Author's note: This is a sequel to "Halo: A new beginning", so I strongly recommend that you read the story that comes before this one, otherwise, things will be hard to understand. That's all.
Chapter 1- Capture the flag
-Do we have any contacts nearby, Romeo?
-No, sir.
-Great. Here's the plan: Romeo and Dutch, keep your asses over here and don't let anyone touch our flag. Mickey and I will look for any of the flags. Rookie, you stand in alert, if we find a flag, you will be our cover.
-Buck, this is the most cliché plan of all times. I think everyone is having the same plan. If this plan go wrong and we lose our promotion, I'll kill you with my bare hands. What makes you think that this plan will work? –says Dutch
-Dutch, why do you think this is a cliché plan? – asks Buck
-Because everyone use it.
-Why do everyone use it?
-Because…
-Because it works. Trust me, I never failed in training.
They are in a kind of forest, the trees block the sun, so they can't see much. Buck and Mickey start walking through this forest. Buck carries an assault rifle, while Mickey carries a battle rifle. Buck hears a reloading sound, he stops walking and shout:
-MICKEY WATCHOUT!
Buck pulls Mickey out of his position. A shotgun shot can be seen hitting a tree next to them. Buck shoots in the place where the shot came from. He sees a body falling in the ground. He looks to Mickey and say:
-Watch your back, man! You almost got shot!
-Thanks, let's get out of here before more of them come. Which color is he?
-Yellow.
-Great, minus one of the yellow team.
Buck pulls his communicator off and asks:
-Dutch, are you there?
-Unfortunately, I'm still here.
-How is things going back there?
-Not good, we almost got shot.
-What happened?
-A guy from the red team tried to attack us. That's not all, Red team found the Covenant supply.
-Red team what?
-This guy that attacked us, he was using a Needler. If wasn't for Romeo, we would have lost our flag.
-Is that it?
-No, there is more. Rookie is hidden somewhere and we can't find him. I tried to enter in contact with him, but he doesn't answer.
-He never answers.
-What do you mean, sir?
-He is a quiet guy, he rarely say anything.
-Yeah, I know.
-Dutch, let me know if something happen, alright?
-Alright, Sir.
Mickey and Buck keep walking slowly, doing their best to be quiet. They see the blue team picking a Covenant supply. Buck whispers to Mickey:
-I'm going to throw a flashbang grenade and you will steal their Covenant supply. I'll distract them, you are going to pick any of the weapons and take them out by behind.
-Yes, sir.
Buck throw the flashbang grenade next to the Covenant supply, the blue team gets blind and confused. Mickey run, steal the Covenant supply and hide in the bushes. Buck starts shooting the blue team. Mickey is having problems in opening the Covenant supply. Buck's ammo gets low and he hide behind a tree, there is a lot of people from the blue team. Buck grab his communicator and say to Mickey:
-Come on! I don't have enough ammo and they are coming for me.
-I can't open the Covenant supply package! Hold on!
-I can't hold on! Just open the package!
Buck can feel the Blue team next to the tree that he is hidden behind. Suddenly, Red team show up and start shooting in the Blue team. Buck stealthily gets out of there and go next to Mickey. When he looks to Mickey, he sees that Mickey didn't open the package yet. Buck says:
-Mickey, What the hell!
-I can't open it, I'm sorry. It is harder than it looks.
-Open a package? That is hard? How much do you bet that I can open this package in less than 1 minute?
-I bet 50 bucks.
Buck gets close to the package, press a button and the package opens. Buck looks to Mickey, which is surprised, and say:
-I think I am a professional package opener.
-But…but…
-No but, Mickey. You own me 50 bucks.
-I'll take you down, you blue bastards! – shouts the leader of the Red team
-Not if we take you down first, red idiots! – replies the leader of the Blue team.
-Let's get out of here, Mickey. Let's go before things get worse.
Buck grabs a Covenant Carabine and Mickey grabs two plasma rifles. Mickey says to Buck:
-Red vs Blue, the fight of the most important colors of all times.
