Chapter 13 Shadow of Secrets
Connie and the insurrectionist leader were walking across a platform with two heavy armored soldiers wielding miniguns. In the same room but from a higher point was Florida who snuck in with Wyoming in hopes to take out Connie and the enemy leader if possible.
Connor the insurrectionist leader raised a hand to stop his group and Connie took that as a sign someone was watching them.
Wasting no time Connie turned around in both of her hands were magnums looking for where an enemy might be to shoot at them if given a window of opportunity. Conner drew one of his compactable axes and aimed it at the enemy he got in his sights.
"Catch." Conner tosses the axe towards Florida knocking him off his advantage point and onto the concrete floor, Conner says out loud, "Surprise. We've got company coming. Put Em down!" The two minigun wielders took a stance ready to unload any unlucky son of a bitch that enters their field of vision.
The two heavy gunners unload a stream of bullets on the other pillar thinking maybe an enemy was behind that one, in an attempt to startle them into moving and right into their stream of bullets.
Conner stood by his two heavy armor soldiers and said, "Hold this position." and was about to head out with Connie in tow. .
"I would not worry about Wyoming." Says a voice that Connie recognized and got admittedly scared as they came face to face with the ghost of Reach who decloaks before their very eyes, she and Conner got their weapons drawn towards the spartan."Not here to fight. Just want your information." Having a hand raised to show for it.
Connie slightly lowered her weapon but Conner did not follow that action,"Why would I give you any information?" Not trusting Noble Six, not due to him working with the Director or anything, because she knows in his past he is not really happy about leaving loose ends.
Six says in a matter of fact tone, "Well one you know I hate the Director more than you for sure, so I'll take to have a reason to fuck him over." Connie could not argue with that leading to conflicting feelings about sharing the Director's skeletons in his closet.
Before Connie could say anything Conner's emotion burst out of him, "She won't talk! Drawing his other axe. Ready to strike the spartan but the much older and frankly the alpha of the three was unfazed, "You killed many of my brothers, you killed my parent's in COLD BLOOD."
Six faced Conner the insurrectionist leader and said, "that frankly does not narrow it down." Those words piss off the leader of this insurrectionist but Six was not done with him yet, "My parents were killed by elites but you don't hear me ever bitching moaning about it like a whiny child."
If Conner's grip was any tighter; he would break his axe and Connie saw this and tried to move along the conversation by asking, "How can you assure our safety on the Mother of Invention? He could poison us, kill us in our sleep." Genuinely worried for her and Conner's safety.
Six being honest since he knows lying will dash his hopes away, "You I can, Him. he'll have to escape on his own." Neither C.T. or Conner one liked this idea but Six was not done talking, "Once you done your part Connie I'll gladly help you reunite with your boyfriend, but you must be a good girl understand?"
Connie thought that was fair considering Six is putting his neck out for her, and if anyone could legit secure her safety on the Mother of Invention it would be a motherfucking Spartan, but Conner did not like this idea at all, "She is not going with you!" as he tomahawk tosses his axe towards Six.
The spartan leaned to the side to avoid the axe, but saw one of the heavy gunners had turned around and started to rep up their minigun to fire at him, so Six ran off the platform "Falling" into the darkness below
Wyoming peaked from behind the pillar he was using as cover in hopes of sniping down the insurrectionist leader, but the other gunner was still facing that way allowing them to block the shots fired with the guard around their minigun. They return fired with a stream of led forcing Wyoming to roll out of the way and hide behind a crate for cover.
The agent in white was wondering how long he was going to be here crouching in place so as not to turn into swiss cheese, when he had company of the good variety,
" Well it's about damn time." As York and Wash hid behind the pillar Wyoming used moments earlier, Washington jokingly asked if they missed all the fun? Wyoming answered back with, "Hardly chaps, now where is our dear Carolina?" Speaking of the devil she zips past the three taking cover behind a pillar closer to the enemies wielding miniguns.
Carolina turned to the British freelancer and said to him, "Wyoming, move up." but Wyoming was refusing to do so, rightfully so given their situation, "York got any ideas?" hoping he got something up his sleeve to get them through this tight situation.
York answers back with, "I dunno, got any nukes Carol?" half joking but also making it clear he was empty handed.
Carolina responds back,"You mean besides the one I'm going to drop on Wyoming if he doesn't move, the hell. UP!" her anger was clear as rain for all present.
Wyoming was only slightly intimidated by the former number one freelancer, "Yes, I can see everything just fine from back here. Thank you." While he said that, Six climbed back on the platform next to York and Washington, "OH hello six, happy for you to join us after chatting with Connie and her partner in crime."
