Chapter 20

November 22, 2552, 1105hrs, New York Military Facility, New York City, New York, United States, Planet Earth

Mike stood watching the rest of his team receiving their technical briefing on the Mjolnir Mark V armor with a note of pride. They'd earned the coveted and expensive upgrade through their actions on Mars and then recently in Cleveland. His heart soared that the Wolf Pack was no longer considered expendable soldiers but were key assets.

The Spartan supersoldier was in own new set of armor with Up-Armor plate in the same dark steel color as his own set. He'd only been out of it for a few hours and didn't have to be back in his Mjolnir since it was the others who needed the to be fit and receive the training but he wanted to be like them. Colonel Holland had offered him an upgrade, which he'd initially refused. The Armor Bay sergeant-major had looked with disdain at his battered and charred suit but to him it was home. He was happy that the RECON-class helmet he'd requisitioned before Reach had finally come in and liked the feel and functionality it gave him. But then he thought about moving forward and not living in the past and the decision had become easier. He accepted the new armor.

A technician was delivering the preliminary safety briefing explaining to the team how their neural interfaces were integrated into the mechanics of the power-assisted armor giving them advanced functionality. They were already zoning out Mike could see and though he should tell them to pay attention knew once they were suited up their focus would change. All but Maia were fidgeting excitedly in anticipation of getting at it already receiving a rebuke from the sergeant-major but they couldn't contain themselves, acting like kids on Christmas eve. Mike couldn't blame them though he did think back to Natalia who'd not paid attention to her lectures and had allowed the armor she'd worn to break down. But then she wasn't a Spartan and hadn't been enhanced so her suit had been modified so she could use it. The thoughtful man couldn't imagine how much that likely had cost and remembered his initial resentment of the privileged woman but things had changed. He'd helped her learn to be a soldier, out of self-preservation, and she'd been a capable and eager student. His feelings for her had grown in confused leaps and bounds though she'd fallen for him early on and waited for the feelings to become mutual.

I do love her, Mike thought to myself. I think I've forgotten this with everything going on. I expect her to be perfect when I'm far from it. I keep hiding behind my lack of experience but I'm not really working at it either, the deep-thinking man chided himself. He looked over at Melanie wearing tight fitting BDU's that accentuated her figure and wondered anew how she'd come out looking so good after augmentation. The Recon Spartan had come to watch the fun of the teenage Spartans trying to figure out the use of the armor which promised to be humorous.

Mike was glad Melanie wasn't coming with them. Yes, her experience had helped him and the team a lot on Mars and then when she'd acted as 2ic to the Wolf Pack in Cleveland but she'd also begun to indicate an interest beyond friendship in him despite the fact she knew about him and Natalia. This only confused the man who couldn't clarify his own feelings for the woman he'd known for years and had thought dead.

No, it'll be good to get to Africa and get some space from her, Mike thought to himself pragmatically. I need to get my head screwed on right with Natalia and I can't do that with Mel on my mind, he admitted honestly.

The sergeant-major finished his initial briefing and shot Mike an irritated look knowing the man had not been listening. Yet the Lone Wolf had lived in Mjolnir for years. In many ways he was more comfortable in his armor than out of it. Not only did it afford physical protection but also shielded him from a lot of the thoughts and concerns of the world around him.

Until now, he reminded himself.

"All right, time to get at it," the senior NCO called out, "Adam-G040, you're first."

The young blond-haired Spartan with tight curls took the three steps to the metal circle that was the loading platform, his dark blue eyes shining. Stepping in to yellow foot clamps that marked where they needed to stand the metal ring that encircled the platform came to life as Adam held his arms out. A series of computer-guided appendages began to bring the various pieces of the Mjolnir armor via a conveyor belt behind the ring. Out of the appendages a series of robotic arms with screw guns in them began to attach the plating to the thick, black, armored titanium nanocomposite bodysuit he wore. The rest of the team stood eagerly waiting for their turn clad in the same gel-filled base layer.

