Welcome to the official first chapter of this new project! Like I said before, this story was in the works during Red vs Blue: Reach's conception, and now that I've published it, I now have to think about and write the next chapters. Anyways, I'm considering writing a new chapter for RvB: Reach and if it goes well, I'll release it soon. Anyways, enjoy the read!
NOTICE: This is an AU, people, and it will deviate from canon a lot.
Project Freelancer "Command"
Unknown Solar System
October 17, 2552
Dexter Grif
0640 Hours
Grif sat in his room, the redeployment papers in his hands as he read them.
REDEPLOYMENT NOTICE
Corporal Dexter Grif
As a result of dereliction of duty, you are to be stripped of your rank and redeployed to Blood Gulch Outpost Number One, along with Private Richard Simmons and Private Franklin D. Donut. You are to report to the General at 0700 Hours for your deployment.
After reading this for the umpteenth time, the contents of the notice finally sunk into the soldier's skull.
"You stupid, ignorant, bastards!" Grif yelled, nearly ripping the paper in half. "I never committed dereliction of duty! I stayed in New Alexandria! I fought with my team! I wasn't left alone by the Covenant because I slept through the attack! I had to bury my team because your replacement sergeant didn't know what he was doing!"
He kept yelling the truth the courts would never accept at the top of his lungs, unaware that his old CO was standing at the door. After a few more seconds, the man was done hearing the angry trooper rant.
"Corporal!"
Grif stopped at once, looking at his superior with fire in his eyes.
"Why did you come here, sir? So you could throw in your two cents about how I 'slept on the job?!'" he growled, uncaring of how he had addressed the officer before him.
"No. I'm here for two reasons."
"What reasons?"
"First of all, to offer my condolences to your team. I'm sorry for your losses, Corporal, and I know you stayed and fought, like any real man."
"Um, thank you, sir."
"Second, I have information to tell you."
"What is it?"
"You're being redeployed to a "simulation" outpost, used by a UNSC project called 'Project Freelancer.'"
"Simulation?" Grif asked, confused.
The officer sighed. "They pull low test score trainees and soldiers who disobey orders or military doctrine from the ranks and place them in a simulation outpost, where the agents of Project Freelancer test their equipment and skills against them."
"So... they take idiots and insubordinate soldiers and make them cannon fodder." Grif said slowly. "What is Project Freelancer?"
"Unfortunately, I don't know the specifics, but its purpose is to create supersoldiers using A.I.s and special armor."
"But we have the Spartan Programs already!"
"And we're losing Spartans as this war goes on, Corporal. This project is meant to help refill the ranks and turn the tides in our favor." the older man said. "Anyways, I want you to report anything that happens in that canyon, Corporal. Can you do that?"
"Yes, sir."
"One more piece of information." The officer inhaled. "Your old sergeant was stationed at Blood Gulch Outpost One earlier this month, and you will be under his command once more. That is all." The man left the room, leaving Grif to his own devices.
"So, I'm going to be cannon fodder for supersoldiers, and I'm going to be reporting the stuff that happens over there to my old CO. Okee-dokee."
Looking at the redeployment papers, the soldier scowled.
"This whole thing is still stupid, though."
Sarge
Blood Gulch, Unknown Planet
0700 Hours
Standing on top of the base used by "the Red Army," Sarge exhaled, looking at the Blue Base through a Sniper Rifle's scope.
"So this is how heroes are thrown away, huh? Going from blowing those Covenant bastards away to standing on top of a base in some godforsaken canyon, waiting for a bunch of idiots to hurry up and do sonething." the ex-ODST said to himself in a gruff Southern accent.
The monitor inside the base started making beeping noises, alerting Sarge to it. Setting the Sniper Rifle down, he dropped into Red Base's interior and turned to the monitor, which had the 'incoming call' notice. Pressing the answer button, Sarge stood straight as a man at a computer station filled the screen's display.
"Heyo, Sergeant!" the man, who served as Red Army's representative, addressed him. "How's the canyon workin' for you, duderino?!"
"Barren and incredibly hot, Vic, like it's always been. Did you get the request for more men?" Sarge asked.
"We sure did! Three dudes, and some extra equipment." Vic replied.
"Who are the men?"
"Let's see, here. We've got Private Richard Simmons, Private Franklin D. Donut, and Private Dexter Grif."
Grif?! Why is Grif being sent here, of all places? Sarge thought.
"Understood. Why is Private Grif being sent here?"
"Oh, Command says that he committed dereliction of duty, but I dunno. Maybe he was wrongly accused." Vic suggested, shrugging his shoulders.
"Is that all, Vic?" Sarge asked.
"Uh, another officer wants to speak with you."
"Put him on the line."
"Alrighty, dude."
