Chapter 8

A/N: Ah yes, another chapter of Becoming Human. Somehow, this has been catching a lot of the spotlight for me. I guess it's the inspiration I'm having for it at the moment. Well, anyway, I'm just glad I'm writing, not just playing games or complaining about my wires.

I hope you guys liked the previous chapter, Riley sure does have a thing for drinks. I mean, you'd be staring at someone if they could finish a pint in one go without breathing.

Enjoy!

Location: Vale Expansion Bravo, Outskirts of Vale, Remnant

Date: November 26st, 2551

Time: 2151 hours

Riley O'Neil

"... Yeah. Nothing but dust, decaying buildings, a Grimm or two passing by, and that damn gloomy sky. Seriously, is it always this cloudy outta Vale?" Riley muttered into his helmet's radio as he was situated in a garage of a half built tower looking out at the desolate streets of the crumbling expansion.

"Hey, I ain't no weather woman. But yeah, I always find it strange that it's pretty cloudy there. Anything suspicious though?" Veronica replied back.

Riley walked away from the edge he stood on walking back to his makeshift camp he made above. Camp would be a bit too much to say the least. It was more of a nest to stay in since he was constantly moving withing said expansion to cover as much ground he can.

"Negative, nothing yet."

"How's your side? Is the wound any better?"

"Meh, I've been through worse. This is nothing."

"You fainted from blood loss."

"Nothing new to me."

"You're insane, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

The Police Chief sighed from her side. "Just be careful. There's a reason why not many people go there. Just remember that a patrol of the city contacted me to ask if this can be looked into."

"I know. Look for any signs of White Fang activity. I've been here for the last two days. This place is huge if you forgot."

"Well, you're the only person I know who is crazy enough to go there. Even my best men won't go out there to check things out. I- What? Oh fine. Riley, I gotta go. I have to be at a meeting."

Riley chuckled as he got up to his nest that had a better overlook of the expansion. "Hey, I ain't stopping ya. I'll report in in five hours. Should be enough time for your meeting to end."

"Take care, alright?"

"Yes, mom," Riley joked back causing Veronica to scold him before cutting the connection. Leaning back against a wall, the ODST slid down, still looking out. Removing his helmet, Riley placed it beside him. Letting out a deep sigh, he closed his eyes.

"Some life I'm having here."

It has been barely two weeks since Riley has done the job for Silber Schnee. With a good amount of pay, he has done his job down to the last letter. But he encountered someone on that train. A girl with a black bow on her head. He didn't question one bit.

Opening his eyes once again, he looked back onto the streets as he unholstered his M6S/SOCOM out removing the clip. Inspection of equipment was second nature to the ODST, no matter the given situation. Under fire, it would be a quick glance before engaging.

In the current situation, he had all the time in the world to inspect all equipment he possessed. Gazing at the clip carefully, Riley slid it back into the handgun and cocked it gently hearing the metallic click.

Roughly an hour has passed since the starting of the inspection of the equipment. Piecing together the M90 Shotgun, Riley took a look at the Soellkraff 8 Gauge Shell in his left hand. Turning it around, Riley chuckled a bit seeing the bold letters of UNSC. "Wonder how they're doing now? Covenant always underestimate us. I guess that gives us an advantage against them. They never expect us to strike fast and hard."

Spinning it around his digits, he hefted the shogun over his knee and inserted the shell into the chamber. Grabbing a handful of shells, he proceeded to do the same. Once the last shell in hand was chambered, Riley pumped it eagerly. This was his favorite weapon to use in close quarters after all. At point blank range, this beast of a shotgun with fifteen pellets a shell can tear through and Elite's armor and shield like it's butter.

Looking at up high, the ODST saw that the skies were darkening. Without another thought, Riley grabbed his helmet and popped over his head. Cracking his neck, he stood up slinging the shotgun onto his back.

Riley tilted his head slightly to the side for a moment before turning around drawing his handgun at the same time. "Night vision," He whispered softly. His optics flashed a pale yellow before reverting back to a green tinge on his VISR. Yellow highlights started lining out objects of the environment.

