Update as of March 8th, 2021: You might have kept getting updates in your email saying this story has been updated when it hasn't... I'm currently restructuring the entire story along with rewriting a lot of arcs contained in this story, primarily the Citadel battle arc. Idk why is doing this but it is what it is.
Very very very important AN:
LMFAO Halo is delayed and the new Mass Effect trailer is out, meaning that I'm here to deliver you all the free Halo/ME content like the little slut I am.
"ShePArD is A mAry suE, WHdyasghdio" - I am now of the firm belief if you actually believe this I think you're autistic. I want you to know that.
So, there was a guest review a long time ago saying I insulted reviewers and it's not cool. I denied this. Looking back, this reviewer was actually right... In light of this, in order to maintain consistency, I will continue to insult reviewers that I don't agree with.
This is not reflective of anyone. I am all for opinions unless they're wrong.
Ya, I don't give a fuck anymore about reviews. I'm writing this for me. You're lucky enough to be on the goddamn ride. This shit is free, so honestly, if you don't like it anymore, then stop reading.
And btw thank you reviewers for pointy out these micro-little fucking things I get wrong in canon. "acHTullay Shields r made of 2.93..."
OOOOOH I'LL GET RIGHT ON TO FIXING IT- No I won't. This has always been a lie, and you can go fuck your mother. If not, I'll do it for you. It will never be fixed. I'll do my best to appease the old versions of canon, but if I get it wrong it's wrong. If it's a big thing that's blatantly wrong, then it's fucking AU. If it's so wrong that's even insulting to me then I will fix it.
but, but, Fade, what defines these categories-
They're defined by however I feel like.
You...YOU CAN'T JUst CHaNGe the Name of your Fic And DelETE old chapTERs WitOUT-
Yes...yes I fucking can. I can do whatever I want.
In fact, in response to the reviewer Nate, I will rename this fic Shepardwank starting this Friday for the weekend.
Fucking idiot.
SO
I made a LOT of edits and additions to old chapters. If you don't want to go back and read it, I do not blame you... So here's a summary...
- Chapters 1 through 4 heavily edited. A little light shining on ONI to connect it to the... 'modern plot.' Most of it though is just grammatical fixes and consistency fixes.
- Chapter 28 Operation: SUN GOD and Chapter 29 Operation: HARPOON has been combined into one chapter. Chapter 28: SUN GOD. Chapter 29 has been replaced with a brand new chapter called Operation: DOUBLE TAKE. This chapter details Grey Team infiltrating a Cerberus facility and finding hints of the Cerberus Spartan team so people don't bitch "CerBerUs can'T haVe4 SparToons."
k
- Chapter 30: No Man's Land has gone through some very heavy edits, and a section at the end has been expanded to detail more about the relationship between Lasky and the Chief, and that part where everyone had an autistic rage at Miranda hacking a door has been removed. Instead, in all spite, I will now ship Miranda and Lasky. Because of this, in that section the conversation between Miranda and Lasky has been extended.
- In chapter 39: The Office of Naval Intelligence - I had utterly forgotten a tiny plot point where Shepard had downloaded Forerunner data... FUCK. Well, I added a scene between the meeting aboard the Citadel and Lasky meeting Shepard aboard the Normandy. This scene is pretty much Shepard and Liara go through the data, and Shepard sees some funky visions that pretty much puts Lasky in a corner so readers can have less of an autistic rage when Lasky 'reveals information.'
- As of right now there are all the edits. Hopefully, I'll get more done soon. My main priority for edits is chapters 9 through 14 since those are direly important. If you have any suggestions let me know, so I can laugh at you.
Or take them into consideration. Honestly, it's 50/50 so take a chance.
"HeY yOu can't Call RevIeawrs tHat" - some future reviewer.
I don't care.
Next update will come out whenever I feel like it.
ALSO I posted this fix on Ao3 under the same name. So support it there too.. Because (wait for it) the chapters on there have...
PICTURES.
and I'll INTERACT WITH PEOPLE... (pls send nudes)
And possibly soon...a READING MUSIC PLAYLIST.
HOLY
FUCKING
JESUS
So support it there too, or don't honestly. Idc.
Let me know if you do want a reading playlist. I'd be down.
To that dude Dark Bunny leaving a review saying you want to write a spinoff of this... I sent you a PM a long time ago... Check your inbox. I'm open to it.
Horizon
Enemy Resistance: Incalculable
2557 Military Calendar, 13:45
September 6th
For a while, the aliens of both teams continued to talk to the group of Elites - of Covenant-era Elites. Ugly glances from the various passing Grunts, minor Elites, and Jackals sent both chills and nostalgia down the Chief's spine…
His trigger finger tapped against the MA5D's trigger guard. Who knew fighting the Covenant would constitute simpler times…
Their negotiations were mostly quiet. Maybe some raised angry voices here and there (all coming from the Covenant Elites) but nothing the Arbiter and Liara could silence.
The Covenant species maintained their distance, and their watch. Meanwhile, the Citadel Species remained close. The doctor, Doctor T'Perro, was in deep conversation about all that happened in the time before they showed up.
John could not help but feel anxious. And he's sure Blue Team felt it too. For Spartans, there are no subtle feelings. Merely kill or be killed. With over thirty years of combat experience, their bond ran deeper than blood and familial feelings.
