At an area of the ringworld, near a burnt coastline. A giant gouge where the terrain has been ripped away with the sea had flooded into the newly-formed cut. At the top of the artificially created cut sat the Pillar of Autumn's massive stern remained remarkably intact, a testament to the legendary Halcyon class superstructure. The huge UNSC ship's side reveals that her nose is hanging just slightly off a gigantic cliff and that the antennae along the bow have been bent and torn away. The entire bow has been burnt badly. The metal plating scarred. The once-powerful UNSC cruiser looks almost pitiful in its state. Even worse with the many squads of Covenant forces inside.
Inside the ship, Covenant spec ops teams struggled with shooting down wave after wave of Flood forces. Their commander, an Elite General, fighting among his troops, lowered his weapon, for he received a transmission then. Answering the call, he saw it belong to a Zealot.
"Be quick, Zealot. What do you want? I have enough problems with fighting the Parasite," The General asks as the Hunters and Grunts were dealing with the remaining Flood in the area.
The Zealot on the transmission spoke then to the General. "General, two humans are heading to the cruiser. One has stolen something of value that the prophets want. The other is one of the human's demons. Kill them, but make sure the device they carry is intake." The Zealot informs the High-rank member of his species.
The General snarled. More problems. "Understood." The General calls all the troops on the ship, informing them of the incoming humans'. A particular spec op team heard this and was eager to kill the Demon.
Ruby's eyes widened as she beheld the sight before her. Seeing the Pillar of Autumn's full extent against the beach landscape in the distance and the impact gouge left behind by the Autumn when it crashed. Unlike her previous glimpse before, she could see all the ship's details, wowing her with just how different the human vessels were to the Covenant.
As they approached the cruiser, their Banshee started to let out smoke on one of the wings and began to slowly fall. Ruby's eyes widened as she hung on for dear life as they were getting closer and closer to several empty airlocks.
"This thing is falling apart!" Cortana stated, sounding very concerned.
"It'll hold." Chief's reply was the complete opposite, sounding calm and stoic as usual for him. His tone did little to dissuade both Cortana and Ruby from worrying about the Banshee's state as the wing tip caught on fire.
"We're not going to make it!"
"We'll make it."
Ruby turns into roses and flies past the falling fighter, and gets into one of the airlocks. Ruby then turns back as she watches her companion approach.
"Pull up! Pull up!" Cortona screams just as the Banshee hit's the Autumn's side. Sending debris and fire hurling down below.
Ruby had wide eyes at this but soon saw a hand appear over the edge, making her sighed in relief. Of course Chief and Cortona were alright. They've survived much worse than that.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Cortona said irritably. Her voice was projected out of his speakers allowing Ruby to hear the AI. Which made the girl giggle when the Spartan shrugged his shoulders which irritated the AI more.
They entered a very familiar type of corridor, with Ruby hearing Cortana sigh with relief at the interior's condition. However, it was clear that the crash had damaged a lot of the superstructure. As many of the panels on the walls and ceiling were either loose or thrown off completely.
"We need to get to the bridge," Cortana began. "From there, we can use the Captain's Neural implants to initiate an overload of the ship's fusion reactors. The explosion should damage enough systems below it to destroy the ring."
Ruby was still saddened by Keys' death that she looked down for a second then...she really wished they could have saved him before this Flood took him as one of them.
As the Master Chief, he sees this and puts a hand on Ruby Roses shoulder then. "He will be remembered, Ruby...he would want us to do this." He says as Ruby had a more determined look and nodded.
"Alright, let's do this! Let's kick some Alien Robot! Along with the Zombie alien and regular alien butt!" Ruby says while cocking her shotgun. Some sane part of John's mind believed that the teen cocking the M90 looked cute. It was quickly squashed as by the Spartans discipline.
The trio walked through the corridor before running into a trio of Infection Forms that appeared from an accessway on the floor. Destroying dashed the hope that the Flood had not found the Autumn yet. Chief destroyed them with a burst of his AR before jumping down. Ruby quickly followed suit, finding herself in the middle of a firefight between the Flood and a group of Sentinels.
Ruby fired her shotgun at the closest enemies, a bunch of infection forms, quickly popping them. She then turned her attention at a sentinel, who burned a combat form into a blackened state, using her shotgun to penetrate the metal surface at multiple points, the force of the ball barring's destroying the propulsion unit, causing the sentinel to drop to the floor and explode.
She fought with fury against the rest of their enemies in the room, with the Chief slaying them all. As the last sentinel was destroyed, a hatch on the other side burst open, spewing out another horde of Flood. Ruby snarled as she fired at them before cursing as she had to reload, just as three combat forms leaped at her. She materialized into a storm of petals to escape, preventing the combat forms from touching her, allowing Chief to blow them into body parts with a frag grenade.
"I'm almost out of ammo," Ruby says as she's sure she only has three shells left, so when some Flood infectors came around the corner, she wasted her ammo on them. "Correction, I am out of ammo."
Chief picks up a discarded assault Rifle that a combat form dropped and hands it to Ruby along with a few magazines. Dropping the shotgun, Ruby accepted it. To be honest, this gun had was the girl's least liked gun with how low the accuracy is, but with these tight corridors, she won't complain.