Carolina faced Six confused and angry at the Spartan three who got behind a pillar opposite of her, avoiding the gunfire, "YOU DID WHAT!" her anger was oozing from each letter that exited her lips.
Six was unwavered and said in a calm tone to Carolina "Trying to get info out of Connie before the Director puts her six feet into the ground." Six drew his DMR and crouched down to get into a better position, "Now everyone, keep behind cover. I'll clear the path ahead."
Scoping in he aimed at his target and memorized the rotation of the minigun's barrels and the exact timing to shoot and have it soar into position. Once the part was done he unloaded his first shot that soars the air slipping right by the bullets heading in the opposite direction, eventually it slips into the one barrel of the minigun clogging it up lowering it's fire rate.
Wash was amazed by this so were the rest as Six fired two more shots fully clogging up the heavy weapon, "HOLY SHIT! Six are you fucking robocop?" genuinely curious about this? Did Noble Six have an aimbot program built into his helmet?
Six reloads the DMR and says to Wash not looking away, "Please I don't need aimbot. Just a few more moments and they shall be easy pickings." deciding to take his time with this next one.
Carolina takes charge like usual and says to the group, "Thanks Six. Anyway, Wyoming, you'll try to snipe them out while we move up. York, Wash you two will stay and deal with-" An invisible figure just ran past them all. Six recognize who it was right away but Carolina had only a guess who it was
Agent Texas ducked and weaved through the barrage of shots with minimum effort due to Omega feeding her info of where the last heavy gunner was aiming. Texas de cloaked just to punch the gunner so he was dazed as she slipped past him and became invisible once more.
"DAMMIT, NO! Cover me!" Carolina shouted before running after Tex past the last armed gunner but the other one was drawing their melee weapon which was a large hammer.
Six had to halt his fire since he knew Carolina's chances of being hit by his shots was more than fifty percent so he followed after her. Carolina avoided the hammer swing of one of the heavy gunners and bounced off the concrete pillar near them to just slip right past them, but the one still wielding a gun got a shot fired right into her side causing some blood to spill but was not enough to take her out.
Six approach the armed heavy gunner and stab one of his compactable knives deep into their side in between armor plating and proceed to run after Carolina. Once a safe distance away, Six triggers the explosive in the knife causing the unlucky guy wearing a yellow smiley face for a visor to turn into a bunch of bloody chunks of flesh or sections of armor that somehow remain.
Carolina and Six caught up to tex, or more accurately Six caught up to the all black agent and placed a hand on her shoulder to slow her run into a light walk, "Don't tell me you're slowing me down so Carolly can have a fair shot at beating me?" Texas asked mocking Six and Carolina who did not like being called Carolly,
Six's answer was to the point."No. I'm stopping so you are aware we are not killing Connie." Carolina did not have a disagreement with that since Connie could lead to other moles in Project Freelancer, but also get out of her why did she do this? Betray everyone she knew for years?
Texas shot back to the ghost of Reach, "Last time I checked you're not the director. So I don't need to listen to any orders you give me." Tex gave Six her middle finger before walking off towards where Connie and Conner are.
Six and Carolina followed after her and he said back to agent Texas, "Connie's information is helpful for all of Project Freelancer. It would be a waste to kill her." Carolina agreed but did not say anything since the tension between Six and Texas was the weight of a thousand suns, wisely Carolina made sure she was not directly involved just yet.
Tex spins around to face the spartan three and steps towards him, "You only care because she might have some info on the Director, so you have an excuse to leave or fuck us all over. If she knew absolutely nothing then you would not give a RAT'S ASS if we killed her just like you did with your sister!"
Carolina was shocked by this information. If agent Texas is telling the truth then Six lied about his sister dying by elites. But raises an even darker question, why did he kill his own sister? Six's fist was clenching so hard he might pierce the black skin tight suit they wore below their armor
"YOU know NOTHING about me TEX! Now if you kill Connie directly in my face! Well.. maybe you can ask my sister yourself what happened that day." His words left Texas and Carolina speechless and motionless at what he said. Six took this moment to calm himself down and level his head out.
In Texas' mind she heard Omega cry for blood, "NOW is your chance, GUT HIM LIKE a fish! Get our revenge, hell we could even kill the stuck up little red headed bitch while we are at it. Two for one deal." Texas Pushed Omega down since now was not the time for him to get all crazy on her.
