Author's Note: Ok, I wanted to air this out before I get hate mail from Halo purists. The action sequences for this portion of the story will not necessarily line up with the action seen in Halo 2. I have always found it a bit silly that a soldier would sit on a tank tread when facing an enemy, so the soldiers in my story don't. Please don't hate me.. Also I would like to thank Jarhead43 for his input on the use of Marines and the different classifications. Hopefully I get them right from here on out..
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Decrypting transmission…Please wait
Decryption Complete…Opening contents
Received: from unknown (22.1823.87.212) by MailerX-daemon 64287
Fri, 20 Oct 2552 15:55:31 -0400
Message-ID: 0b04201c6c881$5e64abtge42c0$6c00000amaster6438
From: Unknown
To: Unknown
Subject: Recruitment
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2552 15:55:31 -0400
X-Priority: Epsilon
Dr. Wilkes,
As you may understand from our current situation, we have opted to move your timeline. We feel delays are no longer an option as the Covenant are here, and my subjects are needed to squash them. Operation: Harvest will begin immediately. You are expected to follow all erasure procedures on the subjects. Not that anyone will care what happened with the Covenant here, but I don't want any inquiries slowing this down. Failure is not an option doctor. Halsey's freaks have failed us and now the threat is here. It is time for the true super-soldiers, MY super-soldiers to be released. Do not disappoint me doctor.
…End transmission
…File self-delete successful
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The sound of explosions in the distance caused Amy's gaze to break from the site of the super-soldier. Josh was apparently making good on his promise to clear the path ahead, as a Ghost's autodestruct mechanism caused it to somersault off the bridge. Whether it was her fascination with the machine's acrobatics or the fear for Josh's life, Amy failed to realize the Master Chief had began his march up the bridge.
The bridge itself, even from a distance, was a morbid site. Burned out vehicles littered its horizon. The remains of their owners entombed inside or grotesquely ornamenting the bridge itself. A subtle breeze blew over the bridge's pitch, tossing the rising smoke into disarray. The breeze caressed Amy's face and somehow made the scene surreal, a mix of beauty and death in a world seemingly removed from her. Bringing herself back to reality, Amy firmly grasped her rifle and broke into a sprint to catch up with the Scorpion.
Private Thompson was following closely behind on the Scorpion's left flank with his a jackhammer, so Amy decided she would take up the right. After her short sprint past the bridge's entrance Amy caught up with the tank as it crept along. A shell exploded from the Scorpion's main canon, sending a nearby elite into a million directions all at once.
Amy couldn't help but notice that Private Thompson's composure had returned. His head was held high, and his focus seemed sharp as he swept over the bridge looking for targets.
Sergeant Johnson apparently knows how to give a pep talk.
Taking notice of Amy's stare, Thompson lowered his gun briefly. "I'm fine. I got a little shaken before, but now I am ready to kill these bastards for what they did to the others."
Thompson seemed almost better than before, although Amy couldn't tell if his newfound courage was any more than skin deep. Seeming content to ignore Amy's curious looks, Private Thompson dropped to one knee, carefully exhaling to steady his aim as he squeezed the Jackhammer's trigger.
Smoke trails seemed to caress the contour of the Scorpion as the missile left the launcher and screamed toward its target. The missile impacted the nose of an incoming ghost, and caused it to explode. The elite who had been piloting the craft was tossed aside, his shields gone but still alive. The Scorpion's 7.62mm secondary gun came alive and began barking its munitions, quickly turning the elite into nothing more than tenderized meat.
More secondary explosions rocked the bridge, causing Amy to also drop to one knee. She pulled up the SRS99C and gazed through its scope. She could clearly see Josh, who had now dropped the Jackhammer in favor of his assault rifle. A couple of Jackals were advancing on the sedan Josh was using as his barrier, their shields deflecting the rounds being fired from Josh's rifle. His bullets were not getting past their shields, but their position gave Amy a clear shot. Air escaped the sniper rifle's recoil compensator as the bullet whizzed effortlessly toward its target.
Blood shot up from where the Jackal's left eye used to be and it immediately crumpled to the ground. In a moment of confusion, the other Jackal lowered its shield, giving Josh the opportunity to strike. The second Jackal jerked and twitched as bullets entered and exited its body. Josh stopped firing, allowing the Jackal to fall over its dead comrade.