Both Matt and Terrell let out audible oohs and aahs as the machine efficiently assembled the famous Mjolnir armor system. Alissa took it all in with a massive grin on her confident china white face while Maia's brown eyes took it all in. For each of the teenage Spartans the prospect of deploying to Africa held different thoughts. While Adam was distracted by getting armored up, he was also very nervous about stepping back into the second-in-command role after Melanie had held it. He was still in many ways out of his element in command and wondered how the others would see him matching up. Both Terrell and Matt were feeling the effects of their wounds in the last major battle in Cleveland. While Matt allowed his chemically enhanced brain to draw energy from the lingering pain Terrell was struggling with confidence never having been hurt like that before. Alissa thought of her father, who'd been killed in the Battle of Actium while serving with the 53rd Armor Brigade, and how proud he'd be of her. Everything had changed the day she got the message that he'd died and she'd been keeping a kill list ever since yet the tally never seemed to compensate for the pain of loss. The aggressive sniper had thought a pile of dead Covenant would fill the hole in her heart but it didn't come close. Only when she thought of her teammates on the Wolf Pack did the pain of loss go away. For Maia, she looked forward to the physically imposing armor as it would be another layer of protection for her from the emotions she kept bottled in.

Just like that process of getting armored up was completed and Adam was sheathed in his suit. The robotic arms whirred and pulled away, resetting for the next one.

"All right, step out of the ring," the sergeant running the console that controlled the machine ordered.

Adam complied with the order, the teen Spartan taking some awkward steps off of the platform.

"Okay, now wait a minute while the overshield powers up," the technician in green coveralls ordered.

Inside Adam heard a low-pitched hum that rose in volume as he watched the shield indicator in the display HUD of his helmet fill from red to green.

"Good," the technician said as he waited for the shield to fill. "Now take a few steps around and get used to the neural interface."

The thoughtful teen took several timid and stiff steps as his brain spun from the information overload of trying to operate the half-ton system. Quickly his mind adapted and he began to smoothly move about in the power-assisted armor as the others watched then cheered his movements.

This was going to be fun.

November 22, 2552, 1035hrs, "The Hive", HIGHCOM Facility Bravo 6, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth

Natalia walked through the Hive in a bit of a fog. The dreams about Mars had returned and again she'd woken up screaming, her bed drenched in sweat. The pattern was becoming too familiar and she knew that something needed to be done or she'd fall into a pit she wasn't sure she could get out of. The troubled woman wasn't sure Mike would understand, her pride wouldn't let her talk to anyone in the Medical Corp so she thought anew about talking to her father about it.

The troubled woman had received a pleasant surprise when Mike called on her father's device. He was out of Cleveland but he was shipping out again the next day. They'd had the chance to chat and they would again this day but it was awkward and stiff. He'd asked her about MacKenzie which was more embarrassing than irritating and though he seemed to accept her answer he still seemed off. The perceptive and sensitive woman could feel there was something there but she herself didn't possess the energy to do anything about it. She loved Mike, deeply, and knew he loved her but began to wonder if that was going to be enough. Now she was running around the facility on a series of errands and make-work projects for Captain Osman that seemed of little value other than to provide discouragement for the woman who was already struggling. Her insignificance was becoming more overt. She seemed little more than a messenger which was belittling.

"Ma'am."

Natalia froze when she saw the man acknowledge her as they were about to pass and stop. Despite the tailored suit it was obvious who this was from the nearly 6' 11" he stood. His shaved head with fist clenching arrows tattoo and piercing blue gave him away.

It was Jun-A266, Noble Three.

Hello, Jun, it's…it's good to see you," she stammered in response. The last time they'd met hadn't gone well and she wasn't sure what was about to happen with the Spartan-III supersoldier. Yet his mouth was turned in a slight smile and he seemed to actually not be angry to see her.

"How've you been?" Jun asked neutrally, not betraying his mood.

"Uhm fine, pretty good," Natalia answered nervously.

"You did good work on Mars," Jun declared matter of factly.

"Thank you," Natalia answered genuinely, relieved for the positive comment. "But how do you know about that? I thought that was classified."

"I've been read in on things like this," Jun said with a chuckle. "My new job allows me certain liberties with information like this."

"So, what are you doing?" she blurted out.

"Can't tell you, that's classified," the former Noble Team sniper responded, a twinkle in his eye. "How are you and Mike getting along?"

The question caught the emotional woman flat-footed.

"Well…uhm…we're…well…we're good," Natalia stammered.

"Really?" the former sniper pressed, knowing she was being evasive.

Natalia looked at the Spartan and saw no judgment in his eyes. In fact, she thought she could see compassion. She'd always thought Jorge, the burly Spartan-II had been the most sensitive in Noble Team but perhaps she'd misread Jun. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been wrong.

