PROLOGUE
The mysterious ring-world Halo has been destroyed, and all seemed well.except to the Master Chief. He knew there would be more Covenant, and they would certainly know the location of Earth by now. Somewhere, somehow, he knew something had gone wrong on the ring.
His worries were not unfounded, as he soon found Earth to be under siege by a full scale Covenant assault. Making his way through deep space and a massive covenant assault carrier, he finally succeeds in bringing himself down to Earth. After ravaging the Covenant forces situated in the ship, he raced to find any remaining UNSC resistance.
As The Master Chief rode out of the Covenant Assault carrier with a Ghost in tow, he scouted his surroundings. Everything that was once green had become a sickly brown, the air now filled with particles of dirt. All he could hear was the sound of howling wind, and every ten seconds he could feel the horrible tremor of a high-energy blast from a Covenant ship tearing into Earth and its seemingly fragile crust. There was no doubt about it; Earth would never be the same.even if by some miracle of a god the Covenant were wiped out.
Cortana: Analyzing for any signs of life.
MC: **stations himself behind a large rock and zooms in on the area with the Battle Scope's rifle**
Cortana: Up ahead. The amount of soldiers and Covenant are so massive I can't tell their unique signals apart!
MC: **searches for gunshot or grenade flashes to pinpoint where the hotspot of action is**
Cortana: My analysis also indicates that the action isn't stationary, in fact it's coming towards us! They must have seen the crash and are racing each other to reach the scene! Chief, we don't have any place to hide.they'll find us for sure!
MC: **looks at the Ghost** no need to worry.
Master Chief dropped down with the mass of the ghost and rock concealing him from any oncoming eyes, and there he waited. He could hear a garbled, deep-throated growl coming closer. The shouts of comparatively soft-spoken humans could be made out above it. All were yelling in their own tongues, but none of it was coherent.all were screams of determination, loss, anger, hatred, and even lust for a kill. And then came the weapons firing, the sound of plasma discharging and the prompt frying when it hits the target...followed by a new scream of pain.
Marine: I'll kill every last one of you! There's going to be no homecoming for you bastards!!! **Takes out a M6D and fires madly at a running Elite**
Bullets zipped past the Elite's armored figure, none of them hitting their target. The Elite turned its head back to laugh at the enraged marine, but was cut off when one of those stray hi-explosive bullets found a lodging in its cranium, effectively spewing purple blood and pieces of head all over the muddy, brown ground.
Marine: Let me get that for you! **Picks up the plasma rifle as he runs** Commence assault Marines!
Commander: Patterson, give 'em a taste of explosive!
Patterson: Sir, Acknowledged! **Clicks the frag grenade** Welcome to Earth. Here's a souvenir for your trip! **Throws the grenade**
Commander: fall back!
All the Marines skidded to a stop, intently watching the landing spot of the grenade light up with yellow sparks. It was right in front of those Covenant fools.even if they stopped right where they were it would still take out half of their numbers. All eyes were shifting, back and forth between the Covenant and their sparkling beacon of salvation. The grenade, Covenant.the grenade, empty space.complete empty space.
Marine: What?
Marine2: Where the hell is it? Where did it go?!
Marines: **all look around**
Commander: Ow! Hey, something just hit my leg!
Eyes looked down; some began rolling immediately out of the way, waiting for that deafening noise of explosions and screams. But there was still complete silence.
Commander: **looks down to see the grenade, no fuse lit** Well, that's funny. Patterson, I thought you lit this thing!
Patterson: I did sir, we were all watching the sparks!
Commander: Huh, thing must be a dud then...well that's just great! We lost the Covenant, now we have faulty equipment. What else can go wrong now?!
The commander tossed the grenade behind in disgust, only to be greeted by a fizzling sound and footsteps clanging away from him. He turned around just in time to be greeted by a ball of flame that not only engulfed him, but threw him and all of his charred remains flailing into the metallic-purple sky, the Covenant assault carrier still looming over the leaderless force.
