The Rabbit and the Wolfe

Sorry for the long wait. School has been taking up much of my time, but I am almost done for the semester. Then, hopefully, I can give you lovely people faster updates! You have been so kind and patient. I really appreciate it. This chapter takes us to a new planet in a largely uninhabited system. Gear up and prepare to drop into some awesome action!

Note: the planet is pronounced Per-me-free-us

05: Juice Boxes and Ice

December 2, 2561

UNSC Infinity, S-deck, Hangar 22B

77 Polar System

2145 hours

Sandra glared at the crate like it had just insulted her dead mother. The flares returned her harsh look, the only way inanimate objects could. "Fucking snowy rock." She muttered to herself, turning and walking angrily out of the Pelican without giving the chest another look. Her purple plates shone brightly in the artificial lights of the hangar bay as she crossed the small space to her team, her boots ringing off the titanium decks. Erikson gave a friendly wave as she approached, even as he fought off a fascinated Sangheili who climbed him like a jungle gym to get to the data pad he held in his hand.

"Amber." Kelly warned. Even with her gaze focused on a table of weapons, Sandra still wondered what god-like power gave her eyes in the back of her head. Said alien crossed her arms with a pout, but climbed onto a nearby crate, where she stayed. Erikson took this moment to slip away from his adorable 'attacker' to inform Blue Team of their upcoming mission.

"Alright ladies and gents!" He began excitedly, like a child allowed to pick out a toy at the store. The faces of Blue Team turned to the table beside them that lit up with the diagram of a planet, with images floating around it like tourist attractions. "This lovely ball of ice is Permefreis. Moderately cold in the sun, at night it dips into extremely dangerous temperatures that would turn you into an armored popsicle. Or turn those Warthogs over there into four ton paperweights." He nodded towards the two tundra-camouflaged reconnaissance vehicles. With mechanical redundancies and special equipment meant to operate in extreme cold, these beasts were perfect for combat operations conducted in the most frigid battlefields. The pelican full of gear was just added insurance in case their plan went south. "The Captain had a few last-minute words for us." A few taps later and Lasky's voice rang from the table.

"Just to reiterate, a few days ago, Roland and Aura discovered a weak signal on the UNSC's E-band originating from this planet. They were able to narrow it down to about a dozen or so kilometers, but the topographical features prevented scans from getting a more precise location." They area they were designated to drop into had crevasses, hills, snowdrifts, valleys and pretty much everything else that could make their trip hell. Not to mention the network of caverns that seemed to weave through it all.

"With all due respect sir, why Blue Team?" Linda asked. Fred nodded in agreement, even though Lasky couldn't see him.

"We found this embedded in the message." His voice was replaced by a six-beat tone that repeated after a moment. Oly Oly Oxen Free, the Spartan-II all-clear signal they used as children and had used ever since. It is their best kept secret. Only a few select individuals outside the Spartan-II's were privy to its meaning. The four veterans had a silent conversation, passing hand gestures and slight body movements that Sandra had difficulty keeping up with. Being with Kelly, she knew what it meant. But this was before her, something sacred held with the rest of her team, so she kept a respectful distance, double checking her weapons and silently scolding Amber when she tried to break the silence. Erikson looked confused, but he seemed to realize that this was a sensitive matter, so he kept his mouth shut.

"When do we leave?" Master Chief broke the silence, his visor scanning over the map, forming a plan of action.

"As soon as you're ready, Master Chief. Good luck, Blue Team. Lasky out." His voice died with a click as the com channel was closed.

"Gear up, Blue. I'll get the techs to load up the hogs." He quickly distanced himself from the others, directing a few techs nearby to load up the vehicles.

"Linda, you're our second pilot. Kelly, you're with me in the lead bird. Fred and Sandra, follow behind. Aircraft designations are Diamond-3 and Diamond-4." He shifted his gaze to Amber as she shifted restlessly on her crate. "Dust off in ten minutes." The soldiers dispersed, set on completing a few last-minute tasks, quickly leaving Sandra and Kelly alone.

"You know, I think Chief did that on purpose." Sandra said, mildly accusing.