The explosions were getting louder and louder as Amy panned her rifle to find their origin. The rifle's reticule centered on a Wraith at the bridge's apex spewing forth a ball of superheated plasma. Amy opened up her Comm channel "Chief, we have a wraith up top, take it out!"
The Scorpion's main cannon erupted, sending the supersonic projectile straight to its target. It was met halfway by a lobbing blob of plasma, which splashed down harmlessly several meters from the front of the Scorpion. The Scorpion's shot impacted the Wraith, sending debris high into the air and causing its form to collapse.
There was little resistance to the point where the team met up with Josh. The trek mostly consisted of the Spartan blasting everything alien with the Scorpion's main gun. Thompson had managed to get a few kills as well, and was managing to restore Amy's confidence in him. As they drove past, Josh took up a position between Amy and Thompson in an effort to keep a watch on their rear. A Ghost that managed to get past the Master Chief's sites came zooming past, cutting its boosters to initiate a quick u-turn.
Josh released a rocket volley in the Ghost's direction and a plume of smoke temporarily hindered Amy's vision. The missile connected, splashing into the Ghost's side as it attempted to turn. The vehicle split in half as the elite's left leg was forcibly torn from the rest of its body. The remainder of the creature was tossed into the water below through a huge hole they had to avoid moments earlier. Amy assumed the Scarab had made it, as the tank's shells didn't seem to affect the bridge.
The group topped the bridge's massive curvature and the Scorpion rolled to a stop. Amy peered down the massive slope and noticed two banshees vertically ascending then majestically arcing away from each other. The fighters didn't seem concerned with the group's intrusion into their lines, making Amy wonder what they were waiting for.
"Banshee Incoming!" Josh's voice was filled with anxiety as plasma began raining down, scarring the pavement around them. The Scorpion began to rain shells at Ghosts ascending the climb toward them, destroying them in successive fashion. A wave of plasma passed close to Amy's right side and she could feel the exposed skin on her right arm began to burn. Amy gritted her teeth and refrained from screaming from the pain. She continued to aim and fruitlessly fire on the banshee swooping overhead.
Josh had fallen back a few feet off their position and drew a bead on the Banshee. "Gotcha asshole." Amy heard the satisfying tone emanate from Josh's Jackhammer as smoke erupted from both barrel ends. Seconds later the Banshee erupted in flames. Amy felt herself becoming weak from the searing pain in her arm.
Although the bolt had missed by a good foot at least, the superheated air surrounding it had managed to give Amy first and second degree burns along the length of her arm. The smell of burning flesh filled her nostrils and she took cover beside a heavily damaged passenger van.
"Cover me!" Josh barked to Thompson as he threw off his ammo harness and pulled a medkit out. He ran over to Amy's side, looking over the redness and blisters that had covered her arm.
"Dammit Josh it hurts!" Tears were filling Amy's eyes as Josh removed a syringe from the medkit and forcibly removed the needle's guard with his teeth. He turned and spit the cover to the pavement, then gave Amy a grave stare.
"This will make it feel better, but for a moment it's going to hurt like a bitch. Brace yourself." Not giving Amy time to digest what he had said, Josh plunged the needle into Amy's arm, and the color drained from her face. "Stay with me Amy!" Her vision was blurring, and she felt close to blacking out. Amy focused on controlled breathing techniques that are taught to every recruit. After taking a few deep breaths and exhaling them back out, Amy felt herself begin to stabilize.
As she regained her senses, Amy glared at Josh and gave him a quick punch to the left arm. "Shit that hurt! Don't you ever do that to me again!"
"Well don't go getting your damn self shot and I won't have to." Josh pretended as though he was unaffected by Amy's jab, but as her attention focused back down the bridge Josh took the opportunity to massage the area Amy had hit.
"Guys, quit trying to screw each other or get a room, right now we have bigger problems, Phantom on approach!" Amy and Josh looked in the direction Thompson was pointing, and saw the drop ship closing fast. "Take cover on the opposite side of the tank!"
Apparently Josh and Amy hadn't managed to fool as many people about their relationship as previously thought.
"Stay close to the tank, the Chief and I will take this bird down." Cortana chimed in as the Scorpion's massive turret began rotating in the direction of the incoming Phantom. The drop ship had already begun firing, and was coming dangerously close to the tank's armor plating.
