Only the dead have seen the end of war.
-Plato
I remember my days as a Marine. Go here, shoot this, kill that. Well, My company could kill better than I could. I was better at beating our enemies into submission. Except the Forerunner. You just had to kill them. But when Jun had come down to see my company about the Spartan IV program, everybody but me had decided to join. I knew what the Spartan IV program was; if I had trouble killing now, what makes me think I could pass as a Spartan?
I was paired with a new company that had not seen battle yet. We were on our first mission to capture a covenant strongpoint on the Sangheli home world, Sanghelios. This was supposed to get us one step closer to their great, holy city, Sunaion. I didn't bother to remember it, because I figured we would come and go.
But I was wrong. We struck at what we thought was our best opportunity, but we were ambushed. We were now surrounded inside the camp, with covenant all around us. The new company leader had been calling for ODST support.
We started dropping like flies. We had very little cover, and not enough ammunition. Before I knew it, we were reduced to less than 15 marines.
"ODSTs won't reach us in time," She said while trying to fire from our cover "It's been great to serve with you, Amara," plasma bolts and needles were flying all around us.
"It's been an honor, captain." We grabbed each other's hand and hugged. This was our final moment together. I couldn't help but let out a small cry. "It's been an honor…" Our cover gave in and collapsed. The covenant didn't take long to find us. Within seconds a new barrage of needles and plasma bolts found their way towards us. We gripped each other tighter.
I could feel the burning sensation for only a moment. The plasma bolt had destroyed all the nerves in my left leg. The plasma had burned so hot that I didn't have a reaction to my leg that was now burning. The captain… She wasn't as lucky. A needle found its way to the back of her head, and she slumped over in my arms. She was dead. I took the dead needle out and laid her on the ground, while I leaned against the rubble and watched the plasma fly around me.
I figured that I had breathed my last breath, when the ODST pods started dropping everywhere. I could see the hell jumpers kicking off their pod doors, killing anything in sight. The ODST, within minutes, had cleared out what we failed to do. What we had died trying to do. I could see one of the ODSTs sprinting towards me.
"We need a pelican at our location. We have a wounded marine. It looks like she was hit with a plasma bolt. Bring a medic. No, she's the only survivor. The rest are- Just get here as fast as you can!" "Hey, HEY! Stay with me!" The ODST was snapping his fingers in my face. I must have looked like I was going to pass out or something.
"Everything is going to be okay. My name is Isaac. Can you tell me yours?" I could not give out a response. These ODSTs had saved my life. He saved my life. I was shocked that I was still sitting here, and not dead like the rest of my company.
"Hey, come on! Stay with me. What is your name?"
"Am-Amara, S-Sir!" I tried to give a salute but the pain was just starting to kick in. I looked down at my leg to see that it had been burnt off from the kneecap down. I was so horrified I latched onto Isaac, grabbing as tightly as I could.
"Whoa, easy, there, Amara. Keep your eyes on me, okay? You are going to be alright. I am going to pick you up and bring you to the pelican. Are you okay with that?" The pain grew bigger and stronger to the point where I was screaming.
I could feel him hoist me up into his arms and bring me aboard the pelican. This action had made my pain worse. He laid me down on a stretcher that was in the middle of the pelican, Medics all around me. They gave me a shot of medicine and almost immediately, all of the pain went away. I felt very tired after that. I looked at Isaac, who was sitting right next to me. He grabbed my hand gently and spoke softly.
"Everything is going to be okay. You're safe now." I didn't even know the man and he treated me as if I was family to him. Like I was more than just another marine. I didn't know how to feel with my companies deaths and this ODST who treated me like he knew me well. The drugs took over and I had fallen asleep.
When I woke up, I found myself in a medical bay. I assumed I was back on the infinity, since that was the only carrier around. I felt very stiff and sore. But that wasn't what ran through my head constantly. My whole company, All new recruits. Fresh faces, strong hearts, reduced to nothing. I remembered holding my new Captain in my arms. I hardly knew her, but at that moment, I didn't want to see her suffer. She already felt like family to me. She died in my arms and that was the worst feeling that I have ever experienced.
"Well, good morning to you too, Amara." Another soldier was sitting right next to me. I didn't recognize him, but he knew my name somehow.
