Reds and Blues

"What the Reds and Blues have taught me is that it's not the sum of your parts that makes you who you are, it's not what you're endowed with, not intelligence or strength, but what you hold onto throughout the hardest trials of life. These people have shown me that real heroes are not born. They're forged. A friend told me once that there's no fate for what you make, and I think he's right. What makes a hero is their ability to choose light over darkness, to walk through fire and not be burned, to fall from great heights and not be broken, to be changed and reborn and be better for it again and again. It's who you become when you lose someone close, when the world stops making sense and you're thrust into responsibility you never asked for. That's what makes a hero. And that's what makes the Reds and Blues some of the greatest our universe has ever seen."

- Dylan Andrews in Epilogues

The Reds and Blues are the self-made faction consisting mainly of the Red and Blue Teams originally stationed in Blood Gulch, along with individuals that have joined them both later on. Despite an intense rivalry and mutual dislike between the members of both groups at the start of the series, they have teamed up countless times to defeat enemies that would normally be out of their league. Because of their actions, many see the Reds and Blues as some of the greatest soldiers and heroes in the galaxy, even though they self-identify as "idiots."

Overview
During the Blood Gulch Chronicles, the two teams generally disliked each other, but for no legitimate reason. However, due to an ever emerging series of events in their lives, the two teams often found themselves forced to cooperate for a greater purpose, bigger than their petty squabbling. Over time, other characters outside of Blood Gulch, including former enemies, have joined them. Despite their bickering, Sarge states that the reason the group continue to stay together is possibly because it's the only "place" where they feel accepted for who they are.

Despite their aggressiveness and general dislike for one another at times, the Reds and Blues seem to genuinely care about one another and no longer view themselves as enemies, but friends – and more importantly – as a single squad. Their actions soon became widespread knowledge during the events of Season 11, as the mercenary known as Felix tells the Reds and Blues that they are considered the galaxy’s greatest soldiers for taking down Project Freelancer. This also causes Locus to refer to them as the ‘real deal'. Aiden Price states to Locus that the "complete and total faith in one another" is what has allowed them to defeat foes with far greater skills, training, and equipment like the Meta.

Origins
Although members of the group appeared in the first episode, the Reds and Blues weren't formed until K.I.T. B.F.F., when the Blue Team go to exchange Donut and Lopez for two robots from the Red Team. However, they are attacked by Doc, possessed by Omega, who escapes with a kidnapped Lopez through a Teleporter. Since both teams needed both Doc and Lopez for their own specific reasons, the two teams agree to work together to stop Omega. Although they are separated from each other across the galaxy when they first attempt to pursue the A.I., Simmons reunites the group using the Teleporter Nexus, but Sheila is left behind at Blood Gulch.

The acting leaders of the Reds and Blues at this time were Simmons, leading the group against Omega at Sidewinder and defeats him by using the Grunts, and Tex, leading the group after they were sent "into the future" to attack O'Malley at Zanzibar. Although they successfully take Zanzibar and reunite with Church after his time travel experience, Doc/O'Malley escape with Lopez and have him construct the second Robot Army to attack the group. However, the Reds leave during the assault to investigate a distress signal while an unknown Alien appears and destroys all of O’Malley’s forces, temporally disbanding the faction.

Omega's Final Assault
During their time apart, the Reds re-discover Blood Gulch while the Blues join the Alien on a quest before returning to Blood Gulch. Before rejoining the others, Tex obtains the aid of York and Delta to help her confront Wyoming, who escapes after he reveals Omega is already back at Blood Gulch, as the Blues contacted Doc/O'Malley to treat an ill Tucker. After Tucker gives birth to an alien baby named Junior, O'Malley leaves Doc and forms a plan with Wyoming, Gary, a Green Alien, and a resurrected Flowers to use the alien prophecy to possess Junior to take control of his alien race. However, although the teams are separated by Vic Jr., who also joined Omega, they eventually all join together before their final battle with O'Malley.

The acting leaders of the Reds and Blues at this time were Church and Sarge. While in the Underground Caves, Simmons finds Vic Jr., causing the latter to flee in fear, and the Reds find Andy (who previously betrayed the Blues to join with Omega), who offers to help them when the time comes while the Blues are confronted by Wyoming and Gamma. Near the battle's conclusion, the group is able to capture Gamma while Flowers and Wyoming (and his clones) are killed, but Wyoming is able to convince Tex to rejoin Omega before dying by stating it will end the Great War.

With Omega back with her, Tex leaves with Gamma, the Green Alien, and Junior on Sheila, now contained within a Pelican that Sister arrived in, and they fly it to the alien's home planet. However, the Reds are able to stop Omega's plan from succeeding by having Andy detonate on the ship as it takes flight. Afterwards, the Reds and Blues return to their bases and mourn for those they believed died. Due to the events at Blood Gulch, Project Freelancer soon relocates the Red and Blue simulation troopers to different bases in order to keep the location of the Alpha secret once more, separating the group from each other once again.

