Chapter 3 – Gore in a Meet

I'm back again with another round so sit back and take it all in…

"Alecto, where is your mark?" a green armoured Elite asked.

"Surrounded by reinforcements, Megaera," Alecto replied.

Megaera shuffled slightly, nudging the green armoured human to one side.

"I see Tisiphone was no better," Megaera commented seeing the white armoured Elite come into the vessel.

"I had to for Alecto's sake," Tisiphone grumbled. "However he shall be dead within minutes."

Megaera sat in the pilot's seat and closed the door behind them.

"Did you at least instil the poison in your mark, Alecto?" Megaera asked.

The craft lurched as it disengaged and left the human ship's side. The sandy armoured Elite was silent, sitting with head down, holding onto a nook above.

"I'll take that as a no," Megaera told her. "The High Council will be highly disappointed."

"I could've done it! I was expected, he was more alert and I had to make sure that Tisiphone didn't get a barrel of metal in her arm!" Alecto shouted angrily. "I can do it! I will do it! Just get me to that demon, I will deal with it."

The rest of the trip was silent except for the computer, which echoed the vain attempts by the humans to locate them.

Ray woke up, he didn't know where he was but two things were obvious. His arm hurt and he couldn't breathe. He sat up and his neck tightened. He didn't know where he was, all he new was that he couldn't breathe. He got off something, a chair? A bed? He pulled at his neck, hoping to loosen the tightness.

Somebody pushed him back down onto the thing he had gotten off. More hands fingered his neck and a part of the tightness loosened. It tightened again and Ray felt the section of his neck. Everything was swirling inside his head and then…

He could breathe, his neck was free and his air pipe open. Ray sat up, his head swirled even more and everything started to come together.

He was in what looked like a med bay, that's it, he was in the med bay. Several nurses and two doctors were crowded around, half of them left seeing the event was over. A doctor was holding a thin strip of wire.

"I don't remember seeing one of these actually used," the doctor was saying to a nurse.

"I saw something like that in a ninja movie once," the nurse told him.

"You watch ninja movies?" the doctor asked.

The nurse nodded and looked at Ray.

"He's going to need something for his neck fast," the nurse said.

"Go on then, get something," the doctor ordered.

The nurse went off grumbling something about specification. Ray had forgotten the gnawing, stinging pain in his neck.

"Uh, you're going to have to take your helmet off," the doctor told him.

Ray twitched underneath the visor. He avoided taking his helmet off: he didn't like it. He did when he had to and wondered if he had to now. Taking a deep breath he unclipped his helmet and took it off.

The doctor looked up and after staring for a moment he nodded.

"That's better," he said. "You're going to need to get that neck piece repaired unfortunately."

Ray didn't reply. The nurse came over and immediately started to apply something to the wound. She applied it under the neckpiece and didn't bother getting the section off.

"Doc, this Spartan's bleeding heavily!" a nurse shouted somewhere out of sight.

The doctor left leaving Ray with the nurse.

"Spartan? Which other Spartan?" Ray asked huskily.

"Spartan 188, know him?" the nurse asked, obviously interested.

"Yeah, he's from Olive team," Ray murmured. "Are there any other Spartans around?"

"Well…" The nurse was about to say when she was called after. "Here, it'll help with the pain."

She injected something into his arm, which made it tingle and she left. Ray slumped on the bed, thinking about who else might be around.

Honour hovered by the docking station, surrounded by Brute guards. He was pleased to see the specially designed stealth boarder dock into the station. It had no scorch marks and was in one piece.

The door lifted and Tisiphone stepped out, came closer and bowed as low as possible. Alecto stepped out but did not look Honour in the face and also bowed.

"Rise," Honour ordered. "Alecto?"

"I did not succeed Noble Honour," Alecto replied.

Several of the Brutes chuckled haughtily.

"Silence!" Honour snapped. "And Megaera?"

"Here, Mighty Prophet of Honour," Megaera answered and came out, the armoured human held on her shoulders. "I have succeeded."

"Very well done, Megaera," Honour said happily. "Tisiphone?"

"Mine did not attend. However I have set a strangler for my second mark," Tisiphone replied.

"Good," Honour commented and turned to Alecto, features hardening. "I guess a few faults were inevitable. However, from you this is unacceptable. You know where to go, Alecto."

Alecto nodded and slowly left, head down. She felt ashamed and yet a strong hatred burned inside, not just for her mark.

"Tisiphone, Megaera, come you must tell the rest of the High Council," Honour told them and lead them both out of the docking station.

The Chief woke up steadily, he was still alive for some reason. He looked around and seeing a Brute walk by the wrong way up realised he was hanging from the ceiling. The Brute paused to watch him struggle and walked on, chortling. The Chief looked at his feet, he wasn't sure how he was being held up but he didn't like it one bit.

Then the green armoured Elite came to the cell with three Brutes and another Elite behind him. The Chief was sure it was the one he had been fighting on the ship.

"The armoured filth, it seems to me you are just the same. Just as weak as the others," it told him. "Brutes stand ready."

The energy wall dropped and the Elite entered. Suddenly the Chief fell to the floor with a thud. The Elite drew a plasma rifle.

"Get up human," the Elite ordered.

The Chief sat up but did not stand, he wasn't going to obey its orders enemies didn't do that.

"Remove yourself from the floor and stand," it ordered.

"What? Why would I do that?" the Chief asked.

