The Spartans emerged from the Forerunner Ruins in full sprint, just like fleeing wolves fresh from a murderous kill and cowardly in their attempts to abandon the rotting carcass, but… their enemies weren't normal hunters… they were very much just as deadly.

"Lt!" yelled Rogers as he noticed them, shapes, moving in the woods… with glowing green eyes from built in helmet night vision sensors. Fire Team Shadow quickly opened fire with their DMRs, bullets spraying into the tropical foliage but failing to hit targets as these… things… dodged and blended back into their surroundings.

"Don't waste your ammo unless you have a clear shot!" yelled Carmichael as these same creatures moved in-between the trees like stalking predators, black phantoms, shadows hunting human prey. In fact, it was now that he noticed it… they… we're keeping pace with himself and his Spartans.

"That's not possible," he muttered, evidently the others had noticed as well because Tomas quietly retorted in turn, "Nothing moves that fast… nothing but a…"

The entire team fell silent while in full sprint as these things closed in on all sides, glowing green visors haunting the Spartans like ghosts, "Nothing but Spartans," gritted Carmichael, but that wasn't possible… these things couldn't be…

…..

Back on Indigo Seven the numerous diplomats assembled amongst the round table muttered amongst themselves, baffled and surprised, as they watched the so-called 'Immortals' keep pace with the UNSC Spartans.

"I bet they're surprised," laughed Ms Marquett with glee, "This is probably the first time that a group of Spartans have ever fought an enemy with better reflexes than themselves. Dr. Halsey was brilliant, but the process of Superconducting Fibrification of Neural Dendrites is frankly… antiquated. I found a much better solution, by boasting the human nervous system with mechanical augmentation so that it doesn't result in making invalids of %12 of the candidate pool. Instead of making extensive augmentations of the human brain, augment the human spine and brain stem with cybernetic enhancements which can instantly transfer the chemical movement signals."

The group of assembled human leaders glared at her with unease while she continued the brief science lesson, "Where your average Spartan shows an enhanced nervous system with movements in excess of plus %300, my process is capable of boasting that much higher to %500. These Immortals, to them… the bullets being fired must seem like they are traveling in slow motion. Who needs expensive high density armor like the UNSC when the weapons being used can't even touch you?"

….

Fire Team Shadow was being flushed like ducks and they knew it. These things, were they even human, or were they some sort of alien, Carmichael didn't know, but one he was certain of was that they were fast and keeping pace with the Spartans with ease. Roughly one click away from the Forerunner ruins… and these monsters started to open fire with 99C sniper rifles. It was sporadic, but also highly concentrated sniper fire often catching his men in multiple cross-fires.

"Son of a…" cursed Saros as an anti-material round hit her left shoulder guard, dusting her shields with a flash of golden splintering light as she jumped over and down a dirt mound, a second sniper round missing her helmet by mere millimeters.

"Maintain your intervals!" ordered Carmichael. Rogers followed Saros over the dirt mound, turning to fire his DMR in mid-air. In that instant time seemed to slow to a crawl as three different snipers from three different angles hit him center mass at the exact same time, cutting him in half with anti-material rounds. Everyone watched the dying Spartan land in two clumps of blood soaked meat as those glowing green eyes evaporated back into the woods while Carmichael and Thomas laid down suppressive fire.

"Dead sir!" yelled Saros as the duo came up to the bleed out remains of Rogers laying motionless upon the ground with the young female Spartan leaning over his gored corpse.

…

Tek was enjoying the show. It had been mere seconds and already the Spartans were one man down. However, the Immortals had yet to lose a single soul, and the assembled observing diplomats knew it. Already he could see several of the other assembled observers coming around to Ms Marquetts way of thinking. These humans… they were devious and treacherous… but in this instance he couldn't help but appreciate the sudden manner in which they gladly turned their backs upon the much hated UNSC. Her employer was evidently right, all she had to do was show them that the Spartans could be killed… and that would be enough… A grim grin slowly drew upon the Jackles beak as he continued to watch the holo-screens. With any luck Carmichael might even get killed… and he really hoped that would be the case.

…..

Carmichael couldn't do anything for Rogers. Already Saros, he, and Thomas were being outflanked. He could see them, feel them… those green glowing eyes moving silently through the wooden underbrush.

"What are you doing?" asked Saros as Carmichael leaned over Rogers's corpse and inputted a security code into a digital wrist display, "Triggering his armors self destruct function. We can't carry him with us nor can we allow his armor to fall into enemy hands," replied Carmichael as a digital clock started to countdown on his helmets hud.

"Hurry, this way," he ordered, leading the way out of the small trench. Saros and Thomas hesitantly followed him, knowing the old military motto, 'Never leave a man behind,' but… deep down they knew it was the right thing to do. There was simply nothing that they could do for Rogers without needlessly endangering their own lives.

As the fire team continued to make a mad dash for the Pelican dropship… a loud fiery explosion suddenly light up the night sky behind them from Rogers armor self destructing.

More sniper fire also came from three separate sides, pinning in the group of Spartans, "What the hell," cursed Thomas, "An ambush! How are they staying so well coordinated while we're moving so quickly?"

"Don't panic damn-it!" yelled Carmichael, "Just stay focused, and keep moving towards the Pelican!"

….

"I thought Spartans were supposed to be a lot tougher than this?" mocked Chairman Ned Bailey of Segema Five, as he watched the UNSC's best death dealers being run down like wild prey.

The odds were fair. Four vs four, or more to the point three vs four now that one Spartan had died. Furthermore, everyone at the table had already garnered an excellent look at the Spartan's enemies. They were an assembled lot averaging five feet six inches in height, men wearing slightly cut-down variants of the SPI stealth armor, painted black with green tiger marks…which was briefly visible when the armor wasn't in stealth mode broadcasting its digital camouflage.

