Chapter 11

As the Rookie slid down the cord, the Captain transmitted "They've got me cornered! I'm low on ammo! If you can hear me, I'm on sub-level nine, near station t-"

The message ended, as the Rookie noticed the wording on the wall that said 'Sudlevel 07.' As he went deeper into the complex, fighting off a couple of Covenant troops, when he heard shouts.

"Do it, Vergil! Now"

"Construction ahead! Expect Delays!"

"I'm going to die, ya' hear me!"

Rookie entered the room, as he saw a NMPD officer, with silver hair, fighting off Brutes with a shotgun. After helping him, the man said "Thanks trooper! They almost had me!" As the Rookie went up to the control panel, which would help them enter the next level, the officer said "Been trying to go down to the next level, checking my team, but this stack is locked down tight!"

After pushing a couple of buttons, Vergil said "Welcome! Access Granted!"

"Huh…guess you have the magic touch…"

As the lift opened, Drones came up and started to attack the two. After killing them, the officer said "What' wrong with you, Vergil?! You trying to get me killed?"

"Warning! Hitchhikers may be escaped convicts!"

As they went down, the officer said "Names Mercury!" The Rookie just walked away, as he continued to search for his captain. "What are you doing down here, anyway," Mercury asked. Rookie responded with only silence. "Hmm…not talking. That's alright, we all have secrets."

After going through the rooms, Rookie and Mercury found the lift to go down to sub-level nine, Mercury said "Going down to nine too, huh? Alright…I probably need some help." They went down, as Rookie noticed the ice. It was everywhere. As they went down the hallway, they found more Brutes, as Rookie took down a cloaked one, grabbing it's incendiary grenade.

After killing the final Brute, Mercury said "Hold up, Trooper! I gotta check for a little…personal mission."

Rookie followed Mercury, as they went up to a door. The camera looked down, as Vergil said "Crime scene! Restricted entrance!"

"Shut up, Vergil," Mercury shouted angrily. "Ya' hear me!"

"Ice-y condition! Change required!"

"Freaking machines! The whole city's going to hell!" As the door opened, Mercury said "Wait here! Watch for hostiles! I'll be back!"

Rookie did so, as he sat near the door, laying on the cold floor. After a while, Rookie started to think. He was remembering the conversations Ruby had with her mother and Weiss.

"Mom! Covenant are attacking the city! Do you hear what I'm saying?! You've got to get out of there!"

"Don't worry, I nine levels underground"

…

"You're not listening at all! Torchwick said he'd trigger the emergency fire response!"

"And that will-?"

"Flood the data center with argon!"

"Can people breathe argon," Weiss asked.

"No, Weiss. It freezes you! Dead!"

That's when Rookie figured it out, as he entered the room. Mercury spotted him and said "What are you? Stupid?! I told you stay outside!" That's when Rookie noticed a frozen red-haired woman, as he went towards her. "Step away from there. This ain't none of your business." Rookie slowly backed away, and turned around to exit, but stopped when Mercury said "Torchwick gave me specific instructions to make sure the doc's dead and make double sure nobody knows about it."

"Caution, Traveler! Caution," Vergil said, as Rookie wrapped his hand around a grenade.

"Sorry, friend," Mercury said, cocking his shotgun. "You know way too much."

Before Mercury could even look at him, Rookie threw his incendiary grenade at him, burning Mercury. As Mercury screamed to death, Vergil said "Crime doesn't pay. Good citizens do their part."

Rookie looked at Summer, feeling bad for her. Then, he looked at a panel, as it started blinking. Rookie knew that this was an video log, as he went up to it and downloaded it.

As the rest of the crowd climbed into the train, Ruby walked out, as Weiss followed.

"Ruby! Ruby," Weiss shouted. "Are you alright? What about Torchwick?"

"They tore him to pieces," Ruby said, still walking. "I gotta go, Weiss!"

As Ruby pushed through the crowd, Weiss asked "Where are you going?!"

"Underground!"

"What!?"

As another plasma fire slammed into the station, Vergil said, over the PA "DO NOT EXIT, PLEASE!"

"Ruby, stop!" Weiss held onto the red-haired girl's shoulder and said "We are getting on that train, and getting the hell out of town!"

Vergil whistle, as Ruby looked at Weiss, tears in her eyes, and said "That creature helped Vergil! It helped you and me! It helped all of us!"

"Ruby…"

"Mom knew how important it was! That's what she died for! I'm willing to die too!" Ruby tried to get out of Weiss' grasps. "Let me go, Weiss!"

Vergil whistled. "EMERGENCY STOP!" Vergil started to use the audio logs from that day, sounding like Peter, rearranging his words. "I am not worth-your life- my brave warrior princess!"

