The bridge.

They had finally made it to the bridge.

Warthog completely broken and with flames ignited inside the engine aside, it was a pretty easy trip. If being shot at could be considered easy, that is. Wasn't the first time he had run away from a battle, usually it was always because of the enemy's numbers or power.

BOOM!

The marine sitting in the destroyed checkpoint winced at the noise. He wondered how the two Spartans walking towards him and his last remaining squad mate did not react to the explosion behind them. Sure, it was a Warthog they dismounted from and they were already at a safe distance… but weren't they afraid of possible debris hitting them? They were so collected.

Jake stopped beside him and checked him while Chief approached the woman. "You okay, marine?"

"Uh, y-yes, sir!" He stared at the heavy machine gun the warrior held.

"This is called Sweet Business." The Titan noticed Chief beckoning him with a nudge of his helmet. "Before you ask or even think about calling me that, I'm a Guardian, not a Spartan."

Master Chief turned to the female soldier. "Status report."

She scowled. "It blew right through us…" 'It' was the, or at least one of them, Scarab crawling over the bridge to the other side. "…50-cal, rockets, didn't do a thing!"

"I could try to Thundercrash it. See if that works."

He was sent three long looks and waved them off. "Look, back where I'm from, if Hunters' tactics and Warlocks' knowledge don't work, we Titans have a simple solution: punch and destroy everything in your path. Face the danger directly on your chest."

Cortana scoffed. "That may work for you, but we aren't exactly immortal here. We'd need-"

The noises of a Pelican's thrusters interrupted her. It dropped a tank from its back and with it, Johnson landed on solid ground.

"Where's the rest of your platoon?" The man put his hands on his hips.

"Wasted Sarge!"

The kid's shoulders trembled. "And we will be too, sir, if we don't get the hell outta here!"

Johnson stopped the soldier and hmmpf-ed. "You hit, marine?"

"N-No, sir."

"Then listen up!" Johnson's shift of personality from concerned to business-like was only common for sociopaths. The Titan was almost tempted to grab the Sergeant and slap him on the cheeks. "Usually the good Lord works in mysterious ways. But not today! This here is 66 tons of straight-up, He-spewing dee-vine intervention! If God is love, then you can call me cupid!"

The woman cleared her throat. "What about that Scarab?"

"We've all run the simulations…" Johnson's gaze snapped to Jake for a moment. "…or most of us did at least, they're tough, but they ain't invincible." He stuffed another cigar in his mouth. "Stay with the Master Chief and the Guardian, they'll know what to do."

Jake opened a private channel.

"How many smokes does he take?"

"That, my dear Guardian, is a mystery as unsolvable as the Traveler itself."

Cortana sighed, disappointment tainting her tone. "Thanks for the tank." She spoke for her partner, but then her voice lowered. "He never gets me anything."

The Sergeant boarded the Pelican. He retreated behind the machine gun and pumped off the safety, a cocky grin displayed on his lips. "Oh, I know what the ladies like." His voice whispered on the comms.

Ah, Traveler. If reincarnation here exists, I'm absolutely certain on the fact that Johnson was a playboy in his past life.

He grasped the sides of the machine gun in the Scorpion and pumped off the safety as Johnson did. The two marines brought rocket launchers and they sat on either edges, while Chief rumbled the engine and hit the gas. It wasn't really strategic for the two soldiers to stay there, but if the Spartan zigzagged his way under enemy fire, then it could technically work.

Speaking of the devil, various Covenant ghosts, Phantoms and Wraths patrolled their only available route.

BOOM!

BRRRRRRR!

He grinned.

Or rather, they did patrol the bridge before they were completely annihilated by the Scorpion's M512 90mm cannon and Jake's machine gun. The poor bastards abandoning their vehicles to retreat were cut down like animals. Some plasma connected with the tank's armour plates, luckily it didn't pierce important components such as the engine itself.

