Chapter 6: Down The Shafts
The Library of Installation 07
The Covenant Loyalist Phantoms landed in a patch of flat land just before the mountain ranges. Dangerus and Furius stepped off, followed by the rest of the battalion of Covenant soldiers.
"We must find the Index," Dangerus rumbled. "Half of you, follow me! The rest, follow Furius!" Dangerus was older than Furius and thus assumed control of the battalion.
The two task forces went separate ways, each attempting to reach the Index. When one task force had secured it, they would contact the other. The other would then clear the exit for the first task force
"Oh no!" The Grunt Minor Sasap groaned as he tried to keep pace with Dangerus and the rest of his task force. "Can't run with methane tank on back!" He complained to his friend, the Grunt Minor Kapflip.
"Brutes never give us time to rest," replied Kapflip. The other Grunts agreed, and were only quelled when the Brutes and Jackals threatened to shoot them on the spot. Kapflip and Sasap moved as fast as they could, but soon fell behind. They dropped further and further behind, until even the Hunter pair in their task force was ahead of them.
Eventually they were alone. Trembling with fear, they advanced, pointing their Needlers at anything they saw or heard.
They reached the mountain ranges at long last. As they entered a tunnel, Sasap and Kapflip heard a sound they had never heard before.
The sickening sound of Flood.
Sasap turned in the direction of the sound, and yelped in fright as a Flood Combat Form lashed out at him, missing him by millimeters. He and Kapflip shrieked, firing their Needlers at the Combat Form before running as fast as they could down the tunnel.
The Lost Platoon landed the Avenger of Truth on the far side of the mountain ranges and got out. They were eager to get this over with and complete their last mission.
"Okay then, let's move out! Same teams as usual!" Ricoh called out. They split into their teams. As usual, Scott was with Tanya, Leo was with Juliet and Ricoh stayed with Alexandra.
"Okay, Scott, you and Tanya get inside and find a vital spot. Then activate and get out. Leo, get Juliet to the Index and follow any Monitor that appears. Tell them what we're here for and call our friend if things get ugly. Zor and his team will move in as reinforcements. We'll hold off the Covenant and get to the Index if all else fails," Ricoh explained hurriedly. The other Spartans nodded. 'Let's go!"
They moved into a Forerunner tunnel, weapons at the ready. Seeing a three-pronged fork in the tunnel, they nodded to each other. Scott and Tanya went left, Ricoh and Alexandra moved right and Leo and Juliet went up the middle fork. They disappeared into the tunnels.
"This way," boomed Dangerus as his task force moved deeper and deeper into the Library. Somehow he had the nagging feeling that a few Grunts were missing, but he shrugged it off. After all, they were just Grunts, he decided. Cannon fodder, that was all they were useful as.
Meanwhile, the two Grunts, Kapflip and Sasap, had finally evaded the Flood Combat Form. They were shaking with fear at how close they had been to death.
"Need…to…find…team!" Sasap exclaimed in frustration. They were lost in the tunnels and corridors. Overcome with fatigue, Kapflip and Sasap curled up and promptly fell asleep.
Furius's task force charged through the Library recklessly, eager to crush everything in their sight. They were sure, other than Dangerus, that they were the only ones in the Library. After all, the Demons were on the other side of this Halo, weren't they? And as for the Flood…
He turned just in time to crash into a horde of Flood. Roaring, his task force opened fire. Dark green blood sprayed the walls. Dismembered Flood body parts landed all around them. Yet the Flood came on relentlessly.
The battle soon developed into wild hand-to-hand combat, with weapon butts, tentacles and blades. The Flood lashed out again and again. Some of the weaker members of the task force fell, their blood mingling with each other's.
Eventually, the Flood forces were driven off. Furius roared in anger, slamming his Gravity Hammer into a wall. Only a few minutes of combat, and half his Grunts and Jackals were dead. He sighed. At least his Grunt Heavies, Special Operations Grunts and some of his Jackal Snipers survived. Still, he urged his forces forward.
"This way!" he shouted. He rounded the corner ahead of his task force, only to reel backward as a Flood Tank Form backhanded him across the face. The other Tank and Combat Forms with it snarled and moved in for the kill. Furius's task force charged, rushing the Flood forces head-on.
Elsewhere…
"Wow," Scott remarked to Tanya as they moved up the tunnel. "Kind of comfy in here."
"You think?" Tanya asked. Scott could picture how she raised an eyebrow behind her visor. Her hands moved to her utility belt, ensuring everything was intact.
"Yeah, it certainly is," Scott replied. "No Covenant, a long way to go…" He stopped and added mischievously, "Just you and me, and the night's still young." He laughed as Tanya punched him playfully on the arm.
"Jokes aside," she stated bluntly and they carried on. Eventually they arrived at a large chamber. Forerunner glyphs lined the walls like an Egyptian pyramid. The room was constricted, with several large pillars.
Scott glanced around quickly, ensuring it was clear. Nodding to Tanya, they moved in.
The next moment, they threw themselves to the ground as a jet of radioactive gel sprayed the area they had been in a moment ago.
Leo chased after Juliet, hefting his Fuel Rod Gun. "Hey, wait up!" he called. Juliet was racing ahead, instinctively knowing where to go.
"Sorry," Juliet replied. "I'm running high today." All of a sudden, a flying purple box-like ball appeared in front of them. His eye turned to look at them.
"Greetings! I am the Monitor of Installation 07. I am 117649 Repentant Vector. The Flood have launched a catastrophic outbreak, Reclaimers. We must secure the Index before the Flood do."
