A/N: Okay, and here we go again! Thanks to all my reviewers. You guys are great, you really are.

Human KillerX: Yes, I did at one point. That has since passed because I am in a Machinima series called Outpost: Backwash. Check the trailer out.

Try and guess who I play.

TheMadhatter577: Vanquished, it has been…well, for the time being, anyway. Actually, that chapter was about the average length, if not longer, than most of the others…hmm.

Cpt.ShaneSchofield: Yes, by 'Assault Rifle' I mean MA5B. I'm glad you like the chapter; it was a bitch to write.

Linkmaster2832: Lookin on u-up…doo dee do. You'll have to wait and find out.

The Marines of Charlie Company

Book II

Aftermath

Chapter Three:

The Flood…Again?

With the arrangements set, all they would have to do is wait until a crew could be put together for the Ancient Fury and they did for a few days…or would have had David not been called away from the rest of his soldiers by 'Isca. The Elite apparently wanted to talk about the Flood or something of that order; David really didn't get most of the story because he and Cassandra had been half-asleep at the time. So, the Marine had been forced to leave her behind (she and Warhammer needed to so some maintenance on their rather battered Pelican anyway) and head out alone, with only a little Grunt to guide him. The further inside the compound they got, the darker the atmosphere became…not to mention the stench of infected flesh.

The room David had been led to was a large antechamber with a large hologram of the Heretic station being projected by a small pedestal on the floor. Several large parts of the station were marked bright red by the projector with the word 'INFESTATION' plastered over them in dark black letters. Though David thought he had a feeling as to where this was going to go, he stood there and waited, just kind of eyeing everything around him. This particular room had a massively high ceiling, maybe sixty or seventy feet or so, but was relatively small in width compared to it…probably twenty by fifteen. On either side of where David stood were spiraling ramps that led upward to a series of levels and doors above him.

Other than that, the room was really rather bland; there was no furniture to speak of or any type of decoration; the walls and floor were either painted a tannish brown or a strange metallic-steel type color. Since patience was not one of David's best virtues, he rocked back and forth on his heels and adjusted the five-point cap that rested on his head. A few more moments passed like this before a door on David's left opened, attracting his attention; 'Isca emerged from it there, escorted by two Heretic Elites and a strange floating sphere with a blue center, which immediately began rattling off.

"Ah, a Reclaimer! Splendid!" the little thing piped happily as it floated toward David and appeared to look him over. "I am three-four-three Guilty Spark, monitor of Installation Zero-Four!"

'This thing sure likes to talk…' David mused with a smirk. "David Carson."

'Isca seemed to find this amusing, but commented on nothing while the monitor conversed with David, talking about his eons of service to the Forerunners and the Flood and otherwise completely random things that he could think of. Once David managed to get the thing to shut up, he turned his attention to 'Isca and pointed to the hologram of the station.

"Having a little trouble, 'Isca?"

The Elite nodded. "Yes…the Flood have proven to be more than we and the Sentinels can handle."

"What the Hell were they doing here anyway?"

David didn't like where this conversation was headed at all. If the Flood were here on the facility, even in small numbers, they would quickly infest the whole thing in a few hours and overrun and infest everyone and everything inside. That meant that David and his crew would have to get out of here as quickly as possible or risk their ship being attacked and overtaken. Besides, being trapped on a Flood infested facility was not David's idea of a fun day.

"We were researching them to try and find a way to combat the Flood…but our efforts have failed, obviously. Fear not, sergeant, for your ship has not been compromised; I've got my best security teams defending it. However, before you go, I must ask your assistance in one last matter."

"What's that?"

There was another pause as Isca glanced around the facility, as if he were trying to take one last look at a best friend on his deathbed, which had to be another not-so-good sign of what was to come. Finally, the Elite began to explain what had been happening among the Covenant over the last few months, going into detail about the grumblings the Sangheili were having about the Jiralhanae, and vice versa. The Prophets seemed to favor the Jiralhanae much higher than the Sangheili because the damn things could get away with just about anything; one even killed a Sangheili within spitting distance of a Holy Temple, an offense that even a Lekgolo (or a Hunter in human terms) would have been ripped apart for.

On top of it all, a new Arbiter had been forced into service. Apparently, the Arbiter was a former Fleet Commander and in charge of the attack on Reach and Halo's defense. When Halo was blown to bits, though, the Elite had been held responsible and ordered executed by the Covenant High Council on the charge of Heresy. Before that task could be carried out, however, the Prophet of Truth assigned this Elite as the Covenant's Arbiter. Apparently, his first assignment was to come here and silence 'Isca permanently. Worst of all, the Heretics' long range sensors had picked up a trio of Phantoms en route to the station as they spoke. That wasn't even the worst of the news; the Covenant had found Earth and were attacking it, but with a smaller force than intended; apparently, the Prophet of Regret had jumped the gun a bit.

"You must make this Arbiter see the truth, sergeant. That is my sole request of you, for I have failed in this venture; if the Elites will not see, then I fear we will be enslaved to the Prophets forever…if they do not cast us aside first."

David was in shock; 'Isca was asking him to do something that should have been entrusted to 'Takamee or another of the Sangheili, but a mere Human had been charged with the emancipation of an entire race…a race, mind you, that had been helping in the utter destruction of David's own. Despite that fact, the marine could not refuse the Heretic leader; the Elites had been lied to about everything and brainwashed much like the Nazis of the twentieth century during World War Two. So, David simply nodded and said

"I'll do what I can, 'Isca, though I can't make you any promises. However, let me give you this much; the Prophets will be brought to justice for their atrocities."

That seemed to please 'Isca greatly and the Elite stopped his pacing. For a moment, the two just watched each other; even though they'd been in each other's company for a few days now, neither exactly trusted the other, though they had developed a mutual respect for one another. Most of the Sangheili were actually pretty likeable things if one could get past the fact that they'd helped in the Prophets' genocidal campaign against humanity for three decades and a couple years now, which surprised David a great deal; he never really figured Elites for the social kind of creatures and always thought they'd be kind of like the old Spartans on earth (the Greek ones…not super soldiers) and do nothing but train for battle.

"David? David come in. This is Cassandra."

"Cassandra? Is everything okay?" David asked, worried.

"For now, yes. The crew and the ship are all ready to go, David, but we need to get moving; that strike team should be here soon."

"Okay. I'm on my way." David replied before he focused his attention back on 'Isca. "Well…it looks like I'm leaving. Good luck to you, 'Isca 'Fusamee."

He nodded. "And good luck to you, David Carson."

No more words were spoken and each soldier turned to head their separate ways. Guilty Spark, who had apparently been chattering on and on about nonsense pretty much, seemed not to notice for a minute, then hovered out after 'Isca. David managed to find his way back to the hangar without any incident, but he could hear what all was going on at the other side of the facility; plasma grenade detonations were unmistakable. A Phantom drop ship, Cassandra and a trio of Elites were waiting for David below it. He leapt down over to them off of a catwalk and landed quite silently; a feat he didn't think was possible in combat boots, but managed to pull off.

Was it the fact that he had nearly been infested by the Flood that had given him this ability? And how could he heal himself so terribly quickly after being injured, even to extremes? As soon as David and the others got back to Earth, he was going to see Doctor Halsey and get this checked out…unless the Covenant had found Earth like 'Isca had said. 'That can't be the case,' David said to himself quietly as the Phantom drew the five beings inside with its gravity lift, 'we took every precaution, unless…' The odds of the next option that screamed through David's head was not only insane, but very very possible.

"They already knew where it was…"