They stood off to the side. Their weapons at rest but ready, observing their surroundings and targets… Anticipating for that preverbal dime to drop.
On TEAMCOMs, Linda acknowledged she would take out the Jackals nested in overwatch above. And once they heard the click of Linda's trigger, Fred would take position and fire controlled pairs into the Unggoys sheltering into the various barricades. Kelly would sprint forward and target the Elites with her shotgun and ka-bar. That would leave the Hunters to John, which he'll do what he did best.
To Say it was aggravating would be an understatement, hearing these Covenant slaughter the innocent human refugees after all hell broke loose. Their misunderstandings did not matter. It was reminiscent of the Great War, of the horrors that were supposed to be long past.
And from how Liara explained it, something seemed off… It was obvious there was more than the Covenant survivors, mutated Reapers, and the legions of Cerberus personnel...
And the implication of…. What the Chief thought he killed years ago… If it was here….
He thought back to the Nova bomb. Almost sympathizing, John could see the moralistic grey areas that would force Shepard to intervene… But here, if it was true, then Blue Team needed to come up with a contingency.
UNSC protocol concerning biohazard decontamination containment dictates the immediate purge of the local area by any means necessary. Glassing, WMDs, it did not matter.
And judging from the white phosphorus, it was clear to Blue Team that Cerberus had a fail-safe.
However, at this moment the mission priority was still extracting Cortana. Once that was achieved, then they needed to initiate containment protocol… And in the event they couldn't come up with one, then they needed to initiate Protocol Upsilon
Liara and the Arbiter were still in hushed talks when the room shook as if an earthquake had erupted.
Deep quakes from the surface above vibrated throughout the O'Neil Cylinder. Its metals vibrated with a thunderous roar. Hollow glass shells that surrounded the pod fell to the earth, shattering and intertwining with the stark reality that a battle just erupted upstairs.
Both teams looked at each other with grim resolution. Despite the brief yet tenuous respite, the clock was still running, and fast
And it seemed Commander Shepard also shared their impatience. He calmly told the refugee doctor that he'll get them out of here and pushed his way through the horde of refugees now crowding the vacant corridors, trembling and worried.
The Spartans followed him. The tense sound from the crowds began as murmurs and concerned conversations was quickly drowned out with a hammering smash from the surface, sending the refugees into a terrified frenzy. A klaxon began to blare, red emergency lights ignited amongst various intervals of the cylindrical walls.
The group found the Arbiter and Liara in what looked like a standoff with the crew of the Long Night. Elite guards stopped Shepard, putting their hands at his chest and pushing him back.
"We're out of time!" Shepard said past the Elite guards. "We need to make a decision now!"
Still, the Elites seemed less concerned than the Arbiter and Liara. They looked at each other.
"Alas, despite all the circumstances, you still expect us to ally with the Humans?" The Zealot said to the Arbiter, his words laced with disgust.
"There isn't time for this!" The Chief pushed, standing right behind the Commander, ready to rip off a Sangheili arm. "We still have a priority objective that needs to be completed. And we can either do that with or against you."
The Master Chief's attention was primarily focused on the Commander, watching his movements, waiting for a signal. The Commander himself was looking to Liara. The deep dark blue eyes of the Asari were gazing right back. There was some sort of unspoken language between the two. Shepard, like Blue Team, was at the ready. John noticed Shepard had a hand on his sidearm pistol. Liara was calmly, slowly nodding her head.
Whatever they were communicating, it seemed to have gotten through as the Commander lifted his hand from the Carnifex pistol.
"We're on your side," Shepard said, resolutely. "We can help you evacuate and get off this planet. You want answers? We can get you those answers!"
"But right now, just like you are tolerating the pagans, you must tolerate us," Liara added on. "We can save the rest of your crew. Whatever you believe about the humans, about us pagans, you can trust the Arbiter. He is on your side!"
The Zealot was silent, directing his attention to the Arbiter. There was another staredown. Another silent communication as they tried to come to an understanding.
"Now... you are not my enemy," the Zealot said. "But... in the future?"
"That is for you to decide, brother" the Arbiter replied. "For in the end, it was a choice for all of us to join the Covenant and to bear its consequences. As it is a choice to leave and endure what becomes of the decision. I shall show you all that has transpired in your absence. And should you join us then it shall be so and the end of it. But should you choose otherwise, then I promise you a glorious and honorable death upon the battlefield. Or, thus in so, give me a glorious and honorable death. On the blood of our fathers…"
The room violently shook, again. The Master Chief felt a sharp, cold chill, even under his armor.
"...On the blood of our sons," all the Elites replied in unison. The native language interlacing, real-time, with the English translation.
There's an encroaching silence. No one said anything.
"Of our own priority, it is to save as many of our crew as possible," the Zealot continued, "and in this, who would help us?"
"The Spartans have other objectives," Liara said. "But they will help us for a time before they find a way to deviate to their objective. Our crew, Commander Shepard's crew, will assist."
"Thus it is so," the Zealot said. "According to our station…"
"...All without exception," all the Elites said. The Arbiter included.
"Brother?" The Arbiter asked, "of these other factions…?"
