The Fall
Part 1
part of the Blood Gulch City series
By Nan00k

In case you weren't aware, this is a continuation of my Blood Gulch City AU with superheroes and powers. I suggest reading the first installment, "Outpost No. 1 Apartments."

Over the years, Carolina realizes her bitterness has cost her much more than she ever realized. So, so much more. AKA we find out what happened to Carolina in this new addition to the Blood Gulch City AU. AKA more reasons to hate the Director's guts and pity all of his children.

HILARIOUSLY, instead of doing any of the entries requested, I did Carolina's. WHOOPS. More plot is revealed concerning Freelancer and all, so I didn't think you guys would mind too much. More of the requested stuff is underway! I'm extremely busy still IRL so I can't give any due dates, but hopefully soon!

This is in two parts, due to length. Part 2 is coming in the next day or so.

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Warnings: implied child abuse, descriptions of violence, foul language, implied canonical deaths, alternative universe
Disclaimer: Red vs. Blue © Rooster Teeth Productions. I only write this mess.

.

When she had just turned six years old, the Counselor and her father walked into her bedroom. The base had been quiet since they had moved there a month ago. Things were changing rapidly. Father had a new job. Caroline had been so excited.

After realizing how lonely their family was ever since mom died when she had just been a baby, the promise of a new life and a chance to make her father happy had been the brightest thing in her life.

"Caroline?" her father asked, causing her to look up from her book.

Smiling, she hopped to attention and scrambled to stand in front of him like all the soldiers around base always did when he walked around. She didn't salute, because she wasn't a soldier yet either; he had told her only soldiers were allowed to salute.

"Yes, sir?" she asked. She hadn't seen him in over three weeks.

Her father rarely smiled anymore. That day, his eyes were brighter than they normally were. The lines that had taken over his forehead were somehow gone. He almost looked happy, like he had before mom died. Caroline had seen pictures of them and knew that.

Caroline's eyes went to his arms. It was only then that she noticed he was holding something.

A question immediately sprung up, but she couldn't ask it. Her mouth hung open in surprise.

There was a baby sleeping there, tucked into the corner of her father's arms.

Her questioning stare caused both the Counselor and her father to glance at each other. The Counselor—a man her father had befriended just last year; he was really nice to Caroline—cleared his throat as he stood between her and her father.

"This is your new brother, Caroline," he said, speaking for her father. He often did that.

Caroline kept staring at the sleeping baby. She had no idea if it was a boy or a girl, since it was wrapped in just a white blanket, but the Counselor had just said "brother." That meant a boy. The baby had wisps of dark hair that clung to its pale scalp. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut. He was ridiculously small.

"What?" she asked. She peered up at her father and then the Counselor, confused. "What do you mean?"

She couldn't have a brother. That made no sense.

"His name is Leonard, but you will call him Alpha," her father told her, speaking calmly as he did when he wanted her to really pay attention and learn something. "He's going to help us make Project Freelancer a success."

The Project was what they had come here for. It was her father's dream. They were going to build up the best supers they could find, Caroline included, to become protectors of the peace. They were the future, her father told her, and the future was bright.

How could a baby make that come true? Caroline thought it was her who was the key to making the Project work.

"Where did he come from?" she asked.

He couldn't have been her brother. Mom was dead.

The Counselor gestured to the baby. "Would you like to hold him, Caroline?" he asked, sidestepping her question.

Caroline wanted to say no. She had no interest in other children and she was too confused to really want to get any closer to the baby.

Her father didn't give her the chance to object. He moved closer and knelt down. Caroline was so distracted by being that close to her father that she didn't say anything as she numbly held her arms up to take the heavy bundle. The baby was small, but it was heavier than it looked. Caroline didn't dare use her powers, however; it was too small. She could crush it.

It didn't even look like a boy up close. It was just a squirmy, smelly bundle of paleness. Caroline stared at it, mimicking her father's pose to keep it up in the air, but the longer she stared at it, the more she wanted to put it down.

When it finally opened it's squinted eyes, Caroline's breath caught when she saw how green they were. Bright, bright green.