"Isaac? What happened? Please tell me at least one other marine survived!" I didn't want to face the fact that I had seen all of those dead bodies and realize I was the only survivor.
"Amara… I'm really not sure how to tell you this." I sat up in anticipation. I could already feel the tears coming out.
"You…. Ah…. You are the only survivor. I'm sorry." He leaned in as if he were going to hug me, but I latched onto Isaac just like I did when he first found me. Only this time I could feel all the pain and I couldn't stop crying. Everyone I worked with was dead. And I only knew them for less than a week.
"Hey, Hey. It's okay. I'll be here for you. I lost my family back when the covenant glassed Reach. My brother and I were the only survivors in our family. We were so young then." We both suffered through something painful. He lost his family, but never saw them die. I witnessed so many of my company mates die in front of me, and I had my captain die in my hands.
"Don't leave me. I have no one to go to…" I was now short one leg and figured I was useless to the UNSC. Isaac had shown me compassion, and faith. He was there when I needed someone to lean on.
"It's going to be okay. I'll be here for you."
I remember how he Stuck with me through my rehabilitation. There were many times i just wanted to give up, but I had no one to go to. No place to call home. Any family that I had fought
In the Human-Covenant war. The UNSC was all I really knew But just when I was feeling down, Isaac had always been there to cheer me up. I started feeling different towards Isaac. It definitely wasn't a bad feeling.
I remember when they had given me my replacement leg. Months after I had finally finished with my rehabilitation. We were in the medical bay again when the doctors had just finished attatching my prosthetic leg and had woken me up. I was going to be a soldier again.
"How does it feel, Amara?" Isaac had been with me ever since he found me. He was always there to care for me, but I never knew why. Why me?
I sat up from and swung my legs off the bed. "Well, It is a fake leg, so I can't feel it." I spoke while moving around my new robotic leg. "But I do have to say, It's going to be really helpful!"
"It better be. Have you ever heard of Kat? The Spartan? She had a cybernetic arm. Your's is very similar to hers. Except you have the better upgrades."
"That's interesting," I said while moving my new leg back and forth some more, "But Isaac…" I stopped kicking my leg back and forth and looked right at him. He Was staring at my prosthetic leg with fascination. And what looked like a bit of disappointment.
"Hey. Isaac! I'm up here!" I snapped my fingers in his face. He shook his head and looked at my face.
"What? I'm sorry, It's just… You can finally go back to being a normal you. You… No longer need me. Are you going to go back to being a marine?"
I didn't want to go anywhere without Isaac. He was my best friend, my only friend, since the rest of my first company left to be spartan IV's.
"Isaac… I don't want to go anywhere without you." I started to get sentimental. "I…I," I almost said I loved you. He saved me. He cared for me. I never had any family nor friends along side me. As far as I knew, I was the only survivor to my family. And my friends had all become spartans. I didn't want to go because I was afraid of the augmentations. I had heard what happened to the Spartan IIs. but I didn't know if he felt the same way. I came up with something else.
"You what? What were you going to say?"
"I like being with you, Isaac. You saved my life and, well, I feel In debt to you."
"You don't owe me anything," he said, while chuckling "but… well…. I want you to be an orbital drop shock trooper with me." His laugh faded and he wore a serious expression. "To be honest, Amara, I may have my squad mates, but I have connected with you more than I have anyone else. My brother and I got separated after reach. We had both enlisted to be marines, but when the day came that we were to ship off, he never showed up. I didn't last long as a marine anyways. Not even a month later, they reassigned me to be an ODST. They said I had performed better than the rest of the other marines. It was like a promotion of sorts."
"Isaac, I'm so sorry…" I tried to comfort him. The thought of being an ODST with him was a little scary, but I would agree to be one with him, either way. "So what happened after that?"
"I've been an ODST ever since. Nothing changed. Until we got the call to drop to your location. When I met you, something in my head told me that I had to stick with you. And I'm glad I listened."
"Isaac, That's both sad and lovely. And yes, I will-" The door swung open and I was met with a familiar face. One that I didn't think I would see again. And I knew his purpose here. Jun had stepped up towards Isaac and I in a nice, black and white suit with a red tie.