Project Freelancer Destruction
Over a year passes, during which the Meta begins to kill many individuals to claim armor enhancements and A.I., including Omega, Gamma, and Tex after her Pelican crashes at Valhalla. Due to the Meta's increasing threat and chance the faction's crimes will be discovered, Project Freelancer send Agent Washington to pursue the Meta, with the help of "specialists" who have dealt with the rogue A.I. Washington obtains the aid of Caboose and Church, who help him rescue Delta and kill South Dakota for her previous betrayal. However Sarge, Simmons, and Grif are manipulated by the Meta to attack Wash's group, allowing the Meta to take Delta and restore his power. Realizing what they've done, Wash has the Reds join them, leading to the Reds and Blues to be reformed once again.

The acting leader at this time was Washington, while Church acted as second-in-command. Due to a message left by Delta in Caboose's Mind for Church, Washington realizes they must break into Freelancer Command. After they do so, Wash reveals that when Delta said "Memory is the key," he was referring to Epsilon, Wash's A.I., that revealed Project Freelancer's crimes, including torturing the Alpha A.I. to fragment. The group also discover that Church is the Alpha after the Reds erase all Blue Team files. However, the Meta also breaks into Command and attacks the compound, so Washington sends the Reds and Blues to escape with Epsilon, while he travels to the center of the base to physically shutdown Project Freelancer with an EMP.

Despite the Director's, Counselor's, and the Meta's attempts, Church appears and distracts the Meta long enough to allow Wash to activate the base's EMP, which destroyed all technological equipment, including Church, Tex, and the fragmented A.I., in the area. Fortunately, the Reds and Caboose escape with Epsilon intact. They are awarded the Valhalla bases from the UNSC for helping bring Project Freelancer to justice, but Caboose keeps Epsilon to try to make a new best friend. All notable members of Project Freelancer then were presumably arrested, including Washington and the Meta.

Caboose's Mission
Three months later, the Reds and Caboose are reunited with Lopez and Donut, the latter of which informs them of Tucker's distress message. After Caboose uses the Red Team's Hologram Chamber to communicate with Epsilon-Delta, he's convinced to go to the desert to rescue Tucker and hopefully find a power source that could aid in resurrecting Epsilon. Upon hearing this, Sarge and Grif decide to go with him to ensure the Blues be added back into Command's database, while Simmons stays with Lopez and Donut at Valhalla as acting leader.

However, the desert team encounter C.T. and his "dig team", who later attempt to kill them before Tucker comes to their rescues. Once the group is inside the temple, Caboose discovers a monitor which he installs Epsilon into, resurrecting Epsilon before he takes command of the desert team. After C.T.'s group break into the temple to face the desert team, the aliens of his group begin to worship Epsilon and betray the human party when Epsilon is harmed by them. Eventually, the desert team and aliens kill C.T. and his men after a tense vehicle chase.

During this time, the Meta arrives at Valhalla and fights the remaining Reds. Simmons soon decides they must escape Valhalla to survive, but is confronted by Washington, who's now working with the Meta and demands Epsilon from them. Confused, the Reds don't answer; thus, Wash shoots Lopez and Donut, presumably killing them, before he and the Meta take Simmons prisoner. It's later revealed the Chairman promised Washington his freedom if he can return the Epsilon A.I. to the UNSC.

Learning the Truth
Simmons is then forced to call a medical officer to check the Meta, resulting in Doc arriving and being taken prisoner as well. At the desert, Epsilon suddenly has a vision (seemingly of Valhalla) and Sarge, fearing what it could mean, decides to contact Simmons. Wash forces Simmons to answer, but the latter (unintentionally) sends a secret message informing his friends of what happened. So Sarge, Grif, and Epsilon go to Valhalla to rescue them, but are forced to leave Doc behind during their escape. After returning to the desert and speaking to Epsilon-Delta again, the remaining Reds and Blues follow Epsilon to a Freelancer Offsite Storage Facility.

At the facility, Epsilon uses a robot body to 'resurrect' Tex, who attacks the Reds and Blues at first, but they eventually convince her to stop and help them. When they search the facility, Epsilon discovers audio files of the Director revealing Tex's origins before he and Tex leave for Sidewinder. During this time, Doc is forced to reveal all he knows to Wash and the Meta before the three head to the desert, where they later kill the remaining aliens and find the Epsilon Unit. The pursuit team soon modifies the unit to capture Epsilon and prepare to leave to track the A.I.

Back at the facility, the group discover the events at Blood Gulch was all a simulation test and they're low scoring soldiers, depressing Sarge. Meanwhile at Sidewinder, Epsilon-Tex shoots Epsilon to activate his recovery beacon, attracting the pursuit team to their location. Caboose learns of Epsilon's injury and begs for the others to come help. Although reluctant at first, Sarge gives a passionate speech about each character's positive traits and states they are the only ones who can stop what's left of the Freelancers from getting away with their crimes, convincing everyone to go by using a Pelican at the facility. When the pursuit team arrives at Sidewinder, Wash and the Meta begin to fight Epsilon-Tex before the Meta eventually captures her with the capture unit.

