Chapter 15: The Promethean Tombs

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Halo, Red Vs Blue or Any of their Respective Characters

John-117

Valhalla

John had been having a rough day so far. Almost taking a beating from Sarge and Church had just found something. He was busy enough already getting his armor ready. He didn't like getting back into his old armor, but then again, he couldn't trust the new armor model that Doctor Halsey had made. As he worked on getting his armor put on, he heard someone sneaking up on him. He slowly reached for his Pistol and turned around, pointing his gun at Cortana. "Oh," he said. "It's you." He placed the Pistol on his thigh, and it stuck there. He turned back around and grabbed his helmet to put it on. She suddenly walked up to him and took his helmet from him.

He turned back around to face her. "What is it?" he asked. She shook her head, staring at his olive-colored helmet. "Nothing. I just can't believe I used to live in this." she said. "Well," he said. "You are human now. You don't live in my helmet anymore." She frowned, putting his helmet down on the bench. "I've wanted to do this so bad," she said. "But you can't tell the others we did." He wanted to ask her what she was talking about, but he never got to. She stepped up to him and stood up on her toes, and gently placed her lips against his. He had never really kissed a woman before, but it was pretty amazing. It only lasted for a few seconds and he thought it was because of she had been herself for at least a couple days now.

Well, being herself by finally recovering her memory. She almost immediately blushed from her kiss with him. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Nothing," she said, still blushing. "I just never kissed a guy before. And I've always wanted to kiss you, John. But when I was just an AI, I couldn't." He nodded, grabbing his helmet. Cortana began to walk out of the room, but John stopped her. "Cortana?" he asked. She turned back to face him. "I'm the guy," he said. "Aren't I?" She looked at her feet for a second, before her eyes met his. She nodded. "I knew it." he said. "Somehow, I always knew."

"It's not really a shock." she said. "I knew you and you knew me." He put on his helmet, concealing his smile. She walked out of Blue base, leaving him by himself. He grabbed his Assualt Rifle. You can never be too careful, he thought. He walked outside of the bunker, where Church and Tucker were talking. "Alright, maggots!" he said. They all looked up at him. "Everyone, including you two are going to look at what you found." They all got up and started walking into the hills. They walked through the upper plains until sure enough, the Chief and his crew came across a hole in the wall.

"Looks like you weren't lying." he said. "Let's get in there." The Chief should have anticipated the next thing that happened. "Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow!" Tucker shouted as loud as he could. "Dear God in heaven Tucker," Church said. John turned around to look as he turned to face Tucker. "If I hear you say that one more time," he said, his voice escalating to a scream. "I will not be held responsible to what I do to you!" They all looked at a very angry Church. "Damn," Tex said, being the first to speak. "And I thought that I had anger issues."

"Yeah," Washington said. "That was pretty harsh." Church turned to face all of them. "Do I look like I give a shit?" he asked. "He is so fucking annoying! Every hour of everyday it's bow-chicka-bow-wow this and fuckberries that! He is so annoying!" John turned to Tucker. "Tucker," he said, poking his armor plate. "Would it kill you for once, just to shut your damn mouth?!" The Chief wasn't exactly pleased about Church's comments towards Tucker. But either way, he didn't care. "Church, you need to calm the hell down." They all turned back to the hole in the canyon walls. Cortana stepped into the whole and fell about half a foot.

"Something tell's me nobody has been in these caves for a very long time." she said. "What makes you say that?" Carolina asked. "There is dust all over in here," she said. "And it looks like it's been here for while." They all one at a time jumped down into the cave. The Chief turned on his helmet's flashlight, and looked around him. "Looks as if its been abandoned." John stated. "Yeah," Cortana said. "I just stated that." He nodded. "I know." he said. They walked down the slope that they were on, venturing further into the cave.

"Flashlights on people," the Chief said. "And stay together. We have no idea what's down here." He slid down the slope, as he turned on his flashlight. As everyone else slid down, he made sure Cortana stayed close to him as he walked. As he walked, Cortana stopped him by putter her hand on his. "What?" he asked. "What is it?" As she pointed at something, he followed her gaze. "Is that a coffin?" she asked. "It is." he said. "A very weird looking coffin." He bent down, placing his rifle at his feet to examine it. "Chief-" he heard Simmons talking to him, but he interrupted the Red Spartan.

