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Find: Project SHIELD
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Archive: SHIELD
STATUS: Classified, X-ray directive.
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Jack's POV
"What…?"
As I was booted from the Office of Naval Intelligence's (ONI) Government Access Internet, I pondered the meaning of my exclusion from SHIELD, a classified project from ONI's Section 3 for the protection of the planets after the fall of REACH our main naval base. The Covenant had been systematically burning the surface of any human planet in mass religious genocide against humanity. The Covenant was a loose conglomerate of alien species bound together by a religion bent on destruction. They travelled a 'Holy Path' guided by their 'gods', the Forerunners. The Forerunners were actually a pre human race with highly advanced technologies, much so that they were able to literally make artificial worlds. They could also make fully sentient Artificial Intelligences or AIs. The Covenant contains 8 total species, 6 being combat effective. Grunts, as the humans call them, are cannon fodder of the Covenant alliance. They aren't very smart but are very tenacious. Accounts tell of them throwing themselves unto an enemy until they run out of ammunition. Jackals are the next species, they are much more intelligent. Jackals have the appearance of a Chupacabra, a Pre-UNSC country animal of Lore. Most Jackals, with the exception of Marksman Jackals carry energy shields, large round transparent shields that deflect many bullets. Hunters are the strongest and biggest of the entire Covenant. Their armor is virtually impenetrable except from their flank. They do not actually have skin, a Hunter is made up of colonies of Fluorescent Orange worms these colonies always have a sister colony, another Hunter, and they always travel in pairs.
I was interrupted from my thoughts by loud Klaxons screaming warning. I heard the Captain say over the intercom
"General quarters. We have enemy contact off the starboard bow. I repeat…"
The message replayed, but I was already moving. I had to get to my men. I am apart of the 105th ODST Division. Yep, that's right. I'm a Helljumper. We're called this because of what we do. ODST stands for Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, we jump from orbit in pods and dive to earth. As I rushed through the tight winding hallways of the spaceship, I felt the ship list to its side. More klaxons. "All stations, Brace for impact! MacKleary, Halt artificial gravity generators and lower oxygen levels to minimal am-" the Captain shouted over the intercom, Cutting off the rest of his orders to the bridge. No more than 10 seconds later everything on the ship started shaking worse than a earthquake. This was the last thing I saw. I had been thrown across the room in the collision and hit my head on a floating supply case.
[CLASSIFIED] POV
I turned around and looked into the green light. Plasma hit me in the chest and I went down writhing in searing pain. My face contorted in fear as I watched the squad of Jackals advance on my position. But it wasn't the Jackals that worried me. It was the pair of Hunters behind them. They looked like two walking blue steel mammoths from where I was laying trying to control my erratic breathing. The Hunters advanced, picking up speed and slinging friend and foe around seemingly to get to me. I started to crawl away when the Hunters thundered past me and charged into the rank and file of my ground unit, sending everyone into a panic. The Jackals followed with their bird like movements snapping on their shields and charging green Plasma Pistols. The lead Jackal must have had shield issues, because he threw away both his shield and pistol in exchange for a transparent pink blade at his belt. Screeching, he and his companions dug into our forces just as the Hunters did. With tear laden eyes I surveyed the battlefield; this was a desperation attack for the Covenant. Our forces were steadily pushing them back.
Our goal was at the top of the hill, a Geographical Museum. I briefly wondered why the Covenant was protecting something like that to their deaths. There must have been something at the top, and the Prophets, The Covenants religious and militant leaders that controlled everything within the Covenant, must want it.
Well, if they wanted it, so did the UNSC.
"Hey! Jack!" ONI had me parading around as some ODST with COM issues. Gritting my teeth, I stuck my hand into the air and waved it at the Helljumper. "Come on! We're storming the Hill!" I slowly got up and gestured to the burn. I heard the ODST suck air through his teeth. "Shoot. You got hit bad man, get back up to the FOB, they'll have you patched up in no time." The ODST turned and trotted off towards a large unit of Marines. I hoofed it back to the Forward Operating Base removing my armor while moving. I discovered that my armor had taken the brunt of the damage and I was fine, save maybe a broken rib from the force of the impact. As I spun on my heels in the barren and scorched battlefield I was halted by something in the sky. My heart rate spiked. Adrenaline pounded through my system. It was a Banshee. Covenant flyers designed for anti-personnel, they could take out tanks if they wanted to. I rolled right, getting behind a downed warthog. As I did so, I pulled my Assault rifle off the magnetic holder on my back. I crouched ready to spring out and fire on the 'shee. It hadn't seen me.