Now having an A.I., the Meta betrays the group and uses Tex to operate his armor enhancements, but before he can kill Washington, the Reds and Blues arrive in time and crash land on the surface. As the teams regroup, they join forces with Wash to stop the Meta. During the intense battle, the Reds attach the Warthog's cable to the Meta's chest and remove the Epsilon unit from him before pushing the vehicle off the cliff, taking the Meta as well and finally killing him. However, the Epsilon unit is damaged and shuts down after Epsilon enters it to find Tex, trapping him inside. Epsilon realizes that he needs to be patient to find Tex and be happy, reliving the events of the Blood Gulch Chronicles with memories of the Reds and Blues inside the memory unit. After Doc treats Wash's injuries, the teams decide to fake his death and have him join the Blue Team so he can avoid life imprisonment before they return home.

Finding the Director
After the memory unit was confiscated the Reds and Blues meet Carolina, who asks for their help to rescue Epsilon and later find the Director, which they accept. Eventually, they find the memory unit at the UNSC Archives and remove Epsilon from it, just after the latter lets go of the past and Tex to finally be at peace. After explaining Carolina's motives to Epsilon, the Reds and Blues leave the area and search for clues on how to find the Director. Carolina first takes the group to Zanzibar and soon after the Ancient Alien Temples, in search for C.T.

While at the desert the Reds and Blues become suspicious of Carolina and implant Epsilon into her mongoose in order to find out her motives. When Carolina leaves to York's grave site, after finding nothing from C.T.'s armor, she discovers Epsilon in her mongoose and the latter shows her a series of York's archived video logs, in order to comfort her. Because of this, the two grow more trusting towards each other and take the group back to Valhalla. While there, the Reds reunite with Donut, who explains that his armor underwent armor lock after he was shot and once he was released, Doc helped him survive.

Redemption
Meanwhile, after finding only a dog tag recovered by Wash, Carolina decides to leave Valhalla, but Epsilon attempts to reason with her. After Epsilon tells Carolina that she must let go of her jealousy towards Tex the two discover data on the dog tags, owned by C.T. Epsilon enters the data and soon exits, having remembered "everything". Thus, everyone gathers in the Hologram Chamber where Carolina and Epsilon reveal the Director's location and their plan to kill him. However, the teams, including Wash who has grown close to the others, refuse to help them with their vendetta, knowing that if they leave Valhalla to kill him, things will only get worse. Enraged, Epsilon blames them for all his problems. Hurt, the Reds and Blues leave in response, nearly destroying the group's relationship.

After Carolina and Epsilon leave, the two teams try to continue their daily shenanigans, but soon argue over the Meta's Brute Shot. However, Doc stops them and tells them how much they've changed and in the end, everyone got what they wanted. Moved by this, and realizing they've always won by staying together, the group decide to go help Epsilon and Carolina after stealing the UNSC Police's Hornets to get to the Director's location quicker. At the facility, Carolina and Epsilon discover that the Director has created hundreds of Tex drones in his attempt to resurrect Allison. Although the drones overwhelm Carolina, despite Epsilon's aid, the Reds and Blues arrive in time to save her and they reconcile their relationship before destroying the remaining Tex drones together.

Carolina and Epsilon then confront the Director, but upon seeing he's already suffering, they come in terms with their past, sparing the Director and leave the facility with the others. During this, the Director orders F.I.L.S.S. to shut off all the facility's systems and erase all files, before presumably committing suicide. Later, the UNSC pardon the Reds and Blues' crimes and honor them as heroes due to their actions of bringing Project Freelancer to justice, as well as stopping several other major threats. As a result, the teams become known as some of the greatest military soldiers in the galaxy and their exploits become common knowledge across the galaxy.

Crash Landing on Chorus
After a certain amount of time, the Reds and Blues are given passage by the UNSC aboard one of their shuttles to return back home to Blood Gulch. However, due to a series of events happening on board the ship (partially caused by the group, and later revealed to be the actions of an unknown group of Space Pirates), the shuttle crash lands on a forgotten planet in the middle of nowhere and only the Reds and Blues survive. Carolina and Epsilon immediately depart away from the others to track down defunct Project Freelancer gear, while the rest of the group separate into their former Red and Blue teams out of habit and create shelters out of the fallen ship's debris.

Using their self-made communication tower, they eventually are able to contact Donut (who decided to stay at Valhalla with Doc) to come "rescue" them, bringing Doc and a reactivated Lopez. However, they also unknowingly alert the New Republic and Federal Army of Chorus of their presence. Both sides planned to use their skills to help their respective factions win the Civil War that the planet was undergoing, assuming that the Reds and Blues were the greatest military soldiers in the galaxy. Locus, a federal mercenary, soon arrives at their location and attacks them to test their skills, but Felix, a rebel mercenary, saves them and tells them of their situation.

