Chapter 8: The Index

Kapflip and Sasap were awoken by a series of loud explosions coming from their left. Rubbing their eyes, they looked around and saw the Flood in full retreat, with Dangerus's task force in close pursuit. They ran after them, calling out, only to be grabbed and hoisted into the air by Dangerus.

"Why did you desert?" Dangerus roared. Kapflip and Sasap trembled at the sight of him.

" Er…sir…we got lost," Kapflip tried to explain. It sounded lame even to him.

Dangerus growled and they cowered, preparing for the worst. But amazingly, Dangerus set them down on their feet. He snarled at them.

"It matters not. I shall deal with you later." He roared to his forces. "To the Index!"

Scott and Tanya had finally completed their task. The Library was officially now the most dangerous place to be on the installation.

"Great. Now let's get the hell out of here," Scott remarked as Tanya planted the last flat object.

They headed for the exit, retracing their steps back through the Library. This time it was much easier. The Flood had been mostly neutralized, and the Covenant forces were already well into the Library.

Eventually they came out of the Library. Their visors automatically dimmed, adjusting to the sunlight outside. Scott and Tanya headed for the Library. Scott contacted Ricoh on his com. "The Library's live now. We are now out of the Library."

"Good job. Zor is also outside. Now hold position back at the Avenger. Wait until the other Spartans and ODSTs get here or until we come back out." came the reply.

Scott blinked. "Ricoh, what other Spartans? Ricoh? Ricoh…?"

"No time to explain! Just…" Scott heard the sounds gunfire and grenade explosions. "Just do it!"

"Copy that boss," Scott answered. He and Tanya raced back to the Avenger. Zorro' Zamamee was waiting for them there. Tanya tapped a series of commands on a special computer she carried. All the safeties of the flat objects were removed.

"What did he say?" Tanya asked as she worked.

"He said somethin' about other Spartans. Said they were coming…"

"Other Spartans? You mean…" she said hesitantly, "more of us? Coming here?"

"Something like that…" Scott replied. Zorro' Zamamee nodded at them.

"More Demons like you…This can mean something good, can it? Did Ricoh know about this?"

"He told us, but I'm still not sure…" Tanya trailed off. "How would UNSC know? Right after Installation 06, we lost all connection with them…"

"Quick! Outside! We are under attack!" Zorro' Zamamee activated his Energy Sword, leaping with the skill of a ninja. Scott, Tanya, and the Ultra Elites Alwaysmee and Whynothim raced outside.

"Oh no…" Tanya groaned, as she saw an all-too familiar yet unwelcome sight.

The first few waves of Flood, which had been closing in on them from both sides, had started to link up at the Library.

Soon the rest of the Flood would be here, and no power they possessed could ever beat them.

The Spartans and Elites stood back to back, facing the advancing Flood, ready to die fighting. Some Elites and Grunts rushed back to the ship and manned vehicles to hold the line.

But the Flood kept coming…

And coming…

And stopped, forming a circle around them.

And a booming, chilling voice echoed through the far side of the mountains.

"I…SMELL…YOUR…BLOOD…!"

"Gravemind…" Tanya breathed.

"Nothing can stop the Flood. NOTHING! Surrender now, and you shall have an honorable death."

"And if we don't?" Scott dared to ask.

"Then I shall consume you!"

"We will never surrender to you, Parasite King!" snarled Zorro' Zamamee.

"Very well. Bring them to me! They shall be my dinner tonight!"

The Flood forces snarled and closed in.

Ricoh and Alexandra reached the elevators of the Library. They ascended to the second level. They knew they were running short of time. The Covenant forces would stop at nothing to capture the Index. And the Flood would stop at nothing to destroy the Index.

A three-way battle, winner take all.

But that was the good thing about these battles. After all, you could let two of them pummel each other and then wipe out what remained of them.

The next few minutes were pure speed. Ricoh and Alexandra ran, weaving, dodging, and ducking. Left, right, duck, left, duck, right, they ran, firing and slashing with their Plasma Rifle and Energy Sword.

Eventually they reached the second set of elevators and headed to the third floor.

"Juliet and Leo must be miles ahead of us by now," Ricoh remarked casually, reloading his Covenant Carbine with ammo taken from Brutes. He fired over Alexandra's shoulder, dropping a few Flood Combat Forms with chest shots.

"Where do you find a shortcut when you need one?" Alexandra groaned, frustrated. She fired over Ricoh's shoulder in turn, and Flood crumpled over, body parts littering the floor.

Her eye was caught by what appeared to be a control panel built into the wall. She moved closer. It glowed an eerie red and blue, and appeared to be a series of circles and lines. Forerunner glyphs dotted it. She studied it for a minute. Then it dawned on her. She was looking at a blueprint of the Library.

"There is a shortcut! This way!" She pulled Ricoh, running off to the left. Surprised, Ricoh followed, trying to keep pace with her.

Kelly, Fred, Maria, Linda, the Master Chief and the Helljumpers reached the Drop Zone. In the plains they could see the Pelican dtopships landing, dropping off their precious cargo of Warthogs, Mongooses and a few Scorpions. A team of SpecOps Elites

"Alright!" Sergeant Beckers whooped as he leapt into the driver seat of a Warthog LRV. Private Alfred Anderson and Corporal Kincaid climbed into the gunner seat and side seat respectively. The other members of his squad commandeered Mongooses and Scorpion Main Battle Tanks. They headed off in a convoy of twelve vehicles towards the Library.

The other ODSTs opted to use the Scorpions and Warthogs. Staff Sergeant Edwin climbed into the side seat just as the Master Chief took the wheel and Maria climbed into the gunner seat. Kelly, Linda and Fred commandeered another Warthog. They headed off in the opposite direction to Sergeant Beckers. The idea was that they would meet at the Library from both sides.

The Warthogs drove through the forests, while the Scorpions trundled behind. Fred noticed some large red blips on his motion tracker. He brought the Gauss Cannon on the Warthog round. "Holy crap!" he yelled. But too late, hordes of Flood rose up from the forest and ambushed them.

They kept driving forward, firing to ward off the Flood. Fred, Maria and the ODSTs blazed away with Gauss Cannons, Light Antiaircraft Guns, 7.62 mm machine guns and 105mm cannons. The Flood were driven back. A few Combat Forms fired Rocket Launchers wildly. The rockets exploded well away from their targets.

117649 Repentant Vector, Leo and Juliet finally reached the Index. As they descended, Juliet couldn't help but grin. After all, their mission was accomplished. All the available Indexes had been secured.

The binding locks on the Index aligned.

"You may now retrieve the Index, Reclaimers." The Monitor watched as Juliet pulled the Index out and stored it in her armor.

"Now hand it over, Demons!" a voice roared from behind.

Leo and Juliet whirled around, surprised, as Dangerus and his forces rushed in.