The Master Chief silently surveyed the Covenant posted outside the carrier's entrance. They were like statues on an ancient gothic building, ever watchful of all things that surround them. But they hadn't found him.
MC: **spies an Elite walking out of the carrier and conversing with the guards**
Elite: (We have found no traces of surviving people. Whatever entity came through this stronghold, they are incomprehensibly skilled)
Guarding Elite: (Could it have been the one who destroyed Halo?)
Elite: (If it is, then he is still in the vicinity. This wasteland will soon be cleansed of him)
The Master Chief could not understand what they were saying, but he was able to reason enough that they were on to him. He would have to act soon-but there were more than just these two in the area. If the squad heard the battle, even he would not be able to survive when they rushed him full force. Preparing for the worst, Master Chief tightened his hold on the Battle Rifle's grip as the footsteps came closer. The sound was almost over him now, and it was now or never.
Elite: **screams in agony as it falls to the ground dead, firing off rounds that land randomly **
"Take that one right down to your hell!"
The marine force came running into the Chief's view, quickly taking out the two guards with short exchanges of gunfire. Now, with the group of Marines here.there was a chance.
Patterson: No sign of any Covenant.
Brisco: I bet you there are plenty more inside that ship, running to come meet us after the blasting we just did!
Bentley: If that's true then let's clean up the house before company arrives!
The locking and loading of rifles, pistols, and even rocket launchers filled the air.
Brisco: Paul, why didn't you tell us you had a "Spanker"?
Paul: I forgot I had ammunition!
Marines: What?!
Cortana: The marines are arguing amongst each other, now would be a good time to get moving!
MC: **runs out of hiding and fixes himself on the side of the cruiser, giving himself a clear vantage point for when the squad came out**
Bursts of plasma came screaming out of the entrance, followed by yells of surprise by the marines.
Bentley: Paul, pull back and use the rocket launcher from distance, make sure it doesn't splash us!
Paul: Understood! **Runs back while activating the launcher's scope** Where's some cover.hey, a Covenant vehicle! **Forgets about battle and begins running towards the Ghost**
Master Chief watched on at the battle, looking for the right time to move in. The Marines were a large unit, but the elite was stronger and faster. The marines were using sub machine guns and auto shotguns, new upgraded equipment from the normal armament. As more and more Covenant fell to these weapons, they became even more aggressive. They would rush the marines and crush their necks, burn their faces with the plasma; even one shoved a grenade into the marine's mouth.
Cortana: Chief! You need to help them now or else they'll all die!
MC: **readies the Battle Rifle and zooms in on the nearest Elite. squeezes the trigger gently**
Covenant: **point at the horizon and begin laughing, only to be capped by Master Chief seconds later**
Patterson: Huh? **Sees a Covenant vehicle approaching them head-on from the horizon** Oh hell!
Brisco: Where's Paul when you need him?!
Bentley: Hey, who got this Elite's head for their trophy? You aren't going to have a place to store it you know!
Patterson: No one did that, we were all looking at that covenant vehicle!
Marine: Speaking of which, sir is coming right for us!
Cortana: That vehicle is going to give them hell chief!
MC: **zooms in, only to see a Marine in command instead of a Covenant**
Cortana: Chief? Why aren't you firing?!
MC: that isn't a Covenant piloting the Ghost.
Cortana: What?
Master Chief took out a plasma grenade he found on the ship and threw it right onto the back of an Elite. After the screaming stopped, the Elite's were seriously down in numbers. However, a small amount of marines were in direct proximity to the Elite and were taken out along with the blast. Things were looking grim.
Bentley: Were not going to make it!
Brisco: Sir, I just wanted to say that it's been great fighting with you.
Patterson: You too, soldier.
The Elites took aim. All seemed lost, until a very familiar voice cried out a very familiar taunt.
Paul: EAT IT!!! **Fires a rocket off into the middle Elite, sending all three remaining forces into the air**
The marines looked again, more closely at the Covenant vehicle that slowed gently to a stop when near them. Paul, who looked rather pleased with himself, was piloting it.
