Cal and Naomi gazed around at the large hangar of the Here Be Dragons. They had crossed into the car larger ship since they were needed by the captain. Well, at least Naomi was. Cal soaked off to another part of the ship and left a slightly surprised Naomi behind.
"Where are you going? We're needed on the bridge for a briefing." Naomi sent over comms. Trying to get the slightly larger Spartan to stop.
Cal stopped as a few injured soldiers and crew flew by to the medical bay. With the medics pushing their gurneys. She then looked back to Cal and responded over her radio.
"I'm gonna get a new helmet. As well as check on something. I'll meet you in a little while." She said before turning her head back and going down a large hallway.
Naomi simply sagged she shoulders slightly as she booted up a waypoint on her HUD. She didn't exactly know the layout of this kind of ship so she asked the resident AI. Which gave her an entire map of the ship. He even included the locations of something called Warp pads?
Naomi walked over to another corridor. Getting looks on her blue Mjolnir mk V. Which was strange since these people have obviously seen Spartans before. And the ones she encountered were strange. She still found it suspicious that they had the same powers as the gem thighs she fought. Maybe some kind of hybrid?
Oh, she would love to see how that works.
"Sierra-010, taking the Warp pad at the end of the hallway would give you the quickest path to the bridge. Simply step on it and think bridge. The command should send from your neural interface and activate it." Came the calm voice of the ships AI Arthur.
Naomi nodded and the AI dissapeared from her HUD. She then walked along the familiar Titanium corridor.
She had noticed slight changes in their ship then anyone shes been on. Fr example, both the frigate and this cruiser had energy shields. Which gave them a massive boost. Second was the thicker armor she had seen. From bulkheads being almost 50% thicker, to outer alters of armor that combined with even thicker interior armor to make plating over 3 meters. Giving it double the armor of a Halcyon or Marathon. It was well over the length of even a Valiant class super heavy cruiser. As well as having hundreds of guns instead of dozens. As well as having large guns other than the main MAC cannon. That was one she could only speculate on.
She was brought out of her rambling thoughts when she and made it to the blue/green crystalline pad. She cautiously stepped on it and sent out a command for the bridge with her neural implant. She was unnerved when the pad erupted into a white stream of light that carried her off.
Naomi gazed all around the white stream of light. Scanning it is with her helmet. She even stuck her hand out before she stuck her head out. But all she could see was black. She pulled her head back just in time for the stream to end and she appeared on another pad.
"Since when does Slipspace work like that? This place is getting weirder and weirder." She spoke to herself as she stepped off and walked down the hallway. Auto turrets on and scanning around. Most likely AI controlled.
A large bulkhead then opened up and a woman that looked to be in her mid thirties stepped out. Naomi had to look down almost a foot to look at her in the eyes. She was 6 foot 7, while Cal was 7 foot 1. So the captain that was less than 6 foot liked a child compared to her.
But the captain wasn't at all fazed by the woman who was much taller and more intimidating than her. She simply waved at her to follow and Naomi did.
"Sierra-010, you mind if I ask your real name. All my Spartan III's gave me theirs. But I understand if you don't want to. I just like a bit more personal touch when I'm talking to people." Petra said as she walked along the corridor with Naomi. With her armorer footsteps barely making a sound.
"Per the Office of Naval Intelligences order, I'm not allowed to tell anyone that under the r am of Admiral my name. Same goes with Sierra-141. I don't intend on violating that anytime soon." Naomi said in a calm and monotone voice. She only talked to Halsey or another Spartan II with actual emotion.
Petra stared at her for a second like she had just grown a separate head. But she then looked back forward and motioned toward a door that had opened. Naomi stepped inside and noticed that it was a conference room. Petra moved to the far end of the table and gestured for her to sit. But Naomi calmly refused.
"Let me ask you one thing first 010. Where do you think you are exactly?" The way she said that caused an forboding feeling in her gut.