'Good.' I thought as it passed overhead, I could clearly see the pilot, 'Elite.' I spat in my mind. Elites were the Covenants main Warriors or Commanders. In the field they stood taller than humans as most races in the Covenant did. This species typically had shields covering their bodies from head to toe. This one didn't. Acting quickly I lobbed a grenade into the air, bouncing it into the open pilots cockpit. The Banshee blew up with a bright blue flash, falling to the ground it was a purple inferno. Overhead a gargantuan Covenant space ship jumped into the atmosphere.
'Oh [expletive deleted]' I thought staring stupidly at the giant streamlined ship shadowing the city. Out of the ship came 50 drop ships filled with Covenant combatants, along with many more Banshee.
'That's it. We've lost.' I thought dispassionately.
"Fall back! Fall BACK! Get off the Hill!" Came the commanders' orders.
"But sir! We-"
"GET OUT. Fall back to Alpha point!" Interrupted the Commander, this battle was over.
"WHOOHOO! Boys, the navy is here!" came an excited call over the COM. I looked up. Circling like a vulture above was a UNSC gunship. There were also small unmanned helicopters providing close air support. The Calvary had come. We could win this, but something had to be done about the ship looming on the horizon.
Jack's POV
I woke up, floating around in that storage room a few droplets of my blood floating around next to me. I look at my wrist mounted Tactical Overview Warfare Administrator Device (or TOWAD for short) and it told me I had been out for at least 30 minutes. "Shi- OW!" I landed on my back as gravity was reactivated in the ship.
I stood up looking at the case that had knocked me out, it was partially open. I walked over to it, and opened it up to discover it was a case of DMRs, one of my favorite weapons in the UNSC armory.
I pulled one out and slung it around my back and hustled to the area where our company commander was.
[Classified] POV
I looked around for some form of transportation to get me back into the action. The Hog was I was hiding next to still might run, but it would need some work. I didn't have that kind of time. The body of an ODST was crouched over a still running mongoose, with his gunner's bit scattered some 20ft back behind the Mongoose. I pushed him off of the ATV and removed his torso armor to replace my own.
'Sorry buddy, but I need this.' I thought getting on the fast quad. I gunned the accelerator and raced off towards the hill. As I did so, I looked up at the circling UNSC Destroyer and watched as it spat a single black dot from the underside of it. 'Reinforcements?' I thought to myself, then realizing that it was only that one Drop Pod. I watched even more carefully as the ODST piloted his Pod directly down,
Down, into the Covenant infested Museum.
Jack's POV
My pod detached from the underside of the destroyer, just outside the atmosphere of the planet. Just for a second I was weightless, waiting. It's such an adrenaline mover, knowing that you're about to be shot into a planet at 500 MPH in a small pod that might fail and blow you to smithereens. In this second I contemplated whether or not this was a good idea, climbing into a small metal box, and wondering why my Commander decided to drop me alone into a very hot zone. I was told I would be shot into a Museum. I was then showed the battlefield on a HoloMap, it was then I learned that the Museum I was being shot into was the Forward Base of Operations for the Covvie bastards.
*click*
*BOOM*
"OH FUUUUUUUCK."
3rd person
The rocket on Jack's pod had fired, spewing fire and compressed air to start descent into the atmosphere.
[Classified] POV
I gunned the RATV as soon as I saw the pod crash into the building. The mongoose almost leapt from underneath me as I sped towards the partially collapsed and, now, decrepit looking Museum.
'Maybe one day the story of this museum will be IN a museum.' I mused silently to myself.
The burning plains underneath the Mongoose's tires blew past me. Fires raged in the distance, throwing up smoke trails for anyone miles around to see. The sky was now red, like the blood of the UNSC soldiers who died here. Not a cloud in sight to mourn over the men and women though.
'So, we'll just have to make the sky blue, so the Covenant will have to look up and around them to see the blood of their brothers too.'
3rd person
The ONI agent sped onwards to the Museum as Jack fell from the sky. A meeting of the two divined from the Heavens themselves.
Jack's POV
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!' I thought and screamed at the same time.
The pod was shaking me to bits, there must have been some serious winds on this planet. I reached over and mashed the red primer button for the explosives on the outside of the pod a couple of times for good measure. The point of the explosives was to blow a hole in the building for the pod to go through safely. Hopefully they didn't blow the pod to pieces as well as the building. I looked down and saw earth coming up to greet me, I looked over at the picture of my father and mother I had taped to the inside of the pod one last time before clenching my eyelids shut and tensing for impact.
[CLASSIFIED] POV
I reached the Covenant Base just as the ODST smashed his pod into the old building.
