"I belive that I'm asking a simple question, Doctor." From the void, a voice. Deep and low, hors and distant. An echo following it.
"The question is simple, but you cannot expect the answer to such a question to be so...straightforward. Not in the state he is currently in, at the very least." Another voice. Far more feminine in nature, but just as distant.
"Doctor, it's a yes or no question."
"Sir, respectfully, I can't answer that question." A small moment of silanc followed "He is beyond critical in condition. Honestly sir, he, by all accounts, should have died on impact. Let alone from the blast that followed." The sharp clicking of heals on solid ground echoes for a few moments "It's a miracle he's alive as is, even more so that he survived transportation."
The deep thud of heavy boots followed, getting closer before abruptly stopping, with the doctors voice speaking up again "Even Clementine calculated that his chances of survival are below point one percent."
"Clementine is military, not medical. She only took any and every case even remotely similar and looked at the number of survivors."
A few more heavy steps closer echoed "Now, Doctor. I understand that you are new to our unit. But." The deeper voice became even lower "I will not have you insulting my marine like this. And I will not have you insult one of the few marines that survived from boot camp to this point."
"Don't you think you're letting your personal feelings interfere with logic? I understand, i don't want to lose a patient just as much as you don't want to lose one of your marines, but..." The Doctor quickly responded.
"Rynn, our unite has gone through hell and back. We have gone through missions that would make a Helljumper blush. And he has survived all three of those God forsaken years. From the day I took command of this unite to today, he is one of the only few that have stayed by my side without fail." The older voice calmly stated.
"He is no Spartan, Sir. He's just human."
"No, he is no Spartan. But in my eyes, he might as well be their better."
A moment of heavy silence linger in the air "Rynn, your statement earlier, about my emotions. I will sacrifice my marines if it means that more will survive in the end. Every time I want to look away, to avoid their eyes. But I never do. It's my burden to carry."
"I understand that sir, but-"
"You didn't let me finish. He is the only marine that always came back. No mater the odds, he always returned."
"Did he...?"
"Rynn, you can insult me all you want. My name, my honor. But insult one of my men again, even hinting that he ran away, and I personally will insure that you will wish you were never born." The older voice slowly responded, ice cold in nature.
With a deep breath, and a long sigh, he continued "Let me change my question for you."
"Is it possible for you to save him?"
"Possible? Well, yes. But the chances are..."
"Than do what you can."
Taking another step closer, the soft sound of leather glows pressing against skin echoed.
The Doctors voice quickly rank out "Colonel! Don't touch him! You're only going to injure him more!"
"Onix." The Colonels voice lingered in the air. "You're dying, you know that? Though, that's nothing new I suppose."
"How bought this, kid. You show bough them covie bastard's and the good Doctor here what a marine is made out off, and I won't kick your ass for getting beat up to a pulp."
Clothes shuffle for a few seconds as the clang of boots gets further and further away, stopping as a hiss fills the air.
"Clementine, he so much as breaths strangely, you inform me."
"Would have done it regardless, sir." A third voice, feminine as well, instantly responded.
"You die on me kid and I'll kill you." The Colonels voice fades as the hiss returns, followed by a soft clang.
"This is absurd..." Rynn slowly exhaled.
"Clementine, do you know if what the Colonel is saying is true?"
"About the Corporal surviving suicide assignment? No, I don't. I have no personal take on the mater, seeing as I have no prior experience to work with. And I can't access the wider data network to confirm or deny what the Colonel said, given our current circumstances."
"But the Colonel doesn't strike me as someone that says things lightly." After a short silence Clementine adds.
"This situation really is absurd." The doctors voice grew ever more distant, being overtaken by the void...
With a gasp for air, Onixes eye shot open, burning as the white light before him makes contact with his exposed retinal. A grunt of pain quickly following as his nervous-system awakens alongside him.
Blurry vision and ringing ears preventing him from making out his surroundings, a tingle of panic creeping in to his spine as his breathing sharpens. His body freezing as something presses down on to his shoulder, his eye snapping to the right, gazing upon a shadow.
