Earth
Kenya
New Mombasa
Highway 98, main route to the downtown from the Uplift Reserve Park
6:30pm, local clock
"...still oncoming, Corporal ! "
" Its still on us ! "
Kivec could barely hear his own yell, over the screaming roar of the M41 chaingun's 3 barrels. They were spinning like a Lamborghini's axles at 200 mph, spitting out hundreds of .50 cal ammo up through the evening sky.
The long tongue of white-orange muzzle flash coming out the end of the gun was dazzling, and the grinding noise filled both ears. They were hurting now- throbbing, practically. Both his arms were sore from wrist to shoulder from getting rattled by all the vibrations, and the clattering of spent brass just wouldn't end.
All of it wouldn't end.
Because the Covenant wouldn't stop.
" Then you don't stop shooting, Private ! Stay on 'em ! "
And...neither could he.
Not till they did...and they wouldn't.
So-
" Roger that ! "
"Maintaining fire...! "
Oh, he was pouring the lead on, all right...
But, the Seraph wouldn't go down !
The huge, flying teardrop alien fighter-bomber was practically riding their rear bumper- scooting along a couple hundred feet up and behind them like some kind of hideous nightmare monster from a children's book. It would've cast a shadow if there'd been more light...but all the searing bright , iceberg blue-purple explosions that were gouging craters out of the ground from the near-misses of its multiple plasma cannons were putting out shadows of their own.
Rrsshh !
Rrsshh !
Rrssshh !
Where was Kivcec supposed to aim to kill something like that ?!
He didn't know. Training had told him that- Serpahs were bundled up like the Sami of north Finland...but with energy shields, not wool coats. They were rock solid and could soak damage like a sponge, not to mention the hull underneath was built like a Wraith tank. To bring one of those pests down took some serious firepower- a Saber fighter, a Scythe AA gun...
...or Jackhammer rockets. But, damn it, Jao didn't have any left. The had spent all hers taking out Wraiths and Banshess during their all out gun-and-run through the Reserve, and finding more hadn't been a thing...at all. Where would there be ?
She had none. The Jackhammer would've been perfect...but-
Rssshhh !
ratatatatatatatatatatat...!
Nothing.
There was just the M41 now.
And ammo was running down. That counter that marked how many bullets the barrel-like magazine canister at the base of the gun mount just kept running down...and down...and down...and down !
Evidenced by the sea of brass that surrounded Kivec's filthy boots. As the ODST at the wheel kept on jinking and zigzagging them to dodge the storm of white-hot plasma bolts being whipped their way, the sea swept back and forth, clinking and bouncing. Out at the end of the M41 barrels, a long cone of wobbling red and white orange tracers streaked out, painting the Seraphs' shield like raindrops on a lake, and making it shimmer like a mirage.
But, it would. Not. Collapse !
It wouldn't do it...! He knew those flyers were built strong, but this was just stupid.
And the ammo wouldn't last much longer...
*****...
Running dry...!
Because, the one thing that Kivec could keep track of, was that blasted counter. The M12 was shaking with all its might as it was getting driven at 90mph+, swerving hard from one side to the other, and with all the bumps and turning, everything that Kivec could see was shaking and spinning like being on an amusement park ride. The sun was setting, which didn't leave a lot of light, and that damn Seraph was sitting like a rocket-powered vulture taking up where it was hoarding all his field of view.
White on rice...
White on snow...!
And spitting plasma like it was going out of style...! Or whatever the heck those things used...
Who even knew ?
Time seemed to slow down, as the brass kept on falling, and the shield around the Serpah just kept on rippling and flickering. How it hadn't landed a hit on them, Kivec couldn't even bother to guess...unless it was that old chestnut of " Evasive action actually helps you stay alive " coming home to roost.
No kidding it won't. Its built to withstand outer space dogfights !
But what else am I gonna do ?!
Well...just keep lighting him up, that's what. Until that shield went down at last...or it vaporized him. Whichever happened first.
Such is life when you're a Jarhead...
Our lot.
" Hold tight ! There's a tunnel ahead- I'm takin' us through ! ", abruptly bellowed the ODST.
His baritone voice somehow was heard above all the juddering racket and noise that was filling the air...not shockingly.