Her father's eyes.

Her eyes.

"I don't like it," she said.

Her comment seemed to surprise her father and the Counselor both.

"Why not, Caroline?" the Counselor asked. "He is your brother."

"It's not my brother," Caroline said, her eyes narrowing. She held the baby out to her father. "It's not from mom."

"He, Caroline," the Counselor corrected her.

She merely frowned and let her father take the baby back.

She never touched the baby again. It didn't matter much; her father kept the baby out of sight mostly. Caroline grew up as separate as possible from the so-called Alpha and she was glad for it.

Her unease over the Alpha was replaced by more confusion when she realized that there were many children on base she hadn't been aware of before. Her father called them his children, but he never told her they were her brothers or sister. She was fine by that, even if the adults sometimes reminded her that the Alpha was indeed her brother. She ignored them entirely.

When he was four, there was some sort of emergency in the labs and he was involved somehow. Caroline, at age ten, had no idea why the toddler had been in the labs, but her father had been very upset over what happened. That prompted her to be at least a little curious over what had become of her so-called-brother.

She finally caught sight of the young Alpha, who still stared back at her in open confusion with those bright green eyes that belonged to her and her father, his dark hair longer and too much like her father's, when her red hair was not. He looked so small, even then.

She hated him until she old enough not to hate—and merely wished he did not exist.

That year, she earned her new name.

Agent Carolina.

0000

As the Project continued, Carolina received a fuller picture of just what her father wanted and what they were fighting for.

People had been trying to weaponized Supers for decades, the Counselor told her. The Director had finally created a method and plan to properly utilize them outside of direct military combat. They were going to be domestically based, for now, and they were going to prove that such a model was reliable and worth the investment.

Because they had a lot of military contracts, who were interested in the project, they were forced to be slow in their progress. It was frustrating to the Director and Carolina sympathized. They had to build up to their introduction to society. When they trained their elite soldiers, they would work in tandem with military forces as additional training and to prove their worth through them.

Part of that slow building was taking the Director's most invested program and finally integrating it into the rest of the Project: the Meta program.

Carolina hated it.

Standing there, in the middle of one of the training rooms, she was fifteen, impatient and staring at the Counselor and… one of them.

"Would you like a partner, Carolina?" the Counselor asked her. He kept his hand on the boy's shoulder next to him. "The Meta children are very adept at aiding agents in combat—"

"I don't need help, Counselor," Carolina said, trying to remain polite.

"It could benefit you tremendously," the Counselor kept pushing. "This is Sigma. He's very creative. His ability to deconstruct molecular—"

"I don't care," Carolina said, flatly. She crossed her arms and just stared at him. She didn't look at the boy. "No offense, Counselor, but I don't need additional tools to make me stronger. I just need to train."

The Counselor tilted his head, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Of course."

Next to him, the boy moved. He smiled.

"Agent Carolina most certainly could improve her abilities on her own," he said. His voice had a strange tone. He couldn't have been more than ten. "She has done tremendously working alone, according to her statistical records."

Carolina stared at him. He made her uneasy, though she didn't see why. He was scrawny. No muscle. He was too well-versed for his age. Then again, it was never clear just how old the Meta Children were.

He had bright green eyes that didn't belong to him. They all did.

"You're given access to our reports, Sigma?" she asked, defensive.

"When concerning potential handlers, of course, Agent Carolina," Sigma said, polite as ever. "We need to know just how appropriate our placements are, concerning our agent's powers or—"

"I didn't think you'd be the ones making that call," Carolina said, her voice cold.

"Our insight has proven to be quite helpful, agent," Sigma said. He inclined his head in acquiescence. "If you change your mind, I would be honored to work with you."

Carolina frowned and then moved away. "Thanks, but no thanks."

She understood it. She did, no matter how exasperated her father was when she shut the suggestion down. The Meta kids were a great invention. Their natural abilities ranged from useful to not-so-much on their own, but with another Super, the augmentation was, well, beneficial.

She didn't get how it worked or where the Director found the genius to try it, but she accepted it as a necessary evil for the Project.

