AN:Sorry this is so short. It's meant to be the prelude to Daisy and Cal arriving, so don't worry too much. I'll be keeping my usual chapter size later on.
As the doors were being hit by either bullets or the fists of other bastards, Cal sighed deeply, leaning her head back and rubbing her eyes. The soldier girl looked at the corpses to the side and then checked the rifle she'd retrieved from one of the dead ones, as well as the ammo for it, before feeling for her own, empty AR on her back. She nodded, then saw Daisy drop back in from the top hatch, grinning. She slid her helmet on her head, then wordlessly helped her friend up off her ass. She racked the bolt of her rifle, then said "We're about to stop at a seemingly abandoned depot in this massive city. I used the polarization function of my helmet and zoomed in a bit. It's full of the assholes of the group the ones we killed in here were part of."
"I see." Cal nodded, readying her rifle "So... We kill'em all?"
Daisy nodded with a wild grin, readying a pair of swords she retrieved for the Corpses, which to her were basically rather large knives. Her two rifles and a handgun were holstered, the former on her back and the latter on her thigh, as they readied to get out. They took positions side to side and readied their weapons when the train began to slow... And the grinding gears screeched against the rails...
The girls felt the deceleration hit and balanced themselves out as it stopped. The doors of the cart slid open and the first soldier gasped... Climbing inside, a young woman with deer antlers on her head was stiff, tears rolling down her cheeks as she saw the piled-up corpses in the corner... Cal and Daisy nodded and the girl between them wept no more as the red-wearing blonde cut across the girl's chest in a cross, before kicking the corpse out of the wagon before it even fell to the ground. Call popped up and opened fire with her assault rifle. Soldiers found themselves in need to dodge the bullets, diving behind the cover of armored vehicles, transport aircraft and sandbags in the depot building itself.
Several fell before they got into cover. Others were wounded. A grenade flew from the belt of Daisy and exploded behind the cover of a pair of enemy troopers, who got sent flying. Then, Daisy surged forth under Cal's covering fire, jumping over cover, spinning and severing the heads of two other soldiers, before she landed on top of a third, crushing the ribcage with her boot. She stabbed another through the chest and threw the corpse off the sword into a group of its allies, throwing off their aim as she decapitated each and every one of them with perfect slashes.
Cal charged forward too, stepping over cover and emptying magazines in groups of Fang troops who tried to engage them with heavier armament. Bullets pinged off her armor as she saw a group of riflemen that was able to form up. Daisy was also taking fire from a sniper on a nearby catwalk. The girl didn't hesitate to holster her sword, then draw her handgun and snap off two shots that sent the sharpshooter tumbling over the catwalk.
A Feedback Loop played into Cal's com device and she gritted her teeth, then said "I think they're either jamming us or calling for backup!"
"Eitherway, no time to hide in here." Daisy returned. The girl's Motion Tracker lit up as a squadron of about 20 more troopers poured into the main warehouse, rifles raised and ready. They opened up, emptying magazines as the Spartans dashed, dodged, bobbed, weaved, shot and stabbed through them. Daisy caught four with clean cuts from her blades, threw one of the swords, pinning a fifth on a wall and left the second sword with a taller, more burly bastard, specifically lodged in his throat, the full face mask broken as the corpse collapsed.
She then drew her handgun and joined Cal in snapping back shots at the enemy, while she also kicked and punched. Six more fell within the span of seconds. Others tried to retreat, reform and regroup. Eight remaining... Cal dumped a magazine, five remaining... Daisy's pistol thundered and that made three remaining... The Spartans backed them into a corner, weapons aimed at them, then Cal asked "Why'd your friends aboard the train shoot at us, boys?"
"... What?" One of the soldiers noted, surprised.
"You heard her, asshole. Why did your buds aboard the train light us up? This could've gone on without bloodshed and we gave the guys a chance, but hell if they'd listen" Daisy explained, cocking back the handgun's hammer. One of them planted a palm on her face and shook her head, before saying "Those guys best be thankful they're dead..." and going for her own handgun... Daisy was faster on the draw.
As their friend dropped dead, the two remaining ones fell to their knees, shocked by the speed of the Spartan, and raised their hands... Before one of the grinned as an engine revved in the background... Cal rolled her eyes, then showed Daisy to go ahead and... Deal with... She slowly turned... Both saw a burly man, clad in a sleeveless uniform, with a full-face mask and carrying a power tool in the form of a weapon.
"Aw, fu-" Daisy spoke, before the bastard charged her, raising the power drill turned weapon to attack her. The Spartan dodged several strikes, before kicking away the weapon, jumping onto it and stabbing into the Lieutenant... Only to find her knife almost dulled by some invisible forcefield... The man threw a backhand which Daisy caught in her own hand, before twisting the arm as Cal joined in to suppress the man.
Cal was quick to disarm the man, before grabbing his other arm and snapping it at the elbow, before kicking him in the face with enough strength for his mask to crack and whatever forcefield was over him to dissipate in a flash of black. The man shook his head, then gasped as he saw a fist cocked back... And Cal and Daisy knocked his ass out with lighter punches.
"Think we gotta let him to the cops?" Daisy asked, standing up.
"Why ya ask?" Cal returned.
"I mean... These guys seem like terrorists, not local militia. Police?" Daisy offered.
