Chapter 9
Weapons Room
Johnson and Fred waited in the weapons room, along with a few Helljumpers, including Derrick and Tucker. Johnson loaded a clip of fresh ammo into an assault rifle and turned to the doors when the Evas and the Master Chief burst through.
"'Bout time you showed up." Johnson muttered. "It seems we've got an Orb on the loose in New York." Shinji looked over to Alexis, wondering if she would be affected at all by the attack of her hometown, but instead, she wore a grin, ready to fight and show that she was superior to the rest of them.
"We can handle it, right guys?" She said. Ray and Shinji didn't answer, but the Master Chief didn't look at her whatsoever.
"So what is an 'Orb'?" He asked.
"Don't know, just came up on radar." Johnson replied. Fred straightened his form, clasped his hands behind his back, his sunglasses tinting in the room.
"After a rather quick and thoughtless discussion on naming the Orb, Dr. Winchester and myself have found out in the small amount of time we studied it that it is indeed in the globe shape, and it hovers rather slowly." The agent said.
"This should be easy then." Alexis added. Johnson grunted.
"Doubt it Swans, we know those Abater bastards have been after New York for quite some time now, and I won't be surprised if some of the true Abaters show up, as soldiers." The sergeant said.
"So this is it Shinji and Sven, you just might be meeting the big trouble makers in this mess today." Fred concluded. "Grab what you need and go. Johnson and his Helljumpers will escort you there by means of the Scarlet Eagle. Good luck."
A bit disappointed for not having to fly a Banshee, the Master Chief jumped up into the Scarlet Eagle, which was able to carry himself, the Evas, Johnson, and one Helljumper. Derrick was a little nervous to be in the presence of the Master Chief, especially after he had been thrown through a two-foot thick wall into a pool of water, and still survive. Alexis, Ray, and Shinji were suited up now, all looking alike, yet they were each unique. Sitting beside the window, across from Johnson, the Master Chief looked out to see Dr. Winchester, 'Takimee, Victoria, and Susan by the entrance, wishing them luck as the Eagle took off and towards New York.
Sven had brought along duel SMG's again, instead of the regular assault rifle, as the others carried. As clouds swept past the swiftly moving helicopter, the Master Chief looked over at Shinji, whose stare gazed on the floor. He nudged him in the arm.
"You okay?" He asked. Shinji looked up, making eye contact with his friend, and nodded. He sat up straighter in his seat, the Eva and Master Chief making eye contact just inches away from each other. They both looked so powerful, so strong, and if they were to ever get into a battle, it seemed it would be a colossal clash.
"So how are you and…Susan doing?" He asked. The Master Chief hesitated, deep feelings mixing in with his thoughts of the upcoming battle, and said.
"Good." The Spartan replied. Eva-01 nodded. They both jumped when they heard Sergeant Johnson speak.
"So you and her an item?" He said, smiling and fighting the upcoming laugh. Sven looked at him and nodded.
"I…I don't know sir." He said, not knowing exactly what he meant by 'item'. Johnson leaned back in his seat. Alexis leaned forward towards Ray.
"Who are they talking about?" She asked. Ray didn't answer; instead she looked back and forth from Johnson to the Master Chief.
"Where are you from Chief?" Johnson asked.
"Fair Oaks, Kansas, sir." Sven replied.
"So you lived right on top of us thirteen years ago. Back when I was a rowdy little soldier without a care in the world." The sergeant began. "I lost some good friends those first few years of the war, before the Covenant came in."
"I'm sorry to hear that sir." The Master Chief said. Johnson loosened up a bit.
"So you better not die, otherwise you'll make that someone that cares about you feel some nasty pain." Johnson went on. Derrick watched in awe, amazed that someone who was practically dead for thirteen years, robbed of their childhood, and forced into the military could possibly have a heart, let alone share it with someone else.
"We're in the New York area; the shields here are down, better hurry to kill that thing." The pilot said, some time later.
"You heard him, go, go, go!" Johnson shouted as he and the others leaped out from the helicopter, weapons posed, they all scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary. New York City was deserted, papers flew across the streets by the wind and sunlight glinted off of the massive skyscrapers hanging over them.
"Don't forget the Grunts." The pilot said. The back of the Scarlet Eagle opened and short, stocky creatures stumbled out. Altogether there were ten, either wearing orange or red armor, with blue skin, and big black beady eyes. They carried tanks on their backs with a mask over their mouths, which gave the Grunts methane-rich air.
"Alright people, Derrick, you go with Eva-02, along with four Grunts. Eva-00 go with Master Chief, along with three Grunts, and I'll go with Eva-01, with the last three Grunts. We'll split in different directions, and contact each other if we come into contact." Johnson ordered. "Go!" And with that, the three teams split up in different directions.
Sprinting, the Master Chief and Eva-00 kept scanning the area as well as they could, even though they were moving very quickly. Sven stopped.
"Wait." He said. Ray froze and turned, her head cocked to the side and her physical movements asked 'why?' "We have to wait for the Grunts." The Master Chief said, turning to the waddling, and clumsy creatures known as Grunts.
"Okay." Ray said softly. The Grunts ran up to them, gasping from their methane-masks for breathe.
"You okay?" The Master Chief asked the three Covenant beings. Looking up with their beady eyes, the Grunts nodded.