But she didn't need one of her own. She didn't need augmentation, through them or the main process. The Meta kids were still mostly untested, of course. She just didn't want to be the one to test them.

At the corner of the training room exit, she nearly ran into Alpha.

He stumbled back, quick on his feet for such a small kid. He was nearly eight or just turned it. Him, at least, she knew how old he was. Not that she cared to follow what he was up to.

Alpha, bright green eyes and too-long black hair, was startled to see her but then, to Carolina's ire, perked up.

"O-h…hi," he said, stammering. "Hi, sis."

His voice made her skin crawl.

"Ugh," she muttered, pushing past him. She didn't have time for this.

Alpha, to her disappointment, was not that smart. He jumped back as she moved past, but then started to follow. "Uhhh, you did really good today. I saw! And, uh, I just wanted to let you know that—"

Because the Counselor was right there watching them, she didn't touch him. She ignored him. She walked straight past him, angry and bitter.

0000

Years kept churning out progress.

They had several agents by the time she turned eighteen. Agents Wyoming and Florida were the eldest and were assigned to different arms of the Project, though they all trained together. It was weird to be fighting people twice her age, but finally, she was starting to meet people who could almost match her speed and strength.

She was getting stronger, too. Puberty had finally leveled out just what her skillsets were and she was strong. She was likely the strongest in the Project and her minor super speed leaned high on the scale. That single moment where the Director had looked at her report and nodded, his eyes blazing into her, stuck with her. She had been so proud.

Agent York was another new one. He was young, but older than her (he would never tell her how old). He seemed younger, of course, because he was so bright. Talkative, friendly, bold.

She liked him. His powers actually posed a threat to her when they sparred, but his recklessness and need to mix things up (according to the Counselor) kept stacking against him. She had never met a telekinetic before, but it seemed like a neat gift.

York was also enthused by the Project as a whole. He was eager to do things, anything, and Carolina couldn't say she didn't relate.

"How was your first day in CQC, York?" she asked, as they left the showers.

"Simply awesome," he said, beaming. He was almost really bouncing as they walked. "This Project is the real deal, ain't it?"

"It's getting there," she said, chuckling. "A few more years of probation and we're going to be fully certified by the government."

"Damn," York said, laughing. "And here I was, thinking I'd spend my days being a regular bartender who never needed to reach for the tap while taking orders."

By the time she turned nineteen, York was out-testing other agents and made full rank. Agent New York. He thought it was funny, since he had grown up in L.A.

He made her laugh. Very few people could do that.

Despite being older, York seemed to stick to whatever Carolina was doing. Belatedly, she realized that's what friends did. She had friends, finally. She liked it.

"Hey, you think I could make handler?" York asked one day, as she finished up her cool-down stretches. He was waiting so they could go grab dinner. "I've been hearing things about it. It could be pretty neat."

"It's helped a lot of our agents in training. It hasn't been fully tested on the field yet," Carolina said, grunting as she continued to push herself off the mat. "If you think you need the help, you can always sign up for testing with the Counselor."

"Hey, I would never turn down help, especially if I'm putting my life on the line," York said, laughing. "They said that the Meta Children can connect with you on the field? That's crazy. And they all have different powers, you know, to compliment your own. Pretty cool."

"Hmm."

"Why don't you have one?"

Carolina sat up, but she didn't look at him. "I don't need one to be stronger."

"Show off. Not all of us are mega class supers," York teased.

She snorted. "There's no such thing as mega class, York."

"Well, I'd disagree, Ms. Carolina," York said. His gallant behavior was always startling, though she got better at hiding her reactions to it. "You'd certainly deserve the rank."

"Flattery gets you very little at Freelancer, Agent York," she warned him, hiding her smile as she stood up.

"I think I like York better," he said, in a way that made the smile worse. "Let's go grab some food, Carolina."

The way he said her name made her feel warm from head to toe.

She had never wanted a normal life, but this…

This she wanted.

0000

Two months later, after the North and South Dakotas ranked, Carolina saw York walking towards her after breakfast.

"Carolina!" he called. "Hold up."

She had started to smile, until her eyes went to his side.

