I want to say sorry for the wait. School got busy and this story got put on the back burner while that happened. I'm sure in a few weeks it will happen again, for a shorter time, but I hope to be far ahead on this story by then anyway.
So without further delay, here is your new chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Red Vs Blue.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed every thought from my mind, choosing to focus on making sure Tucker and Caboose were kept safe. The three of us were quickly walking across the canyon, covering the distance between us and Lopez in a few seconds. Weapons drawn, of course, we slowed as we approached. I watched both Lopez and Caboose, making sure neither did anything weird.
"Hold it right there, ambre!" Tucker called out to Lopez, stopping a few feet before him. Caboose and I did the same, flanking him. Lopez didn't seem too worried about the guns, but he also didn't move. "I told you throwing that grenade through the teleporter would work! Church is gonna be so impressed." Tucker told us.
"And Sheila will love me again, and this time for who I am and not just for my stunning good looks. But for those too." Caboose replied.
"Maldita estos bastardos azules. Realmente son tan estúpidos como parecen." Lopez said. I frowned, trying my best to figure out what he was saying. All I had on my side was high school french and Dora the Explorer. You would be surprised how many words are alike in French and Spanish. It also helped that his robot voice slowed his speech. I made out the words 'blue bastards' and 'stupid'.
"Insulting the people with a weapon to your head isn't helping your situation." I said.
"You speak spanish? Why was I always looking up words in the dictionary if you speak it!" Tucker asked. Out of the corner of my eye I saw his weapon drop, his attention focused on was sort of stupid.
"To expand your education." I said.
"Your soul is a cavern of lies!" O'Malley said, taking over Caboose as he jabbed his weapon towards Lopez, so I assumed that was towards him and not my statement.
"What the hell is going on?" Tucker asked, raising his gun once more at Lopez.
"Es posible que haya ganado esta ronda , pero su reinado cruel tiranía será de corta duración . Las personas rojas serán avenged-"
Okay, so 'possible', 'won', 'round', 'cruel', 'red people', 'avenged'. That was all I got before Tucker cut him off.
"Yeah yeah yeah, nobody cares. We need you to fix our tank."
"Nunca voy a trabajar para el enemigo. ¿Puede un viruela sea con tu alma y tu casa."
'No help enemy', 'virus', 'house'. Did he just put a plague upon my house? What was this, shakespeare?
"Larga tienen mi pueblo sufrido , pero muy pronto veremos la llegada de un nuevo día. El amanecer de nuestro tiempo está cerca-"
long, people, suffered. Uhh, new year, or era, probably? Oh, screw thing, our helmets had to have something to translate. Its advance technology, right? I fiddled around with the buttons on my helmet until I found a settings menu. Holy shit, right there was a setting for English subtitles. So if I selected that…
"- del campo sabrá que este es su momento" Lopez said, and at the bottom of my visor appeared the words "the field will know that this is your time"
"Holy. Shit." I breathed out. How come this wasn't common knowledge? Did they just not bother to look? Actually, that's probably what happened.
"What? What did he say? Because, man, I thought Church talked too much. You think if I kick him in the switch he'll shut up?" Tucker asked me, thinking my holy shit was about something Lopez said and not at the fact that I could now actually understand what Lopez was saying.
"Um, Taylor, Tucker, I think that maybe we should begin the going of the running now! The fast running!" Caboose cut in before I could explain my new found tool. I followed Cabooses line of vision and saw Sarge and Simmons in the warthog, gaining on our position, the ridiculous polka music just reaching my ears as I did.
"Oh crap!" Tucker said.
Simmons moves the turret, aiming for our little group, not even realizing that it is Lopez with us due to the painted armor. He was turning on his own guy and he didn't even know it. Man, that sucked a lot.
"That's right," Tuckers quiet voice broke me from my thoughts. "we're just casually strolling away." Tucker was backing up as he spoke. I followed, waiting for the right moment to run. "No cause for concern…"
"Running time!" Caboose yelled as he took off for base.