'Damn, I don't think the pod could've survived that.'
As the dust from the explosion settled I could see the massive hole the pod had created, constantly getting bigger and collapsing in.
I looked down at the base of the Museum, the Covenant forces had dug trenches in and around the building. In front of me were a group of Marines and ODSTs fighting off Covenant forces from a captured trench.
I piloted the Mongoose behind a blown out tank, and leapt into the trench. I rolled once I hit the ground pulling out my MA5/b from its magnetic holster on my back. Instantly 5 guns were in my face, but relaxed seeing I was an ODST.
"Jesus Christ, Sarge, We almost shot you!" a Marine said, spinning back to put more fire on the Covvie forces.
I decided to break mission parameters and speak, "Where is your commanding officer?" I asked the man.
"Well, As far as I know, You're it. We've been generally following Lance Corporal DeLair's suggestions." The private responded.
"He got Atomized a few minutes ago by a 'shee."
"Alright-" I raised my voice, "–CEASE FIRE!, Get your asses over here!"
A few "Huh?"s and "What?"s later, all 4 infantrymen were huddled around the ONI agent.
"Alright, I'm guessing all of you saw that Pod go smack into that building?" the ONI agent asked, seeing the affirmative he continued, "Well, we're going to go help him. I need to know what weapons we have and what your skills are." I pointed to a freckle specked ginger Marine. "You first."
"I'm a sniper sir, I'm also moderately good at Reconnaissance." The Marine stated.
"Alright, from now one, your call sign is Eyes. I want you over on that hill, overlooking the west side of the Trenches." I said and pointed to a rough looking ODST. "You demo?" I asked.
The ODST nodded his head up and down slightly, and added "I also do close combat."
"You're Dagger." I said pointing at the Rough ODST. The man just shrugged.
I looked at the woman in flight gear, holding a M6 Carbine. Knowing what was expected of her, she said, "I'm a pilot. I landed my bird in a nearby cave, but was forced to abandon her because of Covvies being way to close for comfort."
I thought about what to name the woman for a second, "Birdy." He said.
"Excuse me?" She responded, sounding stunned.
"Birdy, that's your nickname." I said.
"Umm, No? My Name is Jill, You'll call me that. Not Birdy."
"Fine, Jill." He retorted, turning around to the last guy, a older Marine. "You?" I asked.
"Nothing special, ODST. I'm a 'Jack of all Trades' if you will." The aged marine said.
"Got a name?" I asked.
"Gill." Gill responded.
"You all can call me Demon." I said, looking around at the men (and woman).
The covenant had stopped firing, maybe planning maybe wondering what we were up to. I didn't care.
"Eyes, to the hill. Keep your head low and listen for the TeamCOM. Jill, go get your bird. Gill, you go with her. Dagger, You're with me. Jill, when you get your bird, fire her up and take to the skies, the ODST in the building, Dagger and I are going to need quick evac. Go." I said to my new, impromptu team.
They all scattered except Dagger, who was looking at me, waiting.
"Hey Dagger, you up for a death-run?"
I could practically see the grin on his face through his visor.
'Eyes' POV
I ran, a little out of breath to my position of the hill, luckily this hill was covered in dense bushes and trees that had not yet burnt.
"Eyes in place, waiting for commands" I whispered over TeamCOM just loud enough for them to hear.
"Eyes, this is Demon, We read you. I'm going to need you to cover us as we move over the battlefield, Keep your eyes on us and clear any threats you think would be too much for us to handle."
"Eyes, acknowledged, I'll cover your advance." I said.
As soon as I said that, the Pair of ODSTs leapt from our trench and vaulted over a fence that had before been saving our heads from being blown off. I scanned the battlefield for any and all threats, tagging enemy positions for Demon and Dagger. Then, I saw something that concerned me a little.
"Eyes has visual on several Commander Elite, Should I bag 'em?"
A deep rough voice came over the TeamCOM,
"This is Dagger, take the shitheads. We've got our own problems."
I smirked, sighted in on the golden shining alien, looked him over a little and settled my crosshairs on his head. I smirked again as I squeezed the trigger and felt the hard recoil of the rifle.
Gill's POV
I sighed for the 40th time as we climbed steep hills with huge trees and thick bushes to get to the chick's plane.
'After this, I'm retiring.' I thought to myself.
I looked off to my right and saw a flash of fire from the hill Eyes was supposed to be on, and smiled, I knew that kid would only fire if he knew he had a shot, and that it would kill whatever was being shot at. But, stumbling over a branch from another fucking tree I was forced to look back ahead and continue my trek with the Pilot.
