Slice! Shoom! Thud!
The muscular body of a massive alien laid on the dirt. Its armor - once pristine and threatening - was now dented scrap metal. Its stomach was cut open, with guts hanging out and purple-blue-ish blood beginning to seep into the brown earth. The last thing it saw before its life was extinguished was another armored figure; one holding their helmet to their side before walking away from the bodies scattered over the battlefield.
Having made their way into a nearby ruined building, the Spartan pressed their back against a wall before slumping down slowly.
"Agh!" A gasp came from the figure. Dents littered their red and black armor, a sizable gash slashed into the left side of their stomach. Skin and suit meshed together, pieces of armor lodged into burnt chunks of flesh. "Should've been more careful," they mulled to themselves with a slightly feminine voice. Their silver eyes surveyed the area. They were alone from what they could tell, at least for now.
The distant screeching of Jackels and Skirmishers was a dead giveaway to their fate. A quiet groan escaped as The Spartan brought their helmet into their lap. They turned it over in their hands and looked at it. Dents littered it, cracks had formed along the visor, and pieces that had once made up the design were now missing. It barely looked like the helmet they had worn when this all started.
"Heh." They chuckled quietly, fingers tracing the specially built A.I. housing slot. It must have cost a fortune to put that in there. Then again, the time spent in 'Project Freelancer' could definitely not be seen as lucrative. "Sorry, Lambda. Hey... it could be worse." Their hands went to the slot and gripped a little chip placed in there. They moved to pull their AI friend out to mercifully end him. That was a fate far better than being in Covenant control.
But before they were able to pull out the chip, ending their partner, the sound of nearby footsteps drew the Spartan's attention. Maybe the fighting had messed with their senses, but the steps sounded heavy. Could it be a Hunter? A Brute? They strained, trying to decipher the sound. No, it was too light to be a Hunter's steps. A Brute was the likeliest chance.
Their fate at the hands of a Brute would likely be a brutal, ungodly and horrible death. The Spartan steeled themselves, prepared for the end.
"Gah!" Pain filled them as they yanked at the chip, finding their arms too weak to get their companion out of its slot. The damage done to their side was putting immense pressure on them, and they were struggling to absorb the pain.
In the corner of their eyes, darkness began to form before spreading, trying to take over their vision. Fighting the feeling was difficult, the realization of the extent of their injuries becoming more and more noticeable.
The last thing they saw before the darkness overtook the light was the approach of armored feet.
/Year REDACTED/Time REDACTED/Location REDACTED/
A young girl, of indiscriminate age, sat on a cold metal chair. Strange, silver eyes focused on the ground below: a cold metal that would send shivers down her spine if she were to lay on it. The young girl curled her toes as she thought of the discomfort of the floor. She moved restlessly in her seat, hands gripping the sides of the cold metal as her torn clothing did nothing to heat her body.
Her attention was soon drawn from the cold floor, as a person entered the room. It was a man wearing some type of suit; it gave no indication of who he was. His face was obscured from view as he sat down on a chair across from the girl, but chills ran down the young child's spine from his presence alone. No words could form from the child; no questions they wanted to ask the man.
"Do you remember your name?" asked the man. His voice was cold and straight to the point, no 'hello' or 'hi.' The young girl felt a strange weight filling her stomach as if it were to burst at any second. He repeated the question when she didn't respond. A small, forced nod came from the girl. "Okay, do you remember anything besides that?"
The girl couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. Why in the world would someone ask such a question? Of course, she remembered a few things. She remembered her mother's cookies, her sweet voice, her father, and sister. But, she fell short at her name.
A small nod came from the girl only to be met with a sigh of disappointment from the man. "I was hoping you didn't; I would've been able to spare the details of your family's fate."
She was confused. Her family's fate? What had happened to them? Were they killed by the beasts her mother fought; or were they okay?
"Your family is dead, maimed, and the remains burned away," the man said, bluntly.
The girl's eyes went wide. She may have been young, but she could understand a few concepts, especially death. Her mother had explained it to her when their pet bird died.
