"Let's move it people! MOVE IT!" Carter yelled while the several Banshees flew overhead. His breathe began to fog the helmet of his SPI as the snow crunched beneath his feet. His legs pumped as hard he could make them in the ice cold night on New Constantinople.

"Nothing like a cup of bollocks to wake you up eh?" yelled Tim-101 as he caught up next to him. Bright lights of plasma bolts flickered behind them.

"Only because you like the taste." Carter yelled back as a smile traced across his face.

Although he couldn't see it, Carter knew that Tim under his helmet. Behind them was the rest of Team Tango as they ran to their extraction location

"Oh? Is that why you're the one who…"

"CARTER! You and I are going to talk when we get back Petty Officer. I'm in command. Not YOU!" came Monica-295's voice over the comm.

"Yes ma'am." He responded. "Sorry ma'am."

"Mardie little bugger." Tim remarked as they vaulted over a crevice

"You're also going on record." Cracked Monica's voice while running behind them.

"Damn."

To Carter, the penalty didn't matter since all six members of Team Tango were unhurt so far and they finished their mission. But he knew that they weren't safe yet from the pursuing Banshee's and Covenant drop ships that chased them.

"Almost there! Keep moving!" said Monica as a pair of Hornets rushed past over head towards the incoming Covenant ships. Soon the massive shape of a Pelican appeared over the mountain white capped mountain ridge.

"Terrible Tango's strike again mates!" yelled Tim

Carter gave another laugh. An excited adrenaline fueled laugh. He never expected to enjoy being a Spartan but it all came to him as if it was second nature. Every moment from boot camp to the first deployment at Mamore, to working with every member of the UNSC, Carter knew that this was he was made to do.

Tango team's pick up was less than a klick away when the ground exploded behind him with the blast of hot air and rock throwing his body violently forward. The world came back into view for a moment later as he looked around to see Tim a few feet away. He was about to call out his name when he saw him slowly rising to his feet.

"Tim?" he asked

"I'm fine. You?"

"Fine. Got the wind knocked out of me." Said Carter. His entire body felt like a charley horse.

Turning back towards the area of explosion he saw Monica wasn't moving. The rest of the team was also thrown to the ground but whatever injury they sustained didn't look bad enough as they were already back on their feet.

"Tango's! Sound off!" Carter yelled into the com.

Next a line of acknowledgements from all members of Team Tango buzzed over his com, all except for Monica who was now trying to crawl weakly towards Carter.

"Sh…shi…ship. Go…" Monica's voice commanded. Her voice had turned into a cold wet gargle.

Both Tim and Carter approached her prone form. They could see her armor was melted from the waist down with her right foot bent too far that it was touching the side of her hip. The camouflage unit was malfunctioning as the armor convulsively changed colors. Without hesitation he and Tim both took one of Monica's arms and put it over their shoulders while smoke curled off her body. A loud moan pierced Carters ear as the other members of the team caught up to them and formed a protective barrier.

"Tango's move out! One good shot and we're all toast! Help us by helping yourselves!" he ordered as they acknowledged without hesitation.

"Come on luv. Stay with us. Almost there." said Tim as Monica continued to lay limply in their arms with her legs dragging uselessly behind her like dead weight.

The flaming wreckage of a Hornet crashed ten feet from them as Carter felt his muscles struggle to move with as much speed as possible with the extra weight. The Pelican was so close he could make out the details of the ship.

Team Tango set up a perimeter around the entrance of the ship. Two of them were armed with rocket launchers aimed at the sky as he heard the roaring of a rushing Banshee coming in behind them.

Carter turned to see a stream of plasma beginning to rain down upon them followed by the sound of a rocket launcher firing.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" he screamed as he pulled down Monica and Tim to the ground and threw covered both of them with his body. The Banshee turned into a ball of fire overhead and smashed into the ground a few feet in front of them, nearly colliding with the Pelican in front of them.

"Skies are clear sir." came Bret-202's voice over Carter's ear as he grunted with the effort of picking Monica back up.

"Nice job." Carter responded as they detoured around the burning Banshee. "But next time shoot sooner."

"Sorry sir."

"It's ok. Pilot! We're in!" he yelled.

Moments later the Pelican was in the air as the other Spartans tended to Monica. Carter removed his helmet as his blue eyes shined in the low light of the drop ship. His SPI armor had patches of black burns on his back and arms.

"Is she going to make it?" he asked

"It looks like sir. She's weak with internal injuries but we managed to stabilize her for now." Candice-003 said as she emptied a tank of bio foam into Monica. "Nice job though sir."

"Nice job? Nice job for what?"

"Nice job for leading us out of there mate." said Tim

"I just did what I had to do." Said Carter while flashing an embarrassed smile