Prelude to Chorus
is a Red vs. Blue Fan Fic written by Snarky_SilverHaired_Sociopath. It details the end of the Merc trio and Felix's dive into sociopathy. It also explains how/why they took the Chorus job to begin with.
There is a follow-up story titled Soul Clef XI, but it hasn't been updated since August 2018.
Prelude to Chorus tropes:
- Affably Evil: Hargrove may be a Planet Looter willing to kill off an entire population, but his first scene shows him to be genuinely polite to the clearly abrasive Felix. He even accommodates for Locus wanting to exclusively use his codename after Locus snaps at Hargrove for using his real name. However, this doesn't change the fact that he's a ruthless and remorseless murderer.Hargrove: [to Felix] You know, manners don't cost much. A little politeness can go a long way.
- Anti-Villain: The fic shows how morally conflicted Locus really is just before taking the Chorus job and the great lengths he takes to justify being a murderer.
- Apologetic Attacker: Locus solemnly apologizes to the Wu family after killing them. Considering he does it when Felix leaves, he was dying to do it beforehand.
- Ascended Extra: More likely due to the shorter span of the story, Hargrove gets a significant amount of focus in this fic.
- Big Bad: Felix. He is the driving force behind Locus' descent to villainy.
- Call-Forward: Many lines that Hargrove gives are similar to ones that Felix gave during Seasons 12 and 13, suggesting that's where he got them.
- Deadpan Snarker: Felix definitely takes the cake, but Hargrove gets some snarky lines in as well – mostly towards Felix.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": Locus' insistence on going by his codename is suggested to be a coping mechanism to deal with the guilt from killing the Wu family.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Locus clearly doesn't like the idea of killing his former colleague and his family. Even Felix is momentarily shocked before quickly getting over it.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Felix already shows signs of not being able to understand why most people would have a problem with the job that Hargrove is proposing.
- Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: While killing Sirus' family, all of Felix's jokes show just what a despicable human being he is.
- Evil Is Petty: While it was Hargrove's idea to kill Siris and his family, Felix was all too willing due to him in for rejecting the offer for the Chorus job.
- Faux Affably Evil:
- While Hargrove can be genuinely nice and polite, he keeps this tone when explaining his plan to destroy the population of Chorus, threatening to kill Locus for knowing too much, and ordering the Wu family to be killed.
- Felix starts honing his skills with this trope in the fifth chapter.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: While calling him a friend would be a bit of a stretch, Siris and Locus are not too fond of Felix. And not without good reason.
- Greater-Scope Villain: For this story, Hargrove. He does have a significant influence on the plot by giving them the job and the order to kill Siris and his family, but it's Felix who has a direct influence on the conflict by manipulating Locus.
- Happily Married: Mason and Megan. It doesn't last.
- He Knows Too Much: Hargrove threatens Locus with this when he starts to have doubts about the mission. It's also the reason he has the Wu family killed.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: All the chapters are titled with "The [X]" with "X" being a single word related to the chapter.
- I Have a Family: Siris notes this as a reason he doesn't want to compromise his morals for money. Felix also uses it against him to justify compromising his morals since they're so strapped for cash at the moment.
- Irony:
- Felix (sarcastically) notes that Hargrove seems like a nice guy. By the time of the Chorus Trilogy (especially in Season 13), he very obviously hates his guts.
- Felix also notes how Hargrove allowing Locus to go by his codename after he snaps at him for using his real name would be "enabling a crazy person." Clearly, the irony is lost on him when you consider the fact that Hargrove allows Felix to kill an entire population and murder a former colleague and his family.
- It's All About Me: Felix is rather stubbornly self-centered. He never listens to anyone about why they have problems with Hargrove's plan and never acknowledges other people's sensibilities. He just wants to get paid. He even goes so far as to take it as a personal grievance when Sirus says he doesn't want to be a part of the job. This is partially why he's so eager to kill his family.
- Jerkass: Felix couldn't be genuinely polite to save his life. Even the narration notes this about him. There's also the fact that he kills the family of a former colleague. And to just to be petty, before he kills Siris' son, he tells him that the tooth fairy and Santa Claus are fake just to be an asshole about it.Felix: [in response to Hargrove lecturing him on manners] Well, how about this. I'll try being polite. So, could you please fuck off and go back to wherever it is you came from. See? I said "please."
- Kick the Dog: Felix is all too eager to kill Siris' family. He personally kills his son and manipulates Locus into killing his wife. And before killing Henry, he tells him that the tooth fairy and Santa Claus are fake just to be a douchebag.
- Knight of Cerebus: Hargrove is the one to set Felix on his dark path by offering him the Chorus job. Things get considerably darker after he orders him and Locus to kill Siris and his family.
- Lack of Empathy: Felix has no remorse for killing Siris and his family. Nor does he care about killing off an entire population since he casually suggests nuking them from orbit while still specifically stating he doesn't have any problems with Hargrove's plan. The same can be said for Hargrove since he orders both actions mentioned.
- Laughably Evil: Averted with Felix. He cracks jokes just before murdering Siris' family, but it only serves to make him look more sinister.
- Manipulative Bastard: Felix starts looking this way around Locus, he is specifically pushing him to get ready for the Chorus job after he's roped into it.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Felix was always pretty childish, but his taunt to Henry can only really be described as relentlessly juvenile.
- Precision F-Strike: Siris shouts "Fuck the money!" when Felix keeps bringing up the money for a job that would involve killing a lot of people. It's one of only two times that he swears in the fic. His wife isn't far behind when she says one to Felix and Locus as they kill her and her family.
- Sadist: Felix shows nothing but glee at the prospect of killing off the population of Chorus and killing the Wu family.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Felix is the most foul-mouthed character in the fic. Only four swear words are said by people other than him. Even his internal monologues are littered with profanities.
- The Sociopath: Both Felix and Hargrove just like in canon.
- Felix shows signs of pathological selfishness and superficial charm throughout the story. He has a complete indifference to the suffering of others which is shown by his ease of taking the job for Chorus and his lack of remorse about killing a former colleague and his family. He's also very manipulative of Locus.
- Not only is Hargrove trying to kill off an entire population by manipulating their civil war, but he casually orders two men to murder their former colleague and his family.
- So Happy Together: Siris' family greets him by baking him cookies and they generally seem to really love him. The feeling is mutual. Making it all the more heartbreaking when Felix and Locus kill them.
- Start of Darkness: For Felix and Locus. It shows their descent just before the Chorus job. Felix falls much faster than Locus and then pushes the latter into the dark side.
- Token Evil Teammate: Felix shows himself to be this.
- Token Good Teammate: Siris is unwilling to compromise his ideals just to get some more money. In comparison, Felix is all too willing to do so and Locus considers it to be pragmatic.
- Villain Protagonist: Felix is the character that is followed the most throughout the story.
- Would Hurt a Child: Felix does not hesitate to shoot Siris' son. Nor does he feel remorse for it either.
- You Monster!: Megan outright calls Felix and Locus this. Naturally, Felix brushes it off in his usual fashion, but it starts affecting Locus.