Onix relaxed slowly as a he hears a voice. The words themselves meaningless to his scrambled mind, but the voice all to familiar.
With every blink, his vision slowly returned. The shadow taking shape. Dark hair in a military cut, scared face by bought shrapnel and burns. A pure white eye on the right, with the second one a deep brown. Standing tall, kitted in modified marine armor. Thick plates of metal, coated white with camo patterns on them. A thick undersuit, furr like puffs around the neck, all a snow white.
The two stared at one another for a few seconds, with the Colonel taking a close by chair and sitting down besides Onix.
"How ya feeling Son?" The Colonels voice broke through the ringing, a softness in the gruff voice.
"Wish the adrenaline was still pumping, Sir." Onix grunted out.
The Colonel simply hands Onix a cup of water and two pills, which he hastily drinks. Knowing already what they are, combined with his dry throat hurrying his actions.
"Corporal, follow the lights, gotta make sure your gears are turning." The Colonel raised a small flashlight.
After following the light, up then down, right to left, The Colonel nodded and put the light away "Better than expected."
"You remember what put you in here?"
Onix frowned "I...a dropship, I think. It dropped of some troops. Just screaming and gunfire come up after."
"Can't blame you for not remembering. We expected you to be brain dead after all."
Before Onix could ask, the Colonel continued "You got hit hard, so hard actually your helmet nearly split in two. You got a nice crack on your skull that's still healing too."
"What dropped was a squad of grunts with an elite, and a pair of hunters. A well placed grenade took care of the grunts and almost did the elite, the hunters just got pissed off. You took one of the hunters shields head first. Well, you and private Doland. Though we buried him a while back."
"How did I survive?" Onix slowly asked.
"Hell if I know. Was hoping you could tell us." The Colonel raised a small mirror in front of Onix.
Silently looking at himself, Onix raised one of his hands and gently touched the left side of his face. Bandages covering the upper half of his head entirely, only his right eye exposed, a small green emerald in a sea of white.
"The Private was decapitated on the spot, you were flung several meters away. To add insult to injure, one of the hunters stray cannon shots landed near you as well. The heat nearly fused your backplate to your body." The Colonel stayed silent for a few moments, allowing Onix to take in the information.
"Once the area was secure, a medic wanted to take your dog tag, only to find you trying to wriggle your way on to your feet. Poor bastared nearly had a heart attack when you apparently turned to look at him, your left eye popped out of its socket. Allegedly though, his head-cam was frozen over, so we don't actually know the exact details."
Onix just blinked a few times, his gaze falling on to his bed.
"You were out for two weeks, and two more weeks in an artificial coma. Your eye's gonna be as good as new eventually, surprising as it is. Just can't take the bandages off for a while."
Behind the Colonel the Doctors voice rang out "Sir, please slow down. This is a lot of shocking information you are rapidly throwing at him. He needs more time."
"No need to worry that much, Doctor. He has experience dealing with this type of situation." The Colonel stands up, extending his hand to the Corporal "Let's get you on your feet, think it's about time I properly fill you in on how much the shit hit the fan."
With a deep breath, and a slow nod, Onix took the Colonels hand. With a modicum of effort the Colonel pulled Onix out of the bed, slinging his right arm over his neck.
Taking in sharp breaths, Onixes shaking body freezes as he clings on to the Colonel, his vision consumed by a blinding white light as his body struggles to keep up after weeks of no activity.
"I told you this was a horrible idea, we need to set him down so he can slowly recover." Doctor Rynn's voice came from in front of Onix, much clearer and closer.
"Give him a minute doc. I need him in the control center, so taking it slowly isn't an option." The Colonel simply responded.
After a few seconds Onixes vision returned to him, his bodies shaking calming down slightly as he takes in deep breaths. To his right, the Colonel, his right arm slung over his neck. Onix being at almost perfect height for his arm to rest level on the Colonels shoulders.