"Amara. You look better" he said while looking over my new leg. I could see a small ping of sadness in his expression. He was thinking of kat. "I heard what had happened to you. I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, Sir. But I don't want to be-" he raised a hand and cut me off before I could speak.
"I'm not here for you, Amara. I'm here for Isaac." His response caught me completely off guard. I never expected him to show up and I definitely didn't think that he was going to be here for Isaac.
"Sir?" Isaac stood up from the chair he had been sitting in. I cut Isaac off before he could question Jun.
"He's here to recruit you into the Spartan IV program, Isaac." I said with a little disappointment in my voice. I had a funny feeling he would accept his offer. Leaving me behind.
"Is that true, Sir?"
"Yes, Isaac" Jun had put his hands behind his back and all attention was on Jun "You have performed very well in your orbital drop shock trooper career. I'm here to offer you a position in the Spartan IV program. We can discuss details later, but what I need from you right now, Is a yes or a no."
Isaac looked over at me, and then back to Jun, and then back at me. He gave me a warm smile before giving his response.
"Sir, with all due respect, I finally found my partner. The one person I have been waiting for all this time. I'll accept your offer if she comes with me."
"Well, that's a disappointment. I've offered the position to Amara and her company already. She declined the offer while the rest of her mates accepted. I won't say anything about your… Relationship. Just make sure you keep the personal display of affection down."
Isaac and I looked at each other and we both turned tomato red.
"N-n-no, sir, it's not like that!"
"Yea, we are just friends!" I chimed in.
"Hmm. Well, best of luck to the both of you.I hope you reconsider my offer."
Jun had turned around and headed for the door. I looked back at Isaac, who was still standing, looking at Jun walk away. I could see the disappointment on his face. A part of him must have wanted to be a spartan. And I was only holding him back. Jun had made it to the double doors before I called out to him.
"Jun, Wait!" he stopped just before the doors and turned around. I sat there for a few seconds before i decided to hop off the bed. Since it was my first time standing with my new leg, I didn't have walking down quite yet. But I wasn't about to let Isaac down. After all he has done for me. I didn't walk towards Jun, I ran. And I wobbled, teetered, and fell to get to him, but I had finally made it.
"Yes, Amara? What is it?"
It was hard work to get to him, so I was a little out of breath. And the drugs they had me on weren't any help.
"I want to be a spartan. But I'll only do it if Isaac is my partner." I said while breathing heavily.
He looked me over and then looked passed me, presumably at Isaac.
"Look, I understand that I look bad. But you have to understand, sir, I witnessed the deaths of so many people. I had my CAPTAIN die in my arms. I thought I would be one of those bodies on the floor. Sir, I-"
"DO you think I give a shit!? Do you really think I came here to hear for fucking sob story? No. I came here to recruit the best of the best to be spartans. Do you really think i'm going to accept half of a person to be a spartan!?"
I took a step back with my real leg. I had never been so hurt by words before. I gritted my teeth and planted my foot back where it was before.
"Is that what they said to KAT!? That she wasn't good enough!? She must have been half a woman-" I felt the sting of his hand as he swung it across my face. I fell to the floor and landed on my knees and hands.
"DO NOT EVER, TALK ABOUT KAT LIKE THAT! SHE IS MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER BE."
I could taste blood in my mouth. He smacked me hard enough that I bit my cheek and drew blood. I as worth more than he was giving me credit for. I survived an ambush. I recovered from a fucking nightmare. I was livid. I got up off of my knees and with my prosthetic leg I kicked Jun in the center of his chest knocking him down to the floor and onto his ass. I walked over to him, and offered a hand up.
"I'm a fucking soldier too, asshole. I deserve respect." before he grabbed my hand he started laughing.
"Amara, I got just the reaction I wanted out of you. Granted, it played out a bit harsher than I hoped, but still the same, more or less. You are using your prosthetic great. But that outburst...well, I'm sorry about that. I…. That was real. And… I'm sorry for that."
He grabbed my hand and got up off of his feet, one arm over his chest.
I was dumbfounded at what he said. I just stood there until Isaac spun me around to look at him.
"Oh my god, Amara! Look at your cheek! And you're bleeding!" He touched my face very tenderly. I shooed his hands away from my face.
"I'm fine! I'm fine. Isaac. I think Jun just told me we both could be spartans…"
"Amara… Why did you do all of this?"
