Hello! I deicded to make this one a lil bit longer. I don't know if I can stick to this length but...I will try to at least have a minimum of 3000 words per chapter now. I really appreciate all the lovely reviews! Thank you all for your comments and support!
Before I forget, I do not own Halo!
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Just beyond the remains of the city lay the UNSC encampment.
Small tents were pitched up alongside small buildings and houses. Bordering the whole thing was what the marines liked to call "The Scrap Line", a massive wall made up of pieces of buildings, cars, and anything that might serve as a barricade. The camp wasn't much, but it still looked intimidating. Marines patrolled around the compound on mongooses, while sentries walked the wall, sniper rifles in hand. They had been through many skirmishes and had enough experience now to keep an eye open at all times. This was a particularly active part of the city; small fights between marines and covenant were common.
Which is exactly why they need a traveling doctor. Her doctor drabs consisted of: a blood stained pair of jeans that were more reddish than blue, a drab green shirt (also covered in blood stains), and a once white lab coat. The coat was still fairly white on the back, but to let people know she was a medic she had a sloppily written "MEDIC" with a cross painted below it in more blood.
She lugged her large medical sports bag to her other shoulder as she topped the hill. It had been a long walk, but relatively safe. She holstered her favorite shotgun when a group of marines pointed in her direction.
When she got a little closer, four marines came to meet her. Two carried assault rifles, the other two pistols. As soon as they saw it was Missy their weapons were quickly replaced with wide grins and waves.
"Missy Massacre! So good to see you again! We got lots of boo-boos that need kissing!" The tallest marine said, as he made a kissy face at her.
Another cheeky marine chuckled "Yeah I'm hurtin' real bad doc! Kiss my boo-boo!" He grabbed his crotch, resulting in raucous laughter from the marines.
Missy laughed but gave him a slug to the face, not enough to really hurt him, but enough to get her message across. Don't fuck with me. "There's your tender loving kiss! If ya want another one just ask." Damn, I've missed this. When was the last time I actually laughed?
When the large, cheeky marine stumbled back and fell to the ground, the others laughed even harder "Told ya she was a tough one! She don't fuck around."
Her bawdy marine friend had bit his lip but was otherwise ok; a small smile crept across his face "I like 'em tough." His eyes glinted fiercely, but he waggled his eyebrows at her comically.
She put up her hand in a mock 'woah' gesture "Settle down boys, I got a date with some bloody idiots." Without waiting for them to escort her she started towards camp.
Behind she could hear one of the marines whisper "Why do they call her Missy Massacre?" Another replied "I dunno, some say its cause she can take a guy that looks like he's been massacred and turn him out right as new." She smiled a little at that.
"All though," another replied even quieter than the first "Some say its cause she killed some people or something before this whole war thing." She let them carry on about her namesake and hastened her pace toward the rag-tag tents.
. . . . . . .
When she opened the flap that led to the medical tent she was stunned into silence.
It's worse than the last time I was here! A tall sinewy man, with tufts of white hair clinging desperately to his balding head busied himself inside the tent. He wore a pair of slacks and tee with a blood stained fashion similar to hers, if not fresher. He turned around when she opened the canvas flap of the tent, his eyes widened to an enormous size behind his thick glasses.
He stopped whatever it was he was doing and threw his arms in the air, "Thank God you're here!" He was up to his ungloved elbows in blood and when he threw his arms up fresh blood splattered all over her. Red blood, human blood.
Yep. She was home.
Missy couldn't help the stupid grin spreading so widely on her face, "Hey, good to see you Doctor Vaclavik…"
Before she could say another word he grabbed her by the wrist and brought her to one of the many screaming patients.
The marine before her was laid out on a cot, but he was delirious and kept thrashing around. Apparently precautions had been taken to hold him down, thick leather belts were strapped to his thighs, calves, and arms. A shoddy-looking leather strap head restraint attempted to keep him from moving too much. He clearly had head trauma, a large, painful gash was weeping blood. A nice clean cut. Appears to have been made by a spiker. Vaclavik was rattling on, giving her details on how he got the wound.
That didn't really matter now. Sadly she turned to her green, worn medical bag and pulled out a vial of her own barbiturate compound.
Her heightened senses told her all she needed to know. The pungent smell of death and decay wafted from his body; it was strong to her nose, but the others wouldn't smell it for another three hours or so. This one lost his chance at life a long time ago. There is no helping him. She was said to be able to bring the dead back to life…but she was only human at the end of the day.