Horizon, Unknown Location, 2816 Citadel Calendar, 14:56
"Humans, here?" The Arbiter said, not very surprised.
But it was the way they described them. Shepard expected a description of 'Demons,' ONI Spartan strike teams piercing through the facility in small, fluid numbers. Instead, they described clumps of mass troopers, disarmed, scattered, and in disarray throughout the facility. Present since their release, they also had to scramble for weapons, racing against Covenant survivors.
Humans armored in green and tan, fighting and banding together as best they could.
"UNSC personnel…?" Fred asked, "How? POWs?"
"Well if the UNSC made a makeshift bomb to destroy the Long Night…" Tali began.
"Maybe…" the Master Chief said, trailing off. Shepard already knew something was being kept from them. However, as usual, he wasn't sure. But they knew… They knew something like this would happen, that something would be present.
Now, priority was to find survivors of the UNSC. If any. And get to their leadership. If any.
"Did they start the damn glassing?" Wrex loudly gruffed.
"Not sure," Fred replied. "Glassing mostly affects the surface level…andt it would be constant. It wouldn't stop on and off."
The Engineer, the former Cerberus Engineer, was coming with them, along with a contingent of Sangheili and their Unggoy counterparts; who were readying up.
There was only one thought sprinting through Shepard's mind, one thought on all their minds as they resupplied and rearmed in near record time. He took a breath, looking at Liara as she readied up. The heavy armor weighed them all down, however it looked especially unnatural on her rather thin Asari-physique. Dirt, grim, and ballistics residue smudged her face. Shepard noticed another gash across her left check, now covered in dried purple blood and ballistic grease.
"We have not been able to establish communications," a leading Elite, a 'Ranger' dressed in black insulated armor and a helmet with a dark blue visor, stated. "We must rely on information from the teams, only, once they return to our base."
"So retrieval of other teams from the field?" Fred asked.
The Ranger nodded to the Arbiter. "We know of the locations of these teams, should they still live. Rarely, do our recon teams in this hell hole remain intact."
Shepard turned, seeing the Zealot come down the opposing corridor. He's surrounded by two guards of a different species… One Shepard had only read about in the briefing… Jiralhanae, or Brutes as they were more commonly called. Ape-like, violent creatures with a psychology similar to the Krogan. They wore the bare minimum power armor, displaying their muscles as armor. Whereas their helmets acted as masks for sharp fangs and deep scowls.
Ah.
"So…" Fred said, "for now, I think it's best we don't give them an update on galactic affairs."
"Agreed, Spartan…" the Arbiter grumbled.
"Shepard…" Liara said, her voice rather low, "given the situation, shouldn't our priority still be intel collection?"
"Only in recon," the Commander replied, "we can't leave any more people behind, Liara."
She nodded her head. They both knew the stakes, but in the end the best they could do was help what was immediately in front of them… Shepard, in a way, was done with the abstract theories of right and wrong. The Council… The Alliance... The UNSC. It never did matter. Not in the end. Saving as many people as he could was what mattered. And to himself, he confessed that the record was abysmal.
That's all it ever was about… Protecting his crew, protecting the Citadel and the people he met… Shepard wasn't sure how many decisions he had left that will determine the lives of Christ knows how many people. He didn't know how many lives would be lost now if he chose these people here rather than intel, or hell, even saving Cortana.
There's only the choices in front of him…. The O'Neil Cylinder quaked once more, tearing him back into reality. Shepard looked up and wondered what the hell was going on above.
"Roger up," Fred said, over TEAMCOM as all teams made final preparations, "Chief, should we tell them?"
The Master Chief stopped mid-way through inserting a fresh mag into his MA5D. He looked to Shepard. The Spartan's voice was hesitant as he spoke.
"The Elites haven't reported evidence so far…." the Master Chief said, "but if it comes to it… If it goes to the extreme… This isn't like Thessia. If it comes to it, we find a way to hail the Infinity and initiate Protocol UPSILON."
None of the other Spartans said anything… They knew the stakes…
Fred nodded after a brief moment, "you know, just once I would like a quiet mission
"Quiet? We left 'quiet' thirty years ago, Fred" Linda quipped as she cycled a AP round into the chamber. She was scared. They all were.
Blue Team was usually not this casual… Not during the middle of a mission. But this was different.
Looking over to them, Shepard could tell that the Spartans were having a private conversation on a private channel; a gnawing pit grew once more in his gut
Blue Team was first to ready up, moving up to the gates of the base to move out.
"Liara…" Shepard whispered, trailing off. "I know they're hiding something."
"It seems to be a common trait among humans," Liara said as she came by his side.
Shepard grunted, "I'll let that one go, for now… But do you remember what the Illusive Man and Lasky said, before all this?"
His voice grew more concerned as he remembered the flicker of fear in Lask'y eyes. "They said there was a greater threat. And the way that Lord Hood acted with that Engineer…"
"Something is wrong."
Leaning to one side, Liara glanced at the Spartans before turning back to Shepard. "We know about the Halo rings. But we were never told why they were made."
"And at least one was activated in dark space outside the galaxy…" Shepard said
"Which begs the question why was there one in dark space where no life exists…" Liara finished.