"If we don't find you, who will," Ruby asked.

Vergil started to sound like Glynda. "Office of Navel Intelligence- YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!" Then Ozpin. "Fallen heroes-on the air."

"Vergil, I-"

He then started to sound like Ruby. "I need you to live…for me."

The survivors on the train started to yell at them, telling them to get on the train, as Weiss said "We gotta go."

Ruby then started to cry, as she said "Vergil! You're all I have left of this place!"

Vergil whistle, as he started to sound like Summer. "Ruby-Ruby-Ruby-Ruby! Ruby, sweet heart…You make me very, very proud."

"You're all I have left of him…"

"Ruby," Weiss said, kissing her cheek. "Take my hand."

"OK…" Ruby got up, as she said "I'm ready."

As the ex-cop helped Ruby onto the train, Vergil said "ALL ABOARD! LAST TRAIN NOW DEPARTING!" The train left the station, as Ruby looked out the window, placing her hand on it. "NEXT STOP-MAKUPA, NAIROBI ROAD, HOPE STATION…And beyond."

Rookie almost teared up, as the video log ended. He stood up, and looked at the camera, knowing that Vergil was staring back. He brought out his SMG, and walked out the room, ready for what was to come.

Epilogue

After exiting the room, Rookie had found the captain, and found out that their mission was to get the tentacle alien that hacked the Superintendent. He also found out that they were called Engineers, and they hated the Covenant as much as humans. After finding the Engineer, which was now Vergil, the ODST's had found the leader of Rookie's squad, Sargent Gunnery Buck. Then, they escorted Vergil across the city, as they escaped in a Covenant Phantom before the alien group started to glass the city. They were then holding up in a secret, ONI base, as they examined the Engineer, learning the Covenant's secret. After the war ended, they needed someone to trust to watch over Vergil. The Rookie had a perfect candidate.

As Ruby was sitting on the couch, watching TV, she heard a knock at the door, and got up to open it. She then saw a woman, blonde hair with a ponytail going out the back of her bed, and a man wearing ODST armor.

"Hello there, Miss Rose," the woman said. "My name is Captain Dare, and-"

"Wait," Ruby interrupted. "Captain Dare? You're part of ONI, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Dare said. "And we have a proposition to you."

"What kind of proposition?"

Dare looked at the ODST and said "Take it away."

The ODST went up to Ruby and said "Hello Miss Rose, you can call me Rookie."

"Ok," Ruby said, shaking Rookie's hand.

"Let me just give you the basics, after the war, we need someone we can trust to watch over vital intelligence, and you're that someone."

"Why trust a random civilian to watch over something?"

"Because, we can trust you with this specific…creature."

"Creature," Ruby quickly said.

"Yes…bring him in," Rookie said to Dare, as she went out the door, as she came back with an Engineer.

Ruby's eyes widened, as she said "Is…is that…?"

The Engineer went up to Ruby, whistling happily.

"Vergil…is that really you?"

Rookie gave Vergil a tablet, as he made a puppy noise.

"It is!" Ruby then started to hug Vergil, tearing up.

Rookie smiled, as he just reunited family.

Rookie gave Vergil a tablet, as he made a puppy noise.

"It is!" Ruby then started to hug Vergil, tearing up.

Rookie smiled, as he just reunited family.

Years later…

"Put him down, now," Buck yelled, as their target, the former Captain Ingridson, was on the balcony, holding a pistol to the Rookies head, his helmet taken off by the woman.

"This is not an negation," Indgridson said, shooting Rookie's knee.

After a while, Ingridson got distracted, as Alpha-Nine went in, as their back up, Spartan IV, came in, and they surrounded her. Ingridson had no way out, but she wasn't going alone. She put the pistol at the back of Rookie's head, and fired. Rookie fell off the balcony, and fell hard to the floor, as his team looked in shock. Their teammate, the same one to survive alone during the mission, had just died.

One Week Later…

Alpha-Nine had decided to bury the Rookie at sea, since the UNSC couldn't make preparations to get the deceased back to their planet. Buck then said "You were a good soldier, Rookie. I was proud to serve with you. I'm glad you got to see the end of the war, which started before you were born. I just wish you'd gotten to go back home, too." As they were about to drop him, Buck asked "Anyone have any last words."

Romeo went up to the capsule, placed his hand on it and said "It only takes one mistake, kid. You went a long time before you made it."

They then dropped the capsule into the ocean, and watched it sink. They then flew off, as they wondered what all of them were going to do now.

And so ends the story of Hello Traveler. I just want to say thank all of you for reading it. If you liked this story, why don't you read my other stories. Please review and have a good day.