York just kept smiling as he stopped a few feet from her. He looked absolutely thrilled.

"Guess who just got certified as handler?" he asked, holding his arms up like he was celebrating.

"We are on a probationary status as handler and Meta child, Agent New York. We will not be certified for at least a year, after intense analysis," the tall, dark haired teenager next to him said. The teen turned and regarded the other agent with a respectful deference. "Hello, Agent Carolina."

Carolina nodded back. "Delta."

He was one of the less annoying and less creepy Meta kids. He was too smart, though. Each of those kids had a quality that just… made them creepy.

"You already know each other?" York asked, surprised as he looked between them.

"Agent Carolina has been on the Project for as long as it has been active," Delta said, turning to the other agent. His agent, apparently. "We are late for our follow-up meeting with the Counselor, Agent New York."

"Yeah, yeah," York said, grinning again as he looked back to Carolina. "I just wanted to check in with you. Thanks for the tips, Carolina. I got a good feeling about this."

Carolina didn't say what she wanted to say. Instead, she nodded. "Right. I hope it works out for you, York."

"And Delta seemed perky about it, too. He's all about that increasing your potential thing, huh?" York said. He bumped his elbow into Delta's arm. "Ain't that right, Dee?"

"My designation is Delta, Agent New York," Delta said, voice a bit cooler than before. His eyes were bright, however. Bright green. "And I do not see this as merely increasing potential. It is a vital part of the Director's expectations for the Project—"

"He also says a lot of big words," York said, in a mock-whisper, to Carolina.

Delta's mouth twitched. "Shall I fetch you a dictionary?"

"Delta!" Carolina snapped, making both Delta and York jump. Delta more-so flinched. "Be more respectful to your handler."

York seemed startled. "Hey, now, it's fine. I don't mind—"

Without hesitance, Delta nodded and moved back physically.

"I apologize, Agent New York, for being disrespectful," he said, sounding sincere. "I meant nothing by it."

Carolina would have taken it, but she was surprised to see the look on York's face. A startled expression. Almost disappointment.

He had to understand how it worked. Carolina knew he was going to be a strong agent, but they couldn't play nice with the Meta kids and still function as what they needed to be. He had to learn, just like the Meta kids did.

York glanced between her and Delta once and then moved up to draw Carolina further ahead. He still looked upset.

"He's just a kid," York said, deflating a bit once they were facing each other and Delta was standing yards away, looking painfully out of place.

"They're not kids," Carolina said, too irritated to hear her bitterness. "I don't know what they are, but they're not kids."

"Carolina—"

"I'll see you around, York," she said, moving away. She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Good luck."

She wasn't exactly disappointed when she saw how well York and Delta functioned. Delta compensated for York's recklessness. They were going to move into infiltration specialization, since their powers were more suited for it. Wyoming was paired with Gamma soon after. They offered her Sigma one more time before they gave up asking.

0000

The newer agents coming in were all just as eager as York had been, but they were a bit more honed. They had received more prep than York or Wyoming had been given and knew what to expect once they hit the floor.

South was a spitfire and her natural agility plus her teleportation proved to be formidable on the field. Carolina respected her as a fighter, but her discipline as a soldier needed work. She took losing too seriously (though Carolina did admit in secret she understood how that felt.) Ranks were important, but not the entire deciding factor in how they proceeded in the Project.

North was genial and a good soldier. He just seemed a little off to her, sometimes, when things got too tense. He was protective of his sister and eventually of the friends he made at the Project. There was just something underhanded about his attitude, sometimes, and it made it hard to trust just where his values were. It made Carolina uneasy about placing leadership choices in his hands.

But he was one of their better agents suited for on-field augmentation. Carolina had heard the Counselor say that to the Director once and wasn't surprised in the least that they paired him up with one of the Metas less than a year after the twins arrived.

Theta was not the youngest Meta kid, but most people thought he was. He was short, baby-faced, and nervous around strangers. He didn't hold Alpha's delusion that Carolina was family and thankfully didn't bother her. He mostly kept with his fellow Meta kids and

North noticed how Theta stared at Carolina whenever they were in the same room. Theta hid behind North like a child. It was difficult to imagine just how potent the two were on the battlefield.