"He made a sound tactical decision." Kelly responded flatly.

"Tactical, my ass." Kelly snorted in mild annoyance.

"It was. He just didn't want to hear you whining about being cold the whole way." Kelly felt her lover roll her eyes behind her visor. "Besides," The smirk on her face crept into her tone. "He didn't want a giant purple target on his back." Sandra reeled back, gasping in mock horror as she addressed her scout.

"I'll have you know that purple is a very flattering color. Especially on me!" Sandra declared, to which the veteran silently agreed. But she couldn't give up now, she was on a roll. Kelly gave her lover a quick look over, humming in thought.

"Hmm. I don't know about flattering, but it is definitely flattening. You can't even see those pounds you put on." Kelly's smile never disappeared as Sandra tried and failed time and again to form a response. Finally, she set on just growling like an angry puppy before sulking off towards her assigned bird. Kelly watched her go, well, watched her backside go. Side to side, swaying back and forth…

"Is mother ok?" A small, angelic voice called, pulling her mind from the gutter. Kelly rubbed her child's head with her hand, the Sangheili's body heat seeping through her suit. Amber released an adorable little noise, and nipped playfully at Kelly's titanium arm plates.

The Spartan gave a soft chuckle, enjoying the simple, unbridled joy that shined in her daughter's golden eyes. "Yes, she is fine." Amber strained her neck and nuzzled the opaque, golden visor covering her mommy's face. Oddly enough, Kelly's lack of vocal interaction did not seem to be a major issue for the child. Instead, the scout made up for it with small, caring gestures and soft-spoken words of encouragement. "Do you remember the conditions to be in here?" Amber nodded assuredly.

"Yes mommy." One of the complications of their parenting…situation was that the two of them only trusted a few people to watch after their daughter. Because they were stationed on a warship, many of those people were often busy with their duties, so the Spartans were forced to take her to meetings and other gatherings, events Amber found utterly boring. It had been explained to her that 'special' information was to be talked about during these meetings and she must never repeat it to anyone else. Though her young age prevented her from understanding much of this 'special' information, she knew her parents were serious. They meant everything to her. They were her world, the center of her little universe. She was not about to disappoint them.

"Good." She gave her a few last pats on the head before standing up. Amber's mandibles were pulled backwards, the Sangheili equivalent of a human smile. "Now go find Spartan Bretts, Roland will help you." Kelly took two steps away before she felt something latch onto her leg.

"I want to go with you mommy! I want to see the snow!" Kelly sighed, crouching down to deal with the cute little leg-leech. I swear, sometimes I have to take care of not one, but two children.

"You can't, little one." She regretted her words the instant they left her mouth as golden eyes became wet with unshed tears and her mandibles quivered, a sure sign she was about to cry. For what seemed like the umpteenth time today, she wished she had the vocal understanding of her blonde lover. Damn it. "But." Amber looked up, interested. "If your good, mommy promises to bring you back some snow to play with." Golden eyes sprung open, surprised. She took her mommy into a surprise hug, covering the faceplate in saliva from her spread mandibles.

"Don't let the space meanies get you!" With that, she was gone. Off to find her babysitters. Sometimes I wonder who has more energy. She shook her head to refocus her thoughts. We need to find that signal. But first… Kelly clipped a sample capsule onto her armor. It should serve her purpose. She climbed aboard the dropship, where Chief and Erikson were waiting for her. John was impossible to read as always, but their pilot was sporting a cheeky grin.

"Wow Spartan, were you trying to French kiss a puppy? Because you lost, badly." Kelly glared at him from behind her visor.

She pointed to the cockpit, "Fly." She ordered as threateningly as she could. Erikson held up his hands in defeat, making his way to the front of the Pelican, chuckling and muttering something about 'space meanies'. Smartass. The dull whine of the engines climbed a tsunami-like roar as they lifted into the air. The extra weight of the warthogs didn't seem to bother the birds in the slightest as their bulky olive frames made for the frigid and barren tundra below.