"Nice and casual! Moron!" Tucker yelled, taking off with him. Except they kept running in circles. I mean seriously, how hard was it to just run straight backwards? Apparently very hard is the answer. I sighed, but took pity on the two. I backed up as fast as I could, keeping my gun trained on the warthog, making sure the idiots got out before I turned and ran myself.
"This way!" I yelled at them, and they finally straightened out, running past me.
"Come on, Taylor." I heard Tucker call to me. I decided it was probably best I turn my back and run, even though having my back to a weapon didn't sit right with me.
Lopez didn't move through all of this. He was saying something in Spanish, and the words popped up at the bottom of my vision, but I couldn't read them and run away and make sure I didn't get shot.
Stopping what was probably not a safe distance away from the warthog, The three of us turned around just in time to see Lopez about to be hit by the large, army jeep. I tilted my head, trying to figure out what was going on, because really I would remember if the Reds ran over Lopez. Surely, I would. But if they don't do that, then what did the do? Stop? Sarge would never stop when faced with such an easy blue target.
They were just a few feet before Lopez, not slowing down at all. They were really going to-
BOOOOOOOM
I flinched, taking a step back without even thinking about it. The warthog had just exploded, like it was hit by an roadside IED, and it had pitched forward and sending Simmons and Sarge flying forward. The whole thing completely missed Lopez.
I felt pressure on my right arm, glancing over I saw an aqua color hand gently squeezing my bicep.
I never told Tucker what had happened to me back home, obviously I couldn't, but I didn't even try and get close to the truth. I just ignored it. Tucker saw when I struggled sometimes, and he had asked me about it a few times in the past three months. I brushed it off, every time, and he let me. So every now and then, when I reacted badly to the fighting around us, Tucker would put his hand on my arm. Just for a few seconds, and I like to think he was letting me know he had my back when he did it. It helped, too. Of course, just like in the past, his hand moved away after a few seconds and neither of us would bring it up. We just kept on going.
And right now that meant running forward and seeing how Lopez was.
"Lo siento, padre." Lopez said as we approached him, "I'm sorry, father." was the caption associated with it.
"Alright! Not bad, robot dude!" Tucker told him, either oblivious to or not really caring about how Lopez clearly looked distressed over what just happened.
"I knew he would save us. I knew it! Robot people always like me. ..It's because of my awesome dancing."
As Lopez talked once more, the caption appeared. This was pretty much exactly like watching RVB now. He said his "spirit is broken. My people have betrayed me and now all is lost. Do with me what you will…"
"Yeah, okay, man. Can you just shut up and fix our tank?" Tucker said.
"Dancing time!" Caboose said, and he started making noises to go along with some music only he could hear. I sighed, not much else I could do. Lopez spoke up, thinking Caboose was trying to mock him, pretending to be a robot.
"No, he is just a bad dancer." I told Lopez.
"se puede entender lo que estoy diciendo?" Lopez asked. "You can understand what I am saying?" The caption read. Before I could say anything about the translator in the helmet, Church faded into existence.
"Hey! Who blew me up with that grenade...and what the hell happened here?" Church looked around, taking in the destroyed jeep, the Reds on the ground ten feet away, and Lopez in the center. It was quite a sight. Oh course, Caboose wanted to be the one to explain it.
"Well, you see, Tucker threw the grenade in the teleporter, and then we caught the robot. Then the reds came to blow us up, but Mr. Robot stopped them by blowing them up. With. His. Mind." Rather than responding to him, Church looked to me for clarification.
"No, yeah, that about sums it up, actually." I asked, thinking over what Caboose said. He nailed that one pretty well.
"Alright, alright. Uh, Taylor, watch Lopez. Tucker, Caboose, with me. Don't let him get away this time"
"Yes, sir." I said automatically. Ugh, that 'Sir' was going to go to his head. Sighing knowing there was nothing I could do about it now, I raised my weapon and trained it on Lopez's leg. He was a robot, not really a way to kill him, so I would slow him down if the need arose.
"traicionado por mi padre , no es de confianza por el enemigo. ¿lo que me va a pasar?"