But then a roar was heard. More Flood was coming at them. "Get ready," Chief says as he and Ruby fired when a wave of Flood ran at them.
In one of the Piller of Autumn's many hangers, a firefight between the Flood and several Covent soldiers rages on when a Phantom Landed and dropped the Zealot before leaving. The tall Zealot activated his energy Sword then as he began to walk towards the fight. An Infected Elite saw him before charging. The Zealot did not hesitate in slicing his infected brethren in half. He stomped down in the Infected Elite's chest, killing the parasite within him before walking off. He had a mission and enemies of the Covenant to kill.
As he goes to an access hatch, he is met with a Covenant kill squad of two spec ops elites with six elite minors and a team of Grunts with heavy weapons.
"You all, with me!" The Zealot orders the Covenant forces. "A Demon is aboard, and we're going to kill it."
"We are with you, Zealot." The Minor says respectfully as the group falls in.
The two head to the bridge, Covenant, Flood, and Sentinels fighting throughout the ship and delaying their advance. Eventually, after fighting some Hunters, that again evolved into some explosions that got some worms on Ruby again. "Ew..." Ruby simply ways as she grabbed a worm and throws it off her then.
They exited the cafeteria full of Covenant and Flood corpses and entered the next corridor, recognizing it as the one leading to the ship's bridge.
"The Bridge," Cortana said. "We made it. Let's get to work."
The bridge was barely in one piece. Every inch of the area was either burned, ripped out, bloodstained or smashed. Ruby was amazed that Cortana thought she could even use it for anything.
Ruby activated her energy sword when they walked in, next to the shotgun and sniper. Ruby was getting the hang of the alien weapon. The next time she sees Weiss again, Ruby wonders if her BFF could give her a few pointers' in sword combat.
A pair of Grunts were all that's left in the bridge, one with a fuel rod cannon held in a shaky grip as it saw Ruby and the Chief. It screamed in fear and was dropped by the Spartan with a shot in the head with his pistol.
Instead of Shooting, Ruby used her semblance to appear in front of it and said one thing. "Boo." The Grunt then screams, drops its weapon, and commits suicide by jumping out of the bridge's shattered window, plummeting to its death.
Ruby was a bit dumbfounded as it jumps out the broken glass. "Ok...did not expect that to happen." She said, thinking the scared Grunt would faint, not do that.
"Be glad he didn't pull out two plasma grenades," Chief says. If the Grunt did, they might not be talking.
"Chief, I need you to upload me into the control systems. The terminal is located next to the main view screen." The Chief grunted as he walked towards the viewscreen. Ruby watched as he took out a chip from the back of his head and inserted it into the terminal. The semi-transparent model of Cortana appeared, who looked around the bridge, shaking her head.
"I leave home for a few days and look what happens."
"Can't say the Covenant are into renovating places," Ruby commented. Cortana just chuckles at that as She concentrates for a moment, and the main screen flickers to life.
"This won't take long…." There was a brief pause before Cortana opened her eyes, and a countdown appeared on the screen. "There! That should give us enough time to make it to the Pelican when it comes and put some distance between ourselves and Halo before detonation."
Ruby sighs with a bit of relief as the Chief moves to unplug Cortana from the terminal but stops abruptly when he hears an all-too-familiar voice. It was 343 Guilty sparks. "I'm afraid that's out of the question, really."
Cortana groans in annoyance. "Oh, hell."
Ruby and the Chief spun around, expecting to see 343 Guilty Spark behind them. Instead, the bridge was devoid of anything, but Ruby could still hear him talking through the ship's intercoms.
"Ridiculous! That you would imbue your warship's AI with such a wealth of knowledge. Wouldn't you worry that it might be captured? Or destroyed?"
Ruby turned back to face Cortana, who frowned in frustration. "He's in my data arrays—a local tap."
The two humans were displeased by this as the Monitor kept on talking.
"You can't imagine how exciting this is! To have a record of all our lost time. Human history, is it? Fascinating! Oh, how I will enjoy every moment of categorization. To think that you would destroy this installation, as well as this record… I am shocked. Almost too shocked for words."
Ruby then spoke on the speakers to the Robot then. "Maybe if you weren't trying to kill us all, we would not need to destroy it!" Ruby shouted.
Not bothered at all, 343 began to explain. "Activating the Ring is necessary to stop the flood, and any who are potential to the infection like this must be done to stop a great threat, Created." The Monitor explains almost sympathetic to the girl, but he got back to work then, and Ruby wondered why it keeps calling her a created.
A tone sounds over the ship's speakers the countdown timer freezes.
On the screen, the countdown froze, the text turning red as words appeared underneath. "He stopped the self-destruct sequence," Cortana warned.
The Master Chief surveys the bridge carefully with his Assault Rifle, never missing a beat.
"Why do you continue to fight us, Reclaimer?" Spark demanded. "You cannot win! Give us the construct, and I will endeavor to make your and the creation's deaths relatively painless and…."