He wondered if bullets were stronger than plasma, because neither the Wraths greeting them at the entrance of the next tunnel were enough to defeat the four humans. A few bursts from the turret added with the Scorpion's lead commenced a nice firework party, the Wraths exploding and sending their occupants' corpses flying in the air.

"W-We did it!" The male soldier fist bumped in the air.

The Guardian looked behind him. "Barely, engine's releasing so much smoke Bob Marley would pay a fortune to have it."

Cortana sighed. "Out of all the jokes at your disposal. You just had to choose that?"

"Yes."

"He's doing his best, Cortana. That's gotta count for something."

A barrier blocked the road. Another Warthog stopped and from it various marines dismounted.

"You two!" He pointed a finger to the soldiers that accompanied them. "Join your fellow marines and get out of here. Me and Master Chief are gonna chase the Scarab and knock it out."

"Yes, sir!"

"Let's get moving." He grunted and climbed on the stairs, pushing past the few confused humans staring at his armour.

"Affirmative."

They entered a series of sewage tunnels, a small red dot being the only source of light. Chief clicked on his flashlight, while Ghost appeared and shined a beam.

"Didn't know your functions would include providing light sources to your Guardian!"

"What can I say?" Ghost rotated his shell. "I'm multitasking!"

The courtyard was big… and already full with Covenant troops. They set a camp or base of operations there. He let Chief take out the jackal sniper while he inspected the entire arena. Two Elites, one red and a minor blue, a few grunts and two other jackal snipers. Would be tough, but nothing they couldn't handle.

Jake transmatted Sweet Business in favour of Fatebringer. If he was forced in medium range fights, his old friend would come in handy and decimate anything in its path.

For now though, he crouched on one knee and aimed OTYS. Chief did the same with the newly acquired beam rifle. "We'll take out the jackals first. You've seen how strong that shot was, yeah? Almost took off that marine's head. Imagine what it could do to our armours."

CLICK!

"I have clear visual on the left tango, you get the right one."

BANG! PING!

Two headshots, two aliens to add to their already swelled body count.

"T-The Guardian and Demon!" A grunt fearfully chirped and clasped a plasma turret. Jake's shoulders slightly shook up and down in a silent chuckle, he opened fire and sent the little alien into oblivion.

The Titan rushed to the left side, falling from the edge and keeping a low profile. Chief had probably done the same but he bolted for the right one. He double jumped and rolled on the platform, rolling Fatebringer in his hand and headshotting the little grunt standing beside the minor for protection.

The solar explosion shattered the Elite's shield and the alien hissed, shifting his attention on the Guardian.

"Heya." He waved a glove. They ignored the gunfire and wails of pain of the minor's superior, their gazes did not break. "Are you sure you wanna do this? Your kind must know that retreat is not cowardice but a strategic last resort in the face of certain death."

The Elite snarled, igniting his energy sword. "Death before dishonor, Guardian."

Must have read Japanese stuff.

"Have it your way."

Faster than the alien had anticipated, the Titan ran and shoulder charged him. The Elite's body was atomized, no trace of its existence left. "Hot headed as the Cabal but with an honour matching that of the Eliksni. I respect it."

He met Chief in their randez-vous and looked towards a Warthog repeatedly singing its clacson.

Stacker stopped in front of them and quickly switched seats. "Could use both of you on this gun! We're gonna have to rescue a few fellow marines. Got their asses pinned in an outpost!"

"Well, well, well…" Jake ran his fingers on the weapon. "…what do we have here?"

"This is a Gauss weapon, the model is the M68. Technically, this isn't a normal Warthog but a Gauss Warthog. The M12G1 Light Anti-Armour Vehicle. Use it against a Wrath and nothing will remain of it." Ghost hummed. "Perhaps we should concentrate our efforts on arming the civilians with better technology back in the City."

He closed an eye and glanced in the scope when a ghost and a Wrath blocked their path.

BANG!

The ghost exploded and Chief spinned the vehicle just as a plasma shot crashed against the ground where they stood mere seconds ago.

