RED VS. BLUE: The MECH Chronicles

Transformers Prime and all related characters are property of Hasbro. Red vs. Blue and all related characters are property of Rooster Teeth

Chapter One: Desertion

Burns Flat

"Well, it's official." Grif proclaimed as he and a handful of other MECH soldiers looked on at the massive explosion engulfing the abandoned airbase. "Not only are we out of a job, but as of right now, we're probably on the lam from who knows how many groups." He shuddered. "Do the Autobots take prisoners?"

"Stow the quitter talk, dirtbag!" Sarge replied as he popped a shell into his shotgun. "Way I see it, we've got two options. Option 1: we crawl up to a bunch of robots on our hands and knees like a bunch of cowards. Option 2–"

"We slip off into the night, let the Autobots and their pals think we're dead, and use that as an excuse to start anew." Church bluntly said.

"As what?" Simmons asked.

"Soldiers of fortune." came the reply. "Not the most original idea, but the way I see it, it's the best thing we can do right now."

Grif snorted. "Yeah, like your dad's gonna let us just disappear like that– especially considering what you, Doc, and Tucker've got in your heads."

MECH Headquarters

"Director."

The man in question turned around to face the new arrival. "You have five minutes, Commander."

"We've found our recruits."

The Director rolled his eyes. "Rourke, for the umpteenth time, neither I nor the Board want anything to do with your pet project. We have more important things to devote our resources to as opposed to your…tin soldiers."

"That's where you're wrong, sir." Rourke replied. "Board gave Freelancer the green light earlier this morning."

The Director clenched his teeth. "…very well then, Commander. Now, would you mind giving me the highlights reel of your would-be super soldiers?"

Rourke pulled out his PDA, placed it on the Director's desk, and tapped on the screen. "First up– Elizabeth Willis." he began as he reached the image of a smirking, sharp-faced redhead. "Former US Army 25th Infantry Division; served two tours in Sierra Gordo. Received four Purple Hearts and the Silver Star."

"Who else?"

"David McCormick, former 101st Airborne." The image changed to a blond-haired man with a short haircut. "Two Purple Hearts and the Silver Star for his actions during the siege of Rio Lindo."

"Next."

A very familiar redhead filled the screen. "Jennifer Church, former 82nd Airborne. Purple Heart and Bronze Star for her actions during the intervention in Borovia."

"Anyone else?" the Director replied as he tried to look away from the screen.

"In the interests of saving time– this man right here."

He cringed as he saw the latest image on screen– that of a colossal man with a shaved head and a massive snarl plastered on his heavily scarred face. "Who is that?"

"He's one of the security personnel at the Blood Gulch facility– name's Horrigan, if I remember correctly."

The Director tapped his chin with his pen. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Three words: Osaka Iron Grenadiers."

The room suddenly grew silent. "You're kidding, right? You recruited that overly muscled blockhead with a bad temper for your little program?!"

"We'll have ways to keep him in line."

"You'd better." came the cold reply. "Because the last thing we need is some lumbering superhuman palooka to slip the leash– much less one who can rip one of Destro's robots in half even before undergoing whatever process you're going to put him and the rest through." He paused. "Speaking of, who or what are you using as your guinea pigs for this?"

"Gates and Ortez, sir."

The Director's jaw promptly went slack. "Tell me, Commander– what possessed you to think that turning Hargrove's pet psychopaths into super soldiers was a good idea?"

"Ask Malcolm– it was his idea." came the blunt reply.

Of course it was. The Director thought, scowling as Rourke walked away.

(excerpt from files obtained by Task Force Delta following raid on MECH server farm near Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

Project Codename: Freelancer

Objective: Creation of autonomous elite enhanced field operatives

Overview:

With the Board continuing to maintain a laser focus on the damage inflicted by the Autobots and their allies, they're overwhelmingly blind to a greater threat of a purely homegrown nature that is slowly but surely strangling us day by day– a threat that goes by such names as Task Force Delta, Action Force, Ente Pubblico per il Benessere Sociale, and Public Safety Sector Nine, among others. Clinton-Sherman was a setback, yes, but we can compensate. The cell in Tokyo that Sector 9 took down last week, or the front company in Milan that the EPBS raided the week before that? Not so much.

That last one, however, may have provided us with the key to its own undoing. Going by the intelligence we gained from that captured EPBS handler, we know that the agency relies upon heavily augmented field operators to carry out missions. Unfortunately for us, their choice in recruits (orphaned children) leaves much to be desired– not only do continued augmentations result in death, but the operators are dependent upon a handler for training, equipment, and care and feeding. The solution, therefore, is obvious: instead of random orphans, we apply those techniques to fully-grown and fully trained adults, thereby eliminating the need for the constant presence of a handler altogether.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

For anyone wondering how this fic came to be, the point of origin is from LuisJM's Transformers Prime: Season 3 fics– namely in regards to the main bad guy for MECH in this stories being a version of the Director from Red vs. Blue, with a number of other characters from that show (Grif, Simmons, Tucker, etc.) showing up in cameo roles.

Given the various losses that MECH suffers in terms of both personnel and materiel in said stories, I asked him as to whether or not they were still around, and if they were, whether or not he was cool with me doing a side story about them. He said yes on the basis that he was primarily focused on the Transformers, and thus this fic was born.

As for some questions that are bound to pop up: no, the Transformers probably won't show up except in occasional cameos as to not step on LuisJM's feet– instead, the Red vs. Blue team's probably going to get wrapped up with other Hasbro properties. At present, the only ones I'm willing to confirm are GI Joe and maybe M.A.S.K, so don't hold your breath for appearances by, say, Jem or the Inhumanoids.