Have you ever heard of the saying, 'your life flashes by your eyes when you're about to die?'
Well...some say they have. I've seen my life...and it reminded me of how much my life was so...lacking.
My name's Drake Lancer. I'm just your average 21 year old college student, studying here at the Ohlone College in Fremont, Calefornia. I was a gamer; JRPG's, First Person Shooters, the usual stuff. I was never any good in school either. Failed 6th Grade, and almost didn't past 12th Grade either. Passed by the skin of my teeth. It wasn't because of my intelligence. I was good, but having ADHD, in other words having the attention span of a gnat and being unable to sit still for long, can cause more than a few problems. I was the problem child. I did my best for my folk's sake.
I lost my dad when I was young, and I was the youngest of three children. The baby boy of the family, so to speak. After dad died, we lived with my grandparents and great-grandmother. We had a few ups and downs, and we were tight on money, but things were great. Unfortunately, around the time I started Middle School, my great-grandmother, we called her Granny, developed dementia. Suddenly, I found myself spending time less at home, and more at my friend's place, and doing everything I could to avoid hearing about the woman that sweet old Granny I used to love had become. If you knew someone who had dementia, or know someone who's dealt with someone who had dementia before, then you understand. If not...let's just say it will be a miracle if you keep your sanity.
Anyway, when I graduated, I moved to Fremont, got a part-time job, and went to college. The Ohlone College was awesome. I took Dance classes while studying at San Benito, and the college was well known for the performing arts. Everywhere you looked, you would see kids about to perform a play, dude dancing to the beat of his radio, or someone showing off their dance skills in the middle of the yard. I was in heaven, and the liberty was amazing.
For three years, I enjoyed my life. I got a good girlfriend, kept in touch with my family, had a nice paying job...it seemed like everything was going good.
But just because your life is good doesn't mean it's fulfilling. Have you ever felt like that there was just that...'something' missing from your life? Like there wasn't anything that gave your life anything worthwhile? Something good, something important, something wonderful, that gives you that rush and tells you that this life was just worth living?
I had a good life...but there wasn't anything that ever truly gave it meaning. Not even my sweet, sweet girlfriend, who loved me even though I had my...temper problems.
Unfortunately, I never got to find that special something that could give my life the spark that it needed. Even now, as I was just laying there, under the constant yelling and worried shouts with the gleams of knives and blurring lights above me, I could barely remember. There was a kid in the middle of a street, a car honking, and then...nothing. I don't remember what happened after that.
I knew where I was. An operating table. I couldn't remember why I was there, or why these people were operating on me?
More importantly...
...what was I...
A Red vs Blue Fanfiction Story
Why I'm Here
Prologue: Quid Hic Sumus
When Drake woke up, he found himself staring through glass, up at a bedrock ceiling. The only sound to be heard was only the drips of water, smacking against the tall spikes that rose up from the ground, and the eerie silence of the cavern he woke up in. Slowly, he raised himself up, his body hurting from the intense pain in his head. "Christ," he cursed, cradling his head. "The hell happened...?" He paused when he felt only cool metal touching his hand, rather than skin or hair. The pain had dulled his senses, and only now realized that he was wearing a helmet, albeit a weird one. It wasn't like his motorcycle helmet, as the glass covered his entire face, with metal only covering up to the mouth and around the back of his head, thus leaving his face exposed. He looked down at himself, and saw he was wearing a strange suit, almost like armor. "What? When did I..."
He trailed off when he looked at what he was wearing further. His heart suddenly began to beat, and he gently began to probe the helmet. A switch clicked, and it was followed by a hiss. Slowly, he pulled the helmet off of his head, allowing him to now breathe directly. Cold air touched his skin, no doubt because of the cave or wherever he was. He turned the helmet around, and found himself staring back at his reflect. His messy, unkempt hair was dishwater blonde, a mix of brown and blonde that changed colors depending on whether or not it was hot or cold, and his eyes, wonderful azure blue, were a thing of beauty according to his mother. When he was seventeen, he started to develop facial hair, and did his best to trim it. Currently, it was small, only a slight stubble on his chin, while his upper lip was free from any signs of a mustache.