The gnawing pit in Shepard grew once more, that there was something here, underneath ONI, the Sangheili, and Cerberus
There is still time to stop the key from turning… The shadowy figure with flashing silver robes said… From all evidence, at least from everything they've seen and heard, the Forerunners were able to break the cycle. They could have destroyed the Reapers… To save them from greater threats? To destroy it?
"Why did the Forerunners take it upon themselves to complete the cycle?" Liara asked.
And the only answer Shepard had was if there was something worse out there.
But he didn't say anything, only shrugged as the Hunters opened the gate. Soon, they were out into the breach. Weapons raised, each covering a certain sector of fire. At least the two teams were. The Elite team merely pounced out, ready but not in any tactical formation. They seem to make up their caution with suicidal tendencies.
The dark orange light faded as they headed back towards the control room, into hell.
It's dark, orange light fading as they headed back towards the control room, into hell.
"Garrus, are you receiving?" Shepard asked on Normandy comms. No response. Just loud, blank static. "Garrus do you copy?"
Nothing.
They'll be alright Shepard had to remember.
It's a silent, anxious trip through the entrance to the O'Neill Cylinder. Shepard felt his arms shake as he kept his Mattock up. He could hear the deep, cold breaths from the Sangheili and Jiralhanae. It's a mix of anger and excitement. They truly weren't afraid, even in the face of new found horrors. Death in combat, an honorable end… Shepard was just beginning to understand their warrior culture.
But he kept focus on his team, despite knowing they were ready. This was what an N& trained for. Insertions, close quarters combat. The light turned to blackness. Shepard and his team activated night vision, and kept a slow pace despite the passive aggressive protest from the Sangheili/Jiralhanae team as they kept encroaching on the teams' line of fire.
First they entered into small, compartmentalized facilities, each with individual pods or some sort of component necessary for the cryo-chamber process. Some of the pods were still occupied. Still corpses of one of the various Covenant species laid in some of these pods. Their skin was plastered with ice and cryo-chemicals. The Covenant teams paid no attention. The Unggoy support may have stopped for a moment, only to be slapped upside the head by their superiors and ordered to move on.
"We need to move along the main corridor spine that connects this chamber to the other chambers," the Zealot said, his voice translated through the Engineer's device as he held it in one of his tentacles. "Many of our recon teams have been sent into these chambers, gathering various survivors…"
"And the areas past the chambers?" Liara asked, still maintaining their sectors.
"It is possibly one of our targets…" the Zealot said. "Alas, the further you travel into the facility, the more...chaotic it becomes."
"How so…?" Shepard asked.
"And what's the target?" The Master Chief added.
"Many recon teams reported large repair stations," Zealots said. "Many of these stations contained ships, of our origin or of this Cerberus. However, this was many days ago, and we are not sure where this ship stands."
"We have another target…" the Master Chief said. "Where would they keep priority intel? Their Command staff?"
The Zealot was silent for a moment as the teams breached and cleared more rooms, maneuvering around corners and clearing sectors and corridors.
"Many of these factions, armed refugees who are hostile to us as well, have sectioned off certain places…. A place of great strength is the base of the command tower of this makeshift city. There, I believe is where they hold whatever you seek," the Zealot finally replied.
Which means there's a high possibility Cerberus had already evacuated Cortana… Possibly… At the very least, Blue Team could find leads here.
They pushed through the blackness… The rumbles above still continued. Shepard could hear the distinctions more clearly now. Deep electronic roars intermixed with the earthquakes.
They entered into another corridor, with patient beds on each side…
A head-splitting shrill sliced the air, coming from a few meters down the corridor… Shepard recognized the familiar unnatural scream Banshee.
Someone called it, "CONTACT RIGHT!"
Bodies collapsed against one another. A black shadow tackled one of the Spartans, knocking over one of Shepard's teammates. The Spartan, Linda, immediately interlocked her legs around the Banshee's. She twisted her weight, maneuvering her mid-riff on the Banshee. From the Spartan's mere weight alone - a ton from what Shepard read in the brief- the Banshee's body began to compress. Electronic components were crushed and organic sacs located throughout its body began to burst open, oozing mottled purple liquid onto metal grate floors.
Incoming fire came from the left side. Bolts of red light piercing through the darkness. One bolt hit Shepard's kinetic barriers. His team took cover, providing returning fire.
"Where the fuckdid they come from?" Wrex yelled off.
He's right. These aren't Sangheili Reapers, these are pure Reapers...
The Covenant team, all forward and no retreat, pushed onwards, talking the bulk of fire. The Jiralhanae were the most brutal… Advancing despite the amount of fire they took on bare skin. Shepard now had a clear line of sight on the enemy. Multiple Reaper cannibals lead by a Marauder.
Two separate shots sounded off from Shepard's Mattock. The first bullet struck the Marauder's shields. The second shell went right through his armor, ripping out a chunk of his armor and knocking him to the floor.
The Jiralhanae reached the Cannibals… And Shepard and his crew got to witness first hand the brutality of the other side of the galaxy. It was animalistic and barbaric. They enjoyed it as they quite literally tore apart the Reaper troops. Appendages treated as weapons to use against other Cannibals…
One of the Brutes' fists went right through the mouth of a cannibal. When he pulled back his fist, he had grabbed onto and ripped out the former Batarian's innards.