A tunnel ?!
What ?! Really ?!
" Give me 30 seconds of cover, Private ! They can't follow us there ! "
" 30 seconds ! "
" 30 ! "
...How the heck is there a tunnel here-?!
Kivec was thrown for a second. But, only a second...
Ohhh..right. Might be one under the bay, to downtown...
Right...
Screw it. Either there is or there isn't. I can't do anything but shoot, so that's what I'm gonna do.
Get. Some.
Rsshhh !
Good God...he could practically feel the heat from each of those booms as they bloomed. Whoever was flying that Serpah was dead set on killing them- even for a Covie. And that was saying quite a dang bit.
Teeth clamping down on his lower lip the Canadian didn't let up, and he practically crushed the firing grips on the M41. The sound of the multi-barrels all going at once was clawing his eardrums, but it wasn't a problem.
Well...not one that could stop him now.
He couldn't afford to. Not with that Seraph right there...
...so he kept on firing.
And firing.
And firing...
...Jesus.
And God as well. They'd barely made it...
He needed some water now. Not even cold...just, as along as it wasn't warm.
Oh, right. His canteen had gone empty hours ago. And there hadn't been a chance to refill it.
But, then again, if adrenaline could crush your thirst, then Kivec wouldn't need it. Plenty of that was still making every vein vibrate, and he felt like he'd drunk a full mug of black coffee...with a shot of whiskey.
The adrenaline high...becasue it wasn't over yet.
Beat marijuana, though.
Dry-mouth and all, the Canadian leaned over the back end of the M41, exhaling with long, shallow breaths. They were all he could manage.
He couldn't sit down if he'd wanted; he was too keyed up for that. Both legs were throbbing, like an electric current was running through him, and...it kind of was extending through the rest of him as well.
This wasn't even his first dust-up...but it was his first one with a Seraph. He'd seen those things plenty of times before, like on Tribute, or on Reach, but back then, they'd been keeping high. Thousands and thousands of feet up, and usually spending their time shooting at the Air Force and Navy Longsword fighters...not strafing Jarheads on the ground. More than once- way more than he'd ever bothered counting-, Kivec had followed them for a few seconds at a time with his eyes, wishing he had a Sychte Gun handy to light them up as they skimmed around up there...
Like murderous fireflies. The kind he'd seen a hundred times back on the family's Saskatchewan homestead...except supersonic. And made of metal. And firing plasma.
So. Much. Plasma.
He could still hear the wrsshhh wrsshhh...crssshhh sounds their guns made...and that rumble when they tore those deep pits out of the ground. One hit from that, and that'd be you. Nothing but a crater.
One hit. Why wasn't it them ?
" God's sake...where are the Longswords ? ", he whispered. His molars clenched, making his whole jaw hurt, and he exhaled again.
" They were everywhere when we were on Reach...filling the sky. Where are they now ?! "
...Nowhere. That's where, apparently.
" No movement...yet. Think they've gotten bored ? "
Jao spoke up. She sounded...hopeful ? Maybe.
Hope was a fragile thing when you were facing the Covenant though. It was pretty much the first thing that anyone who was put up against the aliens learned...after their first day. Especially everyone who'd escaped from the Destruction of Reach...because that planet had more Covies crawling all over it. They'd come by the thousands when Kivec had been posted there,andthey'd been millions of them- literally- when he and the remnants of his unit had made their desperate escape from its surface, crammed elbow to elbow on a outdated transport.
The Serpahs had seen to all that- there hadn't been much left to fly on. And now, here they were yet again- trapped under a tunnel's roof, watching a sky outside that had more Serpahs skittering around up there, but out of sight, and ready to pounce like a Tiger on an Antelope.
They were there-
" No way ". The Canadian shook his head. " No...no. The Covies just live to kill us- they won't go home without racking up as many of them as they can.. "
Wasn't that the truth...
All those days on Reach proved it.
He bit his lower lip again, staring out the mouth of the tunnel...
Waiting.
" ..Can't linger anymore, kids. Got to move, before they come back and carry out a sweep. "
It was then, that the ODST spoke up. Dutch's gravelly, baritone voice didn't leave any room for doubt that he meant every word he said. He didn't even need to raise his tone that high, either...just like that other Sergeant that Kivec had on Reach.