"Honestly, I don't know how things are going," the woman confessed miserably.

"But he came for you in Mars? He defied orders and risked himself for you?" Jun stated more than asked.

"You read that too, huh? Natalia asked, eliciting a grin from the enigmatic Spartan. "Yea, he did and things were great. But then things became strained when he left for Cleveland."

"Why?"

Natalia was left no wiggle room. "Because I got overly sensitive and pressed him when he was prepping for a mission."

"But you love him, right?" Jun pressed in, watching her carefully.

"With all my heart," Natalia confirmed, feeling suddenly vulnerable.

"Then don't let stuff like this stress you out or distract you," Jun counselled, "trust the Wolf's heart. He's a good man, he cares a lot for you."

"How do you know?" Natalia pressed back, suddenly urgent for confirmation of his feelings.

"Before we were separated when we got back we talked about you and how he felt. Don't let this war get in the way of your feelings. Hang on to them, they might be some of the only good things coming out of that whole shitty experience on Reach," Jun stated reflectively.

"Thank you, that means a lot," Natalia stated genuinely, feeling simultaneously a weight lifted from her but also a sense of sadness at the treatment of the Spartans like Mike and Jun. Mike had shared how Jun had come back and rescued him when he thought all was lost on Reach. The pair had a bond forged on Reach and yet it seemed the two had no contact with each other. Suddenly, compassion filled her heart for the deadly warrior who weighed over 245lbs. "And how are you doing?" she asked him genuinely.

"Working at the Hive takes getting used to," he responded with a shrug. "I'd rather be out in the field but that's not my choice. So, I'm trying to do what I can to make a difference where I am."

The sensitive woman's heart went out for the man before her and chided herself anew for how ego-centric she'd been for so long. Her and her father had talked about the Spartans and she'd watched a replay of his interview advocating for the supersoldiers. She began to ponder what she would do.

"Listen, I have to run, it's been good to see you ma'am," Jun said genuinely.

"Me too. I can't tell you how much this means."

"I bet, "Jun responded with another chuckle. "The last time we met things didn't go so great."

Natalia turned red and wasn't sure what to say.

"I got you wrong, Misriah, you're all right," Jun confessed. Natalia was about to thank him for the revelation but he cut her off. "Listen, watch your six while you're here. You're being targeted by some people you don't want to."

"And how do you know this?" Natalia suddenly became wary. "Are you being read in on anything else?"

"No, I'm a sniper. I observe things. Just be careful. But know you have a friend in me. See you around." With that Jun walked away leaving Natalia in his wake to contemplate what he'd just said.

November 22, 2552, 1525hrs, New York Military Facility, New York City, New York, United States, Planet Earth

"No! Don't overcompensate! Let the suit do the work for you!" the armory sergeant-major barked at Matt who was picking himself off the ground in the training area they were using to adjust to the new Mjolnir armor.

The burly assaulter swore and punched the ground in frustration as he pushed himself up for the third time. "I'm trying, this thing just doesn't work properly," he shot back, anger rising. This was not the fun experience each of the teenage Spartans had expected.

"Work with the neural interface, Matt," Mike stepped in. "don't over think what you're doing. It's okay, you'll get used to it."

"Before we ship out to Africa?" Matt retorted, still frustrated.

"It's okay, you'll get there," Maia encouraged her teammate. She'd adjusted quickly and was moving along well in the bulky, power-assisted armor.

Besides Maia, the others on the team were struggling to get used to movement and function in the armor after spending so much time in the SPI armor but the worst was Matt whose solution to his inability to adapt was to push harder.

Though quieter about it Alissa was just as frustrated by the transition and likely angrier. The volatile Spartan was having problems getting to places she wanted and numerous times had misjudged the spacing needed for the bulky armor. Though vastly superior to what she'd worn previously she'd felt comfortable in it and could move fluidly. She felt like a tank which wasn't great imagery for a sniper. As she got used to the movement, she was already trying to act like the sniper she was so as she moved about the area with obstacles and various levels she'd had trouble getting into spots where she'd set up as a sniper. Once she'd almost even got stuck in a crevice. The impatient teen had forgotten this was not a tactical training area, that would come later, but rather merely a familiarization course. Of course the impatient Spartan had forgotten that so was getting ahead of herself and dealing with rising anger.

