Red vs. Blue: Vindication

Chapter One:Variance

AN: I do not Own Red vs Blue, that belongs to the brilliant minds of rooster teeth, nor do I own the weapons, armor, places, or aliens of the Halo Universe, that belongs to Microsoft, and 343. I am merely borrowing them for my own amusment, and hopefully your own as well.


"Well this is just fan-fucking-tastic. Good Job Carolina, leading us right into an ambush. Did you plan this out or were you just hoping that everyone would be alerted to us and begin trying to murder us?" A voice shouted as a holographic soldier appeared on the shoulder of the aquamarine armor clad Carolina.

"Not now Epsilon. Just shut up and focus for once in your life. You could actually prove useful." The female growled over the sounds of rapid gunfire and screams.

"What do you mean I am-" The hologram began.

A grenade landed before the woman. Both looked to the frag grenade and Carolina immediately used her armor ability to increase her already lightning reflexes and sped out of the cover. Her body flipped and twirled as bullets just missed her by inches as she moved to take cover again.

"Jesus woman. Why don't you warn me when you're about to do that. Controlling your speed levels and making adjustments isn't easy." The A.I. complained as she pulled out her shotgun.

"Then shut your trap and concentrate." She hissed before jumping out of cover and using her ability to appear before her first target to pull the shotgun to his neck and pull the trigger.

Her body moved as she used the force of the recoil to slam the butt of the gun into the soldier behind him. She kicked out her leg behind her to sweep him off his balance before placing the shot gun at his head to pull the trigger.

"Sniper on your three." Epsilon called out just seconds before the gunman fired and she felt the air displacement as the bullet slipped between her neck and shoulder.

"See useful." Carolina replied smugly while smiling behind her helmet. "Keep it up Epsilon."

She engaged her speed boost to get out of the Sniper's range and threw a plasma grenade of her own at a pair of soldiers who were attempting to shoot her, but their aim and their eyesight could not keep up. The blue fire of the plasma glinted over her armor as she engaged her chameleon ability of her armor.

The changing of her armor and the vanishing female distracting the soldiers long enough to insure they were both taken out by the plasma at their feet. Her body moved slowly to the stairs, hugging the wall. The remaining three soldiers were in a panic, the sniper was not looking through his scope, expecting a sneak attack.

Carolina moved in close and switched her shotgun for her Gravity Hammer. Her eyes glinted in primal power as she raised the weapon to strike. Engaging Epsilon to target the trajectory, she swung and launched the sniper at the group of males standing together to avoid being snuck upon. The shock of their comrade flying at them caught them off guard.

Left stunned and knocked over Carolina jumped off the sniper's old perch and sped to the group. She pulled out her shotgun and smiled dangerously, it showed in her voice. "So I'll ask again, any takers on telling me where you're boss and the subsequent missing equipment is?"

"Fuck you, you crazy bitch." One of them shouted going for his gun.

"Wrong answer." Both Carolina and Epsilon declared as she swung her Hammer into the middle of the pair. The force of the impact ending the three remaining soldiers' lives.

Carolina shook her head. "Another dead end. Whoever is leading this resistance is either brilliant or stupid. I can't make heads or tails out of any data we find. It's encrypted but not by any method I've ever seen. And their soldiers are loyal to a fault."

"You know if you didn't kill them we could have probably gotten information out of one of them." Epsilon chastised. "But the whole shoot first ask questions later thing really seems to be working out for us. I mean this is the third nearly scrapped base we've been too guarded by low class soldiers."

"Do you have any suggestions then Epsilon?" Carolina intoned while beginning to search the body of the sniper for a data pad or something.

"Yeah, stop going all out guns blazing and scaring the idiots half to death and maybe they might think you'll spare them if they gave you info. That or call a ceasefire in the middle of battle. It worked for Alpha." Epsilon supplied.

"And where is Alpha now Epsilon?" Carolina replied while her hands grasped a small USB flash drive around the soldier's neck.

"Deleted?" Epsilon shrugged. "He was stubborn and stupid. He was also metastable; he really believed he was human."

"Exactly, he was deleted, who cares about the why he let it happen. He was a cocky ass, a trait the three of you all share." Carolina sighed. "I found a USB, now I need a computer, and probably Delta. Can you access him?"

Epsilon grumbled. "Why do you want that little green smarty pants. I can figure this out."

"Because I let you have a go before, and every time you get shut out and you set off an internal alarm and the damn data gets deleted. I need to try and use Delta's experience. Don't be a baby. It's still you, just the smarter side of you."

