For those of you who are waiting to meet the two ODSTs, don't worry, they'll show up in a chapter or two. If you can guess who Bob is, I'll put you into my next chapter! J
AUGUST 23, 2552
NEW ALEXANDRIA
I ducked behind a crate as 10 spikes slammed into the wall where I had just been standing. I was with some Troopers who had been sent to the hospital not long ago. I had decided to take the last transport out of here. A transport that never came. I don't think I'll have to say why. I met up with the Troopers moments before we were attacked by the Brutes. What started off as 30 armed men and a cripple turned into 7 armed men and a cripple. I was ordered by the Troopers to flee from the battle scene. I did as ordered, but the 7 men left died with the second wave of Brutes and Skirmishers. I watched as the Brutes brought in some sort of jamming device. And still I stayed in my hiding spot a floor above them.
That was yesterday. Earlier, another group of Troopers had attempted to destroy the jammer. They managed to punch through the Brutes and I chose that moment to go down to them. As I explained my situation to them, reinforcements for the Brutes came through the door, sending plasma fire and red hot spikes everywhere ahead of them. As we fell back, I picked up an Assault Rifle and rushed with the Troopers to get into cover.
As we returned fire two of the Brutes, armed with Spikers went to go guard the jammer. The rest went to take care of us.
"Open fire Troopers!" yelled one of the Troopers, "we gotta destroy that jammer!"
We returned fire and the Brutes' shields flickered on. "Gimme a grenade!" I yelled and, catching a grenade threw it into a squad of Brutes huddled together. Then the brutes decided to return the favor, throwing a plasma grenade in my direction. I was barely able to get out of the way.
The blast sent me flying into a nearby wall and I hit my head, temporarily blinding me. I felt one of them pick me up and start carrying me someplace. Then the Trooper from before yells, "Contacts, two at ten o'clock! I'll hold them off until you get to the other side!"
"Cover that doorway! Move, move, move!" another yells to the squad, right as the sound of a Brute roaring in rage is heard.
"More Brutes! Stay back, you stinking bastards!" the first Trooper yells again, and more Brutes yell but this time are cut short, "I said back off, you nasty son of a bitch!" The sound of the fight echoes throughout the building, making it impossible to distinguish the sounds.
"Go ahead and try it!" another Trooper yells, and my sight starts returning as the sounds of battle start to end. It comes back in time for me to see a Spartan in black smash his AR onto the top of a Brute's head, killing it instantaneously. I look closer and see that it's the same Spartan from before, at the Viery territory.
"Thanks for the assist, Spartan. Jammer's right over here" said Sgt. Baker, the first Trooper who spoke. The Spartan jogs over to the jammer and quickly overloads it, and then walks down the stairs back to us. He tilts his head as if listening to a radio and nods. As he starts walking out, Elite Rangers start pouring out of a door into the room.
"We've got Jumpers!" Sgt. Baker yells as the Spartan, faster than I would've thought possible, sprints towards the Elites and quickly smashes one to the ground as it begins to jetpack away.
"Damn! Look how they move!" shouts Pvt. Lansky, the second trooper who had talked and the one who had pulled me away from the fight.
One of the Rangers lands in front of Lansky and shoves its Plasma Rifle into his stomach unleashing fiery death upon the young Trooper. I, Baker, and another Trooper tackle the Elite Ranger, Baker coming in from behind the Ranger, taking out his legs while the other Trooper holds down the Elite's gun arm. Using the butt of my AR, I smash down on the ugly bastard's glass helmet breaking it and smashing the glass and cutting the Elite's face up.
Time seemed to slow as I brought my gun around so the barrel was pointing at its face. I looked into its eyes and saw only hatred there. Its gray eyes didn't hold fear of its imminent death. It didn't seem to comprehend anything besides the fact that I deserved to die. It glared at me then roared, challenging me to kill it.
I obliged. I emptied the entire magazine into his head, leaving an unrecognizable, purple-blooded mush where its head had just been. We got up from the corpse and look around, seeing all the other Elites dead and the Spartan shooting a coup de grâce with his magnum. I walk up to the 6' 9" Spartan in black armor splattered with purple blood.
"That was impressive Spartan," I say to him, looking in awe at the carnage surrounding the silent warrior.
"Not really," he replies, his voice surprisingly normal, "B.O.B. was harder to take down."
I look at him questioningly as Sgt. Baker walks up and says, somewhat tiredly, "We're good here sir. You can head back to your bird."
The Spartan nods and sprints out of site, presumably to his bird. A moment later we follow, admittedly a little slower than the super soldier. We reach the platform where our Pelican has landed and make our way over. It's there that I see a familiar and very welcome face.
"Roger!" I shout, jogging over to my best friend. He looks surprised to see me, then angry.
"What the hell are you doing here!?" he shouts at me, "You're supposed to be halfway to Earth by now!"
I sigh as I realize how tired I am. "It's a long story man. I'll tell you when we're back aboard the Firefight." He looks down, suddenly look very depressed. "Hey man what's wrong. Has something happened to the . . . oh no. Don't tell me . . ." he nods, looking back up at me remorsefully.
"No. No no no no nonononononononono!" I yell punching the side of the Pelican and hear something crack. I grab my hand as pain shoots up my arm. "Dammit." I whisper to myself before turning to Roger.
"Who survived?" I ask him, grief making my voice come out ragged.
"Aloum did. Captain Arkansas went down with the ship when it was attacked by a Corvette."
"What about Emma?" Silence answers me. I look up at him and he keeps his eyes from mine.
"What about Emma?" I repeat, harsher.
"Went down with the ship."
Before I can say anything else the pilot turns around. Alright guys, we're returning to the medical frigate, ETA 10 minutes. Then we'll be returning to Earth."
Sgt. Baker whips his head up from where he's sitting. "Earth? Why?"
"From what I've picked up, it's because the top brass doesn't want Earth unprotected. Plus more Covies have arrived at Reach. They don't want to send people to die from no reason."
Random mutterings erupt from the Pelican as we mull over the news. One of the Troopers, Pvt. Ascet I think he's called, sums up our mutterings and whispered words, "So Reach has fallen."
Silence engulfs the Pelican. We ride the rest of the way without talking. So what now? Reach has fallen so Earth's the last thing in the Covenant's way. Unless some miracle comes along, we're all screwed. I think to myself as the Pelican lands. Yeah, what we need is a miracle.