Brisco: Paul!
Paul: **beams**
Brisco: Why the hell didn't you tell us where you were going?! We nearly shot you down!
Paul: Hey, you're still standing right?
MC: Is there any more Covenant, Cortana?
Cortana: Analyzing.
Master chief looked around, surveying the scene. He swore there was something off in the distance, and whatever it was.it certainly wasn't human.
Cortana: I can't find any Covenant, but there is a large mass coming towards us from the northwest.it's a large sentient life form, but this genetic code is unfamiliar. Give me a moment to scan my databanks.
MC: **sees a green ball flying towards the area where the marines are** There's no time! **Runs out of hiding and all of the marines spot him**
Bentley: Whoa!
Patterson: Is that.?
Brisco: Why is he running to us?
MC: Get down!
The remaining marine squadron dropped to the ground, but only a handful kept to it. The fuel cannon round shook the ground more violently then the energy blasts on the crust, which had mysteriously stopped. The lone rock disintegrated, the Ghost exploded, and only six marines were spared the horrors of death by fuel rod cannon blast, and even the Master Chief had been knocked out.
Cortana: Chief, can you hear me? I found the identification for the sentient life form. It is a part of the Covenant that has the mass of a hunter and the speed of an Elite. It uses no armament, save for its fists. It is referred to as a Brute, and a team of hunters must accompany it for there to be fuel rod cannon blasts.
The Master Chief did not answer though, he was completely out like a light. The Brute, Hunter, and Elite stood before the Fallen marines.
Hunter: (they are alive.)
Brute: (Good, then I can kill them!)
Elite: (Keep yourself sustained. We've been given different orders for the discovery of incapacitated survivors)
The Brute leered and growled, but the Hunter and Elite had more say in the argument.
Hunter: (the orders came directly from the 4th prophet. I suggest you take it up with our leader if you have a disagreement)
Elite: (Carry them to our ship)
The mysterious ring-world Halo has been destroyed, and all seemed well.except to the Master Chief. He knew there would be more Covenant, and they would certainly know the location of Earth by now. Somewhere, somehow, he knew something had gone wrong on the ring.
His worries were not unfounded, as he soon found Earth to be under siege by a full scale Covenant assault. Making his way through deep space and a massive covenant assault carrier, he finally succeeds in bringing himself down to Earth. After ravaging the Covenant forces situated in the ship, he raced to find any remaining UNSC resistance.
As The Master Chief rode out of the Covenant Assault carrier with a Ghost in tow, he scouted his surroundings. Everything that was once green had become a sickly brown, the air now filled with particles of dirt. All he could hear was the sound of howling wind, and every ten seconds he could feel the horrible tremor of a high-energy blast from a Covenant ship tearing into Earth and its seemingly fragile crust. There was no doubt about it; Earth would never be the same.even if by some miracle of a god the Covenant were wiped out.
Cortana: Analyzing for any signs of life.
MC: **stations himself behind a large rock and zooms in on the area with the Battle Scope's rifle**
Cortana: Up ahead. The amount of soldiers and Covenant are so massive I can't tell their unique signals apart!
MC: **searches for gunshot or grenade flashes to pinpoint where the hotspot of action is**
Cortana: My analysis also indicates that the action isn't stationary, in fact it's coming towards us! They must have seen the crash and are racing each other to reach the scene! Chief, we don't have any place to hide.they'll find us for sure!
MC: **looks at the Ghost** no need to worry.
Master Chief dropped down with the mass of the ghost and rock concealing him from any oncoming eyes, and there he waited. He could hear a garbled, deep-throated growl coming closer. The shouts of comparatively soft-spoken humans could be made out above it. All were yelling in their own tongues, but none of it was coherent.all were screams of determination, loss, anger, hatred, and even lust for a kill. And then came the weapons firing, the sound of plasma discharging and the prompt frying when it hits the target...followed by a new scream of pain.