"I don't know what you mean Ma'am. I'm unaware where the planet were on was. But if you found us, then I would assume we'd be taken to Reach before getting Sierra 141 a new set of armor. Then be sent out on a new mission against the Covenant. Or whoever those gem things were." She told the captain as she kept her arms at her side in rest. She still kept her battle rifle on her back. With her Magnum on her thigh.
"Okay, I don't know how to tell you this. But we're not the UNSC you know. We're one that's both similar and different than you know. The major difference is that ONI doesn't exist. Instead we have the CIA. Which functions like the one of centuries past for you." Petra told her.
Naomi didn't let that information get to her. After all, she had heard something about this not being her UNSC. But she thought that they were playing some cruel joke. But it sank into her now that this was reality. She would just have to deal with it.
"We're in fact heading to Earth. Not the same one your user to as well. But I have authorization from the newly promoted Fleet Admiral Maximilian Croft. He said to send you to the new Crystal Regiment. They may only have a few members now. But soon they'll start to get more new recruits. As well as both you and Sierra-141 having access to the Hybrid program if you want." She then forwarded the necessary documents to Naomi's armor. The Spartan would look at that later though.
"What is the Crystal Regiment. I haven't heard of anything like it before?" Naomi asked the captain.
Petra smiled slightly at that. "You know those creatures you fought? Well their from a race known as Gem's. We don't know, but something was wrong with the ones you fought. But the Crystal Regiment will soon be filled with original members of the Crystal Gems and new Gems that are being made alongside the Spartan III program. Which combines the sheer skill and power the Spartans. With the useful powers, survivability, and regeneration of a Gem. We're mostly certain that all Spartan III's can live forever. But they can still be killed." Petra explained to her.
"This seemed like a lot of classified information Ma'am. You don't even know my rank and your just telling me this."
"Well, because this information is needed for the fact that your a Spartan. Which makes you an extremely valuable asset." Petra told her.
Naomi sighed underneath her helmet. If course the captain would've thought of her as isn't another asset. She supposed that was something familiar at least.
"Well he arriving at earth in just 10 minutes. You'll be then dropped off at Hermes station with Sierra-141. From there I'm told you have shore leave for at least a month. Baring any extraordinary circumstances. But first I need you to follow me to the ship depository. You two will finally be getting paid like you deserved all those years." Petra said as she motioned the Spartan out of the conference room.
"Paid?" Naomi said to herself.
The ships depository was located in the heart of the ship. With several hidden turrets gaurding it incase any stowaway, greedy crew member or other person tried to get what wasn't theirs.
Naomi did get some familiar looks as she walked through the ship. Once again using the 'Warp pads'. She thought that they were a security hazard at first. But upon further inspection they were all located away from important areas of the ship. As well as having auto turrets gaurding them all. So they did put some thought into it.
But Naomi knew the stares she got were because she was a new Spartan to them. As well as the fact she walked side by side with the Captain. It may also be because she didn't take her helmet off. Which the one other Spartan she saw did. A woman with black hair that and red highlights. As well as silver eyes that stood at almost the same height as her and wore a set of armor that looked like a set of crimson and black MK IV.
Said Spartan gave her a look she had only really gotten from high ranking Admirals that knew of the Spartan program. One of sympathy.
"Did she know? Did the Captain know? She'd have to ask Cal if she noticed anything when she saw her.
One thing she found out pretty quickly that was absolutely infuriating was that there was so much she didn't know. Ever since she was little, she hated not knowing something. It drove her almost mad. This whole place was a Duality of strangeness and familiarity. Just enough to tug at her mind and drive her crazy.
She stopped when she saw Petra stand in front of an obviously ballistic window. With a man in his mid fifties if the greying hair on his heard was anything to go by.
Naomi waited against the wall as Petra talked with the man. She didn't bother to increase the audio on her helmet to listen in. Instead opting to think about recent events that brought her to this point. All starting with the investigation on Orpheus. She was assigned to the Roanoke to investigate ancient alien ruins on the planet.
She had lead a team of ODST's groundside. She didn't really know why, but the structure just opened up for them. Flashing some unknown symbol.