However, Drake recognized the helmet in his hand, as well as the suit. Suffice to say, he was shocked. "The...Pathfinder suit?" Drake said, confused. There was no doubt about it. The suit he was wearing as the suit worn by Alec Ryder from Mass Effect: Andromeda, and could be bought in the game for Ryder to wear. He had to admit, the suit looked good...but why was he wearing it? More importantly, what happened? The last thing he could remember was-
"Oh, good, you're finally awake."
Drake jumped, hearing a synthesized voice ring in his head. It sounded feminine...and VERY familiar. He whipped his around to find the source. Then, a female figure materialized next to him. She was small, and if he was being honest, as naked as the day she was born. However, her form was transparent, as he could see the rock formations past her body as if she was see through. Circuits ran through her body, which glowed a vibrant dull red, in contrast to the rest of her which was vibrant blue. Her hair was short, reaching down a little bit past her chin, and had large eyes, which seemed to shift back and forth between dark blue and red.
Despite the obvious few differences he saw, Drake recognized her easily, and found himself both shocked, terrified, and confused. "Y-you...h-how? What?!"
"Whoa, take it easy," the female figure said gently, folding her arms. "I only just got your life support back online. You've been asleep for a long time, Mr. Lancer."
"As-asleep?" Drake got out, palming his forehead. "W-what...I remember being hit by a truck, then...w-wait, how am I here? How am I not dead?"
The female figure sighed, holding her head in her hand as she shook. "I figured as much...hold still for a sec," she advised. What Drake assumed to be a holograph board popped up next to her, and began to work on it. "This might tickle a bit."
"W-wait a second!" he protested. He didn't trust her, much less what he trusted what he was experiencing. He knew what she was, and the fact that he was wearing armor that belonged in a video game pretty much said everything he needed to know. Regardless, he couldn't help but panic a bit when the thing that became genocidal in the fifth installment in one of his favorite games suddenly showed up in front of him. "W-what are you-"
Then his mind blanked out, and information poured into his head.
XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX
The first thing he noticed was that there was no pain. The second was that he was laying on a smooth warm surface. And the last...was the loud hum of some kind of machinery. Drake cracked his eyes open slowly, blurred vision slowly coming into focus as he looked around his environment. At first he had to blink a few times. He was in what looked like a room made entirely of metal with long beacons of light running through the walls, ceiling and floor. Sitting up, he looked around more closely at the room. The humming sound he had been hearing was coming from all around the room.
"What the hell..." he wondered as he slowly got to his feet. He was still wearing his usual clothes, but his wounds from the truck were completely healed. With his mind weighed down with confusion, Drake ran a hand over his messy hair as his eyes locked on a door...or what looked like a door. Checking his pockets for the pocket knife he kept on him, in case he ran into the wrong crowd, he found only empty space in his pants. "Dammit." he muttered as he treed slowly to the door.
The section of wall seemed to sense his approach and split apart on it's own, sliding into the rest of the wall to reveal a long hallway beyond. Stepping out cautiously, Drake saw strange machinery lining the walls of the corridor. Some blinking with light. Others went up and down on their own as though some invisible force was lifting them. "Why does all of this seem familiar?" he thought to himself as he slowly began to walk down the hall. The humming of the machinery blocking the sounds of his footsteps.
He stopped a moment to look at a machine that had a large glowing blue crystal inside of it. "What is this place?" he asked outloud.
"All will be answered soon young one."
Drake whipped around hearing the faint voice that seemed to echo through the long hallway and his mind at the same time. "What?..." he looked left and right but didn't see anyone. "This way. And all will be explained." the voice echoed again, this time seeming to come from the end of the long corridor. He felt hesitant for a few moments before his feet started to lead him toward where the voice was coming from. His mind in a slight fog as he walked all the way to the end where a second door slid apart. The room beyond was twice the size of the one he woke up in, but the center was divided by a large crevice that lead downward into pitch darkness.
