Disclaimer: I do not own Red vs. Blue, RWBY, nor the items and some of the lore from Halo. RvB and RWBY belonged to Rooster Teeth while Halo is 343 Industries' and Microsoft's IP.
The world of Remnant is a truly unique and amazing place. A land of might and magic, inhabited by a people who have unlocked the very essence of their souls in the form of aura. A land filled with these amazing humans governed by four large kingdoms across the planet, where all is not as may seem.
This land, though blessed with strength, is also cursed by the Grimm, a living darkness with no mind of its own save for its wish to kill and destroy all before it. A plague on humanity since the beginning of time, the humans rose together to fight back the threat to their lives, and thus the Hunters were born. However, even united, the people of Remnant remained divided.
Once a means of combating the Grimm had been established, the peoples of Remnant each began to leave for other lands, finding settlements and towns until, eventually, the four kingdoms were formed, with Vale and Vacuo on the continent of Sanus, Mantle on Solitas, and Mistral on Anima. And within these kingdoms, greater conflict arose within. What had started as a small belief of fear within the hearts of many in the world eventually rose to the surface as the world over discrimination and hatred had been brought upon the faunus, the other dominant species present in Remnant. Humanoid in form but having distinguishing animal traits. Seen as sub-human, they began their own crusade for acceptance and love from their own brothers and sisters, to mixed (often inadequate) results. Thus led to a mass exodus of many faunus to the island of Menagerie, a safe haven made by the four kingdoms for the fanus, one that was made their new home, for many that is, where humans are typically not welcome in.
However, beyond the four nations and island sanctuary, there lies a fifth beyond the horizon and across the sea: the continent and kingdom of Gulch.
Gulch was a land founded by a large group of humans who sought to try and escape the Grimm by sea, believing that it would only be a matter of time before the Grimm simply overran the four kingdoms and everyone within and the best course of action was to find a new land to live in. With much of humanity already settled and thinking them crazy and the faunus already having a new land of their own, these brave but terrified souls set off alone.
Expecting an island, they came across a whole new continent for them to call home. What sets Gulch apart from its neighbors, however, would be its troubled history of life. See, unlike the other main lands, there were precious few deposits of dust within the enormous continent, thus making their once-impressive endeavor of discovery a total mockery in the eyes of the other kingdoms. And without dust, the settlers were at a large disadvantage for survival, from defense to transportation. The fact was, so much of their life revolved around the miraculous substance that was Dust. It was no wonder why the rest of the world saw the new land as nothing more than a useless empty gulch in the middle of the ocean, hence it's aptly given name, a name the people would eventually take pride in.
And so, what were the people who tried to escape their old lives do when all their hard work was proven for naught, give up? Most CERTAINLY not! They had already proven and accomplished the impossible the first time around by finding this new land, so they decided that all they could do now was just do it again! And thus began the long and arduous task of finding a new source of power, and I do mean long and arduous. With little dust deposits, that meant extracting whatever other resources that were there was exceedingly difficult. They were literally living off the land as one could say. While the four kingdoms already had flying machines, Gulch was still testing out wood-burning steam power. But still, they did not waver, putting themselves back in the ringer of trial and error to find new ways to better themselves, starting from burning wood to burning coal, and from burning coal to harnessing water force. Until finally their saving grace was found: fossil fuels.
By digging deep, and I mean deeper than any dust, coal, or diamond mine in the planet's existence, they discovered something that the advent of dust had pushed aside with the rest of Remnant: oil and natural gas. And I don't mean several large or many small pockets like the other four kingdoms, they found an entire OCEAN of oil beneath their feet! At last, they had found a way to bring themselves back up with their neighbors who still looked down upon them. But an early celebration for their reunion would have to wait, as finding their golden goose, as hard as it was, was the EASY part. Fortunately, a great deal of those who came with the settlers were very innovative. And thus began the newest process of harnessing and refining their new source of power, a process that was kept a secret from their neighbors; what better way to reintroduce oneself to your family then a gracious surprise?
In time they began to use what they found as a new source of power; first came the electric motor, and with it the horseless carriage, then the generator, which brought various craft and inventions to be made much more efficient through electrical power. An industrial revolution had begun in Gulch. But the crowing height of their achievements was when they had used what they achieved from fossil fuels, to move BEYOND fossil fuels. In time the people of Gulch began to harness the raw power of the elements around them; the wind, the waves, the heat of the earth and the sun, ALL that could provide power was harnessed by their ever growing might and innovation. In time, they even discovered the molecule and the atom, and the abysmally TREMENDOUS power that lay within something so small. And they began to harness that too. Around this point, this was when it was decided to make their grand debut and introduce themselves for their long-awaited reunion with their brothers and sisters across the sea. This, however, was sadly not meant to be.
