ONE- Rocky Start
warning- will divert VERY far off of canon. It has the same story aspect and scenes and of course the ending, however relationships and certain backstories have been altered. It is just a fanfiction however- while I am always open to constructive criticism, please be nice about it. The Halo community is extremely toxic as of late and I don't wanna lose motivation for writing something I love so much because somebody decided to be a dick. Thank you! I hope you enjoy my story.
The dust made Antonia burst into a coughing fit so hard she could hardly breathe.
"Put your helmet on you dumbass." Aarons laughed. Antonia held up a special finger for a moment as she tightened her legs to keep her helmet in place. She quickly picked it up in her hands and pulled the EVA helmet over her face. She didn't want to...she liked the free air. But he had a point.
"Shut up." she wheezed into the visor. Aarons settled back in his seat, chuckling lightly.
"Alright, let's go over the basics okay? Are you ready? What is the number one thing you are not gonna do when you get to the base?"
"Be nice."
"Toni." Aarons scolded. "Take this seriously please." Toni rolled her eyes and looked out the open window space of the warthog. The young spartan woman, Antonia B-312 was now being taken to an HQ for a fireteam sized UNSC Special Warfare Command Group Three, also known as Noble Team. How ONI managed to make the exchange of B-312 to the UNSC was still beyond her. All she knew was it was some backroom politics due to herself and some other Cat-2 special performances. She's sure her hyper lethal spectrum didn't help her case either.
"I'll be fine Aarons, we've gone over it a hundred times since they started my transfer to Reach." Toni insisted. "I know what I am to do and am not to do. I'm not a child."
"You act like it when it comes to Command sometimes though," Aarons states clearly, looking at her briefly out of the corner of his eye. "This Commander, Commander Carter, is a no-bullshit kind of guy. He is very serious when it comes to his leadership." Aarons says.
"Which is why he takes the blame for Thom-A293's death?" Toni asked, turning her head towards the driver, speaking loud so her words were enunciated properly. Aarons lifted a brow at her.
"Well look who did her homework."
"I like to know who I'm getting involved with." Toni nodded. Aarons was right though- Antonia had a bad history of pulling lone wolf stunts and back-talking her Command. It was more so about the personal things though. Treating her as though she was some sort of android that needed programming. Not a human- a weapon. Of course, that's all she ever felt like she was anyways.
She never had any really close friends, acquaintances, of course, nobody ever was comfortable getting close with her though. Besides Aarons of course. He was a simple Marine that she had been working with for God knows how long. Not that it hurt her feelings- she understood. More or less anyways. She always hated seeing the discomfort in people's faces when she even approached them. She stuck to her gut and remained the one soldier who stood crossed armed in the corner.
"Try not to piss Carter off okay? Because then you get to deal with Lieutenant Commander, Catherine. And she is a force to be reckoned with." Aarons nodded in Toni's direction. "She's the intelligence specialist who lost her arm in Fumirole. Had it replaced with a robotic one. She also-"
"Takes the blame for Thom." Toni completed the sentence and leaned back in her seat. "They gotta learn that in war people die. Soldiers die."
"Saying things like that will have your teeth kicked in Toni."
"I would like to see them try." Toni snapped back. "Trust me, I get it. But if you sign up for this, you're signing up to put your life on the line."
"Not everybody signed up for it though. Did you?" Aarons argued. Toni bit her tongue and didn't dare say another word as she leaned back in her seat.
"Touche," she mumbled. Toni looked back out at the passing hills. Reach was far more deserted and stormy than she had originally imagined. Clouds swelled over the sky and blocked out the burning star that Reach orbited.
"You know the rest of the team, yeah?" Aarons asks, keeping one hand on the wheel and using the other to brush some dirt off his face.
"I haven't read much about three and four, but Noble Five did pique my interest. Did they recruit a Spartan-II? That's awfully surprising."
