Everyone stares in complete shock as they see watch looking at them back from when they were in Blood Gulch. 

"What the heck guys?! I came up here for some peace and quiet!" Church shouts. 

"What on Earth is happening?" Dylan breathes. 

"Loco's machine opened a portal to the past! Geez, Dylan, try to keep up." Jax scoffs. 

"Oh, no-freakin'-way!" Tucker gasps. 

"Hurry! Hurry, Caboose...you don't...have...long...herk, blergh!" Loco says before giving his last breath. 

Caboose slowly approaches the portal and stares. 

"Caboose! Pull him through!" Tucker insists. 

"No, Tucker. I...I know what I need to do." 

"Seriously, what is happening right now? Is there something in the water?" Church asks. 

Caboose slowly inhales. "Church...Church, there's a lot of things I never got to say, and...I know I won't get another chance to say them, so: I think you are cool. Like, super awesome, amazing cool and...I, I always felt like really awesome too, when we were hanging out together. You know, I never really felt sad...when you died, because–" 

"What do you mean when I died?!" Caboose shushes Church and puts a finger against his mouth. 

"Shh, shh, sh. I-I never felt sad when you died because I couldn't imagine a world without you. But I know it's real. I... I know. And I'm sad. Things...things really aren't okay without you. But I know with my other friends–who, even if you add them all up together aren't really cool as you––I know we're all gonna be okay. I know we're all gonna be okay. I know we're all gonna be okay. Go back to heaven now, Church. And say hello to Loco when you get there. He was alright too." 

The portal closes on Church as he says, "All right, which one you idiots wants to tell what the heck is going on right now?" 

As soon as it closes, the machine begins to overload.

"What in the name of Patton's gray ghost was that?!" Sarge questions. 

"I don't know if we're gonna be around long enough to parse together a theory!" Simmons says panicking. 

"We're out of time! We need to do something!" Dylan cries. 

"Like what? Shoot it?" Tucker asks. 

"Oh! No, we need a sacrifice!" Jax states. 

"Shut up, Jax." Dylan snaps. 

"No, listen! That's how this always works! One of us needs to heroically sacrifice themselves while giving an emotional monologue!" 

Sarge slaps his head. "Dang it, he's right!" 

"What?" 

"Sarge!" Tucker says in disbelief. 

"But who's willing to lay down their life to save everyone else...?" 

"Not it!" Grif says. 

"Not it!" Simmons adds. 

"NO ONE NEEDS TO MAKE A HEROIC SACRIFICE!" Tucker yells. 

"Yo-yo-yo! Did I just hear the words "heroico sacrificico"?" VIC questions. 

"Ah, goddangit!" Tucker groans. 

"VIC!" Dylan says in relief. "VIC, I know it's a long shot, but it appears this machine has some computer systems. Can you try to acc–" 

"Ya ya ya! And this is Wish Number...uh...uh..." 

"Wish Number Three! The last one. Now go!" Dylan states quickly. 

VIC quickly himself downloads into the system. He appears on a screen."Oh boy! Hey guys! Hey du-didilly-do! I've never seen a system like this one before!" 

"Can you stop it?!" 

"No way! NO WAY! BUT MAYBE I CAN STABILIZE IT! I'LL GIVE IT A TRY, DUUDEEERRRIIINOOO...!" 

As the machine overloads, time stops, and a dial tone plays. There is a brief moment of only static. Then...

"Dudes, dudettees, and duderinos! If you're hearing this message, that's because I can't get to the phone right now. It also means I had to erasemy cebasa to save all of y'all. Yerrr welcome! Your old buddy VIC only has one more thing to say to you dudes...you know, there are so many stories where some brave hero steps up and goes and gives their lives to save the day. And because of it, the good guys win, the survivors all cheer hurray! and everybody lives happily ever after. EXCEPT FOR VIC! Oh yeah! I'm out of here! Leave a message after the beep, compadres! But I won't check it, because I'm in the eternal infinity! This is 5-5-5 V-I-C-K signing off!" 

