Chapter 6: Defend the Castle!
"The enemy is there and I am going to attack him there."
Robert E. Lee
I didn't know how the SPARTAN got a Energy Sword, but it didn't change the fact that it was about to get a belly full of lead. My fingers slammed down on the triggers of the gun and its starting whirr quickly gave in to a roar of fury. Bright golden streaks flew out towards it, smashing into its shield as it flared up to protect its user.
I growled. How the hell did the shields even still work for these things? If I could figure out how than it would make it easier to tear them apart, but as of right now, without the answers, it could wait.
The SPARTAN howled as dozens of other howling Combat Forms flooded down the tunnel and the shrieks of weapons shortly followed. Another machine gun roar added to the chaotic storm of sounds and a glance showed the Watcher had returned, floating above the other MG with blue tendrils wrapped tightly around the handles. How those threadlike appendages were able to steer the wheel, I had no clue unless they were fatter back then.
The horde charged with the SPARTAN being enveloped by them, and I kept firing. Each bullet found a mark because it was so tight-packed. I also heard the Promethean's weapon fire and I saw zooming blue rays disintegrated one Form after another into golden ash. However, the Flood kept coming. Everytime when one of their numbers fell down, a Infection Form jumped down from the ceiling swarm and embedded itself into it. When one exploded or turned to ash, the gap was filled by a new one.
Not to mention all of the chaos around me caused my ears to intensify their ringing. At this rate, they might just simply give up working entirely. Still, my mind kept telling itself that every sense was needed in order to survive. My feet were dug in to help reduce the recoil, eyes scanned for the most dangerous Form, and ears were alert for the telltale wet smack of the Flood around us.
But despite our best efforts and a hail of projectiles, they closed the distance and inch by inch, my heart pounded faster and faster till it felt ready to explode. It was happening again, a last stand with only certain death! My muscles tensed and breathing became rapid and shallow. I narrowed my eyes as the root-tentacles became distinct. They were close enough to jump now and they could overwhelm us with sheer number.
Fuck fuck fuck! The last one would only end in my death! I could enjoy the mysterious afterlife or comforting blackness. If I died here, there was no doubt that a Infection Form would burrow into my chest and turn me into one of those things! I was not going become a meat puppet for the Fungus Zombies!
I could use the Fuel Rod Cannon I had aquired, but the shockwaves could cause a cavein. Yet it might help thin the horde so hesitantly I stepped away from the machine gun and snatched it off my back, putting it on my shoulder and aimed. If we were lucky, the cavein would block the Flood. If not, well at least they wouldn't be able to infect my flattened corpse.
I pressed the trigger and it pushed back as a green blob was birthed by the barrel. It struck the front ranks engulfing and vaporizing them in plasma. Thankfully, despite the cave shaking, it did not collapse on us. Unfortunately, that also meant the Flood were not crushed either.
I readied to fire again when a howl erupted and the SPARTAN jumped through the mist, sword raised and ready to slice. I quickly raised the Cannon and inhaled. This was not going to feel good for me.
The weapon jerked as another blob shot forth and I let out a oaf as the force knocked me down. I groaned. I keep getting smacked about. When was this going to end?
I flipped onto my stomach and pushed myself up hearing the rock crack and sizzle. Looking over I saw the sword's duel blades embedded in the ground and following it revealed the owner to be the SPARTAN.
"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me," my mind growled. How could it not been sent flying backwards?! Did the IIs have stronger shields?
The SPARTAN's arm then tensed and yanked the sword out of the stone before turning to me. The blades flew up and I backstepped narrowly avoiding having a spike poking through my head. As it brought back its sword, I grabbed Elite Slayer and pushed the button. I slightly relaxed upon hearing its own hiss as the sword formed.
It sliced, the blades leveled at my neck, and I threw my own sword up catching the SPARTAN's between the prongs. The energy hissed as it twisted and turned its sword in a attempt to rip it out. I wasn't about to allow my head to be rolling around so I curled up my free hand into a fist and prepared to hit the chest area with all my might. Of course, it saw that and sent its tentacle-arm into the side of my helmet.
I felt my neck bend at the force and my fist reverting back to a hand and launch itself to grab the claws prevent the SPARTAN from trying to slap me further. This also meant I couldn't slap it.
The SPARTAN growled as we shifted about, trying to free out upper limbs. Wait, why didn't I used my legs then?
Apparently it was smarter than I originally thought and I felt a pressure push down on my groin region. Well, this is not going to feel good.
I let out a high-pitched sequel as the pressure suddenly increased tenfold. I thought that area was supposed to be protected!
But I wasn't going to fall to the ground writhing, I will not die on this dead planet!
Upon seeing that it wasn't working, the SPARTAN opted to instead kick that area much to my displeasure. The force and pain were enough to send me stumbling off.
I managed to balance myself and I looked at the SPARTAN. My eyes were drawn to its left stub while it stared at my left arm. Following its gaze, I saw my fingers were still wrapped around the now detached tentacle-arm's wrist. Huh, must have gotten ripped off when it kicked me off of it. Then looking back at the SPARTAN, it was rushing straight towards me with its sword drawn back.
Instinctively, I threw the tentacle-arm at its chest and thrusted my own sword sticking it into its lower abdomen. I smiled as the shields flared up only to pop, dissipating its protective energy and leaving the SPARTAN unprotected. The metal sizzled and melted as the blades pierced through. However, despite the pain that would normally ensue, I heard a energetic swoosh and slightly turning my head, my eyes widened upon seeing the SPARTAN's own sword slicing the air towards me.
