Master Chief raised his hand, signaling his patrol to stop.

"What is it, sir?" said his second.

"I don't know," he answered.

"I'm startin' to wish we hadn't gotten assigned to investigating the noises in the forest."

"Me too." The spartan smiled under his helmet. He had always enjoyed the company of young Janet. Unfortunetly, she could never be his. She was of

his son's generation, much to young for him. Besides, he was a married man now.

A sudden crackle interupted his train of thought. He blinked. There had been four soldiers behind him just a second ago. Now there were three.

"Where's Johnson," he roared at the remaining privates.

One private shrugged, and just then another fell into the grass. He flew backwards, desperately reaching at a plant as he skidded past it. Then he was gone, vanished into the trees.

"What the fu-!" said another soldier, just as he was lifted into the air and slammed against a trunk three times before being dropped to the ground. A puddle of blood quickly formed under him.

The last private turned to face the sargeant. A long blade suddenly sprouted from the privates stomach, drenched in his blood.

"Fire!" Master Chief ordered loudly. He pulled forth his battle rifle, shooting blindly in the direction of the fallen privates. A large shadow moved moved through the darkness surrounding them, the shining blade soaring through the air.

Master chief screamed as the blade removed his arm. He grabbed his stump and screamed again, falling to his knees as blood dripped from the hole. Another sweep and the spartan was left without a head.

Janet pulled out her walky talky with her free hand, desperately firing her SMG with the other.

"I need backup! Fast! The chief is dead! Please-" she stopped as the small phone flew out of her hand, directly into the long glowing blade in front of her.

The blade moved backwards into the raised hand of the shadow as it ran forward. Janet quickly drew her beam sword and blocked, firing her gun.

A quick slash of the shadow's blade and the gun's barrel was on the ground. In the light of her beam sword she saw the attacker. He appeared to be reptilian, with an elongated face and rows of sharp teeth sprouting from his gruesome jaws. Four masculant arms protruded from his scaled torso. He walked on the balls of his scaled feet. A long tail shot from his back side, ending in a sinister looking blade.

This he used to slash Janet across her thigh. She fell on one knee and screamed, dropping her sword. The creature rose one of his free hands and opened his fingers. Janet found herself flying backwards. She hit something hard and rough, scraping her leg across it. The beast punched in her direction. Janet felt the bone in her arm snap as she screamed again.

A gun fired. The creature grasped it's shoulder as blood streamed down. He raised his hand as another bullet flew towards him. It stopped, falling to the ground. A wave of metal soon flew towards him, all stopping and falling as they came close. He turned and jumped, his long legs carrying him into the forest.

A troop of soldiers ran forward, one stopping as he spotted Janet. The private pulled off his helmet. It was Nick Gangee, Janet's old friend. She hugged him tightly with her unbroken arm. He went rigid and pulled her off, examining her.

"I'm fine, but I think my arm's broken," she said.

"Hey guys!" Nick called to the other spartans, "I found her!"

The others rushed over. The commander stepped forward shouting ," You and you help her and Nick get back! The rest of you, follow me!" He walked off, the other soldiers following.

Janet limped back to base, her arm draped around Nick's shoulder.

"So the chief's dead," Nick said, "Jim was real upset when he heard."

"I wish I could comfort him. I don't remember my parents."

"They died in the covenant wars, right?" Nick looked at her.

"Yeah, so I wouldn't know how it felt. But your his best friend. You should talk to him."

"Guys aren't good at talking about their feelings. He'd probably think I was gay or something."

"Aren't you?" she asked, smiling.

"Hey I'm not the one who spreads peanut butter on..." They continued to talk until they arrived at the base.