:betrayed by my father, not trusted by the enemy. what will happen to me?:
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Man, the shit that happens to Lopez. Here I was, trying to save everyone, and I completely overlooked Lopez up until now. How did he even become just a head? Three months here, and the information was slipping from my head. I had wrote down what was important, sure. Lopez losing his body was not one I thought was important, apparently. How wrong was I.
"I can't say what will happen." I finally said, my voice void of all the emotion I was feeling. I lowered my weapon, but didn't holster it just yet. Technically, I had yet to lie. I just wasn't oversharing. Everyone hates an oversharer.
"Alright, we have discussed what has happened, and figured out an offer." Church called out, walking back to join us, officially ending my conversation with Lopez.
"Si?"
"Alright, this is the deal, Mister Robot. You fix our tank, we'll let you go free."
I hear Caboose whispering to Tucker, both of which were standing a few feet back, meaning Caboose wasn't really whispering.
"I thought the plan was to trick him into fixing the tank and then Church will take over his body again when he is done."
"Yeah, but you don't tell the person you're tricking what's going on Caboose." Tucker explained,
"So, if I'm the one being tricked, then you would not tell me what is really going on?!"
"Why would we trick you?"
"Oh, I think you know." Caboose said. I glanced over at Tucker to see him shaking his head.
:Where will I go? Even my friends have tried to kill me.: Lopez said, hanging his head. Church didn't bother trying to translate.
"Okay, I'm gonna take that as a yes and let you get busy with the tank fixing."
"No tengo casa." Lopez sighed, and I didn't the translator to know what he said. He spoke in a robotic voice, and yet you could hear the sorrow and pain. He wasn't just a robot, and everyone forgot that. Including me. Lopez, somehow, was sentient. That was clear in the show, but this? This was heartbreaking. I had helped Church control him. My stomach turned at the thought of Lopez being controlled, by my involvement. He just moved up on my help list.
Church held up his gun and led Lopez over to our tank. This probably wouldn't take that long, Lopez was a mechanically genius.
So for an hour I watched Lopez fix Shelia, making sure he didn't pull any tricks as he did, not that he did before. Just a precaution. Tucker had decided now would be a good time to lay down, while Caboose would not stop hopping up and down. A whole hour of him just jumping. Didn't even pause once so far. Church had left in the beginning, claiming he needed to recharge, but now he was back, and it looked like Lopez was almost done.
"Hurry hurry hurry, fix the tank!" Caboose said, and he actually stopped bouncing. Oh thank god, that shit was annoying. " So that I can say hello to Sheila." Caboose's voice changed, and O'malley creepily added "And start killing everyone!"
Tucker looked at me, and I shrugged. "You mean all the Reds, right?" He asked.
"Of course!" Caboose said, "For starters…" O'Malley added, looking right at me. A shiver crawled up my spin. I pulled out my gun again, and just holding it made me feel a bit safer. That, and making sure to never have my back turned to Caboose/O'Malley again.
"Come on, how much longer, Lopez?" Church asked.
"Completo." Lopez answered, jumping down from the tank and stepping back. As soon as he did, Sheila started up, welcoming us with her usual greeting.
"Thank you for activating the M808V Main Battle Tank."
"Sheila! You're fixed! You're fixed!" Caboose said, running up closer to her.
"Hello, Private Caboose. It is good to see you again. Thank you for repairing me."
"He didn't fix you. Our robot did it." Tucker told her.
"Don't cock block me!" O'Malley said. I snorted, I couldn't help it. I mean, where was he supposed to put it? Her tank gun? He would get his dick blown off.
"Robot? I wasn't aware that our squad was outfitted with a robot." Sheila said, moving the tank gun down and aiming, or looking I guess, at Lopez. He lifted his head and made, uh, eye contact? with her? Yeah, this was the weirdest thing I have seen here.
"I don't like where this is going." Caboose quietly said next to me.
"Hello there. My name is Sheila. The M808V Main Battle Tank."
"Y estoy López, la pesada ."
"What did he tell her?" Tucker whispered to me.
"That he is Lopez, the heavy." I told him. Tucker snorted, and focused back on the weird love scene in front of us.
"Lopez, what a nice name for such a nice soldier. You have such excellent motor skills."