Epsilon flicked between a pale blue and bright green before the A.I. switched to Delta. "Hello again Carolina. It is good to see you. Epsilon is not pleased at being replaced."

"You let me worry about Epsilon." She declared to the A.I. before moving over to an undamaged laptop and plugging in the flash drive. "I need you to access everything you can without setting off any alarms. I need this information intact. I do not want to have to go blindly into another situation."

"Understood. It will take a few minutes for me to correctly analyze the encryption coding. I will let you know when I have deciphered the code." Delta replied as the A.I. holographic projection moved closer to the computer.

"Take as much time as you need, just don't screw this up Delta." Carolina declared as she sat in the chair. She took off her helmet and wiped the sweat off her brow. The heat of the secluded base in the desert was a mild annoyance to the red-head.

"I have never 'screwed up' before Carolina. A little respect would be nice." Delta shot back.

"You were with York, not me, so show me you're as good as you say and you'll get it. Otherwise I'm off to the next base we can find until I get the equipment back."

"Acceptable." Delta replied while flickering. "Epsilon wished to inform you he bets I fail."

"Well if you succeed he can spend the ride to our next destination in my mongoose again." Carolina shot back with a smirk on her lips.

"He agrees to your terms." Delta responded. "I have almost acquired the encryption pattern. Just a few more moments and I'll be able to access the information."

"Perfect. These bastards aren't going to use the tech my idiot father developed to terrorize anyone anymore." Carolina vowed as her lips formed a scowl.


"I just want everyone know that I'm a girl, and I like ribbons in my hair, and I want to kiss all the boys." Donut's chipper voice sang out proudly.

Washington looked to his teammates and sighed. "You know this isn't as satisfying when Donut does it."

"Yeah, he's always so happy about it. Look at the rest of the reds, they're pretty miserable." Tucker threw in.

"Yeah, well it's not working because she is a girl." Caboose added. "I think they're afraid we're going to find out, and Tucker will Burn chicken oww hump her."

"Caboose, what did I say about that? Stick to stupidity, that's your stick." Tucker complained while throwing his arms in the air.

"I do not have a stupid stick, you're the one with a sword." Caboose argued as he turned to Washington. "I think he's the stupid one." He whispered, or at least attempted to do so.

Washington rubbed the side of his helmet in an attempt to lessen the headache that Caboose always seemed to bring on. He turned to the reds and sighed. "Alright Donut's been 'humiliated' so now I think we'll take the floating purple car."

Grif turned and looked at his current transportation. "Oh hell no! Take something of his. It's his turn to lose something you took my mongoose last week!"

"You're the reason we lost again Grif. If you'd remember to bring ammo just once we might have a chance." Simmons groused as he stared back at his friend.

"We don't have a chance either way. He's a freelancer. He kicked our ass out of boredom. We only got the drop on him once and that was a surprise attack. I don't see and walls I can drive a car through. He keeps taking all our damned cars anyways." Grif shot back while raising his fist and shaking it at Simmons.

"Both of you quit your belly aching. Grif just give them you're armor that way next time they can just kill you and mount your dead body on their base as a warning." Sarge ordered as he turned his shotgun towards him. "That or maybe I'll drop my shotgun next to you and that'll solve that problem."

"You know Washington, you could just take that other Robot Kit that Sarge has been holding onto. He wants to make another Robot so we can communicate with Lopez." Donut suggested while turning towards the leader of the Blues.

"You know, considering that giving Caboose access to another vehicle will be more of a headache than it's worth, that's a good idea. We'll take that Sarge. You're spare robot kit." Washington nodded his head in affirmation, pleased he could find something to distract himself with for a week or so.

"Why the hell would you want a robot kit? It's not like you know how to build one yourself." Sarge shot back gruffly. He turned his head towards Donut and glowered at him.

"It gives me something else to do other than beat your team every day. Don't get me wrong sixteen hundred is now my favorite time of day. Considering I get to vent all my frustration on you guys. Still a hobby might be a nice change of pace." Washington replied.

"You know I helped rebuild Church and Texas into my Super Best Friend. I am really good with exotics." Caboose added, moving closer to his friend and offering his assistance. "I can show you how I did it, but with you there we'll probably have less fire. I don't have any water to jump into this time."

Washington shook his head. "Thank you Caboose, but you are still trying to get the tank, I mean Shelia online aren't you."

Caboose stopped remembering his original task. "Oh how could I forget? Gosh sometimes I am just so forgetful. We'll work on the new robot after I get Shelia running again. I've really missed her and we have so much to talk about now. I have all sorts of stories to tell her."

Tucker rolled his head trying to get out the kinks in his neck. "You go and try and get you're old girlfriend back. Me I'm going to go get some sword practice in. Don't want to get rusty."

