"The actual truth is always hardest to accept". ~BarQes_
Chapter 12: The Black Hole
Chief fell down to the floor. He was frozen, the always so stoic super soldier coudn't even breath. Chief has faced everything from hunters and elites to brutes and prometheans but the flood. Flood was something even he scared, no he was terrified of. Chief could feel the spores tentacle pearce his armor he felt it touch his skin. He closed his eyes waiting for dead...
When a gunshot was heard. Chief opened his eyes to see the spore gone and turned around to see Linda standing few meters away Norfang in her hands smoking.
"Chief, you allright?" She asked and Chief nodded standing up.
"You need to keep yourself together. Their might be more".
Chief picked up his assault rifle and turned to Halsey.
"We need to move". The flood was supposed to be dead was left unspoken.
"Not without what we came for. I do not know how the flood survived after the firing of halo arrays but we need the information here to have any hope of destroying the Guardians".
Chief Didn't like it. No he hated it...But he also knew that she was speaking the truth.
"There won't be anyone left to destroy the Guardians if we die here and let the flood spread". Came Linda's voice as she scanned the room for the parasite.
"Reclaimer, I might have a solution for the flood. But time is of the essence". Suddenly Medicant spoke.
"What is it?" Chief asked.
"The Maethrillian was the capital city of the forerunners so it also housed some of the most secret and important information forerunners had. This also meant that in point of no return situation there were safeguards to destroy the city if there was no other way".
"How?" Was all he said.
"I will lead you to the center of the city where the core of Maethrillian is located. There you will overload it and if my calculations are correct...This should create a chain reaction that will result in a giant black hole for a lack of better word".
"We cannot destroy the city before we have what we need John".
He knew what they had to do. Of course he knew that the only answer was to leave Linda protect Halsey while he would take the shortest route to the massive city's core. But that ment leaving Linda alone again. Fred and Kelly were way too far away to arrive in time. After everything he did to ensure this situation woudn't happen again...Here they were at sguare zero.
"John". Linda's voice brought him out of his thoughts. It was much softer than he had ever heard her speak.
"You know what we have to do. I don't like it and I know you don't like it but there's no other option. Il be fine…".
"Go" She finished.
Chief nodded and headed towards the marker Medicant had given him.
Chief literally got 10 steps when he already was swarmed by flood.
"How are they still alive!" Chief yelled to Medicant as he ran towards his next objective and fired whenever he could.
"I do not know. After the firing of the halo's they should have died for lack of food. The spore that jumped on your armor also didn't die to your shields. Most troubling...".
"Something had to sustain them if they have survived this long". Chief said as he stepped into a teleport.
"That is a question we might not get a answer for. We must stay focused on our objective". Medicant reminded him.
Rest of the journey trought the corridors and streets was spent fighting. Only words that were spoken were related to situation at hand and Chief actually grew to think that the AI's company wasn't so bad.
"How far?"
"two-hundred meters and you will arrive to the maingate of the facility". Bias replied.
"What do I need to do?" Chief asked as he walked trought the giant doors.
"You must disable the safety shield around the core. After this you must destroy the core, how? I do not yet know".
"Great" Muttered Chief.
"Marking the first control console now".
Chief could see the console about 30 meters above him, he could also see a bridge leading to the console...A bridge full of flood spores and combat forms.
"I have noticed that the flood combat forms are bulkier and toughter than usually. I believe they are infected forerunners. This would also explain the lack of flood type variations". What Medicant didn't tell Chief was that he was the one to originally attack the forerunner capital.
"Marking the last console for you now reclaimer".
As Chief deactivated the last console he could see the shield around Maethrillian's core disappear.
"You may take the teleporter behind you to quickly travel to the core". Bias advised.
Chief walked trought the teleporter and heard Bias sight. "I still have yet to uncover a way to destroy the core and we are running out of time".
"Chief?" Came Kelly's voice over the com.
"I hear you Kelly".
"We just saw something huge ram trought the city towards you".
"Did you see what it was?" Chief questioned.
"Negative but be careful". Kelly said and cut the com.
immediately after the com was shut Chief heard a extremely loud screech. "What was that?" He asked and Bias informed "Reading a massive biosign coming this way...From the back wall".
As Bias finished a giant worm looking...thing rammed its way trought the back wall and stopped to look at Chief.
"Reclaimer I advice for a tactical retreat". Said Bias humor in his voice.
"No time". If Chief noticed his tone he didn't seem to care. This told Bias a little bit more about his past AI companion.