Strife: A Red vs Blue Fan Fiction

Beta Company

April, 08, 2546

Mother Of Invention, UNSC controlled space

09:00

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I leaned back in my chair, propping my feet up on the table, my small water bottle resting in my lap, my hand lightly gripping it. Germany and Aussie were quietly talking while Italy had disappeared, leaving the mess hall for some reason or another.

I nearly dozed, off, right then and there. But, I kept myself awake, humming a quiet song that I used to play on the guitar, back when I just stayed at home, drinking, not leaving unless I really needed something to eat... or to buy more alcohol. I'll be the first to admit it. I had a problem- I /have/ a problem.

I opened my eyes just as Italy walked into the room, the sound of the door opening catching my attention. She walked straight back to the table, resting her palms on the edge as she watched the two men chat quietly to themselves, not hearing or seeing her. She cast me a light smile before walking around them, standing right beside the two of them.

She slapped the back of their heads, both of them immediately doubling over in surprise, holding their heads with both hands. "What- what the hell was that for?!" Germany cried, a small, barely noticeable smile on his face.

"Breakfast's over, idiots. Can't you see that the whole damn mess hall is basically /empty/?" She questioned, motioning in a circle around her. I hadn't even noticed that the others vacated the area. When? Well, it looks like I have to pay more attention to these things, huh?

I heard both of them sigh, pushing their chairs out from under the table, and stood up, casting a smile down at me. I swung my legs off the table, standing up. I used my foot to push my chair back under the table, sighing when both Germany and Australia both left theirs out.

They walked out of the mess hall, continuing their chat. I smiled, shaking my head. I pushed in one chair as Italy pushed in the other. I collected Aussie's tray and empty water bottle, with Italy picking up Germany's side of the table.

She shook her head with a sigh, brushing a strand of her hair out of her eyes. "Men," She said, exasperated. But she couldn't hide the smile that played on her lips.

"Amen, sister," I responded with a quiet chuckle.

"You'll get used to those two eventually. Me? I've had to spend five years working with them, and I still want to slam a brick against the back of their heads sometimes. Have you ever dealt with anyone like them?" She asked, turning to me.

After thinking for a moment, I nodded. "Kinda, really. My... old team. Two twins, both of which were considered the best in the group, and the chatterboxes that could crack a joke at anything," I said, smiling when I remembered Jacob and Jamie, and the night after the graduation.

"Twins, huh? Ever confuse the two of them?" Italy asked, dumping Germany's trash in the bin. I did the same when she stepped away.

I nodded. "All the time. They made it a game, after awhile. Whoever guessed the right twin first won the first beer," I responded with a light laugh, casting my eyes down before returning my gaze back to Italy.

She smiled, nodding at the worker behind the serving stand before walking back down to the door at the end of the room. "Seems like a fun group. Still in contact with them?" She asked. She didn't know either, but it still hit a sore spot.

"No... They when MIA back in January,"

She didn't respond for a few moments, leaving silence in her lieu. She clapped me on the shoulder. "Don't think about it," She eventually said, looking at me. "It doesn't help. For all we know, they could still be alive, right?"

I nodded, rolling my shoulders after she dropped her hand back to her side. "Come one, Ireland. Maybe we'll get a drink later on tonight. I have a couple bottles back in my dorm, if your up for it," She said with a smile, leading me out of the mess hall, a smile on her face.

I couldn't suppress the smile that played on my lips. "A drink on the second night here, huh? Perfect way to start out," I responded with a light chuckle, looking over at her.

"I don't even want to tell you how Germany came. I doubt he'd like me to say anything either," She winked at me, a smile still on her lips.

"If it's that bad, I don't want to know either,"

"Thata girl. Now, come on. There's another member of the team I want you to meet. I'll explain a bit about 'round here, and many, many other things. Probably not all at the same time," She said with a smile, rounding the corner right outside of the mess hall.

"First things first. We're -Germany, Aussie, you, this guy named Russia, and I- are what's called the Bravo or Beta Company. Team B. Whatever the hell you want to call it. Alpha company is the first, and primary, section of the Freelancers. They get all the goody-goody tech, like AIs and armour equipment," She paused, walking in front of me.

She pointed to herself with her thumbs, a smile on her face. "We," She motioned to the both of us, "are the little to no tech badasses who don't need a damn thing to help them fight. We rely on skill more than anything else. Take away Alpha Company's tech, we're just as good or even better than them," She finished, tightening her hand into a fist.

I didn't say anything, just nodded, understanding her. She entered a room, smelling distinctly of sweat, filled with state of the art gym equipment. I scanned the room, landing on a man with a small white towel draped around his shoulders, resting on the bench, a plastic water bottle resting beside him.

"Russia! Meet the new girl!" Italy called across the room, startling the man -Russia. He looked toward us, sighing to himself. He pushed himself off the bench, walking towards us. He was tall, I'll admit that right now.

I could easily tell he was well muscled, probably from working out each and every day. He looked me up and down, sizing me up. "I'm Russia," He eventually said, a smirk on his face.

"Ireland," I replied, returning the smirk.

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A/n: ANOTHER CHARACTER! BLOODY HELL! Action will be coming soon, maybe within the next few chapters, somewhere in there. That's all I have to say -_-

See ya!

-Seekers