"It was fairly recent actually. A few months ago if I recall correctly. Not sure what beckoned Doctor Halsey to do that but she's pretty unpredictable anyways so it could be just about anything. Jorge is probably the nicest person on the team if you ask me. Despite being a threatening seven-foot-tall giant-"
"What does he know about Chief?" Toni interrupted.
"Beats me, you'll be able to ask him when you get there," Aarons responded. Toni wasn't satisfied with that answer though. Ever since ONI directives had even muttered that term, it has been in the back of Antonia's brain. She hated thinking about it, but she only knew so much.
"I have zero interest in doing that. Do they even know?"
"Kat and Carter might, but given that I've seen your file and couldn't see everything no matter how hard I dug, I doubt it. Think of it this way, they called you Hyper Lethal, but it isn't even in your file. So- technically you might not be. If you meet Halsey ever, I suggest asking her. Since ya know...she built the first hyper lethal soldier from the ground up." Aarons tells her. "They probably know about your association with Cat-2 and Beta though."
"That will be a fun conversation."
"It's classified, you're not required to tell them shit." Aarons looked at her before turning his attention to the large hill the jeep leaped over. Toni lifted her arm and grasped the handlebar above her tightly as the base came into view.
"So that's my new home. Looks lovely." The Spartan chimed sarcastically. She heard Aaron's chuckle a little, she couldn't help but smile a little. She looked up at the Falcons that flew over the gates of the base. ONI couldn't help but send some specialists. The ones who would terminate anything left behind that existed of her, camera footage, fingerprints, footage...anything. She was a ghost.
Aarons slowed the gate and looked at a Marine approaching who held a gun tight in his hands.
"Evening' sir. So, that the Spartan everyones but chattin' about here aye?" The Marine chuckled. "Pleasure to meet you, sir. Private Lucky."
"Likewise." Toni nodded, the Marine cleared his throat-
"Ma'am."
"You're fine." Toni interrupted. The Marine glanced at Aarons who was obviously holding back some laughter. Lucky swung his arm in the air, calling for the gates to open and Aarons drove in. Toni watched as they passed some Marines training and were being yelled at by their Sargeant. She smiled a little remembering the time when she was in that position. Typically she still was…
The vehicle slowed to a stop next to two falcons and a large tin box base. Toni cleared her throat and began to get out when she felt Aarons hand grab her wrist.
"I'll check up on you at some point." He assures her. Toni looks over her old friend's face one more time before nodding.
"Stay alive," Toni warned before she stepped out of the warthog and carefully lumbered past the falcons. She glanced briefly at one of the falcons where a Spartan sat silently counting sniper bullets and trading it between his hand and into a magazine. His head was bald and he had a fist clutching arrows tattooed on the side of his head. She examined his face for a moment before she approached the stairs of the tin box base. She stood outside for a moment silently, judging the people who were inside. She made eye contact with a bulky man in heavy orange, red and silver armor who lifted a brow. She stiffened a little and took a step inside.
She was stuck now.
"Contact with Fizegrad relay was lost last night. All signals flatlined at 2600 hours. I responded with trooper fireteams which have since been declared MIA." The voice that Toni immediately recognized as Colonel Holland spoke.
"And now you're sending us?" A tall blue armored Spartan in front of the comm stated clearly.
"The Office of Naval Intelligence thinks that deployment of a Spartan team is a gross misallocation of valuable resources. I disagree." Holland stated.
"Gross misallocation- so what? Just send in more marines to disappear? Typical of ONI." A man sharpening a large hunter knife with an EVA helmet- that had a large skull carved into the visor shook his head. He looked up at Toni as she went to take a further step in. Before she could even put her foot down to get the man in front of the comm's attention- a robot arm shot out in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.
