Strife: A Red vs Blue Fan Fiction

An Offer

April, 03, 2546

New Phoenix, New Republic, Earth

13:00

~<><><>~

I sat on a park bench, far enough away from the trail so I'd be left along to wallow in my own thoughts, with no one else to distract me. Despite being mid-spring, there was a chilly draft through the air, with thick, dark, clouds hanging over head.

There weren't many people here at the park, only the occasional jogger, or the parents and their children playing on the newly constructed playground equipment. A few couples walked down the paths through the park, chatting to themselves, not paying attention to anyone else on or near the path.

I crossed my arms over my chest along with one leg over the other, casting my gaze to the green grass in front of me, my thoughts returning to that one day, when everything in my life fell apart, right then and there.

Lia.

Ross.

Stone, that betraying bastard.

We never found the others. The tags in their armour were ripped out, meaning they were untrackable. When I received that information... plus the fact that the extraction team didn't find Lia or Ross' bodies, I fell to pieces. For the first month afterwards...

I became an alcoholic. Plain and simple, something you hear so much about that it's becoming a cliché. I was fine, if you could call it that, for the first week after that. Then, I let my mind wander, and it kept returning and returning back to those pieces of information... it drove me to the bottle.

Some people say just a few deaths on the battlefield is nothing, especially compared to the whole war. But, losing your team, the people you've known for what feels like forever... it hits you. It really does.

Especially by someone who I thought was a teammate.

I reached for the water bottle lying beside me, unscrewing the cap and taking a long drink. I put it back down, staring up, through the tree resting behind me, towards the clouded sky, almost wishing it would rain. Maybe then I could have an excuse to feel depressed.

I looked down at the papers in my lap, my thumb and forefinger rubbing the corner of the sheets, my eyes skimming over the title, over and over again.

'DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.'

My other and twitched, brushing over the pen resting on my leg. I curled my hand into a loose fist, resting it on my leg. If I fill it out, I won't have to deal with any of it anymore. I wouldn't have to potentially loose another team. I was free, mostly.

But I wouldn't be able to go after Stone, at least I couldn't with assistance from UNSC.

My eyes didn't move from the papers as I felt someone sit down beside me, the weight shifting on the bench, creating a quiet creaking sound. I could only see a blurry outline of whoever was, only able to make out that it was a man, wearing something black, probably a suit or something of the sort.

I didn't move, didn't shift in the slightest besides the occasional twitch of my fingers, waiting for the man -whoever he was- to move so I could continue to think in peace, without someone looking over my shoulder, getting a little to curious for my liking.

"Worried about something?" I heard him ask. I could feel his eyes on me, looking down at the papers in my lap. I turned them away from him, knowing it wasn't his business. I heard his faint, almost unnoticeable chuckle.

"Release papers, huh? Something happen to you in the military?" He continued to persist, even though I made it clear that I wasn't going to say anything, just sit there and wait until he would get the picture and leave.

"Not very talkative... Casey?"

I snapped towards him, narrowing my eyes. "How the hell do you know my name?" My eyes drifted down to his coat, seeing a white card attached to his suit. He was from UNSC. "I- I'm sorry, sir..." I trailed off, looking away from him, my eyes drifting back down to the grass, then at the papers.

He reached for me, putting a hand on my chin, turning my head to face him. "I'm not here to convince you not to leave, Casey. I'm here to extend and offer to you, and you only. That is the only reason I have come to New Phoenix. You are very difficult to track down," He said, looking at me, his dark blue eyes holding a... kindness, an understanding that not many people could show to service members.

He knew what it was like to lose a team, or someone close, to something like... what happened to me.

"They sent me, not to tell you that you can't sign those papers and turn them in, but to talk to you. Like you, Casey, when I served, I lost my entire team in a fire fight on Reach. I went through the same stages. The anger, the grief, the depression," He paused, staring at me, still forcing me to look at him.

"The drinking," I glanced away, wishing they didn't know about that.

He let his hand drop back down to his lap, looking out over the park, leaning back against the bench. "I just want you to know that you always have someone to talk to, alright? Even if you don't know me, it's always good to get something like that off your chest. And now, the offer," He paused once again. I turned to look at him, arching a brow.

"Have you ever heard of Project Freelancer?" He asked, glancing at me. I just shook my head in response, still quiet. He just nodded before continuing. "Well, it all will be explained upon arrival, but it's a branch of UNSC, along with sister Projects, each racing to develop soldier-friendly technology that can be used easily on the field, bettering our chances of winning. And, the Director specifically requested you," He paused, as if waiting for me to say something.

I thought for a few minutes, unsure of what to say or do. My eyes ket drifting down to the papers in my lap. "So... that's the offer..." I muttered to myself, my eyes still on the papers, my hand resting on the pen.

"It's your choice, Casey,"

I looked off into the distance, watching the blurred outlines of children playing, the faint echoes of their laughter reaching us, all the way down here, where we are. We must have sat there, the silence hanging between us, for several minutes as I debated in my mind about what choice I would make.

I sighed quietly to my self, turning to the man, saying my answer quickly and quietly.

《♤》《♤》《♤》

A/n: We're getting there, slowly but surely.

Writing this chapter made me reeeeeeeeally want to start a normal Halo fanfiction, but... I have too many stories to write as it is, and I better not take on yet another one. It will certainly be on my list for future works, though. And some original, trust me on that one.

Well... Damn. I never have much to say anymore.

See ya!

-Seeker

...

FISHBONE!!

The Guardian of da BALL!

-_- <--- I went there...

-Iowa