They were all dead… Shepard's team barely fired a shot.
"How many Reapers were Cerberus experimenting on?" Shepard asked through his heavy breathing.
"We've witnessed hundreds," the Zealot replied. "Of what we witnessed…"
Great…
The bodies began to dissolve… Overall, few bullets were wasted. Shells clattered on the floor, falling through the small grate holes with a clanging sound.
There weren't very many of them… It wasn't until Shepard actually got a clear look at the hospital beds… Husks… Dozens of still husks and cannibals. Their unnatural electronic azure lights off, as if they were deactivated. Some were cut open, others had strange implements Shepard had never seen before in the field.
Cerberus had been experimenting on them.
"And what house of fucking horrors have we entered now?" Wrex commented.
No one answered. Teams pushed in to scour any remaining hiding areas. The Reaper bodies melted into liquid, seeping into the grated floors.
Somehow Cerberus had preserved them enough to where they haven't turned into ashes.
"Many of the refugees here were utilized in experiments," the Zealot commented. "They now stand as these Reapers."
"Goddess…" Liara was only able to see.
The teams kept their eyes on the patient beds as they passed through. Shepard noticed restaurants around all the bodies… The empty beds had broken restraints.
The teams pressed on. While, Blue Team and Shore Party slowly and covered sectors of fire, the Long Night team simply walked through the next room. Dozens of pods were located on the next, the internal glass smeared with decomposing flesh and fluids
Shepard already knew what it was. He's seen aboard the Collector ships. Pods that melt an individual to pure DNA… A nightmare where a living being animalistically screamed and smashed their hands against the glass while the tips of their fingers began to melt into sustenance. Skin dripping off to reveal bone and blackening muscle. And once it was all done, all that was left,would be a puddle that dripped down into the grated floor.
The Commander shook his head, trying not to think about it, trying to stay on task. The room was rather large, the ceiling above expanded into darkness. He looked around. Scorch marks and Cerberus bodies littered the room. Deep cuts rendered through their metal armor. The bright red blood now dried. Lead bullet casings also lined the floor, clinking and rolling across the floor as all three teams kicked them aside.
Some of the soldiers had utilized UNSC weapons. Cerberus soldiers brandishing assault rifles along with shotguns. Only when the Commander finally inspected the room closer, did he notice that this was some sort of laboratory. Weapons testing and drilling chambers located along the walls. Caliber machines and RCO stations. Everything for a weapons station.
"So I'm guessing these are Cerberus' weapons?" Wrex asked.
"Why the switch?" Tali asked, "more time consuming than anything else…"
"Experiments…" Shepard said, "maybe it has to do with the Spartans…"
"...Meaning they have UNSC prisoners and tech…" Fred mumbled.
And where would they get that? Shepard wanted to ask, but he already knew what the Spartans would and wouldn't answer.
He thought back to the UNSC's reluctance to deploy immediately… As he said before, it's as if the area were pre-sighted. Their obsession with intel sanitation and retrieval, and personnel protection would make one think that the UNSC would deploy instantly without question…
The Commander wasn't sure, and wasn't allowed more time to think as Blue Team quickly recovered ammo from the weapons and bodies. Shepard, now with the holstered M7 submachine gun, discreetly grabbed some magazines from one of the various bodies. He kept his Carnifex up, and his Black Widow at the ready.
"Movement up ahead behind the door.…" the Master Chief, first one in line at the other end of the room, reported. "Unknown IFF."
"Weapons hot, assume hostile," Shepard said.
"Copy," the Master Chief replied.
Both teams stacked up on each side of the door. Fred, second in line stacked right behind the Master Chief, brought out demolition charges and put them on a ten second charge.
Shepard felt Liara put a hand on his back collar and her Carnifex right next to his face, barrel pointed right at the door. The Spartans did something similar. Fred placed a hand on the Chief's back, ready to essentially shove him right through the door. In his other hand he had a grenade ready. In turn, Shepard ready upped a flashbang.
It's unspoken, but Spartans will be the first ones in followed by Shepard's team. They can take the most amount of damage.
"Flashbangs first, we don't know what's on the other side," Shepard said.
"Copy," a Spartan replied.
The Elites looked at both teams like they were cowards. Foreign, cautious tactics built to reduce casualties. The Long Night team merely stood in front of the door, energy swords and plasma weapons ready. Shepard saw the Elites and Brutes' muscles tense, enormous hands grip pistol grips and fingers twitching on the trigger.
Fred started the demolition countdown. Ten seconds. Shepard unlatched the pin and cocked it.
A flash of light, a heat wave passed right in front of Shepard. Shrapnel of the door bursted forward. Shepard immediately threw in the flashbang. A bright burning white flash ignited, The Spartans immediately pushed in through the debris dissipating ashes and flames. Embers sparking against the olive green armor as they moved.
It was slow motion. A burst of blue plasma light hit the Chief's shield, briefly knocking him back, pushed forward by Fred as the Spartans charged in.
They were hostile…. The Spartan team laid down fire as they charged in, trying their best to find some sort of cover in the next room. Something hit the Master Chief. A solid, black shadow that could've completely engulfed him.
