The Rabbit and the Wolfe
Over 2000 views! Keep it up people! How did you awesome folks like the last chapter? Let me know! I WANT YO THOUGHTS! The majority of chapter 11 will be the fight with the scarab and the attack on the keep. It might be a little longer than usual, but that is of no consequence to me. So without further bothering you with endless prattle, on with the action!
11. Scarabs and Hand Me Downs
Sanghelios
Surface (Outside 'Satinee Keep)
The ultra-heavy assault platform had positioned itself in the gap between the two forked bridges, using each side to support its massive legs. The sounds of battle rose into the air like a tsunami, crashing over the defenders and drowning out all other voices in the intelligible cries. The Covenant excavating laser churned up molten dirt, burnt armor and charred flesh and bone as it carved its way through the hillside.
Then it got worse.
Troops exploded from the keep, both foot soldiers and vehicles. The growls, war cries, and the whine of Covenant attack craft added to the maelstrom of pandemonium that assaulted their ears. Racing past the sturdy legs of the scarab, they charged onward, eager to feed their bloodlust for heretical flesh. Plasma mortars rained down searing blue-white death as scattered plasma bolts shot past the combined coalition of allied troops.
A thunder of almost equal measure flared up from the Spartans side as tanks and warthogs unleashed their payloads with deadly accuracy. A staccato of sniper fire soon joined their brothers, cutting down the alien creatures with ruthless efficiency. Palmer and the Arbiter had quickly leapt into the chaos to direct their troops, leaving Blue Team to their own devices. Raha and the spec ops elite had also been lost in the fray, quickly blending in with others of their kind.
Blue Team was faced with a dilemma: How to go about killing the Scarab. There weren't any tall structures to jump onto its 'back' nor were the legendary Spartans eager to rush headlong into an army of Covenant. But Master Chief's legendary luck still held its composure. Hidden in the back of the rocky plateau, covered from the boiling inferno of plasma was a barrel. But not just any barrel. The tan and brown spotted barrel of a M820 Scorpion Main Battle Tank. Actually, there were two of them.
Master Chief blazed past the dead and the dying, promising them that their deaths would not be in vain. Sure, he was no stranger to death or fear, acknowledging it as a possibility and pushing it aside to focus on the mission. Eliminating that scarab tank was his objective. And he was not about to fail.
Hauling himself up to the cockpit with practiced ease he slid his somewhat bulky frame into the enclosed space and sealed the hatch with a small thunk and a hiss. Although the old M808 was a tight fit, meant for Marines and ODST's, the M820 had Spartans in mind during its construction. Besides weighing half as much, the newer version had a much larger cockpit to accommodate the larger armored bodies of the Spartan supersoldiers. The iconic veteran hit the ignition and the tank rumbled to life. He quickly doubled checked its systems as it linked to his suit, displaying ammunition counters, armor integrity and the bio readings of every member of the crew, all of which were currently green and good to go.
The clunking sound of metal footsteps echoed around his head as the controls shifted slightly in his grip. Another Spartan had settled themselves into the turret on the front of the tank. Without looking, he knew it was Fred. The scorpion beside him rumbled to life as well. Kelly was driving and Sandra was currently double checking the turret. Linda had summarily disappeared, most likely looking for a higher vantage point with her sniper.
Easing their way out of the small cave, the two tanks carefully tread between the corpses, taking care not to mutilate any of them. Advancing up to the rear of the Arbiter's forces, they let the Covenant have it. The high explosive shells screamed over their allies and slammed into the lead Wraith. He didn't even have time to scream, if anyone could hear him, as the alien armor exploded in a violet ball of fire. Cheers broke out among some of the greener Marines as their hero rolled up to them. Soldiers climbed onto the treads, training their rifles onto the incoming enemies.
The two armies clashed, bullets ripping through flesh and bone as plasma boiled away armor. The scarab was forced to fire in short bursts at the rear of the encampment to preserve its own forces. Scorpions and Warthogs charged across the light bridges, the pounding of boots right behind them. Body parts rained down around them as both human and alien met untimely ends. Deciding the victor would be a long, drawn out crusade. A cruel game of King of the Hill.