"You know Carolina?" North asked his Meta kid, peering around him at the younger boy. They were in the locker room, just after he had tried to introduce Theta to the others.

"Y-yeah…" Theta said, in a whisper. He wilted when he saw Carolina watching him. "Um, no."

"Theta?"

"Can we go, North?" Theta asked, tugging at North's arm. "Please?"

Carolina saw North glance at her and then back at Theta. His strange lethalness aside, North was a pushover with those he cared about. The fact that he cared about Theta was his own business.

"Okay," North said, smiling kindly at the younger teen. He waved at the others in the locker room. "See ya around, guys."

As he left, Theta stumbling after him, South moved up closer to Carolina. Both women peered after the two departing figures.

"Is it just me or does that weird you out?" South asked, at her shoulder.

Carolina shrugged as she watched. "Yeah. The Metas are creepy, but you get used to them hanging around."

South made a face as she faced Carolina. "What? I meant, the whole using kids in a fight thing."

"Oh," Carolina said, blinking.

South frowned. "I mean, some of them are creepy. York's kid is just annoying. Blah, blah, blah, he never shuts up."

"They're not kids," Carolina said, automatically.

"What are they, midgets?" South asked, scoffing.

"Just drop it, South Dakota."

"Ugh. Whatever," South said, rolling her eyes. She moved away, slinging her towel over her shoulder. "I don't want one anyway. Probably won't even matter much on the field to have them…"

It turned out that South was wrong. It was worth it to have the Meta kids. Carolina reluctantly admitted it.

If York and Delta made a formidable infiltration team, North and Theta were rather intimidating on the battle field. Theta's illusions combined with North's teleportation were complimentary. It gave them optimal chances for North to get close to their targets and use his above-average, non-Super strength to take out non-Super targets. When up against Supers, he still had the element of surprise and was a skilled marksman with a gun.

The synchronization was the main reason for their success. They just worked well together. Carolina had never seen Theta as being useful or strong enough to withstand the pressure of being in a fight.

But he did well. In fact, he almost looked comfortable being out there. As long as he was with North, anyway. Both enjoyed winning.

Wyoming and Gamma were also well-paired. The assassination team was one of the first sent out on real missions, for government-sanctioned operations with the CIA in other countries. Carolina had to nod to their abilities as well. They weren't built for CQC but for what they needed to do for the Project, it was another excellent match.

The Project was working just as the Director hoped. Even if it was uncomfortable right now to look at, Carolina decided that every success the Director announced was the right path to take.

0000

York liked to make up names.

"Me and Dee, we're on intel, right?" he asked, not waiting for an answer as they gathered around a table in the mess hall. He leaned forward, gesturing dramatically with his hands. "Well, I got thinking. We're the Locksmith."

"The fuck are you talking about?" South asked. Agent Connecticut was next to her, grinning. She had been there for six months and already fit in just fine.

"Names! We need code names!"

Carolina leaned on her hand. "Uh, we have those already?"

"No, no, us Meta teams, we need aliases, so we don't reveal the fact there are two of us on the field," York said. He pointed at North. "You and Theta, North, you're, uh…"

"Losers?" South drawled. Connie laughed. Theta shifted uneasily.

York nearly smacked Delta in the face when he threw his arm out in excitement. "The Magician!" he shouted.

"Stop, York. Jesus," North said, into his hand while South and Connie laughed.

"Gamma and Wyoming are the Punchline!" York continued, laughing at his own joke. Delta rolled his eyes dramatically.

North burst out laughing. Even Carolina had to smile, though she hid it.

"That's terrible, York," Connie said, giggling.

It was terrible. But it was nice to be laughing like that, with all of those people. Delta and Theta could be bearable, since they were so quiet. For all the jealous doubts she had had, Carolina was glad that even if they were there, they didn't take away from what she had built with the other agents.

When final rankings were in for that semester, she was named captain of their squad. Even South gave her a half-hearted congratulations.

Carolina felt like she was fulfilling something.

0000

"Sis!"