"Tell the diggers to start making a ditch." she said to no one in particular, just so long as it gets done.
The marine on the cot stopped struggling for a moment. He turned his glazed eyes towards the sound of her voice and tried to reach for her, "Marie. MARIE! No, let me go! MARIE!" His screams pierced her like sharp needles. She was used to injured marines thinking she was their long dead lover. So why did she still feel that awful twist inside? She smiled gently down at him and whispered, "Hush now. I'm here to make the pain go away." The dead man sniffled, but visibly relaxed as she cupped his cheek gently, "It hurts Marie. It hurts so bad…"
She felt her heart ice over, but the smile on her face she kept thawed for his sake. "I will ease the pain, love. Relax for me. Go to sleep…I will wait for you."
At this she planted a light kiss on his forehead, and injected the lethal fluid.
. . . . . . .
"Ugh…" Missy flopped onto the bed.
Well, it wasn't really a bed, more of a straw and blanket covered plank of wood, but it would do. She had worked all day helping patients. The smell of blood was rich in the air and she felt sticky with sweat and other questionable substances.
She just got comfortable and was about to fall asleep when her fellow medic came into the back of the tent. She hated having to share a room with people, but that was a luxury she would have to give up if she wanted to help her fellow mankind.
Vaclavik groaned and stretched as a cacophony of snaps and pops rattled from his old, tired bones. He saw her lying in bed and jumped back with a raspy yell of surprise, then settled. "Oy. Been a long day. Too much work for an old man. I should be sitting on a beach somewhere, if it wasn't for this war." Vaclavik got dressed into a fresh pair of slacks and tee and settled into a bed across from hers. "I was certain I was going to die from exhaustion what with all these patients and all…And no matter how tired I am, the beds never relax me."
He looks older than I remember. His head had been covered with hair that made her think of thin wispy clouds before she'd left, and now it clung so precariously it seemed like a puff of wind might blow it all away. New wrinkles crisscrossed the old man's face and heavy bags burdened his eyes. She knew he was the kind of person who always saw "the glass half empty" but she had to say that his complaints were valid.
She should have been here.
She bit her lip in shame, "I'm sorry. But there are other…"
Vaclavik snorted, "Other medics? I think I speak truly when I say you are the only real doctor here. Heh, I was a veterinarian before all this exterminating began!" He laughed humorlessly, the wrinkles on his face crumpling into a scowl "We need you here. I know you can see how much better we are with you here."
The Spartan fought valiantly against her emotions. Regret, anger, sorrow, joy; they all raged against her, like so many hordes of screaming enemies scraping after her sanity. "I…I know." She turned over then, unable to bare the look of betrayal on her friend's face.
Sleep took her in an exhausted wave and she briefly hoped she wouldn't be plagued by dreams tonight.
.z.z.z.z.z.
*Huff, huff, huff*
Her legs moved as fast as they could. Quickly she dodged behind a bush, using its bristly branches to hide her position. She prayed that they wouldn't be able to see her here.
The cloudless sky provided a damnably bright moonlit night, but the wood was cast in confusing crisscrosses of light and shadow.
They're coming.
She could hear them yelling to each other in low voices, "I thought I saw one." Footsteps. Closer and closer they came.
The run had drained her of breath but the little girl held it in, she didn't want to risk them hearing her pant.
A man came eerily close to her bush and taunted, "Oly, oly oxen free! Come on out." By now her lungs were screaming for air, but she would not breathe until they left.
A loud Krr-clunk sound echoed in the wood to the north. The footsteps retreated. Just as she thought she might die of asphyxiation, she took in a lungful of air and thanked any deity that came to mind for its sweetness. After a moment to settle down she checked her little pistol, 9 shots left. I think there are about four of them. If I keep to the tree line then maybe I can…
Suddenly a large hand reached in and grabbed her around the throat.
The little girl tried to scream, but her crushed windpipe only allowed a small croak. A burly, wild-eyed marine smiled, showing his chipped, broken teeth. She kicked and struggled in his grasp, but he held her firmly. "Where's your team you little runt? Hmm…you're a rather scrawny one, but guess that doesn't really matter. Long as we thin out the pack." He hefted a very real gun, an MA5B from the looks of it. He brought it to her face, all the while smiling "'Least one o' you lil'fuckers gonna pay for my busted mouth." Missy closed her eyes tight, waiting for the end.
A loud BANG rattled through her bones. I'm dead.