It engaged him in CQC. The Chief quickly unloaded a clip into its mass, then unsheathed his knife. Fred covered the left side of the room, firing burst after burst from his DMR. Something, something massive, knocked the Spartan into the air. He hit the wall, instantly recovered and landed on his feet. The being swung a sword at him, causing Fred to duck and fire off bursts from his SMG.
Linda moved in next, pistol at the ready as the Chief thrusted his knife center mass of the shadow. She kept her head down and sprinted forward, more than likely finding more secure defilaide to provide fire discipline.
Shepard peered out and saw….
Knights… Those Forerunner Promethean Knights.
And for whatever reason they were a lot bigger than Shepard remembered. Hulking beasts with beady eyes shining through the chits in their helmets. Shepard quickly unsheathed his Black Widow. AP rounds with incineration bursts. At this range, at the very least, it would rip off a limp. With concentrated kinetic energy that could compare to an ancient tank shell. Heavy in his arms, micro-eezo stabilizers prevented the rifle from toppling him over. He stepped out in the middle of the door and kneeled. Liara rushed in, biotic shield up as Tali was on her shoulder. She released a burst of electricity from her Omni-tool and released Chakita. The damage of the electric shock was absorbed by the Knights' shields.
Shepard took aim at the biggest Promethean. Orange spikes jutted from its back carapace. It stood larger than the other Knights. The leader by the looks of it. Shepard quickly aimed center-mass and braced his shoulder. He fired, the round caused the shields to burst. He ejected the thermal clip and quickly inserted another.
The Chief pushed the Knight back, allowing him to fully raise his rifle and unleash the rest of his magazine. Shepard quickly, nearly instinctively manipulated the next thermal clip into the chamber. He was about to fire when one unseen Promethean fired a shot at him. A bright orange burst of light that Shepard assumed was a similar composition to plasma. The beam of fizzing orange light hit Shepard's left shoulder.
The kinetic barrier offered some protection. The orange material partially dissipated, its kinetic energy absorbed by the shield. However, what hit his armor was a mass of particles that sent an electric ping throughout his body. It felt like being hit by a taser. The Commander's muscles tensed up as his shoulder stiffened to the point of near paralyzation.
Despite the pain and resistance, Shepard was able to dislocate and take cover behind the wall. Unable to shoulder his Black Widow, he took out his Carnifex. He activated his reinforced tech armor and tried applying medi-gel to his locked shoulder. It helped a little as the sonic emitters soothed the nerves.
Shepard's Team pushed forward under Liara's biotic shield. These weapons the Knights used weren't plasma; it was something else that his team were able to defend, more easily, compared to plasma. The ember bolts were completely absorbed by Liara's biotic shield. They pushed forward to the next area of defilade, firing at Knight after Knight. It was only then Shepard got a full view of the room, and…
Jesus Christ.
This was just one of….dozens upon dozens of firefights in an auditorium-like plaza that spanned dozens of klicks in each direction. Immediately in front of them was the corner of a building. Apartments and offices dotted the empty coliseum, forming a small inner town more than likely designed to house Cerberus' chosen. Each building served as a foundation for the coliseum, as they extended into the ceiling about five-hundred meters above. Dozens of civilian bodies dressed in Cerberus casual uniforms littered the floors. And in every building, somewhere, fire exchange was constant. Reaper, Cerberus, Promethean rounds from what had to be hundreds of different groups fighting against each other..
Something was engaging the Prometheans before the two teams breached the door. A machine gun nest along with multiple shooters providing fire discipline. They once again opened up, first focusing on the Prometheans.
The Long Night team haphazardly pushed in. Their shields better able to withstand Promethean ammunition, they formed a phalanx-like formation with the Brutes upfront. The Elites, using them as shields, opened fire on the Prometheans. The leading Zealot moved out of the phalanx. His energy sword at the ready, he swung at the Promethean engaging the Master Chief. Its shields burst. The Zealot quickly followed up with another slash right across the Knight's thin body. The Promethean began to dissolve where it had been cut, transforming from sleek silver and black metals into orange embers that intermixed with the air and slowly disappeared. The Knight screaming in pain.
The Brutes, taller than the Spartans, and nearly as tall as the Knights, engaged point blank. One of the Prometheans tried to strike at the Brute with its sword. The alien grabbed the base of the Prometheans wrist with his bare hand, enclosing it in his palm. He began to crush the wrist. Another Brute assisted him, uppercutting the Knight and knocking off a piece of its helmet. Shepard saw the glow of an orange skull underneath. Bright and burning as lava-like liquid oozed out of the orifices. The Brutes took out their weapons. Bulky and crude, the weapon fired molten hot spikes that were bigger than a thermal clip. The Brute had pushed the weapon under the Promethean's shield, unleashing the full clip into its midriff. Metal tore away as the spikes lodged deep into the body. The Knight began to dissolve.
All three teams more or less successfully punched a hole. Linda immediately focused on the machine gun nest above.
Shepard switched from his Carnifex to the M7 and pushed in as the Master Chief provided some cover fire. He bent at the stomach, weaving through the tapestry of firing lights of bright plasma blue and orange. Another stray orange bolt hit his helmet, sending a shock through his skull. It felt like a migraine, a piercing pain that made him want to vomit. His vision became partially blurry.