Leo and Juliet gaped. "The Flood?! They're supposed to be dead!" Leo exclaimed.
"Yes, true. Unfortunately, the Flood containment facilities on this installation contained a Gravemind. When he awoke, he rallied the other Flood to him and caused the outbreak. Follow me!" The Monitor sped down the tunnels and Leo and Juliet raced after him.
Out of nowhere, the hidden Flood Combat Forms leapt at them, weapons firing wildly, tentacles flailing, ready to lash the two Spartans to death. Their energy shields flashed as they were hit. Leo swung his Fuel Rod Gun, slamming the heavy mortar gun viciously into the Flood Combat Forms around him, sending them flying everywhere. Dark-greenish blood splattered the walls, a macabre parody of vandalism. Leo fired his Fuel Rod Gun to keep them down.
Juliet ducked below the flailing tentacles and limbs of the Flood and fired her secondary weapon, her Spiker. Blood flashed and Flood body parts flew everywhere, severed by the superheated metal spikes. Yet the Flood came on relentlessly. Leo lobbed Fuel Rod after Fuel Rod with incredible accuracy, taking out all the Flood around her.
Juliet glowered. "You know, I could have taken them out myself." Even so, she had to admire Leo's accuracy. She had taken only minor splash damage. 117649 Repentant Vector turned to wait for them.
"We must hurry, Reclaimers. Time is not on our side." The Monitor sped down another tunnel. As Leo ran, he spoke to Ricoh on the com.
Ricoh listened to Leo's message, surprised. He turned to Alexandra.
"The Flood! I don't believe it…! They broke out somehow!"
"What do you mean?" she asked. "Look out!" she shouted a moment later.
Ricoh rolled out of the way just in time as a Flood Tank Form obliterated the area he had occupied a moment earlier. Roaring, it charged at them. Ricoh and Alexandra opened fire on the Tank Form. The projectiles from the Beam Rifle and the Covenant Carbine struck its body but did not do much damage.
The Tank Form roared again, slamming its oversized hands into the ground. The two Spartans were thrown backwards. Ricoh fired his Covenant Carbine. Three radioactive rounds entered the Tank Form's mouth. It howled and died, dark-greenish blood oozing out of its mouth, congealing around its corpse.
Alexandra kicked the corpse to ensure it was really down and out. Bone snapped and a sickening thwack was heard as she slammed her foot into the corpse. Satisfied, she nodded at Ricoh. "Nice one."
This coming from the sniper, Ricoh thought. "This way!" he called.
They rushed through the tunnels, weaving and dodging as they fired at Flood, leaving a grisly trail of bodies behind them. Eventually they arrived at a chamber. As they got close, a Firebomb grenade exploded nearby. A Spike Grenade also detonated, forcing them to take cover. Through Alexandra's scope on her Beam Rifle, they saw several Brute Stalkers and Brute Majors fighting the Flood.
Ricoh whistled softly. "The Covenant and the Flood. Looks like everyone wants to join the party."
Alexandra activated her Active Camouflage. She lifted the Beam Rifle and aimed. "This shouldn't take long," she said as her finger tightened on the trigger.
Ricoh brought a hand to his helmet, selected a secure channel, and muttered into the com.
Outside, Zorro' Zamamee activated his Energy Sword. He instructed the Ultra Elites Whynothim and Alwaysmee and several other Elites to guard the Avenger. Roaring instructions in the Sangheili language, he and a detachment of Special Operations Elites and Ultra Elites charged into the Library. Zorro' Zamamee and his forces ducked and weaved as Flood came on in waves at them. They fired their Plasma Rifles and Covenant Carbines, suppressing the Flood.
Zorro' Zamamee slashed and lunged with his Energy Sword. Flood all around him fell in pieces, their blood pooling about their dismembered body parts. They moved in.
Elsewhere…
The drop pods from the Black Prince finally reached the surface of Installation 07. The Spartans and the Helljumpers leapt out and dashed out of the open. They formed up in a forest.
A burly Helljumper moved to the head of the group, the insignia of a Master Sergeant on his uniform. His dog tag read "BECKERS, BEN". He had black hair cut short, tattoos on his arms and a scar down his right cheek.
He turned to the Master Chief. "Any idea where the other Spartans are?"
The Master Chief tapped the button on his com and broadcast a short four-word message across the whole installation.
The message known by heart by all Spartans.
Olly Olly Oxen Free.
He listened to the reply. After a few minutes, the Master Chief looked up.
"They're after the last Index," he said.
"Analyzing…The Library is one hundred kilometers north from here," Cortana said from the Master Chief's armor.
"This is Dropship Tango-827 inbound. Sit tight, Helljumpers and Spartans. The Flood's on your tail, so we're dropping off some vehicles. Dropships Foxtrot-909 and Lima-125 also inbound. LZ (Landing Zone) at twenty kilometers north. Special Operations Elites also inbound." The voice of the pilot crackled over the com.
"Okay, let's go!" Sergeant Beckers pointed north. The Helljumpers and Spartans moved out. As he ran, Sergeant Beckers shouted commands.
"Corporal Jefferson, you're with me. Same goes for you, Corporal Kincaid!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Staff Sergeant Edwin, you and your men go with the Spartans!"
"Sir, yes, sir!" they replied.
"Quickly! The Flood ain't going to welcome us with open hands!" Fred yelled as they raced to the landing zone.