IX
Natalie shot up from the pillow with a start, staring at the data pad lying on the bedside table, which was making a steady beeping sound. Her head was pounding, her mouth felt like sandpaper. Within a couple blinks, she quickly remembered that the room wasn't hers. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw John lying next to her in a sound sleep. Their clothes were discarded sporadically all over the room. She could still feel the stickiness between her legs, and felt an aching throughout her body. She closed her eyes, her mind flooding with foggy memories from last night.
They'd fucked, but it had been sloppy, uncoordinated. He'd mentioned something of never doing it before, she recalled as she had straddled him, kissing her way down his chest. She glanced down at her naked body, noticing several fine bruises on her arms and legs – then remembered that John's strength had been a force to reckon with.
"Fuck," she whispered. The data pad was still beeping. She dragged her hands down her face, half-hoping that she could wipe away the hangover as well as the sleepiness. She knew without the aid of a mirror that her hair was a mess. Reaching up, she confirmed her speculations as she threaded her fingers through the matted tangles. She recalled John's grip on her hair as he had shoved her face into the pillow. She held back the will to curse again. Just what exactly had she gotten herself into?
She glanced back at him, still out cold. His face appeared peaceful for once, his muscles relaxed. God, he was handsome. She let her eyes trail down his body to his abs, his penis – although now flaccid, still was impressively large. A small smirk crossed her lips as the realization dawned on her for the first time in a sober state: I fucked a Spartan. And apparently taken his virginity, she reminded herself. It couldn't be! Were Spartans completely void of any sexual relationships? She found that hard to believe. Well, this one wasn't anymore, at least.
Natalie turned away from him, letting out a little laugh. That fucking data pad was still beeping – and of curiosity, she picked it up. The time read 0945. She'd missed breakfast. There was a text message from a Dr. Halsey – the source of the incessant racket. Out of curiosity, she tapped the screen.
"John. Where are you? Come see me immediately once you have gotten suited up. We expect to arrive at the Lacertae system in the next half hour. You'll be one of the first to deploy."
Natalie re-read the message again, her heart beginning to pound. Lacertae? Deploy?
"Oh fuck, fuck, fuck!" She spun around, nearly dropping the data pad. She reached out and gave John a shake. He started, and woke immediately, looking alarmed. At first, he seemed utterly surprised to see her, but his eyes went down his naked body then to hers and something seemed to mentally click.
"Get up! We're on the move! Read this!" She tossed the data pad at him then began scrambling for her clothes.
She watched as John read the message, and his expression immediately filled with alarm and disbelief.
"Shit." He was out of bed in a blur and began pulling on a fresh uniform. He avoided eye contact with her as he got dressed. "Did you hear anything over the…"
"Not a thing. We must have slept through it." Natalie felt dread sweeping through her. She was going to be in so much shit. Her hands trembled as she pulled on her t-shirt. "Oh fuck." She threw her sweater under her arm and jammed her feet into her shoes, then rushed for the door. For a second, she met his eyes. "I-I'm sorry."
She flew from his room and sprinted down the hall as fast as her feet would take her.
'Ktao 'Kolsamee watched from afar as the human girl left the Demon's room in a hurry. Interestingly enough, it was the same one he could've, should've killed during the ship's invasion just the other day. So far, his stealth mission had been going well. He remained hidden for the most of the day to avoid detection. He'd gathered enough information about the Demon that he knew that he was in fact, human. He knew his schedule, his patterns, and now, his apparent mate, or at least his person of sexual preference.
The ship had exited Slipspace and would soon the troops, including the Demon, would be deploying in an attempt to defend Lacerta from Covenant attack. 'Kolsamee knew that The Dominationwould be one of the ships participating in the destruction of the planet.
It seemed even the Demon was prone to sleeping in.
'Kolsamee tapped his headset, whispering in his Sangheili tongue:
"Shipmaster, this is 'Kolsamee."
"Ah, 'Kolsamee." 'Malnoonee's voice came through a second later. "I was wondering when I would hear from you. So is the ship on route?"