Six was taken aback and glared a little at a woman her height with a scarred face and light blue armor before realizing who she was. Lieutenant Commander Catherine B-320. The man that Toni had made eye contact with leaned forward and leaned on his knee-
"Commander," Catherine spoke up. The man in blue armor turned a little and spared Toni a simple glance. Toni wasn't sure how she felt about the Commander now that she had seen his face. Stern, serious and grounding. He looked just as Aarons described- no bullshit. Toni hated it already. Something about his disregard for her presence set off her nerves.
"So that's our new Number Six?" the buff man next to the Commander commented.
"Kat, you read his file?" the skull helmeted man asked.
"Only the parts that weren't covered in black ink. She is certainly interesting." Catherine or 'Kat' commented.
"Ooo- my bad ma'am." The skull helmet spartan chuckled.
"You aren't the first person today so- don't stress it," Toni mumbled.
"Black ink." the buff man repeated. "Classified huh?"
"Very." Kat nodded. Toni casually pushed her hand down and looked back at the Commander- opening her mouth to speak to him when he turned away from her. "Rumor also has it she was apart of Beta Company."
"Beta? Didn't think anyone survived Pegasi sir." the buff man looked at the Commander for a moment.
"She was pulled from Beta before Operation TORPEDO, everything else is on a need to know basis Jorge." the Commander stated. The buff man nodded and examined Toni up and down with narrowed eyes as if she was going to kill all of them if he looked away for even a moment.
"Somebody did his homework."
"I know I did." The Commander spared her another glance and lifted a brow. "Did you?"
"Best I could, yes." Toni paused for a moment. "Sir."
"Fan of red?" the skull helmet man gestured to her armor. Toni peered down at her dark scarlet
armor and nodded-
"You could say that." Toni turned her attention back to the Commander whose back remained to
her.
"I swear the Commander is a little more approachable than this on a good day." the buff man spoke up.
"He seems busy." Toni countered.
"Anyone claim responsibility, sir?"
"ONI thinks it could be the local insurrection. Five months ago, they pulled a similar job on Harmony. Hit a relay to take out our eyes and ears then stole two freighters from the drydock. That cannot happen here- Reach is too damn important. I want that relay back online, Noble One." Holland demanded.
"Sir, consider it done."
"Then I'll see you on the other side, Holland out." And with that, the Commander turned to Toni.
"Commander-"
"Lieutenant," they spoke at once. He lifted a brow as if to tell her to go-ahead-
"Commander, sir. Spartan B312. Jumping right in I see?"
"Something like that. I suppose introductions are in order. Names Carter, that's Kat, Noble two. Emile and Jorge, four and five. You saw Jun out in the falcon I assume- he's our Noble three."
"And has one of the best shots you'd ever see-woo." Emile stands to his feet.
"Nice angst art," Toni commented.
"Thank you- I did it myself," Emile told her as he shoved his knife back into its holster on his
shoulder as he walked out behind Kat. Jorge, the buff man, stood to his feet and spared her a look.
"Pleasure to meet you." he nodded curtly as he leaned past her and picked up a large machine gun. Toni watched him handle it delicately as he used his other hand to pick up his grenadier helmet. "Got a name?"
"Antonia, right?" Carter held his helmet against his hip.
"Yes, I'd prefer not to go by that, however." Toni stiffened her back.
"What would you like us to call you then?" Jorge questioned, pulling his helmet on.
"Annie?" Carter questioned a smirk playing on his lips.
"My nickname is Toni but call me Six. Please and thank you, sir." Six narrowed her eyes and sketched over Carter's figure. Carter lifted a brow at her response and shook his head a little as Jorge gently nudged his arm-
"She's the number type I see." Jorge chuckled. "Have fun with this one Commander." Carter watched Jorge walk out and followed swiftly behind him. He pulled a shotgun off the arsenal rack at the doorway of the tin box and handed it off to her as he filed down the steps.
"You're riding with me Six, can you handle a shotgun?"
"Of course."