The Titan aimed.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Stacker whistled. "Yeah! Take that you alien sons of bitches! Off our planet!"

"There will be plenty more to spare, Stacker." He knocked on the back of the Warthog. "Chief? Road's clear. Let's save those marines and mop the floor with the rest of these Covenant."

The buildings and skyscrapers were majestic in his opinion. A true display of a civilization's powers. He hoped that one day they could expand beyond their current housing and that they could reclaim what was rightfully theirs. Humanity had been cornered for too much time in his universe, it was time for a change after all his victories. Could there be more civilized societies out there? Maybe on planets they didn't explore like Neptune?

He eliminated two other ghosts and waved at two marines inside another Warthog. "Hey! We heard your squad was in trouble! Anything we can do to help?"

The marine driving snorted. "Hell of a time to jump in, sir! Our squad is hiding inside a building and it's cornered by two Wraths. Bet you can already hear their plasma, ye? Mind helping us?" The soldier took the lead by driving forward while they followed him.

Just as he described the issue, two tanks were continuously firing upon marines scrambling to find good cover.

"Stacker?" He puffed.

"Sir?"

"Don't question my orders. Take the Gauss weapon and deal with the Wrath on the right, I'll take care of the one on the left." He grinned and hopped down from the turret. "I think your comrades deserve a show only a Titan can offer."

Confused but willing to cooperate, Stacker obliged and hit his Wrath, gaining the attention of both Covenant vehicles.

Now!

The Guardian gathered arc energy in his palm and jumped in the air. From the marines' perspective, he was like a shooting star. A big, visible, and cracking with electricity, shooting star. He crashed on the tank and used the force of the impact to slid back and on the ground.

He noticed the stares of the marines on the upper floor of the building and waved at them.

"They will remember that for the rest of their lives."

Oh, he could agree with that.


A kid nervously shifted his attention between Chief and Jake in the entrance, the glances were specifically reserved for the Titan. "C-Corporal Perez, A-Company!" He pointed his thumb behind him. "CP's this way! The Lieutenant got hit as soon as we dropped in."

"Who's in charge now, Corporal?"

"Uh, Sergeant Banks, ma'am. He's pinned down up top. Come on, I'll show you."

He leaded them up the heavily guarded stairs to a balcony overlooking the streets they fought the Wraths in. Sergeant Banks nodded at them. "When I asked for reinforcements, I didn't think they'd send not one but two Spartans!"

God fucking damn it.

"Feeling frustrated, Jake? This is what I feel when they call me an AI."

"Shut up." He muttered.

"We got trouble!"

A Scorpion deployed from a Pelican fired two times at the Scarab from before. It remained uneffected and destroyed the tank in a single devastating blow. It advanced towards them.

"See this look?" The marine at the machine gun on the left cried. "It's terror!"

"Marine." Banks spat. "Did I give you permission to bitch?"

All four of them fired on the Scarab's face to no avail.

"I don't think it's stopping. Get your heads down!"

They kept a low profile as the Scarab ignored them and crawled on the roof, it disappeared behind the building.

"That thing is really starting to piss me off! Marines, time to kill a Scarab!"

The pursued the Scarab by entering the building, ending up on a series of walkways above a large water-filled canal. The spider-like vehicle walked below them while Covenant troops shot at them.

"I've mapped the entire canal. If we wait long enough, the Scarab won't have anywhere to escape!"

They closely followed its movements and hid behind crates, the giant mostrosity suddenly stopped.

"Ready?" He whispered to Chief.

The Spartan nodded. "Ready."

They slid over their cover and jumped, boarding the Scarab. They landed on their knees in front of two red Elites, five grunts and two jackals. The two parties stared at each other.

"You wouldn't consider surrendering, would you?" He loudly asked.

The roars from the Elites and the hisses from the jackals spoke enough of an answer. The grunts merely followed what their masters would do and shrieked, waving their tiny fists in the air.

