Yes, I finally am getting to update more often. X'3 You're welcome!

Tom Anderson was having a good day. Top of the class for the second time that year, his fellow college students had better watch out. He was gonna get them good.

It wasn't that he was arrogant or snotty. And he wasn't exactly the typical nerd type, either. He was well liked by classmates, sociable, and great at a party. When he wasn't acing an exam he was hanging with his new college friends.

He never expected her to show up again. Malia Jones, the tomboy from highschool. As soon as they'd graduated she'd gone to bootcamp and been shipped off to Reach. Or so he thought. He never expected to see her in New Mombasa, where he was attending college, and he never expected to get tangled up with a bunch of Spartans.

It all started with one gigantic plasma explosion. The wave of heat echoed down the subway tunnel, flickering lights off and xisrupting radio signals. Lucky for Tom, his car was lined up just right with the station, as well as a few others, but as for the rest of the train, they were trapped.

Panic ensued as out of the tunnels flew hundreds and hundreds of bug-like creatures. They were giant, likee from some old horror movie. Firing plasma pistols into the crowd of rushing people, the buggers screeched to each other:

"This is too easy."

"Like shooting fish in a barrel."

Tom clutched his bookbag to his chest, shoving people out of his way to try and get up to the surface. What the hell was going on? Surely this was some terrorist-fueled mutant attack. They had made human Spartans, so maybe the Insurrectionists had made fly-Spartans? Regardless, Tom fought up the stairs in a chaotic mess of human bodies. Everyone was screaming, yelling for family, for others to get out of their way, for no particular reason other than they were scared.

It was hot and confusing, so when he finally managed to stumble out the top of the stairs and the crowd dispersed, melting away from him, Tom was relieved.

Until he looked up at the sky. A Covenant cruiser sat above the city not far from him, ready to blast a hole in New Mombasa with its ginormous canons.

~~##~~

"Malia?! How are you here?" Tom stuttered. His old classmate had ran into him as he tried to evacuate. Now he sat on the ground, dazed, while she stood over him.

"It's Lieutenant Jones to you, scum."

"Why?!"

Malia glared down at him.

"What?!" He exclaimed again. He wasn't getting over his shock very well.

"Emile!" Malia suddenly exclaimed over her shoulder, to someone Tom couldn't see. He tried to peer around her, but she moved just so she blocked his view. "We have a non-believer over here. Wanna come prove somethin' to him?"

The large Spartan thumped his way over to Tom. Even though he couldn't see his face through the helmet painted with the visage of a skull, Tom was pretty sure he was getting the death glare from the genetically enhanced supersoldier.

"Up." The Spartan growled at him. Tom glanced at his armor. 'Emile A-266' was printed in black letters on his chest. Standing up, Tom gazed up at the tall soldier.

"Heya." He said, raising a hand in greeting.

"Listen up, kid." Emile grabbed his collar. "I'm not hear to screw around. You're gonna do what I say how I say it. Got it?" He dropped Tom back to the ground.

Straightening his collar, Tom laughed nervously. "Do what? I was just about to get out of the city when I ran into. . ." He glanced at Malia. "How about I just be going now and you guys do you're military stuff alone. . ." He started backing away slowly, like you would from a bear or rattle snake.

:"No." Malia barked, grabbing his ear and dragging Tom along behind her and Emile. She had a surprisingly strong grip., he thought to himself as he followed the two along the city streets.

~~##~~

"You want me to WHAT?"

Emile sighed heavily. "Hack into the city's AI and initiate a forced shut down."

Tom frowned, standing in front of a computer terminal. He was smart. He had hacked before, but nothing like this. Tapping the touchscreen keyboard, he hesitated a moment. They stood inside an abandoned apartment, Covvies yelling below outside the window as they fought with Marines. A while back the three of them had heard the telltale crash of ODST droppods.

"Hurry it up, Anderson." Malia growled.

"Why do I have to do this anyway? What's the point?" Tom turned to the two suddenly. "And why me?"

"Because," Emile stepped forward. "I told you to."

"Gimme a real reason." Tom stepped forward as well, opening his arms out in an arrogant gesture. "I can leave anytime I want."

"Big man." Emile moved until he towered over him. "You better turn around and do what you're told."

"Emile-we might as well tell him." Malia stepped forward. "The Covenant are digging for something beneath the city. We need to shut down the city's AI, Virgil, as they're also trying to hack into it to find the layout of the city and quicken the pace of them finding their 'artifact.' I chose you because. . .I knew you could do it and I knew you were here."

Tom swallowed. "Then what happens after this?"

Malia shook her head. "We're not making it out of this city you know. Once the Covenant find out we shut down Virgil, they'll locate us and hunt us until they kill us."

Emile shifted in the background, his rifle held tightly in his hands. Memories of his teammates resurfaced. If Kat had made it out, they wouldn't need this dumb kid, she could hack anything. If only they hadn't all died on Reach, then maybe, maybe, they could've stopped that cruiser before it even got to Earth.

"Leave if you want to live." Malia said suddenly. "If you want to get outta here alive, go now. We'll let you. Just don't expect any thank yous for running like a coward."

Tom bit his lip. "It's not like I'm going to be thanked anyway." He muttered, turning back to the terminal, working furiously to shut down New Mombasa's AI.

I had a bit of a hard time with this OC. It was really hard for me to do anything with him, but still, it was fun having someone not in the UNSC. I really want to have an OC that's an insurrectionist or an AI, do something a little less. . .Covenant-y.