"Quiet," he said. "There's something familiar about this casket." Once again, someone interrupted him. "Chief, somethings not right here." Carolina said. "Hush," he said. He ran his gloved fingers on the symbols engraved on the ancient stone. "Chief, do you hear that noise?" He ignored Donut, as he got up and tried to force the casket open. "Chief-" Cortana said. "What?" he shouted. She shook her head at him in worry, trying to tell him something. That's when the Chief noticed all the coffins in the room opened. As all of them opened, a Promethean Knight rose from each of them, complete with the drone that kept them together and would reconstruct them.

"Can we panic now?" Doc asked. "Weapons free!" the Chief shouted. All of the men and women in the catacombs with weapons opened fire on the targets. "Aim for the drones!" the Chief shouted, as he dove for cover behind a casket. He fired blindly over his cover, as Cortana joined. "What do we do?" she asked. "What are the Drones?!" Tucker yelled, over the sound of gunfire. "The Drones are the fucking things that fly above the Knights!" He looked at Cortana as he reloaded the weapon. "It's not safe here for you, Cortana." He got up and fired at a Drone, killing it. "Sarge!" I yelled. "Get your ass over here, now!"

"Sarge will escort you back to base." he said, firing. It took her a moment, but she spoke. "I love you." she said. He smiled underneath his helmet, and said, "I know." Sarge ran over to him, and took cover as the Chief did. "Get Cortana back to the base, and make sure she is protected!" He nodded. "Yes, Chief!" he said. "Let's go, ma'am!" He got up and ran, with Cortana on his tail. He got up and continued to fire at the Drones, killing two of them. He flipped from cover next to Church. "How we doing Chief?" he asked. "Not to good, Private Church!" he yelled. Church and the Chief got up and fired at the hostiles.

One of the Knights fired a bullet, and the Chief took cover. Church wasn't as fast, and took a bullet to the knee. He fell to cover, holding his knee joint. "Damn it!" Church said, as a black substance poured from his wound. The Chief got up and fired at a Knight, destroying him. "Am I the only one shooting here?" he asked. "Get to work ladies!" He ducked for cover, and reloaded. "You okay, Kid?" he asked Church. "I'm a fucking robot, Chief, not a kid!" he said. "I'll be fine. I mean, my brain still 'detects' pain. But I'll never know what real pain is, since I've never had a human body."

The Chief got back up and destroyed the last three Knights. He got back to cover, and sighed. "That's the last of 'em!" Washington said. The Chief got up, and helped Church up as well, and put his arm around his shoulder to help him walk. "Hey, don't. I got it." Church said. John nodded and let go of him. Carolina walked up to the Chief. "Permission to speak Chief?" she asked. "Permission granted. What is it, Carolina?" he said. "How big are these caverns? What could be down here with us?" she asked. "I don't know, Carolina." he said. "Anymore questions?" Church cleared his throat. "What are we even doing down here?" he asked. "We're taking a look at what you found." Donut said. "And to me," John said. "It looks like a tomb." He got the radio working, while the others just stood around and talked.

Sarge

"Sarge, come in Sarge, this is the Chief." Sarge heard the Chief's voice on his radio. "Repeat. Sarge, this is Chief. Come in." Sarge changed the signal to come out of the speakers built into his helmet. "Reading you loud and clear Chief," he said. "What's up?" It took a second, but the Chief responded. "Put Cortana on, Sergeant." he grunted. "No use, Chief." he said. "She can hear you just fine." Sarge noticed Cortana move closere to hear better. "Cortana," Chief said. "Can you give us a layout of the caves?" Sarge waited as Cortana got onto her datapad.

"Chief, it's a maze down there," she said. "Have you cleared out the crypt?" The Chief shouted an order to his men over the radio. "Affirmitive," he said. "Direct us to a less crowded room please." Sarge moved up the hill to the Blue Base, with Cortana following closely. "According to the radar," Cortana said. "There's a hallway that leads into a big room to the north. Head that way." As they continued up the slope, Sarge heard the Chief talking. "Move it, ladies!" he said. "Let's get to that room!"

The two walked into Blue Base, and Sarge reloaded his Shotgun. "So, what's up with you and the Chief?" he asked. Cortana gave him an angry look. "That's none of your business." she said. "Okay, sorry. Sorry." Cortana was about to speak, but she didn't get to. "I can't believe how easy it is to infiltrate an enemy base." someone familiar said. Cortana and Sarge turned towards the source, just in time to see Noble Six and two infected Elites emerge from the shadows. "You didn't think that it would be that easy," he said. "Escaping from us. Did you?" Sarge cocked his Shotgun, but Six was faster. Six took out a Pistol, and shot Sarge in the knee.