Noble Six turned to face Carolina who was confused by why he was looking at her, "What's wrong?" sort of worried since Six went a bit crazy for a moment and was slowly drawing his gun, "SIX? Why are you-" Six fired hitting something behind her and what it hit sounded like an energy shield?!
Six uses his wrist mounted grapple hook he upgraded since last time to latch on to the waist armor piece of Carolina's armor and pull her closer to him and away from the enemy. Six could tell what it was even though the enemy was using cloaking tech, it was a Sangheili aka an Elite.
Six helped Carolina up and said to her and Texas, "Go on ahead without me. I'll deal with him" as Six kept firing at the Elite but was shocked how durable its energy shield was, normally cloaked elites' energy shields are weaker so they can remain cloaked longer.
Texas being the cocky bitch she was, "Please I can take out this ugly mother fucker." agent Tex was about to unload her dual magnums at the elite if he did not back hand her causing her to spin, "You mother fuck-" her raging cry was silent when he grip her throat slamming the black armor agent into one of the metal walls of the hallway.
The elite drew his energy sword which was not the iconic blue, it was a shade of red being really dark in color as he raised up his blade preparing to slice Texas in half. The Elite's cloak dissipated showing what it was and Six got worried since it was a Silent Shadow. It's armor was violet red with a glowing visor that was a reddish color. Six recognizes it as the one he fought on Reach a few times, but you the reader most likely remember him watching noble Six during the Heist section of this story.
Six jump onto the Silent Shadow's arm that wields the crimson energy sword and stab a knife into said arm causing the elite to let go of Texas' throat. Six kicks off the wall pushing the Sangeli assassin away from Agent Texas. Causing both to crash into the other wall of this hallway denting it in the process.
Using it's free hand it grabbed Six's head and tossed the spartan three off him, however the silent Shadow got a drop kick to the face by agent Carolina stunning helped Carolina to her feet and the two decided to get out of dodge.
Once the Silent Shadow recovered from the blow delivered by Carolina it chased after the two female freelancers and was hot on their tail. The two were worried for a moment until Six tackles him right through the wall causing them to fall into what's on the lower levels of this base.
Carolina stops and faces the hole Six and the Elite made but Tex grabs Carolina's arm and says to her in the nicest tone Texas can muster, "Six can handle himself. Let's deal with Connie before she is gone forever." Carolina had to agree as they continued onto their destination.
Six and the Elite finally hit the concrete floor causing it to crack by the force of their fall. The two got to their feet and entered their own fighting stance, "What is a Silent Shadow doing here?" Six asked of the Elite
The sangheili chuckled and answered the spartan's question, "It's you I'm after. You're the one that got away." Six was aware of what this Silent Shadow was talking about and his anger rose within his soul, "The Mother Oracle thinks you're worth saving. I shall prove her judgement of you is misplaced!" longeing towards Six with his blade drawn to stab the spartan three.
Six rolled out of the way of the stab and gave the Sangheili a nice one to the side of his ugly face. The assassin was not done and attempted a spinning slash to cut the spartan into two pieces, a top piece and a bottom piece. The Ghost of Reach leaned back to avoid the slash followed by doing a backflip maneuver to get some distance and drawing his Magnum to fire at the Silent Shadow.
The spartan three only got three shots off before being tackled by the elite through a pillar shattering it and hitting the ground with his back. Six looked up and saw the Silent Shadow's energy sword raised, ready to bring it down through his chest, "Be consumed by shadows demon." Bringing his blade down to finally kill this slippery demon.
Six using his lightning quick wit activated the jetpack he had built into his suit causing him to rocket away from the silent shadow's stab. Noble Six flipps landing onto the wall with his feet and then springs off towards the elite and punches the Silent Shadow once more in the face.
The Silent Shadow shakes off the punch and notices something attached to his chest area that looks like the end of a grappling hook? The elite got dragged along by the soaring spartan three slamming into the wall before skipping across the concrete floor of the hallway, and then metal grating of a walkway.
Six then felt a tug stopping him from flying forward anymore. Taking a glance back he saw the elite was on his feet gripping the cable and then proceeded to tug down hard causing the spartan to crash down into the metal grating denting it.
Six cut the line so as to avoid the elite using it to pull him closer to stab him or whatever. Six struggled to his feet and saw the Silent Shadow approaching him slowly with their blade sparked to life ready to slice him up.
Six had an idea and activated a gadget he only tested once but it might be his only way out of this sticky situation. Aiming his arm at the grating and activating the tool, a focus red beam of energy shot out and it melted through the grating it was aimed at. Six then dragged it across the full width of the grating causing the ground below the elite to bend and deform causing the Silent Shadow to fall into the blackness below.
