I'm sure many versions of this have already been done, but I have never been satisfied with how much of RvB happened off screen, especially during the Freelancer years. This is my idea of how those holes were filled and how certain things came together (i.e. better explain certain inconsistencies in the story). It's been on my mind for a long time now and I guess this is the time to put it out there. Thanks for reading!

Prologue

"I don't want it."

Tex's gaze was intense, even through her visor. But then again, everything about her was intense. The addition of an A.I. had only increased that quality. She paced back and forth in front of them, too agitated to hold still. The Counselor shifted slightly and waited for the Director to respond first.

The Director didn't speak until she stopped pacing and faced him. When she finally did he returned her quiet intensity measure for measure. "The Omega A.I. has been assigned to you, Agent Texas. It is not something you can return."

"I don't want it."

The Counselor stepped forward. "Agent Texas, are you finding your new levels of aggression uncomfortable?"

The question was followed by a loaded pause. The training exercise at Desert Gulch had been a success in terms of testing Tex's new equipment and A.I. integration, but the casualty sustained seemed to be an issue this time. Tex crossed her arms.

"Nothing I can't handle. But I don't want this thing in my head."

The Counselor traded looks with the Director. Desert Gulch had clearly shown the affect her new A.I. was having on her, and while both men felt the extra aggression would only make her a stronger soldier, it was clear Tex was less than impressed with it. Interesting. The Counselor wondered if it was Tex's attempt to skewer her own team mate or the actual skewering of the simulation solder that had brought her here. Either way, she needed to be convinced to keep it.

"The Omega A.I. is quite strong, which is why we assigned him to you. Only a soldier of equal strength would be able to manage him." As usual, his tone was mild and somewhat ingratiating, but Tex picked up on the implied flattery immediately. Her gaze centered on the Counselor. He arranged his features to look nonthreatening and soothing. It didn't seem to help.

"I function fine without an A.I. I don't need one to be the best, and I don't want it. Reassign it to someone else."

"Agent Texas—" the Director's patronizing tone was interrupted by a fist pounding the table, leaving a sizable dent. To his credit, he didn't jump. But he did stop speaking.

Tex kept her fist on the table, hunched down in a position that reminded the Counselor of a panther about to pounce. Her voice just enhanced the image.

"Take it out or I'll do it myself. I. Don't. Want. It."

Her words were evenly spaced for emphasis, and a small chill ran down the Counselor's spine. The Director gazed at her, unperturbed. There was a moment of silence as he considered her.

"All right fine, Agent Texas. We will reassign the Omega A.I. to a high-level soldier for now, not another agent of project freelancer. We don't want any dispute of ownership. We'll wait a certain amount of time and if you should you change your mind, it will be waiting for you."

Tex slowly straightened up to stand at attention, visibly gathering control. "I won't change my mind. Thank you, sir." She turned on her heel and left.

The Counselor turned to the Director, his face filled with confusion. "Why did you agree to remove it?"

The Director continued to gaze at the closed door. "I have a theory, Counselor, and this appears to be the perfect opportunity to test it. The Omega A.I. is the Alpha's rage, and I am curious to see how it will take being rejected by her."

"Do you think it will become angry and seek revenge?"

"No, I think it might refuse to be reassigned. They are both full of rage, and they work well together because of it. But I think he is drawn to her for many reasons, and Omega may just find a way back to her whether she likes it or not."

"Do you think she can be persuaded to keep him this way? It may only serve to make them hate each other."

"Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, Counselor. It's not as simple as it can seem. Monitor them both carefully. Choose a weak-willed soldier and make the transfer."

"It will be done, sir."

The first time Omega hopped into another soldier, no one realized what had happened. Private Magnusson suddenly decked the soldier next to him in the mess hall, and in the ensuing chaos of flying fists and food he slipped into the med bay. From there he infected a medic who was part of the response team during a Freelancer practice session and suddenly Agent Texas, who was standing to one side and not even on the floor, came out swinging. Medics and fellow Freelancer agents alike were swiftly put down, and Agent Texas stood among them as they groaned. Her heavy breathing was less exertion and more sudden realization as her helmet tilted upwards to meet eyes with the Director watching from above.