But instead of seeing a white light, she saw only the darkness of her eyelids.
She felt the marine's grip on her falter. I'm alive?
She fell from the dead man's grasp onto her knees feeling light-headed from lack of oxygen. The marine had been shot in the back of his head; his remaining teeth were missing and now replaced with gushes of blood and bits of bone. Standing over her would be murderer was a young boy. The moonlight striped his features and made him seem ethereal.
She could see that he had a crop of bed-ravaged brown hair, an average build for his age, and creamy caramel eyes that seemed to shine even in the darkness of the shadows. He looked at her with cold intent, but strangely she felt safe. She noted his weapon was considerably different than hers: it was rather bulky, and had a scope attached to it with duct tape along with a chop shopped extended ammo casing. She briefly wondered if he did that himself…
"Come on you stupid ass!" He stretched out his hand and she grabbed it, knowing she would be ok with him. He saved me…so he won't hurt me.
Being the ignorant little girl, she blushed when she grabbed his hand and smiled shyly, "I'm 22. What's your number?"
The boy yanked her to her feet and growled, "Are you fucking serious?"
Her face must have shown her hurt, because the boy rolled his eyes and sighed "Ok, I'm 34. Now come on! Just keep running and we can make it to the spawn point!"
.z.z.z.z.z.
The hard white fluorescent lights were blinding in the examination room.
It reflected off all the shiny medical equipment, white tile, white walls, and white gurney. Missy took in a shaky breath to steady herself and tried to not look up at the viewing window, where she could feel prying eyes watching her every move with scrutiny.
Blood. Everywhere there was so much blood.
It covered the white gurney and was trickling down onto the tile below. She knew he would bleed, but there was so much more than there should be.
Missy felt fear twisting inside her gut from their combined stares. She remembered them from the lab, and had only ever seen them once or twice. Halsey called them "The Three Stooges". The First was a rather portly, red-faced man who was always nagging Halsey with unimportant details and facts that he didn't fully understand. The Second was a hard, battle-worn man who loved nothing more than to chew on his favorite stogie. The Third one was referred to as the "clever bastard". He dressed sharply and had a shark-like appearance, but always spoke in an eerily soft voice. Halsey hated him with a passion, she had never told Missy why, but whenever he came ghosting through the lab her idol treated him with respect and a thimble of fear.
Now they were all here and watching her closely. She felt her heart titter in nervousness as she corrected her bloody mistake. She had added a little too much of agent-02 to the subject too quickly, and the body was rejecting it.
The battle-hound scowled at her, his fat cigar dangling in his fingers. "22, I thought you had this procedure perfected? Or did Halsey lie to me?"
Missy was sweating bullets, "N-no Sir! I have this under control."
She tried to not look at her subject, telling herself over and over that this was just another specimen. It wasn't working.
Finally, the bleeding stopped, and the subject stabilized, then flat-lined.
The fat, balding administrator growled "You are killing the boy." Missy held up her bloodied white glove in defense, "This is a normal reaction. The subject will stabilize again. Halsey's process causes the body to go through short bursts of reform, and then relapses. It is a slower approach, but it covers a wider gene pool and is much safer."
The last administrator hadn't moved or said anything this whole time. He just watched her.
The cigar smoker had put his stogie back in his mouth and snorted, "A lot more expensive too. How can you guarantee this will work on all of them?"
Missy looked over at her specimen's monitor and watched it spike back up, he was going into another phase of reform. "I have proof from my mice experiments…"
Fat-man scrunched his chubby face in disgust, "Mice? We are talking about soldiers. We need them to be the best of the best. The insurrectionist scum…" He stopped when the shark faced man held up a hand.
His stare was intense, but he kept a warm smile plastered on his face, it made her blood cold. "Sweet girl, I understand you are called Missy Massacre… Please elaborate."
The question caught her off guard. She would rather be called 22 then that horrid name. She sputtered, "What? I..I don't like that distasteful name..Sir…I never.."
Shark man smirked ever so slightly, "Missy Massacre. You were deemed so by your own peers. Not that this is relevant in the least. I just…" He turned his dark-eyes back to the boy wracking with spasms on the table, then spoke in a honeyed voice, "Don't think we should trust the word of someone who would put her friends through such torture."
She grit her teeth, clenched her hands. Anything to keep from screaming in defiance. It's not like I want to.
The clever bastard waved his hand, dispelling the tension. He cooed "Missy, I didn't mean to upset you. Please, continue."
