Author's Note:Well, I have some explaining to do for this story. I'm part of a text based role-play site called Advanced Halo Unlimited. On our site is a section for fanfiction. I've been a fan of fanfiction (ha) for years, so I decided to try my hand at it It's a crossover of sorts, containing the supervillain of my favorite author, and the original characters created by myself and other members of AHU. And so, after some revisions, updates, and spelling corrections, here is the fruit of my labor. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Halo, Randall Flagg, or certain characters presented in this fanfic. Save for Flagg, these characters are used with permission.
The Gathering and the Storm
Part 11: The Massacre
Senior Chief Andrew Greer-032 exited the Pelican with Alexia and the squad of marines they'd been riding with. The 18th Recon Battalion was assembling its forces in a field on the planet of Orion 7, the supposed location of Target Romeo Foxtrot.
Three days
earlier
"Alright marines, listen up." said Lieutenant
Colonel Shelton. "Lately, several UNSC personnel have been taken
prisoner by rebel forces for reasons unknown. Until these attacks,
the rebels had been quiet for the past two months. ONI reports that,
during this time, rebel forces had been gathering at unknown
rally-points and moving to another unknown area. ONI sent a double
agent into the rebel forces in an attempt to figure out what the
hell's going on. The agent sent back information of a new rebel army
assembling on the abandoned planet of Orion 7. Apparently, somebody's
trying to assemble a grand army to take down the United Nations Space
Command. There were varying reports on the name of this individual:
Russell Faraday, Robert Forrester, Robert Fowler, and Randy Flagg.
This man has been designated Target Romeo Foxtrot, and he's your
primary objective. You're to capture him alive, and bring him here
for questioning. I can't make it any simpler, so let's move
out."
Andrew was helping the marines unload some
equipment from an Albatross when the Battalion Sergeant Major called
for a patrol. All of the patrols were to include one of the Spartans,
who'd take turns.
"I'll take the first one, you just go on
pack-mulling." Alexia said to Andrew.
"Don't step on any
land mines. I hear they're not exactly good for your health."
Andrew replied as he dropped another supply crate. Grinning under her
helmet, Alexia moved out with the squad, as well a platoon combat
engineer who had volunteered to come along. Walking into the
surrounding forest, Alexia took one last look at the marines before
they were out of sight. It was the last time she would ever see any
of those men.
Andrew soon dropped the last crate and let out a
sigh of relief. As he unshouldered his Battle Rifle, one of the
marines pointed to the sky.
"Holy shit dude, look!" he
said to another. Andrew followed the two marines' gaze to see a crow
fly overhead.
"What? It's just a crow." said marine
number 2.
"Yeah, but crows have been extinct on the planet
since everyone left. Shit, all of the animals have been
extinct since everyone left." Andrew suddenly felt uneasy
watching the crow. It soon landed on the ground not far from the
perimeter guards who never even gave it a second glance. There was
something odd about the crow: it had red eyes. Before he could think
about it any more, an extremely loud boom of thunder roared to the
north. Every last marine in the camp turned to that direction. What
worried everyone was the fact that the sky was perfectly clear. Not a
single cloud in the sky. Then, there was a white flash. Not
lightning, but some white flash that appeared from seemingly no
source. There was a cry of surprise that gained everyone's attention.
The perimeter guards, and soon everyone in the battalion, were aiming
their weapons at a man in blue clothing standing where the crow had
been. The Battalion Master Gunnery Sergeant stepped forward, his
shotgun at the ready. "Who the hell are you?" he asked. The
figure smiled revealing perfect white teeth. There was something
unsettling about that smile.
"I'm Randall Flagg. And I just
thought you'd all like to see me before you died." Before anyone
could say or do anything, the Master Guns's throat opened as if it
were hinged, and spewed blood everywhere. The marines were too
shocked to do anything. But not Andrew. He squeezed on the trigger of
his rifle...and nothing happened. In fact, he hadn't even squeezed.
He couldn't move at all.
Flagg smiled as his imagination became reality. The marines began opening up in several vital areas, spraying blood in steady streams all over each other and the grass. One screamed in agony as he intestines were ripped out of his stomach by an unseen hand, one end still in his body. He was then lifted and spun around by his innards before being slammed into a tree, his spine snapping like a twig. Another ripped out his own eyes, tongue, and ears before he shot himself in the throat with his own sidearm. Screams of pain, agony, and death filled Flagg's ears like music. Soon, all of the marines were dead.
Andrew was finally able
to move. He looked around to see nothing but a sea of red and purple.
He'd seen some pretty sick things on the battlefield, but this topped
them all. Andrew turned to see Flagg still standing there, not a drop
of blood on him. Without even thinking, Andrew raised his rifle,
aimed for Flagg's skull, and pulled the trigger. The three-round
burst fired, soared through the air, and stopped mere centimeters
from its target's face. Flagg simply glanced at the bullets before
tapping each of the and letting gravity drag them to the ground.
"That's not gonna help at all, Andy-boy." Flagg said.
Andrew then felt a sharp pain in his skull, and he slipped into the
blackness of unconsciousness.
