Chapter 3
-I forgot to add this in previous chapters, I do not own Halo.
Bridge of the UNSC HELLHOUND
The captain paced around the holo table studying the data that Mark had brought back while Cassy stood off to the side. He finally stopped and turned to her. "Your brother did a good job at getting this data. This is showing weapon shipments, fuel depots, and ship movement. This is going to give us the edge we need to get rid of the Covenant." Cassy nodded " Leave it to my brother to take something thats not his." The captain chuckled. " How is he?" He asked. " Well considering he had a 2ft piece of Rebar stuck in his back, he seems to be doing good. He's resting up in the medical bay." Cassy said with a a smile. The Captain was about to speak when the ships A.I. appeared on the holo table. It's appearance was that of Celtic king in knight armor. " Sir, Shadow Squad has returned and we are clear to enter slipspace." The Captain turned to the A.I. "Thank you Ronas, tell the team leader to report to the bridge in 2 hours." He turned back to Cassy. " Corporal get some rest than report back before we arrive at Earth, dismissed." Cassy walked out of the bridge and jogged to the lift. She walked out into the hanger and quickly looked around. She spotted the black pelican and walked briskly towards it. She got there just as the loading ramp touched the ground. Three massive spartans II's walked down the ramp. They passed off a crate to a waiting squad of scientists who eagerly took it before hurrying back to their lab. She watched the spartans as they removed weapons, sat down and began cleaning them. Even though they had their helmets she could tell that they were talking to each other. She looked at her boots and spotted a empty shell casing. She grinned as she picked it up, bouncing it in the palm of her hand. She looked back at the spartans still cleaning their guns. She raised her arm slightly and threw the casing at the spartan with deep green and gray armor. Just before the casing touched the spartan's helmet his hand snapped up and caught it. His head turned slowly towards her till that amber visor was staring her down. Cassy just returned the stare, but after a minuet she raised two fingers and swiped them across her face. The three spartans mimicked the move to her. Cassy walked up to them and sat down on a crate next to the one she threw the shell at. The spartan looked at her then gently gave her a nudge with his massive shoulders. She gave him a smack on his shoulder plate. "Its good to see you again Ryker." Cassy said with a smile. Ryker looked at the two other spartans. Cassy roller her eyes at the spartans silent communication. Ryker turned towards Cassy and made a fist then raised the thumb, forefinger, and ring finger. She nodded that she understood the sign and got up from the crate she was sitting on. She walked up to the medical bay to check on Mark. When she got there she saw Mark attempting to sneak past the doctor whose back was turned. Cassy looked at Mark and back to the doctor. Mark saw what she was planing and glared. "Don't you even think about it." He mouthed. She gave him an evil grin. "Hey doc, how is the Lieutenant?" Mark quickly dashed and made a flying leap back into his hospital bed. The doctor and Cassy just watched the display with amused grins. The tabby kitten laying on the bed let out a hiss in protest at being disturbed. Mark just glared at them. The doctor let out an annoyed sigh, "Well he seems to be fine and frankly I would be grateful if you took him." In a few short minuets the siblings were walking out of the medical bay. Mark scratched the tabby's chin as they walked through the ship. "So what convinced my sister to come and visit?" She stared ahead as they walked. " The eagle has returned to the roost." She said simply. Mark almost tripped from the words. "Wait! What! They… really!" Cassy smiled, "Deck 9." Mark started walking faster as they neared the lift. As soon as the lift hit deck 9 the siblings quickly made their way to the "spartan barracks". The door had a small eagle stenciled on the right top corner. She rapped once the door and waited. It slid open and they walked in. Only two of the Two of the members of shadow squad were in the process of checking their armor and removing any damaged sections. The two spartans looked up as the siblings entered the room. Cassy nodded but her brother was less subtle. He smiled and jogged up to them. "Where is Ryker?" The spartan in blue and black armor nodded to the door that the siblings just walked through. Mark turned around just to see Ryker's familiar armor step