"Because… because I knew you wanted to. I didn't want to hold you back. I didn't want to become a spartan in the first place because I was afraid. And now that I have you… well… I'm not afraid anymore."
"I'm not going to ask how you knew that, but, are you sure you want to do this?"
"I'm sure. As long as i'm with my best friend, what can't we do?"
"Great," Jun said, breaking up our conversation "Come with me. There is a lot to discuss, and do."
I remember the struggle. The pain of becoming a spartan. I had ghost pains in my leg that was burnt off which made training even harder for me. Isaac didn't need to do much training, but he stuck with me through all of it. We ran simulations together, beat the time on our obstacle course runs, and fought each other in a combat ring. All of this training I had to overcome just because of my leg. This training took the better part of four months. But we were finally ready to become spartans. To get the augmentations that would make us super soldiers.
"You ready, cupcake?" Isaac laughed as he laid down on the table, preparing for his augmentations. I was on another table right next to him, laying down already. I raised my arm up to clasp his hand. He accepted and our hands were locked together.
"I told you not to call me that!" I laughed at him. Our smiles faded into serious expressions. We both knew the augmentation process and what had happened to the Spartan IIs. Not many survived and became actual super soldiers. While the augmentations for Spartan IVs were less lethal, there was still margin of error. One slight change could affect us horribly. I looked deep into Isaac's had told me him and his brothers motto when they were younger. Something they always used to say when they got scared, or worried. He taught and let me use his motto. Something no other soldier got the privilege of doing but me.
"No bullet…" I started off. I gave room for Isaac to join in with me.
"No shell…" He said, looking deeply into my eyes.
"No demon in hell…" We clasped hands tighter. They started injecting us with medicine to put us under. In unison, before the medicine took over, we said the last line.
"Can break this bond of brothers." Yea, I am a female. This also wasn't my motto. His brother and him had used this long before he met me. And they didn't have a sister.
I remember attending the mass funeral that was held for my company. One by one, the names they called off, followed by assault rifle fire into the air. They had the luxury of being brought back to earth to be buried and not shot off into the deep dark corners of space. It was a sunny, breezy day when they invited me to attend. Naturally, Isaac came with me. We were the only two odd spartans out, standing absolutely still, saluting off the soldiers who gave their lives.
They called my captain's name, 'Maria Jimenez.' I broke off my salute and walked toward the coffin.
"Don't come any closer, Spartan. This is a time to respect our dead, peacefully, quietly." A marine stood right in front of me, placing a hand right before my chest. I took a step closer, took off my helmet and tossed it to the floor. With both of my hands, i picked up the marine by his chestplate and brung him eye level to me.
"I held that soldier in my fucking ARMS when she died! I would be right behind her in line to be called out if it wasn't for her calling in ODST support!" I wasn't yelling. I was getting my point across while trying to intimidate. "I came here to pay my respect to the dead. And that's what I'm going to do." I dropped him back to the ground, picked up my helmet and walked towards her coffin.
With my right hand, I touched the coffin with a flat palm. I let a single tear slide down my cheek.
There wasn't any words to speak. Without her sacrifice, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have met Isaac. I wouldn't have become a spartan. She gave her life so I could live mine. She made the ultimate sacrifice. I removed my hand and put my helmet back on. Isaac and I left the funeral service.
I remember deploying as a spartan. Our first mission, together. The day I earned the nickname "Valkyrie". We were helping push back a covenant force with marines, who had been holding down their location and calling for support, When three zealots had pushed through the line and found their way towards a small group of marines. Not only did I fend them off, but I killed two of them using one of their own energy swords. The last one had been picked off by a sniper while I was mid fight.
I remember meeting Tori and Hunter. Two other Spartans who had recently gone through the Spartan IV program. They were very similar to us. Jun had decided to make us into a fire team which he dubbed 'Valhalla'. We bonded like we all were brothers and sisters on the battlefield.
I remember….
I remember that amazing day. Just before dropping into the battlefield, Tori and Isaac were discussing battle tactics and plans in the pod bay center hours before we were scheduled to drop. Meanwhile, Hunter and I were talking personally to each other next to some pods away from the other two.