The irony was not lost to Kelly as she depressed the triggers once again. The tank shuddered in glee as another 90mm HE (High Explosive) tungsten shell ripped past a group of grunts, straight into a pair of hunters, blowing them and anyone located near to them clear apart.
"Tank beats Hunter!" One Marine shouted happily.
Sandra smiled at his cheerfulness. The chaingun roared in front of her, spewing a stream of golden death wherever she pointed it. Just like scrubbing the decks, she thought as she swept the weapon beck and forth, bisecting many of the creatures and clearing the bridge for them to move up. But clearing the path was a double edged sword: less Covenant to deal with, but that meant the scarab had more leeway to vaporize them with its weapons.
Like some call from the heavens. The scarab once again charged its main weapon. Burnt ozone lingered in the air as the menacing machine bored upon the troops on the bridge. She thought it no longer cared about collateral damage. Kelly saw the finger pointed above, even before Sandra's concerned voice struck her. Yanking back on the turret control, she pushed the tank to its limit, craning the turret up to the glowing green beam above them. The Spartans crushed the fleeing troops underfoot as they launched shell after shell into the main cannon. The Marines on their flanks were mercilessly pounding the heavy excavator beam with their rockets and other heavy weapons as it slowly carved its way through their lines like a giant scalpel.
Scarabs were extremely durable. The could withstand massive amounts of punishment and still ruin your day. Unfortunately, the Covenant engineers who designed this machine forgot one key concept: No matter how tough you armor is, the joints connecting the pieces must be able to withstand the same pressures. That was not so for this scarab, as gauss cannons and rockets tore the front two legs apart. The entire machine shuddered and collapsed forward, set off balance by the sudden absence of its front legs. Kelly and the other Spartans were only able to escape being crushed be slamming the tanks into reverse. Although it was out of commission, they still had the problem with actually moving past it.
"Master Chief, you still there?" Palmer's voice broke the relative silence.
"Affirmative, Commander."
"Blue Team has been tasked with clearing out the welcoming committee that is surely lying in wait. Take what troops you can and storm the castle, Chief. 058 will meet up with the Arbiter and follow you in, cleaning up whatever you missed.
"Understood, ma'am." He popped the hatch and pulled himself out of 30 tons of armor. Fred and the faces of four tired, but determined Marines greeted him. Looking out across the bay, he could spot the other two Spartans climbing out of their own tank. We're splitting up. This thought was quickly filed away as he jumped from the tank, his boots landing solidly on the bridge that seemed to hum with life.
He opened the TEAMCOM channel as he unslung his assault rifle.
"Move up and secure an entrance." Acknowledgement lights winked green, signaling that the other Spartans had accepted the order.
Sanghelios
Planet Surface (Inside 'Satinee Keep)
If Sandra had been thankful for anything on this mission so far, it would have been that they had yet to be ambushed, unlike the Covenant capital ship. They had gone loud from the moment they blew the doors apart to enter the 'Satinee Keep. They were currently fighting their way through what seemed to be some sort of courtyard. Tall, overbearing arches cast looming shadows on the humans, creeping vines and vegetation of all sorts had rooted itself into almost every surface, except those of metal origin.
She peeked around an ornately decorated wall to determine the position of the snipers pinning them down, only to duck back around, milliseconds before a sizable chunk of the smooth stone was splintered by a beam rifle. She cursed under her breath. Without being able to escape from the wall she was trapped behind, she couldn't support her team. The Marines were doing fairly well on their own. They had pushed themselves into a small shed-like structure and had been able to keep the advancing aliens at bay. Their weapons growled and barked, like a pack of hungry animals, as they cut down anything that dared to approach.
Multiple explosions shook Kelly's body violently, but never lost her footing. From her position she could see both Sandra and the Marines. The four troopers that had joined them were doing well for themselves, staying out of the snipers' line of sight. However, Sandra had been caught out in the open, and was crouched behind a short wall which was quickly shortening in height from the combined fire of the angry defenders. Scanning the layout beyond her purple friend, she spotted a what she was looking for: a way up. A brute had been conveniently standing next to a cluster of plasma coils when one of the ODST's turned him into a bottle rocket with the bounce of a frag off the stone tiles.