Due to Locus' hostile actions, the Reds and Blues work with Felix to fortify the canyon for the Federal Army's next attack. Using all their supplies from the ship, including a minefield, Teleportation Cubes, and a war robot that Caboose previously fixed named Freckles, a tense firefight occurs with them against the Federal Army. In the battle's conclusion, Simmons, Grif, Tucker, and Caboose are forced to leave the canyon with Felix's backup, while the other Reds and Blues members (except Doc) are captured by the 'Feds'. The four are then brought to the rebel's headquarters, where Vanessa Kimball, the leader of the New Republic, convinces them to join the New Republic in order to save their friends and end the Civil War on Chorus.

Taking Command
Weeks later, Tucker, Simmons, Grif, and Caboose have each been promoted to Captain and given their own squad to command by Kimball. During a mission at F.A.C. Outpost 22, Tucker is able to obtain information of the location of the captured Reds and Blues members (at the cost of two of his soldiers' lives). Despite the risks, Kimball gives the captains five days to assemble a new squad for a potential rescue mission, comprised of the best of their respective platoons. Thus, the four choose Jensen (Simmons' lieutenant), Bitters (Grif's lieutenant), Smith (Caboose's lieutenant), and Palomo (Tucker's sole surviving recruit) for the rescue mission with Tucker being voted to lead the team, yet Felix refuses to aid them.

Simmons and Jensen soon create Helmet Cameras for the rescue team in order to learn from their recorded training and attempt to capture Felix in order to prove they can succeed in the rescue mission. Despite their steady improvements, the group is laughed at by the rest of the rebels as Felix continuously humiliates them. After Kimball speaks to Tucker about his team, herself, and the history behind Felix and Locus' and their roles in the civil war, Tucker convinces the other captains that they will attempt the rescue mission on their own, as they don't want to risk the lives of their recruits. Taking two warthogs, the Reds and Blues travel to and break into F.A.C. Outpost 37 by using Tucker's sword to melt an opening and setting off the alarms to distract the federal soldiers. However, they unexpectedly run into Washington, Sarge, Donut, and Lopez, who joined the Federal Army (who are, in fact not a tyranny and just as desperate as the rebels) to rescue the captains.

When the reunited Reds and Blues come up with a plan to have the rebels and feds form a truce, the base is attacked by Locus, a group of mercenaries, and Felix who betrays the group. After forcing the group to stand down, Felix reveals that he and Locus used them as a means to cause further conflict in the Chorus Civil War, all due to their superior wanting the planet free of its inhabitants. Fortunately, Carolina emerges from hiding, disguised as a mercenary, and uses a Teleportation Cube to escape with the group and Dr. Grey, a Federal Army doctor who treated Wash and survived the outpost's massacre.

Fighting the Space Pirates
Once at the Forest Base, Carolina and Epsilon explain to the Reds and Blues when they left weeks ago to investigate stolen Freelancer equipment, they discovered that their ship was purposely crashed on Chorus by the Space Pirates, who are mass-producing advanced versions of the ship's Freelancer equipment and alien technology. Upon learning the pirates planned to kill Chorus' inhabitants as well as the Reds and Blues, the two returned to rescue them. The Reds and Blues then decide to study Grif's Suppressor, in order to learn more about the weapons the pirates are using. Upon discovering the Suppressor's connection to the teleportation grenades, the group split up and search for the ship's manifest at crash sites Bravo and Alpha, to find out who supplied the grenades.

While the Reds manage to attain the manifest, they quickly realize that it's locked due to their previous accessing of it. The Blues, on the other hand, were more unsuccessful, and accidentally bring back a prisoner with them after the space pirates attacked them. Upon interrogating the prisoner, the crew learn that there are radio jammers scattered throughout the planet that are preventing contact between the two armies, but their captive is quickly assassinated by a fellow space pirate when more of their forces diverge on the Reds and Blues' location, forcing them to retreat to a Desert Refueling Station.

Washington recognizes that Freckle's storage unit contains a tracking beacon implanted by Locus, which Epsilon debugs. The group (with Caboose giving a speech) then encourage Tucker to forgive Epsilon for leaving them, restoring their friendship. Felix and Locus contact the Reds and Blues through the radio, offering them a chance to leave Chorus if they don't attempt to save the Feds and rebels at Armonia from killing each other. Despite this, the low chances of succeeding, and Grey stating they have the right to leave, the heroes refuse and formulate a plan to save the inhabitants by facing the Space Pirates at Radio Jammer Station 1C.

As the conflict begins at Armonia, the group attack the Space Pirates at the radio jammer, having Wash and Carolina face Locus and Felix while the others defeat the remaining mercenaries by tricking them (such as Freckles being uploaded into Caboose's Assault Rifle). Carolina and Wash are eventually beaten by the two before Tucker faces Felix while Locus reveals his soldier ideology to Wash. Despite Felix seriously injuring Tucker, Tucker has Epsilon run his Helmet Camera to record Felix's confession of the Space Pirates involvement in the Chorus Civil War just as the others destroy the radio jammer, allowing Epsilon to send the video to Armonia, revealing to the inhabitants the truth and ending the battle. With their plans ruined, Locus and Felix retreat before the heroes are brought back to the New Republic Headquarters by the united Chorus armies.

