Prologue

The view screen showed a number of figures in the forest running through a forest. Most of them had dark colors, such as black, green grays or violet. My armor however was a blazing white, visor bright red along with the symbols and secondary color on the hard shell.

Beside me ran a dark green giant. His aged golden visor glistened as the sun poked between the branches.

"You're heading right to the enemy without a plan, you have ten soldiers back there following you blindly! Evade contact with the targets and stop to make a tactic!"

"This is a tactic and I do have a plan! Cassie and Rose will peel off from our tracks and head towards those two rock spires ahead and snipe off the buggers from there. Levi and Jaeger will flank behind them, take the tunnel you two!" I shouted, signaling to an upcoming tunnel that would hopefully lead up to the enemy. I grinned as my team winked the confirmation lights and continued on.

"Chief… You and your squad will have to take high route alongside the cliff to infiltrate from there, but I'll need Kelly to be a distraction and Linda will help Cassie and Rose." I finished and sighed, looking at the other Spartan. He was taking longer strides but was ahead of me. He stayed silent, unsure whether to take my order.

I don't blame him, he can probably tell I just made this plan myself.

I snorted. "Well? Are you going to not follow command? Hasley did put me in charge for this mission." It was true and I was nervous since last time I was in command of both squads, it ended up with all of us in one Warthog jumping a canyon with several banshees on our tail.

I finally heard him let a sigh of defeat and began turning. "Fine. But if you get shot or can't move, I'm taking the lead." He signaled to his squad.

With that, he and his squad disappeared into the shadows and undergrowth. Leaving me alone to run to the target point. Ahead, I emerged from the woods and short stopped myself as I realized my surroundings.

Covenant turned their eyes on me, tanks and turrets turned.

"Fox..?" I heard Chief's voice over the COM.

"Where's my distraction?!" I growled, looking with my eyes around for Kelly, keeping my head facing the enemy.

At that time, something burst out behind me and whizzed past and diverted the aliens' attention. Long enough for me to run forward and leap up on a tank. I heard both plasma rifles being shot and assault rifles from my fellow SPARTANS begin blazing.

"Yeah, sure. Great plan, Sasha!" A dark male voice spoke, sounding through my helmet.

As I began shooting the covenant, watching as the bullets hit their targets, spraying blue and purple blood on the ground. A figure on wrist appeared from screen. I leaped off the tank and behind a boulder to look at said figure.

"Shut up, Mont. You do realize that I only made up such plan for time's sake."

The dark gray and blue AI, that looked very much a knight with his face hidden laughed. "Of course…" He paused, looking over the boulder. "Elite, petty rank coming from 6'o clock. Armed with plasma rifle. Estimated time. 2.5 seconds."

Right after he said that and how long it took me to register what he did say, a clawed hand smashed down right next to me.

Turning on my side, I rolled over and began shooting my attacker. The white armor of him soon had his own blood splattered upon himself.

Mont appeared in my visor. "Plasma bolt, I'd recommend you duck."

"I know, I see it." I easily went below the bolt and faced where it came from. Even though Mont's facial expression was hidden I could tell he was being on the smug side.

"Snow Fox, how are you fairing?" My co-leader's voice, Levi spoke up. His voice however was it's normal understanding tone. Barely having any excitement…

"Well good, considering I'm facing a bloody herd of the ugly things." I sighed, dodging some bullets.

Looking over, I saw my team mates were doing well. Chief's team were making this ground a slaughter house. Several elites would walk near them and end up in shrapnel and bullet holed filled corpses.

"Ma'am, 5'o clock. Hunter, charging plasma canon. Impact in .5 seconds."

I didn't even have time as it hit me from the side. I felt the blast and flew, hitting the boulder I was hiding before. Groaning, I tried to stand up.

The Hunter began trying to fire again to end me, but was interrupted by Chief who grabbed hold of the canon and pointed another way.

"Elite Zealot rank approaching, energy sword. Hit in-"

Mont didn't even get to finish before another wave of pain appeared through my chest. I looked behind me as the elite had stabbed me and lifted me up on the blade, making me face the sky.

I didn't even realize the sound that filled my helmet. First I thought it was static or someone yelling at me. Then I realized, it was me…

I was screaming, it hurt just to hear someone, especially myself to scream in agony like that. I noticed the fighting had slowed down and the Spartans and few surviving covenant had their gaze turned to me and the Elite.

Black dots began to swarm in my vision as the elite pointed to energy sword back down and I fell to the ground.

I quickly turned to see the death of our leader… my friend… I never heard her scream in pain like that before, it was sickening.

None of us moved as her body slumped to the ground. But suddenly a green blur raced past me and tackled the elite to the ground, violently smashing its head against the edge of a rock, even as it was dead, the angered Spartan didn't stop until he focused back on the fallen soldier.

Chief went immediately to her side. Surprisingly, she was still breathing, but it wouldn't be long until that ceased.

I followed his lead and kneeled beside Fox and gently touched her, which was met with a pained grunt and her head tilted towards me. The red of her visor matched the blood stains on her white armor and ground.

"Hey… Rose…" She managed to get out, her voice shook. "You good?" There was still some amusement to her voice. But as her gaze drifted to Chief, it faded.

He looked at her, I could tell he was struggling from not saying anything as his arm slid beneath her head and body, about to lift her up. "We'll get you back, you'll be fine." He murmured.

But before he could move, Fox reached a hand beneath her helmet and grabbed something and jerked it back, taking a chain and piece of bloodied metal in her hand and slowly took my hand and put the dog tag in my palm and closed my fingers around it.

Chief, watching the entire thing. "Shook his head. No, no. You're not dying today, you'll be fine trust me." But I could just look at him and his actions and he knew she wasn't going to make it either.

I looked around as everyone else had just stepped away, searching the area. They probably didn't want to witness Fox's death.

Fox just chuckled. "You always said the opposite, Chief. Said I was running into fore blindly, something was wrong with me from the start. You've acted like my big brother… Always looking after me… Tell my real brothers that I'll miss them." She tried sitting up but not without the help of me and Chief.

"Chief, too many Covenant reinforcements are coming, we need to get to the Evac zone, now!" Kelly's voice came on the COM.

Chief didn't respond as he witnessed Fox's dying words but didn't say anything, just slowly shook his head.

"You've trained me from the start, and I'm glad you did. And even though you had your doubts you followed me into the fire, you old fool." She laughed and slowly reached out, grabbing a magnum off the ground and checked it's ammunition. "Now it's time for you to run."

"I said I would give orders if you were hurt." He started. "And, I-"

"I have to cancel that deal Chief. Especially when it's more than my life in the balance now." Despite having going through all that pain and blood lose, I was surprised she managed to stand up. "Levi, make sure you all get to the Pelican safely. I'll hold off those space freaks for as long as I can."

Chief was reluctant but finally gave up and followed the others, walking in behind with me as Fox stood alone in the clearing, leaning against a wall and still bleeding heavily.

We got to the Pelican and as we flew away, we could see bullets whizzing and Fox shooting at the Covenant ranks and then she was out of view as we went orbital.

"Ma'am, it has been quite the time spending and fighting alongside you." Mont's voice sounded through the ringing in my ears.

"So it has Mont, so it was..." I gritted my teeth and bullets shot through me.

"And we'll fight till at least I'm dead. I want you to either transfer back to Hasley when I'm dead on the ground or stay here and record everything you seen the covenant do next."

Mont was quiet for a while, just observing my fighting. I've already killed a number of them and found the strength to step forward against the rain of plasma.

The pain I felt? What pain? Everything had gone numb and my vision started to black out again. All I heard was Mont's voice. "Vitals… 0%..."