Slowly advancing forward, he made his way towards the lower ramp heading down to the lower levels of garage. Polarizing the VISR, he went down two floors of the garage before hearing a noise within an earshot. "Alright. Enough fucking around with me. Show yourself," He demanded to the empty air.

Both hands clenched in reflex on the M6S/SOCOM when red outlines started showing up along the VISR. Coming in the fading light of the sun from the shadows were two White Fang militia members with Dust Assault Rifles in hand. However, they didn't have an aggressive stance towards the ODST. Instead, they were relaxed, like they were at ease.

Nonetheless, Riley kept the handgun aimed at them, finger slowly placed on the trigger with a bit of pressure applied to it. "Alright, who wants to get capped first?" Riley growled at them.

Ears twitched in confusion hearing something unusual. The sound of heels clacking along the concrete floor. Peering forward, the ODST saw someone walking up towards him. "Or you could lower your weapon and listen. I have no intention of harming you... Yet." The voice clearly belonged to a woman. There was a hint of malice in the voice within those silky words.

Coming in view was a woman dressed in a red dress that ended just below her hips with the back of it elongating into an upside down triangular tail. A feathery accessory was on her right hip with a pair of high heels. Her hair was brushed over to the left side of her hair, the same color as Riley's armor. But the eyes stuck out the most, glowing orange-yellow eyes that have been seen prior to her stepping into the light.

"And who are you exactly?" Riley asked, ignoring the order of lowering his weapon.

"That's not important at the moment. And I won't ask for yours until I think it is necessary, Shadow Wraith."

"There goes that name again," Riley thought in amusement, the same name/insult given to ODSTs from the Elites. Riley gazed at her eyes behind the obscured VISR, trying to find out the woman's intentions. He grumbled silently when he couldn't find out anything. Bitting his lower lip, Riley reluctantly lowered the handgun, still holding it in the right hand. "So, what do you want then?"

"I'm giving you a simple offer," The woman began, sauntering over to the ODST, smiling in what Riley would describe as seductive.

"And that is?"

"I want you to join me in my endeavours. You are wasting your skills in service to those you deem good."

"Those services are my friends. They've been supporting me for a good while. And don't you dare thinking in harming them. I will personally rip you in half with my bare hands," Riley hissed back at the woman.

The two White Fang members aimed their rifles at the ODST only for the woman to wave at them to keep the two at ease. "They aren't involved with this. Only you. Join me, and you can help out the people of Remnant."

"And be terrorizing innocents? I'm a soldier, not a monster," Riley retorted to her. Taking in a silent deep breath, he brought up his arm and quickly shot at the two insurgents beside the woman in the head. They fell with two separate thuds on the ground before Riley aimed in between her eyes. "I'm not a murderer," He added.

The woman only shook her head at him and slowly pushed his gun away from her face. "So, this is your answer, hm? Very well. Then I guess I have no other choice but to see you eliminated."

Riley's eyes narrowed at the woman. He tried to move his aim back to her face but found himself on the ground feeling a rather hot sensation on his chest. His vision was blurred as Riley tried to et a fix on the woman. She was nowehre to be seen. He gritted his teeth before getting onto his knees holding the warm area of the upper right portion of the chest armor. "Damn it... Who was she?"

Cue: One Final Effort- Halo 3 Soundtrack

A funny feeling instilled itself within his gut before Riley threw himself onto the ground when he heard a sharp crack in the air. A bullet whizzed past him, just grazing the top of the helmet, leaving behind a small streak, but otherwise no damage at all.

Riley lifted his head up to see that he was being lit up on. Gunfire was sparking from other buildings across the street with booming cracks filling the air. Getting himself up, Riley stayed crouched as he ran towards a fallen pillar nearby. Grabbing his M7S Submachine Gun on the other side of his knapsack, he slid towards it and shook his head. "Most action I've gotten this month!"

