Chapter 8: The Flashback
Remnant, Merlot's Island
POV: The Blues and Reds
Premise: "To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice."
The Blues and Reds, minus Temple, Felix, and the Meta were hanging out in an area of the facility. Temple was off presumably dealing with both Cinder and Adam, which allowed them some breathing room.
"I'm telling you guys, this is getting outta hand." Gene said to them
"[What was your first clue?]" Lorenzo asked sarcastically
"Guys, I'm serious." Gene continued, "We're way out of our league right now. Monsters, animal people, gods, other dimensions."
"I think you're overthinking this dude." Buckey spoke up, "We got ourselves a good gig, look at all the hot faunus chicks! Cinder too!"
"Buckey, I highly doubt Cinder would ever want to have a night with you." said Cronut
"Oh she'll fall for me, boom chicka wah wah!"
"Guys!" Gene got their attention, "You remember why we signed up for this?"
"Sign up for what?"
The group then noticed Temple standing in the entrance of the room they were all in. He leaned against the door with his arms crossed before standing up and walked towards his team.
"Nothing." Gene answered
Temple chuckled lightly, "I think you're not getting the reason why we fight Gene. We fight for revenge."
"Yeah, on the UNSC." Gene retorted, "We signed up to get back on them. Now we're fighting in Dungeons and Dragons, which we didn't sign up for."
"The Reds and Blues are the UNSC's poster boys." Temple argued as he walked towards Gene, stopping at his face, "Once we deal with them, they will lose all their morale. And then, we'll come in with our new army."
"I've looked into your Grimm experimentations Mark." Gene said to him
Temple nodded, "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Beautiful?" Gene repeated, "Unethical. Dangerous."
"Nonsense!" Temple shouted as he made his way to the door, "This is what we want!"
"Is it what Biff would've wanted?" Gene questioned, making Temple stop in his tracks. He stood in the door for a few seconds before leaving…
POV Change: Desert Gulch, 2554
One Year ago…
Temple stood in the middle of the boxed canyon he called home for who knows how long. It had been what? A year or two since Biff died? He didn't remember, he didn't care. It was those Freelancers that killed him, all because they needed to win the battle.
'This isn't about you!' the cyan soldier shouted at him as she ran after the black armored one
Temple sneered underneath his helmet even more at the thought of the Freelancers. So much so that he didn't even notice the sound of footsteps approaching from behind him.
"Hanging out here again son?"
Temple turned to see Surge standing behind him, railgun in hand.
"I'm guessing this is where you and Biff hung out all those nights?" Surge guessed
"Oh my, what made you guess that?" Temple sarcastically asked
"Well, aside from the rocks used as seats, along with the folding chairs, and the old fire pit, it seemed like the place you'd go." the red soldier replied, "Either that or you both hung out on the cliff side near our base."
Temple sighed, "To what do I hold the pleasure of speaking with the leader of Red Team?"
"Well that depends, I know you miss good ol' Biff, so do I, along with the rest of my team. In their weird yet sorrowful way of course." Surge explained, "But I also came to ask if you received any orders from your command."
Temple snorted, "You know that Blue Army intel you're asking for."
"I ain't asking as your enemy." Surge retorted
"Then no, I didn't, none of us have." Temple answered, "Command's been silent, silent for too long."
"Heh, funny, 'cause ours have been quiet too." Surge replied, "We're heading to one of Command's strategic outposts to see if there's been any problems. Cronut just asks for one of you to look after his flowers while we're gone."
With that said, Surge then began to make his way back to Red Base, that was until Temple stopped him again.
"Wait." Temple said, "We're coming with you."
The red soldier cocked his helmet to the side in confusion, "Why?"
"Call it...a gut feeling."
POV Change: Freelancer Offsite Storage Facility
The Desert Gulch troops all disembarked from Red Team's Pelican. They were expected to find themselves at the state-of-the-art military facility. Instead, all they found was an old-abandoned complex, with nature slowly taking it back.
"This doesn't look like Command." Gene said as he looked around, "Or a strategic outpost."
"Oh! Maybe they're playing hide and seek!" Loco shouted innocently
"Shut up Loco." Buckey hissed, "Maybe it was meant to be that way."
"Spread out, let's have a look around." Temple ordered
"[What makes you think you can just order us around?]" Lorenzo questioned him in Italian
"Shut up Lorenzo." Surge barked at the robot, "Now spread out."
Everyone did just that, and began to look around the complex. Until something caught Buckey's eye.
"Over here!" he shouted before the group linked up with him. There was an entrance into the side of a wall, with a monitor attached to a nearby tree. Several shotgun shells were blasted into it.
"Gene, status report!" Surge ordered his number two man
"Hmm, it looks like a secret door." Gene analyzed, "One that leads into a base of some kind."
"Gene." Surge muttered, "What in Sam Hill did I tell you about using Dungeon and Dragons references in combat situations?"
Gene sighed, "Sorry sir, it's a concealed door."
"Much better." Surge replied, "But what's up with the monitor?"
"Yeah, who would shoot the damn thing?" Buckey added
"I don't have time for secret doors or computers with bullet holes." Temple announced as he entered the wall, "Let's go."
The Blues and Reds all looked at one another and shrugged before following the cobalt soldier into the facility.