"Hold your fire, boys." Noble Six said. "I want to have a little fun. Sergeant, toss me your helmet!" Sarge cautiously took off his helmet, and tossed it to Six. Six stuck his hand in the helmet, and disconnected the link to the comm. He tossed the helmet, behind him. "Now turn around." he said. Sarge complied, dropping his weapon as well. Noble Six signaled for his Elites to attack. Before they could, he did something. "Sorry boys." he replied, taking out his Pistol again. "Never liked you anyway." Before the infected Elites could react, Noble Six shot both of them in the back of the head, killing them.

"What the hell?" Sarge heard Cortana shout. "Shut up, bitch." Noble Six said, as he dragged his men into the shadows. "Why did you kill your men?" he asked, not turning around. "Because," Six said. "I'm not doing this for the Gravemind." Cortana spoke up. "Shouldn't we be dead right now?" she asked. "Do you want to die, bitch?!" he shouted. "I'll kill you right here and right now!" Sarge turned around as fast as he good, picking up his Shotgun. "No you won't, prick!" he said, firing at Noble Six. Six went down hard, a dark green ooz spilling from the hole in his chest. "Good thinking Sarge," Cortana said. "Guy is obviously unstable." Sarge laughed, as he felt his knee. "Team killing fucktard."

"You people were obviously born idiots." Noble Six. "What the hell!" Sarge said, as he turned to see Six getting up as if nothing happened. Sarge continued to shoot at Six, who just came closer, ignoring the 'damage' done to him. He kept coming, until he knocked Sarge's Shotgun from his hands. "How the hell are you alive?" he screamed, as Six grabbed him by the neck, and pushed him up against the base's wall. "Cortana, is it?" he asked. "What the hell do you want from us?" she asked. "Call the Chief in." he said. "How can I do that?" she asked. "You broke our comlink!" This comment looked like it pissed off Six. He punched Sarge in the face, and he just slumped down. "You think I'm and idiot?" he asked, as Sarge listened. "I didn't break your comlink. I just disconnected it."

Cortana moved to Sarge's helmet, but Six blocked her path. "Not you." he barked. "Sarge! Get your helmet, now!" He got up, wiping the blood from his lips, and grabbed his helmet. He reconnected the comlink in the helmet, and looked at Six. "Now, contact the Chief!" he said. "And tell him that you got Cortana back here, and you need him up here." Sarge hesitated, but did what he said, as he didn't want to be killed. After connecting to the network, he said, "Come in Chief, come in Chief." After a few seconds, he got a response. "Hear you loud and clear Sarge," he said. "Go ahead." Sarge cleared his throat.

"I have gotten Cortana back up to base," he said. "We uh, need you to get up here. Something has come up." There was a few seconds of silence on the other side. "Why?" he asked. "What is it?" Sarge got a little freaked out for once. "We just need you to get up here," he said. "something has come up." He heard the Chief sigh. "Alright," he said. "the squad and I will be topside as soon as we can." Sarge let out a sigh of relief, for whatever reason. "Alright," he said, before disconnecting. "See you in a few." Six cleared his throat. "Ah, no." he said. "You won't be seeing him. At least not yet." Sarge was confused. "Wha-" Sarge was asking Six a question, as he felt the butt of his Shotgun collide with the top of his helmet. Sarge was sure he had blacked out before hitting the ground.

John-117

John disconnected from the radio, as he killed another Promethean Hound. "Let's get topside people!" he called, as he reloaded his Battle Rifle. "On the double!" Donut ran over to him. "What's wrong sir?" he asked. "I'm not sure, Donut." he said. "All I know is that Sarge needs us topside." Church walked over as well. "How you feeling Church?" he asked. "Uh, I feel fine." he replied. Washington walked up behind Church. "Well, that's great!" he said, slapping him in the back of the head. "The hell?" he asked, in a pretty calm tone. "Enough catching up, Dirtbags." he replied. "Let's get topside, now!"

The remaining Reds and Blues ran back through the tunnels, towards the main chamber. They finally got back up to the surface, and starting walking back to Blue Base. "Okay," the Chief said as they walked. "I'm suspecting something bad." Washington laughed. "Why is that Chief?" The Chief eyed Washington as they moved towards the creek that seperated the two halves of the valley. "It was too sudden for Sarge to contact me," he said. "It just doesn't feel right." The Chief had no idea how right he was. Upon arriving at Blue Base, they immediately saw Sarge down on his knees in front of Blue Base.