While Terrell was rolling with the frustration and working with the techs there to help him Adam was going through his own set of problems. His elation at being released from hospital and rejoining the team was beginning to bleed away at the struggles he was having with the power-assisted armor. While Matt and Alissa were getting rammy with it he did the opposite, becoming timider and hardly moving. Already the armory senior NCO had singled him out for a dressing down for not doing the movement drills they were supposed to be doing to stay on the time line. This only made the insecure blond-haired team even more hesitant.

Mike took this all in and while he couldn't read the minds or see facial expressions underneath their helmets he knew them well enough now to know they were all struggling. It wasn't surprising, the timeline for assimilation to the new armor system was way too aggressive. He himself had had a week of practice before going out on training exercises. His team was getting less than day before they were to face the Covenant. It was going to be a baptism of fire and his frustration with their treatment as Spartans began to grow. Yes, they were supersoldiers, yes, they were asked to do the impossible and they did, but it seemed like time and again the deck was stacked against them.

The Lone Wolf was already moving well in his new Mark VI suit and it fit like a hand in glove. He'd picked the standard package in light charcoal color, similar to his old suit of Mark Vb. He liked the neutrality of the tone remembering Natalia's own red armor she'd worn when they first met. The thought of her made him pause but he pushed it out of his mind. He knew they'd speak and he needed to focus on the task at hand. The suit though was a work of art. The liquid crystal layer and titanium alloy shell fit seamlessly together. Everything had been upgraded and no expense had been spared in development by Materials Group, the manufacturer. Mike was particularly impressed by the enhanced Heads-Up Display connectivity as well as the smoother neural interface integration. He'd been told the shielding had been upgraded against plasma-based weapons which he appreciated, feeling the burns he'd received over the years by the Covenant's weapon projectile of choice. In that vein he also appreciated the Biofoam injection system that had been built in. No more would there be the fumbling for a can of the life-saving material when injured, it would be released automatically when needed. The somewhat sentimental Spartan was beginning to miss his old Mjolnir armor less and less.

An ODST officer in black BDU's with close cropped reddish hair came up and snapped a salute to Mike interrupting his train of thought. "Sir," Captain Gary McLynn said in acknowledgement of his new CO.

"Nice to see you again, Gary," Mike acknowledged, returning the salute.

"You too, sir," the Helljumper officer responded.

"It's good to be serving with you again," Mike stated. "What's your team's status?"

"The boys are good to go," McLynn confirmed with a chuckle. Then with a twinkle in his eyes added, "Gunny MacGregor is so excited I think he'll have them ready to load up in the next 15 minutes. But don't tell him I told you that."

Mike snorted in response, picturing the ODST senior NCO who seemed to have a new lease on life after receiving his prosthetic arm. "Outstanding. Well, as you can see, we'll probably just barely make our timing but we'll be ready."

"How are they making the transition?" McLynn asked curiously, his green eyes looking more closely at the drills the Spartans were going through.

"Slow, but better than expected," Mike said, trying to stay positive though in his mind he had a growing concern as he watched Matt bump into Alissa and fall again, starting an argument between the two. "There's a bit of a learning curve with Mjolnir. I'd have liked more time for them to field test it but necessity dictates pace. They'll get there."

"No doubt in my mind, sir," McLynn agree confidently. "It'll be great to serve with you again. Thanks for the opportunity."

"Like old times, huh?" the Lone Wolf declared.

"Indeed," the ODST officer said. "What are your orders?"

"Carry on with what you've been doing. You have the timetable and logistical elements," Mike confirmed. "I trust you and Hank to get the job done. You have my full authorization to do what you need to prep. So, unless you need anything, I'll see you at our next brief with Colonel Holland."

"Sounds good, sir," McLynn acknowledged, happy for the confidence his commander was showing in him. Though the ODST's were special operations and so expected to work independently that wasn't always the case as senior officer tried to micro-manage the process at times. But the seasoned combat veteran knew there'd be no such issue with Mike-B312, he trusted his subordinates and that made them fight that much harder than him. The observant officer though also knew the man would have his hands full getting ready as Matt and Alissa continued to argue with each other.

In the early evening despite making progress the Spartans of the Wolf Pack were far from proficient with their new Mjolnir armor but the rest they'd have to learn on the fly. Mike and Adam joined Captain McLynn in Colonel Holland's office for their pre-deployment briefing.