As Gulch had kept themselves and their business out of their neighbors, so too did they with Gulch, and so the young nation was left ignorant to the tensions that were stewing amongst one another. The peace was harder and harder to maintain, until finally, something had to give.
A serious invasion of grimm in Mantle had led to them implanting emotional suppression amongst the citizens in an attempt to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring. Mistral, being its trade partner, quickly followed suit, although mainly did so to suppress the lower classes. After that, Mistral then decided to make landfall (invade) Sanus; a war was the last thing the King of Vale wanted, but a fight broke out and thus, Vale declared war on Mistral and soon after, Mantle came to their ally's aid. Mantle and Mistral had colonies of their own in Vacuo but the kingdom itself was neutral, that was until Mantle and Mistral tried to put pressure on Vacuo to stay out of the fight. Vacuo's response? The colonies were annexed back, the people kicked out, and Vale had just gained a new ally themselves. Thus began The Great War.
Unbeknownst to Gulch, the alliance of Mantle and Mistral were conspiring to use the chaos of the war to try and take Gulch: resources were always needed and they clearly had to have amassed a modest amount of people there. And with no dust of their own, it would be easy picking. However, Vale and Vacuo had somehow managed to gain wind of this plot and, learning of the impending slaughter, one that would most CERTAINLY give the enemy a boost that they most likely would not be able to overcome, sought out to intercept them themselves.
No one, however, thought to warn the poor people of Gulch, and when the enemy first made landfall, it was a massacre.
Using the cover of night they crept along the coast of Gulch, looking for the right place and time to strike eventually coming across the coastal valley city/town of Harvest. One of many vast valleys rich in life, minerals and resources, the first and largest of these areas was aptly named Harvest. Or at least, that's what it WAS, for when the alliance ships of Mantle and Mistral gave the order to attack, all hell broke loose.
Being night, much of the town was unprepared for the sudden rush of an attack, heck being an agricultural and visual paradise no one ever expected any fights to ever break out, so no one was prepared for when the blasts of dust came down and scorched down the botanical paradise. After the bombardment, in came the soldiers and ransacked everything on site. The local militia led by the legendary Avery Johnson, came in to defend the land. Having no huntsmen of their own, in face having not much in the way of a standing military period, resistance was easily crushed and the citizens' attempts were all futile. Within the span of a mere three hours, hundreds were left dead, even more were captured and only few survived and returned to spread the news of what had happened. And what was once a beautiful paradise had become a scorched wasteland, still carrying the remnants of death and despair within its ashes and winds.
When word had been relayed to the rest of the nation, they were at a loss for words. It was unbelievable, to think that their own brothers and sisters had finally come back after so long, only to wipe them out? It just couldn't be! And yet, here they were, mourning the loss of Harvest: a peaceful farming valley town taken from them by an unprovoked attack of pure annihilation. It was at this point that something changed within the people of Gulch, something snapped. A fire was lit within the hearts and eyes of the inhabitants, and one thing was certain.
No one knew when, and no one knew how, but they were going to hunt down the perpetrators that did this to them, and pay them back in kind, with every fiber of their being!
Not long after, news of the other two kingdoms making landfall had reached the inhabitants as well. And so here they were, out-weaponed, outnumbered, with no way out and no means to fight back. Their new home had become a cage, and the predators were sent upon them. With their backs against the wall and no hope for their survival, the people of Gulch had only one option left: to do the impossible again. They had already done so twice, so third time was the charm.
And thus began an overdrive and work ethic born out of sheer defiance, one that was unlike what they have seen in themselves ever. It wasn't because it was just their home they were fighting for, no, they were fighting for their survival. With the advancements they had made in science and technology, it wasn't long before new breakthroughs were made in weaponry. Since getting close to a huntress or strong soldier would most certainly mean instant death, they decided to improve on the musket technology. Soon, they had produced a bullet that held everything it needed to fire within it, and a rifled musket that could fire it. All you needed to do was load, set your sights, and pull the trigger. And it wouldn't be the last.