I released my grip on the hilt and my legs tensed, readying to jump back. However, the blades struck and I could hear the metal crackle and feel the heat seep in. Reflexively my left hand launched out with fingers outstretched and latched onto the SPARTAN's arm in a attempt to push it away before the blades could bake my skull. The other hand was up against the Flood's chest trying to shove it off. With all the strength I could muster, I forced it staggering off.
Before it could recover, I glanced to the Flood horde wondering why they haven't overwhelmed us yet. Surprisingly, both the Knight and the Watcher were holding them at bay. The Watcher was still manning the gun while its owner kept firing and when one got too close, it would skewer it.
As for Feather, the Engineer wasn't in my sight, but I could hear its cowardly burbling off to my right. Good, that meant the upgrade creature was still living.
Turning my attention back to the still-recovering SPARTAN, I quickly looked for my sword which was directly in front of me. I scooped it up and by then, I heard the metallic scrap of boots. Looking up, I saw the Flood Form diving through the air. However, it didn't have its sword instead having its arm raised and by the time I had realized what it was going to do, its fist was already against my visor.
As the fist pushed against my helmet, my head bent back till I lost my footing and fell onto my back. The stone sent a reverberating wave of pain up and while my mind was busying with it, I saw the SPARTAN loom over me. Its hand opened and flew towards my neck and the next thing I felt was a monstrous grip around my neck, crushing my windpipe and I took a breathless inhale. Nothing. This thing was trying to strangle me!
I closed my right hand, readying it to break the SPARTAN's arm yet I suddenly felt my upper body being lifted off the ground slightly and being smashed back into it. A rolling wave of pain filled my head and this repeated again preventing me from hitting the SPARTAN. Again and again the process happened. Never once did the grip loosen however and I begun to feel tired as my body cried out for air and relief from the pain. Slowly darkness began eating away at the edges of my vision and I felt myself beginning to slip into unconscious. However, hit snapped me back to reality.
I didn't know exactly how long the SPARTAN merrily bashed my skull in, but SPARTAN IIIs could last four to six minutes without oxygen before blackening out. So somewhere around that time.
After what I guessed to be the fiftieth time, I heard several faint swooshes of air and a crunch-snap. The grip disappeared and I gasped, breathing in soothing air into my burning lungs. Color replaced the graying world and I was met with the Promethean throwing away the SPARTAN's corpse like a empty, battered rifle.
Actually, scratch the Promethean part. It was a Promethean.
When I sat up, I saw half a dozen Knights shooting away at the dwindling Flood. Their combined fire incinerated most while leaving dismembering the rest.
I was not going to be outdone by a bunch of metal contraptions! I got up, retrieved Elite Slayer, and jumped into the fray.
By the time I did that, the only Flood left were mostly scurrying Infection Forms trying to jump onto the semi-intact corpses that remained. There were still a few Combat Forms firing at us, but with plasma cutting through their bodies, they fell.
As I yanked my sword out of the last Form, my ears perked up when whimpers and anguished cries reached them. They're just now arriving? At least they didn't come when we were butchering their mindless comrades. I turned to face the rushing semi-infected.
"Capture, don't kill," I commanded the Knights. I didn't know if most would follow that order, but that distinct swoosh of air sounded behind me and from the blue flashes that appeared in back of them stepped out the Prometheans. They didn't shoot or let out their roars, instead all bringing up their swords in a guard and charged using sheer mass to barrel through them.
One less loose thread to sew in now!
I turned back to the doors.
"Seer, the area is clear, can you open the door?"
"Great news, Noble! Another Reclaimer has been found thirty minutes before and is currently on her way to open the gates!"
She? It could mean Doctor Halsey, but it could have meant someone else.
However, the doors hissed open, sliding back into either wall and out stepped a elderly woman flanked by two more Prometheans. Her dulling blue eyes still had sparks of cold intelligence and snow-white hair had bits of ash struck to it making it appear similar to birch bark. She proudly strode forth, unfazed by the meaty mess we made and sidestepping any flesh piles. When she stood three feet away from me, she held up her head to meet mines.
"Dr. Halsey," I said.
"Noble Six, I had assumed you would have left."
"Complications, but both the package and the Pillar of Autumn have escaped."
"Good. Humanity has a chance now, though dimmed by the arrival of this… 'Flood'."
"And increased by the Forerunner artifacts so I say it's back at where it was."
"Ah yes, the…" Halsey turned her back to one of the Knights," Prometheans. There are only a hundred and one of them and Seer says there isn't a way to manufacture them without a device known as the 'Composer'."
"Composer?"
"Yes Six."
"So it uses the power of song to make the Prometheans?"
"Watchful Seer should have more information. However, we were interrupted when several Flood attacked us and we were forced to retreat. Coincidentally, we were near the entrance when Seer reported you."
"There's still Flood within Castle?"
"Yes."
"Then," I said as I pulled out my DMR," let's eliminate them."
"No need for the drama."
"Let me have my fun."
A/N: Howdy! Here's a new chapter before school starts. As a result of that, updates will be slower, but still nonetheless updated. Also, with me working on another story soon, the time between chapters might be away. I don't know, maybe two or three weeks now, but it shall be worked upon when I have the time! Anyways, have fun!