Suck it the hell up. That's what they trained him to do. He pinpointed his squad as they formed a similar albeit smaller phalanx with Liara up front, Tali at her shoulder and Wrex covering the flanks. The Spartans remained the only team separated.
One of the Knights turned to Shepard and disappeared in a flash of electronic blue crystal light. It's body morphing into gas particles, leaving white and blue streaks in the air that headed directly towards Shepard. Before the Commander could react, the towering body of the Promethean materialized in front of him. He couldn't stop his feet, causing Shepard's body to slam against hard metal, knocking him to the floor.
The Knight activated its sword, swiping it at a left high-rise angle at the Commander. In a split second - more training induced than anything - Shepard activated his Omni-sword. He swung it at the blade. The kinetic force nearly shattered his wrist. The Promethean stepped forward, applying more weight onto the blade, forcing it closer and closer to Shepard. It's helmet opened, revealing a screaming skull that seemingly leaped barely two inches away from the Commander's visor. More liquid orange light poured out, disappearing before it hit his armor. As the blade passed through the kinetic barriers, the eezo field crackled and fizzed against the unknown element.
Shepard reached at his holster and grabbed his carnifex weapons block. It transformed, and he unleashed multiple rounds into the Promethean's upper body. He tried to aim at the skull, only to be blocked off by his own sword.
A wave of blue energy struck the Promethean, knocking it back. It was followed by a burst of eezo rounds that were absorbed by its shields.
Shepard scrambled out under, continuing to fire with his remaining Carnifex rounds. He got a couple meters away before something grabbed him by his collar and dragged him back up.
Liara stepped in front of him, the biotic shield passing the Commander.
"Next time we won't be around to save your ass!" Wrex said as he let go of Shepard's collar.
He looked around. There were only a small handful of knights. In the ensuing chaos, each team had taken out their fair share. Linda now concentrated on the machine gun nest in the building. With no cover or defilade of any kind between the door and the building, she still managed to pop off three consecutive shots, letting the recoil settle after each shot and firing right after.
She's only held back by the design of the sniper rifle. After those shots, the machine gun fire stopped.
"Who were they?" Shepard asked.
"Cerberus," Linda replied. "Standard troops."
For a brief, brief moment, there was quietness. Quietness sliced with the distant echoes of various firefights. The Commander could hear the splash of plasma, the bursting sounds of Promethean weapons, the harsh crackling of eezo-based weapons… And something else. The echoes and cracks of lead-based weapons.
This place is massive. Through the cracks and corners of the makeshift town, Shepard saw the grooves of the ceiling form towards center spire. More than likely that's where the base of the tower was. Nearly over a klick away.
They needed to get to high ground and get a clear picture of the situation.
Shepard and his team immediately moved up to the building. A once furnished lobby now scattered with debris and a handful of Cerberus bodies.
Shepard wondered what this place was for… Maybe to keep up a partial appearance of actual safety against the Reapers. Or again, so close to the labs, maybe this was actual refuge for the scientists and their families.
The lobby was clear. Shepard's team checked corners.
Blue Team entered, followed by the Arbiter and Long Night crew.
"We just walked into a damn warzone," Wrex commented.
"Does this building have full enfilade of the entire area?" Linda asked.
"No idea," the Chief said. "If Cerberus built this place to be defendable, then there has to be some suitable place to provide overwatch."
And more than likely the buildings would be designed in such a way to become a strategic holdout, overall protecting the interior spire. Barricades and chokepoints that would cause the enemy to be funneled into ambush zones.
And more than likely the spire is Cerberus' last line of defense. Because of such a design they've been able to hold it till evacuation.
"We need eyes to form any sort of plan," Shepard concluded. "Let's move to the top."
It's all they could do. Elevators looked like they were out. All three teams took the emergency stairs, moving at a dead slow and further antagonizing the Elites. Every door they stopped, slowly cleared it, then moved on up more stairs.
"Do you guys have any recon on this place?" The Chief asked.
"Little," the Zealot replied. "Yet we know at the other end of this area it also leads to these repair stations and anchorages."
And it also leads to the tower, meaning this had to be their route… They reached the top floor and exited through the hallway access door. The hallway was designed like a hotel. Rooms on each side with Omni-door access controls. Furnished floors and softly lit ceilings. Teams stuck to the walls.
"Nothing on motion," Fred reported. "I think we're clear."
Still, they kept it slow and their weapons on the doors. They picked a room in the center of the hall. With one kick, the Master Chief nearly knocked the soft metal door off its hinges.
The Spartans again went in first. Shepard and his crew followed suit. Inside was a small apartment. Kitchenette, living room, bathroom and a simple bedroom. Glass and water littered the floor. A fire sprinkler dripped onto a lone, still body. A blonde female dressed in Cerberus casuals…. Like the bodies up above, it looked like she was hacked to death by Reaper Elites. A mass of dried blood surrounded her body, and her eyes were still and foggy.
But up ahead, at the windows, they got a clear view of the area. Clear enough at least, where they could see the spire up ahead. Tracer rounds from machine guns rained upon the surrounding buildings. In return… yellow flashes from lead-based ammunition hit against metal walls.