Vic disappeared from the screen, now replaced by a middle-aged man with a UNSC officer's uniform.
"Sergeant, it's good to see you again." the man said.
"Colonel Bitterson, it's been a long time, sir." Sarge saluted his old CO.
"Yes, it has. I'm here to fill you in on some things."
"Does it have to do with Grif, sir?"
"Yes. He was wrongfully accused of 'sleeping on the job,' as he would say, when he was actually fighting a Covenant battalion by himself on planet Reach, after his team was killed in action."
Sarge mentally screamed in anguish at the news. His whole team, save for Grif, was slaughtered by the Covenant in battle. He knew those men really well, and if he was at that battle, he would have saved them.
"I'm sorry for your losses, Sergeant."
"It's not your fault." Sarge told Bitterson. "Is there anything else, sir?"
"Yes, there is. Corporal, or Private, thanks to Command's decision, Grif will be reporting the situation at the canyon to me at regular intervals while I'll try to reassign you to the ODSTs. That is all."
"Understood, sir." Sarge ended the call, heading to the roof of Red Base again to spy on the Blue Army's base again.
"Grif, you better not let me down."
Dexter Grif
0830 Hours
Sitting in a Pelican dropship with a kiss-ass and a... 'fabulous man' for an hour and a half took its toll on Grif. The maroon armored one, Richard Simmons, kept going on about how much of a teacher's pet he was and how well he'd serve Sarge while the red one (apparently Red Army rookies wear basic red, along with officers), Franklin D. Donut, kept talking about completely idiotic things.
The worst part about the situation was that Grif couldn't wear his ODST battle armor and was forced to wear "power armor" that looked like Mjolnir Mk. V armor, which was not only weaker in durability and density, but it was also bulky as hell and colored in an orange color that looked a lot like gold to his eyes.
"Alright, Reds! We're almost there!" the pilot yelled. "When we land, report to your CO and get acquainted to the base. Under no circumstances are you to fraternize with the Blue Army. If you see a Blue, kill him immediately. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Simmons and Donut shouted, while Grif said it unenthusiastically.
Sighing, the orange soldier turned to his teammates.
"Guys, Sarge is a very old-fashioned soldier and one of the biggest hardasses you'll ever meet, so don't try to piss him off and do what he tells you to."
"I'll do my very best!" Simmons said.
"Me, too!" Donut said.
"Okay."
Yeah... this is gonna be a long time.
When the Pelican landed, Simmons and Donut rushed out of the Pelican as fast as they could while Grif got out a lot more professionally. As soon as the simulation troopers got out, they were immediately heading inside through the roof.
"Why is it so damn hot here?!" Grif asked, looking at Simmons.
"I dunno, fatass, maybe it's because we're in a desert?" Simmons asked as though Grif was stupid.
"Hey! I'm not fat, dumbass, and I didn't look outside to see the bases!"
"Guys, we should find the sergeant and report to him!" Donut said, leaving the center room to find Sarge.
"Right!" Simmons left as well.
"Hey, wait!" Grif followed his teammates outside, where a red-armored soldier with a Sniper Rifle in his hands stood in front of the base.
"Sergeant!" Donut and Simmons saluted the man, who put them at ease.
"So you're the new rookies, right?" he asked, his Southern accent showing through the helmet's radio.
"Yes, sir." Simmons answered. "Along with that fatass in gold."
"Simmons, it's orange, and I'm not fat!" Grif yelled as he got to Sarge. "Anyways, it's good to be under your command again, sir!" The orange trooper saluted.
"At ease, Corporal." Sarge said.
"But he's a private, sir!" Simmons corrected his CO.
"Grif used to be a Corporal, Private Simmons." Sarge told the maroon soldier.
"Right. He slept on the job and got demoted."
"That's not true, Simmons. I'll explain later." Grif said.
"Um, sir?" Donut addressed the older soldier.
"Yes, Private?"
"We were told to report to you and get orders from you, so what do we do?"
"Ready for action already, I see?" Sarge asked.
"Yes, sir!" Simmons and Donut replied. Sarge then handed the former his rifle and swapped to a Shotgun.
"I want you two to scout Blue Base with that Sniper Rifle. There's a good ledge for it on the left of the canyon near Red Base. Step to it!" Sarge growled.
"Sir, yes sir!" the two rookies shouted, running to the aforementioned cliffside to begin the scouting mission.
"Grif, follow me inside so we can talk." Sarge told Grif.
"Just talk? Isn't there some military jargon for that? When did you get so civilian-like, old man?"
"I've spent an entire month in this hellhole of a canyon, and it's blistering hot out here, so yeah, let's just talk."
"Alright. Understood, sir."