"You sure you don't want help with your training Tucker?" Washington asked turning towards his retreating team.

"Nah, I'm the only one that can use my sword anyways. Don't come looking for me this time Washington." Tucker warned as he turned and began walking backwards.

"Once was enough to scar me for life. That was the worst moment ever, in all my life." Washington shuddered as he turned back to the reds.

"I'm just saying if you help build the robot maybe he'll stop attacking us every day. Plus he's a former freelancer you trade him this favor and then you can ask him to let it translate Lopez." Simmons suggested to Sarge. Grif seemed more slumped over than usual, and Washington figured he was asleep again.

"Dang nabit Simmons! Why would I do that when I could just install an override code to take control of the robot at any time and get a different favor from him? Your plan gets me nothing, and we never trust a dirty blue to keep their promise. Plus if I have a favor from him I'd have him kill Grif, why waste a perfectly good opportunity on translating Lopez, we do just fine on our own." Sarge chastised.

Lopez stood off to the side of the battlefield and stared at the idiots he suffered. He growled out in broken Spanish. "You idiots never translate me right. You'll probably make this robot speak Latin and screw what I say up even more. I wish you'd have left me offline."

Donut turned to Washington and tilted his head. "You know this is becoming more and more like the old days. I'm glad all those adventures are over. Plus with this new base I have lots of space to decorate. I almost died twice during all that mess with freelancers. No well almost three times I guess, but still. Dehydration doesn't count does it? Well the ship was from command, which lead the freelancers so that counts too."

"Yeah, a little peace and quiet is nice. Still I am starting to get a little bored. How did you guys not go insane for five years stuck in that boxed canyon?" Washington inquired, slightly awed and concerned at the same time.

"We always found stuff to entertain us. Me I took up interpretive dance. You should give that a shot next. It's really good for stiff muscles and it really gets the blood pumping. Plus I've never been more limber."

Washington paused slightly disturbed. "Yeah I'll think about that Donut." He shuddered. "Sarge I'll just see you guys at sixteen hundred and have you teach me how to build the robot tomorrow." He called to the pair of slightly arguing reds.

"What?! That's a dirty move Blue. We'll see about that. Tomorrow I'll make sure we beat you into the ground where you Blues belong. No winning streak can go on forever." He vowed as he turned to the rest of his team. "Alright men back to base and double time."

After a few moments Sarge turned and shouted into the radio. "Private Grif, wake your useless ass up and move it or I'm giving your food to Doc again."

Grif woke up instantly and was moving towards the base as fast as he could. "You wouldn't dare Sarge."

"EH, you need to go on a diet anyway there Shamu now move it." Sarge shot back as he raised his shotgun. "Otherwise I'm going to start your new lead based diet right now."

High above the canyon there was a flicker. The invisible cloaking shimmered off to recharge as the person in the Green Armor, with black accents spoke into his radio. "I think we found them sir." He paused listening to his orders. "Yes Sir, I'll keep watch for a little longer to see if the A.I. resurfaces. We're getting close sir. I can feel it. Jenkins out."


A man groaned while lying in a bed. The smell of rust and sweat caused him to groan. He opened his eyes and turned to face the alarm clock next to him. He stared at the glowing numbers and slapped a hand to his forehead. The bright red numbers read that it was only one in the morning. The male sat up and threw the blanket off his legs.

"Man, its nights like these I miss D the most." He grumbled as he began to walk around the cluttered room.

He moved to his personal computer and shook his head. "You always complained about my love of all things old-school." He remarked to himself.

His mind wandered as he sorted through files almost absentmindedly. He read over personal files, orders for weapons and armor, the newest development in their enemies movements. It became a boring task for the former freelancer. "I don't know if I should be thankful I escaped or upset I'm not living on a beach drinking Mai Tai's with some babe." He whispered to himself as memories flashed.

"Agent York, it would be prudent for us to move locations soon." Delta warned as the male sat on his lumpy smelly shredded couch and watch a program on a broken television,

"Not this again D, come on this is the nicest place we've been in for months. Just give this place another week. I need to find out if Jane comes out of the destruction of the Odyssey alive. Seth is totally in love with her, and if he survives and loses her as well as the ship he'll be crushed. It's the series finale D."

"York, given the tenacity of the Director in reacquiring any lost armor or A.I. from Project Freelancer, staying in one place for too long raises your statistical chance of getting caught by twenty-five point three percent if we stay here another week." Delta replied as he flicked and moved to stand on top of the T.V.

