Chapter 4: Into Hell

"Hell is empty and all the Devils are here."

William Shakespeare

The journey to Castle base wasn't dull. The highway was filled with Flood jumping into the Elephant resulting in a short fight, Covies set up road blockades that got smashed by the 450,000 pound vehicle, a skirmish between the two sides that we had to drive through, or the occasional exploding vehicle.

I tightened my grip on the duel triggers of the turret position on the right end in anticipation of a fight which most of the time did happen. I also noticed a steady increase of Flood the closer we got to Castle. The Covies varied and I still had yet to meet these 'Sentinels' Seer mentioned. I would guess they were a scouting unit. Along the way I also asked Seer various questions.

"So why did the Forerunners even keep live samples?" I asked. Was it not better than to burn them all?

"My Creators were not certain that this was the only strain of the parasite, Noble. The portability of another species or more of the Flood is a ninety-five percent, so they tasked us Monitors to study the Flood and develop countermeasures. Over the course of the last 100,000 years, I have created… I really don't know how many."

I blinked. If it was that long ago than why aren't the ruins nothing more than rubble? They must have had advanced metals to ensure that it didn't rust or otherwise eaten away.

"Alright, what's the current status of the Forerunner complex?"

The countermeasures can wait, it's not like they're going to help as of right now.

"The current Flood threat level is at fifty-two percent. The surrounding areas have a thirty-two severity rate."

"Another question, what's this Flood threat level?" I asked.

"The Flood Threat Level is of my own design as my Creators were unable to create one due to the Flood infection. The Threat Level has various factors such as number of Flood, biomass consumed, and defensive level. Countermeasures are deployed as the threat increases and each one causes a increasing amount of damage. When the planetary Threat Level rises above fifteen percent, then the nearest Halo is to be fired."

"What's Halo?"

It sounded like it came from Christian mythology, a angel was said to have a golden ring above their heads as a sign of their divine, righteous status. A religious Marine taught me that, by not shutting the fuck up. Too bad he received a Grav Hammer to the lungs.

"The Halo Rings, or Halo Array, is a superweapon designed to eliminate the Flood's food source."

I took a sharp, sudden intake of air.

"That would be us."

"Yes." Seer calmly said. It didn't have anything to worry about since it was a A.I. and not made out of flesh.

"I can't allow that! It'll kill us all!"

"Noble, a single Halo Ring will only fire in a twenty-five million light year-"

"Twenty-five million light years?!" I nearly shouted. Earth and most of Humanity's colonies could be within that space."I have a better plan. It involves lots and lots and lots of nukes."

"The Halo Ring is guaranteed to fully eradicate the outbreak."

"So are lots of nukes, the controls of which just so happen to be at the place I'm going to."

"Then perhaps it is wise to utilize them as the outbreak is currently contained to this continent."

"Then I'm expecting a disgruntled welcoming party of Covies and Flood."

Seer didn't say anything and after several hours of wading through bitter fighting, I saw Malachite Mountain tower over the barren, dusty plains. I didn't see anything around it, likely covered by the dust storms, but Dr. Halsey and Jun were supposed to be underground in Castle Base, safe and sound in a heavily fortified bunker instead of out here, unless they already evacuated.

I held onto the Gun's handles as I jerked about as the Elephant made a sharp, right turn down a ramp into the storm. Before we were engulfed by the hurricane-like dust, rapidly appearing blue and green flashes announced the heavy fighting that was going on. This was going to be fun making out the forms of Covies and Flood.

As we rode through the dust storm, I kept alert, eyes darting about, searching for any enemies preparing to jump us. My fingers tensed at every flash of light causing them to cramp a bit because it happened so often. Ears were perked, picking up the sounds of warfare. Plasma hisses and shrieks of rifles, the thunderous boom of tanks, screams and roars of the two sides, and the earth-shattering howl of Glassing off in the distance.

Ruined buildings past by, some seemingly untouched by the chaos and others were reduced to just their foundations. The metallic crunch of cars and vans reached my ears as the Elephant crushed them so we could get on through. For a moment, my heart sighed and then I had to remind myself that the owners weren't going to miss them. Still, some nice and formerly shining vehicles were flattened.

"Seer," I asked, "what exactly did you deploy to the base to contain the Flood?"

"The current defensive forces consist of one hundred Promethean Knights, two hundred Watchers, two hundred Crawlers, and one thousand Sentinels."

"That's a lot," I whistled.