Looking around, Drake saw a palm sized device hovering in the air at the edge of the drop. A glowing green button in the center of the device seemed to call to him. Reaching out, the soldier pressed the button. The device closed up before vanishing in a burst of light. When it faded, a bridge made of pure light connected the two sides of the room over the dark abyss below. Shocked, Alex looked down before looking at the bridge. "Oooookay...this is starting to get really familiar." he muttered as he leaned out with his right foot and pressed experimentally down onto the light-bridge.
His sneakers met a solid surface. Pressing a little harder, he moved his other foot out onto the bridge just to be sure. Sure that the thing wasn't going to drop him into the darkness below, the college student made his way across to another door. When he stood in front of it, it parted letting blinding light into the room making Alex cover his eyes. When the light faded a little, Drake looked up and felt his breath hitch.
The doorway lead to a large balcony that overlooked a massive expanse of open air. Crystal clear blue skies and white clouds were everywhere, but the thing that really got his attention where the large buildings that floated in the air beyond. Each structure had several parts that shifted on their own accord giving the hint that the buildings themselves were alive in some way.
"...I'm dead...there isn't any other explanation...I died and this is where I'm gonna be for eternity." Drake said in complete awe.
"You have died young one, but you are not completely gone from the land of the living." Drake 's focus snapped to a bright light coming from the clouds above. When the light reached the edge of the balcony it faded to reveal a being the likes of which he had never seen before.
The being was clearly female. She stood at 7 feet easy wearing an elegant blue and white dress with an odd crown on her head. The only thing that made her really different despite her height was her nose which looked more serpent-like, and her eyes which seemed to glow as she gazed at the shocked college student.
She smiled at him, "Where one journey has ended, another has revealed itself to you, Drake Lancer."
That had snapped him out of his light trans. "How do you know my name? Who are you? And where the hell are we?" he asked not taking his eyes off the woman.
"I am a being that has seen many things, in this universe and several others. I go by many names, but the one you should be familiar with, is The Librarian." said the being.
Drake's brain came to a halt. He did know that name, heard it before, but believing it was something else entirely. "W-What? T-The Librarian? How is this possible?" he stuttered out while stumbling back a step. How could it be possible. An all knowing entity that only existed in a video game was before him, speaking to him. Alex was questioning his sanity, if any of this was even real or some kind of limbo that exists between life and death.
The Librarian raised her hands gently sensing his distress, "Calm yourself child. I assure you that this is no illusion. I truly exist, as does many other things you are not aware of."
Once he got his breathing under control, he looked at the Forerunner in understanding. "So I really did die." The Librarian nodded sadly, "I'm afraid so young one. But it was to be, just like the path that now opens itself to you."
Drake tilted his head confused, "You've mentioned that twice now. What are you talking about?"
"You are a part of something far greater than anything ever asked of any being in this universe or any other. A destiny that has been mapped out since before you were born." said The Librarian.
"Destiny? What kind of destiny?" asked Drake. The Librarian waved her hand motioning to the sky behind her. "Your universe is only one of millions. Each one very different than the last. That which you think is mere fiction in your world, is very much real in another. Which is why I am before you now."
She looked back down at the young student, "After my time in my universe, I have been watching several others for specific signs. Signs that proved my belief."
Drake mulled over her words when he remembered what she had said to the Master Chief in the fourth game, "You mean watching Humanity. You believed that we could inherit the mantle of responsibility that you and the other Forerunners left behind."
The Librarian smiled, "Indeed. You truly do have knowledge of the universe I came from. And it is that knowledge and experience that will prove invaluable for what lies ahead."
"What is that exactly? And what has all of this have to do with me? I'm no one special. Just a soldier who gave his life." said Drake. "That is where you are wrong, Alexander. This has everything to do with you." said The Librarian. "You already know that when the Halo Rings fired, and I ensured that when Humanity was repopulated that specific seeds were left behind to ensure that they would be ready for what was to come."
Drake nodded, "Yes. You told the Chief that he was the culmination of thousands of lifetimes of planning."
"Precisely. However, his ultimate creation wasn't the only one I took great interest in. There were two others. Each from different universes, each with a destiny that would greatly change the course of many worlds."
