CHAPTER 3
The door was closing, Brent was running, and the Banshee was crashing. Now that Brent was over half-way across, he would never make it back to the other side before the Banshee blew up the entire bridge.
James watched with fear. His HUD scanners saw the trajectory and Brent's speed. At the rate he was going, the door would close too soon, and Brent wouldn't make it, and the Banshee would land right on top of him.
"Brent, run the other way!" James yelled. "You won't make it!"
"I have to make it!" Brent shouted back.
As the door closed upwards and downwards, it left only a tiny sliver in the middle. Right before it closed, everyone could hear Brent scream. He slammed right into the door. The team inside could see Brent's back. He was holding up his hands, screaming for his life. The last anyone saw of Brent was his back. The door closed, and they heard a muffled scream, followed by an explosion.
Instantly afterwards, the door bent inwards, like it had been hit. Everyone fell back, shouting.
The entire team just stood there, letting the event sink in. Brent had been incinerated. There was no way he had made it. They could hear his screams still ringing in their heads. James was the first to snap out of it.
"So, you think we should get going into the base before they catch up to us?" he asked, jerking his thumb farther into the tunnel.
Everyone looked up at him. "Yeah, I guess we should get going," Alex said, standing up.
Suddenly, Jarrett sank to his knees. "I can't believe Brent went out like that! It's not right! He didn't even get a chance to fight with us!"
"Brent knew the risks," Alex said without emotion. Spartans weren't supposed to show emotion. "He was prepared to fight and die for his planet. Moores will be proud of his efforts right up to Brent's death. Don't worry about him so much."
Jarrett looked up and nodded. Jason and Bryce were in the lead, heading into the tunnel. James was in the middle, with Alex and Jarrett taking up the rear.
Each of them had a weapon out. Jason, James, and Alex all had assault rifles. Jarrett had a pistol, and Bryce had Brent's old Jackhammer.
"Um, excuse me," Jason said, interrupting everyone's thoughts.
"Yes?" everyone said, turning.
"How exactly are we supposed to break into a base when we're outnumbered six-hundred-to-one?"
James smiled under his helmet. "Well, with a lot of skill, and a little bit of luck..."
The entire team, now reduced to only five, crept silently through the abandoned halls of the complex. The place was so big, they had no trouble sneaking in. Not even one Elite or Hunter was in sight. Everyone just hoped it would stay that way.
"Do you think we're heading the right way?" Bryce asked.
James looked down and brought up a hologram emitter. He activated it and a small image of the complex came up. He shifted it and the view went to the inside. Then, it showed where they were, indicated by five flashing green lights. "Yeah, just past our location should be a control room for this wing of the base."
"That's good," Jarret said. "I'm beginning to get tired."
"We will have to find a place to camp for the night," Alex said, panting under his helmet. "The only thing is, we'll have to sleep in our suits. I'm not sure how breathable the air is here, so..."
"Yes, if I know what's best, we'd better remain inside the MJOLNIR suits," James said, motioning forward. "I think we can camp out in the center of the compound. There's plenty of space there, and if we can find a cave or something like that, no Covenant warrior could find us."
Everyone agreed, so it was settled. They were to look around the center open area of the base in stealth mode and find a cave. Once they did, they'd set up for the night, and make sure they weren't found.
As they walked along, they remained silent. There was nothing much to say. Suddenly, James's advanced scanners picked up an alarm in the distance. "Halt," he said, holding out a hand to stop everyone. "I'm picking up a sound from the control room of the base. It's an alarm!" he screamed.
Just as he finished his sentence, dozens of barking and growling Grunts along with a handful of Elites came running from behind them. "Get out of here!" Bryce shouted. The blood-thirsty Grunts growled and ran on all- fours, charging after their prey.
Every soldier took off running, as plasma and energy came whizzing by them. They were stopped when an Elite dropped from above them. However, Alex took it out with one swing of his assault rifle.
"Move!" James shouted, shoving his comrades down the hall. "We have to stay away from the Covenant! Bryce, use your Jackhammer to hold them off!" As he finished his sentence, he tossed a Fragmentation Grenade down the hallway. Every Covenant warrior scrambled to get out of its blast zone, but they were too slow.
After four Grunts and an Elite were taken down, with two Elites injured, they decided to back off, especially since Bryce produced a Jackhammer. "You like that, freaks?" Bryce screamed at them. "Come get some of this!" He fired a rocket down the hall. Screams of pain could be heard as five more Grunts went down, and two more minor Elites.
Suddenly, the Elites and Grunts were gone. "Took care of them," Bryce muttered, rejoining the group.
"Not necessarily," Alex said, pointing down the hallway. Two Hunters, covered in their blue battle armor, armed with a shield and a fuel rod cannon, and towering at eight feet tall, came loping into view.
"Oh, crap..." Bryce muttered. "Let's go the other way!" Every soldier hauled butt, and the Hunters charged.