And in front of him, the doctor. Black hair down to the middle of her back, brown eyes, dressed in a white coat with a jumper underneath. Not quiet fitting the standard dress code, but if the Colonel wasn't mentioning it, neither would Onix.
She walked closer to the two, reaching Onix up to his chest in height as she looked him over. "I still think this is to sudden." Displeasure quite evident in her eyes, alongside a modicum of worry.
"I've had worse doc." Onix grunts out.
Though the doctor didn't find this any more pleasing to hear as a frown formed on her face.
"I don't recall seeing you at HQ before." Onix quickly added in an attempt to change the subject
"The Colonel should inform you of why that is, but I was originally assigned to camp Rose." She responded before looking at the data pad she had in her hand "Clementine can inform me if you need me, I have other patients to attend to, but please, take it slowly." And with that, she made her exit.
"You ready to walk?" The Colonel asked.
"Is the situation that bad that we need medical staff from Rose here?" Onix asked, taking his first, wobbly steps.
The Colonel didn't respond, his expression darkening as he lowered his head.
"Sam?" Onix asked, staring directly at him.
"Look." Sam sighed as the automatic doors leading to the hallway opened.
Onix could only do that, look.
Look at the clusters of injured marines and personal lining the halls. Covered in fresh and old wounds, some still bleeding as the hastily applied bandages turn a crimson red.
Slowly the two walked down the middle, grunts and moans of pain reverberating from the marines. The occasional medic and doctor rushing from room to room, clothes stained in blood.
No sound escaped Onixes mouth as he passed the injured, and dying. His eyes only darting from soldier to soldier, watching them laying in agony.
Minutes passed before Onix opened his mouth, but no words came out. Sam simply nodded "We're the last active base. The rest were taken out already."
"How..." Onix slowly asked, his mind working in overdrive to process everything "We...the fleet. The fleet took out almost everything they had. Only a ship remained. How could..." Onixes gaze snapped to Sam.
"No. No Covenant reinforcements arrived. The Crimson Moon took out the remaining ships slipspace drive and comm unit. They confirmed it themselves before they were destroyed."
"Then how-" Onix was cut off.
"We never knew what ship was left in orbit. With the fleet gone, and the atmospheric conditions as they are on average, we had no clue what actually survived."
Sams jaw clenched as he spoke in a low snarl "We didn't know it was a God forsaken supercarier."
The two soldiers slowly made their way to the command center. Where the doors opened without a need for authentication, confusing Onix.
As they entered, the sight of personal moving from console to console greeted them. Movement never stopping as the few that got close saluted before returning to their duty.
Slowly Sam lowered Onix in to a chair, himself taking the next seat, bought man having consoles before them.
"As grim as it is, we have some things working for us" Sam said all the while using his console.
"That being?"
"Well, winter came early. And given our basses location, the enemy will be funneled to us through one entrance."
"I was out for four weeks, right?" Receiving a nod, Onix leaned back with a grunt "It came a week and a half early?"
"That it did. And the covie bastard's seem ill equipped for sub zero hell storms." Sam added.
"The more of them freeze the better." Onix straightens out, opening a map of the basses outside "We'll need to dig in."
"Progress is steady. Heavy guns are set up to make the entrance a kill zone. I've also taken the liberty of setting up a little crow's nest for you." Sam elaborates, transmitting several images to Onix.
"Before that, we sure the carrier won't just glass us?" Onix looked at Sam.
A mix of a grunt and a chuckle escaped Sam "Don't joke around. Those bastard's wouldn't dare damage one of their 'holy sites' like that. The Forerunner base down below is far to precious for them, and the mountain above us is acting like natural armor as well. The only way for them to do this is to try and take this place from us, and when they do try," Sam's voice began to drip with venom "Well make them drown in their own shredded bodies."
Onix nodded, turning to look at the plethora of images of the defenses and of the plan.
"Do the men know this will be a last stand?" Onix suddenly asked.
"It won't." Sam responded firmly.
"Maybe not the first engagement."