December 3, 2561

Spartan quarters

0130 hours

Tiffany was never one for loud places. She often preferred a quiet book in the corner after her shift than gambling with her fellow soldiers. Not that she was averse to socializing with her fellow Spartans, but she needed her beauty sleep as much as the next girl. That was why she was more than a little annoyed when she heard quite an animated conversation emanating from Oasis's quarters.

"What the…" She trailed off, taking in the scene. Stephen was lounging on a couch a that was a few inches too short for his large frame, reading a data pad. His eyes moved back and forth, like a sidewinder moving across the desert, absorbing every bit of data he could. His clothes were sprinkled with water droplets, the source Tiffany quickly ascertained by the squeal from across the room. Their leader seemed indifferent as their chatty battlefield tactician chased a grey blur around the room. Starr almost seemed annoyed at the constant intrusion, but ignored the noise, choosing to focus on the data pad before him.

"It's been five minutes. You want help?" He asked offhandedly, amused.

"Shut up! Like you wouldn't be soaked to the bone either!" Bretts snapped, before quickly amending his statement. "Sir." Their tactician was drenched from head to toe, suds drifting from his hair and hands as he scrambled across the room trying to catch the slippery creature. Soaked is right… The thought lanced through her brain before she could stop it, hazel eyes drinking up the soldier like water in a desert. "Come on! Its shower then bed! We agreed…and your mothers left very specific instructions!" Not to mention a very clear reminder of what would happen to me if you got hurt. He shivered involuntarily at the thought.

"I'm not tiurd! It's not fair! Why do you get to stay up?" Came the Sangheili's response, still as naked as the day she was born.

"Because I'm an adult!" Bretts said as he leapt over a chair that he had knocked over earlier. He closed on her quickly and grabbed her arm.

"Gotcha!" He shouted triumphantly, a smile on his face. It didn't last long. With a surprised squeal, sharp enough to cut through titanium hull plating, she yanked herself free, still slick from the short shower, and dove under the couch. One that his team leader was currently occupying. "Shit!" He tried to jump the furniture, but caught his foot on the arm, sending him face first to the titanium deck. Boisterous laughter assaulted his wounded pride as he picked himself off the cold metal. The childlike giggling emanating from beneath the couch was not helping matters either.

"Glad you find my suffering so amusing, masochist." He jabbed, throwing an annoyed glare her way to emphasize his point. The raven CQC specialist snorted, clearly amused.

"Anyone would have found your landing spectacular. Real fast reflexes you got there, pal." He just waved her comment off. "What is under there anyway?" Tiffany asked, approaching her teammates.

"My charge. One who isn't being very nice right now!" He responded, directing the last part to the figure holed up under Oasis's feet. The room was silent for a few moments, enough time for Tiffany to lean against the wall and raise a curious brow.

"I'm cold. But I want juice! And a story!" Patrick crouched down, reaching one of his arms under the sofa.

"Of course your cold. You're wet and laying on a metal floor. Those two don't mix well. Come out and I'll tell you a story, a good one." He smiled as he felt small fingers touch his, tentatively. Almost there. "Aannnddd…We can bother the kitchen staff for a juice box. Or ten." He felt her grasp his hand and he pulled Amber out and away from the cold floor. He quickly wrapped her in a towel that he seemingly pulled from thin air and rubbed her down, trying to warm up her small body. Amber pulled the towel closer around her, trying to keep the chilly air at bay. Catching sight of the woman against the wall, she shuffled behind Oasis's tactician, as seeing new people was always nerve-wracking to the young Sangheili. Noticing the uncertainty flowing through the young girl's eyes, Bretts decided to interject.

"Don't mind her. She doesn't bite." Amber could see the woman shake her head behind him. "I'll be right back, then we can get your juice." He stood up, and gave his teammate a look that screamed 'play nice'. An uncomfortable silence stretched between the three as Bretts disappeared into the bathroom. Well, at least for two of them; their team leader seemed completely uninterested in what was going on. Tiffany was not keen on talking with the little alien so she kept quiet. Unfortunately, Amber's natural curiosity won out after a few minutes of confused staring.

"Are you like my mommies?"