The crumbling wall had been gutted by the blast, miraculously keeping it mostly intact, aside from a sizeable chunk that she could easily maneuver up. Sprinting around the outskirts of the foliage-covered courtyard, she reached the wall in just under 15 seconds. Every one counts, she chanted to herself as her thrusters activated, providing the extra lift needed to reach the first handhold. Startled squawks met the Spartan's ears as green plasma and needles washed over her armor. She ignored the slight pain and the spike in temperature as she pulled herself over a small ledge halfway up, inadvertently rolling under a plasma grenade that one of the scouts had tossed her way. Initiating her thrusters once again, she covered the small ledge in just a few short bounds. Launching herself high into the air, her frontal thrusters automatically kicked in, preventing her from dropping to the ground, as her rear ones overcharged themselves.
Frantic, wild shots bounced harmlessly off the scout's shields as an airborne Spartan was terrifying. Releasing the pent up energy just as the forward jets gave out, she rocketed towards the frightened jackals as they scurried to flee the miniature human asteroid. Some flung themselves off the wall as others threw their comrades towards Kelly like a sacrificial offering. In the end it mattered little. Nearly half a ton of armor, muscle and bone smashed into the stone barricade, creating an offshoot of spider web cracks. Two of the creatures were caught underfoot and summarily smashed to a pulp, purple gore exploding outward in every direction.
Kelly scrambled to her feet as the prattle of gunfire broke out once again. Crouching out in the open was a good way to get killed. One of the avian creatures had been paralyzed with fear, as Spartans were not known for flying. She was on him before he could react. Stomping on its knee, Kelly heard bone snap as the limb was rendered useless. Its shrieks of pain were cut short when the spines of its needler punctured the creatures throat. Kelly tossed the lifeless body aside and sighted in the nearest Covenant soldier below. A steady stream of pink, explosive needles followed her reticle as the hunted the confused creatures below.
"Anything?" Kelly asked.
"Scans are clear. Nothing on visual either." Sandra and the others had cleared the courtyard, fighting their way through a large open room beyond. The six humans had cleared it with little difficulty, the open area providing ample room for the Spartans to let loose with their carbines. Currently they were situated in a narrow, winding corridor that seemed to stretch on forever. The purple and blue lighting cast a cool, almost relaxing glow onto the armored combatants.
"Ma'am, sarge said the Arbiter is on the move now." One of the ODST's, a private by the name of Tugoto, called out. Kelly nodded and motioned them forward. They crept along lit hallway as quietly as they could. It was difficult to be perfectly silent in almost 1000 lbs. of armor. As they approached a door on the left, Kelly bumped shoulders with Sandra. The gesture was lost to the blonde woman until Kelly indicated what she wanted with a few quick gestures.
The fluid motions captivated Sandra. Practiced till they became second nature, Kelly's hands flowed like liquid, a white river of quick movements that hinted at a great deal more. A story, legend even, that spanned more than three decades of blood and loss, victory and defeat, good times and bad. As she ignited the sword she carried, her thoughts drifted to her older, white companion, wondering if she would ever share any of that fountain of knowledge 087 had acquired over the years.
As they stacked up on the first door, Sandra began cutting through with the sword. The process was much more tedious, to be sure, but the method was much quieter, and left any occupants inside alive and unharmed. This was a concern, for although they had entered enemy territory, there may be innocent bystanders, and spraying them with molten shrapnel was not the way to greet them. Kelly hated times like these. Waiting. Waiting allowed for a soldier to think, and for Kelly, that was never a good thing, especially in a hostile environment. But she couldn't help herself. Damn faulty implants.
What is going on with me? My responses have been…slow lately. Is it my implants? Well, that is certainly a possibility, but it doesn't cover all of the variables. My hesitation, freezing up, how do you explain that? Sandra is certainly interesting. Sandra?! Where did that come from? What happened to Spartan Wolfe?
