms.

"Home?" She asked.

Dell lowered the gun and smiled at her, "Yeah, pardner, let's go home."

Dell led the way out of the office, up to the main floor, out to the courtyard, and into his old truck he'd left parked at the base long ago.

After a bit of tweaking, he got the truck running. Ignacia got in with him and they drove slowly to the gate.

Just outside the gate, Dell stopped. With a final glance back, he stepped on the gas and let his old life fade into the horizon.