Isolated (Red vs Blue)

22: Let's (Not) Make A Deal

22: Let's (Not) Make A Deal

Not So Many Years Ago: Outpost Alpha (Blood Gulch)

Ever since the incident with the tank and the Reds, everything seemed to just keep getting worse. Church was still possessing the Reds' robot, so it allowed him to have a body, but it still wasn't ideal. Being stuck in a mechanical construct wasn't anywhere close to what it felt like to have a human body. He couldn't eat anything but motor oil, and he didn't really sleep — he simply went into standby mode. He'd managed to correct the armor color to cobalt, but it didn't really help. Not to mention the fact that the woman he both loved and hated had been killed.

Then there was Tucker and Caboose, who were constantly getting on each other's nerves. That fact wouldn't be so bad if Tucker didn't come running to Church every time the rookie did something that annoyed him.

Presently, that's exactly what the aqua clad soldier was doing.

"Hey, Church, I think we've got a really big problem," Tucker was saying, but was abruptly cut off by his C.O. holding up a hand to silence him.

"I'm gonna just go ahead and stop you right there," Church told him. "I wanna get one thing straight right now — I am not your mother. You don't have to come running to me to tattle on each other. I really don't give a shit about one of you doing something the other doesn't like."

"But you're not understanding — I'm telling you he's fucking crazy!" Tucker complained. "He's been constantly threatening me, and he keeps talking in a scary voice!"

"Uh, no, I don't think I did," Caboose said.

Tucker looked at his teammate. "Are you freaking kidding me? So you're trying to tell me that you didn't just threaten to cut off my head and give it to Church as a present?"

The blue clad soldier laughed awkwardly. "Yes, see, ya know, I think you took that just a little bit out of context."

"What the hell are you talking about? What context was there?" Tucker questioned.

Before Church could say anything, a new voice interrupted the conversation. "Um, excuse me?"

The Blue C.O. turned to see who the intruder was, and found himself face-to-face with a man in purple armor. The guy wasn't very tall; he wasn't nearly as intimidating as he was trying to sound. Right after Tex had been hit with the grenade, Tucker had radioed for a medic. And since Church didn't have a full-time body secured, the aqua armored man had to report that Blue Team was down two members. Command hadn't reacted too well — they were sending medical help to Blood Gulch as fast as possible. The man standing in front of Church had to be said medical help, but he didn't particularly care at the moment.

"Hey, pal, give me a sec. I was kinda in the middle of somethin' when you decided to interrupt." Church turned back to his teammates. "Look, I thought we had established by now that I don't really like either of you. Okay? I thought I had made that very clear. So trying to compete for my attention isn't gonna do either of ya any good."

"I repeat, excuse me," the new guy said, sounding a bit annoyed.

Church growled under his breath as he turned back around to face him. "All right, yes, hello. Who the hell are you?"

From behind him, the cobalt clad man heard Caboose say something in a low voice. Tucker tried to complain about it, but Church chose to ignore both of them. They weren't his main concern right now.

The purple armored soldier cleared his throat. "My name is DuFresne — Medical Officer DuFresne. Are you, uh . . . Are you Private Tucker?"

"No, I'm not Private Tucker. That would be him," Church gestured back at the aqua clad soldier, who waved in response. "And our other friend standing there in regulation blue is Private Caboose. Though I think he's been callin' himself O'Malley or some shit."