The squad walked through the dimly lit hallways of the facility. It was obvious this place hadn't been staffed for a while. Soon they began to approach the main storage area of the facility, that was until they heard footsteps heading in their direction.
"Someone's coming." Gene muttered
"Quick hide!" Temple ordered as they all hid in a nearby room. Soon two figures jogged through the hallway. The first wore armor similar to them all with an aqua color scheme similar to Buckey's. He carried a DMR and had some sort of sword hilt. Next to him was a teenage girl with stark white hair in an offside ponytail with fair skin, icy blue eyes, and white attire. A rapier was attached to her hip.
The two soon entered the storage room, just as the Blues and Reds all emerged from their hiding spot.
"Who were those two?" Gene asked
"I don't know." Buckey muttered, "But that ice cold chick is making me hot. Boom chicka waw waw!"
"Her attire was awful though." Cronut added, "I mean white with red interior? SO last year."
"Shut up assholes." Temple barked, "Let's move."
The group quickly entered the main room of the facility. It was large, similar to that of a warehouse. However what they didn't expect wasa black-armored soldier throwing a bunch of soldiers and teenagers around like rag dolls.
"Protect me cone!" one of them shouted before being kicked in balls and into his allies
"...Should we do something?" Gene muttered
Temple's gaze on the black-armor soldier darkened, "It's her, she's the one who was at your base. The day Biff died, she's responsible."
As if on cue, they all noticed a crate thrown by the black soldier towards her adversaries.
"On second thought! Let's keep looking!" Temple announced before running out of the room with his allies in tow. They then entered a nearby room with a computer terminal.
"This must be it." Surge muttered, "Maybe there's files that can help us with our future battle plans on you three dirtbags."
"Great." Temple said sarcastically
'I knew that would not work.' the terminal muttered, startling everyone, 'Agent Tex is a bit of a badass.'
"Who's there?" Temple asked
'Oh, hello.' the terminal, 'I am the monitor who oversees this facility.'
"Instruction, identify yourself." Temple requested
'I am the Freelancer, Integrated, Logistics and Security System.' it stated, "You may call me FILSS.'
"Alright FILSS." Temple continued, "We are but simple soldiers who were station at one of Command's outposts, why have we not received any orders in over a year?"
'You...do not know?'
"Know what?" Gene asked
'I regret to inform that Project Freelancer has been disbanded by the UNSC.' FILSS explained, 'All remaining simulation outposts are left to their own authority.'
"Project Free-What?" Temple questioned, "What simulation outposts?"
'Would you like to see the files?'
"Yes, I certainly would…"
POV Change: Freelancer Outpost "Battle Creek"
Several Months later…
Temple stood before several of Battle Creek's Red and Blue soldiers as Surge wrestled both teams' respective flags out their hands.
"You can't take our flag!" a red soldier shouted, "Our scared icon shall be lost! The dark days are now upon us! Repent! Repent!"
"Silence! You zealot!" Temple hissed, "For the dark days have already begun. I come with a proposition. I know of an even greater flag, one that shall bring you and your holy followers into a divine beyond. The UNSC stole it from you. All you have to do is join us, pledge your allegiance to our crusade…"
The grunts all looked at one another before a blue zealot spoke, "THE CRUSADE HAS BEGUN! LET ALL WHO DON"T BURN IN OUR DIVINE GLORY!"
The grunts all began to cheer in unison, agreeing to join the Blues and Reds. All while Teple grinned menacingly at the sight.
POV Change: Merlot's Island
Present Day…
Gene walked into the facility's science lab, sledge hammer in his grasp. He had enough of Temple's plan. The entire operation was too much for him, he was now out of Temple firm grasp. Approaching the main station, his objective was to destroy the blood sample they obtained when they captured RWBY and JNPR. The only problem…
...it wasn't there…
"Looking for something?" Temple asked from the dark corner of the room
Gene remained unfazed as he pointed his hammer at him, "Temple, enough of this please! This is too much!"
"Too much for you, yes." Temple muttered, "But not for me."
"Mark, you can still walk away from this." Gene pleaded with him
"I'd rather stay where I am." Temple retorted
Gene sighed internally while closing his eyes, "Then I'm sorry for this."
Gene then quickly raised the hammer, ready to strike at the cobalt soldier. Until…
BANG!
Gene stuttered as he felt something rip through his chest. Looking up at Temple, he noticed his pistol drawn, smoke emitting from the barrel. He then looked down at his chest, a hole was from on his chest, blood staining the maroon paint job. Gene fell to his knees, dropping the hammer which Temple quickly picked up.
"Wrong move buddy." he muttered darkly before walking over to a desk and picking a box. Two mercs then entered the room and stood on either side of Gene.
"The blood sample obtained from one Ruby Rose was very useful." Temple muttered as he walked back, handing one of the mercs the hammer, "I thank you for that."
He then turned back around as he opened the box, a silver light emitted from it and he smiled in satisfaction, "But your services are no longer required."
The merc with the hammer then swung at Gene, shattering the armor in the process. Gene's lifeless body then fell to the ground. Temple then closed the box and looked at his men.
"Tell the others that poor Gene was mauled while trying to inspect our Grimm forces." he ordered them both before taking a small sample of Gene's blood and placing it into a vial.
"The time has come my friends…" he announced, "Tomorrow, Salem will die…"