Finally, she spoke. "No, they can't be." Her voice was breaking, tears forming in her eyes, she shook her head and called the man a liar. "No, you're wrong! They're not dead; they can't be... Momma was a hero; she saved people."
The man shifted in his seat slightly before letting out another brief sigh. "Kid, your mother wasn't a hero, nor anyone in your family. They were just regular people living their life till it was snuffed out," he said. The girl continued to shake her head in denial, and she refused to believe whatever this man was saying.
He watched her reaction for a few moments, before continuing. "You were the lucky one, the one that got away. I know you don't believe me, but it is the truth; plain and simple." His tone had softened a bit. "Whatever you knew about your family: it was a lie. You've been living in a hallucination ever since your family died." The girl shook her head, denying it all, as he persevered. He tried changing tactics. "Medical records indicate that once you made it off the planet, you went into a panic; on-board doctors had to sedate you and reported the words you were muttering."
"Liar!" The girl yelled at the man, her feet pulled up closer onto the cold metal chair before she buried her face between her knees.
A long deep sigh came from the man once more. It would be a long and tiring process to get the child to listen.
/Year REDACTED/Time REDACTED/Location REDACTED/
The girl with silver eyes sat by herself, her black and red hair falling around her face. She tried to huddle up in a ball on the full pelican; similar to how kids of many ages sat. Others stood or perched uncomfortably on their seats. Most, if not all, of the gazes, were silently on the floor or on the handlers standing guard. It was slightly surprising that this, many people could fit in such a space, but it was crowded and suffocating. It was like being stuck inside of a big box that was filled with hundreds of kids.
She let out a small groan as the Pelican- the name of craft she was aboard- shook. Her legs went limp and slipped out from the seat, her attempts to curl into a ball failing. Her hands gripped the side of the metal bar that kept her body mostly in position, and her eyes slammed shut as the shaking of the vehicle became more violent.
"Scaredy cat," a rather faint, but noticeable voice said from in front of her. Opening her eyes, she looked at the person who had called her that mean name. A girl that seemed to be a year or two older than herself stood there, short hair a color hard to recognize in the current lighting. Ruby noticed that the girl was wearing the same drab, lifeless clothing as herself: boots that hugged way too tightly, slightly baggy grey pants and a sleeved shirt.
"What?" The girl's tone was rather cold. Ruby found herself shrinking back further into her seat, eyes shut again, not wanting to anger anybody. She didn't want to be here; she didn't want this.
"Hey, it's okay." A hand placed itself on her head, soft, feminine, gentle. The young girl opened her eyes, turning her head to the right only to be met with another girl around her age. The girl had short, white hair– an odd color, though Ruby couldn't really judge– and light blue eyes. Her face was kind, and she was wearing the same depressing clothing as Ruby was.
"My name is Winter Schnee, what is yours?" She had a soft, friendly smile that anyone could love. Ruby could feel her nerves cooling and easing.
/Year 2552/Time 23:00/Location ReachUNSC DT77-TC Pelican En Route to UNSC Paris-Heavy class The Burning Light/
Eyes fluttered open, vision blurry. Everything felt wobbly to the Spartan. She gained a brief glimpse of her Saviors, recognizable to her even in their armor.
"Vitals are stable, sealed up the wound best I could; can't believe she made it that long-" The world cut out briefly for the Spartan, darkness taking over for just a second or so before retreating.
"Just keep me updated, we need to be quick once we're back on The Burning Light." The first armored figure was wearing the current variation of MJOLNIR powered assault armor, Mark V[B], which would be modified to fit his personal taste and skills. It consisted of a Mark V[B] EVA helmet, along with shoulder pauldrons and other standard EVA gear; each fitting to the color theme of black with a green tint.
The Spartan began to groan. Her hearing was dulling. She heard the beginning of an argument before sound left her completely. It seemed that her fellow Spartans were disagreeing, though she wasn't sure what they were arguing about. Her side began to light up in searing pain. It was also at this moment that sound briefly returned to her before the darkness took over her vision once more.
