Red vs. Blue - What If?

Carolina Died (S13E11) - Chapter 5

The Edge of Armonia (RvBluniverse-57)

Washington stared out into the canyon beyond Armonia, sighing. Anxiously fumbling a few rocks, the freelancer sat against a nearby wall. With his helmet on the ground beside him, the breath of fresh air helped to calm him down. Though a week had passed since they'd returned from the mission, it had also been a week since their friends had gone radio silent at the temple. Spirits among both armies were low as everything came to a grinding halt. Even the automatic quarries had run out of fuel and stopped pumping; nobody had the motivation to maintain systems.

The lack of communication from the away team had everyone worried, especially Washington. Did the space pirates kill them? Was it a communication dead zone? Did Felix beat them to the key? These were among the many unanswered questions plaguing his mind. As well, any attempt to reach out was met with static.

It didn't help that the Federal Army worried Kimball would become a tyrant. Without a trace of their leader, the Feds wouldn't have a choice but to listen to Kimball. They didn't understand Kimball knew how it felt to lose someone important. She would give them space.

With everything in disarray, it was clear there was a severe lack of leadership among the population. Washington knew he was the next-most qualified to lead any army on the planet, even though the bar was low enough to step over. Thinking back to his early days in Project Freelancer, the silver-clad soldier couldn't help but laugh. Back then, he was the lowest of his squad, yet here he was, anticipating getting called into Kimball's office to lead. Having led the blues for several years helped boost his confidence.

Lost in thought, he failed to notice Simmons approaching him. The red soldier called out to him, "Wash?"

"Simmons?" Washington practically jumped. "What are you doing? I thought I told you I wanted to be alone."

"You did. But as much as I'd like to respect that, I haven't seen you this worried since our first encounter with the Meta a few years ago. I'm worried about you, Wash. We all are."

The ex-freelancer chuckled. "And here I was, thinking I was the adult looking after you."

"I know we don't always act like it, but we're adults too. We all look after each other. Grif may be lazy, and Sarge may have a weird way of showing it, but you're our friend. It doesn't take a genius to know you're anxious. Is it the away team? Carolina's a tough woman, and the blues are stronger than you think. They'll be fine," Simmons reasoned, his voice calm and quiet.

Washington shook his head. "No, that's not why I'm worried. I'm sure we missed a few radio jammers somewhere, and they're just in a 'No Comms Zone.' Our friends are strong, and I'm sure they'll be fine. Especially since Carolina is with them."

"Then what's got you all worked up?"

"I have a feeling Kimball is gonna order me to lead the Federal Army until Doyle returns. I can handle taking care of the blues in the canyon, but I was the worst of my squad in Freelancer," he sighed. "The only thing I was good for was getting a grappling hook stuck to my balls. I don't think I'm capable of handling that many people. I'm not that good a leader," Wash choked on his words slightly.

"That's bullshit," Simmons chuckled. "If you really were the worst of your squad, one of them would be here instead. You're good enough; I can promise you that. Plus, you've put up with us for years. And you won't have to deal with them alone. Each of us became a leader while separated to some capacity. We'll help you through it," Simmons extended his arm to his superior, who accepted it and stood up.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Wash chuckled.

"There's the smile I've been waiting for," Simmons grinned, reaching down to his friend's helmet.

When the silver-clad soldier put on his helmet, an idea appeared in his mind. He explained, "I wanna talk to Kimball on my terms, instead of waiting on her to call me. Could you please come with me?"

"I'd be honored to," Simmons nodded.

The duo sprinted back into Armonia, weaving through the empty streets. And though they occasionally saw a soldier standing outside, the soldier would mourn those lost at Alpha, as well as thinking the worst of the away team. Uncomfortable by the silence, Washington and Simmons sped up, hoping to reach Kimball sooner rather than later.

While on the way, the ex-freelancer's concern became a reality as Kimball's voice came over the PA system, "Agent Washington and Colonel Sarge, please report to my office as soon as possible."

The two traded confused glances. "Sarge?" Simmons wondered aloud. "What could she want with him?"

"Maybe she realizes I can't do this on my own? Since Sarge led them before, he'll help again?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Though Kimball's office was close to the other side of Armonia from where they'd started, the quiet journey felt like a quick one. Washington knocked on her office door before hearing the New Republic's leader's voice, "Come in!"

The duo walked into the office and sat down in chairs across from her desk. "Washington, thank you for coming on such short notice. And Simmons, it's good to see you again. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well, we were already on our way when you called," Simmons explained before Washington cut him off.

"I assume you called us in to discuss me leading the Federal Army with Sarge?"

Kimball blinked, astonished by his guess. "Why yes," she started, "the Feds aren't listening to me. But I've seen their respect for you. I figure you and Sarge both led them for some time while under Doyle. I want you to be their leader with Sarge as the second-in-command until Doyle returns."

"Second-in-command, my ass!" Sarge yelled, bursting into the room. "I will not be second-in-command to a dirty blue! I didn't get the rank of Colonel to take orders from another."

"Sarge, sit down," Simmons facepalmed, already tired of the Red leader arguing, "He outranks you. Plus, this isn't permanent. I'm sure you heard that this is just until Doyle gets back. Kimball just wants to have someone trustworthy to relay information to the Feds, isn't it?"

"Smart. While you two will be in charge of the Federal Army, your duties will mostly consist of telling them what I want them to do. Wash, you've seen that I don't tell them to do anything unreasonable; they only demonize me because they see me as the enemy leader. Please, just hold the title until Doyle returns."

"Then what am I here for?" Sarge interjected.

"This isn't a one-man job, Sarge. I can't do this on my own. I'm gonna need the Reds to help me out. We're in a war against Charon, so we can't worry about the whole Red versus Blue battle for now. Once this war is over, I'll owe you a favor. Anything but killing a blue." Wash insisted.

"Or Grif," Simmons added.

Sarge grumbled under his breath but ultimately agreed to the proposition, asking, "Where do you want us to start with them?"

Kimball sighed, looking out the window and into the empty streets. "You wouldn't happen to know a good way to boost morale, would you? Like Washington said, we're in a war. We can't keep moping every time we lose soldiers. The away team should hopefully be back soon. We need to be ready in case Charon decides to attack. They probably know morale is low, so I expect them to attack soon. Please."

The room fell silent as the soldiers traded glances. Simmons was the first to offer an idea, "We have three goals: boost morale, train, and get both sides to trust each other. How about we organize some games of Capture the Flag? Teams will have members from both sides for trust. It's a strategy game for training, and playing instead of running drills could boost morale!"

"That's actually not a bad idea!" Kimball smiled. "Let's get to organizing it."