"War is a cruel thing for anyone to experience. I never got to see my family after the glassing of reach. My parents had been fighting off the covenant with the spartan IIIs while attempting to get my brother and I aboard a civilian escape ship. We made it, but we never heard nor saw our parents after that. We were sure they had perished."
"Hunter, I'm so sorry to hear that. I do just want to say that you aren't alone. In fact," I pointed to Isaac who was really close to Tori. I started to get really jealous, so I wrapped up hunter and I's conversation so I could squeeze in between the two. "Isaac has a similar story…" I trailed off and got up to go stand in between the two.
"... So if we lose radio contact, this is where we will meet back up. Okay?" Isaac pointed out on the map in front of them both. There wasn't really a leader in our group, since we all performed very well on our own, but Isaac had a natural leadership skill that made us all look up to him when we didn't know what to do.
"Hey, Isaac. You both Discussing plans?" I pushed my way in between the two, and Tori scoffed.
"Yea. We were discussing what our plans were if we lost radio contact when we split up. You'll be with hunter, and I'll be with Tori."
"Wait, what? Why can't I go with you? What-" Tori tugged me away from Isaac and into our own convorsation bubble and, with a heavy british accent, told Isaac she was stealing me from him.
"I'll be right back with this one, K, love?" Tori pushed me farther away from Isaac and turned to face me.
"What the hell, Tori? Why are you going with him?" i guestured towards Isaac.
"Don't have a panic attack, okay? Look, I didn't decide who I was going with. HE chose. It's just the way he wants this mission to go. The way he thinks the plan will work. Don't ask me, I just point the gun and shoot, right, love?"
I snapped at her and it wasn't even her fault. Isaac made her partner on this mission. Not me. I felt a ping of sadness that Isaac didn't choose me. After all we had been through.
"Oh, and by the way," Tori looked right at me with a wide smile on her face "I won't steal your boyfriend from you. I promise."
I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and I stumbled to get my next words out.
"I...But...What...What makes you think I like Isaac?"
"Oh, come on! We all see how you look at him. How close you two are. There's no separating you two from each other. Even in a mission that splits you up!" She drug her finger across the top of my head to move my hair out of the way.
"If you ask me, I'd say you're embarrassed."
"Fuck you, no I'm not!"
"Oh? Then why don't you go tell him how you really feel?"
She got me there. I couldn't figure out what to say after that. I did love Isaac, but I just didn't know how to tell him.
"Look," Tori started off "You better tell him sooner rather than later. Something bad could happen and you might lose him. Or he might lose you. And the pain of losing someone so close to you," She motioned at Hunter and Isaac who were talking "Is unbearable. Just ask-" I had tried to cut her off by saying Isaac's name in reference to him losing his brother when he was younger, but she instead said the ladder of the two.
"-Isaac"
"-Hunter"
"What? Isaac hasn't lost anyone close to him?"
"Yes he has. His brother! When he was younger! His brother and him had been separated, and ever since he's been looking for him!"
Tori gave me a funny look before her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
"Wait a minute…. Wait just a fucking minute, love," Tori started whispering really quietly "When did he tell you this!? Amara, you don't think..."
"What? Why are you whispering? I don't understand?"
"You bloody idiot! Hunter lost a brother, and so did Isaac! So in other words what I'm trying to tell you is…"
She was telling me that they were actual brothers. Hunter was Isaac's Brother and Isaac, Hunter's.
"Holy fucking shit!" We both dead eyed the two and didn't notice it until they made eye contact with us that we had grabbed onto each other in a sort of half hug.
"Uhh...,," Isaac started out
"What are you guys doing?" Hunter finished his statement. I looked back at Tori and squealed in excitement.
"Look at them! They're finishing each other's sentences! That's so adorable! We have to tell them! ISAAC, HUNTER!" Tori grabbed me by the wrist and rushed over to The two of them who were standing there, completely oblivious to what we just figured out.
"Hunter, you said that you lost your brother when reach fell, right?" Tori gestured to me to ask Isaac the same thing.
"Oh! Yes! And Isaac," I started, using both of my fingers to point at him "you also lost your brother during the fall of reach! You lost your brother when you both got off the escape vessel, Right?"
"So… You're saying that...we...are brothers?" he pointed towards Hunter while he looked right at us with a very confused face.