"Why? Oh, wait! We disobeyed orders as usual." Snark filled the second voice. The man turned his head, looking at the injured and unconscious Spartan. "Bugger all, I swear to god that we'll get killed one day, Mason. How long till we're aboard? That Biofoam will only last so long."
"Ten minutes with luck, and without any detours. We only got a clear shot due to whatever resistance was in the area," Mason responded. "James, just make sure... that she doesn't die on us." With that, the EVA-clad Spartan returned to the cockpit, leaving the other to tend their fellow Spartan.
A deep sigh escaped James, his armored hands running along his sides briefly. Clad in Mark V[B] HAZOP gear the soldier picked up his ally's, helmet flipping it around and looking at the A.I. slot. "Jesus, the damage here is immense, hope the little guy is fine." He noted that parts of the helmet had been removed, damaged or chipped away at, exposing the innards composing it. "Well, shit." The armor was experimental in and of itself: as far as anyone should know Mark V[B] should not possess the capability to hold an A.I. Then again, this wasn't normal Mark V[B], modified drastically by a somewhat eccentric man: the Director, he called himself.
A 'gift' it was called when they had received the gear, though if James were a betting man he'd say it was some strange form of test. Probably some ONI Spook asked the man to modify the upcoming armor for A.I. compatibility. Either way, he didn't care, nor would he go looking for the answer to it.
The Spartan placed the helmet down on the seat next to his injured friend, stepping away for a moment to check on the rest of the cargo. He peered his head around the middle seating which had been added to the Pelican; his two teammates, Winter-B313, a Spartan clad in Mark V[B] CQC, and Cameron B-315 donning a Mark V[B] Grenadier, both sat close to the front end of the row.
Further down the line of seats sat a few other Spartans they had picked up; well, more like an entire team, to be exact.
Noble team.
James didn't know the entire story about them. Well, that was a lie; he knew a few things to be sure. One, they consisted of a SPARTAN-II, three SPARTAN-IIIs from Alpha company, and two from Beta. Two, their dear old teammate had been transferred over to them for some ungodly reason. Finally, with three... Well, he didn't have an idea as of yet, but he was sure he could come up with something.
"Ughhh..." His attention was drawn back to his row, head turning to see his old teammate stirring to life; a twitch, a groan here and there: all good signs that she was still kicking.
A deep sigh escaped James before sat down in the nearest seat; he needed a break.
/Year REDACTED/Time REDACTED/Location REDACTED/
Ruby had stayed close to Winter; she didn't want to get separated from her new friend lest she was swallowed up in the ever-increasing crowds of children. The silver-eyed girl felt her skin crawl as brief cool air ran across it, but it was immediately warmed by the sunlight.
She'd turned her head slightly, looking back at the other Pelicans as well as the one they came from; children were still coming out of theirs in a seemingly never-ending supply. "Ruby." Her attention was drawn back to the situation at hand, she looked back to her new friend who was slowly getting blocked-off by the other children.
Panic filled her heart, eyes widening as she felt her feet began to scrape against the ground as she scrambled to get through the rising wave of bodies. "Hey, watch it you bugger!" She stumbled slightly back away, as a boy around her age looked back at her. He was a bit taller than her, dressed in the same clothing; a bit pale, unlike her; hazel-brown eyes different than her silver ones, although his hair was of a similar color.
It made the girl feel more awkward, out of place, alone. Her movements stopped as she bumped into another kid, though unlike the last time there wasn't much of response; for Ruby, she scattered off like a frightened bug. Sweat running down her face, she maneuvered as best she could through the crowd. Her heart was racing, beating like a drum as she felt the resistance of bodies ending. Her sight became clear as she came out in front of the crowd; her heart stopped, body stopped, eyes still open in fear.
So many eyes were on her at that moment, most of them being the kids behind her with the rest from the two men in front of her. One, a giant amongst giants and almost indescribable. He stood tall, straight and above the other, an almost god-like figure. She quickly glanced at the other man. He was an older gentleman with silver hair, deep creases around his eyes, and sets of scars. Both men wore uniforms with the UNSC symbol, though the older man had several other metal objects on the right of his clothing.
She didn't know what to do, or what to say.