Lavernius Tucker
0835 Hours
Tucker was just about done with the new rookie's stupidity. All he could talk about was crayons and orange juice and complete and utter bullshit. Standing on the roof to Blue Base, his eyes scanned for the Red Army while he screwed around with his weapon.
If only I could just convince Command to give me another chance... Tucker thought, clenching his teeth. That way, I could avoid being stuck with a whiny bitch like Church and that dumbass Caboose. At least Captain Flowers wasn't that bad.
"Tucker! We've run out of rations! Again!" the cobalt armored Church told the aqua armored soldier grom the base's interior. "I think that Caboose is eating them all!"
"Then tell that idiot to stop eating so much! You're the leader, after all!" Tucker shot back at Church.
"Oh, up yours, Tucker!"
"Up yours, too, Church!"
A lens flare on the right side ledge caught Tucker's eye, drawing his attention to it. He groaned in frustration as he saw a maroon and basic red soldier on the ledge, a Sniper Rifle in the maroon one's hands.
"Church, now's a good time for you to let me use that Sniper Rifle..." Tucker called to Church.
"Why, dipshit?!"
"The Reds are spying on us!"
"Give me a fucking second, you whiny bitch!" Church growled, stomping out of the base to use the ramp.
"I may not have a--!" Tucker watched a round barely miss his head by an inch. "MOTHERFUCKER!"
Tucker took cover behind one of the base's numerous walls, which had weird alien heiroglyphs on them.
"Awww... Tucker, did the big bad Reds insult you or something?" Church mocked from the ramp.
"NO, YOU ASSHOLE! THEY ALMOST BLEW MY FUCKING HEAD OFF!" the aqua soldier screamed.
"Oh." Church got up the ramp and hid behind cover like his teammate. "Where are they hiding at?"
"The right-hand side cliff."
"Okay."
Tucker watched as Church pulled his Sniper Rifle out and pointed it at the cliff, where the two Reds were at.
Please don't miss.
Church fired,his round destroying the maroon soldier's scope in the process.
"Nice shot, Church!" Tucker complimented.
"Thanks. I just wish I could have hit him in the head."
The two Blues watched as the Reds ran back down the cliff, screaming bloody murder as they retreated.
"And you call me the bitch." Tucker said, smirking behind his helmet.
"You still suck."
"I know."
A few seconds later, the two Blues were greeted by an all-too familiar blue armored soldier, who had orange juice in his hands.
Are you fucking kidding me?!
"Oh, my God." Church groaned in his usual tone. "Caboose, what. The fuck. Are you doing here?"
"Oh, uh, Command called. They're sending someone new to Blue Base to help us." the blue idiot said.
"I don't get paid enough for this shit." Church groaned. "Who are they, Caboose?"
"Uh, Command never told me who they were, but they'll be here in a week."
"Okay. Caboose, go back downstairs. That's an order."
"Okay, Church." The blue idiot went down the ramp and left his teammates alone.
"So, we get to have to deal with another dumbass like Caboose in a week, huh?" Church asked.
"Oh, Command knows who's coming! They're called a Freelancer!"
Freelancer?
"Goddamn it." Church cursed.
Dexter Grif
0842 Hours
"So, yeah. We're cannon fodder for these Freelancer supersoldiers." Grif was telling Sarge. The two sat in the war room, talking about their predicaments. Apparently, Sarge used to have a team of simulation troopers with him, but they either died or got reassigned to a different base.
"That makes our situation sound even more dishonorable than it already is." Sarge commented.
"We'll get out of here, sir."
"I sure hope so."
"Sarge!" Simmons yelled, running into Red Base as fast as he could.
"What in the Sam Hill is this?!"
"The Blues saw us and shot at us with a Sniper Rifle! They even broke the scope!"
"Damn." Grif said. "They must have a good marksman on their side."
"Alright. We'll get a new scope for the Sniper Rifle and we'll find a new spot to scout from."
"That's good to hear, sir." Simmons said. "Do you have a plan to take their base, yet?"
"I'm working on that, Private." Sarge growled.
"Understood."
"This base is very bland." Donut commented.
"What?"
"The inside's only grey and red, and there's nothing decorating the walls. I'm going to put in a request for decorations, a sprinkler, and seeds for a flower garden." the rookie explained.
"AHHHH! OH, MY GOD! WHY DO WE NEED TO DECORATE A FUCKING MILITARY BASE, DONUT?! Grif yelled in pure anger, cupping his hands around his helmeted face to try and muffle the yell.
Yeah, the Red Army was going to need a new recruit pretty damn soon.
Alright, guys! The Reds and Blues' time in Blood Gulch will be a little different and lighter-hearted, but if it's darkness that you want, then I'm adding it into the chapters after this, along with normal BGC action. Anyways, thank you guys for supporting this, and I'll see you next time.