But then she had accidently touched something and the whole facility suddenly lit up. Before she and the whole squad as well as the Roanoke were sent through what her sensors told her was a Slipspace portal.
Somehow a broken and dying Cal was on the same planet they had landed on. More of a crash landing, but the ship was still in pretty good shape.
She immediately brought Cal to the med bay. Where she helped the doctors remove her armor and instruct them on what to expect of her biology. Revealing a little bit of the Spartan program. But it was a necessity.
Nearly three days went by as they conducted repairs to the ship and treated Cal and the injured. But then those Gem's came and started to attack. At first they were only one or two that were most likely probing. Which were easily taken out by a sniper round or two.
But then they started to attack in force. Going from only a couple to several hundred. Dozens of marines and an ODST had been killed in the third day. The ships point defense guns helped immensely in defense.
Then they started to set up that plasma cannon. Which most likely would've torn the ship apart if it got to fire. But that was when this UNSC arrived. They saved them, but at the cost of a new heavy Frigate. Two of those human Scarabs, and several thanks and Warthogs. Along with well over 300 soldiers.
She was brought out of her thinking when Captain Petra came over and gave her a small black chip. She held another in her hand as well.
"These are your Credit cards. They insert into the memory slot of your armor and link to your newly created bank account. You and Sierra-141 both have 5,000 dollars as your current balance. You will be payed 3,000 weekly. You get paid a lot since your jobs as Spartans are some of the most dangerous. Don't spend it all in one place. I'll leave Arthur to find 141 for you. But I have to begin docking procedures and sort out the Roanoke." Petra said as she left her. Walking down a hallway.
Naomi stared at the small chip in her left hand. It was an Onyx black and had little silver circuit lines running over the surface. She inserted it in the back of her helmet and she saw a bank account number and a balance of 5,000 appear on her HUD before it dissapeared.
(I'm using American Dollars for currency value)
Naomi then put the other chip, which was meant for Cal in an empty ammo pouch.
A waypoint then appeared on her HUD about a hundred meters away. With the numbers 141 over it. Naomi then started walking to her sister in arms.
Cal had left Naomi behind to go find where the Armory was. She had wanted to get out of this ODST helmet and back into a MK IV.
She hoped that this had the standard cruiser layout. Because she'd have to look around for a while if it didn't. And she definately didn't want to wander around the ship like a lost child.
"Hey, you need a hand finding something?" A male voice came from behind her. She looked around to see the tall, emerald green Spartan she'd seen on the ground. He was around 8 feet tall in that mech like Mjolnir. But he didn't have his helmet on. Exposing his fluffy green hair and emerald eyes. His skin was also a lot less pale then hers. But he does take his helmet off more.
"Need a new helmet." She said calmly.
It wasn't that she didn't like to speak a lot. She just found that talking a lot wasn't really needed malt of the time. Which was why she was one of the quieter II's.
"Oh, I can help you with that. I'm a Spartan as well, but you probably knew that because of my armor and height. As well as my fighting and... I'm emailing again aren't I?" He asked her.
Cal nodded.
He sighed and looked at her again. "I'll show you where the S-deck is. You can find a new Mjolnir helmet there. We usually have extra armor pieces lying around just in case." He told her as Cal followed him.
They walked through the corridors of the ship before they quickly came to an elevator. Which they both stepped on and the green haired guy pushed a button. The doors closed and they quickly descended.
"Oh, I'm Izuku by the way. Izuku-Z171, part of the new Zulu company. First of the Spartan III gem hybrids." He said as he extended a hand to her. But Cal didn't respond and simply stared at him.
Izuku then awkwardly retracted his hand and out it at his side. They waited in silence for a few seconds before the elevator stopped and the heavy doors opened to reveal a large room full of trianing equipment for Spartans, a boxing ring, Armor stands, weapon lockers and more.
"This is S-deck. Or the Spartan Deck. The lakes where all Spartans live, trian and store their armor and gear." Izuku said as he walked off. With Cal following close by.
