"Ugh, where are we?" Haven drags her hands underneath her in order to pull herself up.
"I don't know but…"
"Oh my god! Is that the covenant?" Haven interrupted him eyes widened at the fleet of incoming ships.
A bright blue portal opens up in mid space. Like a black hole the bright blue light is being absorbed turning into a darker color in the center. The luscious black hole spins counterclockwise as an image of a large vessel begins to appear. The large ship is surrounded by smaller ones like bees guarding the queen. Shivers flare up and down Haven's spine causing the hairs on her back to stand. Black and red lights were all that they could see. As soon as the ship crosses the black hole like a dying star the bright light expands then contracts.
"I lied that's the composer beam." She chuckles at her mistake.
As it moves you could finally see the vastness of space. Half eaten planets. What Haven believed to be the Milky Way Galaxy. The dark vessel travels through space in a moderate speed. Meteors run into it but are quickly demolished by it. Then at the center of the sky was a Halo. The arch curved high above them. A dim blue light was given of but quickly eaten by space. The composer bypasses the Halo and moves towards them.
"That's the composer beam." Haven hesitates rethinking her words.
"Run!" Toby pulled her towards metal doors.
The metal doors opened automatically as the glass shattered from the incoming bullets. Toby and Haven infiltrated a large gathering of all the station's officers. Their eyes traveled through every corner of the room. Many of them were dressed in lab coats, and many others had Spartan Ops Armor.
"Are we in…" She began.
"…Halo 4" Toby finished.
Toby pulled her behind the crowd in order to listen. They looked up at the face of a decaying woman. She looked to be fifty, blonde graying hair. But even with time against her she still spoke in a firm tone.
"Many of you already know me, but to those who don't. I am Doctor Sandra K. Tillson the leader of the Ivanoff Research Station, a UNSC research facility near Halo Installation 03."
She paused taking deep subtle breaths. As if choosing the words that were to come out of her mouth. Sandra cleared her throat and faced up.
"The Didact is approaching the base, we need to be ready."
As soon as the words left her mouth she turned from them. Everyone rushed away returning to their battle stations. Toby waited. Watching as Haven took measured steps towards the doctor. Haven reached for her not able to believe she was in the actual game. She hesitated pulling back when she answered a hologram call.
"This is UNSC Master Chief to base. Do you read?"
The words behind the hologram were muffled, filled with static. But thankfully audible enough to make out the call.
"Yes, I read you. This is Sandy Tillson of Ivanoff Station, we're under attack." Her voice was panicky adopting a shaky nature.
"They're after a forerunner artifact you took in the Halo raid." The Chief answered.
"How do you know about that?"
Haven nodded understanding the situation. She turned back to Toby. His attention was caught in the room. Like her, he would've never guessed they would be locked within a video game. Her small steps turned into a wider sprint. She took him by the shoulder. Haven knew what was going to happen next. Cortana was to lose control and crash into the station.
"We need to get armor." She commanded.
"We're under attack and you're not giving me armor because I'm a girl." Haven hissed.
"It's not because you're a girl, it's because you're female AND not trained."
She turned to Toby who already had his metal Spartan Ops suit on. Anger bled through every inch of her body. Because she was a girl. She had played this game countless times, and YES many girls had suits. Haven turned back to the man who prevented her from using the armor hesitating. She took him by the collar and pulled him very close to her face.
"Give me the damn suit you idiot!" She screamed.
"Why would I?"
"You're the only one in this base who has a problem with giving a woman a suit. You say I'm not trained, but neither is he." She took a deep breath. "Here is how we're going to do it. You're going to give me the armor, and you'll live for – eh – let's say an hour or so more than you would if you don't give me A SUIT!"
He nodded hysterically eyes widened. Haven sighed in relief and followed as he led her to the armory. Toby leaned closer to another soldier.
"Isn't she just precious?" He chuckled.
"Look Toby! Turns out I still have my phone. I wonder."
She looked down at the phone. Placing it near her ear she could hear the very faint dial tone. Faster than she could react she dials a person very familiar to her. His voice was rough and very shaky when he picked up. She couldn't believe it worked. Then it dawned on her, maybe like in Xbox live, you could talk to other people. Maybe it was the same thing.
"Lil bro. You would never guess where I am right now." She smiled into the phone.
Toby ignored her as she spoke into the phone. Rather he admired the scene. On one side of the base he could see Master Chief as he takes down most of the elites and grunts that surround him. Toby's eyes trail to the other corner of the base where a white figure seems to also be fighting back. He watches as an elite charges at him. Standing seven feet in height there is no way the Storm Shadow look alike could take him. After mere seconds the elite's recharging personal shield was down. The elite opened his mouth showing off the pairs of split mandibles that substituted its lower jaw. Then he dropped in defeat. Toby turned back to Haven who was still on the phone.