Chorus-Charon War
There, the four captains are happily reunited with their recruits and Epsilon learns the identity of Control is Chairman Malcolm Hargrove after reading ship's manifest to discover the weaponry onboard belonged to Charon Industries. The group with the leaders of the Chorus armies, Doyle and Kimball, then contact the Chairman and accept his declaration of war. A month later, Epsilon and Carolina oversee the capture of a Charon facility alongside Sarge and Tucker and discover an alien temple nearby. In order to learn more about the temple the four get help from Dr. Grey, who decides to survey it with Tucker, Sarge, and Caboose. After Tucker accidentally reactivates the temple, which destroys all of Charon's hybrid weaponry, the group relay the information to the others at Armonia and devise a plan to fight the pirates while they're down. Kimball, Wash, the Reds, and Chorus armies will attack the pirates at Crash Site Alpha while Carolina, Grey, and the Blues follow coordinates the temple emitted. Upon arriving at their destination the group find a portal and learn that only a true warrior of mental clarity and great strength can be accepted through. Epsilon realizes that Caboose fits these instructions and the latter is sent through as a result. He manages to pass the test and befriends an alien A.I. he names Santa. Santa informs them of the Temple of Communication, which will allow them contact with Earth without the disruption of the radio jammers. He also mentions the planet's Purge and the location of a key that can activate it. Just then the group is ambushed by Sharkface and his band of space pirates, forcing Carolina to protect the team under her bubble shield. After Sharkface leaves to get the key, Grey has Freckles kill his pirates. The group then learn that Doyle himself flew to the key's location and obtained it, prompting them to follow him. Upon arriving at an east mountain range, the team encounter Sharkface again, who soon flees. Carolina chases him and the two quickly engage in combat. As Sharkface begins to overwhelm Carolina, the latter pushes Epsilon to run all of her enhancements in order to beat him, but Epsilon is unable to, losing control of his memory counterparts of Delta and Theta in the process. Because of this, Epsilon dematerializes, causing Carolina to fall off a cliff.

Charon's Final Assault
Luckily, the two survive and are later picked up and brought back to Armonia, regrouping with the rest of the Reds and Blues and Chorusarmies. Carolina then confronts Epsilon about his actions at the mountains, in which the latter explains that he can't run multiple enhancements at once since he is only a fragment. Afterward, the Reds and Blues hold a counseling session for Kimball and Doyle in order to improve their relationship, but the session is abruptly cut off when the Space Pirates attack the city. In order to survive, Epsilon suggests eradicating the pirates by overloading the nuclear reactor in the center of the city, with Wash, Carolina, and Kimball being sent to overload it. However, after running into Sharkface, Carolina convinces him to spare the other two and fight her alone, which Sharkface agrees to. As the two engage in battle, Carolina apologizes to Sharkface for what Project Freelancer did to him and his friends, but Sharkface refuses her apology and attacks. As they fight, Epsilon helps Carolina hop onto a monorail and flee, but Sharkface catches up to them. Luckily, Carolina manages to outmatch Sharkface and soon regroups with Wash and Kimball, who quickly execute him. After the Reds drop off the Blues in a safe area, they return to the city and pick up Epsilon, Wash, Kimball, and Carolina. However, they realize that Doyle decided to remain in the city to ignite the reactor, in an act of self sacrifice. When Doyle does so, he kills a majority of the space pirates and destroys the city, causing a huge nuclear blast. Thus, Epsilon helps Carolina form her bubble shield on top of the Pelican to protect their friends, but the action leaves him incapacitated. Epsilon later awakens at Crash Site Bravo, where the Reds and Blues and most of the Feds and Rebels have taken refuge, with others scattered across Chorus. After the crew form a counterattack plan to stop Felix and Locus, Kimball delivers a passionate speech to the Chorus armies that motivates them to fight as one. While the Reds and Blues fight off the pirates at the Communication Temple with the Feds and Rebels, Epsilon, Wash, and Carolina confront Felix and Locus at the Purge. After a brutal fight the three inform the two mercs that their base, Crash Site Alpha, has been taken over and soon discover the Tartarus being pulled in towards the Purge, due to the tractor beams being reactivated. With Epsilon's help, Wash and Carolina survive the ship's destruction and the three regroup with the others at the Comm Temple. However, the pirates release several Mantis to fight the group. Because of this, Tucker takes Epsilon and enters the temple's control room with the other Reds and Blues to broadcast their message.