Cal gazed at the stuff around her. While the room was a decent size. Being at least 150 fee long, 80 wide and 20 tall. It felt like there should have been more Spartans than 8. But she didn't really know the whole story.
But she followed Izuku to a locked room that he stopped in front of. He put his eye close to a scanner and then input an 8 digit code. The door then opened with a hiss and revealed a small room with Mjolnir armor components.
Izuku grabbed a steel colored MK IV helmet and handed it to Cal. She unlocked and placed the ODST helmet on the shelf with the armor components. Which let her face and long white hair by shown for a few moments before she tucked it up and placed the helmet back on. Once it locked and booted up, the smart paint changed to an Olive color to match the rest of her armor.
"You know your shoulder plate is damaged as well. You can get a replacement for that as well if you want?" Izuku asked.
Cal gazed down at her left shoulder and sure enough it was dented significantly. Not enough to impede movement or fitment. But it was highly noticeable. She shrugged and decided to leave it. A reminder to not let brutes sneak up behind her.
"Ok then, you what to go somewhere?" Izuku asked once more.
"To Sierra-010." She said simply. Izuku nodded and they walked half to the elevator and Izuku put on his helmet in a flash of green light.
Cal was surprised at seeing that. There was only one Spartan she'd seen do something like that. And had been missing for 15 years.
Now she was more than curious. She needed to talk with Naomi.
"Hey Cal, I'm by the docking clamp on deck 30. We're about to dock with an orbital elevator. I'll wait for you here." Naomi said over the radio.
"Copy that Naomi." She said in her comms before pushing the 30 button in the elevator. Which surprised Izuku slightly. He didn't think she knew where to go. But to be fair, she had been around for a good bit longer than him.
When the elevator stopped on deck 30 the doors opened. Izuku watched as she got out and made her way through the corridors. He isn't wished he could help his own teammates like he did her.
A few minutes had gone by before Naomi saw Cal enter into the docking bay. The olive green Spartan taking up a good bit of room in the hall.
"Apparently we're being payed now. As well as having shore leave for at least a month. So we're on our own for a little while." Naomi told her to which she nodded.
Naomi then held out the small onyx chip and Cal inserted it into her helmet.
"Cal, were lost. This isn't our UNSC and we're not going to our earth. Everything here is strange, familiar but unfamiliar at the same time." She told her.
"I get the feeling. We need to find some answers. But we can wait a bit. I wanna actually see what it's like to not fight constantly for once. Then we can figure this out." Cal told her. Naomi sighed slightly. She knew Cal was right. They had been fighting, scouting, and killing almost nonstop for 26 years. They deserved a break.
"Yeah, but the Captain said that a Fleet Admiral Croft knew where we could go. She said something about a Crystal Regiment, where human made versions of those Gem's we fought would be sorted into. Apparently there are a few that have been here that know something. So that might be our best bet." Naomi told Cal.
Cal turned her head to look at Naomi. Her golden visor staring at her. "Where is this place?"
"The ships AI said it was somewhere called Beach City. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like the location of a military base." She said with uncertainty and a small hint of sarcasm.
"Sounds like a resort. Like one of those ones on Harvest. Before the Covenant glassed it. I remember hearing one of the instructor's talk about it. White sandy Beach's stretching for miles. Trees that were as thick as a Warthog. And perfect weather." Cal said with a bit of longing.
"Hey, maybe you'll get your beach holiday when we get there. After all, I wanna get something to drink. I haven't been able to get more than an ounce of liquor ever!" Naomi said with a slight laugh.
It would looked heartwarming to someone watching if they were to see the two Spartans interact. They were sisters in all but blood who had been through hell and back more times than anyone could count. And they weren't about to let the Reaper get them anytime soon.
Turns out that even in an unfamiliar place. People still have the large supersoldiers ample room. Either out of fear or respect was yet to be determined. But they didn't mind.
But there was a nagging feeling in Cal's mind. She had gotten many looks that shone with recognition before they took in the details of her armor and her number. Which then caused them to go which to whatever they were doing.