Terak. Sergeant Major Terak. He reminded Kivec of Dutch...minus the ODST gear. Was no less of a Alpha, though. The NonCom had been a leader all the way, and hadn't ever lost his decisive edge.
Much like Dutch right now...
Vrrrmmbll...
The M12's engine turned over, and the LRV vibrated along with it.
" Get your heads on straight- we're moving out ! Kivec, on that gun. Jao, watch your RVM ( Rear View Mirror ). Clear all around ? "
Well, there wasn't much either of them could say to that, but a crisp and loud " Yes, Corporal ! ", so...they did.
Kivec's throat throbbed again as he spoke, complaining about its lack of water, but that would have to wait till later. Exactly when, though...who knew ?
Not him.
" Roger, Corporal. "
"..Sure thing. Ready when you are, Corporal..."
By then, the LRV was already setting off. With a subtle jolt, it lurched ahead, though only at about a quarter of its lightning fast pace they'd been running on to get here. Then again, wasn't much of a need for it when you'd already reached the tunnel...that, and all the turns and twists. It'd be kind of difficult to blitz it through here anyway.
Oh, and the abandoned vehicles, both of the park visitors and staff alive. They were blocking a smooth way ahead as well as all the corners of the tunnel, being seeming ditched randomly the way they were. Whoever had been driving them had just left them here- sedans, vans, and a few pickup trucks.
Got jumped on a busy day...
Typical Covies. Civvies are their favorite target as much as Jarheads are.
His molars clenched at the mere thought of it. Nothing made him this mad. Nothing got him so fighting angry as even a hint that the Covies had been up to their usual shtick of slaughtering civvies like cattle. The aliens said they were " Holy Warriors ", fighting for some crackpot goal they called " The Great Journey ", but if the way they went after civvies like they were each a main battle tank was anything to judge by ( and it was ), wherever that " Journey " led wasn't somewhere anyone sane and with a decent bone to spare would want to go.
At least they could see where they were going. The overhead lamps were all lit, glowing burnt orange- like the kinds you'd see going through a highway tunnel as a kid. The only sound was the wheels on the tar, singing their song as the LRV powered its way ahead, headlights blazing. Occasionally, they'd thread the needle around a random vehicle here or there, or thump their way over a speed bump, with enough juice to jolt everyone as the 4 thick tires clambered up and over.
They'd have gotten a traffic violation for hitting the bumps while speeding...before, anyway.
" Dang, Corporal ! Aren't they there to stop you from booking it over ? ", exclaimed a kind of surprised Jao.
" Marine, if you're telling me this is your first ride with an M12, I'm making you walk. ", the ODST responded , without letting up his pace. " Tackling rough ground is what they're ordained to do. "
A loud crunch of smashed glass sounded as the LRV ran over a rear view mirror that'd gotten knocked off the side of something, and littered the road. " You just keep your head on a swivel. We might've evaded the Covie Air Force out there, but they might've taken cover here as well. Watch those side niches ! "
Yep. That was an ODST, all right. Always focused on the job at hand, no matter what.
They really were the modern-day paratroopers. Give them a job to do, and some Marines to lead, and they'd do it. They could always be counted on for that..
"..On it, Corporal. ", acknowledged Jao. She'd cottoned onto that thing about ODSTs as well, it seemed .
I knew why I liked that one...
One corner of his mouth was tugged a tad, just thinking of it. A twitch, but it was something.
Still some things worth smiling about, after all...
Thmb...bmbp..!
...Which was kind of shaken up after they ran roughshod over yet another bump, but, anyway.
It was all about taking what you could get, when it came to the Covenant.
" Corporal ! "
" Corporal...I see something..! 1:00..."
See something..?!
That one phrase was as unexpected as it was electrifying. Of all the things Kivec had expected to end the quiet of the ride, a blast of plasma rounds from the muzzle of a planted Shade turret was way higher up the list than anything else he could think of off the top of his head. After all, this was a tunnel. Planting one of those things around a bend would've been a great way to hose down anyone who moseyed past...