Entire lines of sophisticated yet simple weaponry that had been poured out and flowing like honey, from machine guns to handheld pistols to high-caliber sniper rifles to even shoulder mounted rocket launchers! Due to their research in fossil fuels, they were able to discover a form of sulfur that could be broken down and ignited to produce a reaction of fire, this gunpowder had replaced dust in Gulch. Following suit, they also made vehicles of war, and grand ones too, from tanks that could fire out shells the size of a bowling ball, to battleships that destroy AND carry reinforcements. And it wasn't just weapons, the whole continent over many people began to enlist and volunteer into the armed forces in the crusade to defend their home ate take back what was stolen from them. Eventually they finally managed to form an official standing defense force, the Unified Gulch Military, or UGM.
The UGM was divided into four branches, the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force. All branches had their own reserve units and special forces teams. Though each branch differs in specialty, one thing was in common. And that was to defeat their enemy.
Despite their best efforts, however, it just wasn't enough. Yes, they were given a fighting chance, but it was still an uphill battle. And while they had managed to slow the invaders, they hadn't stopped them. They just had no way to combat the raw strength and power that was the monsters of the other kingdoms known as huntsmen and huntresses. After all, with long times of peace and innovation, aura and semblances had become complacent and neglected. What use do you have for a sword if there's no one to fight or kill, after all? But still, the people of Gulch pressed on, they would not be deterred no matter what. And so, they had gained an idea to combat the monsters the Kingdom's kept sending at them, they'd just have to make monsters of their own. Thus, the Spartan Project was born.
The idea was to make an army of enhanced super soldiers that could take anything thrown at them and send it all right back. The ultimate warrior, as it were, named after the ancient warriors of the isle of Spartanos, who with a mere three hundred, held of an entire army of invaders so that their home may survive. The project itself was no easy road at all, but fortunately they didn't have to start from scratch, as the government had secretly already tried their hand at this. It was known as the ORION project, named after the legendary hunter of old, which led to the creation of the Spartan Is which, while some success, was very limited and more often than not resulted in the deaths or physical degeneration of the volunteers. Hence, they were considered a failure in the end and the ORION project shut down due to a lack of funds, but it did succeed as a proof of concept, augmented super soldiers were indeed possible.
Thus when war broke out in Gulch, the program was rekindled and spearheaded under the hands of a young and upcoming scientist Dr. Catherine Halsey. The process was even harder and more arduous than the previous project, with many who went in not coming out alive or well, as well as being viewed as extremely unethical and controversial by the public, to say nothing of the sheer monetary expense of it all. But by the end of it all, it was a success, and of the 150 turned 75 "candidates" for the program, 37 had survived and graduated to the titanic forces of power named the Spartan IIs by Dr. Halsey to honor those of the ORION project. The formula for the perfect super-soldier was developed, plus coupled with the benefits of aura, you had a literal demi-god in your hands.
These warriors were genetically and mentally enhanced and augmented from childhood to become the ultimate force of strength, power, and intellect that could turn the tide on the battlefield. And as a part of their graduation, they were gifted another development of the project known as the MJOLNIR armor. Named after the powerful hammer of an ancient Mistrali god of thunder and strength, these 1,000 lb. sets of armor were made from a thick titanium alloy worn over a titanium nanocomposite bodysuit, which itself contains beneath it a layer of temperature-regulating and impact-dampening gel over an argumentative sheet of liquid crystal knitted at the molecular level. An armor that was practically a worn titanium tank they were specifically bred for, it was time for them to shine on the battlefield.
And it showed; on the first day the Spartans were deployed, it was during the battle of an empty pass that was named Blood Gulch. That pass was important as it was the last line of defense the military had between the invaders and the rest of the nation; if they got past, there would be nothing stopping them from steamrolling everyone and everything else. Just as a compiled infantry wave was about to ploy over the last battalion, a surprise attack came in from behind the invaders: the Spartans had been deployed. From where they entered, they effectively trapped the enemies in the pass, and once they entered it, it wasn't a massacre, but a total slaughter. All of the invading force sent in thinking they'd have an easy victory away from the total spoils of the war were killed mercilessly, down to the last man. Even the veteran hunters, who had faced hordes upon hordes of Grimm in their lifetimes, were completely powerless against the rampage of metal demons, as they were known amongst the enemy. Gulch had finally achieved their first victory, and the cries of cheer and celebration could be heard out of Blood Gulch and round the world. It was then that the people of Gulch had realized that THEIR war had only just begun, and they had not yet begun to fight.