Ruby breathed a sigh of relief as the Monitor's words were chopped off as if someone had thrown a switch. "At least I still have control over the comm channels," Cortana said.
"Where is he?" the Chief asked.
"I'm detecting taps throughout the ship," Cortana replied. "Sentinels most likely. As for the Monitor—he's in engineering. He must be trying to take the core offline. Even if I could get the countdown restarted...I don't know what to do."
"So he wins! No, that cant be. I won't accept it!" Ruby says, determined not to lose this fight.
Master Chief thought the same as he spoke. "How much firepower would you need to crack one of the engine's shields?"
"Not much," Cortana replied, "a well-placed grenade perhaps. But why?"
The Chief produced a grenade, tossed the device into the air, and caught it again. Ruby couldn't help but smile at the sight, her hope restored. "You were saving that, weren't you?" she jested, to which the Chief responded with an unseen smile. "Oh, this will be good."
The AI eyed the explosive before nodding. "Ok, I'm coming with you."
The Chief began to reach for Cortana's chip but was interrupted when a squad of Sentinels flew into view outside the bridge. "Sentinels!" Cortana warned.
The Sentinels open fire, shattering the main display and touching the Chief's shields while Ruby ducked before they hit her. The Chief quickly drops behind cover, removes Cortana from the terminal, and places her into his helmet. He raises with his rifle as Ruby picks up a grunts pistole and overcharges it before he fires it at a Sentinel, killing it.
A minute later and three more dead Sentinels later, they stood back up from their spot and looked around.
"Where to, Cortana?" Ruby asked. Dropping the plasma pistol before reading her AR.
"The ship was heavily damaged when it crashed. Head to the cryo-chamber. We should be able to get to the engine room through there." Cortana sets a course, and they go then.
John reloaded his shotgun for what seemed like the twentieth time in the last ten minutes, enjoying the brief moment of silence. Ruby and he made it through the Cryo chamber, going around jammed hatches, locked doors, and other obstacles meant that the two had to take several detours on the way there.
Not only that, but they were under almost constant attack by either the Flood or Sentinels. So much so that John actually felt relief when they would come across the occasional Covenant squad.
Unfortunately, that had not been the case just then, as both he and Ruby fought through a large horde of Flood, with most of them being quite resilient. Finally, the last one fell to the combined onslaught of the Spartan and Huntress duo. Much at the expenditure of much of their ammo.
When they saw the sign that said engineering in bold lettering with an arrow pointing down the hallway made Ruby sigh in relief that they were almost there. But got confused when the Cheif walked past it and down the corridor.
"Chief? Where are you going? The objective is this way!" Ruby pointed at the sign.
"We're stacking up in the Armory. I have the feeling we're going to need more firepower," Chief answers. Once inside the Armory, they were attacked by a group of Flood, including cloaked Combat Flood.
"They can turn invisible!?" Ruby says as she looks at the dead Flood that used to have the cloaking field.
"Spec ops Elites," Cortona said. "Their equipment must still be intact after the transformation. Not good for us."
"Great...just what we need." Ruby went over to a gun rack to grab more ammo while the Chief brakes the door controls on the other side of the Armory.
"You know I could just program the doors shut, right?" Cortana says.
"I know," Chief replied before going over to several stack crates filled with armor.
"Ok, just checking." The Spartan looks over the crakes before picking one up. "What are you up to, Chief?" He didn't respond as he carried the case over to Ruby.
Ruby saw the Master Chief walk up to her with a green crate sat it down in front of her. "What's this?" She asked. Chief opened the container to reveal a set of regular ODST armor.
"Your current armor is damaged and needs replacing. Also, when we leave this ring, we'll be faced with likely fighting in space where that armor you wear is not rated for vacuum. This will protect you from the pressure and radiation that the vacuum of space will throw at you." Chief explained.
"Wait, I'm getting that armor!? Also, that have that kind in my size?" Ruby asked and getting a nod from the Spartan.
Chief knew of an ODST her size...hear he was good with a sniper.
Ruby looked at the marine body armor she has on to see the scorched and bullet-tested plates she had on. She had forgotten to mention that her armor plates extended over her aura and protected her for the most part. Taking the damage meant for her like it was made for.
Ruby went and picked up the crate. "Um..." Ruby looked around, kind of embarrassed.
"You can stack a few crates over there for some privacy, Ruby," Cortona said to her rescue. "I'll keep the caveman away."
"Thank you."
With the Zealot, he and his forces killed any Flood that stood in their way as they fought through the human ship. Word had gotten to him of where the Humans are, and they were heading right for them. One Flood tried to jump at them, but the Zealot cut him in half without breaking stride.
"Forward Warriors!" The Zealot rallying his troops as they killed every foe in their path.
And the group was getting close to the ship's engine room.
Back in the Armory, Ruby was getting on her new armor while the Chief was just packing away supplies. Eventually, Ruby, with some instructions from Cortana, strapped on the last of her new armor.
"Ok, done." She says Ruby walked out of her spot. She still had her cape but was now draped over around her collarbone area over the ODST armor then clip. Which shortened the back, so it raised to up to her knees rather than near the floor. "How do I look? I kinda like this armor." Ruby says before she hatting her helmet.
