Red vs Blue and related characters © Rooster Teeth
story © RenaRoo

Divided
Chapter Seven: Abandon

His rifle held at his hip, Bitters didn't see much point in getting in the way. He stuck instead to the shade of the base they had taken post in, or at least he had until he couldn't take the sound of the Freelancer pounding what little information she could out of the silent mercenary who had creamed them at arrival.

For a moment, his grip shifted closer to the hilt of his gun at the thought of the mercs responsible for everything he and his fellow soldiers had been through. But he thought better of it soon enough, instead using the energy to resposition out a little further. A stump made for a pretty good resting spot.

Gold Team Tactics, after all.

He relaxed more, considered his position, and cursed a bit under his breath remembering that Palomo, Jensen, and Smith weren't with him. He could at least seem to be doing something when with his squad. Especially when he was held in comparison to Palomo.

An itch of concern found itself a home in the back of his head for only a moment before he shooed it away. They were fine or they weren't.

Wouldn't have been the first time Bitters didn't get a goodbye into a last conversation with someone.

The grumbling and shuffling of the Fed soldiers that approached almost would have gone unnoticed, but Bitters had never quite learned all of Captain Grif's sleeping tactics yet, and so he made the mistake of turning to face them as they neared.

"Hey, New," the first grouched, breaking ahead of the other soldiers. "You have a permit for parking there? Or are you just as useful as the other News that landed here?"

Bitters' body flinched involuntarily, his eyes locking onto the dirt and mud covering the white armors' boots and gauntlets. Here these disrespectful fuckers had been burying his own and they were talking trash to him already-

He bit back a few initial insults that came to mind and instead crossed a leg, settling on one much more collected, "Just so happens I do. It's written in an F.U. Do you need to see it?"

Another stepped forward, a bit bigger, but Bitters didn't react externally. "Hey, you little rebel shit, if the rest of us have to pull our weight you better believe you're going to. Get off your ass and do something."

"I'm working," Bitters huffed, leaning forward. "I'm performing reconnaissance. So unless you have other orders for me, how about you clear the fuck out?"

"No way you're doing reconnaissance," the first scoffed. "Reconnaissance is just the same as scouting. Scouting would require you getting off your ass and checking the goddamn perimeter!"

"How would you know?" Bitters hissed. "I'm an expert at it. That's why it's my assignment. I don't see you fuckers being assigned to reconnaissance, so stop being bitches and don't interfere with my job."

The larger one came closer, growling. "Who'd you call a bitch, punk?"

"What the hell is going on here!?"

At once, the Federal Army soldiers fell into line, shoulder to shoulder. Bitters stood up, adjusting his grip loosely on his rifle as General Kimball approached.

Even with her helmet on, the general's anger was visible. She whipped her head from the Feds to Bitters quickly, fists clenching. "Did I stutter when I gave orders earlier, gentlemen?" she demanded, sights falling on the Feds at last.

The three visibly bristled at the tone and address. Lowly, though, they responded "No, ma'am."

"Then fall in," she growled. Her sights then turned back to Bitters, making his stomach uneasy all over again. "Bitters, walk with me."

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

...

They were by the further perimeters before the general even bothered to slow down. It'd taken more than his usual effort for Bitters to keep up with his leader, so it wasn't until they had slowed down that he even realized how far they were away from any other soldiers. Or how long it had been since he saw any of the Feds around.

Kimball stopped, gazing out into the distant cliff sides. Bitters stopped more than a few feet behind her. He shifted.

"Uh," he muttered, looking at her cautiously. "General?"

"Are you willing to follow me, soldier?" she asked, turning slightly to face him. "And I am not asking as your general. I'm asking as two people who have believed in the same cause."

Bitters stared at her, a little uncertain, and cocked his head to the side. "Is this the sort of thing that will get me court martial?" he asked blankly.

"No," she assured him. "Antoine Bitters, you and I are currently the only members of the New Republic of Chorus who are alive and present. I'm expected to lead people we have fought for years in a conflict that may have been aggravated by non-natives, but was very real for those of us."

"Tell me about it," he couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"Bitters," she said crisply, pulling his gaze back to her. "I need an answer. A truthful one. You are my Lieutenant. Will you follow me? Do I have that trust from you?"

The forest was quiet, more than it had any right to be. Even the wildlife of Chorus had suffered in years of conflict. Bitters had only been a child when it all had started. He barely remembered a Chorus in harmony.

"No," he said.

"Thank you for your honesty," Kimball said, managing to still stand tall. "That out in the open... I think I'm going to make my first act earning all my soldiers' trust and faith in me."

Bitters merely raised a brow.


She meticulously cleaned the grooves of her gloves and gauntlet, hearing the hum of 'equipment maintenance' from FILSS in the back of her head as she does so, the blood and chips of glass from the punch of the pirate's visor proving to be a bit tougher than she initially gave credit.

If nothing else, Caolina could take some solace in the fact that after her last failed interrogation, the Federal soldiers at least weren't going to mutiny against Kimball with the Freelancer backing her.