"Why not...?" Cal shrugged, then the two turned toward the doors. Daisy took out a demo charge she had on her belt, placed it on one of what seemed to be the fuel dumps, then noticed Cal staring at her. She shrugged to her friend, who planted a palm on her visor as they walked toward the exit. As they left the warehouse and closed the door behind them, the girls found themselves amid massive markets, stores and tall commercial buildings made of glass, stone and concrete. Night was falling and crystalline light fixtures began to illuminate the street blue...
"... Guess we're going around the back alleys for now. Gotta find our way to somewhere hidden." Cal spoke calmly. Daisy nodded in agreement and the two moved toward one of the dark alleys off the beaten path, so to speak... The young Spartans strolled through the city's back alleys for a good amount of time... And would stroll until tomorrow morning, at least...
At Beacon
As night fell, John scrambled to his com device. Cortana began playing a song that Chief recognized all too well. Her face appeared on his scroll's screen, grinning as she said "Ladies and Gentleman, we got'em." before displaying the ID Tag and a sound mixer. The song came from Daisy's communication device as the SOS pinged on. Cortana then pulled up a map on the screen and said "They're in Vale... Must've taken a train."
"Where exactly?" Chief asked in whisper as Kelly and Linda joined him.
"Commercial District. About a two hour flight from here. They're in com range, however, if you want to ping them..." Cortana offered, smiling. Kelly and Linda looked at the chief, who nodded to Cortana. She smirked, then said "Linking MJOLNIR Com array to the Scroll and earpieces. Handshake accepted. Your words, John, we got a link with the duet of girls."
"..." John breathed in, then exhaled and prayed... Prayed... For the first time in his life, that these were actually two other Spartans, not some ghosts his Armor made up, then spoke softly "Olly Olly Oxen Free. All in the Free. We're all free." and heard a cheer in his earpiece. Daisy was happy, thankfully. Linda and Kelly grinned, then heard the voice of Cal.
"We hear you loud and clear... That you, Chief?" Cal's soft, melodious voice came over the earpieces. The male Spartan's answer was a quick and concise "Yes." which allowed another cheer from Daisy, this one louder... And with expletives. The Spartans chuckled as they overheard the voiceovers, before Cal once again spoke "Thank God... How soon can you come pick us up, Chief?"
"Come tomorrow. For now it's curfew where I am and it'd be odd for me to leave... I'll explain everything you need to know when we come to pick you girls up tomorrow." John answered calmly. He looked to Kelly and Linda and asked "Tomorrow is Saturday, isn't it?" and got a nod from both girls. He spoke again to Cal and Daisy "Tomorrow, afternoon."
"Got it." Cal noted. "We'll be holding nearby where we are. Just tell us when."
"I'll ping you, girls." the Chief noted. "Good to have you back."
"... We're happy to be back, Chief..." The girl spoke. "We'll wait for the signal. Cal, out." And the com line cut. Kelly and Linda high-fived and John actually smiled himself, leaning his head on his hand. Cortana herself was smiling, but also processing the event. Cal and Daisy had been tagged as MIA 30 years ago. Now,they come back to life on a foreign alien planet. Foreign to the UNSC at least. John had been gathering info on it for a while now.
"Can't believe two MIA Spartans are actually back..." Kelly noted, smiling. "And it's two more girls. Ain't that lucky, Chief?"
"I don't see your point, but yes, I'm genuinely glad to know that more of our comrades are coming back." John observed, standing up and staring out at the night sky as the broken moon once more rose over them. "Still, can't help but ask myself how this was possible... 30 years, girls. 30 damn years of them being tagged MIA and they just appear one day on a world we're on..."
"It is kind of weird... But I imagine Cortana's already processing it. This world is sort of infused with Magic, though, so weird things are bound to happen." Linda offered her point of view. "What do you think your teammates are gonna say when they find out two more Spartan gals arrived?" She then asked. Chief shrugged. He knew all too well that this'd mean a big surprise...
"I guess we'll find out come tomorrow morning." Shrugged Kelly.
But something else was brewing...
In Vale, near the agricultural district, a young man, with white hair and amber eyes, was walking about in the dead of night. In his hand, a Scroll, in his vision, a young girl and her mother. He walked toward and stopped them in the way with a "Hello, madam. I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a couple of questions." to which the woman, a Faunus, nodded and said "Ask away, young man."
He smiled, then nodded "I was going to ask... Did you, or your daughter, happen to see anything coming down from the sky in the last week? Say something crashing nearby one of the outer CCT Beacons?"
"Oh, that! Yes, I did!" The woman nodded. "And I don't know if you'll believe me, because I know my neighbors didn't, but some big armored fellow, almost Atlas in design, moved into the city, from the direction of the crash site. Went into the Alleyways nearby... And my daughter, the little rascal..." She tugged at the girl's arm, smiling "Said she saw the armored man leave with a ginger-haired girl."
The man kept the smile, but felt his heart sink "Oh, thank you, madam. Have a nice evening."
"You too, young man." The woman waved as the man walked away... He put his Scroll up to his ear, then spoke calmly "Someone came from the Crash Site... Probably had the Flame with him." before pausing, but walking. He continued "Yes, yes, I know... Someone I asked said that our mysterious armored friend was seen with a little ginger-haired girl... I'll deal with it, Weser. For now, I'm still gathering intel... I'll report back to you when I've got more concrete info. See you in a week."
He shut off the scroll "Son of a bitch..."