The Covenant were a lot of things, but they weren't stupid. Unimaginative and crude with tactics, but not stupid.
By pure reflex, Kivec swung the turret around, engaging the hydraulics to bring its muzzle to bear forward, even as the ODST at the wheel called out, " You got movement, Private,, or- ?!"
"..Negative, Corporal- wait ! Wait, right there ! Right-hand side of the tunnel wall...! "
Having got the M41 lined up, Kivec was up and scanning as well. The overhead lamps were definitely helping out, even though there were gaps between them where things got a tad shadow-y. It wasn't a problem, though.
He could still see clear enough...and...
What the-?!
...That's- ?
" Contact ! ", he yelled. " Contact...1:00, right hand side ! "
" Yeah...now I see 'im ! "
The ODST had seen the shadow ducking out of sight ahead as well.
" Good eyes, kids. ", their driver praised, clearly impressed. " Watch that mark- I'll take us closer..."
The M12 jinked a half second later, angling right. The eerrrrmmmm whine-grinding soundtrack of the engine began to die off, as Corporal Miles sensibly throttled down.
Yeah... a rare example of when slowing down while you had an M12 at your disposal was a good thing. Sure didn't happen often...and especially when your AO was chock full of Covenant.
Then again...the Covies usually weren't subtle and prone to hiding like this, so...
What..the...heck..?
Adrenaline prickled his blood, as the M12 wove around a ditched city bus, and then stopped short with that signature jolt.
Ahead, and on the right, yawed the archway of what was clearly a maintenance tunnel of some kind...
...probably.
But, whatever it was...it was empty.
Not even a twitch.
Again...
What ? But, I saw it as well...
" Either of you got a visual ? ", the ODST called out. He'd stood up from where he'd been, and had raised his M7S SMG to line it up downrange. " No movement..."
Kivec had his big chaingun leveled at the niche by then, but...no. There was nothing to fire at. Or call out to, if that's what was happening here.
He didn't know, needless to say, what was up here. It could be nothing at all. But, on the other hand..
...there was always that M41 chaingun at his disposal if things got violent. Which was kind of the nature of his career, so it was a pretty good guess.
Unconfirmed for the moment, though.
" No joy, Corporal ", Jao reported. " Got nothing...but I swear there was. "
" Roger that ", the M12' gunner added.
One second they're there, but then they're gone...
Can't just be shadows, though..
Well, that didn't mean there was nothing going on. He was getting that needle-ish prickling feeling along his spine now, after all.
Something that tended to only happen when the bad guys were close...or at least when someone was close. It was that familiar tingling thing everyone had probably been hit with at once or twice, and it generally didn't go away unless you knew for sure one way or the other
No way the ODST wasn't feeling that as well...not with him being a UNSC Special Operator trained to fall out of the sky right among the bad guys and fight his way through them. Every ODST the Canadian had ever met
And there was just as much no way he'd let them all just...stick around here like this...
"... "
" Kivec ! Stay on that gun. Jao ! You're with me. "
Well, that settled everything. As he spoke, the ODST proceeded to dismount, SMG still held at the ready. His armored soles hit the tarmac with a loud clacking sound, and he set off at a rapid jog around the hood...headed right for that niche.
" Hustle up, Marines ! ", ordered the Corporal.
It was like a electric pulse, when an ODST gave you an order. If the presence of a Spartan counted, then that of an ODST definitely did as well.
And, the gunner responded to it first. " Acknowledged, Corporal ! "
" ..Roger that, Corporal ! "
Jao was moving by then, scrambling up and out of her seat and landing on the road to join the ODST, with an M90 shotgun brandished and ready. Behind and above her, Kivec could only watch, his restless and slightly sore fingers still on the M41 firing pulls.
That boomstick looked good when she was holding it. Heck, she looked good while she was holding it...even more so than usual. There was just something about how she was packing both a SPKR Jackhammer rocket launcher and an M90 that made the beautiful chick look even hotter...
There was a reason that Kivec hadn't kept pinup magazines under his bunk like the other guys. He didn't need them. Those were for the bachelors, or for the guys who weren't, but had to find a way to make ends meet, so to speak, while they were several star systems away from their girls.