"Kid, I don't even know who your parents are." Came the specialist's annoyed reply. She had hoped to end the conversation there, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

"Well they're about this big…" Amber struggled to raise her arm to her parents' height, while using the other to hold her towel in place.

"Listen, kid I don't think you understand what-" She was interrupted by Amber as the young girl talked animatedly about her parents. The specialist tried multiple times to get her to quiet down, but her attempts were pushed aside as the Elite continued to rave about her parents. Beyond annoyed, she blocked out the child's tales as best she could, leveling one of her fiercest glares at the still closed bathroom door.

"Bretts!" She barked, still seething from the little annoyance that wouldn't leave her alone. And to think, she originally came here to catch up on some sleep! The spartan poked his head around the corner, a telltale grin written on his face. The bastard did it on purpose! Tiffany glowered at him as he made his way out of the bathroom.

"Sorry, had to use the facilities." He said apologetically, passing a cheeky grin to his teammate, who just snorted in response. He helped the small saurian get dressed, making quick work of a task often wrought with annoyance and barely contained frustration. He makes everything seem so easy, doesn't he? And he does it all with a smile on his face. Tiffany presented a small smile to the man's back. It was strange that a half ton soldier could be so good with children, but yet again, it wasn't. Patrick just made everything he did seem so effortless and natural. Maybe that was what had drawn her to the teal tactician in the first place. But a relationship, no matter what kind, does not move without input. So the Asian specialist sought to make the first move.

"Bretts, I-" She stopped suddenly as the door to their shared quarters opened with a hiss, and the intruder stepped into the small room. Major Reilcat moved with expert efficiency, a level that could only be obtained through years of rigorous training, until it becomes second nature to your muscles. The green in his eyes seemed muted, but still sharp and intuitive and his once vibrant hair had turned a mottled grey with age. The Spartans scrambled to their feet and saluted smartly, which were curtly returned.

"Spartan Starr, I must speak with you concerning an important matter." The Fireteam leader nodded solemnly, while the other two Spartans exchanged confused looks. "Immediately." The command spurred the other members of Oasis into action, scooping Amber into his arms, he indicated for Tiffany to collect the young girl's things. The Major looked upon the alien with contempt and disgust, not bothering to hide his disposition, as he waited to talk to Oasis's leader in private. But his time was precious and he was not one to wait.

"Move, Spartans. And take that disgusting little monster with you." Bretts tightened his hold around Amber, as he stared defiantly back at his superior officer, neck muscles straining to hold his tongue down. Amber was the sweetest and most inquisitive child he had ever met, his family notwithstanding, and never deserved such harsh treatment. From anyone. But he was a superior, so he kept his mouth shut. But that did not stop Amber. She let loose a guttural growl, the likes of which echoed across forgotten battlefields littered with corpses. The dreaded sound made his spine shiver as he remembered cramped engagements against imposing and enraged predators. He was so wrapped up in the young girl's image that he often forgot what species she descended from.

Reilcat smiled at her, with a sort of amused look, like one you would give a duckling trying to jump a small ledge to follow its mother. Nakamura came up beside him loaded with toys and clothes, and the trio quickly made their way for the door. Amber snapped angrily at him, splitting her mandibles in a show of force. Bretts had to tighten his hold further to prevent her from sinking her teeth into the Major's arm. It was a struggle, but they eventually made their way into the hall, the door sealing behind them with a telltale hiss.

"Are you alright?" Bretts asked, concerned. Amber held her glare for a few seconds more before deflating into his hold, utterly exhausted.

"It's hard being mean to people. Why can't we all get along?" The two Spartans were momentarily struck speechless by such a profound and meaningful statement, even if the spokeswoman herself didn't realize it.

"That is a very good question. One you can ask your parents, after they get back." Hoping they don't kill me first. He suppressed the foreboding image and took off at a brisk walk to the nearest mess hall, Tiffany hot on his heels.