"Looks good..also, Ruby." Chief getting the young girl's attention. "I don't want to put pressure, but we need to do all we can to stop Halo. If we fail...all that we know will die, understand?" Chief asked Ruby seriously.
Ruby was silent as images of her friends and loved ones came to mind as she nodded. "...I understand."
Chief nodded and grabbed Ruby's bag that he filled with supplies and handed it to her, then took a rocket launcher off the rack.
"Laying it a bit thick on the poor girl," Cortana said through his internal speakers so only he could hear her.
Chief shut off his external speakers. "She needed to fully realize what was at stake."
"Oh, she realizes it alright," Cortona responded harshly. "Chief, by all accounts, Ruby is, by her own words, a Huntress in training. A trainee! From what she's told us, she had yet to graduate from her planet's combat academy. Ruby is barely reaching sixteen and has already been through one meat grinder after another that would break many UNSC servicemen. All in the last five days, and yet I still see her smiling! Cooped up with what you just said, I'm afraid for her mental stability. It's a lot to take for a young girl that hadn't been through the Spartan program like you and the others."
Chief stopped what he was doing before taking a glance at Ruby. He saw the teen with her scroll up looking at a picture, the same one he showed him back in the swamp where they searched for Keys. She put in her chest compartment before feeding fresh rounds in an empty magazine. It had slipped the Spartans' mind that Ruby was still by UEG and UNSC standards a civilian. Even though John had limited experience with handling civilians. In the short time he's been around this young girl, he could very well say that Ruby was one of the toughest civilians he's ever met. For he could think of none that could still smile despite what they had seen here.
"Ruby's tough. There's no doubt in me on that. When we return to UEG controlled space, we'll have her see a counselor."
"She'll need more than that," Cortona said. "She will need a goal. Finding her home after this would be a boon for her mental state. Plus, the mystery behind her sudden appearance onboard our ship in the middle of space will need to investigate."
"One thing at a time."
The two packed what they needed for the fight ahead and for the trip off the ring. Leaving behind the Armory, they entered a new type of corridor, one that's more square and smooth in shape. As they traversed it and rounded the corner, Cortana spoke out.
"Engine Room located. We're here."
As if summoned by Cortana's words, a pair of sentinels flew towards them, firing their beams at John. They were quickly dispatched, but the familiar humming from 343 Guilty Spark could be heard.
"Of course he would be close by," Ruby muttered to herself before remembering that Cortana had said that he was in Engineering beforehand.
"Alert!" Cortana suddenly cried out as the pair approached the main hatch. "The Monitor has disabled all command access. We can't restart the countdown. The only remaining option will be to detonate the ship's fusion reactors. That should do enough damage to destroy Halo."
"If there's no countdown, how will we get out?" Ruby asked, dread starting to fill her up once more, but Cortana's reply dispelled it quickly. "The fusion reactors will take some time to explode after destabilization. We'll use that time to reach the rendezvous point with Foehammer and get out of here."
"Walk us through it. What do we need to do?" Chief quickly asked as the two had begun to be noticed by the other occupants of the room. Such as several Flood combat forms rushing at them.
"First, we'll need to pull back the exhaust coupling. That will expose a shaft that leads to the primary fusion drive core."
"Oh, good," John replied as he reloaded his assault rifle. "Despite your assurances, I was afraid it might be complicated.."
"When has it ever been easy on this ring?" Ruby commented as they walked in front of the hatch. Understanding the instructions. The Spartan led Ruby through a few groups of undead and machines.
Throughout this entire sequence, 343 Guilty Spark mumbles randomly at the Chief and Ruby, trying to convince him to spare the installation.
"You would destroy this installation, as well as this fascinating record?"
Ruby looks at the Robot that was near them as she glared at him. Ruby only replied with a loud "Yes!" While the Master Chief ignored the machine's dialog.
But 343 Spoke still tried to be friendly, which made Ruby feel somewhat bad, but not enough to let 343 do what he wanted as he spoke still. "Please. Surrender the construct, and I will endeavor to make the necessary repairs. If not, the Flood will continue to multiply, Reclaimer and Creation! They will turn all into them if they escape!"
"Sorry...but we can't allow you to kill off everyone we care about. Not when we still have something worth fighting for." She says as she and Chief made it to another area of the upper level in the engine room.
The Monitor was silent but spoke once more. "Surrender the construct to me, or I will be forced to take you offline permanently, both you reclaimer and the creation." The Monitor says, giving them one last chance.
This time Ruby didn't talk but Chief did. "You know our answer."
"Very well..." The Monitor says, finally giving up on trying to convince them as it then teleports away them. He sent the command for his sentinels' to be more aggressive in their attempts to kill Chief and Ruby as they dealt with more sentinels.
They moved to level two, then to the level three catwalk of the engine room, fighting all the way. It was total chaos with Sentinels fired on the Flood, the Flood shooting back, and everyone wanted a piece of the two humans. The Chief moved to the nearest control panel, with Ruby providing covering fire. He hit the control labeled 'OPEN,' heard a beeper go off, followed by the sound of Cortona's voice.
