"This is the last time, I'll take the blame for the sake of being with
you. Now I don't care. You killed it. KILLED IT! I'll never forgive you for
it! You let them all die, Aali! All of them! Even John! You could've saved
him! Them all even! But instead you're selfishness broke through and you
fucking screwed up! Look at their bodies, laying there, motionless because
of you! ONLY YOU! The universe will not fall to the Covenant because of
your recklessness! It's all your fault Aali.All you! All you, Aali!"
"AALI!" yelled a heavy voice from above her.
Her eyes shot open and she saw Danny above her.
"Yo, you were really in a dream."
She sat up slowly and clutched her forehead.
"The dream is always the same." she said plainly.
Danny only looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"All of them, you, dead because of me.especially John's death, my fault.It's always the same voice.the same person, tormenting me forever on."
Danny then slipped his arm around her shoulder.
"It won't happen, I won't let it.we're all going to make it out alive.right?"
She sat there silently.
"Right?" he said, nudging her.
She smiled.
"Right."
He got up and started walking away.
"It's always the same." she whispered to herself.
"Always."
They began walking slowly through the woods again. Nothing came in for about an hour.
"Are we even in the right place?" asked Danny.
"This is where we've been going, I say we just follow it until either Cortana or Athena pick something up, anything wrong with that?" said John.
"Nothing sir."
They continued walking until Cortana beeped in finally.
Artificial Structure straight ahead, about 20 feet in the clearing.
"Can you get a Life-form reading on it yet?" asked John.
Not close enough 117.
"I didn't think so.well, lets move, everyone be ready." He said.
They moved slowly towards the way of the building, they couldn't see it yet, but they could feel the presence of it. After walking for about 5 minutes, it finally appeared before them. A huge, white building, covered in Silver metal at the corners.
"A fortress of some kind?" suggested Jaime.
"Maybe.I say we go in" said Aali.
John nodded as they started to walk forward, but as they got closer, John remembered.
"Cortana, Life-form check"
I hate to say this, but I've been trying to get a Life-form check for over 15 minutes.I am unable to.
"You think it's empty?" said Danny.
John looked at it slowly.
"No." he said plainly, "Lets go anyway, come on, all behind me.except Aali, you're next to me, we go in together."
Aali nodded and sprinted up to John's side.
They arrived at the normal sized metal doors and kicked them in, Aali and John looked in slowly with Assault Rifles drawn, nothing was there. Aali walked in before John, she slowly set her hand on the metal walls and was taken over by a flash-back.
"Aali! You let it happen! I told you! Get them out of here now!"
She fell to her knee's and clutched her head again. John ran to her.
"You alright?" he asked.
She slowly looked back up at him and nodded.
"Alright, lets go.everyone, it's clear, come on in."
Then Aali grabbed his Shoulder.
"Do you think they could wait outside?" she asked.
"They're this team.they have to come."
She nodded.
Danny had heard the whole conversation and remembered her dream earlier. She then looked over and found a dog-tag, she walked to it slowly, not gaining the attention on the rest. It was set in a glass case, it was dirty, bent and bloody, it had 1 number on it, it looked like the number of someone.
"087?" she muttered to herself.
"No name though, why wouldn't they have a name on here too.?"
Another flash came to her.
A girl, about 15, with shoulder length, dyed blue hair was smiling as she laughed with two of her friends, both guys, they all had scratches on them, but they seemed so happy. Then that scene ended and another of her, older was shown, it looked as if a helmet had been ripped off her head, She was surrounded in wasteland, looking up to the sky at something, a ship of some kind, but the name unreadable, she bowed her head slightly and muttered "It's alright.I know."
Then it ended.
"Aali!?" yelled John.
She jumped a bit and turned to him.
"Welcome back, find something interesting?" he asked as he looked to the Dog-Tag.
He first glanced at it, but then looked deeper to it.
"087.087.That.number." he whispered to himself.
85% life-form detected, Master Chief.
"Say again Cortana." he said wearily.
.85% sir.
John turned to his men slowly.
"What is it sir?" asked Jason.
"85% Life-form detected."
They all stood silent for a moment and looked to each other, then Jaime walked forward.
"That's gotta be, like, ¾ of those on Halo, right Master Chief?"
John bowed his head, and Jaime stepped back.
Then, Jaime, Jason and Danny nodded to each other, they knew that not all of them would make it out, and Danny walked to Aali.