"For a munchkin, you aren't half bad." Tiffany smirked as she glanced over at the young saurian. She had passed out and was drooling from her mandibles. She chuckled softly, amused, at the admittingly adorable sight. Patrick really did look like a caring father. They walked in silence into the mess hall, where the two of them had to practically threaten the corpsman in charge that the seven circles of hell would descend upon him in the form of a very thirsty, cranky six-year-old saurian if he did not give up the ten juice boxes Bretts promised her. In the end, they left with an entire dozen juice boxes, leaving a very pale, frightened corporal behind, muttering prayers behind the counter.

"She is quite cute. For a squid." Bretts snorted. She clearly was in for a rude awakening.

"Sure. I just hope you aren't protective of your hair. Long locks fascinate her." Patrick laughed quietly as some of the color drained from the specialist's face as they made their way to a communal sleeping area. The next few days were going to be interesting.

Permefreis Surface

Unidentified Ice Shelf

0630 hours

The warthog exited the out of the cavern into the early morning light with a throaty roar, propelling the three occupants up the small snow back to the mesa above. The temperature was still well below freezing, but the sky bore a calm beauty that was seldom seen anywhere else. Snowflakes floated through the swirling air, creating intricate patterns, almost like miniature figure skaters. Even though the dangerous extremes of the night had risen to an acceptable level, you could still make out the purple and violet aurora in the upper atmosphere. It was a beautiful winter wonderland, one taken right out of a children's vid. But they three soldiers were not there to take in the sights. They had a mission to complete.

"Hold up." Fredric called out over the wind. Sandra eased the M12B LRV to a standstill near a precipice overlooking a pot marked plateau below. He stepped down from his seat behind the LAAG, making the short walk to the edge of the cliff. The next step would be a doozy. His helmet shifted side to side, searching for something. "Any word from Infinity or Diamond-3?"

"Negative." Linda's response from the passenger seat echoed over the TEAMCOM. Yet we received the location of the signal source. Their current destination was a floating marker about 4 klicks away and almost a klick straight down, hidden among the tunnels and crevasses that weaved through the icy tundra before them like the web of a spider.

"Storms and geographic features are playing hell with our coms." Sandra piped up from the driver's seat.

"I don't like it." Fred stated, voicing the doubts that he was unable to push from his mind. Sandra had to agree with him. It was a little too convenient how they couldn't get a signal from the ship nor the Master Chief, yet they had the source of the mysterious UNSC signal. Though still unsettled, Fred climbed back behind the chaingun. He always felt better with a weapon in his hands. Sandra waited till their team leader was secure before hitting the gas, the large tires spraying the area behind them with a fine, snowy mist. The 3.5-ton mechanical beast rumbled down the cliff pathway, traversing the uneven, slippery terrain with ease. It took them almost half an hour to make their way onto the empty white expanse. Spotting an entrance to the maze of tunnels below, she stopped once again.

"Sir, do we go below now or try to find an entrance closer to the signal?" Sandra asked. Fred weighed his options. Yes, the caves would be safer, but their winding tunnels would force them to slow to a more manageable pace, and without communications, it was a risky move. But moving across the plateau would leave them exposed to the enemy. They had encountered nothing bigger than a snowflake, but Fred was not one to take chances, even more so when the lives of his team was on the line. Overconfidence lead to complacency, and in the Spartans' line of work, complacency lead to death.

"The Infinity is exposed waiting for us. We don't have the time to deal with the tunnels, Spartan. Especially with the enemy on the move." Sandra's status light winked green once in acknowledgement and gunned the beast, the engine roaring in excitement. The three soldiers were completely oblivious to the two pairs of eyes that followed from a distance, both closing in on the source of the signal.


Kelly stared at the sapphire wall of frozen water with a mix of frustration and contempt. After triangulating the source of signal with the help of the Infinity, they had quickly weaved their way through the massive maze of tunnels, hills and crevices to reach the supposed source of the signal. Only it was not a UNSC beacon, it was a wall of bloody ice! Is it behind the ice? She wondered idly. It would make sense, but without knowing how thick it was, there was no way the two of them could blow into it without damaging whatever created the signal or bring the roof down on their heads. Neither of which is a good idea. Chief had tried to scan the ice, moving through all of his filters. He had come up with nothing. Whatever was behind, or in, that wall was preventing any close-range scans from penetrating.