Due to how many resources were pumped into the first batch, they couldn't get started on the next right away, so other breakthrough were made and furthered along. Spec-ops teams were made to assist the Spartans, detailing in anything from civilian rescue to enemy infiltration, they were the eyes that guided the Spartans. Many new military vehicles were also made for use in the fray, from powerful Warthog jeeps and speedy Mongoose cycles, to heavy Scorpion tanks and powerful assault droids like the mantis. Flight was also perfected as Pelicans and Falcons were made to bring in reinforcements or extract soldiers from a situation FUBAR, along with Hornets to rain fire and brimstone upon the enemies, even a quick hoverbike stinger known as the Wasp got in on the action. Also, without the limits of dust holding them back, space travel was not only pushed forward due to the war effort, but perfected, to where the first man in orbit was sent only six weeks after the first man to break the atmosphere. Carriers and battleships were also made, not just for sea, but also for space, with one special advancement from the Navy and the Marine Corps being the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, or ODSTs, who were made to aid the Spartans by dropping from orbit like meteorites on unsuspecting enemy forces. This earned them the nicknamed "Helljumpers," as their jobs are to jump feet first into hell itself, with no room for fear and hesitation.
New weapons were also made for the Spartans to use in the field as well, as lines of new and advanced assault rifles, battle rifles, SMGs, shotguns, SAWs, DMRs, sniper rifles, Rocket Launchers, grenades, and the like and more were made faster than a family of rabbits on their honeymoon night. This was when the idea of Simulation Troopers was introduced, essentially dummy soldiers with watered down versions of the MJOLNIR armor would test out new development in simulation battle trials, usually in the form of capture the flag mock fights. It was so successful that the chairman of the concept, Doctor Leonard Church, proposed the Freelancer Initiative. His project was aided and partially funded by one of Gulch's wealthiest business magnates Malcolm Hargrove. This would have a team of elite trained special units that used experimental or prototype equipment to offer further aid and even fight alongside the Spartans, birthing the first generation of Freelancer teams. This development coincided with that of A.I., which were becoming more and more sophisticated to the point where they were being implanted among the Spartans and freelancers to ensure nothing short of total victory.
In time, they would all fight long and hard, not only on the front lines but even those back at home, doing whatever they can for the war effort. And all their work finally paid off after several years of blood, sweat, and tears shed and flown, the combined forces of Mantle-Minstrel and Vale-Vacuo were beaten back and out of the continent of Gulch. Several more attempts to make landfall that were easily and brutally crushed, eventually sending a clear message to the four nations that continuing the campaign against Gulch was more trouble than it was worth. With that they retreated back to the mainland and continued the war amongst themselves, signaling Gulch's unconditional victory and triumph. Once again, with their backs against the wall they had proved their mettle and might and with a firm hand of steel, no, TITANIUM, they cemented the fact that they were here to stay.
However, now was not yet the time to celebrate, but the time to mourn the dead and rebuild what was lost. And like the aftermath of a wildfire that brings forth new life, Gulch began to build itself back up even better than it ever was before, while the government kept a close tab on the other four nations lest ANOTHER war break out with their pants down again. This proved to be fruitful as near the end of the war, the King of Vale had used the relic of destruction to some very effective results. This not only proved myth to be reality for Gulch, but also that they could still be devastatingly attacked at any time. To rectify this, the government sought to a development that they were working on during the war, one they were secretly glad they never had the chance or need to directly use.
Recall earlier how I mentioned they had explored harnessing the atom? Well, the war pushed them ahead decades if not centuries, to which they discovered a way to not only collect an atom's power, but unleash it. And they had the perfect test subject. See, all the despair and negative emotions raked up by the war had caused a rather large Grimm pool to amass in the middle of a wasteland to the west. It was beyond a mountain range and hadn't fully developed until the war was just about over, which kept it from interfering or posing another problem for them all. It was, however, the perfect target for a new weapon they had been making, the atomic bomb: a device that unleashed the energy within an unstable atom via nuclear fission, later on fusion, that vaporized anything and everything within a large radius, and left the land inhospitable. Those who were there that day, witnessing safely from afar, had described it as the sun on Remnant. For the people of Gulch, this was proof of their epitome and indomitable spirit and that nothing would ever bring them down again. For the government, this was a warning to the other four nations. A warning that if or should they ever try to pull a stunt like they did again, another war, using the relics on them, a bottled message containing a dickbutt of Gulch, ANYTHING at all, and they would be heralding in their own extinction. Suffice to say, not one of the four kingdoms never bothered to even show their presence around Gulch after the test, the test that Gulch KNEW they witnessed as well.
