Chapter 29: Halo

AN: Thanks to all who gave an opinion on starting a new story. I felt like an asshole when I made the decision to stop this for a bit, but like I said, I needed a break, partially because I was getting bored, and also (thanks to Winter's Sentinel for pointing this out) my writing was getting repetitive and hard to follow. But I have refined it, and in my opinion, it is better. My new story will be up when I finish up this one, so plan for about two months (Yes, H4 is that short.). On a side note, I really hate it when guests try to flame. That annoys me more than actual flamers. To all those people: get a spine and make a real account, I'm sure that would make all of us writers, who put our time and effort into writing these, and we don't even get anything out of this, a lot happier. On a better note, I have given it some thought, and I will start answering reviews in the notes, not in PM's. But that's next chapter.

Halo Installation 04B.

"Up to the control room, Chief! We'll cover you!" Carter shouted.

John ran as fast as he dared up the ramps while firing into the torrent of Flood forms that hounded him the whole way up. A Sangheili Combat Form jumped him at the top and managed to grab ahold of John's shoulder and throw him to the ground. John quickly drew his M6C Magnum and dumped the clip into the Form, but it ignored the bullets and started beating the Chief to death.

As John's shields broke, the Flood form was torn apart from behind by a shotgun blast. John heard the sound of an M45 Tactical shotgun being racked, and an armored hand reached down and hauled him up as the shotgun registered again.

On the other end of the weapon stood Emile, who seemed perfectly fine even though he had just had the shit beat out of him by the Brutes not 12 hours ago.

"Nice of you to show up." John commented.

"Thought I'd let you handle it, Chief. Let's go, the rest of the team has secured the entrance." Emile said.

"James and Kat are back on their feet?" The Chief asked as they ran and he reloaded.

"James is. Kat is still recovering on the Dawn, and providing tactical support."

They reached the walkway just below the entrance, and were ambushed by Flood Tank Forms.

Emile dumped two shells into one, while John emptied his MA5C clip into another. A red laser shot down from the cliffs and decimated another, but a fourth was left unchecked.

"I got your back, Chief. Get to the control room, ASAP." Sgt. Johnson said over the comms.

John slammed the butt of his AR into the Tank Form, and it disintegrated. The other slapped Emile to the ground and broke his shields.

"Emile!" John said as he turned.

The Chief acted in a split second: He tackled the Tank form, an impressive feat in-an-of itself, and cut its head off with his combat knife. Then, to make sure it didn't attack again, he dumped his entire AR and Magnum clips into its chest cavity.

He stood up and hauled Emile to his feet.

"Looks like we're even now." John said.

"Who's counting?" Emile replied.

Carter and the Arbiter joined them shortly after they made it to the entrance. Sgt. Johnson caught up a few minutes after, with the Monitor trailing just behind him.

"Wait, is that the Monitor? What else have you been doing in my absence?" Cortana asked.

"Plenty." James responded.

"The Flood is coming this way; we must seal the entrance behind us." 343 Guilty Spark said.

The group, more like a small army, entered the structure and proceeded to the control room.

"John, let me take Cortana to the console." James said over a private comm channel.

"Why?"

"'Cause knowing this floating asshole, he'll go crazy and blast us. I don't want anyone except me to take that blast."

"Alright. Just be on guard." John said.

"Johnson, you and the rest of the team stay out here and cover our exit. James and I are going in." The Chief ordered over the local comm.

"Got it, Chief. Alright, boys! We're holding this door at any costs! Let's set up, and give those ugly sons-of-bitches a reason to go crying to their mommies!"

James and John walked into the control room, and Johnson gave James his Laser.

"You'll need this more than I will if you're fighting Flood." James said.

"Nah. I got a surprise for them."

He pulled out a grenade launcher and loaded in a grenade.

"It's one of those, right?"

"You betcha." Johnson answered with a smirk.

The door closed after Johnson walked back out.

James walked up to the console, Cortana's chip in hand, and as he did, the Monitor flew in beside him.

"Reclaimers! This installation is nearly complete! By my calculations, it will be ready to activate in a few days."

"Yeah, shove it, Lightbulb. We don't have a few days." James said in disgust.

"What are you implying, Reclaimer?"

"I'm gonna light this thing now."

Spark abruptly flew in front of the Spartan.

"You cannot! The forces generated will destroy the Ark and this installation!"

"Like I said: I'm lighting it, and you can go fuck yourself. So get out of my- UGH!"

James was cut off as Spark shot an energy beam at him.

"I cannot allow you to do that. You are the children of my makers, Inheritors of everything they left behind." His 'eye' turned red. "But this ring is mine."

John raised his Assault Rifle and fired a 10 round burst, but it had no effect. He dove as Spark shot a laser beam at him, which caught the II in the knee and drained his shields to 30%.

He quickly recovered and sprayed the rest of his clip at the rampant AI, but again, with no effect.

The AI launched another beam at John, but he dodged this one.

"Hey, asshole! Catch!"

A red laser shot across the room, and hit the AI straight in the 'eye'. James had hauled himself up to a sitting position and fired Johnson's Laser.

"My eye! Do you intend to destroy me, Reclaimers?!"

"Yes I fucking do!" James yelled as he fired again.

The blast just missed the Monitor.

"James! Throw me the Laser!" John shouted.

He did, and the Chief caught it seamlessly. He rolled as Spark fired again, and fired a laser of his own. It hit straight on, and Spark began to… well, spark, and sputter, evidence of the extensive damage done to his frame.

"Th-th-th-th-think about your f-f-f-forefathers!"

Spark fired again, and caught John in the gut, throwing him off his feet, and sending the Laser spinning away.

James slowly got up, and in a last ditch attempt to kill the Monitor, jumped on it and began stabbing it more times than one could shake a stick at. He then picked up the sparking Monitor and threw it into the chasm beneath the platform.

"First rule of the universe: don't fuck with Spartans."

He stood up and placed Cortana's data chip near the console in the center of the room so that the AI could 'migrate' into the ring's systems.

"There, the ring is activated. Let's get out of here."

And… done. Next up, the escape from Halo, and the end of the Human-Covenant War. I'll say it, I'm actually happy to be done with the Halo Trilogy, even though I never wrote for CE (that will be told during the next few chapters). Why you ask? Well, the trilogy is cool and all, but it's very… restricted. It's long and tedious, and in the end, it's a cliffhanger. But that's what made it cool. So for now, I bid you all good night… and Big Balls. (NOT THAT KIND, YOU SICK BASTARDS!)