…
…
…
She grew frustrated with herself as her chastising continued. She wanted to bang her head against a wall, but restrained herself, if only by sheer willpower.
What about her is so alluring? Alluring?! The grip on her weapon tightened considerably, almost to the point of crushing the metal frame. Stay on mission, that's the only thing that matters now. I can figure this 'malfunction' out later. Pushing clouds of self-doubt away she came face to face with a door with a large hole in the center and her other teammates missing.
One by one, they filed out of the small room, coming face to face with 087. Kelly hoped her distraction was not noticed and they only thought she was covering their backs. Three green blinks from Sandra's status light confirmed that fact. Kelly clenched her teeth in frustration with her lack of situational awareness and took point, leading the troops deeper into the luminous corridor.
Situational awareness is a funny thing. Being aware of your surroundings is critical in a combat environment. But yet, viewing it through a scope from more than a mile away gives that person a sense of detachment. To the soldier, the figures moving around are just targets. At least that was Linda's belief. But that detachment faded into the background the closer that person is to the actual fight itself.
Linda had often liked the solitude and quiet comfort of sniping. It gave her a sense of peace and calmness. Such serenity was disrupted when she was forced to enter the chaotic mess of frontline combat. It was not that she couldn't function in such situations or was any less skilled, she just appreciated the quiet.
But the mission came before any personal concerns she may hold. That was why she moved with the Arbiter and his forces, stepping over bodies. Unlike John, she shared Kelly's advertence to Covenant weaponry. Picking up something that had led to the slaying of her Spartan comrades for the past three decades did not seem to be the way to honor their memory. Speaking of sisters… Kelly has been acting unlike her usual self these past few weeks. Ever since… ever since Spartan Wolfe was attached to Blue Team. But what would the Spartan-IV's arrival have anything to do with her emotional instability? Even if she liked the younger soldier, which was a remote possibility at best, Kelly should have remained professionally detached. But Kelly's continuous errant behavior did not settle well in the veteran sniper's stomach. Could there be a physical variable to her actions? The doctor told us she was perfectly healthy, and Kelly reinforced her statement. Any injury would have shown on her bio readings. Her implants would have detected… and just like that a lightbulb flipped on in the Spartan's head. She relayed a message to the Master Chief that she had an urgent matter to discuss. He quickly opened a private channel.
"Linda." His tone was flat, but the redhead knew him better than that. She could see the questioning tone behind his words.
"We may have a problem. It's Kelly."
"Explain."
"Not here. Once were back on the Infinity."
"Understood. What is your location?"
"375 meters and closing."
"Acknowledged. Sierra 117 out." The coms went silent once again. She pushed thoughts of her combat sister out of her mind and focused on the mission. She followed the Arbiter through the remains of a bullet-ridden door, watching the numbers above Spartan 117's position slowly tick down.
The Master Chief examined his team as they stacked up beside a large set of ornate doors. Purple and blue holographic glyphs swirled around each other in intricate, almost delicate patterns. The symbols may have been of interest to Cortana, but humanity's hero had no interest in them. The Arbiter had only brought a small party of Elites with him, which made Chief's job easier. Less people meant less mistakes. Not that he didn't trust the Arbiter or his special ops soldiers, but his instincts kept him on edge. Three of the four ODST's had made the trip. The final one had been impaled by a stray shot from a brute during their push through the keep. John had paid the fallen trooper respects and gave his dog tags to his comrade, which she accepted with a pained smile.
He had tried to raise Kelly and Sandra over the coms, but received nothing but complete silence in return. Although he wasn't worried, it was certainly not common for any Spartan, especially one of Kelly's caliber. The older Spartans exchanged a few quick nods as the Elites set the last of the charges.
"Arbiter, are you ready?" the only female ODST asked, a corporal Dil.
"We are ready, Corporal." The Elites around him let out a few grunts in agreement.
She gave a nod in understanding before turning to Fred. "Master Chief?" The group was pierced by silence for but a moment by a non-verbal conformation by the Spartan commander.