"Weirdo." "Freak." She could hear murmurs from behind, as small amounts of chuckling became prominent, but that was when she noticed the older man stepping forward. His face was stoic, stern, and his eyes were looking at all of them.
"QUIET!" he shouted, and within moments all the children that had been chuckling and making fun of Ruby went silent. "Candidate, get back in line." He coldly looked at the girl, his eyes narrowing as he waited for her to move. When the man didn't get an answer, he bent down and brought his face close to hers. "Candidate! Get back in line."
The girl flinched lightly, her body stumbling back but not losing its footing. "I..." Her body was growing weak, shaky, and it seemed that the entire world was slowly turning against her. The older man frowned for a brief moment before repeating his orders much more sternly and loudly than before.
"CANDIDATE! GET BACK IN LINE!" He stood tall this time, towering over the poor girl as she stumbled back into the crowd of children.
Many of the children moved out of the way, allowing her to fall flat on her butt with the hard ground causing a small bit of pain. She blinked slowly, tears almost forming at the eyes as she tried to comprehend what had happened.
/Year 2552/Time 23:12/Location UNSC Paris class frigate The Burning Light/
Eyes fluttered opened once more, head turning with a still present dizzy weight. White walls, light, muffled noises... movement. People in white medical gowns were rushing and moving around the red armored Spartan.
They were saying something, possibly discussing what they needed to do to her.
The Spartan, Noble Six, Delta Four, Ruby B-312, Ruby Rose, felt the darkness return once more, tearing her out of the fold.
Mason watched with silent worry, eyes focusing on his former teammate who was rushed into the med bay. A deep sigh was released as he turned on his heel, his hands being kept down to the side as he walked down the halls of the ship with a fluid stride.
The fight was far from over, they were not out of the clear. The Covenant was still in the system, burning, killing, murdering everyone down on the planet; and with the ships in Reach's orbit, it wouldn't be long before they'd notice and advance on The Burning Light.
"You know she'll be fine." Mason ignored the voice of his A.I. companion, Rho, who talked through his helmet's speakers. "Don't ignore me." The Spartan felt the right side of his face start to burn up, the phantom pain of an old scar acting up once more. He rounded a corner, passing by technicians and other non-combat personnel. He stood above them, a giant amongst ants.
"Rho, just…" The pain continued to build up, higher and higher as he grit his teeth. "Stop." He usually could put up with its antics, its commentary, but as of right now... He didn't need to hear it.
"Fine, but don't think I won't bring it up again." Mason companion went quiet, and it was at that moment the pain subsided for him. He briefly stopped his pace, choosing to lean against one of the flat metal walls.
"Damn it." A low curse escaped from him, he always hated it when that old scar acted up; it was a pain, a literal hellish reminder of when he failed to protect his teammate; when he wasn't fast enough.
Almost like this time.
Making sure he was collected mentally, the Spartan stood tall, removed himself from his current spot, and continued with his walk; all the while the sound of rushing feet became more and more apparent. Marines were barking orders to each other and getting whatever defenses they needed for if Covenant boarded the ship, all the while the captain of the vessel was issuing orders over comms and preparing for a random slipspace jump.
A jumbled organized mess. A fucking shit show, if Mason were ever to put it to words.
Looking around at the cargo deck, he spotted one of his teammates, Cameron, sitting upon several crates and tentatively cleaning his weaponry. It seemed his equally large friend wasn't entirely worried about the possibility of boarding. Seeing that the rest of his team wasn't around, Mason decided to talk to his ally.
He effortlessly made his way to his ally, passing by many hurried marines and other members of the crew. Once he was close enough, he took a seat on another cleared-off crate and silently looked at his friend.
"Yes?" Cameron didn't look up to greet his leader, hands using a rag to clean what seemed to be the innards of his M739 SAW, a light machine gun which was designed for suppression of enemy forces.
Mason noted that his teammate had just started cleaning, as his pile of cleaned parts which usually sat on the right of him was at a minimum of three. "Where is everyone?"