"Indeed. I am very happy to inform you I have gathered some very useful information about the Demon." 'Kolsamee paused. "It is not machine, but a human male. He sleeps, he eats, he engages in coital activities…"
"How interesting. With a female?"
"Yes. A Marine. It seems they are developing some kind of a bond."
"That might prove to be to your advantage. Well done."
"How is the destruction going?"
"Humans make me laugh. Their efforts are mostly pathetic. Their ships are being destroyed as expected. The forces on the ground, however, are seeing bit more resistance. There are more of them."
"Like the Demon?" 'Kolsamee felt stunned. "How many?"
"Two have been sighted, and that is more than enough. They are slaughtering our troops with the force of a thousand Marines."
"Then why let this one join the fight?!" 'Kolsamee snarled. "I can kill him right now, he is completely unsuspecting…"
"No. Your mission isn't finished. Get off the ship on Lacerta. Blend in, participate in the fight, but observe his tactics. I want you to find the Demon's weakness, and use it against him. When the time is right, I will let you kill him and anyone else who dare stand in your way."
John had suited up in his armour, save for his helmet, which he held under his arm. He found himself standing in front of Dr. Halsey's office door.
His head was pounding, and for once, his thoughts were clouded. He couldn't help but going back to the night before, trying to process just what exactly had happened. He hadn't had time for a shower. He could still smell Natalie on him. If he closed his eyes, he could remember the taste of her lips, the touch of her bare skin against his, how surprisingly pleasurable it had been to…
The door opened, and Dr. Halsey almost walked into him. She let out a little gasp, her coffee sloshing precariously near to the brim of her mug. She met his eyes, and let out a small sigh. She took a step to the side, and gestured for him to enter.
"I was just heading to the bridge to inform Captain Thomsen to call you over the intercom directly. He was my last resort, as I didn't exactly want him to know that my Spartan went MIA onboard a ship." Irritation could be heard overflowing in her voice. She crossed over to her desk, setting down her coffee, taking a deep breath. She waited until the door hissed shut behind him. "Just where in the hell were you!? This is completely unlike your character, John!"
She studied him. John, especially in his MJOLNIR armour, seemed to fill her small office. He stood rigidly in front of her. His colour, although naturally fair, seemed paler than usual. Purple bags were visible under his eyes.
"You have my sincerest apologies, ma'am." He replied briskly. "I slept sound and failed to hear the announcement over the intercom."
This explanation did nothing to soften Halsey's expression of disbelief. When he spoke, she was close enough to him to smell a whiff of alcohol off his breath. Whiskey, to be exact.
"You were drinking. Heavily, by the smell of you."
She watched John's features harden. He fixed his gaze somewhere on the wall past her.
"Yes, ma'am."
A million questions ran through Halsey's head. Why? Did you not think to pace yourself? Well, to her knowledge this was the first case of one of her Spartans ever consuming alcohol. How would he know the effects it would have on him? Surely he had begun to feel strange after a glass or two.Was Private Klein involved? She must've been.
As pestilent as the questions were, she knew there wasn't time to ask them - at least not now. She glanced to the clock on the wall. They would be arriving at the planet soon.
"Please tell me you are sober. When was your last drink?" She hoped he had got enough sleep for it to wear off. She couldn't imagine trying to send him into battle while he was still drunk. She'd have a hell of a time trying to explain that to the Top Brass. To the right person, that would be enough to warrant the effectiveness of the Spartan program altogether. She could just hear them now. 'What fucking good are your damned super soldiers if they just resort to partying like the common Jarhead?' Good God.
"Around 2300 hours, ma'am. I am fine." John wasn't about to mention the headache.
"Good. Do not," she said quietly, closing her eyes. "I repeat, do not let this happen ever again."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You may go, John."
The Spartan turned and left in a blur. Baffled, Halsey dropped into her chair and sighed deeply.