"BREACHING!" She ducked behind a brute's mangled remains as her vision went white and a rumble seemed to shake the ground beneath their feet, threatening to split it in half. Needless to say, the breaching charges did what they were designed to do, blowing the doors inward, the dense material acting as a makeshift guillotine for anything fleshy caught in its wake. The Chief's green boots were the first through the new hole, his eyes searched the room for any hostiles, his rifle following alongside. The room he had entered seemed to be what remained of a motor pool. The pool was divided up into individual cells that extended all the way down to the other end, which must have been almost 75 meters. Plasma fields flickered and faded in and out of existence as their power supplies sputtered and sparked. Large arms extended up between the cells that held some kind of vehicle harness. The plasma hooks were organically shaped, most likely containing Banshees. Most of the vehicles were missing, but what remained were smoldering wrecks.
The good news was that any enemies they may have encountered were already dead. As the others followed through, they too took in the ferocious sight of the carnage before them. John's visor blurred momentarily with static before clearing. The edges were still clouded, but at least he could see. Some of the ODST's shook their heads, he guessed they were trying to clear their own vision as well. If he was one to gamble, he would bet his life savings that the Covenant had set up a jammer somewhere deeper inside the complex. For what reason he could only guess.
"Fan out." His gravelly baritone set the human troopers into motion. The Swords followed close behind, covering their shorter allies. He approached the closest group of dead. Most of the aliens had been torn to shreds by grenades but a couple of the grunts were missing their heads. Not from a grenade, but something more focused. Something like a shotgun. Kelly. His musings were interrupted by the shouts of Corporal Dil.
"Chief! Chief get over here!" Most of the group clustered around the two figures, only a few of the Elites stood outside the huddle to guard their backs. Chief crouched beside the kneeling soldier. He had a solid grip on the bloody gauntlet of the other ODST. He had removed his helmet and had a smile on his face, in spite of his injuries and the blood that trickled down his chin. John noticed the Gunnery Sergeant patch engraved on the shoulder of his armor.
"You're a sight for sore eyes. I was wondering when the cavalry would get here." His small chuckle quickly morphed into a coughing fit as droplets of blood splattered onto the metal floor.
"What happened Sergeant?" Master Chief's voice filtered through his helmet, reassuring the aged ODST.
"Damn Covies ambushed us again. The bastards just love to do that, don't they?" His eyes twitched towards the Arbiter before refocusing on the Master Chief. "Some bastard named Gregory, Lore, Porridge… doesn't matter what it was. Anyway, we would have been dead right out of the gate if your Spartans had not spotted the little twerps that followed him. Tugoto and Naples went down immediately. Herks should be somewhere over there." A shaky arm pointed in the direction of the third downed special ops soldier. Sure enough, Chief glanced up to see said soldier pinned to the remains of a ghost via an Energy Sword.
"We gave 'em hell though. Mike Foxtrots had to fight for every inch. Needle got me in the side. I'm out of the game, but the other two took off after the tango. Never seen Spartans fight with such synchronization. It's like they were two halves of the same person." He remained silent accept for the sounds of his ragged breathing. He slowly, painstakingly twisted his arm until the soldier holding it had his palm face up. The sergeant placed his tags into the young man's hand and closed his fingers over it. He gave a small smile before his eyes glazed over and he shut them for the final time. The young soldier stored the tags in a pocket of his armor before standing up.
"Orders, Chief?" His voice was strained, but remained unbroken.
"We have two Spartans to find and a jammer to destroy."
Sanghelios
Planet Surface (Qivro Plains)
Gror had always hated the humans. They were slow, they were weak, and they were just plain ugly. But over the years he had come to respect, even admire, their cunning and ferocity. As one of his mentors once told him: The cornered beast fights the hardest. He never fully understood this concept as a young commander, slaughtering the smaller, pink creatures by the thousands. But that all changed after the Covenant had made their way to a human colony named 'Reach'. Hunting for what the Prophets had called a "Holy Relic", what he believed was a wasted species created as a joke by the gods fought back. Hard. What started out as the beginnings of a massacre quickly morphed into an all-out bloodbath.
