Foucault

The timer had hit thirty seconds. Foucault had so much raging anger inside of him. Anger towards Rebeeca, anger towards ONI, and towards the whole damn UNSC. How could they do this to their own soldiers? These were men and women fighting and dying for them in this god forsaken war. He couldn't stop thinking about Lopez. If she even would happen to make it out of there alive, he could never look her in the eyes again. It's not like she would let him, she would knock him out when she first saw him. It was that bastard Smith's fault. He let The Flood infect that ship, all at the cost of using them as a weapon. Like they could ever even be controlled. How could ONI be that foolish?

Rebecca then came online next to him. "Sir one of the Mona Lisa's pods has been scanned in range."

Just then the Shiva missles launched and an explosion ignited the dark vast of space.

Foucault was down to the hanger in seconds. Smith was already there too, that bastard just leaving his whole crew there. "So you just left my crew on that ship?"

"They were already dead" Smith snapped back.

How one of the crew managed to make it Foucault would never understand. He didn't even know if it was one of his Marines in that pod but he would find out soon.

Rebecca's voice came over the loudspeaker, "Sir that Covenant cruiser is inbound to investigate the area. I recommend immediate slipspace departure."

"Negative Rebecca" Foucault stated. "We are getting this pod. If one of our Marines made it we are getting them out of here."

"I'm afraid that's not an option." said Smith. "Your Marines have been exposed to The Flood. Even if they aren't infected ONI requires they be dealt with."

"You were on that ship and you're still here you son of a bitch." said Foucault. "If even one of them made it off we are getting them out of here."

The pod was taken into the hanger. Marines surrounded it, Assault Rifles at the ready. The pod opened and what was inside made Foucault's jaw drop.

McCraw

He couldn't handle it. The pods were right there and Lopez was going to get him killed. Everyone else would be gone and he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. He thought he had heard Lopez yelling for him when he got in the pod but he wasn't sure. She was a bitch anyway. He might have been new but all she did was treat him like shit. She deserved to get left behind. A sudden fear struck McCraw. What if Lopez made it out on the other pod. She would beat him shitless. No, no way she made it out. If she had made it close to that pod that Elite would've beaten her to death. There was no way she made it, no way at all. He was safe. Just as that thought entered his head he saw the light streaks leave the Red Horse's cannons.

"Shit!" He flipped on the the turbo engines and sped away from The Mona Lisa. A faint wiff then caught his attention, an all too familiar smell. The one he smelled on The Mona Lisa. McCraw turned and what he saw made him scream in pure terror. At least five of those beach ball looking creatures were in the pod with him. The Mona Lisa then exploded in a huge firey blaze which drowned out McCraw's screams.

Lopez

Henry stared at her getting ready to strike. Lopez ready to strike back. Every roseary bead. Every single one gone, except that coward McCraw. He made it out, out of everyone. Him. Anyone of those other soldiers deserved to make it out more than him. She would make it out of there alive, and kill that bastard Smith. McCraw too while she was at it. Both of them would pay.

Henry lunged at her, cricket bat coming down. Lopez ducked it and drove the butt of her rifle in to Henry's gut. Henry doubled over but recovered and took the bat to Lopez's left arm. It was broken she knew that much but she couldn't stop fighting back; she was never one to quit. She had to be running out of time; she had to get out now. Henry noticed her down and made a run for the pod. The Flood that have been pounding on the door were almost through, this wasn't looking good. Lopez jumped after Henry and grabbed him. Henry roared and turned and swung the bat at her again. She dodged and jumped up and smacked Henry as hard as she could with the rifle right in the jaw. Henry's jaw shattered from the blow. He fell back just as The Flood broke through the door. They came in like bats out of hell and Lopez saw them. Cranker, Maller, Clarence, and Benti. Benti had turned and something inside of Lopez broke. The Flood engulfed Henry and now rushed towards her. Lopez made a mad dash to the last escape pod and ejected not even buckled down.

The pod took off and Lopez was being slammed around inside. She regretted not buckling down but it wasn't really like she had time anyway. Would she even be able to make it out of the blast radius? Then she saw it. The streaks being made from the Shiva Nuclear Warheads, heading right from The Mona Lisa, for her. The pod was moving fast but not fast enough. She wasn't going to make it. The Shiva missles made their way to The Mona Lisa's hull and impacted. Lopez was engulfed in a blinding white light.