"How long until they are here?" asked Jason.
"About 5 minutes." said John.
Danny walked to Aali and grabbed her shoulder, he took her away from the rest and he removed her helmet for her. She wondered what was going on. They had become very close now, and felt like siblings.but what Danny was about to tell her, wouldn't make her very happy.
"What is it Danny?" she asked.
He took a deep breath.
"Myself, Jaime and Jason are a different group of Spartans than you." he explained slowly.
She looked at him confused.
"I mean, the way we were trained is different than yours. See, we were trained to.give out lives for the cause." he continued.
"We're all trained that way." she said.
He shook his head.
"Aali, that's ALL we are trained for."
Silence took them over.
Aali started to slowly shake her head and looked him straight in the eyes.
"You 3 aren't planning on.committing suicide?"
He didn't say a word. But instead, he took his helmet off and grabbed his Dog-Tag from around his neck and put it around hers, he then leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly, and went to leave, but she gripped his armor.
"You can't do this!" she cried desperately.
But he said nothing again and continued pulling away from her.
"2 Minutes!" yelled John.
"I have to get in my position." said Danny calmly.
A tear fell as she gripped to him tighter.
"No! I wouldn't let you!"
"You don't have a choice, sometimes there are things we have to do, and this is one of them."
He set his hand on hers, but did not try to pry her hand off his arm. They looked into each others eyes, and she understood finally. And as much as she wished she didn't have to, her grip loosened, and their eye contact broke as he ran to the sides of Jaime and Jason.
She then looked at the Dog-Tag's around her neck.
"212, Daniel Bernal"
She put her helmet back on as John called her over. Everyone could feel the tension.
"15 seconds." yelled Paul.
Everyone stood silently in front of the door, weapons drawn, but Aali couldn't keep her eyes off Danny, Jaime and Jason.so brave.
Finally, the doors opened and a flood of Grunts, Elites and Jackals ran in firing their Plasma. Everyone was shooting them down, but the Spartans were out numbered, even with the sniping of Eric and the Rockets of Paul. About Half were dead now.and almost everyone was out of ammo. Danny turned around and looked to Aali, and only shook her head, but he nodded, then nodded to Jaime and Jason. They ran forward with 4 Plasma Grenades each in their hands. Aali couldn't take it and ran forward, yelling, tearing into the aliens with the second to last clip of Ammo she had, trying to make it so that the 3 didn't have to do their jobs. Then, they activated all the Plasma Grenades, and John's attention was grabbed.
"What are you doing soldiers!?" he yelled to them.
Then Jason came in on the COM.
"Our Job, we're special Trained Spartans, Trained in the art of total destruction of the Covenant, and ourselves."
He then closed the COM and ran through the crowd of Aliens, sticking a Plasma grenade to a few. The 3 met in the middle, and even though Aali tried to make it in time, she was thrown back by the force of the Grenades ignighting the room.
"NO! DANNY!" She cried forcefully as she was held back by Nhan.
"There isn't anything you can do, Aali.that was their job" he said. She then stood on her own and ripped her helmet off, blood running down the side of her face.
"Cortana reports that was the last group.we're done." said John.
Aali looked up at the large, metal doors that the group of Aliens came out of.
"We're not done.it's just begun, this war of Reach."
Everyone was silent, then she spoke again.
"Ever think of what could be behind these doors? I can almost guarantee that it's something we don't want anything to do with.but it's personal now.we have to go in, we have to take care of this now, or else we'll just keep getting called back into this war."
She started to walk forward, but was grabbed by David.
"Not today.we'll tackle that obstacle tomorrow, right Master Chief?"
"Right, for now, I have things to do." said John as he started walking away, anyone have, offhand, the full names and numbers of the 3 that were killed today?" asked John.
Aali walked to him.
"I do, Danny gave me his Dog-Tag, as for the rest I know them, 212-Daniel Bernal, Jaime Escamilla- 213, Jason Urbonawicz- 214"
She then started walking away slowly as it began to rain outside, she stood out there, having the water wash her blood away, then John walked to her.
"You knew before hand, who they were?"
"Minutes before."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"It was a last minute thing."
"Those men could've been saved." said John.
"No, Danny was determined along with the rest of them.but I, tried to do something."
"What you could've done was tell me."
"What would've you done?" she asked him.
"I might not have been able to do anything, but at least then I wouldn't have to Court Martial you."
Aali turned her head quickly to John.