This is where Ekan's second in command had encountered his first SPARTAN. He had heard rumors of these towering creatures, whispered among the ranks, as if anything louder than that would draw the creatures out of the shadows to slaughter them. He had foolishly ignored the talk of these 'Demons', blowing them off as shaky nerves of the fresh recruits. Boy was he wrong. Gror had never feared anyone, not even his commanders. But this SPARTAN, this 'Demon', frightened him. Standing almost toe-to-toe with him, they fought like no other creature he had ever seen. But what scared him the most was the fact the faceless monsters didn't taunt, didn't flaunt their abilities, didn't even show emotion. They just killed. They were machines, an unstoppable force of destruction. They did not shout, they did not flee, and they didn't show fear.
Though he nearly died, he managed to kill the creature. He was stunned speechless when he discovered this faceless beast was a human. From then on, he came to respect their smaller enemies. He had told no one, but the 'Demons' (what he later found out were called SPARTANS) still struck fear into his heart. That fear is what propelled his hooves forward as he tried to lose the two hot on his tail. He had fled the keep in a ghost when he found out that the Arbiter's forces had successfully breached the walls. That was not before he decided to ambush some of the humans that had made him look like a fool. His troops had ambushed the small party at the motor pool. During the fight, Gror managed to kill the four black soldiers, but at the loss of his entire party. Sensing the hopelessness of the situation, he ran. The three vehicles had blazed across the rocky plains intent on finishing him off. Luckily, he made it to a rock maze. The natural labyrinth housed a phantom equipped with a slipspace drive, primed and ready for launch. Unfortunately, in order for him to make a safe takeoff, at least one that didn't involve him dying, landed on the frightening facts: he would have to eliminate both Spartans.
Brandishing a plasma pistol and his energy sword, he wove his way through the maze of rock, losing the two perusing humans in the process. He loved, but hated this retreat. The rare metals in the rocks added as a giant magnetic field, blocking communications, scanners, and any iteration of tracking equipment. The Spartans would have to rely on their senses. Luckily, his cloak was not damaged in the pursuit. He faded into the surrounding earth as he began to stalk his prey.
Sandra eased herself through another narrow passage. Firearms were useless in this enclosed, winding maze of rubble. Her liberated sword was a bit ungainly in the cramped spaces, but it was better than nothing. Kelly had no such armaments. Sandra knew she could more than handle herself, but was not about to take any chances. As if Kelly could read her mind, the scout spoke up.
"These passages are producing a weak magnetic field. No trackers. Stay sharp."
She winked her light once and continued to creep forward, heavy boots crushing the broken shale beneath it. She strained her eyes and ears in an effort to pick up the smallest of sounds. As if out of nowhere the crackling of plasma and a flash of green lit up the younger Spartan's vision before the green blob washed over her compatriot's visor. Temporarily blinded, Kelly stumbled around as struggled to regain her footing. A blue, glowing orb quickly followed. Sandra didn't even think, just reacted. Tackling the scout to the ground, she watched as the grenade sailed inches over where she stood a moment before. Sandra ducked her head as it detonated. The white hot plasma washed over her armor as her shields braved the heat. The sudden rise in temperature caused her to sweat and she could feel the blisters beginning to form.
She knew she was in a bad spot. She rolled off her teammate, intending to get back on her feet. Only she didn't. A lance of burning pain went from her leg, all the way up her back and finished by cutting into her shoulder. Blood, bodily fluids and hydrostatic gel pooled on the stone as Sandra fought to stay in the fight. She knew the blade had not cut that deep, else she would have been dead. Her body disagreed as she felt like every nerve in her back had been set alight. Not to mention the blaring warnings and sparking remains of her shields. Striding over to the fallen Spartans was a black armored elite, a plasma pistol in one hand, a sword in the other. He raised his blade over Kelly, intending to impale her, when she lashed out. Kicking him in the human equivalent of an ankle, Gror roared in pain and dropped to one knee. He took a swipe at her legs but she was already on her feet, fists raised. Kelly reached for her sidearm but an uppercut from the elite's sword forced her to twist sideways to avoid being cut in half. The elite clearly had the advantage as he pushed Kelly back with the pistol while keeping her at range with the blade.