"You been getting the looks from people to?" Cal asked Naomi as they walked through the halls of Hermes station.
Naomi looked into Cal's visor. A raised eyebrow underneath her visor. "You Mena like one of respect or fear. Or like something different?" She asked with a curious tone.
"No, it's like they see me and I look like someone familiar to them. But then they take in details and they deflate."
"Well... that s a new one." Naomi said in confusion.
"John wants the one to go missing, was he?"
Naomi shook her head at that. "No, when I left John was still on Reach. I don't know where he is now. But he defiantly isn't here." She told Cal.
John was the most famous out of all of them. With many people associating the number 117 with salvation. He had even earned the classification of hyper lethal. Which only one of their brothers had gotten close to.
Cal and Naomi had soon entered a smaller, personal elevator. One of several that ran alongside the main one. It started up and brought them down to the surface.
"Wherever we are, that is a view of kill for." Naomi said as she gazed out the transparent aluminum tube was the image of earth getting closer and closer.
"That's a sight I could get used to." Cal said as she gazed at several warships flying past. She zoomed in on the large ship in the group. It looked to be the same class as the cruiser they just got off. But it had the name Indianapolis. As well as two Paris class frigates and two Halberd class destroyers following it. There were eight Corvette sized ships that sorrounded the five as well that neither Spartan had send before.
"I didn't think Corvettes would ever be used again. They usually don't have enough punch." Naomi said as they both gazed at the ships slowly leaving sight.
"Usually not, but those don't look like any Corvette I've ever seen. But given this places track record so far. I wouldn't be surprised if it was deadlier than it looks." Cal said.
"True, but I don't think there are many ships in orbit. I asked the stations AI and they only have one ODP, two of those cruisers, a carrier I've never heard of. 4 Halberd destroyers, 4 Jeager class frigates which isn't be those frigates we saw earlier. 8 Paris class frigates. 32 Corvettes and one unknown class destroyer." Naomi told her.
"Reach's fleet is nearly ten times that size." Cal said.
"And Earth's ODP grid is numbered at easily over a hundred by now. With the home defense fleet to protect it as well." Naomi's informed her.
"Never know, those new ships we see. We have no idea what their capable of. For all we know, they could even have Shields." Cal said.
"One can only hope." Naomi said.
The elevator bad made it to the ground and the doors opened up for them to walk across. They exited quickly to a large bridge lined with windows that gave a great view of the ocean and coast that this place was built in. It extended easily at several hundred feet to get to it's destination.
"Most scenic orbital elevator I've ever seen." Naomi said out loud. Which Cal nodded to.
They eventually made their way to the other side and exited into another lobby. This time it had a larger version of those Warp pad things. As well as several of them that ran along the edge.
They both stepped on the central pad and Naomi used her neural interface to bring them to their destination. And like that the two Spartans were off.
Cal gazed at the inside of the warp stream.
"Slipspace shouldn't work like this." Cal said simply as they flew.
Naomi floated toward her direction. "To be fair, have you ever flown inside a Slipspace pocket dimension before?" She asked with sarcasm.
"Touche."
It took a little longer than when they were on the ship. But they eventually set down on a smaller pad and stepped off it.
Their destination was on a hill overlooking the coast. With an old 20th century barn a few hundred feet away.
"Ok, I don't think this is the right place. Because last time I checked a random hill with a barn doesn't classify as a town." Naomi said with her hands on her thigh plates. She only now noticed that it was raining as well. But the raindrops only slid off her subtly glowing shields.
Cal had the rain actually hit her armor. With water droplets sliding down her visor. Thankfully they didn't impede visability. But her armor was vacuum sealed so she didn't have to worry about getting wet.
Naomi was interrupted when Cal tapped on her shielded shoulder. Causing her to look at the larger Spartan.
Cal then pointed to a small town in the distance. With lights on that shone through the rain.
"Oh, I feel slightly dumb now."