"Good! Step one complete! We have a straight shot into the fusion reactor! We need a catalyst explosion to destabilize the magnetic containment field surrounding the fusion cells. Use an explosive. I recommend a grenade or a rocket. Chief waited for the panels to open before tossing a plasma grenade into the hole. The explosion threw bits of metal around the smoke-filled compartment. "Analyzing. Fusion reactor number one destabilizing. Use explosives on the other three reactors. That should be enough to trigger a wildcat explosion of the engines."
As the Chief made his way back up to the third floor, a nearby door blows open near Ruby and spotting a Covenant kill squad enter the engine room. "Of course..." Ruby began. "Would not be a party without them being here." She then saw a familiar enemy. "And...him..."
Ruby quickly takes cover as Grunt with a fuel rod cannon takes aim and fires. Chief looks up from his spot on level to witness the green explosion before double-timing it. The teen hops out over cover with a Magnum and fires a pair of shots a the heavy weapon Grunt. What she didn't see was the plasma grenade that landed near her till it was too late. The shockwave and heat pushed Ruby off the platform before landing down below on the first floor.
The improper landing knocked the wind out of her. She slowly pushed herself up to regain her footing and breathe.
"Ruby report!" Chief ordered over the con.
"I'm fine. Chief! Finish the mission. I'll survive this till you get back." Ruby says as she gets her weapon ready.
Chief hesitated but did as she said. He knew Ruby can take care of herself.
Ruby went to the nearest cover as she saw the red Zealot and several Elites jump down to her level.
With the Covenant arrived, this was now a four-way battle for the engine Room. With Covenant, The Flood, the Halo Sentinels, and two superpowered humans, this battle was one of the most aggressive fights the young Huntress has ever been in and experienced.
Ruby was switching back in forth with all four of her weapons as both Covent and Flood combat forms did battle with her. Meanwhile, the Chief held back the Flood and Sentinels all with completing their objective.
Ruby pulled out her plasma sword with her left hand and drew her Magnum with her right. She beheaded an Elite Minor before spotting the Zealot walking towards her with his blade out.
She and the Elite glared at each other. The ranked Elite looked at her, then to the device hung at the waste of her new ODST armor she wore. He remembered killing several of these types of humans in the past. His brothers called the Imps low-level demons that sowed chaos among the ranks. Weaker than the Demon, like the one he killed on Reach, were still not to be underestimated. The face that the red-caped human now wore this black onyx armor made all its past actions more sense.
"We meet again, human...still have that scar I gave you." The Zealot says as an explosion rocked the area. But was ignored by the two and were more focused on each other then.
"Yep," Ruby says, poping the 'P.' Determined to her Arch Nemesis and her most personal enemy on Halo. "And I'll be paying you back for that and all the death you caused."
"I will admit you are strong." He says, but as Mraso'Haramai spoke more, his tone became Darker. "But like the rest of your race, you will fall."
Glaring at her enemy, Ruby moved first with a burst of roses, surprising many of the Zealot's forces but not The Zealot as he blocks Ruby's energy sword strike. But he wasn't quick enough to stop the kick from hitting his face.
Other Covenant leaves the two engaged in their duel while fighting off the other enemies in the Engine Room.
Ruby ducks as the Zealot tried to cut her head off but instead cuts an infected marine in half.
The Huntress then delivers fast thrusts like she seen her partner Weiss doses with her rapier at the Zealot who swipes them all. She has improved with the practical practice with other enemies she's faced these last few days since the Zealot. Still, Ruby did not get a hit on him yet as he swipes her sword to the side and delivers a powerful kick to her gut, sending her back to a wall hard enough to make her aura flicker. As much as that hurt, Ruby was determined and avoids the Elite's thrust to stab her in the chest only to impale the wall. Ruby rolled onto her feet, her Magnum in her right hand, fired several shots at her foe. The Zealot shields did not break, but he felt them nonetheless. With a roar, he pulled his sword free and attacked again.
During their fight, the Spartan and blown up two more blast shields and had one more to go. Cortona kept him updated on Ruby's fight and was impressed that she held her own against a Zealot. But they were running out of time as more of the Monitors' Sentinels and Flood were entering the Engine room.
The Huntress and the Zealot clashed blades once more. The Zealot had enough of these games and parried the sword away and from their bodies before lunging to grab hold of Ruby by her neck. He picks her up before slamming her against the nearest wall hard, making the girl lose the grip of her sword, then the ground hand still on her neck Energy sword. Ruby was having a hard time breathing. The Forerunner device she had on her hip also fell off her person as the two glared at the other.