Soaking in the information. Drake began to understand what The Librarian was telling him. It wasn't just the Halo universe that she had made sure was ready for what would happen, she had a hand in two others. But what did that have to do...with...him...
His eyes widened with revelation. "...No...you mean...one of those people..." The Librarian nodded slowly. "You now see the truth, Drake. Much like the Spartan, I saw something in the Humanity from your universe. I planted the seeds, and ensured that everything was ready when the time was right."
Drake felt anger well up within him, "You mean to tell me, that my whole life has been lead to this point? That everything was 'planned' to happen?"
"Your anger is misplaced. I merely prepared you on a genetic level. The events taken place in your life were the result of your own choices and the choices of others." explained The Librarian calmly. "The so called 'games' in your universe were also my doing. I simply made sure that the ideas for such simulations were with the right people at the proper time."
Taking a deep breath, Drake calmed down, "Alright, you say my 'creation' was planned. But for what purpose exactly? My world wasn't facing anything nearly as destructive as your universe was, as far as I knew."
"That may be so. But your universe is not in danger, unlike the other two. That is your purpose. To assist in the security of one of those universes, and to ensure the survival of those who face destruction." said The Librarian.
"And how do I do that exactly? I have no knowledge of the universes that you have been talking about." said Drake crossing his arms. The Librarian smiled as she began to hover closer to the young man. "On the contrary, young one. You know this universe a lot more than you know."
She reached out and rested a six fingered hand on his head. His mind was suddenly bombarded with images, sights that were familiar, yet strange to him. Images that involved soldiers in colored armor.
"In order for you to be ready to face the tasks ahead, you must acquire the tools to assist you. I will help you acquire those tools, Drake" said the Librarian as darkness began to creep up around his vision. Through the darkness, he could hear the Librarian speaking again. "I have given you the first stepping stone in your journey young one. The rest is up to you, but be warned. Your mind, your body, your heart, and your skills as a warrior will be tested in more ways than you can fathom. You must overcome, thrive, and fight for what you believe. Or...all will be lost."
XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX
A second later, Drake regained consciousness. He stumbled a bit on his feet, surprised that he had been still standing. "I...I remember now," he said, massaging his head after the headache he received. "I met the Librarian, and I...ended up here." He looked at the female figure, who stared back at him with a hand on her hip. "I think I can figure out why I'm wearing Pathfinder Armor, but...why are you here? Last I checked, aren't you...you know...a...?"
"Homocidal artificial intelligence that went nuts after it was brought back?" Cortana offered, smiling mischievously. "A crazy ghost lady that suddenly realized how fucked up the world was? Or maybe a small body of digital data that undergone rampancy, went through phases that would make even a girl on her period look normal, and tried to destroy the human race and everything else?"
"So...you know that you're a..."
Cortana shrugged. "To be honest, I don't remember much," she confessed. "I just remember that the Librarian brought me back, and uploaded me into you. I don't really remember much what happened...you know, it's a weird sensation. Finding out that your life was apart of a giant video game from another universe."
"How do you think I feel?" Drake asked. "I mean, some omnipotent entity just asked a kid from college to save the multiverse, or something along those lines. And now I'm talking to a character from a video game. I think I can say that this is most definitely the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me." He then looked back at his current attire. "So...anything I should know before I, you know, check out what the hell kind of place I'm in now?"
"Well, let's just say I'm not in your suit of armor," Cortana told him. "We're linked on a more deeper level. I suppose it's more accurate to say that we're bound on the neural level. In other words, I'm stuck inside your head." Drake stared at her, now suddenly fearing for his sanity. "Okay, first of all, I'm not like how I was back when I was nuts, okay? I'm better! ...for the most part. Secondly, it's not as bad as it sounds. It just means you can operate more efficiently. Not only that, but your body isn't exactly normal."
Drake was a bit terrified after hearing that. He had more or less just been told that he had Cortana of all people stuck inside his head, and now he found out that his body had changed. He remembered what the Librarian told him before he vanished to this place, that he was already...different, for a lack of better words. Well...he supposed he could accept the better of two evils. "So...what's different about me?"