They both looked at each other in disbelief as to what we were trying to tell them. Tori and I latched onto each other again, hands interlocked and heads pressed against each others as if we were watching a heartwarming movie together and we were waiting for the big moment.
"So, You're saying, we're brothers? Who just so happened to make it into the same fire team unknowingly?" Hunter wasn't buying into it. "Seems a little too easy, if you ask me."
Hunter wasn't on board with the Idea, but Isaac kept looking at him. As if he desperately wanted to believe he found his long lost brother he was searching for. I had to act quickly before they dismissed the whole theory.
"Oh! I know! What were your parents names!?"
"Jasmine and Samuel." Isaac answered without looking at us. Hunter quickly snapped his head at him, clearly in disbelief. This was it. They found each other. Two brothers who had lost each other, finally reunited!
"No fucking way it's you. No way." Hunter took one step closer to him, analyzing him over and over again.
"There's only one way to know for sure. My brother and I had our own motto. Only the two of us knew and used it."
Hunter had tears welling up in his eyes while Isaac just had a big grin plastered on his face. If only we had tissues for this moment, because Tori and I were starting to cry.
They clasped hands together and chanted almost in unison.
"In brightest day, and darkest night, We will raise our swords to continue this fight. Through the mud, blood, sweat and tears, we will stand our ground with no fears. No bullet, no shell, no demon in hell… Can break this bond of brothers!"
They stared at each other for a few seconds and came together in a violent hug once they realized they finally found who they were looking for all their life. They both started crying. This was the happiest moment for all of us.
I split off from Tori just enough to ask my question.
"Isaac, you never told me the whole thing! I thought the "No bullet No shell…" was the whole thing?"
He didn't respond to me. He was enjoying his moment with his long lost brother.
"Better leave them be, Amara. It's a very touching moment and we don't want to ruin it!"
"Yea, I suppose you are right. Let's head out."
I remember losing them all. When we finally dropped and went into the battlefield. The cold, empty battlefield. We had been grouped with a few marines: Jasyn, Jeff, George, Gabriel. But what's the point of trying to remember a dead man's name, right? Jasyn and Gabriel had stayed behind with us, while the other two went with Tori and Isaac.
"Where the hell are they? This place should be crawling with forerunner!" Hunter looked around nervously in all directions. I never trusted Sunaion. I never wanted to go back, but I had Isaac with me. I was a part of fire team Valhalla. I felt safe. Our mission was to help get fire team osiris onto the guardian that was located in Sunaion. We were a decoy team and we had been trying to get the attention on us. Some of the plan was working, while other parts were not. The forerunner knew about fire team Osiris and their objective. And yet we still managed to lure the better part of them away.
Tori and Isaac had gone ahead to scout while we stayed farther back to ensure no ambush would be set. But who would've thought the anti-ambush team was being followed? Not us. We came up to a broken down, destroyed part of the city. Rubble everywhere. And…. An odd figure that lay directly in the middle,… a familiar shape…. It was a marine. I gestured towards the marne who lay there on his stomach with no movement. No sign of life.
I rushed to his side and kneeled down, checking for a pulse. Faint. I noticed a dark hole that went through his lower back. He had been shot, but he was alive. Barely. Before I could motion to my team, I felt something grab at my ankle. I snapped my head back around to see the marine looking right at me. It was Jeff.
"Th-they came out of nowhere! They wouldn't stop coming! Attack after attack!" He pulled himself just a little higher so I could hear him better. "SAVE ME. YOU HAVE TO SAVE ME!" He collapsed to the floor, his grip weakened. I was starting to have a flashback to when I almost got slaughtered by the covenant. Me being the only lucky survivor to walk out. Harmed, of course.
"None of you humans belong in the Domain! I will show you no mercy when I kill you all!" A big, metallic figure stepped out of the shade holding…. Holding Isaac by the shoulder! I stood up as fast as I could.
It was the Warden Eternal.
"Put him down! Let him go!" Bad choice of words. Either way he was going to fight us, but what he did was… insane. He lifted Isaac up with his left arm, and drove his sword right through his lower back.
"Not to worry. He'll be put down alright!" He threw Isaac towards us after removing his sword from his body.
"NOOOO!" It wasn't me that screamed. It was Hunter. I was too severely shocked as to what was going on. He bolted past me and ran straight for the Warden, only to have a wall of soldiers appear out of nowhere.