Deconstruction
Unfortunately, the crew are confronted by Felix and Locus, having survived the Tartarus' destruction. Surprisingly, however, Locus betrays Felix and refuses to attack the crew, prompting Felix to attack them. Luckily, the crew quickly kill Felix, with Locus gaining control of Felix's discarded sword. Locus then activates the Comm. Temple for the crew and disappears, allowing Epsilon to broadcast the message. Epsilon reveals Chorus' location, the Reds and Blues' survival, and Hargrove's crimes to the message's recipients across the galaxy. In response to this, the Chairman flies to Chorus and releases numerous Mantis droids to kill the remaining inhabitants. Epsilon, as a result, suggests infiltrating the Staff of Charon in order to shut them down. After the crew manage to enter the ship by flying up in Felix and Locus' Falcon, they reunite with F.I.L.S.S., who directs them to a terminal located inside Hargrove's trophy room that can shut down the droids. Upon reaching the trophy room, Epslion connects to the terminal and overrides the Mantises' controls, shutting them all down. Unfortunately, the Reds and Blues are forced to hide inside the trophy room when Hargrove's personal forces attack them. When Hargrove's forces begin welding the door, the crew decide to stand their ground and fight. Epsilon, having discovered it while connected to the terminal, reveals the Meta's suit to the crew and has Tucker wear it. After Tucker dons the suit, the crew prepare for the impending attack as Hargrove's forces prepare to breach through. However, Epsilon, knowing that he is unable to run the modified Meta suit, decides to deconstruct himself from the memories of the other A.I. fragments in order to ensure that the crew will survive. Epsilon then records his goodbyes to the crew and proceeds to fragment the memories of the other A.I., before dematerializing, for good.

Retirement
After Hargrove was arrested, the Reds and Blues attempted to live a peaceful life, but fail. Tucker activated the Tower of Procreation, which sent Chorus into a ravenous sexual frenzy and apparently made Grif and Simmons have sex in a janitors closet. Kimball builds the crew bases on a deserted moon. Sarge goes crazy and looks for a new enemy to fight and Carolina seeks to learn about being lazy from Grif. They are attacked by local dinosaurs, which Caboose befriends. Meanwhile, Donut burns down their bases and most of their food supply, Grif then eats local mushrooms, which is like super meth.

Freckles is transferred into a miniature mantis body and the Reds and Blues attempt to raise funds for new bases, which they spend on a water park instead, which Donut burns down. Sarge builds an evil robot army to attack them but said robots malfunction and attack the dinosaurs.

One day in the retirement moon, the crew is visited by the reporter Dylan Andrews and her cameraman Jax Jonez, who were looking for them investigating a group of criminals resembling the Reds and Blues. After the team tells many stories, Dylan questions what happened after the Reds and Blues entered the Staff of Charon, which makes the crew depressed. Carolina states they lost Church that day. Tucker recounts how Church powered up his suit and he felt powerful and successfully stopped Charon, but ran out of power after Epsilon-Church died and was now useless. Dylan then shows the crew the message Kimball sent them following the impostor Reds and Blues attacks, a scattered image of Church begging for help. Tucker then becomes the leader of the Reds and Blues again. Grif quits the team, however, tired of the adventures they've undergone previously and also tired of Church miraculously resurrecting again, much to the displeasure and sadness of the group.

Meeting the Blues and Reds
Deciding to investigate the matter in two different teams, the Reds and Blues, along with Jax and Dylan, investigate who or what is broadcasting Church's message, while Carolina and Washington investigate the Freelancer disappearances. While in an abandoned settlement, they discover a satellite dish responsible for broadcasting, though it was strangely made out of toy part components. Stranger still, the message was being broadcasted from a desert location. Before they leave, they soon meet Spencer Porkensenson, who Tucker initially regards as hostile as he was surrounded by the unconscious forms of his comrades. In reality, they were on the ground for different reason: Sarge clocked out due to his many days without sleep, Simmons fainted after seeing a snake, and Caboose playing dead. Spencer reveals that he has been looking for Tucker, and thinks Chorus sent him a bodyguard. In reality, Spencer came to deliver Tucker a lawsuit regarding all of the women he impregnanted back on Chorus due to the Tower of Procreation.

They soon arrive at Armada 8, where the message was being broadcast. To their surprise, the location has an exact replica of the Red and Blue bases back at Blood Gulch. They then make contact with the imposter Reds and Blues: the Blues and Reds. The leader of the group, Mark Temple, explains that they are simulation troopers like them, and the ones behind the attacks are actually the UNSC, who are attempting to rid themselves of any and all members remotely affiliated with Project Freelancer - Freelancers and sim troopers included. After defending themselves against an attack from the UNSC, they retreat to an underwater base.

Sometime after their meeting with the Blues and Reds, Tucker begins to develop a distrust towards Dylan, as she had actually met Spencer when she first encountered the Blues and Reds in her search for the real Reds and Blues, and had neglected to mention it to him. To their surprise, Doc is also a member of the group, though he claims that the Blues and Reds are the originals, and the Blues and Reds are the "crappy copies." They then venture out to gather supplies with Temple and his group, who changed their visor colors as to not cause confusion.