Everything was still for a moment. "Interesting…" the Director murmured.

The other Freelancers that weren't on their knees or the floor were observing with arms crossed, muttering to each other. Tex had never really cared about fitting in with them, only about getting the job done. But something about watching them judge her while Omega whispered in the back of her mind was unsettling and unwanted. She felt the rage building inside her, her control crumbling. She wanted to take them all on and it infuriated her. That only melded with Omega's fury, making her more susceptible to his whispered suggestions. Her fists were clenched, itching to punch again. She clenched them tighter and tighter until they trembled.

Carolina stepped into the training room, and it was obvious that she had witnessed the incident. Her glare could be felt through her helmet as her gaze leveled on Tex. Tex returned it easily, filled with rage and frustration. It would be so easy to start a fight with her…

Tex abruptly strode from the training room and into the Director's lab. She paced back and forth, waiting for him to arrive. The moment he and the Counselor entered she turned on them.

"What the hell was that? How did Omega get back here?" She pointed at her helmet.

"Is that what happened?" The Counselor consulted his tablet. "It appears that the Omega A.I. has left Captain Snyder and made his way back to you. Interesting. We haven't seen that ability in a fragment before."

"Why would he do that? I don't want him."

The Director moved closer to Tex. "Let's ask Omega that. Omega? Please present yourself." He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his tone authoritative in a way that brooked no refusal. Almost reluctantly, Omega appeared at Tex's shoulder. Tex glared at the projection as it held still under the Director's steady gaze.

"Omega, why did you return to Agent Texas?"

"This is where I belong. Agent Texas is my assignee."

"But you were reassigned to Captain Snyder. Do you remember that?"

Omega didn't twitch. "Agent Texas is my assignee."

Tex exhaled irritably as the Director nodded to himself. "I see. Counselor, let's try this again and see if it works this time. Agent Texas, report to the med bay."

They watched as she stalked from the room, and only then did the tiniest smile emerge on the Director's face.

"It appears you were right, sir."

"Yes it does. Choose a different soldier and keep me informed."

The second time Omega made his way back to Agent Texas she was with one of her technicians. The calibration on her helmet was off, and he had just accepted a tool from one of his assistants and was in the process of recalibrating when he suddenly stopped. His hands were on her helmet, one making the necessary adjustments while the other held her head still. There was a moment of silence while Tex waited for him to complete his sentence.

"Ross, are you okay?"

Ross' hands suddenly gripped either side of her helmet. "You can't get rid of me, Agent Texas," his tenor voice was abruptly low and deep. Tex shuddered at it, but only because it was accompanied by Omega resuming his previous place in her suit.

"What the hell—"

Tex decked the hapless Ross, who was already reeling groggily, into a full unconscious heap on the floor. Then she picked him up and hurled him through the plate glass window that separated the room from the rest of the lab. Screams and the shattering crash resounded through the area. Tex broke the monitors nearby, then the examination table. Much of the tools and instruments in the lab were decimated into broken fragments before Tex managed to gain control. By then the other technicians and assistants were cowering in the next room or had run for help. Tex stood amongst the chaos again, breathing hard. Ross' inert form caught her attention through the shattered window, blood oozing from cuts, his leg twisted at an odd angle. He'd be lucky if he walked away from this.

Dammit, not again.

I told you, Tex, we are a team.

She stalked from the ruined room and through to the exit, pounding the door release on her way.

After the third reassignment, Omega infected a low level food worker and drove him through the higher security levels to get to Tex. The further into secure levels he went, the more attention he attracted until eventually soldiers intervened. It ended in a standoff.

The Counselor was walking with Tex to the training room for a practice session when they rounded the corner and found the employee Private Adams surrounded by soldiers with guns trained on him.

