Volume 2: Chapter 3: Headhunter - 1
Originally Drafted: May 20th, 2022
Originally Uploaded: June 8th, 2022
Updated on: August 13th, 2022
/ Albish Countryside | November 23rd, 2558 /
The Spartan, clad in his signature Semi-Powered Infiltration Armor, was skulking around the countryside; he had been hunting down patrols of Reconquista soldiers, systematically making his way around the region to annihilate any opposing forces before they became too much of a threat.
Tonight, however, he was on a different mission, one aimed at gathering intel on their movements and intentions. Because of that, he had refrained from killing the first of the patrols he'd encountered so far.
He carried with him a modified M6C Magnum, with an integral suppressor as well as a variant of the Assault Rifle, the MA5K. Both weapons had sufficient firepower to take down a human target, but were also reliable for close quarters combat if the situation called for it.
The wind rustled the tall grass on the hillsides, sending a shiver down the spine of anyone who was unlucky enough to be nearby. It was a cool night, and the moons were at their equivalent of a New Moon, making it dark enough to hide. But, there was still enough illumination to light the way.
It would give away his position if he wasn't careful. But, David was anything but careful. He hadn't survived several operations like this by himself on behalf of ONI if it wasn't for that.
As the solitary figure slinked through the grasses, moving ever closer to the positions of the Reconquista soldiers. They were far enough away that they wouldn't have heard the sounds of his passage, but close enough to be able to get the information he needed.
He hid in the shadows - the dark coating on his armor concealing his presence - he thought back on a moment in his life similar to this one. Back during those training sessions where he and his brothers and sisters in arms were dropped into the middle of the jungle with nothing but the basics to help them survive.
Back on Onyx, before he even became the kind of Spartan he was now.
"Training," his instructor, Lieutenant Commander Ambrose, had said. "Your training must become part of your instinct. Drill until it becomes part of your bones."
David clenched his fists. That seemed like a very distant memory now; of a lifetime long past.
He was thankful for the Lieutenant Commander's instructions. Without it, he wouldn't have been able to survive. Let alone enact his revenge upon the Covenant. He, just like the rest of the Spartan-III's, were all orphaned by the war.
It was the Spartan Program that gave him the chance to make an actual difference.
He gave out a sigh. Moments like these were bad for his mental health. He had to focus on the mission at hand. But, that only led him to another thought, one spurred about by the conversation he had with the ONI Lieutenant earlier.
/UNSC Eternity | November 18th, 2558/
"You want me to do what, exactly?" David sat in front of Lieutenant Redding. The ONI man's eyes staring intently into his.
The Spartan was called for by Lieutenant Redding for a debrief. Having been led to the Lieutenant's office, he found it was rather spartan in appearance. Barely any decorations or frivolities were put up on display. Either the Lieutenant didn't have much to show, or he was secretive about himself.
"I need you to do what you're good at, of course." The Lieutenant answered. "A little sabotage here, a little assassination there." He gestured with his hands, before deciding to get up and move over to a nearby cabinet. Opening it to reveal it was full of alcohol.
David only stared while the Lieutenant went over his stash. Thinking on what he had just asked him to do. While he was trained in doing such things — even serving for the past six years of his life as an expendable knife for ONI in the wake of the Human-Covenant War. He hadn't expected to be used in such a way again so soon.
"Care for a drink?" The Lieutenant asked, but David gave him a polite refusal.
Shrugging it off, Lieutenant Redding then decided to give him a rundown of his plans for the island.
Aiding the Loyalists in getting used to UNSC equipment and helping take out valuable Reconquista assets was the gist for most of it. Something he was already used to.
"Same shit, different day really." The Lieutenant said while pouring a bottle of Alt Burgundy on a nearby glass. It was a rarity now, considering that the world that produced it was reduced to glass during the war.
"We can't afford to commit too many forces on Albion at the moment, but — given your service record, especially against the Innies? This'll be a cakewalk for you." Lieutenant Redding said as he swirled the drink in his glass, taking a small sip afterwards.
The Lieutenant then slid to David's side a profile, detailing the ONI Agent he was about to meet at the Loyalist Stronghold of Newcastle along with one regarding a Crown Prince, Wales Tudor. The de facto leader of the remaining Monarchy's government.
The first one was rather bare. Black ink dotted most of the pages, typical of ONI. There wasn't much to go through it, aside from the man's name, appearance, and his abilities. The ONI Agent was unremarkable. Someone you could easily forget in a crowd if you weren't aware of them.