-Red vs Blue vs Yellow would be the colors 1st World War? – asks Buck, sarcastically
Buck and Mickey keep walking through the forest. They see the Red team's flag. Buck looks to Mickey and say:
-Mickey, we need to know if there is anyone hidden in there. How are we going to do this? Do you have a plan?
-I have a plan that I don't know if it's going to work. You can turn around while I pass in front of the flag. I think there is a sniper over there and a guy with active camo. Is that a good plan?
-It is, but…what if you get shot?
-It is a risk that I have to take.
-All I can wish to you is good luck.
-Hey, Buck…what about the Rookie, aren't you going to call him and say to him to come to our position?
-No, I think I'm going to take him out of the squad.
-Why?
-Because I don't trust him. He doesn't talk, he disappears all the time and he never help us in our missions.
-Alright then. Give a call to Dutch to see if everything is okay.
-Ok.
Buck pulls out the communicator and contact Dutch:
-Dutch, can you hear me?
-Yes, sir! – says Dutch, with a desperate voice
-Dutch…is everything ok back there?
-No, Sir. The Red vs Blue fight is getting closer to our flag and Rookie didn't show up yet.
-We're going to grab the Red team flag.
-Good luck, Sir. Dutch, out.
Buck turn around and gets behind the sniper, he sees Mickey making gestures, saying that he can shoot. Buck shoots in the head of the sniper, Mickey gives a positive gesture. Suddenly, Mickey gets attacked by an energy sword, he is hit in the back by someone from the Red team. Mickey falls on the ground and Buck starts shooting the guy with the energy sword, which dodges the bullets and hide behind a tree. Buck stealthily walks next to the flag, looking to the tree where the guy is hidden. The man with the energy sword runs for Buck and he disarm Buck. Buck sees that this guy is an ODST called Kenny. Buck kicks Kenny's belly and says:
-Kenny? Is that you? Buddy?
-I'll kick your ass, Buck!
Buck kicks Kenny's right arm, disarming him. Kenny punches Buck twice, making Buck fall on the ground. Kenny says to Buck:
-Why you kicked me out of the team, Buck? We were roommates…we were friends.
-It was necessary. I used to go easy on you, but you always screwed things up. I didn't want to kick you out of the team, but the rest of the team demanded your expulsion.
-I don't believe on you
Buck stands up and he is punched in the belly by Kenny. Kenny throws Buck in the ground and he starts choking Buck. Buck sees a little rock and he struggles himself to pick it up. He picks the rock and hit it in Kenny's helmet, which now have a crack. Buck stands up, grab Kenny's energy sword and stab Kenny's belly, making him faint. Buck throws the energy sword away, grab a SMG, pick up the Red team's flag and start running. Buck grabs the communicator and contact Dutch:
-Dutch, can you listen to me?
-Yeah, where are you?
-I have the flag and I'm on my way to you guys.
-Be quick, Blue team, Red team and Yellow team are killing each other over here. How are things over there?
-Not good. I met Kenny and he took Mickey down.
-Alright, Buck. Good luck.
-Don't get shot until I get there!
-AAARGH! –shouts Dutch in the communicator
-Dutch, are you alright? Dutch? DUTCH!
Buck shuts the communicator down and keep running. While he runs, he see the fight between Red, Blue and Yellow team. Buck shoots someone from the Blue team in the back. Buck runs through the battlefield and when he is near to his base, he gets shot in the back. Buck falls on the ground and leave the flag next to the base. He sees both Dutch and Romeo in the ground, fainted. The green flag is intact. Suddenly, Rookie shows up with two SMG and starts shooting everyone, he doesn't miss a shot. Buck gets surprised and faint. Rookie picks the flag up and run to the green base. He puts the flag in the green base and a loud voice can be heard:
"Green Team won. Simulation is over. All ODSTs, follow to the exit and drop your weapons. All fainted ODSTs will be taken out of field in a couple of minutes."
Rookie drop his weapon and walk to the cafeteria. He sees all the ODSTs complaining and whining about their loss. Rookie sit down in one of the cafeteria's chair and wait for his partners. An hour later, his teammates show up and sit with him in the cafeteria. Buck says:
-Good job back there, Rookie. I didn't know if I could trust you, but now I know that you are a good teammate. Just stop disappearing in the middle of the battle, we get worried. If wasn't for you, we wouldn't get that promotion. Want to say something?