The entire auditorium rumbled as something above beat against the ground. On the other side of the town, something pierced right through the roof. A massive, black and red leg…
"Keelah…" Tali mumbled, "Reaper troops called in the cavalry."
So they did… Whether they were Cerberus detained or created, they managed to get a signal out… And whatever they hell was here was important to the Reapers too. That's what was causing all the quakes.
The leg moved, revealing the darkening grey sky. Around the center hole, more of the roof collapsed, pouring concrete, dirt and structural materials onto the town and leaving a condensed fog that spread throughout the various lower pathways between the buildings.
In the far corner of the massive chasm, Shepard saw the corner of a low hanging ship. Covenant cruiser under heavy assault as bright electric blue shields lit up every time a Reaper battery hit the underbelly of the ship. Plasma cannons returned fire, raining burning energy throughout the wasteland of the surface city.
"Right now our priority is reaching the spire," the Chief ordered. "It looks like Cerberus' last fallback position."
"Agreed…." Shepard trailed off, looking to the Elites… To all the civilians. "But that's your priority. We need to find mass transport for everyone else…"
"And an intact ship?" Tali said.
"As of at least four days ago," the Zealot replied. "As we have said…"
"A lot can change in four days," Shepard replied. "Even if we find a sizable frigate, we need to clear the skies…"
"Not just of the Cerberus ship, but now the Reapers," Wrex added.
"Right…" Shepard got on comms, "Shore Party to Normandy, hal copy?"
Nothing but static and fragmented words. Hopefully the surface team went to ground and the Normandy moved to minimum safe support distance.
"That MAC cannon…?" Fred started, "we have a rough estimate where it fired from. If it's still up, you can use it to take down that Covenant battleship when its shields are down."
"It's a big if," Shepard replied. "But it's worth checking out."
"Not until we have confirmation on Cortana," the Chief said. "If she's not present in the tower then she's aboard that ship…"
"And if she's not planetside at all?" Liara dared ask.
"Then at the very least we'll find clues," Fred defended.
"Alright…" Shepard said, not wanting to argue. "But first we need to find…"
Something ignited in the thick fog. A red flare shot into the air, providing illumination for a brief second. The Commander so figures below, heavily armed and deep in cover. After the flare disappeared, a volley of machine gun fire and missiles struck various parts of the spire, piercing and leaving nothing but black smoke and wreckage.
In return, small arm reports ramped up. They now had clear eyes that another faction had established a perimeter around the spire.
"Human arms," the Arbiter commented. "Does ONI have enough men to stage an assault like this?"
"I never know ONI to operate in company-sized elements," Fred replied as Linda looked through the scope.
"Low visibility, but on thermal I see people moving in and about," Linda said. "Can't tell who, but they definitely look like Humans."
"We know you saidthere are Humans here, and we have confirmation," Liara said. "Can you describe them… Were they like…?"
"The demons," the Master Chief finished.
The Zealot thought for a moment, "nay… Many of the human soldiers we witnssed were dressed of this Cerberus faction or the standard warriors we have fought on planet after planet."
"Standard…" The Chief echoed. "Green and black armor?"
"Yes."
"Marines?" Fred said. "At a minimum they only work at a company-sized unit. And the Marine Corps has a tight leash and strict organization. There's no way ONI would be able to take a Marine unit."
No… But something finally clicked… Something came from that gnawing feeling… Shepard thought back to the various files… All of the ones that were explained to him…
One came to mind.
"Spirit of Fire?" Shepard uttered.
The Spartans looked to each other. They were silent. Shepard hit a soft spot, thus he was right.
"If this area is pre-sited," Liara added, "is it because of the Spirit of Fire? Of Cole Protocol?"
The Spartans didn't say anything.
"If we get in range, our IFF tags will pick up any friendlies," the Chief only replied. "But our priority still remains. We need to find that Elite scout team and find Cortana, no matter what stands in our way."
Stands in our way. Shepard sighed and looked to Liara. She shrugged.
...
The surface level was chaotic. Zero visibility, but according to Spartan motion sensors, enemies were everywhere. They hurried past them.
Where?
Rubble blocked nearly every passage… Like on the surface, it's creating an artificial chokepoint where they could easily be ambushed. Still, once they pushed along the passageway, enemy signatures became less and less until it was nonexistent.
And Shepard saw another Cerberus body, visible and clear, with blood splattered around him. Just like on the surface.
"IFF, yellow marker. Good guys," Fred uttered.
Something hit Shepard's kinetic barriers. He only heard the snap from a rifle afterwards.
"CONTACT! FIND COVER!" Fred yelled. "BLUE ON BLUE!"
All teams moved into the rubble. As best they could considering nearly any cover and defilade had been removed. Machine gun fire pattered the debris, sending pieces of concrete and steel flying into the air.
Shepard kept his head down and pushed himself into the smallest bit of cover.
Fred waved his hand into the air, trying to stop whoever the hell was firing. After maybe a few seconds of suppressive fire, the Master Chief jumped out, firing multiple shots into the air.
After a brief moment, the machine gun fire suddenly stopped. Shepard could hear voices. Human voices… Something moved out of a turret placement up ahead...
Another Spartan…
"John…?"