I had never seen Hunter fight with such brutality. He had picked up one soldier by the leg and slammed it into another one and had ripped off the arm of the fallen Soldier and beat him with it. Watching him fight only churned what was about to boil out of me. It was rage, fear, and despair.
With my own battle cry, I charged in to fight alongside hunter who was now splitting a soldier's head in half. Knights started to appear all around us. Watching. Waiting for their moment to strike.
I never did reach Hunter. I made my way towards Isaac Instead, who was still alive when I found him. There was a gaping hole, that went straight through him, that was burnt. I knelt beside him, and rested his head on my arm. I started crying, uncontrollably.
"A-a-amara i-"
"I love you Isaac! I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner! I'm sorry! Please, Don't leave me! I need you!"
"I-I love you too." He put a bloody hand on my helmet, from where the corner of my mouth would be, to the cheek.
"I'm going to fix this! Just, please, Isaac! Don-"
"It's going to be o-okay. Amara, I-I've be-en waiting to tell you th-that I love you. I wanted to tell you a-after this mission, but I guess now is just a-as good."
He pulled his head up farther and took off his helmet, pain clearly visible.
"Th-there's just one thing I want-"
I leaned in and kissed him, and I felt him try to push into it, but when I pulled my head back, he was already gone. I didn't bother to check for a pulse. I was sure he was dead.
Isaac had now died in my arms, Just like my captain. Why was all of this happening to me? Why did I have to suffer!?
I rose from my spot, carefully laying Isaac down to rest. Hunter had now been fighting Knights and soldiers. I went for the big one. The warden eternal.
"You…" I pointed right at the warden who was busy watching his soldiers and knights take on one Spartan. There was no more fear or despair left inside me. Rage had boiled over and taken control. I was going to kill the warden. Isaac had been killed, Tori and the other soldiers hadn't been found, so they were MIA.
I looked down at Isaac and took his extra plasma grenades. I charged right for the warden who was now turning his attention towards me. Dodging past the knights and soldiers wasn't easy. I had been shot a few times and could feel the burning sensation course through my body. I wasn't about to slow down though. I had a new objective. Kill this son of a bitch!
I reached the Warden Eternal who had lashed out with his sword. I almost avoided the blade, but it had clipped my armor and knocked me down.
"You pathetic humans and your emotions. I will make sure you never see the domain. EVER!"
"You took the one thing that mattered the most to me. If I die today, I'm taking you down with me, you piece of shit!"
I ran Right at the Warden who, once again, swung his sword at me. I was able to avoid this one, and wrapped around to his back. I jumped on.
"What-What are you doing!? Get off of me!"
My shields had been depleted and my health monitor read critically low. I was dying. I looked over the two plasma grenades that I took from Isaac, and primed them. I could see the warden desperately try to reach to pull me off, but I was too far from his grasp.
I peeked my head around to see that hunter wasn't winning his fight. He too, had grenades primed in his hands. He was going to kill himself and take out those that remained around him, while even more Forerunner appeared.
I looked at the black hole that was centered in the Warden's back. That was where I was going to stick the plasma grenades.
"This… is for Isaac. For Tori and Hunter. This…. This is for Valhalla!" I shoved the grenades in as far as I could with a feeling of cold emptiness to describe the black hole. I hung on. I was going down with him. I didn't want the chance of surviving again. To go through all that pain and suffering once more. No. I fought with the UNSC for freedom and I was about to have mine.
The only thing I had ever joined for in the first place. The one thing I desperately fought for because all I wanted was to live a normal, civilian life. But I never got that freedom. I got pain and suffering instead.
My grip on the Warden was slipping and I grew more weak the longer I held on.
"Spartans never die, Right?" I spoke on the open intercom to Hunter.
"That line is a load of shit."
"I couldn't agree more, Hunter. It's been an honor serving alongside you."
"I'll see you on the other side, Valk."
I let a single tear slide down my cheek.
"Brothers and sisters… to the end." The grenades went off and I was surrounded by darkness. But I couldn't tell if I was dead. The pain had started to go away. I closed my eyes and rested. I fought my battles. Now, I had my freedom.
Take away a man's loved ones, and you'll see how they really fight.
-Anonymous