Well, here's the next chapter. Thanks to all for reading, and things will be moving along soon!
Chapter 17
Dawn drove her fist at a pale face while she pulled on wavy blonde hair, but a white armored hand blocked her assault and sent her flying through the air. She leapt back to her feet and growled at the arrogant smirk on White Dragon's face, his blue eyes glinting malevolently at her in the light of the combat room on the IAOC Nagasaki.
"Give it up, Black Phoenix," White Dragon hissed at his opponent, who twirled her katana blade threateningly at him.
"Yeah, like I'm going to let you go through with a mindless murder," she retorted sarcastically, standing up straight again and wiping a trickle of blood from her eyes. It was imperative that she win this match; if Dawn didn't win, then the lives of Texas, York, and North were all forfeit. The very thought set an icy grip around her heart.
"You know that I CAN pull rank on you if I wanted to," her opponent pointed out. "I am a more active Operator than you, so I'm higher ranking than you are."
The ice in Dawn's heart melted in a fiery explosion of annoyance and exasperation. Because White Dragon was more involved with the workings of the IAOC and trying to keep things stable, he would have more political clout than her. Well, all the more reason to beat him.
"If you want to make this a dogfight for the position of alpha, fine. Just be ready to get your ass handed to you," Dawn retorted, charging at him at the same time that he raised his axes to defend himself.
The two warlords weren't just fighting for the lives of the Freelancer stowaways on the ship; they were fighting for dominance within the Operator ranks, and neither was willing to concede to the other.
Their blades clashed harshly, and they pressed against each other to destabilize their opponent. "Funny. I thought there was only one dog here, bitch," Dragon sneered, and he was flung backward by an extra show of force from the woman that he had just offended, landing square on his back and lying stunned for a moment. Dawn backed up against a wall while Dragon recovered, and Chi appeared alongside her as an amber orb.
"This fight seems a little bit…archaic, in comparison to more preferred combat practices," Chi remarked as Dawn caught her breath.
"It's just a thing that we have," her host gasped as she leant on her sword. "If you use some of the older stuff, chances are that your opponent isn't going to know how to fight against it as well."
"True- watch your six!" Chi shouted as White Dragon attempted to sneak up from behind. Dawn whipped around and blocked a flying axe with her blade before the other sent her katana flying in the opposite direction. Both warriors, now weaponless, started grappling with each other fiercely as they tumbled onto the tile ground. White Dragon's smart AI, a shimmering specter by the designation of White River, "slammed" into Chi's orb-form and sent the two AIs tumbling through the holographic projection system, Chi shifting to her cat image in order to spar with the hooded figure continuing to pursue her. Dawn could no longer rely on her AI to give her backup, but neither could Dragon. The two were equally matched once again.
Above the training room, North rubbed his bandaged hand nervously, ignoring the small spasms of pain from where he touched the healing muscle, bone, and tissue. Theta was kicking his legs nervously while seated in mid air. York and Delta were leaning forward in order to get a better view of the fight below, and Texas and Omega were having a quiet conversation in a corner.
"Your obsession over this girl will be getting is killed," Omega argued. "Your search for the answers as to what she has to do with your past will result in all our executions."
"You don't have any faith that Dawn can actually win?" Tex whispered back aggressively to the AI. "She's a warlord from an independent system that happens to have fought in a civil war AND worked with the project for several years before we did, Omega. I think that she can handle this."
"Yet, why do your vital signs show a slight amount of nervousness at the prospect of her quarrel with this other warlord?" Omega sneered in return. "It may be time that you take things into your own hands."
"Tex, you should come over and see this," York called back to her, and Tex cut off the conversation with Omega to join the other two Freelancers in watching the fight.
The brawl was turning nasty as each of the soldiers in HAYABUSA armor did not hesitate to throw punches, kicks, and toss their opponent to the other side of the room in their efforts to beat the other. Chi and White River were "grappling" with each other, and data bits were flying everywhere.
"Give it up, Phoenix," the intercom played out what each of the Operators was saying to the other. "You and your bastard AI don't have what it takes to save your friends."
There was a pause. The sense of foreboding increased. The atmosphere seemed to have chilled.
"What. Did. You. Say?" Dawn asked slowly, putting emphasis on every word in the question.
"You heard me," Dragon retorted with a sneer. "You and your botched up, no good, bastard AI-"
He never had the chance to finish. With a growl of rage, both Dawn and Chi turned into little more than flashes of color. The speed of their attacks couldn't be matched as both White Dragon and White River were sent flying to all areas of the room, blood and data bits scattering in all directions. Their ferocity at the insult was quite alarming. North had never seen his lover look so angry. Her face was contorted into a snarl, and her eyes flashed with the amber light from her angered AI fragment.
"North, I feel very…I'm not sure," Theta whimpered from his position next to North. "It's a very dark feeling, and it feels yucky."
"It is a simulated emotion that I am also experiencing," Delta spoke up softly. Omega was silent, but his color seemed to be more pronounced than his brothers.