"Umm, yes! Well, Lopez has to go now. He was just here to help me fix you and now he has to go AWAY." Caboose yelled, getting more upset as whatever the fuck this was progressed.
"Dude, this is getting weird. Church, will you take your fucking body back?" Tucker asked.
"Roger that."
Church walked over to Lopez, and kept walking right into him. "No! Heauegerkergerk!" Lopez's body twitched, and then seemed to shut down.
"You okay in there, Church? Church, hey what's going on? Do I need to flip your switch?" Tucker asked, getting right in his face. Except Church reappeared right next to us, my body moving my weapon to target him, then aiming it at Lopez as soon as I realized Church was not in him. I pulled Tucker back, moving so I was in front. Lopez had yet to turn around yet, and I had a pretty good idea who was in there, but better safe than sorry was always a good motto to have in war.
"What the-? That wasn't me. What the hell's going on here?" Church asked, looking around. We all watched as Lopez turned around, and revealed just what I thought.
"Well, buenos dias, cockbites. Guess who's back?" Tex's voice rang out.
"Finally!" I practically cheered, throwing my hands up, weapon included, before realizing it was still in my hand. I holstered it, and I could feel the stress I didn't even know I had leave me. I felt like I could breath again, a weight had been lifted from me. I had help now, not to knock Tucker and Church, but I had reliable, skilled, help with O'Malley.
Tex was giving me a weird look, clearly not sure why I was so relieved to see her. Or maybe it was because I had expected to see her. Tex was a lot more observant and stubborn then the other guys here, I would have to be way more careful if I was going to keep my secret.
Church was not as happy with the return of his girlfriend as I was. No, instead he demanded that she leave his body. Seriously, that's the first thing you say to the girl you love after you both come back as ghosts? Dumb ass.
"Your body? This isn't your body, I stole it." Tex said slowly, as if explaining it to a three year old.
"Yeah, but I stole it first!"
"I am confused. I thought your name was Lopez. And I thought you were a man. This is all so strange. I feel like my circuits are crossed.. and I like it!" Sheila said, not really to anyone.
"Four words, don't ask, don't tell." I told her.
"I know how to get her out of there." O'Malley said. He raised his pistol, aiming for Lopez/Tex. Someone grabbed me from behind before I even moved. I tensed, ready to fight that person AND Caboose, but saw the familiar aqua color scheme on the hands that held me. So I stayed put.
"Caboose, don't." Church said, and Caboose begrudgingly lowered his weapon. I relaxed too, but Tucker still didn't let go as Church talked. "Look, just go explain to Sheila, okay?" Caboose actually did as he was told, but I guarantee he isn't explaining it right. "Alright, Tex, now what's it gonna take to get you out of there?" Church did a double take at us, and Tucker finally seemed to realize he was still holding me, and I didn't break his arms off. He stepped away and I saw him rubbing the back of his neck, pointedly not looking at me. At least he wasn't angry? Or, gross out? Or whatever his problem was with me?
"Well ever since I've been a ghost, I've been watching you guys a lot." Tex slowly explained. This got Tuckers attention.
"Whoa, when you say you've been watching us, does that mean you've been watching us all the time? Like even when we're alone?"
"Yes, Tucker, and you should be VERY ashamed of yourself."
"..It's very lonely out here…" Tucker grumbled to himself.
"Anyway, I've noticed a change in one of your guys. Caboose." Tex said. I tensed, as I'm sure Tucker did. I double checked and saw that yes, Caboose was still talking to Sheila. I shifted a bit so that he would always be in the corner of my eye while this conversation happened. Church remained oblivious, like he does about most things.
"A change? Like what? He's finally learned the whole alphabet?"
"You haven't noticed that he's become increasingly aggressive lately?" Tex asked.
"I have! Started about the same time Sheila got disabled and you got blown up. I tried to tell Church but he never listens." Tucker chimed in. I turned and gave him an "oh really look", he ignored that too.
"Tucker, there's a very fine line between not listening and not caring. I like to think that I walk that line every day of my life." Church said.
"Amen." I added. "Now, Tex, let's hear your story."