Kelly knew this fight wasn't going her way. This particular elite was cunning and smart, a deadly combination. Without the use of her weapons, she couldn't get close enough to disarm him, nor could she turn and run without getting blasted in the back. As she bumped into something solid, the elite gave a visible smile.
"Nowhere to run, Demon."
The words just left his mouth when his shields start to flare as gunfire rang out behind him. Snarling in anger, Gror turned to face the new threat. Kelly took her chance, rushing the enemy before her. She grabbed his wrist, only to be met with a powerful punch to the stomach. The wind was knocked from her lungs and her grip slackened. She was forcefully yanked around to act as a shield. Her armor intercepted the last of the clip, and was summarily shoved towards the other Spartan. The narrow confines weren't of any help as Kelly was shoved roughly to the side. The clash of encased plasma could be heard ringing behind her. Quickly spinning around, Kelly aimed her magnum strait at the elite. Being nearly a foot taller than his opponent was not an advantage during this engagement as Gror flinched as the rounds bounced off his shields. With another snarl, he crouched slightly making him a harder target, as plasma swords slammed against each other. Angry red gashes were gouged into the rock as their swings met nothing but air.
Sandra surged forward, hoping to get the elite to raise his sword for an overarching slash that would leave him exposed. Instead they locked wrists, fighting for dominance. Things soon descended into chaos as they began slamming each other into the surrounding walls, trying to loosen their grip. Kelly threw away the empty handgun and waited for an opening. When he turned his back to her, she took it. She climbed up the back of his armor and began to pound his shields with her fist. The alien tried to reach up to pry her off, but found his hands to be otherwise occupied. Any thoughts filled with fear were quickly replaced with sensations of pain as a knee connected with his crotch. A follow up uppercut made him see stars. His eyes widened in panic as he felt gloved hands wrap around his head. As much as his muscles tried to fight it, his neck was no match for the raw strength of a SPARTAN-II. Kelly snapped his head like a twig, twisting far more than the Sangheili's spinal column would allow. The three bodies tumbled to the ground, the contact between the two Spartans no longer was able to hold their weight.
Kelly rolled off the elite's corpse and shoved its body away with her foot, extending a hand to Blue 5. Sandra gave a quick nod and took a step forward, only to find the ground spinning beneath her feet. She stumbled forward off balance, but was caught before she could tumble to the dirt. The scout hoisted her arm around Sandra's waist and held her other one over her shoulders. As they slowly stumbled along, Kelly couldn't help thinking something about this felt…right. Not about the situation but the contact itself. It was strange. She had helped, even carried, her brothers and sisters during their years of training, but none of them ever drew…whatever this was out of her. Kelly just added it to the quickly growing list of questions to ask Dr. Cassidy.
Without any trackers or waypoints, they were effectively lost in the maze. It was only by sheer luck that the duo stumbled upon the hidden Covenant craft nestled away in a cave. Hauling her teammate with her, they boarded the ship only to find that it was empty. Kelly tried to get Sandra to rest in one of the small cabin-like rooms, but the blonde was having none of it. But Kelly refused to relent. In the end a combination of exhausting, injuries, and an order from a ranking officer set the purple Spartan off to the land of dreams as Kelly set the ship on a course to the Infinity.
Come Back Next Time!
How did you like it? Leave your reviews and don't forget to follow and favorite as well! Sorry it took me a month to update this. It was a combination of school, life, work and the procrastination master: Halo 5. If the writing is not my best, I'm sorry. Its almost 3 am and I need my sleep. Feel free to PM me with any questions, concerns, or critiques. Till next time! Peace out!
Easter Eggs (chapter 10):
When Fred asks Sandra if she's ok, this is an exact mirror to when Fred asks MC if his is alright in the cutscene before mission 2 of Halo 5: Blue Team.