Chapter 22
James was staring at us, mouth agape as he stood there dumbly. Why should I be reacting like this? I've been caught kissing John before, and not just by James. But there was a feelings in my chest that hurt almost as he stood there. I quickly put my helmet back on, hiding my face from my once closest friend. John seemed as equally weirded out as I was, and put his helmet back on with just as much swiftness as I had. In James's hands were long skinny pieces of metal that he obviously had intended on splinting my arm with. He slowly walked over, handed them and then walked away without a word.
My heart dropped down to my stomach.
John had taken them from James, and placed a few on a slab of metal nearby to keep them clear of the mud we stood on. He got out a few bandages, and picked up the longest of the two metal pieces. John quickly placed it against my arm, and secured that entire metal piece by wrapping it around my arm several times. Despite the fact that there was the hard metal armor I wore in the way, I could almost feel the metal against my numbed arm. After he got the second piece on, John helped me to my feet.
We walked over to the others, who had finished blocking off the woods from our crash site just for the night. We didn't hold hands as we walked, afraid of the looks it would bring from the others. Especially the looks it would bring us from James. The blue-clad spartan was busy with Matthew setting up an area we could sleep. And Becca was on the other side of the small area they'd cleared out. Instantly I started walking over towards her, noticing how she was standing there, hands clutching something closely to her chest.
"Becca?" I croaked, my voice cracked again as I called out to get her attention. She didn't respond at first, as if frozen there to the ground. As I get closer I could just hear her muttering something under her breath, it sounded like a prayer almost. As I closed the distance, the prayer like mutterings grew loud enough for me to make out just a little snippet.
"Please God, accept this brave soldier among your ranks."
She's religious? You learn something new everyday.
"Becca?" I asked again when it sounded like the prayer was over with. She looked back at me, her blue eyes puffy and red from crying. Without a word, I lifted my own good arm and she nuzzled against me as I gave her a half hug. "I'm so sorry for your loss." I whispered in her ear. "We all are."
Becca's slightly stifled sobs were completely loose now, tears staining her dirtied face as she clenched her fingers and uncurled them. A few times they formed fists and she lightly banged them on the chest piece of my armor, lost in her melt down. I was silent, I didn't know what to say. I had only known them both for this mission, but it wasn't the first time someone had died on me. Pain surged as the picture of Ricardo's last moments and the elite stabbing Samuel through with the energy sword flashed for a very brief moment in my mind. I shoved them away, this wasn't time for that. Rebecca needed me.
Her fists clenched as she cringed, the climax of her sorrow came bursting forth. "Dammit all! Why must all the good ones leave us? Why must it always be the ones that are true, that are honest? That are loved?" Becca sobbed, and I could barely contain myself from crying as well. But someone had to remain calm, someone had to be the anchor. I had to be the anchor.
"You know, sometimes it is the good ones that leave us, that remind us that lights fades to darkness, but from darkness light is born." I whispered, and the sobs quieted some as Becca fought to control herself. It was a long time before she pulled back from me, her blue eyes steeled at last though puffy and red. She slipped her helmet on, and walked away towards the others shaking. I looked over at what she'd been facing earlier in her prayer, my heart nearly stopping at the sight.
There he was, Danny all armored up at the bottom of a hole with a large pile of dirt beside it. We're going to bury him, hold a funeral service I would imagine. This was our viewing. My teeth gritted at this, I mean. Our bodies were either left on the battle field or recovered by ONI and examined. We were never buried, our names were scratched on a memorial and that was it. Maybe a piece of our armor would be placed there beside it or perhaps a picture. But we were never buried, but why shouldn't we?
We were human too weren't we?
I sighed as I turned, it hurt to look any longer. The others were waiting for me to finish up and walked over towards the grave. James and John both walked up to the grave, and stood to the side, waiting for a sign from Matthew. The twins were standing close, Matthew's arms comforting his obviously pained sister despite everyone hiding behind a mask. A cold and hallow mask, but one that did well to hide the truth. After a few moments, Becca gave a gentle nod and Matthew opened his mouth to begin speaking as John and James began to scoop the dirt back into the hole with its new company.
The tears fell silently despite my best attempts to control myself. I was a Spartan, I wasn't supposed to have emotions.
"Take cover!" James shouted as a loud explosion racked the side of the piece of metal we were behind. The sound of energy weapons firing and alien words calling out filled what had been a sacred silence. A series of gunshots came from both sides as the Covenant poured out of the woods around us, trapping us from all but one side. It had been a good day since we'd crashed, to be honest it was a shock they hadn't found us sooner. "Watch the sides!"