"Onix." The two looked at one another "I never said that the winter was the only good news."
"A prowler made contact with us not to long ago. A fleet is heading our way. They can't take out the supercarier, but they sure as hell can take us out of the system."
A grin formed on Sam's face "The prowler gave us some presents as well. Three to be exact."
A ping from his console attracted Onixes attention. He stared at the three images on the console for a few seconds.
"We have spartans on base?" He slowly asked.
"A spartan two, and two spartan threes." A voice said from besides Onix.
Looking at the source, Onix sees a glowing orange orb floating above the rooms tactical table.
"Right," Sam began "you were out cold back then. Onix, this is Clementine. The result of the egg heads project down below."
"An AI?" He asked.
"Correct. CLM-1309-2, 'Clementine' reporting for duty."
Onix turned to Sam "I expected their project to be a hell of a lot worse with how secretive they were being about it."
Sam chuckled "So did everybody on base. Regardless, Onix, I need you to bulk up again. Can't have you breaking your shoulder from firing your gun. And before you ask, yes, your gun was retrieved."
"Good." Onix muttered, looking back at the three ID's displayed on his console.
Hours later, after cleaning up, Onix slowly begins rebuilding his strength. The pain agonizing with even the lightest of exercises, forcing him to rest after only a few minutes.
Laying on the ground, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths, Onix curses under his breath.
"You look to be in pain." A new voice, directly above Onix, caused his eye to snap open, his hand instinctively moving to his left thigh where his sidearm normally resides.
Above Onix in snow white armor a spartan. Attempting to scrambled to his feet resulted in the Spartan simply raising his hand, waving the marine off.
The two stayed in silence, Onix laying on the ground and the spartan simply standing. Glancing at the entrance, Onix wondered how he didn't hear the heavily armored figure approaching.
"Do you require medical attention?" The spartans voice echoed in the vacant room, sounding surprisingly young.
"No, sir." Onix simply responded.
Going down on one knee, the spartan observed Onix. His helmet very strange to Onix. Where the visor normally is, now pure, slightly elongated metal. On a little patch of flat at the front sits what seems to be a camera lense, offset to the left.
"Your movement indicates that you are injured, ignoring the bandages covering you, it is easy to see."
"Injured, not crippled." Onix explained "For all intents and purposes, I am able bodied. I need to return to the minimal acceptable bodily condition to not become a hindernance when the covenant attack."
The spartan stared at Onix for several seconds before standing up. Turning his gaze to the room he finds himself in.
Pushing himself off of the ground with a grunt, Onix faces the spartan. Slightly surprised by the height difference, or rather, lack there of. Onix finds himself not all that shorter than the spartan, the difference being a little under a head in size.
From the stories some of the other marines told, he had imagined them being somewhat taller. Even so, the spartan was impressive in size. Probably around two meters and ten centimeters, give or take.
When the spartan returned his gaze to Onix, he cocked his head to the side for a few moments. Making Onix wonder if he to was thinking something similar to what he himself thought.
The two stared at one another, neither moving a muscle. The silence deafening. Onixes heart instinctively slowed, breathing deepened, this moment, this feeling familiar.
The same sensation had come over Onix many times during his career. The sensation of knowing you are facing a being that is a threat to your life, that you are staring it down as much as it is staring you down. Knowing that a single action, a single movement can mean life, and a single hesitation the loss of everything.
Even when the doors opened and more marines entered, the two didn't break their gazes. After a few more seconds, the spartan nodded, walking past Onix and out of the room.
A marine approached Onix after the spartan left "Hey, what was that, a staring contest?"
Turning to face his fellow marine, Onix bares a small grin, a beat of sweet running down his cheek "Something like that."
Finished after only thirty minutes, Onix makes his way down a particular, vacant, hallway. Turning a corner, he slowly begins approaching a particularly heavy blast door.
"Present your clearanc, while you're at it, identify yourself as well." One of the four marines guarding it steps forward, hand extended, eyebrow raised as he observes the bandage covered figure slowly approaching.