Rookie keeps staring Buck without saying anything. Buck says:
-Obviously not.
Buck sees a lot of people next to a television, watching something. Buck asks to his team:
-What is happening? What are they watching?
-I have no idea. I bet no one in this team knows what is happening. –says Romeo
-Let's see what it is. –says Dutch
Buck and his team sees what the people are watching. They are watching Master Chief's funeral and they are listening to Lord Hood's speech:
"After Reach, we thought that Chief would be a spiteful man, but he didn't become a spiteful man. Instead, Chief became a man that don't usually express his feelings, but you could see behind that mask, what he was feeling. When I first saw him training, I knew he would be one of the bests Spartans of all. The thing that I want you people from all the world to understand is that he is not dead. Do you people know why? Because…because Spartans never die"
Buck gets confused and ask to one of the ODSTs that are watching the funeral:
-Who is the guy that died?
-It is a Spartan! He saved us from galactic termination, but he paid the price and died for it. He is a legend! No one knew he was alive!
-But the Spartans were terminated in Reach. So he saved us before Reach?
-No. He survived Reach and he saved us from termination. He is a hero, it is a shame that he is dead now.
-He didn't saved us from termination, the war isn't over yet. Did he killed any of the prophets? If he didn't, then we can still be terminated. –says Dutch
-No, but he destroyed this weapon that could destroy all the galaxy. They told me that the Covenant almost got their hands on this weapon. He didn't put an end on this war, but what he did is something stunning and heroic.
-Whatever. He is dead anyways. –says Dutch
-Would you show some respect, asshole. He saved us from dying.
-Asshole? Did you just called me asshole?
-Yeah, I did. Someone who can't show some respect is called an asshole.
-Kid, look me in the eyes and tell me that I am an asshole.
-You are an asshole. –says the ODST to Dutch, staring him.
Dutch gives a header on the ODST and they start fighting. Dutch punches the ODST in the belly and in the chest. The ODST takes out Dutch's helmet and punch Dutch's face. The ODST kicks Dutch, which falls on the ground, and starts punching Dutch's face. Dutch starts choking the ODST, the others ODSTs are shouting:
"FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT…"
Suddenly, a woman with black hairs show up and shout:
-STOP THIS FIGHT! RIGHT NOW!
Dutch and the ODST stand up. Dutch's mouth is bleeding and the ODST's helmet is broken. This woman says:
-Alpha-Nine Team, follow me, please.
Buck, Romeo, Dutch, Mickey and Rookie follow this woman to an empty place and she says to them:
-I'm Commander Miranda Keyes and Lord Hood sent me for a special reason.
-What is this reason, pretty girl? –asks Mickey, which touches Miranda's hair
-Touch me again and I break all of your bones. –says Miranda
-Sorry, ma'am.
-Look, I don't like you all, but your skills are impressive. Buck is the only person that achieved the same high score of our best ODST: Ender. Dutch achieved the high score in bomb defusing and bomb setting. Romeo is one of the most precise snipers of the world. Mickey is has an impressive hand-to-hand combat score. Rookie is one of the best ODSTs in the world.
-Rookie? One of the bests? These words does not fit in the same phrase. –says Romeo
-Believe it or not, he is one of the best. He doesn't talk and he follows orders without questioning, he is the perfect soldier.
-That is unexpected. –says Buck
-As I was saying, Lord Hood have a special mission for you. Tomorrow, go to the station and get aboard in the cruiser to Cairo Station and follow to the ceremony. After the ceremony, you just need to wait for orders.
-Sir, yes Sir! –says all the ODSTs, less Rookie
Miranda gets out of that place and the rest of team goes to their bedrooms to sleep. When they wake up, Kenny shows up in front of the team's bedroom and say:
-Congratulations for the victory yesterday. You all deserved it. Buck, can I talk to you for a minute?
-Yeah, sure.