"Sarge!" Donut said. "What the hell's going on here?!" That's when a bullet narrowly missed the Chief's face. "Don't come any closer!" an all too familair voice said. "I will kill this son of a bitch!" The Chief looked up as Noble Six jumped from the roof of the base onto the ground, next to where Sarge was positioned. He noticed that he was carrying a spare Sniper Rifle in his hands from the base and Sarge's Shotgun on his back. "Where's Cortana?" the Chief shouted, as he pointed his Battle Rifle at Six. "Unless you want this poor old man's blood all over the place," he said. "I suggest you all drop your weapons!"

"Listen to him!" John said, as he laid down his Pistol and Battle Rifle. He heard dozens of weapons fall to the ground, and he let out a sigh of relief. Six looked over and said, "You! Put your gun down!" John turned around, to see Washington still holding his DMR. "Put your gun down, Wash!" John said. He shook his head. "No," Washington said. "He's just bluffing!" Six let out a laugh. "Really?" he said. "Am I bluffing? Don't make me laugh. Just put the gun down." Washington shook his head once more. "No." he said, firmly. "You are bluffing. I can see right through you." John shook his head. "It was your choice." he whispered, turning back around. "Okay, so you think I'm bluffing." Six said. "That's fine." He walked over to Sarge and lifted him up from the ground, forcing him to stand. Six took out the Shotgun and shot him in the knee.

Sarge let out a scream, as blood poured out from fractures in the knee joint of the armor. Six turned back to the group. "Are you gonna put your gun down, yet?!" he shouted. Put the gun down, Washington! Damn it! "Why should I," Washington said. "you bluffing bastard?!" Six shrugged, as he cocked the Shotgun. "Suit yourself." he said, as he shot Sarge's other knee. Sarge let out another scream of agony, as even more blood spilled. "Put the gun down, damn it!" Sarge shouted. "That's an order!" Six looked at him. "Hey, shut up!" he said, shoving the barrel of the Shotgun into his mouth. "I warned you," he said. "You didn't listen. I'm going to paint these walls with this man's blood and the bits of his brain." "You son of a bitch!" the Chief heard Tucker say. The Chief was about to turn, when Tucker ran past him.

Tucker

Tucker ran past the group, making sure that his Energy Sword was ready to do damage and picking up a Pistol as he ran. He finally got to Noble Six and he grabbed him by the thruster pack on his armor. "Huh?" he said, turning around. That's all he had time to say, as Tucker hit him in the visor with the Pistol. "The hell do you think you are?" he said, through gritted teeth. "Threatening to kill the Sergeant. Our Sergeant!" Noble Six countered the attacks, and head-butted Tucker. Tucker fell into the grass, and Six kicked the gun away. When he was doing that, he quickly reached for the handle of the Energy Sword.

"I said, 'no guns'," he said. "What are you hiding, asshole?" Tucker gripped the handle. "Your ticket to hell." Six just stood there. "Wha-" he started speaking, as Tucker came up and shoved the handle into Six's stomach plating. "See you in hell." he whispered, as he activated the Energy Sword. Six let out a gasp, as the heat of the sword cut through the armor and his probably infected skin. Tucker pulled out the sword, and continued to stab him over and over for a couple seconds. He let go of Six, and let him fall over into the grass. He deactivated the Energy Sword, and walked over to Sarge. "You okay, Sarge?" he asked. Sarge looked at him, and spit blood out onto the grass. "Dirty blue," he said. "You should mind your surroundings."

Tucker had little time to react as he felt himself be grabbed from behind. "What the-" he tried to speak, but his words were replaced my screams of agony as he was shot three times in the abdomen. He fell down on his side, and rolled over, so that he was looking up at the sky. Noble Six came into his field of vision, and got onto one knee. "You think you could kill me?" he asked, taking off his helmet and revealing his grotesque face. "You bastard..." Tucker groaned, feeling blood on his lips. "I killed you." Six shook his head. "You can't kill me." he said, as he took his knife and stabbed it into Tucker's stomach."You can just stay here, and bleed to death." he said, getting up. "As for your Sergeant, I'll be taking him with me." Tucker couldn't move. He just looked up at the sky, as his vision went red. It got darker and darker, until there was nothing.

A/N: Is Tucker dead? Is Sarge dead? Find out the answers to two of these questions really soon!