But, the other was much more interesting in comparison. Considering it was in regards to a Crown Prince, of all things. The young Monarch had been bitterly holding onto whatever remained of his family's rule, ever since they were run off by the rebels. David swore he almost felt some sympathy for them, but he pushed that feeling down.
The Spartan didn't know what to make of him at the moment. He seemed to be the only one keeping the entire Loyalist faction from crumbling — his disappearance would be quite the boon for Reconquista if it happens. He didn't like this, protecting VIPs was not his style.
"While you will be linking up with the Prince's forces; ultimately you will still answer to me." The Lieutenant added after David went through both profiles.
David was skeptical of the whole operation. Especially with the Lieutenant's suggestion of arming the Loyalists, even if it was outdated.
"I don't like this. Giving them access to UNSC equipment? What if they turn on us?" David objected. He was hesitant to train insurgents.
Lieutenant Redding nodded. "That's why we're giving them outdated models. They're not going to stand up to par with what we field right now of course. But, they'll be more than enough for these bastards."
"The other Kingdoms are going to be asking a lot of questions about where they got all this equipment from." David pointed out.
The Lieutenant seemed to be taking a major gamble with this op. And David wasn't happy to be participating in it.
"So? It's not like these people are strangers to our technology considering what we've dug up. Recon drones have found signs of tech that's far too advanced for such a society scattered throughout the continent." The Lieutenant told David as he tapped his fingers on the table and a holographic image appeared.
David appeared concerned for a moment when he saw with his own eyes the picture in front of him. Some of the Reconquista soldiers seemed to have some firearms reminiscent of the 21st centuries with them. He remembered the signature appearance of the M1911, it was a design that was nearly seven centuries out of date at this point. But, it was clearly what was shown holstered on the thighs of a local Nobleman on the opposing side.
Hypocrite. David thought to himself. Despite shunning the development of technologies intentionally, it seemed even they couldn't resist having better firepower on their side.
"Now, with that in mind. Who's to say the Loyalists never had a cache of their own? Only bringing theirs out into the fight out of sheer desperation." The Lieutenant simply said.
He walked over to a cabinet nearby. Pulling on the drawer and taking out some paperwork. Archaic in this day and age — but there was one thing paper had over technology: it couldn't be hacked. It was a folder with an unassuming jacket hiding the contents underneath, though David could surmise that it classified information. Something he had no business seeing.
"Besides, I'm pretty sure you need this." The Lieutenant slid the folder to the Spartan, who hesitantly picked it up and began to scan its contents. A bead of sweat threatened to fall from his face as he continued reading.
It was a dossier on Gamma Company. His Company. He felt uncomfortable with the Lieutenant knowing about what they had done to him during his time in the program.
"So, before you go berserk on your own comrades. How about we let that beast of yours out into the wild for a bit?" The Lieutenant smiled.
/ Newcastle, Loyalist Stronghold, Albion November 24th, 2558 /
A staccato rhythm of gunfire resonated throughout Newcastle. The remaining men still fit for duty within Loyalist ranks were hard at work training with their new weapons. An unfamiliar design to them as the motion of reloading after every shot had to be trained out of their muscle memory. But that didn't take too long, as most of the men had taken a liking to their new weapons, with the power to easily overpower an entire line of muskets, it had rendered their previous tactics into obsoletion.
Though they moved clumsily as they struggled to adjust to the recoil found with each burst of their rifles. The loud gunfire ringing through their ears and shouting reverberated in their wake. Wales physically cringed at the constant noise of gunfire over the walls. He had to get used to it at some point. But, that didn't mean he had to like it.
His men seemed… crude now — given how sluggish they seemed when firing and reloading. But, he knew this would soon change when they had their first taste of battle with their new equipment. Something he dreaded about as he thought of the devastation they could wreak.
Prince Wales looked on forlornly at the sight. Glad though he may be that they were given a fighting chance for the first time since the rebellion began, he had now doubts for the future. But, as the last remaining of the Tudor bloodline, the firepower displayed in front of him made him shudder to his core.
It almost felt insulting. It takes years for a mage to be able to display such a level of prowess in combat. But, the weapons that were handed to them made his magic seem so weak in comparison.
If we're not careful, we may as well end up becoming irrelevant when all is said and done. He bitterly thought to himself.