The way Cortana smiled at him did not comfort him in the slightest. "Let me show you. Loading [Biotic Profile]."
XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX
After the chaos, Drake was both ecstatic and somewhat confused. Apparently, he was now, quite literally, armed with the same capabilities as the Ryder family, only instead of SAM, he was bonded to Cortana. The idea scared him a bit, remembering how she was in the events of Halo 5, but she had eased him by explaining that things had, more or less, changed. She remembered the events of Halo 5, but everything between then and now was a blur. Apparently, her memories from that time were corrupted, so she couldn't access them, but that it could change later on. For the time being, he would have to deal, and hope nothing bad happened.
After about an hour of walking through the vast cave systems, Drake had finally found an escape route. "About time," he muttered as he slowly made his way up, climbing up the rocks as carefully as possible, a large hole with light flooding out of it not far above him. "Was worried I'd be stuck down here." After he made some way, he braced his body. His companion AI had informed him how to run the suit's normal functions, such as the Omni-Blade and the Booster Pack, while she handled some of the more advanced functions. He leaped off of his holding of the rock, and let the thrusters boost him up. He nearly screamed, feeling his body being rushed at uncomfortable speeds before he was right at the entrance. The thrusters ceased, letting him hang in the air long enough to grab hold of the walls. He gave a slight pant, so unused to this before he pulled himself up, and into the hole. "Fucking hell...need to get used to that."
"You're not exactly physically made to be a soldier, are you?" Cortana asked out of curiosity. "Most men I've seen are used to this sort of stuff. Granted, few of them haven't used a jet pack before, but your adrenaline levels are really not where they should be."
Drake gave an awkward chuckle. He always wondered how it must have felt to have an AI stuck in your head, and now he knew how the Ryder family must have had, now having an AI in his own head. It was still weird, since she was from a video game and all. "Well, I've done parkour, mountain climbing, and martial arts, but not enough of any of that to actually enlist," he replied. "Never actually thought about joining, either. My grandfather kept pushing and arguing about it, but didn't really see the appeal. I don't know about you, but I prefer not being shot at."
"Shame you got chosen for this, then."
"You're telling me," he sighed before he looked at his surroundings. It looked like he was in a cavern, or at least a tunnel system right outside whatever was out there. It was probably inside a mountain, or a cliff. "So...any idea where we are?
"Hold on. Scanning..."
While he waited, Drake moved forward. He eventually came upon another opening, this one showing a view of his location. He stepped forward out to the edge, and found himself shocked. "...you gotta be shittin' me."
Before him, spread out in its glory, was a box canyon, widely spaced out and several times larger than a football field. Small patches of greenery spread out, with rocky mountain formations enclosing the space, and only a few small openings within the mountains. At either side of the canyon was a metal construct, obviously military bases. To base at the left had blue circuits and a banner hanging out, a tank parked out beside it. The base on the right, however, had red circuits and a red banner, with a familiar jeep parked not too far away from it.
The scene was familiar to him...as it should have been. It was, after all, the Coagulation/Bloodline Map from a certain game. A game Cortana was apart of.
"According to the info the Librarian provided," Cortana said after a few seconds of silence. "This place is called Blood Gulch. It's one of the simulation camps used by the UNSC. Although, according to this, it's been listed as offline for a while."
Drake caught the words 'UNSC' in her report, and his thoughts were confirmed. He simply stared out before he opened his mouth to speak again.
"...son of a bitch."
So...this was something of an unexpected project of mine. I didn't expect to write this, but after reading DemonFireX's Crysis Effect, and taking inspiration from it, I got this started. If any fans from my Red vs Blue x RWBY crossover "Metastability" are here, you might enjoy this one.
Since RvB was considered to be LOOSELY connected to Halo, as it is set in the same universe but in the far future, it seemed appropriate to write a fanfic. Actually, to tell you the trut, I'm still kind of confused. Would this count as a crossover? Not sure.
Anyway, this is my first true Red vs Blue fanfic, so please be honest. Tell me what you think! Later losers, and I'll see you next chapter!
P.S, review honestly, or I will sic an angry Caboose and Texas on your ass!