.z.z.z.z.z.
It's so nice here. Kinda makes me wish I was sick. The room was nice. Peaceful.
Warm yellow rays of the sun streamed through the windows, warming her skin. She was used to the harsh fluorescent lights in the lab, this light is so much better. 34 will like it here. The bed was soft, the room warm and cozy, and surprisingly no chemical smell despite it being the medical ward. She sighed, finally feeling the tension roll away from earlier.
He looks so peaceful now.
He had finally stopped screaming. That was always the worst part. The screams were so much worse than anything else. Memories pressed against the confines of her consciousness, threatening to break free. She pushed them away. Focusing on her sleeping friend instead.
He is alive though. He had been left to heal for a couple of days in this nice room. But he had not awakened yet. Tentatively she reached out a hand and felt his forehead. He didn't have a fever anymore. His skin was still frighteningly pale, black-tinged veins seemed to bulge from his skin. I hope his appearance will go back to normal. He looked so nice before…
She realized that her hand had moved down to his cheek, cradling his head ever-so-slightly. The scientist pulled away as if she had just put her hand in a jar of acid. What am I doing? The girl cringed away from these feelings. They were foreign to her. She had never felt this way with the others. The others had been so much worse; they had died…were these feelings from karma? Why did she want this boy to live so badly?
He is just another subject. He is just another subject. He is just another subject….
She thought she saw an eyelid flicker, his lips move ever so slightly. Her heart leapt into her throat and her stomach fluttered.
The logical part of her was enraged. What is this? What is this reaction? As she fought with herself, a hand on her shoulder made her jump.
A blonde, now graying, tired looking woman gazed down at her. Her eyes blue as sapphires and just as hard. Mother.
"Doctor Halsey. Ma'am." Missy hopped up from where she had been crouched next to the subject's bed. Mechanically she spat out his medical status "The patient's fever has gone down, he has stabilized, veins are still black in color though receding, and…" Halsey was watching her with a sad, sorry expression. The bags under her eyes heavier, her eyes red and puffy. "Ma'am?" Halsey never showed emotion…ever.
"They're fools. They're going to kill them." Halsey mumbled low and turned her head to look at the patient.
Dumbfounded, the girl questioned "What?" Halsey wiped a strand of hair back, composed herself then turned back to her apprentice. Steeling over, she wiped all evidence of emotion from her aging features.
"The Stooges are going with Agnes's plan. They said it will sort out the weak genes from the strong…" Her voice trailed off, her eyes peering off into the distance.
Briefly Missy remembered the testing Agnes and Halsey had done together. Halsey's was more expensive but held great promise, Agnes was rather cheap and risky. The mice had dropped like flies when they had begun, and those that didn't die had to be given a merciful death.
She still saw some of the twisted, grotesque monstrosities in her nightmares…she could only imagine what it was going to be like with humans.
Halsey suddenly swept the girl into her arms, and began lightly stroking her black hair. Halsey had to get stretch to do so now, Missy was not a little girl any longer.
"M-Mother?" Halsey had certainly never done anything like this before. A sudden realization hit Missy. She used to dream of this when she was younger, used to crave affection from the only person she had ever really bonded with. Carefully, Missy put her arms around Halsey and hugged back. Mother shook her head into the girl's shoulder, tears staining her shirt.
The Doctor gave a choked whisper "I wasn't supposed to get attached."
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"I don't understand…" Halsey had barged in during her MJOLNIR training. She wasn't exactly used to the suit and had been practicing in the gym all day.
The scientist looked extremely anxious, looking from side to side constantly, and whispering in barely audible tones…or what would have been, if it weren't for her newly improved senses.
"Be quiet 22." Halsey hissed again and grabbed her armored hand, causing the suit to blip a warning on her HUD. Why was she acting so upset? Halsey pursed her lips and brought a large needle filled with a clear liquid up to her suits IV port.
"Halsey?" Missy wanted to retract her hand. The suddenness and her actions were frightening her. Lately Halsey had been acting strangely.
"Don't move 22." Her training for utmost obedience to higher-ups made the Spartan freeze. Halsey inserted the needle and then whispered again, her lips barely moving "You're in danger. The Administrators want you dead. You know too much. You knew that we could have prevented so many of the children from dying. They plan on prosecuting you as a murderer, your experiments are now labeled as homicides." She pressed the plunger down on the needle. "You were a mistake, rampant, crazed. They threatened to send marines after you…I-" Halsey took the needle from her IV "I said that you deserved to die painlessly. I told them you trusted me and…"
The newly fledged Spartan was completely confused "What?" Far down the hallway, she heard someone yelling orders, the clatter of armored boots on the concrete floor.