Though his men were busy with training to use their new weapons — their mysterious benefactor was nowhere to be found. Relegating the rest of the training to Agent Johanne after he slipped away in the middle of the night for an errand.
The Spartan never said anything outright, but he could tell that he was out — for lack of a better word, on a hunt. Being briefed by Johanne on the purpose of a Spartan, he had some idea of what he was out to do.
Though a single person could only affect the tide of war minimally. He didn't expect much out of the mysterious soldier.
By the crack of dawn the next morning, the Prince awoke to the sound of commotion outside the main gates. His men had gathered their arms and rushed to the scene, only to be met by the sight of the Spartan — looking as if he had decided to stay in a river of blood, his armor coated in a thin layer of viscera and gore; though he looked no worse for wear.
Many of the soldiers around them couldn't hold in their disgust at the sight. The stench of dried innards was nauseating to the unprotected senses. Even the Prince seemed affected by it as he felt the urge to steer clear from the man.
The ONI Agent, Johanne had managed to make his way past the gathered crowd which was eyeing the Spartan who stood still before them warily. Afraid to approach the very definition of murder in their eyes.
"Jesus, you look like shit!" He exclaimed as he finally managed to get in front of the crowd to face the Spartan. The scent of the aftermath of whatever the Spartan had done the day previously assaulting his nose.
"Smell like it too." He said as he attempted to waft the smell away with his hands. "What the hell happened?" He asked in concern after a moment of getting used to the pungent smell.
"Cleanup." The Spartan said succinctly. Ignoring the stares being thrown his way. Whether or not he cared, he showed no sign of it.
He took a few tentative steps into their base of operations — the weight of his steps unnerving the men around them. He appeared to look like something straight out of a nightmare, almost demonic with his current appearance, the distinctive golden visor of his helmet seeming as if it were an eye that peered into the souls of those who watched him as he went.
Feeling worried over the man, the Prince stepped up to accompany him.
"Are you injured?" Wales asked. Though the Spartan showed no sign of it, it wouldn't hurt to make sure.
"No. This blood isn't mine." He dryly replied. Moving over to a nearby well.
Wales bit his lip. "If you don't mind me asking. How did you come to be like this?" He was almost afraid of what he would say.
The Spartan halted. He held a bucket in his hands with water inside of it. Staring into his reflection on the surface, he paused.
"Assassination." He began to explain. "One of our informants gave me the location of a nearby High Value Target. A small Reconquista outpost headed by a relatively high ranking officer. I needed to test out if my skills were sufficient in taking them out." The Spartan grabbed a towel and began to wipe the blood and grime off his armor.
The Spartan didn't know why he was so forthcoming with this information. Normally it would be kept under wraps — he chalked it up to battle fatigue and his mind being unreliable at the moment. He didn't have his smoothers to help him out in this situation.
The only thing keeping him grounded to reality was the fact that he was still cognizant enough to recognize he was in friendly territory.
"Entry was easy enough." He began to recall, "Didn't have too many problems with how lax the security was. I managed to kill him in his sleep. But, a patrolling guard nearby caught me in the act of escaping." He squeezed the towel he had in his hands, dripping the mixture of blood and water to the ground. "A hundred men were upon me within moments. None of them stood a chance."
Wales' expression turned from doubt to fear as the words registered into his mind. The very idea of a single soldier wiping out a garrison seemed inconceivable to normal men. But, knowing the feats ancient heroes could be capable of, he felt as if he was in the presence of one such as the braves of antiquity.
Though, the Spartan radiated another kind of aura, one of death that reeked in every corner he inhabited, one where only the screams of murder followed in its wake. He realized he was in the presence of a demon.
What have I brought upon us? He thought to himself as the Spartan stood in front of him.
David went to a secluded quarter of the base. A room he shared with Agent Johanne. Opening a crate meant exclusively for his use, he began to take out the tools he'd need for his next operation.
Several charges of C12, high explosives would be useful if he were to cripple the Reconquista Air Fleet. Having discovered their closest staging ground from his recent operation, he was ordered to sabotage the potential threat after reporting his findings to Lieutenant Redding.
While he was busy with preparations, he heard the door behind him creak. Opening to reveal the sight of Agent Johanne peering into the room.
"Hey." Johanne called out. "You got a moment?"
David paused his actions, turning to face the Agent.
"Sure. What do you need?" He asked softly. He was feeling better now that the adrenaline was slowly being flushed out of his body.