Natalie jogged into the docking bay, fully kitted out and rifle in hand. She had been as quick as she possibly could, but late was late. Her heart still pounded in her chest. She was just waiting for the shit storm to hit. Various troops gave her curious looks as she hurried through the crowd, looking for her squad. All it would take was for one higher ranking officer to notice. She just hoped it wouldn't be Myles.
She found her squad, and Amy was one of the first ones to notice her arrival. As she stealthily merged into the group, her friend gaped at her with wide eyes, a look of disbelief on her face.
"Where the fuck were you?" she whispered.
Natalie, still trying to get her breath, simply shook her head.
"Klein!" Her name rang out through the docking bay.
She cringed. It was Myles. She pivoted, and saw he had appeared out of the crowd. The look on his face was completely malicious.
"Get the fuck over here. Right now!" he bellowed.
Natalie felt all eyes fall on her, and heat began to rush to her cheeks. The docking bay grew silent as she walked over to Myles.
"Sir."
"Put your fucking heels together, Private!" She felt his spit land on her face. Sharply, she came to attention, her heel strike echoing loud across the room.
"Sir!" She repeated, her voice croaking. She fixed her gaze somewhere past him. She didn't want to see his face.
"Where in the fuck were you?!"
"I slept in, sir."
"Slept in?" Myles raised a brow. He looked past her. "Private Smythe!"
"Sir!"
"Come here."
"Yessir!" Natalie could hear her friend's footsteps as she quickly jogged up to them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could just see Amy as she came to attention.
"Private Klein is saying she slept in. Is she not your bunk mate?"
"She is, sir."
"So are you telling me that you did not make sure that she was awake and functioning when you left the room this morning?"
A few seconds of silence. Natalie closed her eyes. Fuck.
"She wasn't in her bunk when I woke up this morning, sir." Amy finally said, her voice growing quieter. Natalie knew what her expression would be without having to look.
"No?" Myles sounded intrigued. "And was she in her bunk when you went to sleep last night, Smythe?"
"No, sir."
"Thank you, Smythe. That'll be all."
"So you weren't in your fucking bunk last night, but you said you…" Myles trailed off as the sound of the nearest door hissing open caught his attention. She turned to look at the same time as he did. Clad in his MJOLNIR armour, John entered the docking bay.
Natalie felt her stomach flip, her breath hitching in her chest. She knew that Myles would put two and two together. She heard him let out a scoff of disbelief and she forced herself to meet his eyes. The expression his face was one of utter disgust. His lip curled in a sarcastic sneer, and he made sure what he said next could only fall on her ears.
"I hope he was worth it."
The words stung.
"You are to be charged with AWOL," he continued, his voice resuming its normal volume. "I unfortunately can't decide your punishment, but given the circumstances, you can expect them to be rather severe. I will take care of filing the report once we are completed this mission."
She could feel rage welling within her. Her lip quivered. She clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into her skin. Oddly enough, she remembered John's advice from last night – to not let her emotions control her. She released her fists, exhaling quietly.
"Yes, sir." It was barely a whisper.
"Dismissed!" This was a yell. She numbly saluted him before turning and heading back to her squad. She avoided looking at their faces, coming to stand silently beside Amy. She felt like there was a heavy weight on her chest, compressing her lungs.
"I'm so sorry, Nat," Amy whispered. "He worded it just so…"
"It's not your fault. It's mine. I slept in. I'm late, and I'm to be punished accordingly." She paused, eyeing Amy's curious face. "I'm being charged with AWOL once this is all over."
"Eh, don't worry about it, kid." Carter shrugged, overhearing her. "Happened to me once. Ain't no fuckin' big deal. One of the most common charges out there, I'd say. They usually slap ya with a monetary fine and some extra duties."
Natalie nodded. She suddenly felt a wicked craving for nicotine, and her hand instinctively went to her pants pocket, feeling the outline of the tobacco can. Just as she touched it, she realized she'd have to wait, for she had nowhere to spit. She let out a curse beneath her breath.
Meeting Amy's eyes, her friend gestured for her to follow a few steps away from the rest of the squad. With a sigh, Natalie followed. When they were a safe hearing distance from everyone else, Amy started.