"I was supposed to give you a sedative…but…" Halsey looked straight through her visor, her face a blank "It's only water. Huddy is waiting for you at escape pod 04. You have to hurry."
Missy wasn't sure how to react, this was all so unreal…but the shouting was getting closer, and she heard someone yell "Lock and load."
"Halsey…Mother…" She felt like a little girl again. A familiar pain bubbled up, the same pain she had felt when her real mother had died. She had tried to remember the woman's face before…but only saw Halsey. That familiar emptiness gnawed at her heart again. I don't want to leave her.
Halsey suddenly reared on the girl, "Get the hell out of here!" She futilely banged a hand on the human tank's chest, but Missy felt like she had been mortally wounded.
The guards burst from around the corner and set up into a firing line.
"Doctor Halsey! Move out of the way," Cried Senior Chief Petty Officer Mendez as he leveled his assault rifle "That one's gone wild. Marines shoot to kill!"
For a moment, time stopped. Just barely, Missy thought she heard her Mother whisper something like Goodbye daughter but once the shots rang out, it was hard to tell.
Her HUD showed enemy targets everywhere. Bullets rained around her, making her energy shields flare. I have to get out of here! The training gym was full of large, suit training obstacles. She dodged behind the nearest one and listened to the flashing beep of warning from her drained shields. No weapons, no fucking manual for this suit, and people trying to kill me! She just didn't see how it could get any worse. "Ok." She whispered to herself, "Just gotta get to the pod." But how was she going to get there from here…
Blin-ing! A shot from her side of the obstacle caught her attention. More marines were pouring into the gymnasium. Shit.
Taking a deep breath, she counted to three, then vaulted over the barrier and made a dead bolt for the closest door. Her legs seemed to be moving faster than her mind. The suit was just so foreign in movement. "DAMMIT!" the infuriated medic screamed as three heavily armored marines blocked the door. She was going too fast and barreled right into them, knocking them into the doors with a force strong enough to break through the steel frame doors.
A monotone voice was streaming over the intercom system "Attention. Subject 22, Missy Massacre, has gone rampant. Shoot on sight. Repeat. Subject 22, Missy Massacre, has gone rampant. Shoot on sight. Attention…" Missy didn't have time to dawdle. She ran blindly down the halls, dodging bullets at every turn, and those she didn't dodge, her shields kept at bay.
A sign caught her heightened vision "Pods" it pointed to the left, four bays down the hall. Without hesitation she steered herself towards safety. Shields are running low. The bar had turned red and was beeping a warning. Just. Almost. She could see the pods. And there was Huddy! He stood halfway in the pod watching for her. His armor was a white and grey beacon of safety in that moment.
A pair of marines jumped from out of a nearby engineer tunnel and fired. Rage filled her being and she put all her weight behind her shoulder bash. She felt bones crunch under her weight as the trampled the one in front. The other fell to the floor in a heap.
No more enemies presented themselves at the moment. She looked down at the marine she had just tromped to death and sighed. The other one appeared to be unconscious, so at least she didn't have to kill both of them. Her legs felt like jelly from the suit's brutal treatment, they didn't seem to want to move right now that she was out of danger. She slowed down to a shaky jog and tried to recover. Despite her near-death experience she felt an odd wave of simple bliss overcome her. She was alive! She waved in triumph to her friend down the hall. Can you believe I freaking made it? Her pure giddy dropped like a rock.
He wasn't waving…he was pointing to… BANG! Red and a strange fizzling sound exploded in her vision. Wait. I see a fizzling sound? How does that make any… Her thoughts jumbled together into one spiraling dark mass as she collapsed to the floor, watching a marine fire his pistol at something behind her.
Huddy. A thundering blackness was rolling over her in huge sweeping waves, narrowing her vision until she could only see him gazing down at her. He was hiding behind that blocky helmet of his, but she knew it was him. hE kaNt hyde fRm meeee...
Sorry if this drug on a bit, and for Missy going googly over Huddy. There won't be a lot of lovey crap in this story so don't you worry cootiephobias! ;) Please review I really appreciate it! By-the-way, in case you didn't know Dr. Vaclavik is one of Colonel-Mustard1990 's characters from his story for the competition!