"ROOOOOAAAAAAR!" The Hunters screamed, following the soldiers.
"Man!" Jason cried. "They never give up. We have to get out of this hallway!"
Suddenly, James stopped. "You guys keep going. I'll meet up with you outside. Wait for me in the nook behind the main Shade defenses." Everyone nodded and continued. James, meanwhile, ducked into a side passage in the hallway.
He held a pistol in his hand, breathing hard under his helmet. As the steam built up, the automatic suit regulators kicked in and cooled it instantly. However, sweat continued to drop down his forehead as the Hunters ran by.
Jumping out behind them, James screamed at the top of his lungs as they charged by after his crew. "Gotcha!" Aiming the pistol at one Hunter's back (the site of their orange weakspots), James pulled the trigger, and the Hunter collapsed. The second spun around, and a well-aimed pistol shot put him down.
Taking off after his crew, James smiled to himself.
Alex was second-in-command, so in the absence of their Commander, he took charge. "Come on, everyone. We need to make sure we rendezvous with James in the center field. He'll be there very soon, and if we're not there, he'll come looking for us. Brave as that may be, he won't last long alone in here."
Jason laughed. "Only person that could do that would be the Master Chief himself."
The team of four troops made their way further down the hall, encountering no problems along the way. Just then, Jarrett spoke up. "I wonder if we're going in the right direction." His armor clanked as he slowed to a stop. "Check it out, sir."
Stopping, Alex pulled out a small holo-pad. He tapped a button on the side, and a small map popped up. Indicating the narrow hallway they were in, Alex nodded, his mechanical voice sparking through his helmet. "Affirmative, looks like we're going the right way. But the only problem we might run into is a room several rooms away with automated guns in it. I assume even James would have a problem with that as well."
Jason took his turn. "Maybe if we go around that area," he said, pointing to a side-tunnel. "Look, there's a small passageway over here. If we take that route, we'll be able to avoid that room."
Alex put away and map and hooked it back onto his belt. "Yes, but will James know this? Bryce?" Bryce looked at his Master Chief. "Try and contact James. We need to relay this information to him. There's no telling where he is inside this maze of a fortress."
Bryce nodded. "On it."
Nodding, Alex stood up, motioning to his crew. "All right, let's get going. That rendezvous point won't come to us."
The four of them took off down the hall, weilding their various guns. Bryce was still trying to get a hold of their Commander.
The door was closing, Brent was running, and the Banshee was crashing. Now that Brent was over half-way across, he would never make it back to the other side before the Banshee blew up the entire bridge.
James watched with fear. His HUD scanners saw the trajectory and Brent's speed. At the rate he was going, the door would close too soon, and Brent wouldn't make it, and the Banshee would land right on top of him.
"Brent, run the other way!" James yelled. "You won't make it!"
"I have to make it!" Brent shouted back.
As the door closed upwards and downwards, it left only a tiny sliver in the middle. Right before it closed, everyone could hear Brent scream. He slammed right into the door. The team inside could see Brent's back. He was holding up his hands, screaming for his life. The last anyone saw of Brent was his back. The door closed, and they heard a muffled scream, followed by an explosion.
Instantly afterwards, the door bent inwards, like it had been hit. Everyone fell back, shouting.
The entire team just stood there, letting the event sink in. Brent had been incinerated. There was no way he had made it. They could hear his screams still ringing in their heads. James was the first to snap out of it.
"So, you think we should get going into the base before they catch up to us?" he asked, jerking his thumb farther into the tunnel.
Everyone looked up at him. "Yeah, I guess we should get going," Alex said, standing up.
Suddenly, Jarrett sank to his knees. "I can't believe Brent went out like that! It's not right! He didn't even get a chance to fight with us!"
"Brent knew the risks," Alex said without emotion. Spartans weren't supposed to show emotion. "He was prepared to fight and die for his planet. Moores will be proud of his efforts right up to Brent's death. Don't worry about him so much."
Jarrett looked up and nodded. Jason and Bryce were in the lead, heading into the tunnel. James was in the middle, with Alex and Jarrett taking up the rear.
Each of them had a weapon out. Jason, James, and Alex all had assault rifles. Jarrett had a pistol, and Bryce had Brent's old Jackhammer.
"Um, excuse me," Jason said, interrupting everyone's thoughts.
"Yes?" everyone said, turning.
"How exactly are we supposed to break into a base when we're outnumbered six-hundred-to-one?"
James smiled under his helmet. "Well, with a lot of skill, and a little bit of luck..."
The entire team, now reduced to only five, crept silently through the abandoned halls of the complex. The place was so big, they had no trouble sneaking in. Not even one Elite or Hunter was in sight. Everyone just hoped it would stay that way.
"Do you think we're heading the right way?" Bryce asked.