Getting up from his cover, Riley began to fire back at the White Fang that engaged him. Bullets ricocheted off the concrete cover and his armor, some managing to dent it but not going all the way through, thanks to the some added armor thanks to his Wolf Faunus friend.

Looking at the upper right of his VISR, Riley took cover once his mag ran empty. Grabbing another clip, he shoved it back in and resumed firing, nailing a couple White Fang in the process.

"Come on! Just try and kill me! Just try it!" Riley shouted at them reaching for a grenade on his waist to lob at one of the enemy positions. His thumb instinctively pushed against the ignition, priming the frag. His eyes narrowed across the street seeing bright flashes in his night vision to the left. Riley gave it a quick spin in hand before tossing it over.

"Grenade-!"

The sound of a small explosion rung out, a good handful of screams along with it, music to the ODST's ears.

"I can't run out there to escape. I'll just get mowed down in the crossfire. I don't have any contact with Veronica right now... Fuck it, I'll give it a try."

Tapping hard on the side of his helmet, Riley slid down the fallen pillar as small chunks of it were being chipped away from the gunfire.

"This is Sergeant Riley O'Neil! I have encountered hostiles in Vale Expansion Bravo and have been engaged! I am currently pinned down and can't move from my position! I need immediate evac! I say again, I need immediate evac! White Fang are advancing onto my position! I need my ass outta here now!"

Lowering his hand back down to the the grip of the M7S, he leaned to the side and resumed firing once again. "I hope someone got that message. I ain't lasting long out here."

Elsewhere...

A holographic image of a woman was seated behind a desk, managing information through the communications tower she was uploaded to. "Nope... Nope... Nope..." She hummed happily to herself. She was one of the lucky ones to be given a bit of sentient thinking like any person on the planet. "Nothing... Nothing... Oh? What's this?"

The signal was currently weak from the incoming message she was receiving. "Hmmm, this is a restricted channel, but this somehow managed to break through, strange. Pinpointing incoming signal."

"Is something the matter, Evie? You seem to be off," A man asked the A.I walking up to her from a nearby elevator.

"Someone had managed to breached the restrictions on our channel, sir. I'm not sure how, but I am currently looking it up. Hang on..." Shock was visible on her face when she ran the message through. "It's a distress call, from Vale Expansion Bravo."

"Hm, this is interesting. Put it through."

"Very well, sir."

"This is Sergeant Riley O'Neil! I have encountered hostiles in Vale Expansion Bravo and have been engaged! I am currently pinned down and can't move from my position! I need immediate evac! I say again, I need immediate evac! White Fang are advancing onto my position! I need my ass outta here now!"

The man rubbed his chin in curiosity hearing this. "What would a soldier be doing outside of a kingdom?"

"Would you like the message to be played again, sir?" Evie asked him, concern plastering itself to her holographic face.

"No need, Evie. Right now, we need to help this soldier. The odds are against him."

"Send in the usual for extraction?"

"Indeed."

"Ms. Goodwitch won't be happy about this, you know. She is supposed to be asleep right now."

"Don't worry about her. I'll deal with her anger when she comes back."

"Very well. But don't say I warned you," Evie replied, a slight giggle escaping her lips.

Riley

An hour later...

Blood was leaking out of Riley's mouth when he coughed a bit, droplets of the crimson liquid splattering over the VISR. Blood gradually dripped out from the gunshot wounds he had sustained from the prolonged firefight. Had had been in worse firefights with the Covenant. Their plasma based weaponry had some pros over the multitude of cons. They cauterize the wound preventing any blood from spilling out, alongside with excruciating pain.

Riley had already lost count of how many White Fang he has taken down after being shot again in the abdomen for the fourth time. He was still standing despite the wounds he was sustaining. These wounds were nothing compared to losing large amounts of blood after his arm was blown off from that plasma grenade.

Ammo was running low from the continued fight. His ammo counter in the VISR only indicated he had at least five mags left for his M7S, seventeen shells for the M90, and eight clips for the M6C.