"Yes sir." They all said. Eva-00 stepped forward, holding her assault rifle in one hand.
"Can you tell us your names?" She asked, again in almost a whisper.
"Yes ma'am. I'm Jukal." The Grunt in red said. Jukal held a plasma pistol in his hand, which could charge up, fired, and turn into one helluva blast, or if one were to pull the trigger multiple times, it would unleash a flurry of green plasma.
"I'm Gakarg." One of the Grunts in orange armor said, the methane tank on his back was smaller than the others, he also carried a plasma pistol.
"And I'm Yegil." The final Grunt said. Yegil carried an odd-looking weapon; it was rather bulky, with pink needles extending out of the top of it. It was called a needler, and when fired, would shoot the pink needles, lock onto an enemy, hit it, then explode while embedded in its skin. The Eva and Master Chief nodded, before turning and walking down the deserted road, so that their Grunt allies could keep up.
Johnson, Eva-01, and three Grunts scanned the area for anything that was somewhat Abater-like.
"You two, go check out that street, then report back to us." Johnson ordered to two Grunts, who waddled up the street to the next one.
"Enemy!" One shouted in its high-pitched, squeaky voice. He and his comrade opened fire on an unseen foe, which seemed to be in midair, obviously it was the Orb.
"Let's move!" Johnson barked at Eva-01 and the final Grunt, who was named Kiwak. A shadow fell over the two Grunts, and the others witnessed in horror as the shadow sucked the Grunts down screaming and wailing down into its darkness. The shadow vanished, as did the Grunts. "When you see it, open fire on the son of a bitch!" Johnson cried as he and the others stopped and aimed their weapons.
A round object appeared from behind a building, it was massive. Thirty, maybe forty feet wide and just as tall, the Orb somehow spotted the humans and Grunt and began to hover towards them. It was odd looking, as it was white, with black stripes all over it, it was patterned to be zebra-like, yet it still radiated a menacing look.
"Fire!" Johnson cried as he and the others fired at it. Kiwak fired the most, for the Orb killed his comrades.
"Shadow!" Eva-01 cried. And with his words, the Orb's shadow appeared underneath their feet. Johnson hurled Ridid away, and dove to the street that the blackness didn't touch. Shinji however, wasn't as fortunate. Like quicksand, the shadow consumed Eva-01, no matter how much he fought it. Johnson reached for the COM link.
"Three men down! We need backup!"
The Master Chief and Eva-00 paused and looked at each other, nodded, and took off sprinting in Johnson's directions.
"We are they going?" Gakarg asked the others.
"We're helping the Sergeant." Jukal said, as he and Yegil took off waddling as fast as they could to their aid. "Turn your COM link on once in awhile."
Though the Master Chief's team made it there pretty fast, Alexis's was faster. As he and Ray turned to the corner, followed by their three Grunt comrades, they witnessed Johnson and Ridid firing at the Orb, as well as Alexis, Derrick, and their four Grunts. Sven opened fire once he saw Eva-01 be completely consumed by the darkness, however, he didn't seem to fight anymore, and went willingly. The shadow disappeared, and reappeared under Alexis's teams' feet.
"Oh my God!!" She screamed as she opened fire on the shadow below her, but it continued to suck her in. Her Grunt comrades were the first to go, then Derrick, but the Orb seemed to take its time sucking Alexis in.
"Sir...Sir" Shinji's voice echoed over the COM channel, filled with static. Johnson, a little surprised, touched the link.
"Yes son?" He asked.
"The...ther...s...they...fine"
"Slow down, I can't understand you." Johnson said.
"I'm...try...up...Orb" Johnson and the others tried to think about what that meant, all over Alexis's screams and wails and the static. The Master Chief lowered his SMG's and looked at Johnson.
"Sir, I think he's trying to blowup the Orb." He said. Johnson reached for the link and said.
"Blow his ass up man!" And with that, they heard a beep, then the Orb paused. The shadow, now getting Alexis at her neck, disappeared, and left her in the cement, from the neck down. Next the Abater exploded in a shower of black blood. The Orb's skin fell limp to the ground and peeled out like flower pedals. Inside the black ooze, a black figure arose. Black blood dripping from its gangly figure, the figure seemed menacing. It took a step towards them, and other figures rose up. It was Eva-01, his purple and green armor covered with black blood, as were Derrick and the Grunts. "Good work men." Johnson said. "Let's get you home."
"Isn't someone going to help me out from here?!!" She cried.
"It'll take awhile to get some drilling equipment out here, so you better be ready for a long wait." Johnson replied, after calling for the chopper.
"What?!!" Alexis screamed. "Isn't there some faster way?!!" Johnson grinned to himself, and looked at the Master Chief.
"Chief, how'd you like to blow Eva-02 out of there with one of your guns?" He asked, smirking. Going along with it, Sven nodded.
"Yes sir." He said, and walked toward Alexis. She managed to shake her head.
"No thanks, I can wait." She said shakily.
"That's better." Johnson cried over the roar of the landing helicopter that came from behind a building and landed before them. "Don't hesitate to contact military forces if some Abaters show up." He said as he and the others hopped aboard the copter and took off.
Well, that's that Abater, again based off an Angel from Evangelion. I hoped you liked this chapter as with the others, and if you would like to drop in a review, I wouldn't mind.