A duo of hunters were coming around through the maze of wreckage, green energy charging at their built in cannons upon their hands before they made the odd sounds like a growl and fired. Becca swore as the piece of metal she'd been taking cover behind melted slightly, her position compromised in mere moments. Matthew dashed forward with a grenade and chucked it at their feet. As the hunters stooped down to shield themselves from the blast, John came up from one side and James the other to tear into the exposed back. All things considered, we were doing pretty well for the moment. But it was just for the moment.
I couldn't fight, and it gave me as much rage as the Covenant's religious hate of us. My left arm was far too gone to be of any use, and I could hardly stabilize the pistol leaving me a dead weight in the middle of a battle for our lives. Hiding behind cover was my only hope, stay out of the line of fire and as a result, out of their path. The thought made me clench my teeth, I should be fighting with them not hiding! There was nothing I could do but remain hidden, helpless, useless.
"Becca! Behind you!" I called out to the woman that was swearing all her anger at the Covenant, a violent passion taking hold of her that was surprising even to me. She mowed them down, assault rifle in hand and an instrument of revenge. The woman ducked from a volley of plasma grenades before she tossed her own back and decimated a jackal platoon. "Becca behind you!" I warned desperately as an elite came up from behind her, sword in hand. Instantly the memory of Samuel flooded into my mind, and I could foresee the fate of the brave woman before it happened. She didn't hear me, her own rage having such a strong grip on her that the warning fell on deaf ears.
But not entirely unheeded was my call, James came barreling forward with a battle cry and shouldered the elite away before he fired a decent stream of lead into its chest. The elite howled in anger, blood splattering on the rocks as it died, Becca turning to James with a grateful nod. "Nice eyes." John said over the commlink to who I assumed was me.
"At least it is something I can do." I replied as I kept my eyes open for more enemies that might have weaved their way back behind us. "John, if you can give me cover I think I could get to that hill and act as your eyes." The lone figure was a good fifty meters away but from there I would be safe and helpful. Hopefully.
"Alright, I'll get you there, don't worry Liz." James replied over the comm and before I knew it he was shouting as he dashed this way with a pair of brutes not far behind. With a twirl of his wrist he let them have it, their armor deflecting most of the bullets but a few found their mark and they staggered. I lifted the pistol, gritting my teeth at the surge of pain, and aimed best I could. The first shot hit a shoulder, the second the nearest piece of pelican wreckage, and the third soundly planted itself in the dirt beside James. Damn I was a terrible shot with one hand.
"Come on!" He urged me as he sprinted past and I stumbled to my feet after him. The path to the hill was not as heavily damaged as a majority of the area, but from the battle and the crash. The short trek up however, was completely exposed and my back tingled with the thought of snipers.
"I'm clear, go kick some Covie butt!" I called out once there was only a few steps up, and James turned around instantly to return to the fight. I laid down, my whole body aching as I pressed myself low and into the short grass to witness the fight from afar. "Becca, two tangos to your left." I called over the comm at the first spot of the enemy forces getting around. She quickly turned and gunned down the pair of jackals. "Hunter incoming from the west!" The lumbering alien was already charging its plasma cannon when I alerted them and Matthew was quick to dash behind some cover as it released the energy. "Its partner is coming in from the east! Becca get into some cover!" She obeyed, swift as the wind and popped a grenade over the crate she was behind.
"Watch the north, the covenant are starting to converge!" My warning over the commlink didn't come soon enough, as the Covenant swarmed over their position and I was left there calling out frantically as my friends were surrounded by the aliens and all I could hear was the gunfire. "John! James! Becca! Matthew! Do you hear me?" I cried into the microphone in my helmet, tears welling at my eyes as I witnessed what had to be their destruction. "Please, answer me! You can't- you can't die!" I punched the hill with my one good hand, pain shooting up it instantly. I balled my fist, unable to bare looking at the scene any longer and slid down the other side of the hill. There was no point in staying if they were dead, and they were dead. There was no other option at this point. Low on ammo, already injured, outnumbered a thousand to one. It just wasn't possible for them to survive! The tears resurfaced as this reality came to light, and the gravity of just how likely it was hit me like a gravity hammer.
Don't cry, don't cry, don't you fucking cry Elizabeth!
I gritted my tear, and stumbled down the hill until I could just barely hear the sound of battle. Perhaps they were still alive, but it wouldn't last. There was no way it could last. Have to get out of here, have to flee. The UNSC won't make it before sundown, have to get away from here, have to-
"Liz!"
I froze, my body trembling at the voice I heard. "John?" I whispered, turning around slowly expecting to see him impaled on an energy sword. But instead he stood at the crest of the hill with Becca, James, Matthew, all of them beside him with blood covering their armor. There was silence over the hill and I found myself at a loss for words.
They came racing down, not giving me pause to process what was happening before Becca smashed a fist in my helmet. I fell right back onto the ground, head swimming at the impact. Why the hell was she hitting me? Becca gripped me by the shoulders and lifted me up. "You left us!" She shouted angrily.