Zealot spoke while the warfare goes on around them. "You fought well, but You. Will. Die." He says as his fist tightens around Ruby's neck. "Like the rest of your race in the galaxy, they will join you among your fallen. We'll be burned from the galaxy with their worlds purged of your filth." Ruby's mind rushed with what limited oxygen she had in her head, all while glaring at her enemy. Thoughts of her sister, Yang, and their dad flashed before her eyes. Blake and Weiss her their best friends than she could ever ask for. Despite their short time together, Chief and Cortona also flashed through her mind the impact they made. Anger growing at the thoughts of all that she loved being killed by this, 'Basterd!' the one that gave her this scar fueled her rage and determination. "There is no escape from this." the Zealot and Ruby still glared at each other, eyes not losing contact with the other even if Ruby had a helmet on. Neither of the two noticed, but behind Ruby's visor, her silver eye's started to glow. "Demon spawn," he says, getting ready to stab her in the chest like he did with the Spartan he killed on Reach.
But then a thunderous explosion rocked the ship, shaking them, nocking the Zealot off the human. Before the Zealot could get back at Ruby, a random Flood combat form shoots at him with an automatic rifle distracting him further before a Minor killed it.
This gave Ruby all the time she needed to reach for her heavy pistol and place it right under his head. The Zealot's eyes widened in shock and attempted to move away, but too late as Ruby's bullet hit his face and carved a nasty wound. Ruby then grabbed her lost energy sword and slashed at the Zealots, making him roar in pain as not only did she cut through armor and shield but managed to burn his skin. It was then Ruby's energy sword drained away flickered off, as it was now out of power.
The Zealot saw this, but before he could attack, something caught his eye and made him roll to the side as several bullets landed just where he stood. Looking to where the shots came from, he spotted the Demon with his weapon pointed at him. Knowing he will lose if he stays and that this place is blowing up, Mraso'Haramai spoke to Ruby. "We will meet again, human."
"My name is Ruby, not Human. It's Ruby Rose, a Huntress...Remember that." She says with a determined and warrior look in her eyes.
"Very Well...Ruby." The Zealot says, showing his respect. He activated his cloaking device and scooped up the Forerunner device before reluctantly ran then escaping.
Ruby glares at the spot the Zealot was a moment ago. Thinking the Elite would attack, but none came. She leaves her spot when Chief yells to her. The place was going critical and bout to explode. It was time for them to leave this nightmare.
The Zealot ran as he called a phantom to pick up the Zealot, telling them he possesses the forerunner relic. He arrived at an area where he called the Phantom, but this one did not have standard Elites. To the Zealot Mraso'Haramai shock, he saw that they were Honor Guards.
"What-" The Zealot was confused.
"The Prophets have sent us to pick you up since you have the Device...they wish to speak with you on this." The Lead honor guard says a flood spore attack, but using his spear, killed it with ease.
Another explosion rocked the ship. Having no problem with this, the Zealot enters the Phantom, and it flies off from the doomed ship.
"Do we have an escape route?" John asked, firing at a Sentinel that got too close with his Assault Rifle.
"Preferably one that's close by!" Ruby gave a shriek in surprise as part of the platform next to her gave way.
On Ruby's HUD, a nav point appeared. "There!" Cortana stated. "The third deck elevator. It will take us to a Class Seven service corridor that runs the length of the ship. Hurry!"
Ruby grabbed hold of the Spartan and burst into red and sage flower petals along the walls and floors before materializing on the third floor not far from the service corridor. Ruby stumbled but was quickly steadied by the Chief at her side. After that, the two of them ran to the hatch, fighting through a pair of combat forms that seemed to be waiting there aimlessly, all without stopping. After having sped through the passageway, they arrived in one of the regular, more extensive corridors that they had previously traveled through in the ship, coming up directly at a large elevator area, where the nav point was.
Ruby sighed in relief. They were finally going to stop the Flood for good and get off of this beautiful yet terrifying and horrible ringworld. This place has too many bad memories for her now. To the side, she saw Chief slightly relax as well as the elevator was coming to them. But then Cortana shouted a warning as the lift came to a halt from below.
Ruby felt time slow down as she turned around, her eyes widening as she registered the snarl from the Spec Ops Elite as he aimed his shade turret at the Spartan and opened fire.
It could only be described as luck that Cortana's warning came at the right time. By the time the shade turret, along with the three Grunt escorts, had arrived, John was already in motion, backing away, allowing him to dodge the first three shots. However, he still took enough hits to dangerously depleting his shields before he got behind cover.
He heard a yelp of surprise before Ruby practically teleported next to him as a fuel rod blast ripped through the air where she was a second before. It seemed that at least one Grunt was armed with a Fuel Rod Cannon.
"Where did that come from?" he exclaimed, furious at being caught off guard. And he also noted that the Elite gunner was ready to fire at the entrance, at him specifically, even though the turret's barrel was aimed closer to Twilight. He quickly concluded that the Elite was specifically gunning for him with a vengeance, leaving the Grunts to kill Twilight. If he had hesitated for a second, the Elite might have succeeded.
"It looks like someone has been tracking you," Cortana said grimly, most likely having come to a similar conclusion to him.
"I'll take control of the elevator and cause it to drop. When they're distracted, Ruby, Chief, roll a couple of grenades down the shaft."
"Roger."
"Got it!"
The lift suddenly dropped down, with very little time to process the action. The two humans ran to the shaft, already having primed their grenades at the plummeting squad of Covenant. Soon, their lives were painfully ended by twin explosives-packed full of shrapnel.
