(Red vs. Blue) Project Freelancer: The Other Agents

Shore Leave

"Oh, hey Vee," New Hampshire greeted her casually.

"Hey, Ham," she returned the gesture.

Athos looked over his shoulder and said, "Agent New Hampshire, good sir, it appears your cautionary advice has proven to be correct. Shall we engage?"

"I'd say give it a minute," Ham shrugged. "She's had a long week."

"Very well. A pleasure, Agent Vermont," he waved to her and resumed to his rifle.

"Quite the crafty one, aren't you, Agent Vermont?" Aramis crossed his arms. "You remind me so much of milady I've unfortunately been forced to leave at home."

"She has her moments," New Hampshire gave credit where credit is due and casually checked his AR.

"Lady Vermont, do you, by chance, intend to partake in combat with us today?" D'Artagnan asked.

"In a bit," she stood from the stump and stretched, but New Hampshire noticed the discrepancy in the grass. Clever girl he thought and turned towards Athos. "But I feel kinda bad. You guys are actually really nice. Ham, I hope you took notes. Sorry, Athos." Red team's sniper hadn't even finished asking "whatever for" when the hologram behind them fizzled out and the real Vermont materialized with a hand on the barrel of Athos's rifle.

New Hampshire rushed to engage as she thrust the marksman's rifle into his face twice, knocking him out, and firing it off in the air. "Crafty indeed," Aramis sounded impressed as New Hampshire trained on her to open fire, but then a hail of bullets whistled past them. New Hampshire went prone and dragged the unconscious Athos out of harm's way as Vermont tackled Aramis and used him as a shield agaisnt D'Artagnan, the only Red not in jeopardy from the blues' assault.

"I don't think so," New Hampshire huffed and hurled his rifle at her, striking her in the back and compromising her cover. He threw a grenade over his shoulder to delay her team and rushed her head-on. His fellow Freelancer shoved her meat shield at him and pounced on the confused red. By the time New Hampshire had straightened out Aramis and ordered him to further stall the Blues, Vermont had already taken down D'Artagnan. "That was kind of a d**k move, Vee."

"I said I was sorry," she shrugged and got into a stance.

"Cheap talk," he retorted, for some reason choosing now to try out one-liners.

"You've done better," Vermont critiqued him and charged. New Hampshire hardly had time to react and turned away from her and sent a haymaker in the space to his left. The hologram dissipated the second his fist made contact and sent Vermont straight to the ground.

"How did you know she'd do that, sir?" Aramis asked and barely ducked out of the way of an oncoming bullet.

"Like I said, she's made it a habit of using her hologram like that," he said and shook out his hand, thankful that his gamble paid off.

"You're an a**hole, Ham," Vermont whined, still unmoving on the ground. New Hampshire ambled over and squat down next to her.

"You wanna hear some good news?" he asked, still lording his victory over her.

"We're switching teams?" she still hadn't made an effort to stand.