"Not gonna lie to you Lieutenant. You're stepping into some shoes the rest of the team would rather leave unfilled." Carter assured her, pulling his helmet down over his face. Truth. "Me? I'm just happy to have Noble back up to full strength." Lie. He was a part of the team that would rather leave the shoes empty. "Just one thing- I've seen your file. Even the parts the ONI sensors didn't want me to. Glad to have your skillset." Carter watched her hop onto the falcon and take a seat next to the Spartan known as Jun. "But we're a team." Carter leaned out of the chopper and swung his arm as a signal. "That lone wolf stuff stays behind. Clear?"
Six gripped her fists. He just called her out like that. How much did he know? How much had he seen? Commander Carter hadn't even done anything wrong except be a leading officer- but something about the man just got under her skin. It was irritating and annoying- like a song that she knew all the beats too but just can't remember the lyrics.
"Got it, sir," she said. Good girl.
"Welcome to Reach." Jun patted her red armored shoulder. Six nodded and leaned back in her seat.
"Glad to be here." Six commented.
"Jun, Noble Three." he swapped the sniper rifle's long snout between his hands and offered her his left hand to shake.
"So I've been told. Names Antonia, call me Six." she introduced herself, shaking the Snipers firm hand.
"Good to have you Six, you've got some big shoes to fill- no doubt you're capable of course." Jun leaned back in his seat, tapping his foot against the ground as the falcon chopped into the air slowly.
"I like to think I am."
"Little Red here comes from Beta Company." Emile chuckled.
"I was pulled before Operation TORPEDO. As the Commander said moments earlier, everything else is on a need to know basis. But I am quite curious as to how much of my file you've seen." Six questioned, looking at Carter who was watching out the side of the Falcon.
"I've seen enough to know how you act towards Commanding officers." he looked back at her.
"My driver already gave me a pep talk." She responded back immediately. "No worries Commander," she spat the word with every bit of spite in her body- "I'll be on my best behavior."
"I like her." Emile laughed out over the comms. Six could almost feel Carter's glare through his visor.
"I expect the best from you Six. But I will not treat you different than anyone else here because
you're a 'special' case."
"I'm not a case at all Commander. I'm a soldier just like you. With a bit of a higher skill set and a lower ranking." Six sneered as politely as possible.
"So I've noticed," Carter responded back sternly.
"I'd be very appreciative if you would not share my file with the rest of the team. My...you said
'special case'." Six argued. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve as well sir and I'll try to play nice so long as we have an agreement."
"Which would be what exactly Lieutenant?" Carter asked calmly, tilting his helmeted head to the side.
"I am human. Not a weapon. Not some machine. Not a shield, or someone to pin failures on. Deal?"
"Listen, Lieutenant-" Carter started in a light but stern voice.
"Commander," Kat called. There was a click signaling they had gone onto a private comm. There was a slight muttering that Six could catch from Carter. She simply settled back in her seat while Jorge chuckled lightly from the other chopper.
"You really know how to push buttons don't ya Six." Jorge taunted.
"I have been here for not even ten minutes and I already have the Commander to the point where if I look at him incorrectly I'll be doing wall sits for three hours." Six muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Don't patronize him and you won't have to." Kat piped up after another click.
"Duly noted." Six muttered, looking at Carter. "My sincerest apologies Commander." A small scoff from Emile showed what that apology did. Carter didn't respond to Six's apology and simply kept to himself. Six took this opportunity to look at the mountains they were passing and let her eyes roll over the rocky ledges of Reach.
"Cloudy day aye?" Jorge piped up.
"Storms brewing." Emile spoke, "Hopefully we don't get caught in the middle of it."
"It'd be nice to get home at the end of the day so, yeah." Jun chuckled lightly. "This shouldn't be too difficult. May a little bit of Insurrection action, go home and Jorge can kick Emile's ass at poker again." Jun laughed.
"That last round got a little out of hand." Kat chuckled lightly.