"I thought you were dead!" I replied with a heavy head, the guilt in my gut growing stronger. "I stand no chance against the Covenant in my state, I was trying to stay alive! There is no point in allowing myself to die when I can try to stop it!" The words came in a rush, and I got to my feet to find their gazes hard. Even John's.
"Becca stop it!" Matthew shouted, stepping forward to his sister who wheeled on him with a vengeance.
"She left us for dead brother! Just like Danny!" The woman shouted at him, it sounded like she was crying under her helmet. Just how mad was she?
Matthew gripped her by the shoulders, shaking her furiously. "No she didn't! She was trying to make our deaths, if they had happened, not worthless!"
"That's what they all say..." She growled lowly.
Before I could open my mouth James had replied to her, "Back the fuck off her case right now!" He demanded, shoving a finger in her face.
"James, I swear if you don't remove your finger from my face I'll tear it off and shove it-"
"Enough!" John shouted as he stepped forward between everyone. "We have to move! They'll be upon us soon enough without you all washing time fighting!" He started walking away and than it was Matthew that expressed just what we were all wondering.
"Do we even know if the UNSC is coming?"
John gave a firm nod, "Yes. They're coming. We just have to keep moving before the Covenant catch up to us once again. And that will happen sooner if not now if we don't get a move on!" He started marching forward, away from the crash. Becca lingered, looking at me as I turned away from her. I wasn't going to justify myself to her, she would have done the same if she thought we were all dead.
I'm certain of it.
He was right, John was right. The UNSC were coming for us.
"This is UNSC Command, does anyone copy? Over." That was what came on over the comm as we drew closer to a large cliff. Everyone let out the breath they'd been holding the moment we heard the static that came on first. It was a broken up message, little bits coming but eventually it came in clear enough to make it out.
"This is Spartan 117, my squad and I copy UNSC Command." John replied as we all gave a triumphant cheer. "We're stranded with Covies hot on our tail, evac would be greatly appreciated. Over."
I bit my lip as the answer came, my heart fluttering in my chest at the simple words that meant everything at the moment. "We're on our way. Over."
The conversation continued between the two as they set up the exact location of where we were to be picked up about a half a click away. They would be there soon, very soon. We might just make it. We were entering a valley when the shape of a pelican could be spotted coming down far from the horizon, like an angel from heaven basked in the white light of the sun. It would still be some time until it was here however.
"Come on! We have just a little bit further!" Becca encouraged, trucking through the tall grass with a euphoria. "Matthew pick up our feet for once and move it!" The twins were quickly thrown into a friendly argument as we moved along, teases and taunts and jokes thrown out between the two of them. It was enlightening to say the least, a few moments away from the mental strain of the constant looming threat of the Covenant who weren't all that far behind us. After all, they had vehicles, knew the land and had some of the scariest things around that could track us down; the distraction was more than welcome.
John came up beside me, walking closely so he could talk to me. He brushed beside me, supporting my weak left side without being asked. God I loved that about him. "You holding on alright Liz?"
With a small sigh I nodded. "As good as I can. God knows how long I'll be spending in the clinic when we get back, quite a while I'm sure." I tried to joke, but the motion caused my chest to ache so I quickly stopped. "I'm glad you are here though. I probably would have died if not for you, you know that right?" I looked at him, heart aching as I waited for his response. "I'm not the super-soldier the scientists want me to be, I never really was. I don't think I can take much more of this John."
He was silent, and then every word he said was... I don't even know what it was. "We're not always what people expect us to be, but I don't think for one second that you're not amazing and one of the best soldiers I know." That was all he said, but that was all he had to.
I pulled him in for a hug, leaning my helmet against his chest at the awkward motion. "I love you."
"I love you too." I looked up at him, grinning under my helmet when a cry came from in front of us.
Becca came running back from where she'd vanished around the corner. "They're here! This whole valley is compromised!" She screamed, and I found my whole body shaking at her words. "That pelican is about to land in an ambush!"
"What are you talking about Becca?" James questioned as he came over, Matthew right behind her. "How could they have gotten in front of us like that?"
"I don't know but does it matter? John you've got to warn the pilot. We can't get into another wreck like that again! None of us will survive, either from the wreck or getting hunted down." She replied, her visor falling on me. "Liz won't make it..."
My gut wrenched at her words and the sad truth they held. I really wouldn't if I got in another incident like that. There was no hope for it, I couldn't survive the battles any more no without having to run. One more plane wreck and I was done for. But they could make it, they could escape this damn planet. They'd be able to keep on going, I know the could. If they just had time. If they just had a distraction. "Guys... I want you to leave me." I said with gritted teeth, head lowered.