James looked down and brought up a hologram emitter. He activated it and a small image of the complex came up. He shifted it and the view went to the inside. Then, it showed where they were, indicated by five flashing green lights. "Yeah, just past our location should be a control room for this wing of the base."
"That's good," Jarret said. "I'm beginning to get tired."
"We will have to find a place to camp for the night," Alex said, panting under his helmet. "The only thing is, we'll have to sleep in our suits. I'm not sure how breathable the air is here, so..."
"Yes, if I know what's best, we'd better remain inside the MJOLNIR suits," James said, motioning forward. "I think we can camp out in the center of the compound. There's plenty of space there, and if we can find a cave or something like that, no Covenant warrior could find us."
Everyone agreed, so it was settled. They were to look around the center open area of the base in stealth mode and find a cave. Once they did, they'd set up for the night, and make sure they weren't found.
As they walked along, they remained silent. There was nothing much to say. Suddenly, James's advanced scanners picked up an alarm in the distance. "Halt," he said, holding out a hand to stop everyone. "I'm picking up a sound from the control room of the base. It's an alarm!" he screamed.
Just as he finished his sentence, dozens of barking and growling Grunts along with a handful of Elites came running from behind them. "Get out of here!" Bryce shouted. The blood-thirsty Grunts growled and ran on all- fours, charging after their prey.
Every soldier took off running, as plasma and energy came whizzing by them. They were stopped when an Elite dropped from above them. However, Alex took it out with one swing of his assault rifle.
"Move!" James shouted, shoving his comrades down the hall. "We have to stay away from the Covenant! Bryce, use your Jackhammer to hold them off!" As he finished his sentence, he tossed a Fragmentation Grenade down the hallway. Every Covenant warrior scrambled to get out of its blast zone, but they were too slow.
After four Grunts and an Elite were taken down, with two Elites injured, they decided to back off, especially since Bryce produced a Jackhammer. "You like that, freaks?" Bryce screamed at them. "Come get some of this!" He fired a rocket down the hall. Screams of pain could be heard as five more Grunts went down, and two more minor Elites.
Suddenly, the Elites and Grunts were gone. "Took care of them," Bryce muttered, rejoining the group.
"Not necessarily," Alex said, pointing down the hallway. Two Hunters, covered in their blue battle armor, armed with a shield and a fuel rod cannon, and towering at eight feet tall, came loping into view.
"Oh, crap..." Bryce muttered. "Let's go the other way!" Every soldier hauled butt, and the Hunters charged.
"ROOOOOAAAAAAR!" The Hunters screamed, following the soldiers.
"Man!" Jason cried. "They never give up. We have to get out of this hallway!"
Suddenly, James stopped. "You guys keep going. I'll meet up with you outside. Wait for me in the nook behind the main Shade defenses." Everyone nodded and continued. James, meanwhile, ducked into a side passage in the hallway.
He held a pistol in his hand, breathing hard under his helmet. As the steam built up, the automatic suit regulators kicked in and cooled it instantly. However, sweat continued to drop down his forehead as the Hunters ran by.
Jumping out behind them, James screamed at the top of his lungs as they charged by after his crew. "Gotcha!" Aiming the pistol at one Hunter's back (the site of their orange weakspots), James pulled the trigger, and the Hunter collapsed. The second spun around, and a well-aimed pistol shot put him down.
Taking off after his crew, James smiled to himself.
Alex was second-in-command, so in the absence of their Commander, he took charge. "Come on, everyone. We need to make sure we rendezvous with James in the center field. He'll be there very soon, and if we're not there, he'll come looking for us. Brave as that may be, he won't last long alone in here."
Jason laughed. "Only person that could do that would be the Master Chief himself."
The team of four troops made their way further down the hall, encountering no problems along the way. Just then, Jarrett spoke up. "I wonder if we're going in the right direction." His armor clanked as he slowed to a stop. "Check it out, sir."
Stopping, Alex pulled out a small holo-pad. He tapped a button on the side, and a small map popped up. Indicating the narrow hallway they were in, Alex nodded, his mechanical voice sparking through his helmet. "Affirmative, looks like we're going the right way. But the only problem we might run into is a room several rooms away with automated guns in it. I assume even James would have a problem with that as well."
Jason took his turn. "Maybe if we go around that area," he said, pointing to a side-tunnel. "Look, there's a small passageway over here. If we take that route, we'll be able to avoid that room."
Alex put away and map and hooked it back onto his belt. "Yes, but will James know this? Bryce?" Bryce looked at his Master Chief. "Try and contact James. We need to relay this information to him. There's no telling where he is inside this maze of a fortress."
Bryce nodded. "On it."
Nodding, Alex stood up, motioning to his crew. "All right, let's get going. That rendezvous point won't come to us."
The four of them took off down the hall, weilding their various guns. Bryce was still trying to get a hold of their Commander.