"What!?" she yelled.
"I'm sorry.it's what I have to do."
"This was their JOB! I couldn't stop them from doing their Job!"
"Well now you don't have to worry about it.because it won't happen again." said John as he called in an Honorable Discharge.
"AALI!" yelled a heavy voice from above her.
Her eyes shot open and she saw Danny above her.
"Yo, you were really in a dream."
She sat up slowly and clutched her forehead.
"The dream is always the same." she said plainly.
Danny only looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"All of them, you, dead because of me.especially John's death, my fault.It's always the same voice.the same person, tormenting me forever on."
Danny then slipped his arm around her shoulder.
"It won't happen, I won't let it.we're all going to make it out alive.right?"
She sat there silently.
"Right?" he said, nudging her.
She smiled.
"Right."
He got up and started walking away.
"It's always the same." she whispered to herself.
"Always."
They began walking slowly through the woods again. Nothing came in for about an hour.
"Are we even in the right place?" asked Danny.
"This is where we've been going, I say we just follow it until either Cortana or Athena pick something up, anything wrong with that?" said John.
"Nothing sir."
They continued walking until Cortana beeped in finally.
Artificial Structure straight ahead, about 20 feet in the clearing.
"Can you get a Life-form reading on it yet?" asked John.
Not close enough 117.
"I didn't think so.well, lets move, everyone be ready." He said.
They moved slowly towards the way of the building, they couldn't see it yet, but they could feel the presence of it. After walking for about 5 minutes, it finally appeared before them. A huge, white building, covered in Silver metal at the corners.
"A fortress of some kind?" suggested Jaime.
"Maybe.I say we go in" said Aali.
John nodded as they started to walk forward, but as they got closer, John remembered.
"Cortana, Life-form check"
I hate to say this, but I've been trying to get a Life-form check for over 15 minutes.I am unable to.
"You think it's empty?" said Danny.
John looked at it slowly.
"No." he said plainly, "Lets go anyway, come on, all behind me.except Aali, you're next to me, we go in together."
Aali nodded and sprinted up to John's side.
They arrived at the normal sized metal doors and kicked them in, Aali and John looked in slowly with Assault Rifles drawn, nothing was there. Aali walked in before John, she slowly set her hand on the metal walls and was taken over by a flash-back.
"Aali! You let it happen! I told you! Get them out of here now!"
She fell to her knee's and clutched her head again. John ran to her.
"You alright?" he asked.
She slowly looked back up at him and nodded.
"Alright, lets go.everyone, it's clear, come on in."
Then Aali grabbed his Shoulder.
"Do you think they could wait outside?" she asked.
"They're this team.they have to come."
She nodded.
Danny had heard the whole conversation and remembered her dream earlier. She then looked over and found a dog-tag, she walked to it slowly, not gaining the attention on the rest. It was set in a glass case, it was dirty, bent and bloody, it had 1 number on it, it looked like the number of someone.
"087?" she muttered to herself.
"No name though, why wouldn't they have a name on here too.?"
Another flash came to her.
A girl, about 15, with shoulder length, dyed blue hair was smiling as she laughed with two of her friends, both guys, they all had scratches on them, but they seemed so happy. Then that scene ended and another of her, older was shown, it looked as if a helmet had been ripped off her head, She was surrounded in wasteland, looking up to the sky at something, a ship of some kind, but the name unreadable, she bowed her head slightly and muttered "It's alright.I know."
Then it ended.
"Aali!?" yelled John.
She jumped a bit and turned to him.
"Welcome back, find something interesting?" he asked as he looked to the Dog-Tag.
He first glanced at it, but then looked deeper to it.
"087.087.That.number." he whispered to himself.
85% life-form detected, Master Chief.
"Say again Cortana." he said wearily.
.85% sir.
John turned to his men slowly.
"What is it sir?" asked Jason.
"85% Life-form detected."
They all stood silent for a moment and looked to each other, then Jaime walked forward.
"That's gotta be, like, ¾ of those on Halo, right Master Chief?"
John bowed his head, and Jaime stepped back.
Then, Jaime, Jason and Danny nodded to each other, they knew that not all of them would make it out, and Danny walked to Aali.
"How long until they are here?" asked Jason.
"About 5 minutes." said John.
Danny walked to Aali and grabbed her shoulder, he took her away from the rest and he removed her helmet for her. She wondered what was going on. They had become very close now, and felt like siblings.but what Danny was about to tell her, wouldn't make her very happy.