Six took a moment to catch his breath and said out loud as he flew across the walkway, "She better be alive when I get there." saying it to the universe so it shall not do that, like how one prays to god even though likely he can't hear them or he simply doesn't exist.
Meanwhile Carolina and Tex were just outside the room Connie and the leader were in. having trouble finding a way inside, "They got turrets activated and will turn us into swiss cheese." Omega was not feeling like hacking them off due to her pushing him down earlier when he got a boner from thinking about killing Six and Carolina.
Carolina says back to agent Texas, "I can get past them." Tex rolled her eyes and thought agent Carolina was being a cocky little child,ironically not seeing she is in a similar boat as her.
"Sure, go ahead try, with fewer bullets for them to use on me is a good thing." Tex Lowkey liked that idea but felt her stomach get morphed into knots at that thought, similar to her mixed feelings about killing Six.
Carolina activated her coms to contact York in paticular, "York I need you to cut the power on the main complex." Carolina thinks they likely have dealt with the disarm heavy gunner at this point and she would be right as he said the place would be going dark in sixty seconds,"Roger that."
Carolina and Tex got to their feet with the one in blue saying to the gal in all black but her red visor, "Don't forget our objective Tex. We're here to retrieve the armor." also wanting to avoid the wrath of Six as much as possible
Agent Texas was not as worried about Noble Six as Carol and shot back with,"Carolina, I know what the fucking objective is!" as the two waited for it to go dark to move into action.
Inside the room it went dark and the turrets deactivated, "Damn it." Conner said knowing it must be the freelancers and they're going to break in any second now, Connie says they need to go now with him saying to her, "I already told you I can't just leave them!" drawing his collapsible axe from his back.
Connie shot back at her boyfriend, "Most of them are already dead, or will be dead by the end of the day. Besides, if we leave they have no reason to be here!" as she pulled out a data card from the control panel the two were messing with, "Please let's just go while we still can."
Conner said back to Connie, "Connie come on!" He wanted to leave with her, but he was struggling with his sense of duty versus his personal desire to be with the woman he loves.
"You promised me." C.T. said to Conner, "You said we would be together. I have all the information we need. I have my armor. We can take this to the right people and they'll-"
"They'll do what Connie! They are the same people that will sick their personal grim reaper onto anyone who looks at them funny." Conner said knowing that Connie's hope is far-fetched.
C.T. shot back at Conner, "You don't know that. We could still make a deal so we avoid going to prison! They'll help us!" Conner was starting to agree only because he had no more choices left besides what she had in mind, "Come on, We don't have much time!"
"Actually you're all out of time Connie." Carolina said to Connie trying not to sound aggressive since she wanted to solve this without bloodshed or her ass kicked into the ground by Six.
Texas steps towards Connie and the leader of the enemy faction while saying, "C.T. you have something that belongs to Project Freelancer, and you know how the director hates to share."
Connie stepped forward and said to her former allies, "You two are fools. The Director is playing you, all of you. Don't you see that?" but C.T. knew they would not listen, especially his daughter nor the shadow of the one he truly loves the most.
Carolina said not happy at her dad being accused of doing something evil, "C.T. stop it. We know you've been feeding intel to the resistances for months!" which got a chuckle from Conner chuckles at hearing that, finding it amusing what the Director was calling him and his allies.
"Their not really the resistance Carol. But I don't care about the specifics." Six said entering the room standing in between Carolina and agent Texas, "Tell me what you know Connie, and if it's really good I might even let you leave right now." Carolina looked at Six wondering why he would make such a deal with Connie.
Connie remains silent pondering what to say to the inhuman killer but Conner spoke, "She won't make any deal with a monster like you. You'll just kill her and me because you feel like it." His hatred of Six rivals Six's hatred of ONI and the Director.
Six was tired of Connie's boyfriend and said to her, "You're twenty seconds away from me killing him and using a more direct approach on getting the info out of you." Tired of being nice and if Connie truly loves him; she'll do whatever it takes to save him.
Connie caves and says to the spartan, "The Director and all of Project Freelancer have broken major laws, when the war is finally over we all will be paying for his sins. Some of us are paying for them already. Six Agent Texas is-"
"You need to stop talking C.T." Six was pissed looking at agent Texas refusing to let herfuck this all up because she simping for the Director.
Connie was not scared of the agent in black, "No. I know what you are, Tex. I won't listen to a measly shadow." Texas was clearly offended but also confused about what Connie called her.