Buck and Kenny goes away from the rest of the team and Kenny says:
-Hey, I wanted to say sorry for yesterday. I was a jerk back there, I just couldn't handle the fact that the team was better without me.
-You don't need to be sorry, I was a bit aggressive and insensible.
-Now, I'm going to say something that can make you a bit angry. I'm back on your team.
-What? Is this a joke?
-No, Lord Hood wants me to go with you in this "special mission". I'm back on the team for this mission.
-What…I'm not angry, I'm confused.
-Everything is going to be cleared at the Cairo Station.
-You're going with us?
-Yes, the cruiser leaves in one hour. That is the time you have to lunch. See you there, buddy.
Kenny leaves and Buck stills paralyzed and choked by the news. The rest of the team gets close to Buck and ask:
-Buck, are you alright? –asks Mickey
-Kenny is back in the team.
-What? –says Mickey, Dutch and Romeo
-We have to do this "special mission" with Kenny.
-That is really unexpected. –says Romeo
The team wait for an hour and go to the hangar, where they get aboard on the cruiser to Cairo Station. Their travel takes 20 minutes and they reach Cairo Station. A marine calls for them:
-Alpha-Nine Team! Alpha-Nine Team! Alpha-Nine Team!
-We're here! –says Buck, when he gets close to the Marine.
-There is one missing. –says the Marine
Kenny shows up, the team stares Kenny and he says to the Marine:
-I'm here.
-Alright, everyone is here. My name is Carlos and I'm going to lead you to the ceremony. Follow me, please.
The team follows Carlos and he shows them their seats, next to the stage where the ceremony is going to happen. There are lots of Marines sitting on this room. Lord Hood shows up in the stage and he is applauded by the Marines. Lord Hood starts talking:
-Tonight, I want to honor some of the people that were important to us. Those people gave their lives to destroy the Halo. To honor one of the most important of all of them, I'm going to call three people to the stage: Miranda Keyes, Chips Dubbo and Sergeant Johnson.
Miranda, Chips and Johnson go on the stage and they are applauded by the Marines. Lord Hood says:
-Miranda, your father, Captain Keyes, was a key part on this. Without him, Chief would not have survived and the Halo would have been activated. You'll receive this medal for him. He was important to us, I'm sure he was important to you.
Lord Hood gives a medal to Miranda and she hold her tears. Lord Hood gets close to Chips and say:
-Your great strategies in combat saved the galaxy from termination. You may not have a high class in the UNSC, but that doesn't make you less important. You are important, you will always be important.
Lord Hood gives a medal to Chips, which starts crying. Lord Hood stands next to Johnson and say:
-Johnson, you led your team with honor. You have seen lots of friends dying, but you've never gave up. This medal is nothing compared to your importance to the whole world.
Lord Hood gives a medal to Johnson. All the Marines applaud and get out of the room. Buck whispers to Dutch:
-I thought that this was going to be a long, boring and emotional ceremony. Instead, this was a quick and not emotional ceremony.
-Probably they must be in a hurry, so they need quick speeches, which aren't emotional at all. –replies Dutch
-Gentleman, can you please follow me? –asks Lord Hood, when he gets near to them
They follow Lord Hood to an empty room. Lord Hood starts talking:
-Look, I'm in a hurry, so I'm going to be fast. I'm sending you all to Reach for a special mission. A rescue mission.
-Who are we going to rescue? –asks Kenny
-Master Chief.
-Wait a minute, wasn't this guy dead? –asks Mickey
-We found signal of Master Chief in Reach, maybe he isn't dead. That's why I'm sending the best of ODSTs. My son will lead you to Chief.
-Who is your son? –asks Buck
-Kenny. Didn't you know that!? You were roommates and you didn't know that?
-No, this is a big surprise to all of us.
-Well, you'll get aboard on a cruiser called SS Normandy, you will grab a pelican and fly your way to Reach. Find Master Chief, give us a signal and we will get you. It isn't a hard mission.
-Alright, we are going to do it. –says Buck
-Good luck. Do you need something?
-Yeah, I need something.
-What is it?
-I need a weapon.