There was another lull in the gunfire, the tenth one over the last hour. Nodding, he slung his M90 back and unsheathed his knife. Moonlight reflected off the bloodstained blood, droplets dripping down from the tip.

A red outline appeared on the VISR with someone shouting. Ignoring his wounds, Riley rans towards the outline and brought his knife up, blocking a blow from a sword with the blunt side of his knife. He closed in the distance and headbutted the insurgent in the face before swiping the knife across the exposed flesh of the neck. A vain gasp came out of the insurgent's mouth before falling down to the ground, holding his neck in vain to stop the bleeding.

Footsteps behind. Reflex took over once again making the ODST spin around to face behind him to see another White Fang member close in, a sword in hand as the last one. The sword sped forward to penetrate through his chest. Riley brought his left arm up and deflected the blade away. Shouting, he ran forward and thrusted his knife towards the insurgent's face. His opponent tried to stop it with his hand, only for the knife to pierce through his hand and straight into his open mouth. Riley then shouted loudly, running towards a wall, slamming his body against the insurgent's and ripped his knife out to the side, blood spewing out, staining the wall.

He then screamed and fell down onto his back, holding his left leg. Searching up and down, he felt the familiar wet feeling of his blood coming out of his armor. "Fucking sniper..."

But he wasn't giving up just yet. Grabbing his M7S, he got up into a crouched position, right leg propped up, finger ready to pull the trigger to return fire.

That's when something unexpected happened for both parties.

Gunfire stopped from the White Fang and shouting was heard along with a loud "Fall back!" going out. That's when a Bullhead came into view of Riley's vision, it's spotlight shinning around before landing on him. His eyes narrowed on it, M7S aimed at it in a futile display of defiance, no body expression of giving up one bit.

The Bullhead hovered over to the edge of the, it's port side facing the ODST. The doors soon opened up with a ramp going down onto the concrete. "Is the area clear?" A woman's voice asked. Silence came along lasting for a few seconds behind she nodded. "Good. Port. Come with me."

Stepping off the Bullhead came a woman with one of her companions. She was wearing a black business skirt on with leggings and boots sharing the same color. A white suit with long sleeves that was slightly puffy near her wrists, a bit open showing of her chest. A cape was on her back with a purple inside and a black outside of it. Blonde hair rested a top her head, in a small twirled bun on the left side with green eyes behind a pair of glasses.

The man beside her was wearing a red suit with brown trousers and black dress shoes. Grey hair along with a grey moustache came along as well, stating he has been around for a long time. And for some reason, his eyebrows were covering his eyes, not showing the color.

Riley aimed his M7S at her, not willing to take any chances at the moment. "I-" He started coughing violently, more blood splattering over the VISR. "Identify yourselves..."

"Stand down, lad. You're in good hands. We're here to help," The man told him, with what looks like an axe resting on his back.

"Help..."

"Your distress call, what else?"

"I... I can-" Riley felt the built up exhaustion from the long firefight, causing his body to give out and collapsed on the ground face first.

The man gasped a bit and ran over to him. He removed the helmet off Riley's head and lifted him up, slinging an arm over his shoulder. The woman knew his eyes were widened behind his eyebrows. Riley's face was covered in his own blood, in a dark thick layer, dripping down his chin.

"Get him inside, now," The woman ordered. The man nodded at her and made sure the ODST was secure walking towards the Bullhead.

"Glynda, best to take his helmet. I have a hunch it may prove useful if the lad is to ever wake up."

"Fine. But I hope this wasn't in vain. He doesn't look in good condition." The woman, called Glynda, walked over to the helmet and picked it up. She grimaced seeing the inside of it but kept her composure. "I wonder if he will even wake up."

"Don't lose hope, Glynda. Something's telling me he will pull through."

"I just hope you're right."

That was a thing in and out of itself.

You are wondering, why am I having Riley get injured, almost to the brink of death. Well, considering that his arm was blown off in his episode with more trauma that even most UNSC Marines have. So in technicality speaking, he has had worse, maybe even prior to said episode.

So, what will happen to him now?

As always, hopefully you'll leave a review and follow.