Dagger's POV
Another dead Jackal fell in front of me to the blast of my trusty shotgun. I spun to my right and took sight on a surprised Grunt. It, too, fell like all the others Demon and I had killed on our way here.
"YEAAARRGH!" A guttural scream from the trench next to me drew my attention.
'What the-?' I thought, immediately being answered as a giant monkey leapt over his trench and into mine. My eyes widened, this thing was twice as big as me! It charged, as I racked a new shell into my shotgun. I tensed, aiming down my sights and onto the monkey's head, when it stopped cold and started convulsing.
The monkey dropped with a few new holes in its back and behind it was Demon, reloading his MA5/b.
"Demon! Down, Now!" I shouted as he dove forward. I fired as he hit the dirt, the buckshot round sped over his head and into the head of the Elite behind him.
"Thanks," he said.
I just shrugged, gotta keep up the 'Ultra Badass' look now, don't I?
Gill's POV
'Goddamn it. No rest for the weary, eh?' I thought to myself as I looked down into the cave smarty pants had parked her Pelican in.
I found myself looking at a Covvie Recon Patrol of at least fifeteen; at least they were just Grunts and Jackals.
"Alright, Stay here, I'll take care of the welcoming party." I said to the pilot. "Only fire when you have clear shots and I've started the party." Without waiting, I started sliding, climbing and jumping down the steep cliff to the inside of the cave.
I took shelter behind a large boulder and did an inventory check. 2 Flash grenades, 'I'll use them first and surprise 'em.', 4 magazines for my SMG, 2 for the pistol, and my combat knife. Taking a Flash grenade I removed the safety on it and tossed the small stick like grenade out from behind the boulder, waited for the flash and leapt out, my 'Bullet Hose' giving each enemy a good wash. Sight enemy, Aim, Fire 10 round burst, reacquire and repeat. I took out 3 grunts and 2 jackals before ducking behind cover.
I reloaded with my back against the boulder for cover, and peeked out from my hiding spot. The bastards were still blind. I rolled out and emptied my clip again, this time focusing on Jackals, I took 5 again. Now there were only grunts. I reloaded again. But, this time, before leaping out, I threw the other flash grenade. Now, I sprang out and peppered the last few grunts.
I looked up towards the mouth of the cave and waved down the pilot, when I heard an energy shield snap on. I froze. I could hear the plasma charging behind me.
Everything was moving in slow motion, the Jackal's hisses and snarls were slowed down, and I turned around whipping out my pistol. I drew a bead on the jackal's gun through the port on the side of its shield, and fired.
The plasma pistol flew, broken out of its hand. The creature screamed and flailed around but was not hurt, It moved its hand to its belt and drew a pink knife. I was still in recoil from the first shot and tried to bring the gun down to fire at the jackal, but I wasn't fast enough. I shut my eyes. *Crack!*
I clenched my eyes tighter waiting for the pain, but it never came. I tentatively opened my eyes to the sight of the Jackal lying in a blood of deep purple blood and Jill standing over head, carbine drawn.
She smiled, and I did too.
Jack's POV
I woke up a couple of minutes after impact, my head spinning and my world being juggled like I was inside this metal box up in the air. I blinked a few times and realized where I was, Inside a Drop Pod inside of a Covenant FOB , which, by the way, was swarming with tangos. I blinked a few times to try and clear the disorientation, and looked around for the button that opened the hatch, it was next to my right control stick. I pressed it twice and waited…
I pressed it again….
'Fuck.' I thought, the door was stuck, I'd need to do the emergency override. I reached above my head and grabbed hold of the lever and heaved down. *clunk!* The heavy bolts on the door were slid back manually, as 4 red lights flashed in my face, casting the small pod a deep red. The Red to the left was a warning that my door was unlatched and that the explosives were active, the other 3 were the arming button for the door 'blow open-er device'.
As soon as I smashed the last red light with my boot, the door blew open and I climbed out, scanning the room.
I was in some sort of main hall for the technology wing, judging on all the old equipment in here. It had two levels, with a sunken skylight, which I had broken through. I also noticed that the explosives had caved in quite a bit of the ceiling, and only a little rebar was left to tell what had been there. Looking outside I saw a red sky turning dark purple.
/AN\
Damn, Looked a lot better in Word. Hey, I'm Sumofl. I began writing this story a LONG time ago for a school project and it was setting in my 'My Documents' folder and I thought I should do something with it. So, I rewrote it for the same project and here is the result. Like I said, this is my 2nd story I put up on , so any criticism would help.