Marine: I'll kill every last one of you! There's going to be no homecoming for you bastards!!! **Takes out a M6D and fires madly at a running Elite**
Bullets zipped past the Elite's armored figure, none of them hitting their target. The Elite turned its head back to laugh at the enraged marine, but was cut off when one of those stray hi-explosive bullets found a lodging in its cranium, effectively spewing purple blood and pieces of head all over the muddy, brown ground.
Marine: Let me get that for you! **Picks up the plasma rifle as he runs** Commence assault Marines!
Commander: Patterson, give 'em a taste of explosive!
Patterson: Sir, Acknowledged! **Clicks the frag grenade** Welcome to Earth. Here's a souvenir for your trip! **Throws the grenade**
Commander: fall back!
All the Marines skidded to a stop, intently watching the landing spot of the grenade light up with yellow sparks. It was right in front of those Covenant fools.even if they stopped right where they were it would still take out half of their numbers. All eyes were shifting, back and forth between the Covenant and their sparkling beacon of salvation. The grenade, Covenant.the grenade, empty space.complete empty space.
Marine: What?
Marine2: Where the hell is it? Where did it go?!
Marines: **all look around**
Commander: Ow! Hey, something just hit my leg!
Eyes looked down; some began rolling immediately out of the way, waiting for that deafening noise of explosions and screams. But there was still complete silence.
Commander: **looks down to see the grenade, no fuse lit** Well, that's funny. Patterson, I thought you lit this thing!
Patterson: I did sir, we were all watching the sparks!
Commander: Huh, thing must be a dud then...well that's just great! We lost the Covenant, now we have faulty equipment. What else can go wrong now?!
The commander tossed the grenade behind in disgust, only to be greeted by a fizzling sound and footsteps clanging away from him. He turned around just in time to be greeted by a ball of flame that not only engulfed him, but threw him and all of his charred remains flailing into the metallic-purple sky, the Covenant assault carrier still looming over the leaderless force.
The Master Chief silently surveyed the Covenant posted outside the carrier's entrance. They were like statues on an ancient gothic building, ever watchful of all things that surround them. But they hadn't found him.
MC: **spies an Elite walking out of the carrier and conversing with the guards**
Elite: (We have found no traces of surviving people. Whatever entity came through this stronghold, they are incomprehensibly skilled)
Guarding Elite: (Could it have been the one who destroyed Halo?)
Elite: (If it is, then he is still in the vicinity. This wasteland will soon be cleansed of him)
The Master Chief could not understand what they were saying, but he was able to reason enough that they were on to him. He would have to act soon-but there were more than just these two in the area. If the squad heard the battle, even he would not be able to survive when they rushed him full force. Preparing for the worst, Master Chief tightened his hold on the Battle Rifle's grip as the footsteps came closer. The sound was almost over him now, and it was now or never.
Elite: **screams in agony as it falls to the ground dead, firing off rounds that land randomly **
"Take that one right down to your hell!"
The marine force came running into the Chief's view, quickly taking out the two guards with short exchanges of gunfire. Now, with the group of Marines here.there was a chance.
Patterson: No sign of any Covenant.
Brisco: I bet you there are plenty more inside that ship, running to come meet us after the blasting we just did!
Bentley: If that's true then let's clean up the house before company arrives!
The locking and loading of rifles, pistols, and even rocket launchers filled the air.
Brisco: Paul, why didn't you tell us you had a "Spanker"?
Paul: I forgot I had ammunition!
Marines: What?!
Cortana: The marines are arguing amongst each other, now would be a good time to get moving!
MC: **runs out of hiding and fixes himself on the side of the cruiser, giving himself a clear vantage point for when the squad came out**
Bursts of plasma came screaming out of the entrance, followed by yells of surprise by the marines.
Bentley: Paul, pull back and use the rocket launcher from distance, make sure it doesn't splash us!