"Get down! Get down on the ground or we will shoot!"

But Private Adams was already looking directly at Tex. He showed no sign that he either heard or cared that he was moments away from being riddled with bullets. His fixed gaze stayed on Tex.

"Agent Texas, we meet again," his voice was low and deep and oh so familiar.

Tex gritted her teeth and sized up the situation. She could easily put Adams on the ground and save his life, but Omega would immediately move in and she couldn't guarantee she wouldn't hurt the rest of the soldiers. Not to mention that stopping this attempt only meant that Omega would start again, endangering yet more lives. She noted how close the soldiers were to opening fire, how their fingers were gradually tightening on their triggers. Private Adams was a dead man in less than ten seconds.

"Stand down. Lower your weapons," Tex commanded. The Counselor gave her a calculating glance and held his breath as gradually each soldier obeyed. Private Adams (or rather, Omega) didn't move, his gaze still trained on Tex. Tex moved into the circle to face him.

"What are you going to do now, Agent Texas?" It was incredible how a deep and threatening voice could still sound so arrogant. Tex tightened her jaw, furious.

"Fine. Come back. Stop using innocent people to get to me."

"As you wish." Omega wasted no time moving from Private Adams back to his preferred assignee. Tex shuddered briefly and clenched her fists but managed to maintain control. She turned to the Counselor and quickly moved past him, heading for the Director's lab without waiting for him to catch up.

The Counselor watched her go and then turned to the soldiers and a groggy Private Adams.

"Not a word of this incident to anyone, or there will be dire consequences. Do you all understand?" His gaze swept the group. Private Adams looked like he had no idea what was happening, so that was helpful.

There was a chorus of "Yes sirs," and other affirmative answers, along with an "Okay? I guess?" from Adams. The Counselor took down the name of each soldier before he left, and that in itself was enough to ensure no one was going to tell this particular story.

The Counselor entered the Director's lab a few minutes later. He was already deep in conversation with Tex.

"—we understand this is a difficult thing to request of you, Agent Texas. But we ask it of you for the sake of everyone on this ship. Omega is safest with you. You are the only one able to handle him, as the last week has proved. Please reconsider your position."

Tex was silent for several moments. "You really think I can control him?"

"Yes, Agent Texas. I have the utmost faith in you."

Omega appeared at Tex's shoulder. She glanced at him briefly. "All right. I'll take him back." She turned to Omega. "Are you happy now?"

"Yes." Omega disappeared.

"Thank you, Agent Texas. You are dismissed." The Director's cool tone didn't quite hide the satisfaction in his words. Tex turned on her heel and left. The Director continued to stare after her.

"Counselor, status report."

The Counselor considered the results on his tablet. "Two soldiers injured seriously, eight less seriously. One casualty. Theory confirmed. Objective achieved." The Director nodded, satisfied. The Counselor continued. "That resolved itself better than I could have imagined."

"Indeed, Counselor. Well done orchestrating Tex to that particular hallway. Omega took care of it almost entirely on his own. All we had to do was move the pieces into their proper places."

"Are you sure you don't want to reassign Omega to another Freelancer? There might be another strong enough to manage him in the top tier group."

"I'm sure. There is only one other person I would consider capable of managing an A.I. that strong, and I have another one just as strong reserved for her." The Director turned to his monitor and brought up the information on their newest A.I. fragment, Sigma. He looked at it for a moment and then considered the door Tex had exited one more time.

"Yes, Omega is best left with Agent Texas. Besides, his rage will keep her safer than she could ever be alone." Light reflected off the Director's glasses as he stared down at the monitor. "Above all, she must remain safe."

Tex and Omega were a great team, when she didn't think about the collateral damage. They worked together almost seamlessly, better than any other agent and AI pairing when it came to combat and strategic planning. A team unto themselves, they were frequently used by the Director for operations requiring stealth and infiltration. They never did fit in with the rest of the freelancers, but neither seemed to care.

