Chapter 3: Lifeboats

Hello, I know that it's been a while since I last updated this story and you all were probably expecting something big, but unfortunately, I can't come up with something big because I am suffering from a writer's worst fear. WRITER'S BLOCK. I'm trying to continue writing Chapter 3, but I can't think of anything interesting. I want to continue, but I'm worried that if I do, it won't be satisfying or it will just be BAD. I'm suffering from writer's block with my other stories too, mainly because I tend to write myself into a corner and try to make the outcome good, but can't. It might be awhile before anything happens with my stories, so this is my apology. Thank you for your support.

Peters fired his M6D sidearm at the attacking Covenant forces, dropping a few Grunts before he had to reload. He loaded his last mag and mounted the weapon over the side of the barrier surrounding the alien structure and fired at an Elite emerging from a Spirit dropship until he saw two green forms in his peripheral vision entering the canyon. The Doom Slayer and Master Chief readied their weapons and sprinted towards the group of Covenant assaulting the structure. The Slayer triggered his shoulder-mounted grenade launcher, firing an Ice Bomb in the middle of the group, freezing them in place. John fired his MA5B at the frozen aliens, causing their shattered bits to be scattered around the area. John threw his mag to the ground and replaced it with another as his movement slowed to a walk. The Slayer looked down at the shattered pieces of the aliens with regret, only wanting to incapacitate them.

"We called for backup, but we didn't think anyone would come. Especially not Spartans," One of the marines said. "We have wounded up in that tower and we're running out of ammo. If you hadn't come, we would be dead meat."

Like them. The Slayer thought, referring to the slaughtered Covenant ground forces.

Another Spirit dropship entered the canyon, causing the humans to turn to look at it.

"Aw, hell," The marine said.

"Step aside, soldier. Let the pros handle this," Johnson said as he pulled back the bolt on his MA5B.

"Sergeant, we'll handle this," John told Johnson. "Taggart, take it down."

The Slayer clenched his fist, his anger beginning to be released. Suddenly, an ear piercing shriek echoed through the area, almost as if the universe was screaming in agony. He knew that sound.

"What the hell was that?" A marine asked.

The Slayer summoned a Slipgate and dropped his Heavy Cannon inside before he grabbed his Super Shotgun and Chainsaw as a blast of energy collided with the Spirit from the previous plateau, sending it crashing into the ground.

"Find the survivors. Get them to safety. I'll catch up," Hayden told John and the marines.

The Slayer trotted back towards the source of the sound.

"I finished analyzing his armor," Cortana told John.

"I didn't tell you to-" John started.

"Don't you want to know what I found?" Cortana asked. "That armor isn't MJOLNIR. It's made of a material that hasn't ever been documented and its subsystems are too sophisticated to be human."

The Slayer climbed up the small ledge, finding himself back on the plateau where he had first landed, but instead of being met by the calm sound of the ocean tide, he was met with the sound of burning flesh and wildlife. The Marauder activated his Argent axe.

"Finally. The traitor returns," The Marauder's guttural, distorted voice said.

The Slayer tossed his Super Shotgun and Chainsaw to the side and summoned his once more reforged Crucible. He ignited the blade. The Marauder drew his shotgun and fired it, buckshot colliding with his visor, causing the Slayer to recoil his head to the left before he slowly turned back towards the demon. The Marauder lunged towards the Slayer, who, in response, swung the Crucible's blade towards its face, grazing its skin, burning out its left eye and cutting its mask in two. The demon staggered backwards and pulled off the mask before it swung its axe one-handed at the Slayer, only for the blade of the Crucible to be used to amputate his right arm, causing the Marauder to lose its Argent axe and fall to the ground. The Slayer approached the Marauder, who was reaching for its unholstered shotgun, snapping its Argent axe on the way. The Slayer kicked the shotgun over the nearby cliff and pushed the Marauder onto its back with his foot.

"This isn't the end, Slayer," The Marauder told its opponent. "I have help."

The Slayer was grabbed by the neck and thrown away from the Marauder in a matter of moments, sending the Slayer sprawling across the charred plain. The Slayer stood up to find himself facing an unnaturally muscular Hell Knight. The Slayer reached for his Crucible, but found it resting on the ground not too far from the Hell Knight, so the Slayer cracked his knuckles and prepared for a fist fight. The Slayer sprinted towards the Knight as the wounded Marauder crawled away and threw his fist towards the demon's face. The Hell Knight caught the Slayer's fist, compressed its fist around it and lurched it up, breaking the Slayer's right wrist before releasing him. The Knight grabbed the Slayer's left leg and bent it to the side of his kneecap, snapping the bone from inside of the Argent field surrounding and protecting the Slayer. The Hell Knight dropped him onto the ground and pulled the Marauder to his feet.