Beyond the usage of some sort of primitive exoskeleton and a cheaper rendition of the slightly more advanced UNSC armor… the technological gap between how both sides were outfitted was laughable. It was like modern day bronze clad soldiers running in terror from men with nothing but clothe tunics and wicker shields. But, these, 'Discount Spartans,' these 'Immortals' were using sniper rifles, and there was also something else about them, something about how they moved…

"It's a hive mind?" said Ms. Marquett, her words instantly garnering the attention of everyone in the room, "Done through deep neurological implants. Every Immortal possesses some form of basic technological inspired telepathy, essentially without the usage of radio waves. In addition to this the Immortals could also link their minds to any form of computational scripted existing technologies ranging from the armor they wore to the numerous orbital satellites keeping watch overhead."

"Sooo?" asked CEO Tao Lingshan owner of Zyphrin/Chi one of the largest private construction companies owned and operated outside of Sol System, "That's how they are running circles around the Spartans. Since this fire fight is occurring outdoors, these 'Immortals' have… not only the stealth advantage, but also the information advantage."

…

Carmichael, Saro, and Thomas were making good time despite the enemy sniper fire. There was only about half a click remaining between their present location and the parked Pelican. Together, as a team, they skirted down the side of a steep slope, Thomas going last in the group when four sniper rounds blew his legs out from under him.

"Thomas no!" yelled Saro as she stretched her arm out to catch him, before another two sniper rounds blew his head off mid-tumble. Carmichael pulled the foolish woman back just as another two sniper rounds filled the area where her head had previously been.

On the way down the slope, the Spartans finally got a good look on them, the green visors and humanoid shape, "Indies?" said Carmichael, bewildered. They were standing on the ridge, dispersing in different directions… however, what surprised him the most was that there were only four of them.

"What is this?" he said more to himself than to Saro, "It's almost like…," the Spartan's mind suddenly cleared to the reality of his situation and the cruelty of it all, "This isn't some sort of counter espionage hunt… this is a field test, and those are… some sort of Anti-Spartan."

…..

"Give that man a prize!" laughed Ms. Marquett on Indigo Seven, as she heard the Spartans sudden realization as to what was going on and being broadcasted over his coms. This wasn't them being hunted down for thieving a Forerunner Ruin, this was them being hunted for sport, a trial run for things soon to come.

"How much is this costing you?" asked Dave Winthurp of the New Odessa Colony, he was attending the meeting on behalf of his planets governor, and watching the hunt with VERY keen interests. If Ms Marquett had to guess, the lowly bureaucrat was probably scared from what he was witnessing. It was, after all, not every day you got to see UNSC Spartans made a laughing stock out of by fancy new Indie Guerillas.

"To augment, train, and equip a single Spartan the UNSC spends roughly 2.3 million credits," said Ms. Marquett, "I was able to cut that down to about 400 thousand credits, and my Immortals are just as effective at ranged combat. However, up close… the UNSC still maintains a tremendous advantage due to their superior mjolnir armor, but therein rests a fatal flaw. The mjolnir armor is a crutch… and the new crop of Spartans depend too heavily upon their armor, whereas my Immortals… can make do with far less and still get the job done."

She continued, "It takes the same amount of time to augment, train, and equip an Immortal as a Spartan IV, but for a fraction of the cost… and the best part… because of their cybernetic implants… they have abilities that Spartans do not possess… abilities that give them decisive advantages in combat."

"This is…" he looked at her with wide eyes, "This is… stunning. With these things we'll never have to fear the UNSC ever again!"

"That's the point," she grinned at him. Off to her side, Tek was practically glowing with enthusiasm. He remembered the Spartans, all the death and destruction they were capable of… and now… to see them cowering like hatchlings… it was priceless.

…..

"Up ahead!" yelled Saros as she and Carmichael exiting the woods into a grassy clearing where their Pelican was parked, another Spartan called Hugh waving at them, "Hey guys! Where's everyone else!"

"Get down you idiot! And power that thing up!" Hugh instantly knew something was wrong and quickly ducked back inside the Pelican to prepare it for lift off. Behind Carmichael and Saros, the Indies continued to hound the fleeing Spartans with more sniper fire, glassing their shields, but not enough to fully take out one of the survivors.

After a brief jog, the duo arrived at the Pelican, the engines roaring, the hatch closing, but with Saros taking up the rear and Carmichael turning to get a last glimpse of the landscape as the vehicle slowly rose… that was when it happened. The rear hatch was almost closed, but briefly, oh so briefly, there was just enough of a gap for three Indie snipers to take aim. In a split second which seemed to drag on for far too long… three sniper rounds hit the back of Saro's helmet just before the hatch closed. Her face and brain blew out the front of her helmet and all over Carmichael's chest in a fine pink laden skin paste.

…

"Three kills confirmed," said Immortal21 as the last images of the Spartan Pelican faded from the holo-display in the center of the table. Ms Marquett looked over the assembled dignitaries, all of whom riding the wave of enthusiasm and battle lust.

That last shot had been either pure luck or pure skill, but it had sent a very impressive message regarding her new toys. Already, she could see them processing what 'this' meant for any who would dare stand up to the UNSC.

"So gentlemen," she addressed them, "I want to discuss matters of state."

Everyone in the room instantly glared at her with a mixture of fear, respect, and awe, "Gentlemen and ladies," she addressed them, "I would like to establish a few exclusive economic and diplomatic ties… just enough to rattle the UNSC and ONI… for the time being…."