"What are you talking about?" James growled, stepping towards me. "We don't leave anyone behind Elizabeth!"
"Well you have to!" I retorted, stepping away. "The Covies are waiting for us, they're just going to destroy the pelican and kill us all. There is no point in trying to break through, it's an entire army out there. But... We have another option. I can go the other way, make a lot noise and trick the dumb bastards into following me away from you. It'll save you, I know it. But you have to let me go." I looked at them, could I really pull this off? I have to be able to, they need a way off this planet and I could offer it to them.
Becca took a small step towards me, her voice gentle when she spoke. "That's a one way trip... You know that right?"
"Yes."
"You're willing to do that for us? Really?" Matthew sounded all choked up. "This is- Liz we can't lose you! We just lost Danny! Don't make us lose you too!"
I lashed my one good arm out in disagreement, anger at their refusal rising though I had to admit it was flattering. Stop making this hard dammit! "I have to go! I have to do this! You'll lose me one day, eventually I'll no longer be here! I left you once because I thought you were dead. I- Let me atone for that! None of us are getting off of here if that pelican lands and they're all still down there. I'm going. You can't stop me!" I turned away from them, refusing to look back as I started to go into the brush away.
Someone grabbed my wrist, pulling me back to them, and turned me around. I couldn't say I was surprised to see John standing there, not saying a word but staring at me through that golden visor of his. I stared back, and without a word he pulled me into a hug, and I returned it. I was never going to see him again. Never, god this would be the last time I would hear his voice or see his armor. All of them, gone. I wouldn't be around long after I left them. It was so obvious, so concrete, I couldn't even find the tears to express the sorrow that gripped at my heart. Telling me there was another way, that I had to find another way. To go into battle with them one more time, to fight tooth and nail against this hard truth to prove it false.
But there wasn't enough time, there wasn't enough planning and there just wasn't any other way.
"I love you John." I whispered as I stepped back, but found his grip had hardened.
"Elizabeth... I love you too." Something akin to longing slipped into his voice before he let me go and I stepped back.
"James, Rebecca, Matthew. Please, don't make me die in vain." Was all I said before I turned around and started running as quickly as my body would allow me to. I made my way through the dense forest, weaving between the pine like trees and rocks and branches. I came out on top of a hill, bald and exposed to the hateful eye of the Covenant. It took them a single second to notice me before they started firing their guns and shouting words.
Tossing a few grenades to get all of their attention, I ducked behind the hill, slipping down the slope and dashing out at the foot towards the cliffs further away. "When it is clear, move it!" I called over the commlink.
"Liz please don't do this." James whispered back to me, making a lump form in my chest.
Pushing it aside I focused on the mission I had tasked myself. "You remember Sam? Or Ricardo?" I asked him as I ran the trek I had before me, lungs burning with each step I took.
"Of course I do." He replied, his voice was breaking with each and every word.
"They were soldiers. They knew the cost and the sacrifice and what was to be expected of them. And they went beyond that. They weren't afraid of death, they never were. Ricardo died with a smile on his face." I replied, jumping over a log as the sound of plasma fire picked up behind me as the Covenant closed in on their vehicles. Damn cheaters. "I was afraid of death... Until now." And then I cut off the radio, unable to bear a single moment longer of talking to them. To him.
The harbingers of death closed in, their words at last reaching my ears above my own labored breathing. I threw back another grenade, trying to keep their attention on me and me alone. It popped right into the seat of the nearest Covie vehicle, exploding and taking out an elite and two grunts. They grew angry, like a horde of bees when you finally manage to hit one. Just what I needed. Banshees crested the hills, firing at me as I tried to evade the shots for as long as possible. Adrenaline coursed through my body, my vision blurring slightly as everything went past in a blur.
It was working!
I was just getting up a cliffside, trying not to scramble up the wall too quickly despite my useless left arm that hung limply at my side, when I heard a sound so wonderful I screamed out in joy. It was the sound of a pelican taking off, and leaving this damn planet behind. Leaving me behind. I pulled myself up over the edge, panting at the exertion as the adrenaline died down and the haze was gone. I sat up, and looked at what could be none other than a firing line of Covenant swords. Damn cheaters. I got to my feet, the enemy surprisingly waiting and I grinned under my helmet in triumph.
"You can kill me, I know. But you can't kill all of us. Humanity is stronger than you, smarter than you, and we have one thing you just don't. Self-sacrifice. Not from a code, not from a religion, not from a way of life. Just. Because. We. Are." I said, lifting my chin as the elites grew angrier and stepped forward menacingly. "Go ahead." I laughed, raising my one good arm above my head. "You won't win, you didn't win today, and you won't win tomorrow. You never were meant to."
A zealot stepped forward, energy sword in hand and lunged it through me. Pain erupted, everything burned for a sharp, long second and then it just-