"You look like shit Jack. Ever heard of a shower?" Onix managed a grin at the marine.
Jacks eyes widened as he approached Onix, his left arm engulfing him in a hug. As he patted Onix a few time, he grunted as pain flared from his back.
Stepping back with an awkward grin, Jack raised his hand "Sorry."
"I can't believe you're up and running again." A second marine closed in, lightly tapping Onixes shoulder.
"Not exactly running anytime soon." Onix chuckled, flinching as his chest complains.
"How you holding up Criss? How's the rest of the Brigade doing, actually." Onix asks.
"Besides the thing with the giant carrier of death hovering over our heads? Better then most." She shrugged.
"You or the Brigade?"
"Yes." Criss nodded back.
Leaning in slightly, Onix tapped Crisses visor a few times, his eyebrow raised "Where'd you get the crack from?" He asked, looking at the crack covering the middle of her visor.
"You wouldn't belive this, but," she gently swats his hand away "it's rather slippery out there, with all the ice absolutely everywhere."
"You should've seen it." Jack chuckles "One second we're standing around, guarding the outsides, and the next one you hear a yelp and somebody diving face first in to the ground." His entire body bobs up and down as he chuckles.
"Yeah, you were a great help back then." Criss grumbles.
"Don't think I laughed that hard in years! And I sure wasn't the only one."
"I can already picture it. You got it on head-cam?" Onix asks, getting a rather quick nod in response.
"Mac did. I'll send you a copy later." Jack clears his throat, "More importantly, you doing good?"
"Did you actually get hit over the head by a Hunter?" Criss added.
"It's all foggy, but I think I did." He turned his head to look at Jack "As for your question," Onix took a moment to catch his breath "At least I'm alive."
The two stayed silent for a few seconds, with Criss moving closer and patting Onixes shoulder "As Immortal as you may be, just say the word."
"You order us around anyways, might as well order me to be your crutch." Jack rubbed the back of his neck "If you need it, I mean."
Onix shifted his weight around a bit, surpressing a grunt of pain as he gave a small smile "I'll be fine. Just need to take things...easy, for a bit."
The two stared at Onix for a bit before he moved past them "Anybody touch my locker?"
A small exhale of air escaped Criss "Gramps." she added.
"Besides him."
After a quick hum, she shakes her head "Don't think so."
With the clang of the locks releasing, the doors slowly begin to hiss open "You two relize that there isn't anything particularly special in Onixes locker, right?" Jack adds as he turns away from the wall mounted keypad.
"There is to me." Onix makes his way in to the large room, the light coming to life at once, bathing the room is their brightness.
"Well, you know how to open the door. I hope." Jack cleared his throat "I'll check up on you in an hour or so, can't have you passing out willy-nilly."
"I'll be fine." Onix turned back to the room as the doors closed behind him. Lines of lockers with benches in between fill the room.
Leaning against the closest wall, Onix closes his eye, hand pressed against his mouth as he fights the growing nausea. Shallow and sharp breathing quickening as his throat begins to burn with an acidic sensation.
Forcing the lump within his throat back down, he gasps for air, his vision blurry as he slowly makes his way down the lines of lockers.
Reaching a particular locker in the further most corner of the room, he unlocks it.
Looking within, he grabs a particular item with trembling hands. Losing his balance as he pulls it out, his back hits the wall behind him, which he slowly slides himself down of.
Siting on the ground, Onix brings the rifle closer to himself, his head and back resting on the wall as he calms his breathing.
With a deep breath, he looks at the cradled rifle in his grasp.
The sniper rifle scratched all over with fading colors. Turning it, he faces the right side towards himself. Slowly he drags his thumb over a flat area of metal just above where the magazine normally would be. The rough sensation of scratches meeting his skin, scratches forming in a pattern.
Looking at the rough engravings, he reads the singular word written.
'Mercy'
A heavy weight pressed down on to his eyelid, unbearably heavy. With little resistance he gave in to the weight, his mind slipping in to the darkness.