"D, come on now, you're interrupting the show." York complained as he waved the remote at the holographic A.I. dangerously.

"Even if that were the issue, you stole an old DVR set up from that electronics store and repurposed It for your odd fascination with television drama." Delta pointed out. "So I am in no way hampering your ability to watch this show at a later and safer location."

"It was in the trash D, DVR's are not worth anything now. Their outdated antiques no one wants. Not even collectors like them. Besides it's the principle of the matter, it's a set show time for you to watch the show in. Watching it later just ruins the effect. It creates chaos. Besides after this show I plan to stop living in dumps like this and get a real place of my own." York replied, giving up on arguing with the stuffy leprechaun.

"York, I strongly advise against this course of action. Faking your own death will not work. You would still require an injury to get a recovery beacon out. Then you are left with no armor, only a few scarce weapons, and you will have to leave me behind. Without me I cannot constantly run my observation and analysis programs to make up for your blind side." Delta responded his voice sounding a little less stoic than usual.

"Aww, D, you know I'd love to keep you around forever buddy, but I can't. Besides the Meta is coming after me too. I wish I could kill the thing for taking away 'Lina, but I know she'd rather I live then die trying to be heroic and stupid. I have to live on D, to remember her, memory is the key to humanity, if I lose the memory of her and the memory of the lessons she taught me she dies for real." York explained, his voice softening at the A.I. distress over being abandoned.

Delta flickered a few times while trying to piece together his words. "York, logic dictates that you-"

York leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees and sighed, interrupting his only friend. "D, logic will never fully dictate my life. I lost the woman I loved and I'm holding onto you and this armor because it ties me to her. I should have left you and the armor and disappeared, that's what Logic would dictate, to keep myself safe. I don't want to lose my only friend left, but I have to. Washington probably hates me for running, North just died not too long ago, CT is gone, Tex is going renegade, South's a crazy bitch who's staying in good with the Director, Florida died, Wyoming is still being a lackey dick, Maine lost his mind and is now being controlled by Sigma, and 'Lina died and I couldn't stop her or save her. I just need some peace for a while. Maybe someday I'll get revenge on the Director, but for now I want to be alone to grieve."

Delta said nothing for a few moments before moving to York's shoulder. "I will miss you when you leave, you're my only friend. Statistically I will never see you again. It is much more likely I will be kept in storage or taken by the Meta."

"That won't happen buddy. We'll see each other again. Besides you're a leprechaun remember. You're lucky." York joked as he looked over to his friend and smiled at him.

York was snapped out of his memories as someone began pounding on his door. "What is it?" He shouted.

A man clad in grey armor with dark red accents on his shoulder pads rushed in. "Sir another base went offline and someone's hacking the system. I've never seen anything like it. Whoever it is this guy is good. You don't think that it could be the-"

"No, if he were pulling the strings behind this we'd have picked up on it. Our Intel is good. It's a rogue. Give me a moment and I'll shut down the system." York responded turning back towards his computer.

His fingers flashed over the keys faster than the other soldier could keep up with. York grimaced as he fought off the attack. Something in his mind registered the technique as familiar. "Whoever this is this guy's good. If I weren't certain I'd say somebody got their hands on my old A.I. I've almost got him." York concentrated a few more moments before he cheered "But not good enough. I pulled the emergency protocol. I shut off access and terminated the like with all tech. Call Nix in here. We're going to need her expertise Vulture."

"She isn't going to like this. She hates having to reregister the entire tech and create new codes. She prefers her stealth skills to being your 'assistant.'" Vulture groaned as he stared at his friend. "But it's your call boss."

"Yeah yeah. You just sweet talk her in here and it'll be fine. We need to stop this guy before he gets any closer. I can't fight him and whoever this rouge is. We're already losing ground as it is." York groaned. "If only I could find where Washington disappeared to. I could get him, his squad, and Epsilon out of danger. If we lose Epsilon we're done." York sighed as he went back to searching through files. "Whoever's hiding them is doing an amazing job. There's no trail and no record."

Vulture lifted his head and smirked. "Trust me York, we'll get this ass fuck and then we'll finally have some god damned earned peace."

Yorked put his hand into his pocket and ran his fingers over a small ring. "I hope so buddy. I need a vacation."


AN: What did you think? I plan on for a while doing each chapter following A, Carolina, B, and possibly C reds and blues, (If length dictates two chapters) and Then York with flashbacks and what is going on with him. Once they meet up things will change around. Either way, it is what it is. I am planning on this being a series that could be possible. Besides if I want a Yorkalina reunion that actually works as a story and to give them a proper happy ending this is the best way to do it. If you want me to continue let me know.