Red vs. Blue: Redirection
Author's Note: This fan-fic series is based on the Red vs. Blue Resurrection series, written by | Pvt Caboose |. I have gotten his permission to use his OC, Meta 2.0, so don't accuse me of stealing the awesome character. I have ret-conned a few plot points, in light of plot development in the RvB story since Resurrection was written (as evidenced by this chapter starting with the epilogue to Season 10). Again, I do not own Red vs. Blue (or the Meta would have returned already), nor do I own the OC Meta 2.0. So, without further delay, let's get started.
Chapter 1: Ideas
The day had finally come. The day I would prove myself to be the greatest accomplishment of Project Freelancer, had finally come. My mission was to retrieve the AI known as Epsilon and deliver him to the Councilor's office. The Director had returned to the off-site storage facility weeks earlier. We received a notification that all power had been shut down, including life-support. The old man had even tried to erase all data files before his death, but the Councilor had wisely anticipated this and backed up our systems. With him in charge, Project Freelancer could be more productive in creating the perfect soldier, rather than chasing some ghost. With him in charge, I could finally get my revenge.
Anticipation rushing through my circuits, I cleaned my weapons as I envisioned the horrified looks on their faces at the first sight of me. I was being transported to their newest refuge, an old shipwreck in a canyon, via Pelican. It wouldn't be long now, but the anxiety made the ride seem all the longer. At one point, I was clicking the magazine in and out of my M6-series magnum at a rhythmic pace. The pilot had glanced back at me, a look of frustration on her face, but as my gaze met her's, she became stiff and kept her eyes forward. I clicked the magazine in one more time and cocked the sidearm, noticing her heart rate increase at the sound of the sliding mechanism's metallic clang. I smiled; or rather I would have smiled, had I been given a face.
"How much further," I asked, intentionally with a synthesized growl in my voice. "J-just a few more kli-klicks, Sir," she stuttered. "That's close enough. Open the door," I said. She hesitated. "I said, 'OPEN THE DOOR!'" Knowing better than to have me repeat myself a third time, she opened the rear hatch, and I jumped out. Using my jetpack, I managed to get close to the Sim-troopers' outpost without detection. As soon as I landed, I activated my active camouflage systems. I had to know exactly what I was up against. I wouldn't underestimate my enemies like my predecessor had.
Looking around from a carved out section in the canyon, I identified five soldiers, all of whom were bickering about petty orders or moving equipment. Then I saw an oddly familiar soul: Agent Washington. David had always been a joke to the Project Freelancer family, but working with these Sim-troopers? This was low even by his standards. I was growing impatient. "Where are you, Epsilon?" I looked up to find a better vantage point when I saw two more figures on an elevated rock. It was Epsilon, and…. Carolina? Agent Carolina? Official Recovery files listed her as KIA. This would be more of a challenge than expected. "Good," I thought, "I like a challenge."
I decided to take care of the simulation troopers first, not wanting to be picked off after a fight with two rogue Freelancers. I got within range of my targets, leveling my Concussion Rifle at the one clad in standard red armor. For some reason, I felt that he should die first. I quickly fired off two consecutive shots, knocking the unsuspecting sergeant into a nearby crate. He was unconscious, but before I could finish him off, I knew to focus my attention on the others.
The remaining Reds were leveling Battle Rifles at me, although I could see the fear through their body language. The Blues were fumbling around for their weapons, except the one with gold trim. On the contrary, Wash snapped to attention rather quickly, as did Carolina. The Director's neglected, stubborn daughter had rushed over to claim the fallen Red's shotgun and was now waiting for me to make my next move. I engaged my overshields and quickly sprinted toward her with my speed enhancement. However, her reflexes allowed her to fire a shot and move out of my path just in time. I quickly readjusted to take down Washington, who was not as fortunate as his teammate.
A quick punch to the head was swiftly followed by a powerful round-house kick, sending the soldier against the canyon's wall. Turning around to address the other Freelancer, I was in turn kicked in the face by the furious female Freelancer. She then used her agility to do a back flip, land cleanly on her feet, and fire another shot at me. Taking the Concussion Rifle from my back, I retaliated with three shots, all of which hit their intended target. She was knocked to the ground and so, taking the opportunity, I reached down and lifted her by the throat. Removing her helmet, I saw those emerald green eyes I had grown to hate.
Suddenly, I felt someone jump on my back. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a recovered Washington trying to put me in a headlock. Dropping Carolina to the hard earth, I systematically reached back, grabbed and threw Agent Washington to my front. His back connected with my knee, the momentum of his being thrown around shattering his vertebrae. He let out a pained scream that made me glad I was mechanical and unable to feel such agony. I discarded the broken man, feeling an inexplicable pang of guilt come over me as I watched his limp body settle next to a heap of scrap metal.
"NO!" shouted Carolina, who stood back up and rushed to her fallen ally. Then she looked at me, tears running from her cursed green eyes. I was then assaulted by volleys of Battle Rifle rounds. The Sim-troopers had finally entered the fight. I took this light punishment while reloading my primary, but then noted the maroon soldier aiming a Rocket Launcher at me.