Paul: Understood! **Runs back while activating the launcher's scope** Where's some cover.hey, a Covenant vehicle! **Forgets about battle and begins running towards the Ghost**
Master Chief watched on at the battle, looking for the right time to move in. The Marines were a large unit, but the elite was stronger and faster. The marines were using sub machine guns and auto shotguns, new upgraded equipment from the normal armament. As more and more Covenant fell to these weapons, they became even more aggressive. They would rush the marines and crush their necks, burn their faces with the plasma; even one shoved a grenade into the marine's mouth.
Cortana: Chief! You need to help them now or else they'll all die!
MC: **readies the Battle Rifle and zooms in on the nearest Elite. squeezes the trigger gently**
Covenant: **point at the horizon and begin laughing, only to be capped by Master Chief seconds later**
Patterson: Huh? **Sees a Covenant vehicle approaching them head-on from the horizon** Oh hell!
Brisco: Where's Paul when you need him?!
Bentley: Hey, who got this Elite's head for their trophy? You aren't going to have a place to store it you know!
Patterson: No one did that, we were all looking at that covenant vehicle!
Marine: Speaking of which, sir is coming right for us!
Cortana: That vehicle is going to give them hell chief!
MC: **zooms in, only to see a Marine in command instead of a Covenant**
Cortana: Chief? Why aren't you firing?!
MC: that isn't a Covenant piloting the Ghost.
Cortana: What?
Master Chief took out a plasma grenade he found on the ship and threw it right onto the back of an Elite. After the screaming stopped, the Elite's were seriously down in numbers. However, a small amount of marines were in direct proximity to the Elite and were taken out along with the blast. Things were looking grim.
Bentley: Were not going to make it!
Brisco: Sir, I just wanted to say that it's been great fighting with you.
Patterson: You too, soldier.
The Elites took aim. All seemed lost, until a very familiar voice cried out a very familiar taunt.
Paul: EAT IT!!! **Fires a rocket off into the middle Elite, sending all three remaining forces into the air**
The marines looked again, more closely at the Covenant vehicle that slowed gently to a stop when near them. Paul, who looked rather pleased with himself, was piloting it.
Brisco: Paul!
Paul: **beams**
Brisco: Why the hell didn't you tell us where you were going?! We nearly shot you down!
Paul: Hey, you're still standing right?
MC: Is there any more Covenant, Cortana?
Cortana: Analyzing.
Master chief looked around, surveying the scene. He swore there was something off in the distance, and whatever it was.it certainly wasn't human.
Cortana: I can't find any Covenant, but there is a large mass coming towards us from the northwest.it's a large sentient life form, but this genetic code is unfamiliar. Give me a moment to scan my databanks.
MC: **sees a green ball flying towards the area where the marines are** There's no time! **Runs out of hiding and all of the marines spot him**
Bentley: Whoa!
Patterson: Is that.?
Brisco: Why is he running to us?
MC: Get down!
The remaining marine squadron dropped to the ground, but only a handful kept to it. The fuel cannon round shook the ground more violently then the energy blasts on the crust, which had mysteriously stopped. The lone rock disintegrated, the Ghost exploded, and only six marines were spared the horrors of death by fuel rod cannon blast, and even the Master Chief had been knocked out.
Cortana: Chief, can you hear me? I found the identification for the sentient life form. It is a part of the Covenant that has the mass of a hunter and the speed of an Elite. It uses no armament, save for its fists. It is referred to as a Brute, and a team of hunters must accompany it for there to be fuel rod cannon blasts.
The Master Chief did not answer though, he was completely out like a light. The Brute, Hunter, and Elite stood before the Fallen marines.
Hunter: (they are alive.)
Brute: (Good, then I can kill them!)
Elite: (Keep yourself sustained. We've been given different orders for the discovery of incapacitated survivors)
The Brute leered and growled, but the Hunter and Elite had more say in the argument.
Hunter: (the orders came directly from the 4th prophet. I suggest you take it up with our leader if you have a disagreement)
Elite: (Carry them to our ship)