On the inside, they were constantly at war for dominance. Tex struggled to maintain control of her body and mind. Omega grew more powerful and almost self sufficient. Tex privately acknowledged that in many ways it would be easier to simply let Omega take control, but it wasn't in her to do it. She didn't shy away from harming others, after all she was a soldier, but often she was the only thing standing between the countless senseless deaths Omega dealt out and accomplishing a mission with as little collateral damage as possible.

Continued rivalry between Tex and Carolina only fueled the rage in both Tex and Omega, and the mission to recover CT's armor and equipment made it worse. When it finally came to a head in a training room match Tex was determined to beat Carolina down once and for all, and all on her own. She needed to prove herself. Omega even agreed to stand down for it, though Tex knew she would have to make sure he didn't go back on his word.

So it came as a surprise when the Director interrupted before they even got started and an even bigger shock when anyone with an A.I. was suddenly screaming her name. Even Omega whispered it over and over in her head, his deep voice a combination of reverence and enmity.

But no one's screaming cut through Tex like Carolina's did. It rippled through her core, wrenching on some ragged level Tex never even knew she had. She reached out her hand and wasn't surprised when Carolina pushed it away. Of course. The worst part was the realization that she had done this, not Omega. Her drive to win, to be the best without considering her fellow freelancers had created this.

Watching Carolina suffer brought up the strangest anger Tex had ever felt, roiling deep in her gut and building to her throat. Where the hell was everyone? Why was no one helping her? She glared at the Director, infuriated at his lack of concern for one of his own.

He simply turned away and dismissed everyone else. But Tex couldn't turn away.

Initially she knelt next to Carolina in order to comfort her somehow, however awkward and useless that might be. But Omega flared to life in her head, rage upon fury upon scathing impotence. It overwhelmed Tex, and she found herself reaching for Carolina's throat, Omega urging her on. No one else was here. She could end it right now. Win…win!

Her hands had almost made contact before Tex even realized it, but she managed to silence Omega enough for her own thoughts to come through. She could end it.

But end what? The competition? The loss that always seemed to come? Win, win, win… The pain? Who's pain? Hers or Carolina's?

Or both?

Tex pulled her hands back and pushed Omega into the smallest part of her mind. She looked into suffering green eyes, and suddenly watching Carolina suffer hurt.

"Sorry kid, this is for your own good."

For the first time in her life, Tex used her fist in an act of mercy rather than aggression.

After the medics arrived, Tex went to her quarters and pulled Omega. She stood in her room, relishing the silence. The stillness inside her head and out. Her own thoughts, her own feelings.

She put Omega back after that night, and he was quiet for a few days. Then he suddenly disappeared for several hours. Tex never found out where he was, though she looked for him. When he returned, his arrogant smug quality was unbelievably high, and his rage was less for a while. He was careful not to show her what had occurred in those missing hours, something she hadn't even known he was capable of. Tex got the feeling he'd found some poor unfortunate soul to vent his anger on, and that he needed her less than she had ever realized. His desire to be paired with her was looking more and more to be a matter of want versus need. It was unsettling. So were the increasing levels of power hungry plotting in her head. Omega was growing more powerful and manipulative and better at hiding secrets.

Unsure of what he was actually up to and unable to trust him, Tex pulled him again.

Days later, Wash was undergoing implantation and Omega was still pulled when Tex found CT's dog tags in the corner she'd tossed them in. She picked them up for a second look.

And on the story goes, I'm sure you know what happens next. Time is often a little dicey on the series so I've kept the correct chronology and filled the time according to how I think it went. It was actually quite fun to include the aftermath of the Desert Gulch incident in season 15, I totally think it would happen this way. Also Wash mentioned in Reconstruction that Omega always came back to her even though they tried to reassign him, so I wanted to clear up that little tidbit since it was never addressed later. I'll be updating soon!