Six knowing the tension is rising tries to focus up, "Connie. Who is tex?" ideas forming in his mind, a fucking clone? Probably not. His daughter? Eww and also very unlikely. Tex pointed her other magnum at Six, "What's wrong Texas? don't want to be in the light of truth?"
Carolina, knowing this is going to get messy, says to Connie in hopes to avoid the storm that is approaching, "If you come with us C.T we can talk this over in a less tense environment. Last chance." But knew it was likely in vain, but fuck it atleast she tried to settle this without a fight.
Connie is still against the idea even with Six there the Director will make sure she never spills his dark twisted secrets, "No. I'm not going onto the ship, I won't be left alive by tomorrow." Connie's voice really showed she was genuinely afraid and Six could not blame her.
Texas then says while looking at Six having an idea to remove Six from the fight, "Actually we don't need Connie. Just her armor." Shooting Connie in the head but it turns out to be a hologram, but it caught Six off guard long enough for her to say in her mind, "Omega have fun." Omega chuckles entering Six's mind.
Connie avoids the lethal shot from Tex and zips toward her gripping Texas' arm pinning it to her own back as C.T. stabbed a large combat knife into it, but no blood came from the wound oddly enough. Connie pushes Texas towards Conner who chops one of his axes into her chest knocking Tex onto her ass.
Six was holding his head feeling a strong pain making him too distracted to avoid an axe to his chest knocking him to the floor and into his own mindscape. The spartan three's mindscape was a clean well organized base where there was a room for everything, memories, ideas, regrets knows someone has caused him to be here so the spartan will head to the threat room and pick the button to allow him to the land of the living.
Noble Six jogs to his desired destination, in his path was a person in purple Mark five armor with a red visor, "Hello Nathan. What a fucking lame ass name you got their disgusting excuse for a human being." Six was not impressed by his rude remarks, he heard worse in training.
Six says to the guy walking past the armored figure, "Let me guess you're Texas' A.I.?" Carolina did not have one and he doubts Connie or her boyfriend has an A.I. to affect him with.
Six only got a few feet before he suddenly slammed into the wall pinning him there, "HAHA you think I just let you walk past me? I was BUILT to kill you and now without Texas to keep me chained like some sort of dog I can-" from From Six's shoulder came a micro missile that hit Omega turning the fragment into many pixelated bits, but not before he shouted, "YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
This freed Six from the force pinning him to the wall and The Spartan got into a sprint towards the threat room. As Six ran the metal walls of the hallway morph into ones you see of a normal household in the future. Six slowed down and looked at the open doorway, he quickly looked away seeing a mother and their year old baby in hand on the couch facing a tv screen.
Omega's voice could be heard, "What's wrong? Don't you want to see one of your kills?" Six heard a shot which was to the back of the mother's head killing her instantly making the baby cry out from a loud noise it heard, "What it's not like you feel guilty about this kill or any of them. After all, you are just doing what ONI asked you to do." Another shot was heard, this one to let the baby join their mother in the afterlife.
Six kept walking forward, each open door showed another one of his kills, one was him hanging a man who cheated a higher up out of thirteen dollars. one was a teenager who he drowned in a pool because they bullied another ONI's kid. Those self centered little fucks had Six get his own hands dirty because they couldn't do it themselves.
Six entered the threat room heading towards the button Omega shouted, "You're almost worse than me. Only difference is I haven't killed a family member… yet." Six paused for a moment as the wall shifted but Six did not want to re live that day, so the spartan slammed his fist onto the reset button in the room freeing himself from his own mind as Omega shouted,"I will get you next time Noble Six, Next ti-" as the fragment was ejected out of Six's body and returned to Tex who just left the room as Six came awake.
Carolina removed the axe from Six's chest and was trying to wake him up, when he suddenly sprung to life at last, "SIX! What the hell happened?" genuinely worried for him since Six never has done something like that, thinking Connie or the resistance leader did something to the spartan three.
Six shook his head and got to his feet slowly and said, "I'm fine, just had to deal with Texas' little friend. Where is Connie?" knowing he is going to loathe the answer.
Carolina looked away and said fearing Six's wrath, "She and the leader got away… but her wounds given by Texas will likely kill her." Six did not like this news but he placed a hand on her shoulder and the two followed Tex to their ride back to the Mother of Invention, "What did you mean by Texas' little friend?" Carolina asked of the spartan
Six decided no point in lying to Carolina so spoke the truth, "Texas as an A.I. that seems to hate me a lot." Carolina was shocked by this news but also felt like it was making sense, that is why Tex is better than her. She was a fucking cheater.