Well, here it is, the next chapter. Yeah. I know its not Christmas, so deal with it! Lol But someone has convinced me to finish this up, so enjoy!
It had snowed overnight, leaving the city of New Alexandria covered in a thick white blanket, but that didn't deter the thousands of shoppers crowding the streets, looking for just the right Christmas prezzie.
Noble Team stood smack dab in the middle of the city, gazing in awe around them at the towering buildings, and hundreds of shops. Despite themselves, they could feel the christmas spirit creeping into their bones, filling them with excitement. Except for Emile, who was still peeved about the tree incident, and just wanted to go back to the base and blow something up. He grumbled underneath his helmet as Carter addressed the team.
"Alright, men. And Ladies." He said as he began to hand out money. " The mission is to buy a suitable gift for your team mates. And don't come back here until you do! Remember, we only got a few hours till the pelican comes back for us, so you better have your game faces on. Move out!" He yelled, and they all scattered.
Kat spotted a cute looking clothing shop from across the street. She locked onto it like a hawk locks onto a field mouse. She grabbed Jun's arm. "Come on, Jun, I'm going to need someone to carry my bags!"
"Wait, I thought we were supposed to shop for other people!" Jun protested as he was dragged away. Soon, Cater and Jorge paired up and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Emile and Six to stare at each other.
Six looked at Emile. Emile looked at Six.
"So..." Six began.
'If you're thinking about dragging me into one of those fruity panzy stores, I'll kill you where you stand!" Emile snarled.
The female spartan held up her hands, trying to assure him of no such thing. "Um, no. I was kinda thinking about maybe checking out that Gun Depot store over there...We could pick up a few gauss cannons and use them as Jorge's stocking stuffer. "
Emile eyed the building. " Fine." He muttered and started walking. Six sighed. Why did she have to get stuck with the most unstable member of the team?
At Sarge's Shotgun Central...
BOOM! The cardboard target was blown to smitheroons, splinters flew everywhere. Six reloaded and laid the shotgun jauntily across her shoulder. "Boom. Headshot." She smirked happily.
"You like?" Said the sales clerk next to her. "It's the latest model in the Raiku line. Twice the firepower, yet with twice less kick back!"
"Hmm, I like it. I'll be willing to buy, if your willing to haggle!" Came the reply, and the bidding was on.
Emile watched from the corner, the scene replaying in his mind. Six pulling the trigger. The target exploding. Six's blonde hair swirling around her head as debris flew by. The shotgun clasped firmly in her hands. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about it. The way she looked with that shotgun over her shoulder.
One word: HAWT!
"Fine, I'll take it." Six said and paid for the gun. She turned to Emile. "There, I bought you your shotgun. You sure you didn't want it to be a surprise?"
Emile's fingers twitched as he looked at her.
"Uhh...Emile?"
"Lets find some more heavy artillery to shoot." Emile said gleefully and dragged a confused Six away.
In Doughnut's Department Store...
Jorge looked around him at all the stores inside the mall. At the parents taking their kids to see the window decorations and all the new toys. The happy smiles on their faces. It made him wish he had a normal childhood. He never knew his parents, so he would never know those happy feelings of Christmas ti-
"Jorge, snap out of it!" Carter said irritably, bringing the large man out of his day dream.
"Oh, sorry, sir." He mumbled.
'That's okay, now, I need your help picking out a present for Kat." He held up two pairs of lacy lingerie. "Do you think she'd like red, or black?"
Jorge averted his eyes, blushing furiously. "Sir, I don't think you should be touching those!" He stuttered.
" These won't be the only things I will be touching, come tonight!...eheheheh!" The Commander grinned pervertedly.
"Sir!" He protested.
'Fine. I'll just buy both." He paid for them, and they exited Doughnut's department store, carrying their packaged gifts.
'Well, that should cover just about everyone. Lacy things for Kat, hand sanitizer for Jun, a chainsaw for Emile, and, well...I don't know what Six likes so I bought her a shaving kit. Oh, and that gift I bought for you, Jorge, but Im not going to tell you what it is!...Jorge?" Carter looked at his friend, who was looking around, a weird expression on his face.
"Uh...Commander, this isn't the way we came in..."
'Are you sure?"
"Looks like a whole different part of the city..."
"So?" Carter started walking, 'finding out way part shouldn't be too hard..."
five minutes later...
"CRAP! We're lost!"
At Simmon's Electronics...
Jun eyed the hacking software. Making sure Kat wasn't looking, he bought it and shoved it into his bag. There, that was one person down... He looked at the store clock. Dang, they had only two hours left. He better have to hurry to buy everyone else a present!
He walked out of the store and looked around. He needed to get Six and present, she was next on the list. But she was new. He didn't know what she would like...especially since she was...a girl. And full of nasty little diseases. He walked up to a holographic map and eyed it.
"Hmmm," He picked out a store, and headed to it. There was sure to be something for Six there.
In Cabooses's Specialty Needs Shop...
"Six, do we HAVE to go in here?" Emile whined. "This place makes me feel...special."
" I'm shopping for Jun. This shop has a lot of safe, sanitized stuff, so I think he would like it if I bought him something from here. You can wait outside if you want..."
Emile turned and huffed out the door, knocking down a few shoppers along the way. He began to pace on the street, cussing underneath his breath about how stupid this trip was. Suddenly there was a tap on his leg. Looking down he spotted a curly haired girl in a pink coat, gazing up at him with big brown eyes.
"What the hell do you want, kid?" He growled, hoping the skull on his helmet would be enough to scare the brat away.
" Wow mista..." There was only admiration in her eyes. "Is dat your weal face?"