He threw an arc pulse grenade in the mist along side Chief who chose a plasma one.

The Elites rolled out of the way, the jackals did the same, but four out of the five grunts wailed in pain, flying in the air and either falling down the stairs deeper in the Scarab or out in the canal.

He transmatted Felwinter in his hands and rushed out of his cover. He got one Jackal and slid on the floor to avoid the Elite's strike. He whirled around and placed the shotgun to the alien's neck. "Hey." The Guardian called. The Sangheili turned around and saw the barrel pointed to his face.

BANG!

Blood sprayed everywhere.

I need to remember that and make fun of the Hunters in my team back home. Titans too can be agile.

Without giving a fuck, he rolled Fatebringer in his hand and fired one time behind his shoulder. The grunt flanking him screamed and fell.

Master Chief had also eliminated the rest of the upper patrol.

They descended down the stairs.

"Those are two Majors and an Ultra." Ghost informed. "Near the top notch of their military."

He was about to speak when Chief interrupted him. "I'll deal with the Majors. Can you handle the Ultra?"

"You know I can."

The Ultra roared and activated his energy sword, running towards them.

Now, Sangheili were much stronger than humans, and to some degree the Spartans. In fact, the Ultra did not expect the Guardian to meet him halfway through and pushing against his chest. The Titan was so strong he literally slammed the Elite against the Scarab's main console. Sparks flew around, small blue fires were also ignited.

He grabbed the alien's face and punched him. The impact dazed him so much he failed to hold the energy sword and let it fall on the floor.

Two more punches and he was bleeding out to death, his reptilian face beyond recognition.

Three more and he was granted safe passage to the after life. His body slumpered on the ground, lifeless.

Two alien bodies laid dead at Chief's feet, he waved at him. "So, how do we shut down this thing? Permanently."

"I think shooting at it should be more than enough." Cortana responded.

He shrugged and joined John in wasting about three magazines on the consoles.

They slowly exited the Scarab, not at fall fazed by the fire and explosions around them. They stared at the Covenant main ship unleashing a strange beam in the distance.

The Pelican with Johnson in it rose, and the Sergeant clenched his fist in the air. "HA! That's right, you mothers! Run!"

Not exactly our original plan.

"Not if we can help it, Sergeant."

Ghost and Cortana appeared respectively on the Guardian and Chief's shoulders.

"We make a pretty good team, uh?"

"My thoughts exactly!"

They let the AI and little light chat with each other as Johnson was busy speaking on the radio.

"Chief, Jake! We need you on this Pelican. We're gonna reunite with the In Amber Clad and chase the Prophet's ass."

Right on schedule.

The Pelican ascended and directed itself towards their destination.

But a strange and unknown noise caught his attention, the insides of the Pelican vibrated.

"Ghost?"

"Accessing the UNSC's communications."

"Ma'am, Slipspace rupture off the target's bow! It's going to jump, inside the city!"

"There's no time, sir!"

"Green light!" A worried Lord Hood said. "Green light to engage!"

Their Pelican docked but he had more important matters to deal with.

"Get me a visual on the external side of the In Amber Clad. They must have security footage or cameras around."

The HUD of his helmet immediately displayed the rupture the Covenant ship attempted to flee in. Thrusters of the UNSC ship enabled, he prayed to the Traveler that they would make it.

And they did, just in time…

Unaware of the massive electromagnetic pulse that engulfed the entire city, sent by the same rupture once it closed.


Author's note:

I usually jump on the Scarab the first time I see it. Never wait until it reaches the end lol

Anyway, I noticed that we're close to be not only the most followed fanfiction on this crossover archive BUT also the most favourited! We need to reach 150 favourites and my dream can come true!

With school started and the external class for medicine, my time to write and play will greatly decrease.

Though, and I don't know if this is properly a spoiler, next chapter won't be about Chief and Jake. But about our Guardian being chosen for a special operation! Won't be long before Mithrax joins the party too lol

Until next time!

Gino out!