"I had just finished repairing the tank when I overheard Church's plan to warn the Reds about me. From what I could tell, the A.I. calculated the odds of survival and didn't like the results. Once Caboose turned on his radio to call Church, it took its chance.
" And that's when he said his name was O'Malley, not Michael. So the A.I. that was in you infected Caboose?" Tucker said. Was he acting? I mean, we literally just had this conversation. Did...did he think I was lying? Wait, he said Caboose real name, so he did remember.
"Right, everyone's armor has one slot for A.I. and Caboose's would've been vacant." Church said. If everyone had a slot, then why did freelancers have to have theirs implanted? To make them more permanent? To give them a better connection?
"I think there are a few of his NON-artificial slots that are empty too." Tucker said.
"Anyway." I prompted, hoping Tex would move this along.
"And before I could figure out what happened, that bitch hit with a really lucky shot! And the next thing I know.. I'm a ghost."
"Alright, I get it. Caboose has your precious little A.I. So let me guess, you're holding my body hostage until I help you get your A.I. back, right?"
"Wrong. You're gonna help me kill it."
"Whoa. Kill it? You sure? Won't it, like, fight back?"
"Yes Church, it will. Unlike you when Shawn Cadnety got pissed at you for kissing his girlfriend in high school, and pant's you in front of the whole school during a grifball game."
"What? That so didn't happen." Church's voice was two octaves higher than usual.
"Boxers or Briefs?" I asked.
"Briefs." Tex said.
"Huh."
"Well Tex, that was a great story. I especially liked the part about Church getting pants'd in high school." Tucker said.
"I found that part to be entirely out of context." Church cut in. Tucker just ignored him and kept talking.
"But I still don't get how we're supposed to stop the AI."
"I don't remember much from the implantation process. I do remember that the AI can be transmitted from host to host by way of the helmet radios. Before I learned anything else, the AI took over and we escaped. If we can kill the AI and not give it a place to jump, we'll beat it." Tex told us. How much of that was true, at least to her memory, and how much was complete bull? That was the real question here, and that's how I would get my answers. What was real, and what was not? Clearly, Church's want for his body was real, because that seemed to be the only thing he could focus on.
"And then I can have my body back. Deal?"
"Deal." Tex told him.
"Alright. Tex and I will possess Caboose then. Tucker, we need you to work on the Reds. Get 'em to turn off their helmet radios so that O'Malley won't have anywhere to go once we get him out of there."
"Right." Tex added.
"What?! How the hell am I gonna do that?" Apparently Tucker did not agree with this plan. I didn't like it too much either. It was literally what I have been trying to not do. But there wasn't much of a choice right now. I didn't figure out anything else that would stop Caboose from getting hurt AND lead everyone where they needed to go, besides just warning Tex not to fire live ammo inside a persons head, which you think would be a no brainier to begin with.
Ha. No brainier. Oh that is so bad.
"I don't know. Come up with a plan." Church told Tucker.
"Come on, you know how I feel about plans."
"You're not gonna have much time once we get in there, so move fast." Tex warned.
"Oh, I see. You have no idea what I should do or how I should do it, but whatever I do I should do it fast?" Tucker sarcastically said. He was tense, probably because his CO just told him to stroll right into enemy lines and just politely ask them to turn off their radios.
Church and Tex both gave a yep to his statement.
"Wow, you guys are a lot of help."
"Try shifting your paradigm. Think outside the box." Church 'helpfully' suggested. Tucker just shook his head.
"Hey, the box is there for a reason. I like thinking inside of it. I feel safe in there."
"Okay, Tex, ladies first."
Tex snorted. "Yeah right! You think I'm gonna leave you alone out here with your body?"
Church muttered a bitch, and then focused his attention on the man they were about to posses. "Hey, Caboose!"
Caboose turned around, giving a little "huh?" as he did. Church called out heads up and ran right for Caboose, disappearing as he collided with his armor.
"Don't shoot inside Caboose" I called out, Tex's nod as she followed after my only clue that she heard. Shit shit shit, she was totally going to shoot inside his head. This was just another thing I couldn't stop.
Red. Vs Blue: 3 Taylor: 0