They were in a tough spot, and she wasn't ready for more bad news when Simmons approached her cautiously.

"Hey, uh, Carolina?" he said nervously.

She looked over her shoulder toward, him tilting her head before shaking the last of the water from her gauntlets. "What, Simmons?"

"Yeah, uh," he rubbed at his shoulder. "I know you're busy with the Charon dude and what not, but um, well. Let's just say I have some concerns."

Carolina blinked at him, only a little caught off guard, before smirking. "Well, don't have concerns. We're in a spot, but it's fine. We've already made contact with Armonia and after some radio tag we'll head out and meet up. It might not have been a successful mission but-"

Simmons held up his hands and shook his head firmly. "No no no, you don't understand," he said. "I'm worried about Church."

Still not used to hearing that name so casually, Carolina tilted her head, scowling. "Epsilon? Why?"

Sighing in aggravation, Simmons shrugged. "Look, he's being very freaky. Like, different voices and he's just in every computer in the base, whether we need it or not. And he won't use his projection, even when he's talking straight to me. It's. Unsettling." He rubbed at his neck. "Do you think you could... y'know... take him back or something? He's freaking me out!"

Carolina stared at him for a moment, processing everything being said.

"I'll see what I can do," she promised, immediately walking toward the door and past Simmons, ignoring his relieved "thank god".

She had had the urge to take Epsilon back after they had spoken to Washington, but he had immediately jumped onto locking the safety features and exploring more of the accessible systems in the base. It was a very smart move to make, and completely natural for Epsilon given the nature of all their prior assaults on pirate bases before joining up with the Chorus troops. It's why, despite the gnawing feeling in her gut that it wasn't quite right, she agreed with her AI.

Entering the hub Simmons and Epsilon had created out of the computers and equipment, it didn't take long for Carolina to see exactly what the maroon Sim Trooper had been talking about.

Every electronic device was on, running - some running faster than they could possibly have had the capacity to do - and the drone of muttering whispers, all different in voice and tone, fluttering in the air at speeds faster than any human mind could comprehend.

She stopped, looking around the room. Her sights settled on the security camera that followed her gaze.

"Epsilon," she said clearly, listening as the whisper of voices died down around her. "I need you to return to me. We'll most likely be moving out soon."

"No can do, C," the canny voice of her partner read out from the machines. Like Simmons had told her, Epsilon didn't bother projecting his sprite. "I'm running these things to keep our scanners optimized for several miles outside of the base."

"That sounds like it takes a lot of your processes," she said. "And it also sounds unnecessary. We've already secured the area."

"No."

The freelancer blinked, her eyebrows raising. "Did you just say no to me, Epsilon?" she asked critically.

"Yeah, I did," the AI returned. "I've got to make sure nothing interferes with this equipment and make sure I don't miss anything."

"It's fine," she snapped. "You won't. Epsilon, what is this about?"

The computers whirled faster.

"It's my fault," a small voice, one that wasn't quite Epsilon, but younger, a child. "I did this."

"Epsilon, no," Carolina growled. "Listen to me, this had nothing to do with you."

"YES IT DID," a more hysterical, booming voice roared. It quickly changed, becoming more flat, calm, but edging still on something almost unspeakable. "There were many anomalies picked up in the instances before the slip between the transportation cubes. I did not act on them."

Carolina stared at the computer. Slowly saying, "And you can't be bothered to say this to my face?"

There was a long pause. Carolina glared into the computers before beginning to think that Epsilon had chosen to go quiet. He showed, though, a cobalt flicker revealing his sprite just before her.

"I have to do this," Epsilon pleaded, looking her in the eyes. "Please."

She remained quiet. "I'll let you," she said, "for now. But when we get back to Armonia, Epsilon... we're having a talk."

He faded, the computers continued their work. Carolina stood in wait for him, intending to wait until it was time to leave altogether, but the silence was interrupted by a large commotion from the base's courtyard.

"The hell?" she muttered, heading out with just one look toward the space Epsilon had occupied.


Kimball watched as the crumpled man fell from the top of the base to the courtyard before her. The pirate's body had just limply collided with the earth, causing Bitters and the Federal soldiers to back away cautiously from it.

Agent Carolina exited the base, an exaggerated roll of her head taking her from the bloodied and broken pirate to the general with bloodstained hands.

There was an ominous quiet from everyone.

"You interrogated him in front of the soldiers?" Carolina asked critically at long last.

Kimball reached to her pocket, removing a rag and quickly cleaning her armor. "I did," she said darkly. "They're sending a second wave to attack us while we're down, that's why he didn't feel the need to talk to you, Agent Carolina." She looked out to everyone. "And if anyone has any questions, state them now. If not then gather all usable equipment and prepare to march. We're leaving here before the mercenaries have the chance to show up."

She waited before reaching for the rifle at her back. "No questions? Good. Get moving." She looked down to Simmons and Carolina. "Signal Armonia. Tell them we're coming."