He shuts off his screen but reappears one last time. "And if anybody backed me up, I will punch you in the nuts." 

Time resumes and the machine seems to turn off.

"Did he do it?" Tucker asks. 

"He did...something..." Dylan answers. 

The machine begins to crackle with electricity. A bolt flies out and briefly hits Donut with its charge.

"Whoah! It tickles! E-he-he-whoaaa!" Donut giggles. 

The noise grows loud...and then the machine simply pops out of existence, leaving no trace of it behind.

"Does someone wanna explain what the heck just happened?" Grif inquires. 

"We uh...we won! I think?" Tucker replies. 

He turns in time to see Temple sneaking. He angrily approaches him and draws his sword. Temple freezes and turns to look at his menacing glare. .

"This is for Wash, you piece of crap..." Tucker raises his sword but a voice prevents him from striking.

"Tucker, stop." Zone groans as Carolina and Doc help him up. 

"Oh, come on! Now you show up?" Tucker seethes. 

"Don't kill him." 

"I-I think he makes a great point, Tucker!" Temple nods in fear. 

"But he deserves it more than anyone! He's a killer!" Tucker states. 

"And so are we." Zone retorts. "But we're a different sort, Tucker. We only fight and take lives when we have to. And you don't have to this time." 

"Yeah, Tucker! If you kill me, you'll just perpetuate this never-ending cycle of revenge and retaliation! My friends will avenge me!" Temple adds in a monologue voice. 

Tucker looks at him and glares. "What friends?" 

Temple has no response as he looks around. "I...uh..." 

Tucker raises his sword.

"No, nononono! Don't please...!" 

Tucker retracts his sword and merely punches Temple, knocking him out. 

"Idiot." Tucker mutters. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

As the Reds and Blues walk outside, a Pelican lands with Lieutenants exiting out of the bay. 

"Did somebody call for backup?" Smith says grinning. 

"Aww, we didn't miss the party, did we?" Palomo whines. 

"Hey! Look who finally showed up." Tucker says. 

"Just in time to mop up another one of our messes." Grif adds. 

"Big bro? Is that you?!" Grif looks and sees Sister running down the gangplank towards him. "Dex!" 

"Aw, crap...what are you doing here?" Grif groans. 

"I was on Chorus for business when these weirdos got your call." Sister explained. "They let me tag along!" 

"Business?! Oh god, do I need to confiscate your webcams again?!" 

"Dude, shut up and hug me!"Sister hugs Grif, surprising him for a second before he returns the hug.

"Oh! You'll be happy to know Dr. Grey has Washington alive and recovering!" Jensen relays. 

"Oh, that's music." Carolina says in relief. 

"Oh, thank God." Tucker sighs. 

"Oh, he asked us to deliver an important message to you all." Palomo states. "But then he just sang the DuckTales theme song and fell back to sleep. A-woo-oo!" 

"President Kimball has questions about his delivery to Chorus. Apparently, no one at DD General can figure out how he ended up at the hospital in the first place." Smith says. 

"That's a, hrm, a long story...uh, maybe don't worry her with it right now." Simmons suggests. 

"But I have a feeling her relationship with the UNSC will get a little easier after we file the final story." Dylan points out. 

"How about VIC, huh?" Simmons says shocked at his sacrifice. 

"Amen. The least we owe our fallen comrade here is a moment of respectful silence..." Sarge says before being silent for hardly a second and then asks, "Anyway, who's hungry?" 

"I'm peckish. I could eat." Simmons shrugs. 

"I could go for some grub." Tucker agrees. 

"I could eat a horse!" Grif says. 

"With you, I'm worried that's not a figure of speech..." Carolina shakes her head. 

"That's a figure of speech?" 

"What the heck is wrong with you?" Simmons says in disgust. 

"Whatever. Are we done here? Because I've got some volleyballs to spike in this freaking volcano." Grif retorts. 