John couldn't help but wince when he saw the result of the carnage as Cortana brought the bloodstained and burnt lift back up to them. Despite having been exposed to gore and violence for a while now, Ruby still gagged at the mangled bodies and the stench. The two of them reluctantly stepped onto the platform and felt it rise at a fast rate. They were just in time, as the corridor they were just in erupted into flames, the sight of it sobering up John and Ruby.
Ruby started to worry as they heard the rivet renting explosion, but Chief remained calm, much to Ruby's hysteria. "How are you calm about this!?" Ruby shouted.
"Think this is the first time I've blown up a ship?" Chief questioned Ruby. He couldn't see it, but her eye twitched a bit.
As this went on, Cortana was desperately calling someone by the comm "Cortana to Echo 419, come in Echo 419!"
To Cortana and Ruby relief Foehammer spoke, "Roger, Cortana. I read you, 5 by 5."
"The Pillar of Autumn's engines are going critical, Foehammer! Request immediate extraction! Approach the crash site and be ready to pick us up at external access Junction 4C as soon as you get my signal!"
"Affirmative. Echo 419 going on station."
As they ascended, he felt several explosions. John's eyes constantly flicked towards the countdown timer that Cortana had projected. He just wished that the platform would be faster, even though it already was quite fast. Ruby wasn't much better. Her whole body flinching at every explosion that rocked the lift.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, yet was only a minute, the lift came to a halt. "Echo 419. to Cortona. Things are gettin' noisy down there. Everything okay?"
Hearing this, Ruby had wide eyes and spoke into the com them. "WE JUST TOLD YOU THE ENGINES ARE BLOWING UP! WHY WOULD ANYTHING BE OK!?"
"Sorry..." She apologized.
"It's okay," Ruby says, being nice to her friend and the person going to rescue them off this death trap.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, yet was only a minute, the lift came to a halt. The pair quickly ran off while Cortana spoke to the both of them. "We have six minutes before the fusion drives detonate. We need to evacuate now! The explosion will generate a temperature of almost a hundred million degrees. Don't be here when it blows!"
"A hundred million degrees?!" Ruby exclaimed. "I can't even fathom that high of a temperature."
John ignored Ruby's statement as they entered a warthog hangar, where there were a dozen still parked. He ran to the closest one and jumped into the driver's seat. As he ignited the engine, Ruby hoped to the turret on the rear.
Looking at the timer, it was already five minutes and forty seconds. With that in mind, John pushed down on the accelerator and drove out of the bay, right into a skirmish between Covenant and Flood. He ran over an Elite and three combat forms, driving past the rest as Ruby maneuvered the turret to open fire. Killing dozens of Flood infectors.
He drove up the ramp as it bent a curve before continuing down the slope as he didn't want to lose any time at all, but slow enough that he could slow down or stop to prevent a mistake from occurring. John swerved to the right as an explosion caused a part of the Autumn's superstructure to come crashing down into the warthog's path.
He avoided crashing into the debris and continued onwards into a large, open room with several pillars, arches, and platforms on different levels. John chose to drive straight through the middle, going down a ramp that quickly led back up, the momentum carrying the warthog into the air before falling back down to the floor, the suspension working overtime to prevent the warthog from flipping.
Ruby was using the Warthog's tail gun to its fullest potential. Mowing down Flood infectors in droves and blowing up Sentinels. The Spartan noticed that Ruby's aim with the big guns wasn't that great than the average Marines. Thou she did make up for it with her enthusiasm. John refocused on driving the Hog as he went down another ramp and back up, this time the momentum carrying the Hog over a shade turret, which fortunately had just finished blasting a horde of Flood to the side. Allowing John to drive out of its range before the turret even completed swiveling to face them.
The corridor they entered was designed in a way that made John cringe. Who designed maintenance hallways this large to curve left and right like a snake? If he could meet the designer of the Halcyon class, John would have a chat about this. Even so, the warthog traversed the corridor quickly, driving past several fleeing Covenant squads.
They passed through four more large rooms, each different from the last before John slowed the warthog as he reached the nav point Cortana laid out for him and Ruby.
"Wait! Stop!" Cortana exclaimed insistently. "This is where Foehammer is supposed to meet us."
The Spartan braked, heard a snatch of garbled radio traffic, and saw a UNSC dropship approach from the left. Smoke trailed behind the Pelican, and the reason was plain to see. Ruby had a look of horror seeing the damage the Pelican had, listing badly and flaming at the engines. A pair of Banshees closing in for the kill behind the Pelican.
"Cortana to Echo 419! Two Covenant Banshees are approaching on your six! Evade! Say again, evade!" Cortana screams over the com.
"Ruby, covering fire! Chief ordered. Ruby sprung into action with the turret and unleashed hell on the enemy flyers attacking her friend.
There was a flash as the starboard engine blew and burst into flames.
"I'm hit! Mayday! Mayday! Airfoil structures have been shot to hell! I can't hold her! I can't hold her!" Foehammer continues to yell into the speaker, her words becoming inaudible as the roar of the damaged engines is heard in the background. The Chief could imagine Foehammer at the controls, fighting to save her ship, eyeing the causeway ahead.