Knowing that heavy ordnance like that would deplete my shields, I grabbed the nearest Sim-trooper. With the cyan soldier in my possession, I knew they would cease fire. What I hadn't foreseen was that this soldier had a Covenant Energy Sword, which he quickly stabbed through my abdomen. Surprised by a Sim-trooper's possession of such a highly valued piece of Covenant contraband, I released him to remove the intrusive weapon from my chest. That was when I took serious damage from the rocket. In my preoccupation with the alien device piercing me, I had neglected the necessary attention toward the maroon soldier and so didn't use my time distortion equipment to redirect the shot.
At this point, I was vulnerable to enemy attack. My overshields depleted, I knew to be more defenses until I could regain my composure. Deploying a domed energy shield, I waited for them to come to me. A blue soldier came charging at me, whether from bravery or stupidity, and entered the lion's den, so to speak. However, this one was stronger than expected. He threw a punch that actually cracked my visor. Easily grabbing his other fist, I crushed and twisted, sending the Sim-trooper to his knees. He was screaming something along the lines of "Ow, ow, OWWW! That hurts!" in an almost humorously pathetic tone. Hearing enough from this imbecile, I delivered a downward strike that left him down on the ground, his Mark V helmet twisted into a backwards fashion. "A fitting position for such an idiotic individual," I thought to myself.
None of the others dared to enter, so I had to come to them. Shields fully recharged, I jet-packed out of the protective barrier and into the air. Then I rained down five blasts from my Concussion Rifle onto their unprepared formation, and dived from the sky right in front of the orange and maroon soldiers. Without giving them time to react, I grabbed a head in each hand and crushed them together. That left only a distraught Carolina, the cyan clad Sim-trooper, and Epsilon… who was nowhere to be found.
Not wanting to lose my objective, I grabbed the cyan soldier once more, making sure he didn't have his Energy Sword on him. I whispered into his ear with a mechanical hiss, "I will kill you, the girl, and anyone else that stands between me and Epsilon. Now, where is he?" I emphasized the latter part of my threat by tightening my grip around his throat. Before he could give a reply, a sniper round was fired about a meter from me.
Looking over to the direction of the sniper, I found none other than Epsilon leveling a Sniper Rifle in my general direction. I quickly threw the Sim-trooper to the side. The AI fragment said in an angry tone, "Don't move or I'll blow your brains out." I couldn't help but laugh at this empty threat, given he wasn't even holding the rifle correctly and the fact I didn't have a brain to speak of. Using my speed enhancement, I moved right in front of him as he fell back from the sudden move. I looked down at the fragment before me and quickly pulled out a Recovery unit. I lowered my hand to grab his neck, but in that moment of physical contact, something unexpected occurred.
I saw all of the fragment's memories. Everything… and he saw mine. "You're not the Meta. You're an AI, like me." "I am not like you. You were based off of a fragile old man! I was created from the greatest Freelancer in the program!" He could see I was "upset" over the reminder of my template; the reminder that no matter what I accomplished, I would be forever in his shadow. "You know, I met my template and… I have to say, I'm better than he ever was."
This was unacceptable. I was not supposed to be talking to the objective. I took a glance at the Recovery unit in my hand, ready to finish the job, when a third figure entered the equation. AI fragment Sigma, the catalyst behind the Meta's volatile rampage. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." This AI spoke with such confirmation in its own words. "Think about this, Meta 2.0. Bringing Epsilon back to the Councilor won't benefit you in your personal vendetta. If anything, it will make matters worse. If Project Freelancer regains the Alpha, we can only predict that it will result in your replacement."
Something the fiery avatar said puzzled me. "We?" He gave a soft smile and revealed the rest of the AI to me. They were all there: Delta. Theta, Iota, all of them… except one. Beta, better known as Agent Texas. Sigma then said, "If I were you, I would settle your conflicted feelings by testing yourself against Agent Maine. Release him and give him the Epsilon AI. Defeating him will mean nothing if you've done it without him being at full power, after all." I had had enough of this talk of conspiracy. I was on a mission. Without another thought, I extracted the Epsilon AI (and all remnants of the others) into the Recovery unit.
Agent Carolina then snapped back to her old self, ready to fight. She punched and kicked me, unleashing all of her anger in every strike. Her emotions gave her strength, but made her form sloppy, and therefore easily avoidable. After she landed a few more than solid punches, I ended the fight by firing my last shot from my Concussion Rifle, the blast radius knocking her off her feet. I walked over to the exhausted, headstrong woman and knelt down to end her struggles. Magnum in hand, I positioned the barrel right above her forehead. However, something inside of me convinced me to let her live…
I quickly departed, flying to the rendezvous point with the Pelican. I informed the Councilor of my success and ease of defeating the two Freelancers, with praise being my reward. I was then being transported to have repairs made to my armor. I took my previous seat in the Pelican and went back to clicking the magazine in and out of my sidearm, thinking about the things that Epsilon and Sigma had said. I began to imagine the epic fight between myself and the infamous Agent Maine. It would be interesting, to say the least. Then I remembered the round still in the chamber… *BANG*
The pilot jumped and nearly lost control of the Pelican. I chuckled and then muttered to myself, "Very interesting indeed…"
Well, what did you guys think? Not too bad for my first fan-fic, eh? If you have any constructive criticism, I'd love to hear it.
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