Cal soaked past her. She only now noticed that she still had her SRS-99 and MA5B on her back.
"Come on then dummy. I'm hungry."
Naomi caught up to her and they made their kilometer long treck to the town. Their heavy weight making them stick into the mud. But they were easily stormy enough to overcome this. Although Naomi had an easier time with mud due to her shields. Which made Cal more than a bit jealous.
But they made it to the border of the town after a ten minute hike. Cal scrapped the mud off her boots and continued on.
"So, look around and find something we like to eat?" Naomi proposed.
Cal nodded and they walked down the streets. Nobody was out in the rain so they didn't get any strange looks or questions. Which both were happy with.
They didn't find much in the way of food in the main area of the town. Except for some random things in a corner store. But they wanted actual food.
So they eventually came to the boardwalk. But that was when something appeared in both their motion trackers and audio.
"Mayor Dewey, Mayor Dewey, Mayor Dewey." It screeched over and over again.
Thus figured out it was a large van when it shown it's headlights on them. It went right toward them, to which a brought out her rifle. And Naomi grabbed her Magnum and get ready to take out the driver. But then the vehicle swerved out of the way and stopped next to them. Which showed them it was some kind of Van.
The window rolled down and a man that looked it be pushing his late forties rolled down the window.
"Hey, just because your with those strange women in the temple, doesn't mean you can just walk in the middle of the street!" He yelled at them. His eyes then widened when Naomi racked the slide on her Magnum and chambered a bullet. Which made him drive off and splash them.
"What the hell was his problem. Who isn't drives like an angry grunt in a rainy street!" Naomi yelled as she place the Magnum hack on her thigh.
"Just ignore it Naomi." Cal said as she stowed her rifle.
"Ugh, fine." She sighed as they continued on their quest for food.
"Huh, looks like we're on a boardwalk. Should be at least some food stalls here." Naomi said.
Cal looked at her. "How do you know that?"
Naomi simply stared back at her. "I scouted out places and assassinated targets remember."
Cal simply shrugged and they walked down the boardwalk.
"You want fries?" Cal asked. She was only somewhat sure what they we're. But a quick internet search on her HUD told her.
"Nah, but it looks like there's another shop down here." Naomi said.
Once they got closer Naomi started talking again.
"Hey Cal, remember Christmas, 2523." She asked curiously.
"Yeah, Solomon stole over 2 dozen pizzas and we are like kings." Cal told her. "What does that have to do with anything?" She asked her.
Naomi simply pointed and Cal traced to where she was pointing. Her eyes widened beneath her visor when she saw it. A pizza shop!
Cal took off into a sprint that would rival Kelly. Naomi didn't even knew what happened for a second. She then saw that Cal had sprinted 50 feet in the blink of an eye. She was now waiting underneath the awning of the pizza place.
"How did you...?"
"Naomi. I haven't gotten to eat pizza in over 30 years. I'm getting pizza." She said in a serious tone.
'huh, apparently Cal turns into a kid when it comes to pizza.' Naomi thought as she made her way over to Cal.
"We're gonna need to take out helmets off Naomi. If not to order then to eat. So might as well do it now." Cal told her as she took off her helmet. Letting her long and curly white hair fall. She then clipped it to her waist and looked at Naomi with her amber eyes. A bit of dried blood on her head still. As well as a surgical scar from her recent operation that went from the back of her head. It travelled across her head and ended just above her right eye. But most of it was hidden by her hair.
"Fine." She said after a ten moments of staring. She brought her hands up to her helmet and twisted. Causing it to unlock with a hiss of pressurized air. She then slid it off her head to reveal her blonde hair that was about 6 inches long on all sides but her face. Which she kept shortly cut. But the back of her hair was tied into a tight ponytail. Her blue/grey eyes staring at Cal. A scar going down her right cheek that faded into her skin.
"Happy now?" She asked her taller companion. To which Cal just smiled as they opened the door with a ring of a bell. Both walked in and gazed around before they saw the counter.