"Pull up! Pull up!" The Spartan shouted, hoping she could pan-cake in, but it was too late. The Pelican lost altitude, passed under the causeway, and soon disappeared from sight. The explosion came a few seconds later.
"Echo 419!... She's gone." Cortona said.
Ruby remembered the pilot's cheerful voice on the radio. The times the pilot coming to the rescue and felt a deep sense of regret. Tears come down her eyes at Foehammers death, but that sadness turned to anger as the banshees turned to them. Yelling in anger, Ruby used the vehicle's turret and gunned one destroying the banshee and then fires at the other that tried to retreat. It did not explode as Ruby damages it making it fly out of control and crash in the same area the human pilot crashes.
There was a short pause while the AI tapped into what remained of the ship's systems. "Calculating alternate escape route. (Timer restarts) The ship's inventory shows one Longsword fighter still docked in Launch Bay 7. If we move now, we can make it!"
"Goodbye, Foehammer..." Ruby says sadly just before rubber screeched as the Chief put his foot to the floor and drove into the next tunnel. Huge pillars marked the center of the passageway, and a series of concave gratings caused the LRV to wallow before it lunched up onto a smooth pavement again.
The Chief comes around the final S-curve in the corridor. "Chief, up ahead, there's a gap in the trench! At top speed, we should be able to clear it!" Cortana informs him.
John hit the accelerator, but the rest was more on a matter of luck rather than skill. The Spartan rode the Hog up a ramp, felt his bottom drop out of his stomach, and heard Ruby give load "Wahoo!" as the LRV flew through the air, fell a few stories, landed hard, slew sideways before coming to a halt.
After doing a quick check to see Ruby was still onboard, she was. Chief wrestled with the wheel and drove off again. Glancing at the clock did him no service as barely over a minute remains. They then finally reached the nav point, right behind a series of containers that prevented the warthog from going further.
"That's the ship! Move! We need to get aboard now!" Cortana shouted.
With just more than a minute left, John and Ruby leaped from the warthog, and the duo booked it for the Longsword.
They largely ignored the fighting as best they could as only getting off the ship mattered. Only firing to stagger the enemy rather than killing, for they do not have the time.
The fighter was just ahead of them, ramp down, waiting for them to come abroad. Plasma flew by, explosions flew debris everywhere, but they pressed on. Then they were there, boots bounding on metal as the two entered the ship.
The Master Chief slammed down on the button to close the ramp just as a mob of Flood arrived. One even almost grabbing Ruby's cape, but she swats it away with her shotgun and slams the hatch closed.
"We're cutting it close!" Cortana says.
The humans sprinting for the cockpit, the Longsword shook in sympathy as the explosions rocked the cruiser, and the Spartan/Huntress staggered as they made their way forward. Precious time was consumed as Chief hoped in the pilot's seat and Ruby in the co-pilot's chair. He brought the engines online and took the controls while ruby strapped herself in.
"Here we go."
The Chief brought the fighter off the deck before turning it clockwise, facing the open hanger before hitting the thrusters. Gee forces pushed them into their chairs as the fighter lunched out of its bay and blasted up through the atmosphere.
Ruby looked out of the window and was amazed at how fast the Longsword was traveling, the blue sky quickly turning into black as the Longsword broke free of Halo's atmosphere.
A screen beeps and displays: "ENGINE TEMP CRITICAL."
"Shut them down. We'll need them later." Cortana says to save power.
Chief reached up to flick a few switches before getting out of his seat, Ruby following behind. "Fancy a look?"
Ruby only had a few seconds to be amazed that she was in space again before distracted by a bright flash of light as the Pillar of Autumn's reactors went supercritical and exploded. No sooner had the crater started to cool did she notice the area around it start to shift and buckle until a char of Halo broke free. They watched as Halo slowly broke itself apart from lack of structural integrity as the ring continued to spin in space. This shard tumbled across space, shearing through the opposite side of the ring.
Master Chief then braces himself against the frame of the Longsword cockpit as he spoke quietly. "Did anyone else make it?"
"Scanning" Cortana paused for a moment before speaking again. "Just… dust and echoes, Chief. We're all that's left."
Ruby's head drooped in sorrow as she thought about all those human lives that were so close to making it off the ring, only to have died at the last moment. She thought of Sargent Major Johnson, who was the first soldier to actually be nice to her, and the other marines and ODST's she conversed with back at Alpha base.
"We did what we had to do," Cortana stated as if trying to convince everyone about the means justifying the ends. "For Earth. An entire Covenant armada obliterated, and the Flood… We had no choice! Halo's finished."
So... it's over then?" Ruby asked, not feeling that better of all the lives that were lost.
With a grim look on her face, Ruby looked over at John as he removed his helmet before saying, "No. I think we're just getting started."
Note: Well the end of the first halo game also this is the end of the first halo game the story is still going to go on in its going to go into both the books and and ganes to.
Also i like to thank my co Auther Helljumper206
Along with that hope you enjoy this chapter its so far is the longest one.