"I think you're feeling angry," York explained to the two AIs, with a small nod from Omega as he confirmed the "emotion" that they were feeling. "You're probably experiencing what most of us are feeling at the moment, which is normal." He looked to North and Texas. "It IS normal, right?"
"From what I remember from the lessons," North spoke slowly and thoughtfully, "I think the Director did say that experiencing unusual emotions would be normal with AI implantation."
"I don't know if he meant it quite like this, though," Texas whispered, gripping the railing even harder. Her green eyes seemed to be clouded over in thought and…worry? "Not like this at all."
White Dragon gasped as he rolled onto his front, feeling the ache in his ribs and chest from where he had been punched. Blood dripped down from his forehead, and it felt like he had twisted one of his ankles. That, or Black Phoenix had broken one of his feet.
A dripping katana blade appeared in front of his face, in line with his throat. The blonde man stared up into the livid face of his fellow Operator. White River had retreated from the onslaught by the AI fragment that Black Phoenix had brought back with her from the UNSC. She was good, very good. In fact, he thought, she had proven to be the better fighter with this.
White Dragon's life was forfeit. "Kill me, then," he rasped up to the dark-haired woman with blazing grey eyes. "You have the right. Just do it."
Without a word, the blade was raised up. Dragon closed his eyes. There was a gush of wind as the blade sailed through the air.
There was no pain, no sound, no bright flash of heavenly light or fiery darkness. White Dragon opened his eyes to see the blade resting on the ground in front of his face. There were no marks on his body, save for a slash through the dragon emblem on his chest. The clean black outline on the bloody white armor had a straight slash mark through its center.
Only one question came to mind: "Why?" he asked his opponent, who turned away. She was silent for a moment.
"If there's one thing that I learned from my work with the Freelancers, it's that insults will only get you so far in a fight. It's not worth taking a life for something as petty as a jab at your pride," Dawn responded somberly, sheathing her sword onto her back. She held out her hand, and White Dragon took it gratefully. A team of medics rushed over to take White Dragon from Black Phoenix, and they started ushering him towards the door.
On the way to the infirmary, White Dragon halted as the three Freelancers entered to congratulate their champion.
"I just wanted to say…I apologize for my hastiness in seeing you executed," he murmured to York, Texas, and North Dakota. They stared back at him evenly. "I just have had bad experiences in the past with UNSC soldiers, but I shouldn't have let my grudge judge you for who you are. If Black Phoenix says you're okay," he gave a toothy grin, "then you're good in my books."
"…Thanks," the Freelancers murmured as Dawn came to join them, wiping blood from her face with a towel. They turned away as Dragon was taken away to the infirmary. The group said nothing for a while. Even though the display was impressive in terms of ferocity and combat prowess, it didn't feel like a real victory.
"It's how things work with us," Dawn whispered the answer to their unspoken question. "And I'll show you how we function as a whole, so that you'll survive." She gave them a small, wry smile. "Welcome to the IAOC."
"Has there been any luck in being able to find some manner as to control the Halos, Mendicant Bias?" Father asked as he stalked through the abandoned hallway towards his private chambers, ignoring the screams of agony from his son, who was undergoing his next mutation process. The Monitor bobbed along silently and obediently, following the Forerunner.
"Not yet," the malignant presence answered respectfully, in a voice that seemed almost too cheerful. "Rest assured, progress is being made in the attempts, but there have been no actual results yet beyond the simulations."
"Keep working at it," Father responded fiercely, turning on the AI. "If we are to regain control of our mightiest weapon-"
"And we shall, I can promise that," Mendicant Bias responded. "My vow to the Forerunners may have been forfeit in the past, but the force that I represent has assured me that our goals and ideals are one and the same in the end. Our processes to achieve our goals are our only differences."
"Ah, yes," Father gave a sickly sort of purr. "Your other Master. How fares it?"
"The process of rejuvenation is…slow," Mendicant Bias conceded. "The work of the Master Chief delayed our uprising, which is statistically concerning. Still, the Master is recuperating as we speak, and taking on a more…durable form; one that should be more appropriate for the current situation."
"My condolences and praises for a quick recovery."
"I shall be sure to pass on the message to my Master when I make a progress report," Mendicant Bias assured the Forerunner.
"I do wonder, however," Father continued, "I know that the Gravemind has promised that my allies and myself will not be subject to its…appetite. What caused the change, the advancement in our relations?"
"It was quite simple, really," Bias quipped as he paused for a moment. "As you know, the Flood is constantly evolving, becoming more intelligent with every mind that it gains into the collective knowledge from which the Gravemind controls. My Master has gained a desire beyond that of merely gaining intelligence, one that will assure us a combined victory."
"And what might that be?" Father asked eagerly, leaning forward, his red eyes glimmering in anticipation."
"Revenge."
...Not my best piece of work. Merely a means to an end. I'm still working at it, so please keep reading and reviewing!
Sincerely,
anna1795