"What is it Danny?" she asked.
He took a deep breath.
"Myself, Jaime and Jason are a different group of Spartans than you." he explained slowly.
She looked at him confused.
"I mean, the way we were trained is different than yours. See, we were trained to.give out lives for the cause." he continued.
"We're all trained that way." she said.
He shook his head.
"Aali, that's ALL we are trained for."
Silence took them over.
Aali started to slowly shake her head and looked him straight in the eyes.
"You 3 aren't planning on.committing suicide?"
He didn't say a word. But instead, he took his helmet off and grabbed his Dog-Tag from around his neck and put it around hers, he then leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly, and went to leave, but she gripped his armor.
"You can't do this!" she cried desperately.
But he said nothing again and continued pulling away from her.
"2 Minutes!" yelled John.
"I have to get in my position." said Danny calmly.
A tear fell as she gripped to him tighter.
"No! I wouldn't let you!"
"You don't have a choice, sometimes there are things we have to do, and this is one of them."
He set his hand on hers, but did not try to pry her hand off his arm. They looked into each others eyes, and she understood finally. And as much as she wished she didn't have to, her grip loosened, and their eye contact broke as he ran to the sides of Jaime and Jason.
She then looked at the Dog-Tag's around her neck.
"212, Daniel Bernal"
She put her helmet back on as John called her over. Everyone could feel the tension.
"15 seconds." yelled Paul.
Everyone stood silently in front of the door, weapons drawn, but Aali couldn't keep her eyes off Danny, Jaime and Jason.so brave.
Finally, the doors opened and a flood of Grunts, Elites and Jackals ran in firing their Plasma. Everyone was shooting them down, but the Spartans were out numbered, even with the sniping of Eric and the Rockets of Paul. About Half were dead now.and almost everyone was out of ammo. Danny turned around and looked to Aali, and only shook her head, but he nodded, then nodded to Jaime and Jason. They ran forward with 4 Plasma Grenades each in their hands. Aali couldn't take it and ran forward, yelling, tearing into the aliens with the second to last clip of Ammo she had, trying to make it so that the 3 didn't have to do their jobs. Then, they activated all the Plasma Grenades, and John's attention was grabbed.
"What are you doing soldiers!?" he yelled to them.
Then Jason came in on the COM.
"Our Job, we're special Trained Spartans, Trained in the art of total destruction of the Covenant, and ourselves."
He then closed the COM and ran through the crowd of Aliens, sticking a Plasma grenade to a few. The 3 met in the middle, and even though Aali tried to make it in time, she was thrown back by the force of the Grenades ignighting the room.
"NO! DANNY!" She cried forcefully as she was held back by Nhan.
"There isn't anything you can do, Aali.that was their job" he said. She then stood on her own and ripped her helmet off, blood running down the side of her face.
"Cortana reports that was the last group.we're done." said John.
Aali looked up at the large, metal doors that the group of Aliens came out of.
"We're not done.it's just begun, this war of Reach."
Everyone was silent, then she spoke again.
"Ever think of what could be behind these doors? I can almost guarantee that it's something we don't want anything to do with.but it's personal now.we have to go in, we have to take care of this now, or else we'll just keep getting called back into this war."
She started to walk forward, but was grabbed by David.
"Not today.we'll tackle that obstacle tomorrow, right Master Chief?"
"Right, for now, I have things to do." said John as he started walking away, anyone have, offhand, the full names and numbers of the 3 that were killed today?" asked John.
Aali walked to him.
"I do, Danny gave me his Dog-Tag, as for the rest I know them, 212-Daniel Bernal, Jaime Escamilla- 213, Jason Urbonawicz- 214"
She then started walking away slowly as it began to rain outside, she stood out there, having the water wash her blood away, then John walked to her.
"You knew before hand, who they were?"
"Minutes before."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"It was a last minute thing."
"Those men could've been saved." said John.
"No, Danny was determined along with the rest of them.but I, tried to do something."
"What you could've done was tell me."
"What would've you done?" she asked him.
"I might not have been able to do anything, but at least then I wouldn't have to Court Martial you."
Aali turned her head quickly to John.
"What!?" she yelled.
"I'm sorry.it's what I have to do."
"This was their JOB! I couldn't stop them from doing their Job!"
"Well now you don't have to worry about it.because it won't happen again." said John as he called in an Honorable Discharge.