"Okay, so… what the fuck?" She still looked shocked. "I thought you went to Myles' last night, but apparently not given the fact he's charging you."
Natalie shook her head. A part of her didn't want to divulge anything, but Amy was her best friend, and at the moment would likely be the only sympathetic ear she would find.
"I made a few bad decisions. Getting drunk at the mess last night was the first one," she explained. "I… I fucked up. Clearly. Well, maybe the whole night wasn't a fuck up. It was rather good, from what I can remember… but that's beside the point."
"The fuck did you do?" Amy demanded. "Or, should I be asking who did you do?"
Natalie looked over her shoulder, spotting John talking to several officers. She gestured with her head ever so subtly.
Amy's mouth fell open – and she remained like this for several seconds.
"What!? No!" She shook her head. "Okay. Just let me fucking process this for a couple of seconds. That's why he was late too?" She watched Natalie nod. "Oh my sweet dying Jesus Christ. I was right. I knew it. I fucking called it." She paused thoughtfully. "How in the fuck did you manage to do that?"
"Quite a few glasses of whiskey and mutual desire, I guess." Natalie kept her voice low. "I was smashed out of my tree, and you know what I'm like when I drink."
"The combination of no fucks to be given and the sexual libido of a man, yes I do." Amy let out a laugh. "You fucking savage. What was it like?"
"Truthfully? Sloppy and kind of awkward. But we were both too drunk to care."
"What are you saying? He's never fucked anyone before?" Amy raised a brow.
"I don't even think he'd kissed anyone before me!"
"Really? Is that because he's a Spartan, do you think? He comes off as a bit socially backward."
"It's fucked up to say, but I don't think he's known anything but a battlefield his whole life. The way he talks about it… well, he doesn't even talk about it that much. I think I only know so much about him because alcohol helped with that."
"Hah. No kidding. I'd say you know him quite well now. At least the parts that matter."
"Don't fucking say things like that. About Myles, sure, but not about John." As soon as she said it, she watched Amy's expression change. Her eyes widened, a small smile spreading on her thin lips.
"Hold up. You actually like him, don't you?"
"No, well, no not like that. He's…"
"Not convinced. Not entirely impressed, either. I thought you had the whole 'catching feelings' thing under control. God, I hate you when you fall in love! I remember the high school days with Myles. You get so fuckin' day-dreamy. That kinda shit will get you shot out there."
"Whoa now, who said anything about love?" Natalie looked disgusted.
"Me. You best watch yourself. What happens to here," she pointed to her crotch, "shouldn't control what goes on here." She placed her hand on her heart. "It fucks you up."
"It was just one drunken night! That's a long way from a happily ever after! I doubt he remembers it all! And it's better if he doesn't, because I'm not looking forward to facing him again. Peeling my clothes off his bedroom floor this morning and running off was more than enough to fill my shame quota for the next fucking decade."
"So, did Myles clue in to what went down?"
"Of course he fucking did."
"Oh shit. I'm surprised he doesn't march over and charge Chief too."
"Keep your fucking voice down!"
"Sorry. It's not every day I hear news like this. So what do you think'll happen? Think it might become a regular…"
"We have to get through this mission before I can even start worrying about that."
"I suppose, huh. Well, just don't get shot or blown up, and your adventures can continue. I dunno about you, but I'm really curious to see how this plays out."
"I know how it will fucking play out. Want to be an escort for my summary trial?" Natalie sounded bitter. "
Amy shrugged, not looking really opposed.
"Eh, but think about it, if Myles is there do you really think I'd keep my fucking mouth shut?"
"You did a pretty good job of being subordinate just a few minutes ago."
"I'm a terrible liar, Nat. He backed me into a corner." Amy spotted Myles in the crowd, standing next to their platoon sergeant, Philips. He looked pissed, his face crumpled into a scowl. "So, you and Codfish are finally kaput, eh."
"If we weren't, we certainly are now," Natalie sounded grim.