"I'll be right there!" Came the voice of a man with a strange accent that neither could pin.
They then saw a cake skinned man with hair that was starting to grey. As well as more stress lines than a veteran Admiral. He didn't seem to notice them for a few seconds.
"Welcome it Fish Stew Pizza. How may I help...you." he trialed off as he finally got a good look at the near Herculean women in front of him.
"One large pepperoni pizza. And two waters please." Cal told him. Which he nodded quickly and gave them an order ticket.
"Why was he so terrified?" Cal asked Naomi with confusion. She had gotten looks of envy, suspicion, awe and a few others. But life fear isn't one she's seen except for a few Innies and Grunts.
"Maybe the fact that were both armored supersoldiers and you have an anti material rifle on your back." Naomi said with sarcasm as she took the ticket and headed for a table.
Cal simply shrugged as they tested out the benches with their weight. They groaned and the wood sagged a lot. But it surprisingly held up.
"Did you pay?" Naomi asked.
"Yeah, I waved my hand over the electronic later and deposited the money. Now we just have to wait." She told her.
Both Spartans sat in silence for a few minutes until Naomi broke the silence.
"Yeah know, it's good to see you Cal. I haven't gotten to see any of our brothers and sisters in years. It's good to finally get to now." She said as her face softened. A look of fondness spreading across it.
Cal smiled slightly as she looked at Naomi. She had a similar feeling. "I haven't gotten to have a sniping contest with Kelly in a long time. I might finally he able to beat her high score." She said with a laugh.
Naomi smiled. "Remember you have to beat Will as well. But your still a lot better marksman than me. I've only hit white out to 2 kilometers. While I remember fondly that you could hit a quarter at 3."
Cal's grin only got bigger. "Yeah, but he hit the same target at 4. While Kelly did it at 5 and a half. She just naturally had an eagle eye."
"John was also pretty good at sniping as well. But he was more well rounded than most of us. Good at all, but amazing with none."
"Well, he is pretty good with an MA5B and Magnum. Which might be why he got to hyper lethal. He was always just a bit more tactical, a bit more willful."
"Lucky is more like it. Hasn't yet failed him. And I only just saw him a month ago." Naomi said with a smile. She got to spend a whole day catching up with him and a Jorge. Who apparently and joined a team of new Spartans.
"What happened to Soloman. I haven't heard of him for a while?" Cal asked as their waters finally got brought to them by a young woman who was clearly nervous around them.
Naomi simply looked at the young lady with an analyzed expression. Her steel blue eyes staring at her brown. Which made her shake a bit more.
"Look kid, what's your name?" She asked with a calm but harsh voice.
"K_Kiki." She stuttered out. Her knees wobbling slightly.
Naomi sighed. Bringing a hand up to her forehead. Which made Cal chuckle. Naomi sent a glare at the larger Spartan that did absolutely nothing to some her stop.
Naomi then turned back to Kiki. "Look, I don't harm anyone who's not a terrorist or an Alien. So unless your either of those two, then I'm harmless to you. So will you please stop shivering like a cold Chihuahua?" She said as she crossed her arms.
"Your still not very good with regular people I see?" Cal said to her.
Naomi looked back at her sister with an unamused expression. She and no problems with her people skills.
Kiki promptly took this time to get away from the scary woman. She felt like her eyes pierced through her back as she went to the kitchen to help her family.
She shut the door and breathed a sigh of relief. The scary lady was right, she would've done something if she wanted to harm her. But somehow a battle scarred soldier with enough weapons to kill everyone here terrified her.
"I don't understand why you two are so scared of them. Sure the shorter one is pretty intimidating. But their a lot like Steven's uncle. The tall one even has the same armor, just in different colors." Came the voice of her twin sister Jenny. Who was just getting back from a delivery. She was trying to dry her soaked hair with one of the dish towels. Grumbling something about the water messing it up.
"I didn't know Steven had an uncle?" She asked with curiosity as she went to take out their pizza from the oven.
