"Tangoes on our six!" Rivera called out from the backseat. I was behind the wheel, Stinsky's shotgun in my lap. He sat in the passenger seat of the battered sedan that I had managed to hotwire. It was pure luck that we were able to find a car in working order so close by, and that I was able to remember how my crooked uncle would perform the devious act that would save many.
If we make it in time.
Stinsky hefted the stock of his borrowed MA5B, putting the sights of the weapon square in the center of the pair of Ghosts that had set their own respective sights on thier prey. Amidst the bumps and my attempts to avoid the craters in the road, both Stinsky and Rivera alike found it near impossible to place an accurate shot on the pilots of the vehicles. "Keep it steady, Henderson!" They would both command at various times. My nerves were shot as I continued to simultaneously keep my eyes on the road and on our pursuers alike.
"Look, kid. If you have an idea about how to deal with these creeps, we're all ears. We're a tad desperate, if you haven't caught on." Rivera pleaded.
Stressed that they would put such a strain on me, my head began to throb. "Hey. Either of you have any plasma grenades?" As an idea hit me.
"Yeah. I got two. What about them?" Stinsky informed.
I eyed the Ghosts once more, their plasma flying through the street and burning the back of our car. I had a plan, and prayed to God in my mind that it wouldn't kill all of us in the process.
"Hold on to something. It's about to get...crashy." I said.
As the two asked what I meant, I slammed on the brakes as hard as I could. Everyone, including myself, was sent flying forward. Stinsky's shoulder was thrown into the dashboard, and Rivera was slammed into my seat. "Quick! Hand me a grenade!" Stinsky lobbed one at me.
I wasted no time in chucking it out the window, watching as it satisfyingly stuck to the plating on one of the machines. The Elite piloting the vessel let out a gasp of shock just as I furiously stepped on the gas and propelled the car forward. His Grunt comrade looked over and immediatley hopped off a split second before both machines were engulfed in a large, bright blue explosion.
Rivera recovered herself, then looked down the scope of the BR. She pulled the trigger once, easily dispatching the fleeing Grunt. I didn't bother look back to confirm the kill, only drove as per Rivera's directions. Stinsky lightly punched me on the arm, chuckling. "That was ballsy, kid. Do us a favor, though? Next time you come up with a plan that could get us all killed, give more of a warning?"
"Ain't that the truth. I at least want the forewarning to start seeing my life flash before my eyes, kid." Rivera chimed in.
I did nothing more than laugh softly, hiding the probability I had come up with of the chances that my plan would kill us all. I didn't like those odds, but we didn't have a choice.
"How far out are we, Rivera?" Stinsky asked.
"80 meters. Just another minute or two. Step on it, Henderson." She reiterated. I did as she commanded, nearly burying the needle as I navigated the shattered, empty streets of Cleveland. Every so often, we would come across a Covenant patrol. I would ram them and refuse to stop. No one else in the car objected so long as I didn't irreparably damage our only vehicle.
Thankfully, this was not the case, and we reached our destination just as the Pelican reached firing range. Unlike our LZ, the Covenant interception squad was outfitted with a pair of Hunters. Making the nearest one my target, I pressed the gas pedal as hard as I could and drove directly into the Lekgolo Colony.
The car rolled onto its side as a result of the brute force, but we were prepared. We dove out of the car, jumping over the side. The plasma rounds whizzed over us, and the cry of the remaining Lekgolo Hunter rang throughout the air.
"Damn! He's going to charge! Move from the car!" The three of us Dove out of the way in order to avoid the collision between the two forces.
Shards of glass and metal flew the air, some small bits of the latter causing lacerations along my uniform and skin. I placed a death grip on Stinsky's weapon, not wanting to he defenseless once more as I was earlier. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.
I opened them once more, rolling on the ground as an Elite saw an opportunity to fire. He charged firing, placing him in ample range of the weapon in my hands. I swiftly pulled the trigger, dropping the alien foe. I scanned the surroundings, and saw that my comrades had found the higher ground in the second floor of a battered office building. They had taken a sniping position, shouting orders for me to join up with them. I didn't hesitate to comply, sprinting as hard as I could to their position. I was forced to use my weapon only once on a Grunt charging its plasma pistol to attack.
Soon after, however, I entered the building and ran up the stairs. I called out 'Thunder', waiting for the pair to call out the subsequent 'Lightning'. Once this consensus was achieved, I hurried into the room and stood guard at the door.
"What's the plan?" I asked, my tone a clear indication of my fatigue.
"Well, rookie, it's quite simple from here. We make sure that the incoming squad doesn't die, and you run bouncer duty. If it isn't human, it doesn't enter this room. We're gonna have to defilade pretty soon here, so get ready to hoof it." Rivera called out, lowly whispering for the approval of the plan to Stinsky halfway through. He nodded, and she finished.
"Yes, sir." I called back, leaning my shoulder against the doorframe, eyes locked on the only access point to our room. Never before had I been so afraid to die as I was then, but I steeled myself. I remembered something that my shady uncle had told me when I got into a scrap with some friends during my middle school years. He told me, I don't care how scared you are, boy. If someone asks you to watch their six, you damn well better do it. When someone asks such a big task of you, your own insecurities and fears don't matter. Someone's asking you to fight alongside them, you're the least important person in that foxhole. You got that, kid?
Never before had those words rang so true for me. I hefted my shotgun, and prepared for hell to be delivered on my doorstep.