"Fuck him. You've moved onto greener pastures." Amy let out a snort, her eyes searching for John. She gave Natalie a nudge with her elbow. "Greener pastures. Get it?"
"That is the worst fucking joke…"
Amy started laughing hysterically anyway
"Alright, Private Giggles, shut the fuck up!" Myles bellowed, singling her out. He hadn't heard anything she had said prior, but her morale was enough excuse for him to come down on her. His booming voice caught the attention of anyone near. He tapped the top of his head. "1st Platoon, on me. Form up, three ranks. Move it!"
There was a frantic rush as the squads moved together, filing into three neat ranks. Further down the docking bay, the other platoons were assembling in similar fashion. Natalie found herself in the front rank, with Amy behind her. To her left was Ellis. He smirked at her.
"Trouble in paradise?" he whispered.
"Fuck off." She shot him a glare.
"Steady up!" Sergeant Philips bellowed. "1st Platoon, atten-hut!"
There was a synchronized falling off boots on the floor plates as the drill was carried out. Sergeant Philips pivoted to greet Myles with a salute, before leaving the platoon to his command and marching to the rear of the formation.
Being in the front rank, Natalie couldn't help but notice John, standing several paces behind Myles, still as a statue, face hidden behind that faceless visor. Seeing him just made her heartbeat quicken.
"1st Platoon, stand at ease!" Myles bellowed, then followed more softly with, "Stand easy."
There were assorted sighs as the Marines relaxed.
"As you are aware, the colony of Lacerta is under Covenant invasion. Our job, of course, is to try to defend it. We're looking at a situation that's not much different than before. We will be one of the first ships of the fleet to arrive, so you can expect fairly heavy resistance. The objective is to push back the Covenant forces on the ground and assist in civilian evacuations, while our ships take on the Covenant from the air and hopefully destroy enough of them to keep them from glassing the planet in its entirety. I'm not saying it's going to be easy out there. Because it's not. But we didn't join the Corps because we wanted it easy. We joined the Corps to fucking kick some Covenant ass." He paused to allow a platoon-wide ooh-rah! "Now, we can expect some additional help once we're topside. I was just recently informed that we will be so fortunate to have two more Spartans like Master Chief here," he gestured to John with his thumb, "aiding in the fight. Yeah. That's right. Not a guaranteed win even then, but it never hurts to have something to boost morale." Myles turned, looking at John. "That's one of the things you're good at, right? Boosting morale of my troops?"
Upon hearing this, Natalie felt her cheeks flush with anger. That fucking asshole! She looked to John, who moved his head ever so slightly in the Lieutenant's direction. In the two second window Myles left for him to agree, there was dead silence from both the Spartan and the platoon. Further down the docking bay, the voices of the other platoon commanders echoed their way.
Myles, realizing he wasn't going to get a response, turned back to his marines. His gaze momentarily met Natalie's, and lingered there for a second longer than he'd give anyone else. She was almost sure she caught him smirk.
"I want to see your best out there, Marines!" he continued. "Make me proud!"
A unified "Sir, yes, sir!" rang out in response.
"Squad leaders, you were given your assigned Pelican numbers. Everyone knows where they gotta be and what they gotta do? Excellent. Let's move!" Myles clapped his hands, and in a scramble, the three ranks disbanded.
Immediately, Natalie lingered back to fall in step with Myles. He looked down at her in surprise.
"You've more than made your point, sir," she said lowly through clenched teeth.
"Oh no, I haven't." Myles flashed a false smile. "My fun is just beginning."
Natalie stopped, glaring at him as he continued on.
"Remember, you salute the rank, not the man."
She turned, and saw John had come up behind her. Her heart jumped. She stared into his visor, thankful that she couldn't see his face. She opened her mouth, but shut it, at a loss for words. She watched as he raised one finger to his visor, and drew an upward curve where his mouth would be.
A smile of some kind? She didn't get to ask. Someone called for him:
"Master Chief!"
His attention left her as he turned to answer. Quickly, she tore her gaze away from him and hurried for her Pelican.