"Options?" Chief asked, walking up beside her.

"Short of blowing it open, were stuck here." He nodded understandingly. "Any word from Fred or the Infinity?" A shake of his head confirmed what she already thought: their coms were completely useless on this planet. Well that's just bloody fantastic. Wait. What was that? It was faint, almost beyond her range of hearing, but it was very distinct: the sound of cracking ice.

"Chief." She said warningly. He turned his head towards her, then followed it to the ceiling. Unclamping the AR from his back as softly as he could, he pointed it up towards the source of the noise and moved to the outskirts of the frozen cavity. The small cracks rapidly expanded as the ice began to buckle, as if they were trying to race each other to their own destruction. A few more tense moments passed, as the Spartans waited calmly for the ice above their heads to fail, exposing anything above them to a storm of hot lead. Then the roof collapsed, in spectacular fashion. Like someone had dropped a grenade into an ice-covered lake, the chunks were blown downward by a massive tire, quickly followed by the rest of the vehicle. The heavy body plowed through the relatively fragile ceiling, sending it into a nosedive. It careened into the icy floor at almost 60 miles per hour, its 'tusks' digging into the liquid crystal in a vain attempt to stop its own momentum. It cared little for its passengers as they were ejected from the warthog. Two rolled across the slippery surface before sliding into nearby walls while the third occupant cartwheeled through the air before imbedding into the solid water surface, her velocity causing a massive network of cracks to explode outward.

"Owwww…" Sandra moaned as the mist began to clear. The warthog lay upside down and one of the 'tusks' was missing, sheared off from the force of the roll. Kelly glanced around at the sound of the familiar voice. Chief gave her a quick nod while Fred and Linda picked themselves up, no worse for wear. But where was her pup? Then she saw her…and was forced to mute her external mics to maintain her status as a stoic Spartan-II. She had to lean against a pillar, as her lungs cried desperately for air. Tears peeked out from behind her eyelids. The love of her life had been thrown against the wall with such force she had practically fused with it. "I say this with the utmost respect, sir, but that was the stupidest fucking plan I have ever participated in. Ever." Fred unslung his DMR, shaking his head.

"Jealousy can be a nasty thing." Fred said, a smile in his voice.

"As if!" Sandra shot back.

"Kelly, free her. We need to get through that ice." Master Chief interjected, silencing the conversation. The scout took a few calming breaths to reign in her laughter before approaching her trapped teammate. Wrapping her strong hands around the purple Spartan's shoulders, she pulled with all her might, but with little success. If anything, the ice just seemed to pull her in further. Perhaps she couldn't pull her free, but if she pushed… As if a lightbulb went off in her head, she unslung Oathsworn from its magnetic home and slammed it into the ice. Though the ice was beginning to fracture along its natural fault lines, it didn't take long to realize she would damage her precious weapon long before she would free Blue 5.

"Damn." She huffed, replacing her shotgun back in its cradle. She could see the ice slowly collapsing under the weight of the armored human, yet it still had enough of its structure to hold together. It was frustrating! But as a few splinters of ice tumbled to the floor, she picked up on the soft sound of whistling wind. It only took a quick assessment to determine it was coming from behind the wall of ice. That only happened if there was air trapped behind it, which meant it was hollow. Rolling her shoulders a few times to loosen the tension in her muscles, she punched the ice as hard as she could. Her fist obliterated all of the frozen liquid in its way, exiting the other side with minimal resistance. What happened next could only be recreated in an action vid. Sustaining far more punishment than it could, the ice collapsed all at once like a raging waterfall, sending chunks skittering across the slick floor and throwing snow into the air around them. Leaving Sandra to pull herself from the rubble, she turned around to find that both warthogs had been repositioned so that they were facing what her scans told her were deeper into the network of tunnels.

"Chief." Linda called out, nodding in Kelly's direction. John looked away from the warthogs, his gaze shooting right past their scout. Turning around once more, a dark grey, almost black, metal wall greeted her, seamlessly blending with the ice around it. But this one was clearly human in origin, as she recognized the design almost instantly. Linda and the others approached the wall, Sandra now stood to the side, battle rifle at the ready. Kelly tried to run a scan of what lay beyond the wall, but once again could not penetrate the titanium walls.