into the room. He didn't make it two steps before the siblings rushed him, embracing him in a hug. Ryker stood there embracing the siblings for a second before a noisy mew interrupted them. He leaned back and looked at the furry intruder now sitting on Marks head. The blue spartan walked up to the group. He paused for a second before sticking our his forefinger and poking the fuzzy creature. Faster than greased lightning the kitten leaped off Marks head and onto the blue spartans shoulder pauldron. The blue spartan and the kitten stared at each other for a second before the spartan gave the kitten a gentle pat on the head. Ryker shook his head at his teammate as he walked over to an armor removal station. Cassy then noticed that his armor was covered in burns and had a nasty cut that went diagonally across the chest piece. " Looks like someone forgot how to dodge. " Mark commented with a smirk. Ryker turned his head a stared at Mark. The amber visor made that smirk leave in a hurry. Once all the armor was removed from his body he reached up and removed the helmet. Pausing for a second to inspect the helmet he sent the armor to the tech guys to fix. He looked at the black undersuit he currently wore and was glad to see that all the damage he took never reached the undersuit. He turned towards Cassy and found that she was staring at him. " What? " He asked puzzled. Cassy just smiled. " I just remember the first time I saw your face... I'm glad to see that no much has changed. " Cassy had to admit that he was still as handsome as he was 12 years ago. His short chocolate brown hair had a touch of gray at the temples now. His unnaturally blue eyes were still full of life but contained pain, sadness, and a coldness to them that promises no mercy to his enemies. His face had acquired more scars over the years. One was a bit more prominent because of the fact it looked like a set of claw marks went across his face. She learned from his teammate that during a firefight a brute chieftain had hit Ryker hard enough to knock off his helmet and send him crashing to the ground. The chieftain pinned Ryker down and tried to bite his head off. Ryker nearly got away but before he could the brute slashed his face hard enough to render him unconscious. Thankfully his teammates killed the brute before it killed Ryker. On the positive side, it made him look even more scary. He walked over to a locker and slipped a pair of boots and fatigues over the body suit. The two other spartans removed their armor and were soon similarly dressed as Ryker. Mark picked the kitten off the ground and walked over to the group. Ryker turned to him and spoke in a slightly gravelly voice. " Where and when did you find that? " Mark scratched the kitten as he told them about the recent mission. The spartan previously in blue armor gave a light chuckle at Marks story. " I find it interesting that you stopped in the middle of running for your life to grab that, " as he pointed at the kitten. Mark made a mock impression of being insulted. " I couldn't say no to this face, besides I think it likes you Vapor. " Vapor snorted and walked out the door with the other spartan in tow. Ryker smiled at the siblings. "Okay now lets do some catching up." he said as he sat on a crate. They sat and talked for an hour or so about missions and how their teams were doing. Cassy smiled and watched her brother and Ryker talk about guns and whatnot. Ryker paused " you seem all smiles. " She smiled again before speaking. " Im thinking about how we lost our family 12 years ago...I thought that they could never be replaced, but I was wrong. I have a family again. " Cassy looked down, embarrassed, wiped away a traitorous tear that fell on her cheek. She was shocked when she felt a pair of massive arms gently wrap around her in a hug. She looked at Ryker in surprise. He backed up a bit so he could look her in the eye. "Cassy as long as I am alive no one will dare hurt you like that ever again." Cassy was again surprised. She knew that spartans never really showed emotions except among themselves. Ryker was a bit more kind than the others but still, He rarely showed this much emotion. " Well, aren't you a big social butterfly. " She teased. Ryker gave her that amused fatherly look before taking a step back. " Alright you two I am heading to talk to the captain. " He said as he walked out the door. Cassy and Mark just stood in the room for a minutes seconds. Mark turned to her, "Well that was a surprise but I'm glade to see your emotionally balanced again." Cassy punched him in the arm. " Let's go get some food before I eat the cat."