"Your life is in my hands, human. Stand!" it ordered.

"You would have killed me already if I wasn't wanted alive," the Chief replied.

"So be it," the Elite told him and raised the gun.

"Wort, wort!" the other Elite cried.

The two started speaking in their alien language. The Chief had a feeling something was going in his favour. The green armoured Elite turned toward him and clipped his plasma rifle to his belt.

"Brutes pick it up. We're going to have to drag it all the way," the green Elite ordered.

The Chief immediately stood up: he didn't want Brutes crushing him. Unfortunately, they could do that, just about.

"It seems it's suddenly willing," the armoured Elite said, amused.

The other Elite clicked his lower mandibles, the equivalent of a shrug.

Tisiphone stood in front of the council. Elites on one side, Prophets on the other. Each side was talking about the Furies. Nothing had happened except for an introduction by Patience and a presentation by two Engineers and another Prophet. Now they were staring and talking about her and the other two.

An Elite whispered something to Patience and went to one side.

"Councillors, councillors. It is not just a marvel tested only on captives and our own warriors," Patience told them, the whole room now silent. "They have already gone on a mission the death count there is deemed seven demons and ten dozen humans!"

This was met with a large cheer from the council. Patience really knew how to rally a crowd.

"And not only that several more lay wounded and…a captive!" Patience told them followed by more roaring.

Tisiphone saw Megaera walk ahead of an armoured human. Three Brutes guarding and an Elite.

"A display! A display!" shouted an Elite, the crowd stopped to hear him. "Show us the strength of these Furies, show us it is not an act! Destroy the demon!"

The crowd roared even more. The Elites were cheering louder at this prospect. Trust raised a hand to silence them.

"There are other plans for this human, better plans," Trust told them. "But if you want a display you will get one."

Honour stayed silent, surveying this. Tisiphone could tell he didn't like where this was going by the concerned look on his face.

"Brutes," Trust said to those guarding the human. "Attack a Fury of your choice."

Tisiphone waited, watching the nervous Brutes look between the two. Megaera was closest to the Brutes, they would almost certainly pick her.

The room was silent except for the Brutes discussing it.

"Just pick one, yellow bellied rodents!" an Elite shouted.

At that the Brutes spun around, turning on Megaera. She rolled out of their way next to Tisiphone. Tisiphone tensed, though she was not involved unless struck.

The Brutes charged at Megaera who fired her plasma rifle at them, she jumped again landing behind them. One unfortunate Brute lost his balance and crashed into Tisiphone.

Tisiphone stood up and activated her energy sword. One slice is all it took.

The crowd started roaring again. Tisiphone was sure she heard some Prophets booing though.

Megaera had gained distance between the Brutes. Then as if fed up Megaera chucked a plasma grenade and it stuck on one of the Brutes. That was the last of him. The last Brute went berserk, hitting everything. Another grenade and he was finished.

The Elites cheered, standing and shouting. It took some time before they calmed down, with some shouting from the Prophets.

"So what? The Brutes can fight too," a Prophet snorted.

"How about a test of strength?" Patience asked.

Tisiphone saw an angry Honour whisper something to Patience.

"Tisiphone I want that Elite's heart brought to me still beating," Patience ordered pointing to the Elite that was left guarding the human.

Tisiphone hesitated, the Elite looked shocked but stood firm. Tisiphone thought fast as she approached him. Then she grabbed him by the arm, led him to Patience and bowed. Not giving any chance to resist.

"Here is his heart, still beating," Tisiphone said pointing to the Elite's chest. "It is brought to you, mighty Prophet of Patience."

Patience looked at Tisiphone with a raised eyebrow.

"That's not quite what I meant," he replied.

"That's enough," Honour told everyone. "This meet is ended."

Tisiphone bowed and Megaera followed suit. They went to leave and as Tisiphone looked at Megaera she realised they had split feelings about what just happened.

"What were you playing at!" Honour shouted at the two other Prophets. "Such dishonour, such gore in a meet? We should feel lucky if the gods pass off a hundred year curse for the action!"

"They wanted proof, it was given," Patience replied calmly.

"Proof? That was entertainment for the like of warriors!" Honour shouted.

"Prophet of Honour, I did what seemed best," Patience told him. "Truthful Trust, you agree with me."

Trust looked between the two, unsure as to who to back up. Then he answered after a deep breath.

"It was highly dishonourable," he resolved.

Patience rolled his eyes and rested his head on his hand. Trust quickly added on.

"However it was needed in certain ways," Trust continued. "Moving swiftly on, about these plans…"

"Yes Trust what are these better plans?" Patience hissed, grouchily.

"There is no need for such attitude," Trust told him a little flustered. "Anyway, any plans?"

"You mean you lied to the Council?" Patience asked a smile creeping up his face.

"Well, not quite. I just wondered if you wanted to do anything with it," Trust answered.

"Not me," Honour replied shaking his head.

"Nor me," Patience sighed.

"Good. I was thinking we could try one of three things…" Trust told them.

Truth: I like the Noble Prophet of Patience. He reminds me of…well, me.

Mercy: (Hovers over and gets grenade ready)

Truth: (Turns around) Have mercy!

Mercy: All right.

Regret: (Throws grenade)

BANG!

Phantom: Calm down people.

Regret: Filth, your existence insults us!

Phantom: Don't waste a good grenade. You'll regret it.

Mercy: (Throws grenade)

BANG!