"It is still a insufficient defense force, Sentinels are only meant to contain small-scale outbreaks or as a supplemental force as a result of their limited A.I. and due to protocol I cannot upgrade it," Seer said sadly.

"You have overwhelming numbers though, you could use that."

"I have attempted to utilize numbers, it has failed. My latest calculations have also increased the possibility of the Flood escaping this planet's atmosphere above fifteen percent in seven scenarios. We must hurry!"

"Yep, we're already hurrying because of the many life-threatening hazards."

"I am only stressing the importance of speed, Noble."

I rolled my eyes. Yes, I was aware, but I didn't say anything, had to keep watch.

We eventually reached one of the mining shafts that served as a entrance for Castle Base. I wasn't going to ask how the Watcher knew where to go as we were here.

I stepped off the back, scanning the small outpost for any threats. The few structures here had taken serious damage with much of their support and walls torn away. Mining equipment lay scattered, partially buried beneath the loose dirt. The remnants of a last stand also remained.

Sandbags piled on one another had been punctured and sand flew out, discarded weapons were drenched in bloody pools with no bodies, and spent ammo casings stuck out of the ground. There were also metal pieces of what I presumed to be the Forerunner defenders given their silver surface and shallow lines. They were also covered in golden ash and mutated body parts, indicating that the Flood had fought here.

However, there was no movement, no Flood leaping across the distance or Covies charging out to greet us with plasma. No Humans stumbling out of their hiding places looking for protection.

I shook my head. Focus on the mission.

We walked through the outpost with little difficulty and the only threat we met was a couple of Grunts who generously dropped their Fuel Rod Cannons and ran off screaming into the storm. I picked one up and looted the ammo from the other as well as any other mags for the DMR and shotgun.

The search yielded only a handful. Two mags and four shells to last me a bit longer.

We arrived at the gaping opening leading downwards to pitch-black darkness. I took a deep inhalation.

Into the depths we go!

"HELP ME!"

Or not.

I stepped back from the distorted, agonized roar of the mine. That sounded as if it was the Flood yet it had nearly identical tones of a Human. What was it?

Then the answer presented itself by a flying Flood Combat Form.

I let out a startled scream as the body hit head first into my chest and I fell down with it on top. The Combat Form immediately rose up and brought back its tentacle-arm. I heard the click of the Promethean's weapon, but I knew that it would strike me before the projectiles could hit. Hopefully my shields could take it!

A moment past and the tentacle-arm kept going back and forth as if it couldn't decide if it wanted to smack me. The Knight also didn't fire, probably intrigued by its little waving.

"KILL ME!"

My eyes widened. It-it was alive?!

This complicated things.

"CAN'T-CONTROL-IT!" It half-screamed-half groaned. That was also when its arm went down, but I had enough time to recover and I wrapped my right hand around its wrist, using enough force to bend it. The resulting snap and crack of bone elicited a pained roar and the Combat Form dropped onto my visor.

Seeing sickly green flesh up close did not do wonders for my stomach.

I pushed it off and rose, shaking my head in bewilderment. My mind was trying to process how a person was infected yet still able to scream. The Flood I've met so far didn't do anything like that and the infection was nearly instantaneous. Was it sheer willpower? Were some Flood unable to fully infect a person?

The cause didn't matter; it was still a threat even though it lay on the ground, breathing heavily. It needed to die.

Yet there was still a person underneath all of that. They could still be saved!

But it also is in blinding pain if the scream is anything to go by.

"Help me."

I heard a whimper from the downed Flood Form. I raised my DMR and cautiously walked over, keeping the barrel on the chest.

"Kill me."

I lowered my rifle and looked at its face. The eyes were locked onto me and I felt myself shiver at the sight. Despite being infected, the man, guessing from its robust facial features, was still alive.

"Seer, we have a infectee still alive."

"I can see Noble via your helmet… I am still processing how this is possible."

I raised a eyebrow upon hearing that. This was so disturbing that even a A.I. had trouble and we could talk about the whole seeing through my helmet later.

"Kill…ME!"

The man began twitching and the tentacle-arm went up into the air only to slam back down to the ground causing a explosion of dust. I jumped, bringing my foot onto the man's chest and bicep preventing him from attacking us while at the same time erecting a piercing scream. I flinched. I didn't want to hurt him, but was there really any other choice?

"Seer, what the hell do I do?" I desperately asked. He was a threat yet he could still be saved. Do I risk being spreading the outbreak or finding a potential cure?

"That is your decision Noble."

Oh sure, leave me with the tough choice.

I closed my eyes. It would have been so much easier to kill him if I had still been a Lone Wolf. Damn you Carter! I growled at the memory.

