Battle Scars

Oooo wow this took me forever :( So sorry about the over due uupdate but please read and review!

"Are you sure it fits alright? I think I may have made the middle a bit too big-" "James, it's fine. I promise." The armorer looked at Rikki with a skeptical look but didn't push it, she didn't have time to argue right now. "OK but like I said before, if the scanner glitches a bit just reset it. I used some experimental tech that we haven't really released yet, and since I know you recon a lot I even put in a cloaking device for you."

The agent knew he couldn't see it but she still smiled behind her helmet at his instructions, he always had to be so precise. "Thanks James, I really appreciate this." He smirked and gave her a sloppy salute before she turned and made her way to the pelican, waiting to bring them somewhere for back-up.

She hadn't really gotten any other details because it was only a few hours ago, just when her armor came in, that Johnson had pulled her aside and asked it she could help with his support team. And of course since she didn't want to be stuck at base she said yes. "Alright marines, Master Chief is waiting on the beach so when we touch down I want two soldiers hopping into his jeep and the others to start recon. He will be making his way towards the cartographer and we need to make sure he's not slowed down by reinforcements those damned covenant scum. Dusk I want you too lead team Bravo and I'll direct Charlie team. We clear marines?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Good, now lets shows those aliens what we're made of." All was quiet on the beach as the Master Chief went over the topography of the island with Cortana, strategizing the most effective and quickest route to the cartographer. "Well we could do that, but there's a slope up here that would take you straight to the base through a small cave. Probably giving you an advantage against the covenant that are stationed there." "Alright, all we need to do now is wait for Johnson and his support group to get here then tell them the plan."

Cortana was silent for a moment, checking the scanners, before she responded. "Well I've got some good news and some bad news. Good news is that the back up is right around the corner, bad news is the covenant is too." The spartan nodded but said nothing as he prepared his gun, watching the covenant ship come around the corner and drop off a good bit of soldiers. He began to fire and take cover just as the two UNSC pelicans rounded the corner and began to land, the fight was on.

I could hear a few of the marines whispering to each other as we approached the island, "Is she a spartan?" "I don't know, but she sure looks like one. Better watch ourselves." I didn't look like a spartan...did I? Sure I grew a bit but it couldn't have been that drastic of a change. I was tempted to make a smart remark but the sound of gunfire and plasma bolts made me snap into action, unclipping my harness, shouldering my gun and hopping off the pelican almost as if it was instinctual.

I took down two grunts as my boots hit the ground, kicking their bodies out of the way so that the marines could take cover and return fire. Bastard got here before us, we needed to have this beach clear before they can drop off the jeeps and luckily their numbers were dwindling fast. I took down another jackal with my pistol before moving in closer and spotting two elites, they were throwing plasma grenades and the marines taking down their comrades and laughing. "Shit." I couldn't take them both down, not without some advantage...like my cloak.

I smirked, loving that my friend knew me so well, and activated my cloak before moving in behind the two elites. I was careful to avoid their large, hoof like feet as I pulled out my knife and waited for the blue armored one to move away, and as soon as he did i quickly plunged my knife in between the blood colored armor of the second. I don't really know how I guessed that well on where to stab but he didn't make a sound as his body slumped into my arms and I set him on the ground, moving behind a crate as my cloak began to run out. "Hruk mak neer! Show yourself devil!"

I knew that the blue elite had found his friend from the way he was shuffling around and shouting angrily in his own language. I was going to wait until he turned his back once more but as I looked around the corner I saw some poor marine had come to help, when in reality he was just making the situation worse. The already enraged elite spotted him and hit him full force with his body, sending the man tumbling to the ground and pointing his gun as he prepared to shoot. "Oh the hell you are you bastard!"

I quickly sheathed my knife and sprang from my cover, jumping off of one of the boxes and into the air with a battle cry. The elite turned his attention away from the cowering marine and saw me coming at him an instance too late, trying to bring his gun up but to no avail as I landed full force on his armored body. I could hear Johnson yell something to the marines as the alien and I scuffled for a minute, but as soon as I had the chance I maneuvered to where I was on his back and I snapped his neck without hesitation.

My breathing slowed as I stood over the limp body, blood starting to trickle from his mouth, and I turned to see the Master Chief watching blankly, considering he had his helmet on. "Damn Dusk, remind me not to piss you off. Now, lets get this movin along, you ready Chief?" I watched on with interest as he nodded and moved towards where the warthogs were now being dropped off, waiting for the two marines that were going with him to catch up. "Where am I heading Johnson?" I needed to focus on the mission not stare down a spartan. "You'll be heading west around this cliff side until you see a type of passage going through the cliffs. Good luck."

And with that we go into our teams and headed out, keeping our eyes sharp in case we ran into an ambush. "So what do you think that cartographer thing is for?" "Word is it's some kinda map, supposed to help us figure out this damn ring." I tried to ignore their nonchalant rambling and keep my attention on the terrain as I drove, waiting to spot that opening that Johnson mentioned.

But I couldn't help notice that this place was almost like a getaway, nice beach, shady trees, and the perfect amount of sun. It's almost like a vacation spot, but how could something like this exist on a technological construct? I continued to let my thoughts wander as I drove on and after another few minutes we finally came up to the spot Johnson had mentioned, Unfortunately that enemy drop off on the beach wasn't the only one. "Shit, start firing marines!" "Woooo! Get some!" As the sound of the machine gun sounded off I tried to drive in loops so as too avoid enemy fire and so my comrades could get some clear shots. My strategy was working for a while and I had thought that we had finally taken out the last one, "Good driving ma'am!" "Thanks Connors. Now we need to get up that slope and set up-" but my sentence was cut off as we saw two flashes of blue land beside us. "Grenades!" I shoved the two marines out of the way and behind a boulder , making sure they were safe before I made a move for it myself. But I didn't get more than 2 feet from the plasma grenades before they detonated with a resonating boom.

"According to my readings the cartographer is down inside this construct, there's only a few grunts and an elite blocking the way." "Nothing a plasma grenade can't handle." And as he said this the Master Chief activated one of his grenades, waited until a grunt rounded the corner and then stuck it right on the little aliens face. It screamed in its high pitched voice before running back towards its group, making the others yell in alarm and try to scatter before the grenade went out with a resonating boom.

"Well at least it worked." Her tone was sarcastic and he could practically hear her roll her computer generated eyes. "You don't agree with my methods?" "Oh no they're fine for a brute." He didn't quite know why but he chuckled slightly before walking down the ramp to go down into the facility, "Did you laugh? I can't believe it." "I didn't laugh, I don't laugh." "Oh yeah sure ok." "Cortana..." "I'll drop it don't worry, lets just-"

But right before the spartan could step through the door way an elite with a sword stepped from around the corner and the door shut in his face. "What just happened?" "They've locked the doors, and we don't have enough fire power to get in." He turned back and began to walk back out of the construct as Cortana scanned the island for some type of solution, "Hmmm. According to my scans there's a master power room just on the other side of this island, right where Rikki's team was sent to scout. We can radio Rikki to see what she found after we let Johnson know our plan."

By this time they had reached the outside and the sun glared off of Master Chiefs helmet as he turned at the sound of footsteps, readying his gun for action. "It's just us Chief. Came here to see if you could help us with a problem." Johnson seemed to be slightly concerned and he waited a moment before continuing. "We've lost contact with Agent Dusk's team about an hour ago. Her suits signal seems to be coming from underground. Inside the structure Chief."