"Know this, Slayer," The Marauder said, his back to his enemy. "Your friends will suffer a worse fate than you. I will see to it myse-"

The Slayer fired a high caliber round from his Heavy Cannon into each of the Marauder's legs, tearing them off of its body. The Hell Knight quickly rushed back to the Slayer and punched him in the face with enough force to knock his helmet off of his head before slinging the Marauder over his shoulder and walking through a demonic slipgate as the Marauder used his remaining limb to raise a finger. The middle finger. The Slayer laid back as Archviles, Barons of Hell and Mancubi continued to set the area ablaze, completely ignoring him. John climbed onto the plain stealthily, taking cover behind the large rock and getting his bearings. He grabbed the Slayer by the shoulders and pulled him into cover.

"Cortana, scan," John told his AI.

"Finding a broken leg and wrist, but no surface wounds," Cortana told John. "Both fractures rapidly healing. Nothing natural about him."

John moved out of cover and proceeded to grab the Slayer's Super Shotgun, Chainsaw, Heavy Cannon and helmet before moving back into cover and setting them against the surface. The Slayer crawled out of cover and towards the Crucible laying on the ground. He made it to the weapon quickly, grabbed it and moved back to the large rock. A Baron of Hell moved towards the Slayer and observed him before slamming its large hoof into the Slayer's back, forming a dent in the ground and causing John to duck out of cover, his MA5B raised to face the monster. John paused, in awe by the creature's stature and began to regret his decision. The Slayer rolled over and ignited the blade of the Crucible, cutting apart the middle of the Baron from its pelvis up to its ribs, causing it to roar in agony, notifying the other demons before it collapsed, dead. The Slayer deactivated the Crucible and John dragged him into cover before pressing the side of his MJOLNIR helmet.

"Echo 419, we need immediate evac. We've stirred the hornet's nest over here!" John told the pilot.

"I'll come get you after I pick up the rest of the survivors," Foehammer replied. "Shouldn't take more than a minute."

"You're on the clock, Foehammer."

The Slayer got to his feet and placed his helmet on his head as the fracture in his kneecap became manageable. He opened a slipgate into his pocket dimension and dropped the Crucible and Heavy Cannon inside before grabbing the Super Shotgun and Chainsaw. An Archvile sent a wall of flame hurtling towards John, so the Slayer pushed him out of the way. A normal Hell Knight rushed towards the rock the Slayer and John used for cover, directing itself at the Slayer, who stepped out from cover and met the Knight in front of the rock. The demon swung both of its fists from above at the Slayer, who caught the attack with his hands. He split them apart and directed them around him, dropped his weapons into slipgates, leapt a small distance into the air and suckerpunched the demon in the jaw before passing. He summoned his Super Shotgun and unloaded both shells into the Archvile, blowing the flesh off of its left upper arm and chest, exposing the humerus and multiple ribs. John mounted the MA5B on his back as the Slayer threw the Super Shotgun(and multiple shells) to him before the Hell Knight threw its right arm at him, causing the Slayer to grab it by the shoulders and shove his right knee into its gut, then its face. John loaded a shell into both barrels of the shotgun before shoving them into the Archvile's mouth and pulling the trigger before it could finish recovering, blowing its skull open from the inside. The Hell Knight spit out two teeth before grabbing the Slayer and using its steel-hard skull to headbutt the man three times before an uppercut to the jaw caused it to lose its grip. The Slayer summoned his Chainsaw and swung it through the Hell Knight's left shoulder down to the end of its right ribs, effectively cutting it in half. A Pelican dropship flew over the area ,carrying a Warthog jeep and dozens of marine survivors, and immediately was attacked by Barons of Hell, Archviles and Mancubi.

"We're under heavy fire. Literally," Foehammer told John. "I was hoping for a better LZ."

"You won't need one," Hayden said as the Slayer rushed to help John.

The Slayer took the Super Shotgun from the Spartan and took hold of his arm before firing the Meat Hook into the top of the dropship's cargo bay. The two were lurched forward, the Slayer almost losing his grip on John, but regaining it quickly before they reached their destination.

"Echo 419, we're aboard!" Cortana told Foehammer.

"Punch it!" John shouted into the cockpit.

The dropship's bay door closed before it sped away from the area, tanking an energy blast from a Baron in the process, unhinging its Warthog and setting its back-right engine ablaze, but not making enough damage for the attack to be fatal. One of the marines inside of the bay began clapping, causing the others to join in, appreciating the help of the Master Chief and the Slayer.