I rushed forward, chasing the last Elite out of the homestead. Carter kept yelling at me over the comms to disengage. There was no further need. This one was bleeding, but I intended on ending this golden ranger.

I turned around a bend and found myself staring down a dozen Elites with the wounded one gripping its injury just above its hip.

"Hi?" I greeted.

They responded by whirring up their weapons.

"Get out of the way!" I heard Carter yell over the wheeling pop and I dove out just in time for me to witness him and Jorge crashing a civilian warthog through the group of Elites. Bodies and weapons flew while the vehicle went on to crash into the river.

I got up as Carter backed it out of the river for us to finish the surviving Elites. By the time we were done, I was in the passenger's seat with a fuming Carter.

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Eliminating a HVT sir."

"It would have bled out."

"Sir, it would have regrouped with the others and received medical care."

"And what happened? You nearly got a face full of plasma. You would be dead."

I stayed silent. He was right, I could have died, but I didn't.

"Sir-"

"Six, I said leave that Lone Wolf stuff behind, we're a team."

"Carter, give Six sometime, the lone wolfing will disappear sooner or later," Jorge said in my defense.

Carter sighed.

"Fine, but don't charge headlong into danger trying to be a hero. Thom did that and now look at where you are."

"Boss," Jun sounded over the comms," picking up a distress signal."

"Mayday mayday, this is Charlie three-six," a man's pained voice said," we were attacked by Covenant force. The Covenant is on Reach, I repeat the Covenant is on Reach."

"Troops?" Jorge asked, concern in his tone.

"We have to move and find the source of that distress call."

"No disrespect, but don't we have more important things to do than round up strays?"

"Sir, Jun is right. We have to get to the Relay to assist Kat and Emile in taking back the comms station," I said.

"We don't leave people behind," Carter replied," if you see those missing troopers, let me know."

"But sir-"

"No buts, Six. If you were missing, I would at least try and find you."

"Even if it meant the failure of the mission?"

Carter turned his head to me and though all I could see was the visor, I could feel the glare he was giving me. After that, I stayed silent. I had always placed the mission above all else and this distraction could very well mean its failure. Yes, Kat and Emile were at the Relay, but if they died it would give the Covenant to reinforce their holding and we would be walking straight into a hornets' nest resulting in our unneeded deaths.

"Six, enough of us have already died. I would rather have more people alive than missions completed."

I looked down. He was right in a way, but the missions were for the betterment of mankind. I always thought of that up until Halsey asked the question, are you a puppet or a SPARTAN?

I opened my eyes to see the Combat Form struggling under my weight.

"Can you find a cure?"

"Unknown, however we could extract the parasite from the infected and attempt to repair the damage."

"Fine, how do I knock it out?"

"It seems adequate amounts of pain shou-"

SNAP

I pressed my foot onto his arm with enough pressure to snap the bone causing another wave of screaming pain. It was enough to put both into a state of unconsciousness.

"Feather, can you carry him?" I asked, looking back to the Engineer who cooed in response. It hovered over and all of its tentacles wrapped around the limbs before lifting the person up.

"Be careful Noble! Even though this Reclaimer has not been fully infected, it seems the Flood is still able to control it!"

"I could tell by its screams and smacks."

Seer didn't respond and we entered the mine. I heard a ding as my night vision went online and I could see the shaft going downwards leading into what appeared to be a carven instead of having a elevator. ONI may have been trying a little too hard to make it look normal.

But as we went down, the sounds of moans and whimpers much like the half-infected man grew louder till we arrived at the bottom. There, inside the carven that could fit four Scorpion tanks in all directions, was a mass of bodies in the center. They all appeared infected, but they turned their heads.

And screamed, "HELP ME!"

A/N: Oh, look, another cliffhanger! This time we're stuck with a bunch of semi-infected people much like Wallace Jenkins. If you're wondering how this is possible, it's the result of Forerunner imprisonment. Somehow, through cryo and age they can't fully convert someone and through enough willpower are able to control it for brief moments. I added this so Six isn't alone with two emotionless robots, a squid, and a voice.

And Guest, thank you for your review! I'll try and fix the third-person thing when I can and as for the Meh part, keep in mind that Six isn't the first Human to be aware of the Forerunners. He's the first to know their names(maybe, Halsey mentioned that they had acquired knowledge from a previous race so she and ONI might know who the Forerunners are), but ONI Castle base was created to explore the Forerunner facility under the mountain.

Anyways, thanks again for your review!