"I need you to be my eyes." She spoke.
"Hey check that out." He pointed.
"I don't know figure it out." She hung up the phone and faced where he was pointing. "Who's that?"
"Let's go find out."
They followed the all-white figure past most of the level. Unlike the game he carried two white swords. A jacket that looked a lot like Connor's Assassin's Creed jacket. Long white sleeves, white pants, and the all-white jacket. He sped through the level like he was paid to do it. His face was covered, not by the Spartan helmet, instead it was an all-white mask. The mask was space ready, but it seemed like thin cloth all but the thick black shades covering his eyes. He caught their gaze. Haven pulled up her battle rifle. In a sprint he took off after them.
Trigger happy, Haven pulled tightly on the trigger. Recharging the weapon every time that she ran out of bullets. The white ninja moved the swords in frantic styles avoiding the light caused shots. She dropped the assault rifle and pulled out her hand gun. Toby stayed back analyzing their attacks. Shots thundered through the air. Until she ran out of ammo. She dropped the hand gun and went into a full scale melee attack.
The attacker launched himself at them. She readied herself. He swung his sword heftily at her head, and she ducked under his sword. She dropped to the ground and kicked his feet from under him. She smiled inside the helmet, but it was a shallow victory. He did a quick kick-up and took a swing at her. Haven tried dodging, but he managed to dent her armor. Light flashed within her helmet noting that her health had lowered. Her hand went to the artificail wound, face shifted to a more focused and angry glare. He swung at her one more time, but this time she stopped the sword with her hand. A grin painted itself across her face.
"You are one smart AI!" His voice echoed through her helmet.
"Who are you calling an AI?" She hissed.
Her response frightened him. He plunged a bomb deep in her suit. The blow was hard enough to damage most of her health. She maintained on the ground waiting for her vitals to regenerate. He approached her putting the swords scissor style across her neck. She crawled back, but she knew that he had her pinned.
"Toby" she tried.
"Toby?" His voice trailed before Toby shot him with an assault rifle.
"Woo hoo!" Toby screamed.
"Shit!" The ninja's voice was familiar.
"Cry?" She gasped. "Toby wait that's Cry!"
Toby stopped shooting.
"Cry? Oh…. Cry! Man dude, are you alright?" he chuckled.
"Toby, as in Tobuscus?"
"The one and only!"
"Dude, man you are so awesome. I watch your videos all the time."
"Really, then why is it that you always do colabs with Pewds and not me." Toby scolded.
"Well, you never really answer my calls."
"That was you calling all this time. Hmm…"
"You ignored all of my calls?!" Cry hissed.
"Not all of them, just most of them. How many times did you call me? I ignored like seven or ten of them."
"I called you ten times Toby. TEN TIMES!"
"Guys, I really hate to ruin the moment, but we really need to get a move on. If I'm right this is when the composer evaporates everyone." She informed.
"You can't ruin the moment once Toby already has" Cry ignored Haven.
"Cry, now you're just being childish. What's with your outfit anyways? Do you hate your face that much? Is it acne? I think its acne."
"It's not acne!" He screamed.
Haven rolled her eyes at them and took out her phone. She knew they had no chance to survive; only Master Chief could successfully survive the attack. With a few slides, clicks, and password inputs she successfully hacked the game in order to give her a powerful enough shield.
"Guys" She tried.
"Why would you bring my mom into this Toby? Well I hate Gryphon!" He screamed.
"Leave my dog out of this!" Toby urged.
"I bet you were an ugly baby"
"That has nothing to do with this Cry!"
"Guys!" She said almost inaudibly as the composer got ready to fire.
The whole vessel began to glow red. Within the station she could see Master Chief was still talking to Sandra. Haven put herself between Toby and Cry and activated her shield. The blue dome was successful once around them. The bright orange beam hit the station destroying the bodies of those inside in the most grotesque and probably painful way possible. Her shield began to glow orange. Come on a little bit longer. Her mind raced. She watched as many around her died. The attack peeled back of the layers of the body, from skin to muscle to vital organs, to skeleton, and finally causing the entire body to disintegrate to a pile of ash. Her shield turned red just as the final wave hit. Her armor glowed while her helmet announced that she was low on health.
"Haven?" Toby whispered as he witnessed her drop to her knees.
"Do not ignore me Tobuscus!" Cry screams were the last thing she heard before losing consciousness.