Carolina had swayed to a stop, ignoring a fresh wave of pain that spiked in her side, and regretted pausing immediately.

"Sis!"

She didn't have the strength to just break out into a brisk walk again. Slowly, she turned to face the teenager who had come stumbling up behind her.

Alpha looked just as scrawny as ever. He was growing still, into his ears and nose. She hadn't seen him in nearly six months. Carolina had enjoyed the peace and quiet.

"Are you okay?" Alpha asked, breathless. He got winded easily. "I heard that you got hurt today, on a mission. A-are you okay—?"

"Where is your handler, Alpha?" she demanded. Her bruised ribs were making what little patience she had for the kid disappear entirely. "Are you supposed to be out of the labs?"

Alpha flinched, confused. "Huh? I…yes? I'm not on duty right now."

"You should have a chaperon while not in the labs," Carolina said, coldly. She turned and nodded her head toward one of the officers at the gate. "Soldier, escort Alpha back to the civilian quarters and his room."

"W-wait, Caroline—," Alpha said, almost panicky.

She turned to face him and loomed as best she could. Alpha wilted.

"You will refer to me as agent, Alpha," she snapped. "Know your place."

"But—" Alpha said, his green, green eyes wide and confused.

If it weren't for the fact she was in pain, she might have tried to make him understand better.

Instead, she hobbled away to the infirmary and hoped the Director's disappointment in her performance wouldn't be as terrible as the kind she felt herself.

0000

Field tests got harder. Carolina experienced failures for the first time. They were bitter and hard to swallow.

As the months dragged by, the Director began to hammer down harder on them. They were under a deadline, to achieve whatever degree of stability as a team the Director expected, and they needed to get better. There were no excuses for inefficiency.

She felt inefficient that night, wallowing in injury and barely-there victory. They had gotten the mark. The results were passing. But just barely.

She could do this. She knew she could. It was just—hard. Her team was better all the time, but she felt like they were always two steps behind where they should have been. The Director kept raising the bar. Carolina tried to catch up.

Staring at her own reflection in the training room washroom, Carolina realized she couldn't remember how she had gotten half the scars on her face or her upper body. She hated those scars, because they only reminded her that no matter how powerful she was, she was still only human.

And then, Alpha found her. Again. He always did that. Especially at bad times.

"You did really good today, Carolina," he said, as she stood in front of the sink, washing away dried blood where the medics hadn't when they stitched her forehead an hour ago.

He always said things like that. Like he knew things she didn't. Like he knew anything about her at all.

Something snapped.

"Why do you always do this?" Carolina asked, whirling around to face him. He stumbled back in shock. She glared down at him. "Coming up to speak to me like you owe me something?"

"I was just trying to—," Alpha said, startled.

Carolina felt her anger blistering in her chest. "I don't need you to try to do anything, you pathetic excuse for a carbon copy."

"Dad says that—," Alpha began.

"You don't have a father! You have a creator!" she shouted. "The Director isn't your father. He's my father."

She shoved him.

It was the first time in a long time she had touched him. She tried to think. Maybe it was the first time since she had held him, over a decade ago, as an infant.

She didn't do it with even a fraction of her strength. She could have broken him in half if she had. Alpha still flew back, slamming into the bathroom wall. He looked speechless. Afraid.

Carolina stepped closer, looming. She couldn't stop that anger welling up inside of her.

"You?" she asked, scathing. "You are nothing but a cheap imitation. You aren't even a real person."

Alpha's eyes were shining. "Yes, I am," he said, in a quiet voice.

"Real humans don't get hooked up to machines all day like they were made to do it," Carolina snarled. "Leave me alone, Alpha. Don't make me have to say it again."

She left him standing there, alone.

That night, she stayed up until dawn, practicing. She broke through four punching bags.

It was only when she finally stopped due to sheer exhaustion that she realized she was crying.

.

End The Fall - Part 1.

.

Next, tragedy forces Carolina to realize something. Something that winds up destroying all of them.

A/Ns:
-Don't mistake me: Church sibling feels give me life. Carolina's a complicated gal. Give her time.