"Guys." Everyone looks at Zone. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...for everything. Temple made me do unspeakable things to you and to the hundreds of people he's killed. I just-" 

"Zone, that wasn't you man." Grif says patting his back. 

"Exactly, you were being mind-controlled remember?" Tucker adds.

"Still doesn't change the fact of what I've done." Zone sighs. Carolina walks up to him and kisses his cheek. 

"All that matters is that you're back." Carolina states before embracing him. Zone smiles and wraps his arms around her. 

Dylan and Jax look out at the horizon. 

"Job well done, Jax. Nothing left to do but post this bad boy." Dylan states crossing her arms. 

"And read all the comment threads!" Jax chuckles. 

"Any idea what you'll do when the dust settles? Back to film school?" 

"Well, I don't know. Gotta say, this whole thing did give me a wicked idea for a movie!" 

"Send me the script when it's done, will ya?" Dylan asks amused. "I'd love to check it out."

"Of course!" Jax replies nodding. 

"And uh...good job, partner." Dylan says patting his shoulder. 

"Dylan...you know I'll never forget this, right?" Jax says gratefully. "I mean, PTSD is forever, isn't it?" 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dylan enters her crashed ship, where she manages to make a call to Carlos. 

"Hi Carlos, guess who...?" 

"Dylan Andrews, that's whooo! I'm so excited. How are you?" Carlos inquires. 

"I'm well! How are you?" Dylan asks. 

"Well, after you stole my ship and went missing with my nephew, I did have somewhat of a breakdown. But I'm fine now! The doctors have me on horse tranquilizers, and I feel like a fluffy soft load of laundry! Hehehehehe! Please, please, Dylan! Enough about me! How are you doing?" 

"Great! The assignment's all finished." 

"Ooohh, that's wonderful news! I never doubted you for a single solitary second! Tell me: Dylan, how is my nephew?" 

"He's good! His bullet wounds are healing nicely!" Dylan replies hesitantly. 

"B-bullet...did you say his wounds? Wounds as in...p-p-plural?" Carlos stutters while trying to keep his sanity. 

"Yeah! Multiple gunshot wounds! He's in much better shape than your ship, though! This thing is totaled." 

"My ship is totaled. My shiiiiiiiii...doesn't matter! Does not matter. You know what really matters? The story! Did you get the story?!" Carlos demands. 

Dylan gets a call from her husband James. "Yes, but it'll have to wait. Someone is finally returning my call." 

"I'M NOT WAITING! Don't you dare hang up on me, alright?! I'm not above putting a contract out on your stinky filthy pencil-headed little life, Dylan! AHAHAHAHA...!" Carlos laughs insane-like. 

"Yo, dude! Take a chill pill! I don't have the bandwidth for the full feed, but I can at least send you the wrap-up while I take this." Dylan snickers impersonating VIC. 

"You listen to me! I'm talking–" 

Dylan hangs up and takes James call. "Hi James...when I first described the Reds and Blues, I called them heroes. But that may have been premature. What I've come to understand after spending time with them is that they're more than that. They're stupid...and arrogant...and lazy...and selfish...and stubborn. None of the qualities any reasonable person would call heroic. What the Reds and Blues have taught me is that...it's not the sum of your parts that makes you who you are. It's not what you're endowed with, not your intelligence or strength, but what you hold onto throughout the hardest trials of life. These people have shown me that real heroes are not born, they're forged. A friend told me once that there's no faith but what you make. And I think he's right. What makes a hero is their ability to choose light over darkness. To walk through fire and not be burned. To fall from great heights and not be broken. To be changed and reborn and be better for it again and again. It's who you become when you lose someone close. When the world stops making sense, when you're thrust into responsibility that you never asked for. That's what makes a hero...and that's what makes the Reds and Blues some of the greatest our universe has ever seen." 

As Dylan finishes, the Reds and Blues all stare out at the horizon with the sun setting." 

"This has been Dylan Andrews, Interstellar Daily." 

(CREDITS SONG!) 

https://youtu.be/Dj_d8DlZ-Jo