I was shaken awake by Mitch early in the morning. He had his axe slung across his back and the hunting knife in his hand.
"What do you want Mitch?" I asked rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
"We are going beyond that ridge to look for a any sign of Human Life." Mitch replied pointing at the ridge ahead of us.
"What about Jake and John?"
"They'll be fine. We're leaving the Warthog here." Mitch grunted while pulling me to my feet.
I walked over to the Warthog and grabbed my shotgun and dual pistols. I looked at Jake and Josh who were still sound asleep. Mitch walked towards the center of the clearing holding a grenade full of training paint.
"Actually we might as well wake them," he chuckled tossing the grenade into the air.
I watched the grenade soar through the air not noticing Mitch barreling toward me. The grenade began its descent toward the ground growing slowly growing in size. Mitch nailed me square in the chest with his shoulder throwing me over a log and into the bushes. He jumped the log as the grenade hit the ground.
The pressure inside the grenade blew the casing apart, throwing red paint everywhere. Mitch slammed into ground next to me scaring me to death.
"Are you okay Mitch!" I yelled over the noise of the explosion.
"I'm Fine," He replied getting back onto his feet. "We better leave."
I got back onto my feet and jogged after him towards the ridge we had seen the night before.
Jake was pissed. John was washing both of their uniforms in a nearby river. Jake was trying to start a fire in nothing but his boxers. John eventually came back wearing a wet but washed uniform.
"It's wet but clean," He said throwing Jake his uniform.
"Thanks man."
"So how do we get them back?" John asked warming his hands by the fire.
"When the opportunity comes you'll know." Jake replied a little grin forming on his face.
"How much farther." I groaned. "My chest hurts."
"Stop your whining, we're almost there." Mitch said while looking over his shoulder.
I stopped and looked around thinking I had heard a tank in the distance.
"Mitch did you he…"
"Get down!" Mitch yelled.
I hit the floor right as a Phantom flew over our heads. It reached the Ridge and started firing its plasma bolts at whatever was on the other side. A tank shell hit the Phantom's nose caused it to explode in a ball of blue and white plasma.
"Holy Shit!" I yelled while pieces of white hot metal rained all around me.
Mitch jumped to his feet and ran towards the wreckage. I slowly got up and ran after him. I found him wiping his Knife clean and a dead Elite on the ground.
"What do you want to do now?" I asked Mitch while prodding the dead Elite with my foot.
"We're going to wait for Jake and Josh to pick us up." Mitch replied leaning against the wreckage.
"Good enough for me." I replied sitting on a tree stump that looked like a tank had rolled over it.
"Jake get the car." John said grabbing his rifle.
"Why?" Jake replied grabbing the keys to the warthog. "Where are we going."
"We are going to get Mitch and Jacob." John said pointing at the green flares on top of the mountainside.
Jake looked up at the Mountain and saw small green dots. He jumped into the driver seat while John strapped himself to the turret. Jake looked at John to make sure he was ready before he slammed his foot onto the accelerator.
In the hour we had before Josh and Jake got here I watched the battle that was raging in the valley in front of us. I noticed that the human forces were hopelessly outnumbered nut somehow had managed to repulse waves upon waves of Covies. A single M-1 Delta was fighting its way up ridge towards the green flares we had placed. Two times it was almost boarded but the men inside pushed them off.
"Jacob are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mitch asked while turning the safety of his pistol off
"Yes but I think we should…"
A Warthog burst from the bushes Jake and Josh yelling in excitement. I ran towards the passenger seat but Mitch beat me to it.
"Sorry Jacob but I'm pulling rank." Mitch said pointing at the stripes on his shoulder.
I shrugged and jumped into one of the back seats.
"Hit it!" John screamed his voice cracking in excitement.
Jake gunned it over the lip of the Ridge into Battle.
We hit the ground guns blazing scaring the shit out of a squad of grunts. I slammed the butt of my shotgun into the skull of an Elite Minor. Mitch took out a few grunts with his pistol but eventually switched back to his axe.
"This is the most fun I've had in days." John shouted while slaughtering a group of Jackals with the machinegun.
The M-1 Delta turned towards us and fired its cannon. I ducked as the shell screamed past us into a group of Elite Majors. John finished the survivors with quick bursts of the machinegun. Jake swerved suddenly to avoid a plasma overcharge.
"Watch out!" I yelled pointing at another jackal with a charged pistol.
Jake pulped a grunt as he tried to avoid the Jackal. The Jackal's charged slammed into the Warthog stalling it.
"We're Fucked. It won't start up again." John shouted turning the keys desperately.
A Golden Zealot noticed our trouble and drew its plasma sword. It roared with victory as it ran towards us. John opened fire with LAAG but the Elite kept on running.
"Damn it Jake! You're going to get us killed!" Mitch shouted throwing a grenade at the charging Zealot.
The Zealot swung his blade at Mitch. The blade sliced across his right arm cauterizing the wound instantly.
"Son of a Bitch." Mitch groaned grasping his arm
"Jake get us out of here!" John yelled.
The Zealot swung at Mitch again. The plasma sword slashed across his chest leaving a trail of blood in its wake. Mitch slumped over unconscious as blood continued to gush from his chest.
"Got it." Jake said to no one in particular.
The Warthog sprang to life and leapt forward. The Elite roared in fury and ran after us. It got within 40 feet of us before it disappeared in a cloud of dust and debris. Jake managed to get us to the marine camp.
"Take that you fucking Split lip!" A voice yelled from marine camp.
We Burst through the gate entrance with the M-1 Delta hot on our heels. A Medic in ODST armor ran up to us with a two cans of Biofoam. The medic took one look at Mitch and called for a stretcher.
"He has extreme damage to his arteries," said the Medic filling Mitch's chest with the foam. "He's going to make it but he'll be out of action for a while."
"Thank you…" I paused not knowing the medics name.
"It's Mark, Sgt. Mark Franklin." The ODST said holding out his hand.
I shook his hand. He turned and jogged towards the medical tent.
"You three the Captain wants to see you." A marine yelled from a nearby building.
I looked at John and Jake.
"You'll enjoy this Jacob trust me." Jake said as he walked toward the command building.
Haven't posted in a While due to Term Papers there will be another chapter shortly. Don't forget to review