"Yeah, usually walks around in a similar suit. Green and black. Seven foot and dirty blonde hair. Sometimes shoots green fire? That guy. You haven't seen him around?" She asked with confusion.
"No, can't say I've seen him around town. I definitely would've remembered that. But to be fair, your the delivery driver. So you move around a lot more."
Jenny simply shrugged and went to grab the next delivery. She waved goodbye to her sister and dad before she left.
"Maybe not the white haired one. But that shorter lady still gives me the willies. Her gaze is like a friend's assassin!" Kofi pizza said to her.
Jenny simply looked at her dad as she grabbed the pepperoni pizzas. "Daddy, how would you know what a trained assassin looks like. Have you been watching that anime again?" She said with a smile.
"I don't care what you think. Assassination classrooms will always be the best Anime!" He shouted at her.
Kiki rolled her eyes as she went over to the door. Preparing herself, she opened it and went over to set the pizzas by the two. Quickly retreating once again.
"My god, that was the best food I've had in I don't know how long." Naomi spat out as she patted her stomach through her bodysuit. She then got up and put her helmet back on with a twist.
Cal got up as well. Now that they finally had their stomachs full, they had to sort out a sleeping arrangement. They could always just lean up against a tree. They had worse ways than that, so neither of them were opposed to it. But Naomi was curious how a hotel would be when it wasn't blown up, being used as a snipers nest, or shot to pieces.
They were then brought out of their thoughts when an elderly woman stood in front of them.
The sheer differences in the size between them was almost comical. But neither of the Spartans much cared.
"Would either of you happen to be related to a man with messy dirty blonde hair. Has green streaks in it and has piercing green eyes. As well as breathing green fire? I was wondering since he wears the same armor."
Both Spartans widened their eyes as heard that. Naomi knew by heart exactly who that was. So she knelt down so she was eye level with the old woman. Her golden visor staring at her.
"Where does he live." She said with a serious tone.
"Down the beach. There's a house in the lap of an ancient temple. You can't miss it." She said with a smile.
Naomi immediately ran toward the door. Once she was outside she dissapeared in nearly the blink of an eye.
"Thank you Ma'am." Cal said as she put on her helmet and took off after Naomi.
Naomi slowed down a bit to let Cal catch up. Which was easier for her with her longer legs.
They quickly made it to the actual beach. Ignoring the crashing waves that hit against the shore. Or the rain droplets hitting even heavier on their shields and armor.
Naomi just wanted to find her brother. And there's was nothing that would stop her from finding him. She thought he was dead for the last decade and a half. So she didn't even react to the strange temple. She just focused on the wooden house that resided in it's shadow.
Cal was somewhat taken aback by the temple though. She hadn't.seen anything like this in the history she's seen. Nobody human carved like that. It was then that she noticed the waypoint for the 'Gems' they were supposed to meet coincided with the wooden house. She looked back to where Naomi was. Only to find her already at the door.
"Oh boy." She said with a rare hint of nervousness. This couldn't end well.
Naomi nearly flew up the steps of the house. Not even noticing that they held her weight with ease. But she slowed down when she got to the front door. She couldn't see anything but a kitchen through the screen. She tried a scan, but somehow the wood blocked it.
"Of course he would sandwich Titanium A into the walls." Naomi said with a smile.
She was actually nervous. An emotion she hadn't felt since augmentations.
So she brought out her fist and knocked on the door. She couldn't really hear anything on the other side.
Naomi glanced back to see Cal walk up behind her. She simply nodded at her and they both then gazed to the door. Just in time for the knob to turn.
They waited with baited breaths as it opened it reveal a figure that looked humanoid. But with some proportions that were very off. But they could tell it was a Gem and a she from observation and scans. She wore a red and blue outfit that covered everything but her head, neck and hands. Her skin was a very dark red and her hair was in the shape of a cubed afro. A pair of strange sunglasses covering her eyes.
"I thought you would have gotten here later. But I guess you Spartans never really fit into my visions." Which caused Naomi and Cal to tense. A feeling of uncertainty washing over them.