A/N: I don't really have anything to say but to just review and read this story.

Disclaimer: Ownership of Halo and characters belongs to Bungie not me

Chapter 6

0930 hours, January 18, 2005

Outside of Dr. Clancy's Discovered Temple

Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Elaine and Chris walked out of the tent to join Capt. James Walter, the person explaining the plan to the platoon of mercenaries gathered outside of the temple. At the captain's side was Jay, looking contently at all the mercenaries. All the mercenaries wore fatigues in either British or Egyptian styles, most were over six feet tall and were very muscular. Weapons flew up in rejoice to James' encouraging words and at the rising moral spreading through the troops. Elaine and Chris stood next to Jay and James as they all stepped into the temple for the first time. The light was slightly dimmer compared to the outside, nonetheless the room was clearly lit. The group of people looked around in awe at the main foyer's beauty, the shimmering color splashed on the wall and the artistic like writing covering the whole room. The groups calmed down a bit as they focused on the mission at hand. The plan was to split the group up into two groups; one will go to the doorway on the right side and the rest will through the other, which included James, Elaine, Jay and Chris.

"Turn on our radios everyone," James said to everyone. The clicks of numerous radios could be heard echoing throughout the chamber. Both groups separated wordlessly as they moved into the dark depths of the temple. Elaine held her gun close as she turned the flashlight on to illuminate the dark passageway. The others followed suit as they walked on. Chris held the loaned pistol awkwardly as he looked around the narrow passageway in hopes of something. The narrow walkway finally gave way to a staircase that descended into the dark, black depths below. The group slowly made its way down the ancient stone stairs, as if they would give way at any time. Everyone held their gun close as they drove themselves deeper and deeper into the bowels of the temple. After a longtime they finally came upon a doorway that was blocked by debris. The group pushed hard but the debris reacted with protest. After a few final pushes the debris slowly moved out of the way and cleared the doorway. Everyone walked into the room but as soon as the last person came in the doorway quickly slammed shut. Everyone turned around in terror and ran quickly towards the door. Mixes of English and Arabic echoed through the room, the men hysterically started beating the door with shovels and butts of guns but with no avail. They soon realized that it was futile and gave up. Suddenly a loud gunshot rang from a distant part of the building. Heads turned around as they heard the distinct sound of gunfire.

"What was that?" Chris asked. His question was quickly answered by screams of Arabic and English, screams of torture and hurt clearly echoed through the temple. The screams suddenly stopped and were replaced with unsettling silence. The group looked nervously at each other; some visibly shook with terror as they sat around. Suddenly a loud growl followed by a few others bounced throughout the temple, everyone jumped up in fright. Frantic people tried to make contact with the other team but with no success. James walked up to the front of the room as he called everyone's attention.

"Everyone calm down please, I know that those screams most likely belong to the other team so were trying to contact them but with no success," James said

"What are we going to do sir?" an English mercenary screamed.

"The only thing we can do, keep going until we find an exit. Now lets move out men!" James ordered. The group stood up and scrambled up to their positions while James went up to the front of the line and silently order the line to move. They moved on to the next room, a large atrium style room, and looked in horror at numerous skeletons strewn about on the floor.

"Oh my god, what happened here?" Elaine said in shock

"There must be thousands of them," James said

"I don't know but look at this," Chris said as he pointed at one of the skeletons. "He's wearing a Roman Centurion uniform. There's skeletons from every era in human history,"

"This one is wearing a nazi uniform and this one is wearing an English red coat," Jay said as he pointed at the skeletons. Everyone looked as they spotted numerous uniforms such as a French Napoleonic era uniform, an Arabic style uniform, and even a WWII era American uniform.

"Something tells me the we're not getting out of here alive," an Egyptian mercenary said nervously. Many of the mercenaries mumbled amongst themselves nervously as some tried to call their leaders attention.

"Put yourselves together everyone, I assure you that we will get out alive," James said trying to calm the group down. "Elaine we need to get out of here, I have a bad feeling in my gut," whispered James.

"We have to keep going James, I need to know what happened to my dad," Elaine pleaded. James just looked away, deep in contemplation but at the same time to look away from her eyes.

Chris ignored the bickering flowing rampantly through the group of mercenaries and the conversation between Elaine and James, he rather be focused on his thoughts on the auspicious archeological site that surrounded him. He ran his fingers over the wall looking for something significant when he encountered a strange carving in the wall. He stepped back and realized the crude carving was French. He knew some rudimentary French from his vague high school years but he could still read the carving. "Beware of this room, it is a sacrificial chamber and a resting site for the taken. 'The flood' will overcome any soul that walks through these cursed halls." Chris felt for more words but they abruptly ended. The message sunk in and chilled Chris to the bone. "I need to tell the group," Chris thought.

"Guys…" Chris said as he stepped forward. But at that same moment he stepped on mechanism that closed all the doors except for one. Everyone turned to the one open door as a loud guttural growl echoed though the chamber.

"Uh…" Chris whispered in a tiny voice. Elaine held her gun close as Jay cocked his shotgun and the rest focused their guns and flashlights on the doorway. Awkward silence filled the room, the moment seemed to last forever. Suddenly a small creature crawled quickly into the room, no one shot the creature as it moved foolishly in circles. The group watched it as it kept going in circles but suddenly the creature jumped up and attacked one of the mercenaries. The Arab mercenary felt the bulbous creature drive a needlelike tentacle into his back and felt it snake its way down his spinal cord. He frantically dropped his weapon as he trashed around, trying unsuccessfully to get rid of the creature. He felt an explosion of pain so intense he felt that he would die, he tried to call for help but he couldn't make a sound. One by one his extremities grew numb, his body lost touch with his mind as it clamed most of his cerebrum. It polluted his mind with a hunger so deep that it overrided his basic instincts of eating, drinking, procreating, and even breathing. This hunger was a vacuum, a vortex that consumed every thought and measure of who and what he was. Death was the only hope for him, even though he could never ever know it now. The men around him tried to help their comrade but they quickly stopped as soon as more creatures came literally flooding through the door. Elaine aimed her assault rifle at the creatures, they exploded like balloons, but dozens more seemed to join their place. The front line of the group became completely overwhelmed as four, five, or more of the creatures attacked each of the humans. James took out his Beretta and began shooting the creatures quickly and efficiently while Jay supported his right flank with his Remington shotgun. Chris stood next to Elaine trying his best to shoot the creatures, while the group shot the numerous creatures. Suddenly, the front line of the groups stood up from ground, but this time their bodies were severely deformed, their heads hanging at a sick angle. Tendrils hung from their side as they attacked the remaining group members. They attacked with any weapon they could find or the tendrils that hung from their side. The creatures overwhelmed the group with the attacks of their own guns, the tendrils or by the bulbous creature. Soon the group dwindled down to three mercenaries, Chris, Elaine, James, and Jay. They were finally surrounded and backed into a corner; the bulbous creatures soon consumed the three mercenaries.

"What are we going to do?" Jay said frantically. Elaine walked slowly against the wall, when she heard the dull thud of metal under her. She looked down to reveal a small hatch; she opened the hatch and screamed to the group to follow her. The group ran and jumped into hatch leaving Elaine behind. The creatures looked up from their kill of the three men, to see their prey go down the hatch, with one left. They jumped up to attack to only see Elaine jump down and close the hatch. They angrily beat on the hatch to try to open it but with no success. They stood around for a second and left running out of the room, back through the doorway they came through. They growled a guttural bark and door closed silently behind them. The room was again silent, as if nothing happened.

To be continued…