Saving Earth
At the same time, Washington and Carolina discover a small shack stocked with alcohol with a picture, revealed to be the apparent "retirement home" built by Agent Illinois, Project Freelancer's demolition expert. Washington and Carolina reminisce about the old days, noting how Illinois was not concerned about their work or the leaderboard rankings, but rather instead looking forward to retirement, and was known to be York's drinking buddy. The two share a tender, romantic moment at the beach after Carolina attempts to throw away York's lighter, which she has kept all this time. Washington then remembers that all Freelancer armors have a recovery beacon built-in, allowing for them to lure out whoever has been tracking them. To Washington's chagrin, he finds the Reds and Blues with their doubles, which he and Carolina later learn are the Blues and Reds.

After returning to the underwater base, Carolina gets into an argument with Temple about how to deal with the UNSC. Carolina opts to have Dylan reveal the truth while Temple would rather kill whoever has been responsible for murdering the Sim Troopers. He then shows the Freelancers a room with the armors of several Freelancers, which they initially mistake for statues or replicas before noting the horrible stench, as well as the armor of Agent Illinois, holding a beer bottle. Realizing that Temple and his group are the true attackers, they try to take him down, but he freezes their armor. Temple remarks how he was worried that Carolina might recognize him by his voice but showing his obvious anger towards Project Freelancer, claiming that he'll kill them all, and the Reds and Blues as well before taking his leave.

Later on, Dylan grows suspicious of how secretive the Blues and Reds are, having Jax distract Sarge, who is tasked with keep an eye on them. She overhears Temple and Loco discussing a "weapon" of some kind, which they previously referred to as a cloaking mechanism in their first encounter, and informs Tucker. She manages to regain some of his trust, as he informs her about Temple's private computer. After discovering a recording of Church's message, Dylan and Jax are restrained. Temple decides to explain why he despises Project Freelancer so much: he was a childhood friend of a member from Red Team, Biff, who had a girlfriend waiting for him back home. The two planned to have Biff receive an injury, allowing for a medical discharge. The opportunity comes in the form of Agents Carolina and Texas, who are tasked with playing a game of "Capture the Flag." Unfortunately, Biff was killed by the two agents, both of whom were unconcerned about him and instead opted to fight each other. Temple also learned that Biff's girlfriend was pregnant. After finishing his explanation, he ties the two to a chair in a "basement."

Noticing their absence, Tucker gathers the Reds and Blues. Donut states how he saw the two reporters when Cronut was showing him around, leading to them confronting the Blues and Reds. Temple reveals his true intentions, as well as his displeasure with the Reds and Blues, who chose to befriend the people who used them as training dummies, though out of respect for their achievements, he tries to recruit them. Sarge and Doc choose to side, the former due to how he now finally has a "war where he cannot win," and Doc joining because of the abuse he suffered at the hands of the Reds and Blues. Temple also reveals he has recruited other simulation troopers. They are soon cornered in a small space, though upon finding a torpedo, they decide to launch Lopez's head, in hopes of him finding help.

Lopez drifts through space aimlessly before he is picked up by an unknown ship. Upon seeing the owner of the ship, he begs for help. Back at the moon base given to the Reds and Blues by Kimball, Grif is shown to be suffering from insanity, replacing the Reds and Blues with volleyballs while acting out their parts as if they were real, showing that in reality, Grif actually cares about his friends, contrary to what he told them and Dylan when she claimed that he was a good person. He then encounters Locus, who was the one to have picked up Lopez as he was drifting through space. While trying to explain the situation, Locus learns that in his time alone, Grif has learned Spanish, which impresses both him and Lopez. Afterward, Grif leaves with Locus to rescue the Reds and Blues, albeit annoying Locus with a barrage of questions.

Once they arrive in the underwater base, Grif is captured to provide a distraction, allowing Locus to enter the "trophy room" and save Washington and Carolina. Sarge frees Dylan and Jax, and then joins with Locus as they go to the brig and release the imprisoned members. On the way out of the base, the Blood Gulch Crew engages in a firefight with the Zealots, in which Wash is shot in the throat. Locus flies him out of the planet to get medical help, while everyone else realizes the Blues and Reds are targeting UNSC's headquarters on Earth. They fly away to Temple's Arctic base, where their ship is shot down. The Reds and Blues manage to get out of the wreckage unharmed, save for Lopez, reduced to a head, who is then misunderstood by Sarge and ends up thrown into the ocean.

A battle against the Zealots ensues, where Grif kills sim troopers while spiked with the "meth mushrooms", Sarge and Simmons then commandeer a Warthog, and Tucker decapitates the robot Lorenzo while destroying the tank Cronut was driving. During the fight, Dylan discovers through a scientist friend that Loco's Machine is a time machine that can end up destroying the planet. Raiding the Power Facility, Sarge accidentally causes Surge's death, Doc returns to their side once Carolina falls ill saving Caboose, Tucker knocks out Buckey once the latter attempts to use his sword, and Simmons is saved by Grif while fighting Gene. Once they get to the now-active machine, Temple shoots Loco dead before being knocked out by Tucker. A time portal is opened back to Blood Gulch, showing Church. As Caboose approaches the portal, Tucker tells him to pull Church through but Caboose decides against this, accepting Church is gone and saying goodbye. The machine goes haywire, only being stopped as Dylan uploads Vic into it, causing the machine to power down and disappear. Outside, they meet Jensen, Palomo, Smith, and Bitters joined by Sister, who had been on Chorus for business when she heard about the trip.