"So, it wasn't the ice that was blocking our scans." Sandra mused openly. What the UNSC structure was doing there and what it was being used for was anyone's guess.

"Our objective is beyond. We need a way through. Chief commandingly ordered. Though what lay beyond was well hidden, their objective was clearly marked. Just shy of 200 meters in front of them was their waypoint, bouncing happily, relishing in the fact it was able to torment the human soldiers.

"The ice is too thin above us to use explosives. The ceiling would collapse on our heads." Fred responded.

"Shooting it would be a waste of ammo." Linda added.

"I could cut through it. Like I did with the Pelican." Sandra spoke, hopeful. Chief shifted to look at her, weighing his options. Technically, she was still a civilian, so she really shouldn't be there in the first place. But she felt like such an integral part of the team, that at this point he felt like she had always been a part of Blue Team, even if she wasn't on the official roster. But that was beside the point. They needed through this wall and Sandra had a viable option. He tossed about his uncertainty for a few seconds more before giving a sharp nod.

"Do it." Sandra ignited the self-contained plasma, coalescing into the jagged, blood-red shape the Spartans of Blue Team had become familiar with. Sparing only a glance to make sure her teammates were not standing in the way, she plunged the blades deep into the metal. The titanium seemed to writher in agony as the boiling hot plasma dug into it layer by layer, eating away at the alloy. They cast a chilling, but familiar glow that illuminated the cavern around them, bathing the soldiers in deep shades of red. Almost as if the ice itself was on fire. Beautiful, Kelly thought as she crouched down to scoop some of the fallen snow into the capsule she had brought along. Reclipping it to her waist, she readied her shotgun in one fluid motion.

Master Chief pressed his own weight against the heavy wall, slowly dislodging it centimeter by centimeter. The metal scraped noisily against its housing as the two Spartans pushed it inward. Moving to cover them, the rest of Blue team aimed their weapons down the slowly emerging entrance, fingers hovering beside the triggers, steady but filled with anticipation. White greeted them once more as the Spartans spread out through the newly discovered room. It appeared to be a laboratory of some sort, though what sort of research was conducted here was unknown. Though the color was quite standard for instillations such as this, the smell of antiseptic and the agonizingly bright lights created a detached, almost sterile environment. It reminded Sandra of a hospital. Or a morgue, her mind added unhelpfully. Her teammates seemed to have similar thoughts, as they gave the equipment a wide berth.

None of them gave the room a second glance as they moved out into the hall. The lights remained lit, in all their eye burning glory, so the facility still had power. They moved seamlessly from room to room, using hand signals and status lights to follow orders and convey their findings. It was slow going, but better slow than dead. So far, they had not discovered another soul. Whatever this place was, it had been abandoned long ago, as given by the amount of dust that had built up in some of the rooms. What or whomever restored power had done so recently. But they were making progress, the waypoint was now less than 25 meters away, obscured by another door.

As they approached, Chief pumped his fist twice, the signal to prepare. Stacking up along the wall, Chief nodded to Fred, who was the nearest to the controls. This was it. The source of the signal originated from behind this door. He reached for the panel, but the door slid open with a soft hiss before his hand even made it halfway. Surprised, Chief nonetheless signaled his team to move in. The five soldiers burst into the room, their armored boots rumbling across the titanium floor like muted thunder.

"Took the UNSC long enough to send someone." A commanding, self-assure voice spoke from the corner of the room, attracting the soldiers' weapons. But they didn't seem phased. Chief could even see the beginnings of a smirk tug at their lips.

Come Back Next Time!

Dun dun dun! Cliffhanger! I'm so evil. Muhahaha! If you know who it might be, please don't spoil the surprise for others. Now that school is over, I will be able to get chapters up faster. Correction: I should be able to. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and sorry it took me so long. Please don't forget to favorite, follow and review! Till we meet again, fellow Halo fans!