"Busy. Your sister is revisiting the armory, Winter followed her." He paused before placing the cleaned part in its respective pile before grabbing another 'dirty' piece. "James is busy trying to take a nap somewhere, and Noble Team: they're helping out."
"Some things never change." A small chuckle escaped from him, it helped to elevate the mood. "Though, I'm curious about this noble team." His tone switched back to a more serious one, which was almost immediately picked up on by his ally.
"Ah, there it is." Cameron continued his cleaning, "well if you want to know, I tried talking to them about it; and well... The vague answer I got was a yes. Though, it seems that we had a fellow Beta company s-III amongst their group." He sighed slightly finishing up and moving onto the next piece. "So, when 'it' happened; well you know."
"Well, it could be worse." The Spartan stood up from the crates, "Thanks for updating me." With that, he left his friend to his tasks and decided to go find James.
/Year REDACTED/LOCATION REDACTED/ Time REDACTED/
Ruby remained quiet, she hadn't spoken since the earlier incident with Officer Mendez, whose name she had since learned. The older man had scared her thoroughly with his actions when he and the other giant man, who she had learned was named Lieutenant Kurt Ambrose, had explained the situation to them.
They were going to filter out as many of the children as possible, due to them having only three hundred spots. This meant for anyone who would fall behind or not meet the standards would be removed from the project and this troubled Ruby to her very core, she had nowhere to go, nowhere to live and it was likely these men were just going to abandon the ones who didn't make it. The girl may have been young, inexperienced and utterly frightened by her situation; but she found herself feeling the faintest desire of wanting to succeed, to make it through all of this, and yet she also felt the desire to help the other children as well.
Sure, most of them had been mean to her; sure, some laughed at her; but deep down she felt that nobody deserved to be kicked out and left to the curb. Ruby, for all intents and purposes, wanted to help everyone, though that was if she could get over her current scared, emotional state.
A hand placed itself on her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered as she turned her head to see Winter, who had a worried look upon her. "Hey, you okay? You've been sitting there staring at the wall." Ruby blinked once more.
She hadn't noticed where they were or that she had been staring at a wall; heck she didn't even seem aware that they were in a big auditorium. "Oh, oh." Ruby lightly blushed as she turned a bit in her seat. She looked around, trying to get a good lay of the area before realizing that they had been at one the top rows. "How long have I..."
"A good while. I'm also sorry about earlier when we got separated." The white-haired girl turned her focus to the ground, she blushed shamefully.
"No... it's okay. Besides, we aren't friends, we barely know each other... So, don't… uh… feel bad." She didn't need anyone feeling bad because of her. Besides, it would distract from whatever was going on.
Ruby's attention quickly moved on to the center stage, to a man that had just appeared there, literally. Though upon further consideration she noticed that he wasn't a man, or at least not a real one. He was slightly see-through and was of a somewhat deep blue color. He looked old and worn, dressed in clothing she did not recognize and had what seemed to be a snowy cape that snowflakes were falling from.
"Hello, Children." His voice was smooth, caring, not at all like Mendez and his harsh words. "I am Deep Winter, and I'll be your A.I. Teacher. I'll be quick with all of you." Its eyes scanned the room, looking for each and every little reaction it could see from the children. "You've all been informed what will be going on, so there isn't much to say."
"But, I wish you all the best of luck.
_Classified_
Oh look I've made a return, and well, I guess all the people I had following my stories are gone... Shit. Well, I guess that is what I get for leaving and going dark for long periods of time. Well, either way, as you can see I've gone and done a major rework; oc's are still here and I plan on them being important to the story, but not in a way that is bad.
As for this chapter, you may notice that it's a bit... all over? Well, at least it seems that way to me. You see I wanted to try and keep the prologue nice and short, set up the story and what not, and start getting into how and why all these things are going on. In the end, I believe it was a job well done; though I had to make compromises with myself. I found that describing weapons, and armor is not my strong type. So i'll be looking for a work around on that.
I'd love to thank my new beta reader, who I met on reddit, Mayseemnaive. While he doesn't know either series that well, he was able to help edit and tell me how the flow of the story was going. I really appreciate his effort.
Either way I hope you enjoyed and wanna see more.