The Pizza Quest
After deciding where to eat after defeating the Blues and Reds, Carolina instead chose to go back to Chorus to check up on Wash while he's in recovery. During this, Caboose was sent to find Donut. Upon finding Donut, it is revealed that the electric burst that struck him from Loco's Machine had caused his body to be mangled before being erased from reality. With Caboose telling the Reds and Blues that Donut simply left, they headed off to Sammie Raphaello's Pizza, but Grif crashed the pelican after receiving an important message from Locus. Wandering the woods, the Reds and Blues encounter a glowing lake followed by Donut rising from it, now equipped with an alien gun of some sort, telling them that he had traveled through time to find them so they could join him in becoming Time Travel Warriors. Grif dismisses this as a prank, despite Donut's insistence that it was otherwise, and the group moves on with Donut trying to convince them to listen to him. Upon arriving at Sammie Raphaello's Pizza, the Reds and Blues discover it had been destroyed and were informed by a local officer that nobody knows what happened to it. After the cop left, Donut revealed his gun to be a time portal gun, dubbed "Donut Holes" by himself, Sarge, and Simmons, by taking the Reds and Blues to a couple days before in the same spot, now with Sammie Raphaello's Pizza fully intact.

Not long after their arrival, the Reds and Blues were attacked by Kalirama before narrowly escaping using the time portal guns given to them by Donut, who stayed behind. The Reds and Blues were split up in four pairs of two all lost at different points in time.

Primary Locations

 * Blood Gulch
 * Outpost 1-A (Blue Team)
 * Outpost 1-B (Red Team)
 * Valhalla
 * Outpost 17-A (Blue Team)
 * Outpost 17-B (Red Team)
 * Chorus
 * Crash Site Bravo
 * New Republic Headquarters (Tucker, Caboose, Grif, Simmons)
 * F.A.C. Outpost 37 (Wash, Sarge, Donut, Lopez)
 * Forest Base
 * Armonia
 * Chorus Residential City (Wash, Carolina)
 * General Doyle General Hospital (Wash)
 * Iris
 * Armada 8
 * Underwater Lair
 * Earth

Current Members
The current members of the Reds and Blues consist of characters who have served in Blood Gulch or have stayed with the faction for a long period of time.

Other Members
While several other characters have joined the Reds and Blues, some members are less known, either due to them being away from the group for a lengthy period of time or joining the group only recently.

Former Members
Members who have either left or were killed in action.

Allies
Although not official members of the Reds and Blues, some characters in the series have aided one or several members of the group.

Trivia

 * The Reds and Blues are the most diverse team in the RvB universe, consisting of nearly every species introduced: humans, cyborgs, robots, A.I., and Sangheili aliens.
 * The faction has had eight different leaders to date: Simmons, Tex, Church, Sarge, Washington, Epsilon, Carolina, and Tucker.
 * Donut, Lopez and Doc are the most frequently absent of the Reds and Blues. Although Doc is neutral between the Red and Blue teams, and Lopez is often exempt due to his status as a robot, Donut is frequently missing in action or seemingly deceased, only to return at a later date. Donut and Lopez have remained as mainstays since Season 11 while Doc's disappearances has become a running gag.
 * If including Epsilon-doubles, the Reds and Blues has the second highest (known) member count out of all the RvB factions, with a total of twenty-three, coming in front of Project Freelancer's nineteen and behind Charon Industries' twenty-five.
 * Almost all protagonists of the series have a relation with the Reds and Blues, as they're either members or allies of the group. The only exception is North Dakota, who never meets a single member of the group after it's formed, unless you count Washington and Carolina.
 * An Epsilon-double of the Reds and Blues is formed in MIA, where the Epsilon doubles of Sarge, Simmons, Church, Tucker, and Caboose joined forces to find Grif in Episode 4.
 * In Reckless, Sarge states the reason they've always won is because they trust and protect each other.
 * Despite the fact that Doc is considered a neutral character, he was still counted as a “Red and Blue” by Felix during his talk with the teams in FAQ.
 * The Reds and Blues' accomplishments include traveling great distances, retrieving ancient artifacts, bringing corrupt men to justice, and besting the most dangerous war criminals the galaxy has ever known, according to Kimball in Lost But Not Forgotten.
 * Because of their past experiences with Freelancers, the Reds and Blues have grown a hatred towards them, evident when the group targeted Felix after the latter acknowledged that he was a freelancer (mercenary) in FAQ, and when Grif blamed Project Freelancer to be behind the Space Pirates' involvement in the Chorus civil war in The Reunion.