"Yeah. Now go away before I eat your soul!"
" Wow...you a spawtan? "
"Yeah. Now get lost."
"Cool!" She latched into his leg. Emile tried to shake her off, but she held fast.
"Hey!" She let go of him. "You hold onto mista spawkles!I get mah mamma! " She handed him her stuffed pink unicorn and skipped away.
Emile wanted to set the thing on fire. It was hideous! With its big plastic eyes and rainbow maine...and sparkly horn...come to think of it...it WAS really soft...the more he held it...the more it seemed to grow on him...
Jun was on his way to the Specialty Needs shop, he rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth agape, starring at Emile, the unicorn toy in his hands.
"Emile...are...you...petting a stuffed unicorn...?" He gasped, flabbergasted.
Emile dropped the thing immediately. "Ummm...its not what it looks like-"
"BWUAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!" Jun cried as he rolled around on the ground, laughing hysterically. That didn't go too well with Emile, who advanced on his slowly, balling up his fists.
"Hahaha...oh...wait...please, I won't hahaha tell!" Jun pleaded through his laughter.
In response Emile drew back his fist.
Inside, Six was about done paying for her gifts when suddenly the wall exploded. Jun went flying past her and slammed into the other wall with a SPLAT! Her mouth dropped open with surprise. Along with all the other shoppers she stared at the new hole formed in the wall, Emile standing on the other side of it.
"I think its time we left." Emile said, grabbing Six's arm and pulling her out of the store before the owner could call the cops.
Meanwhile...where Jorge and Carter were...
It was fast approaching the deadline of when they had to meet back, and Carter and Jorge still didn't know where they were. Now they were tired, hungry, cold, and miserable. Just to name a few of the things they felt.
"Gagh, how did we get lost? Spartans NEVER get lost!' Carter ranted, pulled out his hair in frustration.
"Well, I have an idea! if we had some money, we could hire a cab and get back in no time!"Jorge said happily.
'That plan would work great. If we hadn't already spent all our money!" Carter yelled.
Jorge was sad again.
Suddenly they heard a faint crying sound, they followed it. Rounding a corner they found a small child sitting on a bench, tears running down his cheeks. Immediately Jorge's Mother Senses kicked in. In a flash he was beside the child, holding him.
"There, there, its going to be alright. Are yah lost, little guy?" He spoke kindly to the little boy, who nodded. The spartan turned to his commander. "He's lost, we gotta find his parents!"
Carter didn't reply, he was looking at the boy's pockets, a dark look on his face. "I have a better idea." He said evilly. "Check his pockets. See if he has any money!"
Jorge gasped, appalled at the idea. "But we can't steal! Especially from a child."
"Listen, soldier. We spartans do whatever it takes to survive! We need the money, he won't miss it!"
"No, I cant!"
"Fine, then I will do it!" Carter hissed and went over to the boy, and began searching his pockets.
Suddenly there were foot steps and a lady came walking up. " Oh Henry, there you were, I was looking all over for you-" The boy's mother than spotted Carter, with his hands in the boy's pockets. "PEDOPHILE!" She screamed.
"Oh crap..." Carter said as she began to call the cops. "RUN!"
Later...
It was now time to go, the pelican had landed in the square, and Noble Team were loading up. Kat watched the streets anxiously, looking for signs of Carter and Jorge.
"Don't worry, they probably got shanked." Emile said, taking his seat in the pelican. Kat gave him a death stare.
Then, two figures emerged in the distance.
'Hey, are those Carter and Jorge?" Jun asked from underneath his bandages, which had been applied to him shortly after Emile punched him through a wall,
"It seems like it..." Six stood up, watching the two get closer. "It is!"
It was Carter and Jorge, and they were running fast. Which wasn't much a surprise, considering all the cops behinds them.
"Tell the pilot to take off!" Carter screamed as the two of them hopped aboard the pelican. Six ran to the cockpit and a few seconds later the ship was lifting off from the ground and gaining altitude over the city. Leaving a swarm of angry cops to shake their fists at them on the ground.
"Phew, that was a close one," Carter breathed, catching his breath.
'What happened to you two? What were all those cops doing chasing you?" Kat pried, her expression serious.
"Carter is a pedophile!" Jorge piped up happily.
"Shutup Jorge!' Carter yelled. And turned to Kat, trying to smile. "It's a long story...but hey, we got you a Christmas present!" he held up the wrapped package.
Kat was not amused. "It's a long way back to base, I'm sure you can tell it." She sat down. Carter gulped. This was going to be a long trip back...
Back at the base...
The spartans trudged inside, their shoulders sagging from fatigue of shopping. No one was really hungry for dinner, so Carter called lights out.
"Okay Spartans, Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, so we have a whole lot of stuff to do to get ready! So gets lots of sleep!"
There was a tap on his shoulder, he turned around to see Six, looking quite serious.
"What can I do for you?' He smiled.
" Can I have my room now, please?" She smiled back, but it was lacking warmth.
'Oh fine..." Carter sighed. "I moved all those pictures where Kat couldn't find them. Follow me." He turned and walked down the hallway, Six followed. Emile, who had heard their conversation, followed too, his fingers twitching as he stared at the back of Six's head. He would get his own room back!...but why didn't he feel as happy as he thought he would...?
The trio reached Thom's old room. "You can move your stuff in here immediately." He said as he took out a key and opened it. "It may need some dusting, but-" he flicked on the lights. Everyone screamed as the figure hunched in the middle of the room, unpacking his bags.
'For an elite team of spartans, I suspected less...terrified screaming...' The man said.
Carter felt like crapping his pants. "H-H-Holland? What are you doing here?"
TOBECONTINED