Still, they couldn't allow themselves to become complacent as they had, which led to them reorganizing their military to account for the many different components they had adapted. They also took to advancing their cities and in time, grand futuristic utopias and bustling metropolises had marked where there had been nothing left but rubble and debris, places like Chorus, Iris, Valhalla, and many more. All but Harvest, which was left untouched, to serve as a reminder of what they had been through and what they could NEVER afford to let happen again. Strong walls and defenses were made to keep their borders safe from another invasion, from large turrets and plasma cannons capable of sinking entire fleets or frying entire battalions, to ICBMs and powerful mortars that could cross over the planet or to the other mainlands in less than five minutes.
Advancement on space travel could most especially be given a hike up now that things had gotten back to normal; while the other four kingdoms were signing the treaty at Vytal, the Gulchian flag was planted on the crescent tip of Remnant's moon. In fact, as we speak, construction of an Interstellar Supercarrier known as the UGM Infinity was in the works and nearing completion, one which many intend to use to leave Remnant and start a new life on the Green and Blue planet orbiting the nearest star, a new home they have come to name Gaia, or Terra, both of which mean Earth.
And speaking of the other four nations, having finally sorted things out, a treaty at a place known as Vytal was signed between the four of them. Gulch had been invited in a show of goodwill from their former enemies, an invitation that was swiftly, distastefully declined. After all, they had expected their reunion with their brothers and sisters from afar would result in joy, not devastation. How could a simple piece of paper truly be expected to keep them safe from a group who were willing to decimate a peaceful developing nation? Not again, NEVER, again!
And so Gulch had placed themselves in isolation from the rest of the Planet, keeping their own knowledge and advancements to themselves, far out of reach of whom they will never in their right mind share with. No one would see hide nor hair from the nation of Gulch until eventually, all that would be left are rumors of their past and even existence. Meanwhile the people of Gulch would shun the culture and ways of their neighbors and adopt their own, one made from national pride as well as a melting pot of everything the people and their elderly had brought with them when they came across the sea. In place of huntsmen and academies, people were encouraged to take up any other walks of life to simply live out in peace or content, or were encouraged to join the military, where they could continue to keep on fighting the good fight for family and country. To this date it has been literal years since even a single Grimm has ever stirred trouble, or even been seen anywhere on the continent. The use of aura had also diminished, as the general public believed it was totally unneeded, especially when their best war brought out WITHOUT it, and just look where it got them. Only in their fighting forces would Aura be continually used. This neglect of aura also had served as a way to keep more Grimm from being attracted to them, even if they weren't close to them anymore. Even the reigning "monarch" of the country decided to abdicate, instead pushing forward the idea of a democratic republic. In time, the nation of Gulch had truly become a Nation as a whole.
It's been several years now, with the Nation of Gulch having become a strong, independent one, if very secretive to those outside. One that still continues to develop to this day; the current president of Gulch is one who talks of peace and reunification with the rest of the planet, especially after so long. A rather controversial stance as, while much of the paranoia has indeed simmered down amongst the people, there are still those who can never forget what they had been through, those who can never forgive. There were those who opposed her views of peace, thus igniting a small civil war by the Insurrectionists, who view that life in isolation was the way to go. The military was sent to silence them, and even to this day, small skirmishes still occur. Then again, the fact of the matter is, no matter which of the two sides, most of the people of Gulch do not want war and destruction to be their legacy on the planet even if it was defensive. The question that remains on everybody's lips is a simple one: will we continue to shut ourselves from the rest of the world and continue in the delusion that there's nothing but violence and destruction for us on the other side? Or will we take the initiative and take the next step forward in bettering ourselves by doing the one thing our brothers and sisters have failed to do?
That question is about to be answered sooner than you think, for better, OR for worse.
END
A/N: So how was that? A total revamp of the first chapter. Looking back on it, I am still kicking myself on how it was rushed, and that I posted the first chapter in a very messy state. A huge thanks is in place for Agent K-47 for the big contribution he has in making this. Also, once again, Halo lore is used in the very events that took place, especially with the fall of Harvest and the Spartan Program.