"Here." Johanne handed him a list. "Take a look for yourself."
On it were names he didn't recognize, but what stood out to him were the titles next to them — ranging from Barons to Dukes, they were likely HVT's within Reconquista.
"A hit list?" He asked.
Johanne nodded. "Orders came from Lieutenant Redding after the other Agents reported in. He wants us to destabilize them before we move in with our forces."
David tucked the list away for the moment. He'd decided to have a look at it later. Giving a nod back to the Agent who then excused himself from the room, he turned his gaze back to the soldiers he was supposed to be training.
Every SPARTAN-III had received extensive training in using their equipment, he had a sense of familiarity with them that couldn't be compared to anyone else outside of the Spartan Program. He had a sense of pride at that.
But, he felt something similar when he saw the men outside, diligently doing their best to get acquainted with weapons several centuries ahead of what they were used to.
He had to admit, they showed promise.
Taking quickly to how to operate firearms far more advanced than their antiquated muskets, he was surprised at the speed they seemed to have at picking up new things. Though the thought of death looming over their heads and their loved ones probably expedited the process. He admired their bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, something the UNSC was all too familiar with.
Pushing those thoughts aside for now, he went back to work on preparing his gear. The enemy wouldn't know what hit them.
Reviews:
7: Aye, a little bit of a mishap there. But I'll try to find a way to make it work somehow. I sort of forgot what I wrote in earlier, but I felt that it would probably fit in character with how I envisioned ONI to act like.
Guest (Maelstrum): Much appreciated. Yeah the action seems do seem alright, I liked the Jackals with the sword and shield combo! But some of the scenes beside those are kind of iffy to me.
Guest (The idiot): Aye, they were made to counter the insurrectionists and found new purpose against the Covies. Spartan-III's are my favorite for this reason.
snipervtk4: I appreciate your sum ups. Though I do not know how to reply to most of them. One thing I will say tho, they (the natives) will be in for quite a surprise.
Guest (Halo): That about sums it up yeah. As for the gun safety thing, they'll have to iron those skills out before being entrusted with the big guns.
TimeDiver: Yeah pretty much. I kind of see the Elves as similar to the Covenant in their arrogance and disdain for humanity, at least the Pre-Schism Covenant. As for the two elves in question — that's a spoiler for later.
memoryofvirtual: nuff said.
PhillyCh3zSt3ak: Aye, I plan to.
Major Simi: Well, interesting comment.
Guest (Austin): Aye, the balance of things will be upturned when things start rolling after this arc. As for the Tokusatsu question: I honestly have no idea. I've only sporadically seen Power Rangers and such as a kid as I've never really had much interest in them. Though without the suits I'd imagine it'd be like fighting against a mountain with your bare hands for most of them. Nothing short of high yield explosives would take them out.
Konstantinsen: Ah yeah, I ran out of names and picked one out from a nearby book. Read both of them in High School and thought it'd be a neat reference. Gonna save reactions from outside the isles for after this arc though, as I intend to end it in a big way.
Guest: Small mercies, I guess. But Alternate Timeline or no, the show has done quite the negative rep for the series as a whole.
Xs0nicblAdeX: Yeah pretty much. This is a fanfiction after all. I wanted to see the cool stuff I grew up on.
Avro 683 Lancaster: Ya están preparados para morir de todas formas, así que ¿cuál es la diferencia? lol
Guest (Matt): Soon(ish)
Victorius 435: The humans on Halkeginia were descent from earth humans according to FoZ lote, so maybe. Glad to have you aboard though.
Guest (Jeremy): something something "Kill them all." line from Starship Troopers.
Author's Notes: Apologies for the shorter chapter this time. Had to split it in half as I felt overwhelmed writing this. Took a bit to get this one out as well as I've been considering doing a complete overhaul of the first few chapters.
When I did a re-read of the early sections of the story I could tell that I was just mostly winging it, felt unsatisfied with the end result.
So, I've decided to put future chapters on hold for the moment to focus on rewriting the first arc of this story at least. Going to try to iron out any kinks I notice and flesh out parts I neglected.
Update: Finally finished with the rewrite! Alright, I'll be working on new chapters from this point on. But, unfortunately, College has started for me, so uploads will likely be a bit sporadic from now on. I apologize in advance for that.
If you have any suggestions or comments. Feel free to join the Discord server: /sDgJN8F4tY
Thanks for reading. And as always. I'll see you in the next one. じゃ、またね