"I thought Commander was going to blow a fuse." Emile taunted in. Carter laughed a little. Six raised a brow at the conversation and couldn't keep the smile crawling across her lips down.
"Maybe he can show me how to play." She suggested.
"You played cards before Six?"
"Never had the time, no." Six answered Jorge with a small grin.
"Never played...wow. Yeah, we have to show her the ropes, everybody. The next objective is teaching Little Red to play cards." Emile waved his hand to her from the other falcon flying parallel to Six, Jun, and Carter's.
"Affirmative." Jun chimed in resulting in a light chuckle from everybody. The conversation quieted down as Carter cleared his throat-
"Alright people let's get serious- listen up Noble Team. We're looking at a down relay outpost fifty klicks from Visegrad. We're gonna introduce ourselves to whoever took it out and Kat's gonna get it back online."
"Get me under the hood Commander." Kat clarified.
"Sir, why would rebels wanna cut off Reach from the rest of the colonies?" Jorge questioned.
"You get a chance, maybe you can ask em' Jorge." Carter nodded.
"Sounds like a nice conversation to have." Jun piped in. Six nodded a little, raising her brows and crossing her arms.
"I mean, Colonel Holland did say that they had pulled a similar job on Harmony...what if they're trying to steal data? I mean...it is a military facility. They've always worked to get a leg above us." Six pointed out.
"Commander we just lost our signal with HQ," Kat spoke up.
"Back up channels?" Carter choired, glancing at the other falcon.
"Searching…Nadda." Kat went silent for a moment. "Can't say what's jamming us."
"You heard her, dead zone confirmed. Command will not be keeping us company this trip." Carter called. "So stay sharp, no slacking off. This isn't anything unusual since the relay being down may be interfering with the signals but we don't know what we're up against here."
"I'm lonely already," Emile muttered. Toni was too- something wasn't right about this. Her gut twisted in the way it had when she was a kid. When that giant zealot-class Elite stepped into her home. She was seven maybe eight, and she heard her Mother scream from the living room. Not just a scream- a blood-curdling shriek could more accurately describe it. She must have been doing something that exhibited stress because Carter spoke up-
"Six." She turned and looked at her Commander.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
"Why."
"DOT popped in and said your heart rate accelerated," Carter responded.
"She can do that." Jun chuckled.
"Dot…"
"She's the team's AI," Carter explained.
"Hello, Noble Six." A robotic and female voice spoke into Six's ear as the falcons rounded the side of the mountain.
"Um...hi." Six blinked. "Just had a flashback is all. I'm fine." she nodded curtly. "My gut is telling me to prepare myself."
"Scared Rookie?" Emile chuckled.
"Emile, I've done some pretty crazy things." Six dropped. "I'm not a wimp when it comes to simple relay outpost missions. However, the missing fireteam does have me a little concerned that we don't actually know what we are dealing with here." She responded quietly.
"Insurrection is perfectly capable of taking down a small squad, Six. Don't overthink it. Who else could it be?" Jorge spoke up. Six tilted her head to the side before sighing quietly and nodding.
"Yeah...okay fair." Six said.
"Survey the area from above," Carter ordered the pilot.
"Are you alright, Noble Six?" Dot asked.
"I'm fine Dot. I assume you have my suit protocols too?" Six questioned.
"Cooling units, hydration units, and visual storage data units are all kept by me." Dot said.
"Good."
She peered down onto the ground where a semi-circle building on a low cement platform sat.
"Beacon is somewhere down there Commander. I'm picking up the distress signal." Kat said clearly.
"Put us down on the bluff," Carter called.
"Yes sir." the pilot responded.
"Jun I want your eyes in the sky." Carter pointed to Jun casually. "Let me know if you see anything abstract," he demanded.
"Got it, sir." The falcon gently bumped down onto the large bluff high above the ground.
"Let's go Six." Carter nodded to the new Spartan as he himself leaped from the falcon onto the ground.