A loud crack was emitted from the Scorpion's main gun as the vehicle recoiled slightly, and a 76mm shell raced through the air and connected with the Phantom's port side, exiting out the top.
The craft's side burst into pieces, and it deviated from its course trying not to get hit again. The Spartan seemed to have other plans, however, as another volley was sent on its way. This time the round impacted with the eye of the Phantom's gravity lift. The ship lurched sharply to the left, before suddenly exploding from its core. Fragments of the Phantom were scattered across the bridge and water below.
Another Phantom approached from the opposite side, and announced its arrival as a plasma bolt connected with the rear of the Scorpion. The tank's armor began to glow red-hot. Josh grabbed Amy's uninjured arm and began to scurry toward an overturned bus nearby. Private Thompson slammed another round into his Jackhammer and began to steady his shot. Amy couldn't help but notice his lack of self-regard as Thompson was using minimal cover, being fully exposed from the waist up by the Scorpion's tread.
Josh joined Thompson by adding another round into his Jackhammer. He took a quick moment to steady his breathing as another report was sent from the Scorpion. The shell missed the craft as it began evasive maneuvers.
Josh stepped delicately around the side of the bus to bring the Phantom into view and waited. The tone-lock signal buzzed in Josh's head as he glanced to Thompson, who nodded that his missile was ready as well. The two men sent their rockets racing toward the drop ship. The missiles made graceful smoke-trailed arcs as they tracked the craft. They crisscrossed each other slamming into its port side canon and sent pieces of it raining down upon the bridge. The craft registered another hit from the Scorpion in nearly the same location, the shell exiting out the top of the starboard side. Smoke filled the air around the Phantom as the pilots undoubtedly fought for control. They lost the battle, and the drop ship plummeted out of site to the water below.
Amy checked for any targets coming from the bridge's steep grade. She fixed her scope on an elite preparing to mount a Ghost, quickly releasing two rounds towards it. The elite's shields flickered, but held as the Ghost began to race toward them. "I can't get a clear shot!"
The Scorpion sent a shell in the direction of the oncoming Ghost, which appeared to strike short, instead hitting an overturned bus, causing it to begin tumbling down the bridge. As fast and nimble as the Ghost was, it simply ran out of room as the bus slammed into it, rolling up the smooth curves of the front of the craft. The bus continued on its path, tearing the top of the elite from the rest of its body, creating a smattering of purple across its windows.
"You guys alright?" Thompson asked calmly, although his steely attention was fixed on the force forming at the bridge's end.
"Yeah, we are fine. You seem to have gotten your nerve back." Amy noticed a slight grin come over the Private.
"Yes mam, I am showing these bastards what it means to be a damned Marine."
Amy nodded approvingly. She was glad Private Thompson had pulled it together. She had seen many that hadn't, and they were not given a second chance by the Covenant to redeem themselves.
The onslaught of Ghosts that followed was taken care of mostly by the Spartan in the Scorpion. Amy had to respect anyone that could wield the massive machine in such a fashion. Normally a small crew was required to operate its systems and weapons, but the Chief didn't seem to need any help.
"That's quite a welcoming party…" Cortana was beginning to let her presence be more and more known.
"Alright, get those Jackhammers ready men, we've got Banshees on approach, and the emm-cee is going to be tied up with the line forming at the exit. Hit 'em fast and hard." No sooner had Amy issued her command than she heard two lock-on signals followed by missiles screaming through the air. Each of the banshees tried banking hard away from each other to avoid collision, but it was a fruitless task. Each of the missiles connected with their intended targets, exploding them like fireworks, raining their remnants down on the troops below.
Josh and Thompson both switched to assault rifles as two ghosts got too close for the canons and rockets to be used and opened fire. Bullets bounced off craft and shields as the Ghosts sped toward them. Amy quickly threw her sniper rifle up and fired as well. The bullet connected with the elite on the left, causing his head to snap back in an unnatural way. Any relief Amy felt was quickly replaced with horror as she watched the dead elite's Ghost start to veer to the right, colliding with the second one. Both of them were put on a path directly for Private Thompson.
Bit of a cliffhanger on this one. Hoped you liked it! The next chapter is starting to take shape and the branch story is slowly coming to life in my meager brain. Please leave reviews!