"The situation is pretty fluid right now in Africa, gentlemen," Colonel Holland said grimly, running his hand over his close-cropped brown hair. "The Covvies are concentrated in Kenya and for the last month have been holding on to a piece of land around New Mombasa and the Voi area tighter than ticks on a dog. We have only recently figured out they're digging out some massive piece of alien tech."

"Do we know what it is, sir?" Captain McLynn asked.

"Some kind of portal is best we can figure but we're not sure," Holland replied fixing the trio with a stare from his dark brown eyes. "Another thing is there seems to be some internal fighting there as well which gives us an opportunity. That's why we're bringing in more assets like your team to bolster our coming counter-attack."

"Mission parameters, sir?" Mike asked, processing the information.

"Again, fluid, Mike," Holland confessed with a grimace. "I'll keep you posted en-route and what we find on the ground will dictate what you do."

Adam gave Mike a confused look that wasn't lost on the colonel. "Understand we believe there are more Covenant ships en-route to Earth. We're fighting for our very survival here so this is not going to be a chess game."

"No, it's a brawl," Mike finished the senior officer's thought.

"Exactly. It's all hands on deck and we need you there."

"Makes sense. The Wolf Pack and Wolverines needs to be where the fight is," Mike declared confidently. "So, what are our atts and dets?"

"In terms of logistics and support, Melanie-B252 will be joining Team Wolverine as a recon specialist," Holland stated to Mike's surprise. This was going to get even more complicated as Melanie confidently walked in with a grin on her face. She gave Mike a decided look then sat down easily in the remaining chair by their handler's desk.

"You worked well together on Mars and in Cleveland. I'd like to see those symmetries continue. Other than that, you're self-contained and self-sustaining. You have authorization to get whatever you need on the ground."

Mel looked over and gave Mike a wink then grinned.

Holland went on with some other information that was lost on Mike as he tried to process the surprising news. He'd hoped to get some space from Mel and sort out his thoughts but now they'd be together in close proximity again.

After Colonel Holland dismissed them to their duties leaving to make his own preparations for departure Melanie turned to Mike and cheekily said, "Looks like you can't get rid of me that easy. See you on the ship."

The attractive Spartan then turned and sauntered away, leaving Mike confused and conflicted in her wake. Captain McLynn caught it was well but said nothing and instead awkwardly left to attend to his ODST team.

"You okay, sir?" Adam asked, reading the look on his commander's face.

"Yea, I'm fine," Mike lied. Then trying to shift the conversation from him asked, "Any questions?"

"No, the mission parameters seem pretty straight forward," the dark blue-eyed Spartan replied with a shrug. "But I'm a little worried about how we'll all do in our new armor. I mean I'm happy for it and all and it's amazing but we've got a bit of a learning curve still."

"I can appreciate that, Adam," Mike acknowledged. "Normally you get more work-up training but I'm impressed at how quickly all of you have gotten up to speed. You'll all be fine. We should get a chance to work with it a bit in the field before we're thrown into the mix," he shared, hoping his concern didn't show through.

"Sounds good, sir," Adam responded with a nod, accepting his commander's assessment. They were about to leave when he remembered, "Oh, and by the way, Natalia came to visit me in the infirmary while you guys were gone. I really appreciated it."

"Say again?" Mike asked, caught off guard.

"Natalia came to visit me," Adam confirmed. "She felt bad about me being wounded in her rescue on Mars so wanted to check in on me and see if there was anything I needed. Honestly, I was in a pretty bad spot right then so our conversation helped a lot."

"Thanks, Adam, I appreciate you sharing that with me." Mike's mind was starting to process the unexpected declaration. Like a flash of lighting he remembered Natalia's nightmares. He'd forgotten with everything going on in Cleveland and hadn't asked her how she was doing in their brief call earlier. Guilt welled up at his insensitivity and he chided himself for it.

"Just thought you should know," Adam replied with a nonchalant shrug, not catching the turmoil in his commander. "I'm going to go check on the team and make sure out loadout for the morning is good to go and then if it's okay I'm going to hit the rack. I suspect sleeps going to be at a premium going forward."

"All right, good plan," Mike responded, genuinely happy to have the quiet but thoughtful Spartan back. "I've got a few things to do and I'll be back to the shacks in a bit."

The clock was ticking. Not only were they going into a nebulous combat situation in a new armor system with a largely new group of ODST's in support but now Mike had to contend with Melanie coming as well. There was much to do in the remaining hours before they left and he knew he also needed some sleep. But before that, he needed to make a call.