Hang tens of millions of miles, though: Jao was right here. Kivec could've tossed a baseball and hit her, she was that close. For the next few seconds right now, at least...
Well, close but headed away.
The Canadian exhaled through a slit between his lips, watching her go. Sure, he had to keep his guard up now, still being on the clock, but...sometimes it got harder than usual.
A secThen, she and the ODST was gone. Out of sight. There was nothing left to do now, but stay on that gun, as the ODST had told him to.
Oh...and waiting for the action to begin again, which it had to sooner or later.
Or, at least he was confident enough. The Covenant were only as predictable as their crazed obsession with massacring human civvies and digging for stuff buried deep beneath colony worlds ( or Earth, these days ) would let them be, but if either of those were going to lead them down through this tunnel, or already had
If it wasn't, then...he'd like to know now.
...
...Ask and ye shall receive !
Well...expect it, and you shall receive. Usually. Close enough...
It hadn't even been that long, honestly. Kivcec had only been pulling sentry duty for less than 5 minutes, just manning the M41, while having pointed it at the opposite wall so he could ( roughly ) look both ways down the tunnel at once. He'd just been waiting there, ready to swing the tri-barrel either right or left, to say hello to any oncoming Covenant with a blast of 12.7mm rounds.
Just out of one corner of his right eye, he could watch that niche. He could see it, without taking his eyes off the tunnel, so, realistically, nothing that came out of there should've surprised him. After all, Covies weren't subtle; if they'd been there, there'd have been plasma fire, shotgun blasts, and a lot of ODST-level swearing. By the truckload, to be accurate.
Basically, a lot of noise. A truckload of noise. Probably a call for him to ditch the chaingun and come running, MA5 locked and loaded as well.
He'd been braced for that, sure. But, rather than an out-of-nowhere firefight...
...
" Kivec ! Friendlies, coming out ! "
,...!
Friendlies ?!
With a blink, Kivec's pulse sped up at the word.
Friendlies ?! Here ?! They hadn't seen anybody aside from the Covenant ( and dead African wildlife ) all day long. Not since leaving the Preserve, anyway, and even the tunnel had just been a graveyard of abandoned vehicles, left lying all helter-skelter along its length. Sure, though, Kivec had been wondering where all the civvies had ended up, even before now. Though...without any bodies to be seen, all he could come up with for what'd happened to them, was they'd found a way to flee to the hills ( literally ), hunkering down for a chance to escape the city limits proper...
...or...
...Or...maybe the Brutes had gotten to them. The fastest flash of that thought was enough to activate wave of nausea.
Going past all the empty vehicles...Kivec had done his best to quash that one down as quick as it came up. He just didn't want that kind of darkness. Seeing dead civvies was...that was one thing. Them getting caught by the Brutes, though..
...Best not to dwell on that. Not till the Covies forced him to see it again..
But, thankfully, that wasn't here or now.
After all...ODST Miles had said..." Friendlies ". Not hostiles. And, needless to say, there'd been no cacophony of gunfire ( UNSC and Covenant alike )
And after another few seconds...
...they showed themselves.
" Hold fire, Private..! "
" Hold fire ! Acknowledge..! "
...!
Kivec blinked automatically, nearly caught off guard, but got it together at the last second. There wasn't ever room for not having full alertness when you were on the clock as a Marine, and they were all very much on the clock.
As the ODST called out, he stepped around the corner of the niche- leading the way, which was typical. ODSTs always led from the front...when a Spartan wasn't around. And that was pretty close to always..
And Jao...well, she should've been right behind- that's where she'd been when they made their entry, after all. Another second later, though, Kivec mentally kicked himself for forgetting one of the oldest lessons for any group of ground pounders:
Always set a rear guard.
Of course, dummy. That's where she is...!
Right..
As he ran through that well-worn mental checklist for the umpteenth time without even realizing he'd done it again that often, till it was over, a full column began streaming out of the niche behind the ODST. One by one, all lined up , they came. It was pretty loose, but-
...well, of course it would be.
Now that he could see who it was that was following the ODST...well, now it made sense.
...These were... civvies.
Civvies !
At least half a dozen of them as well...or maybe more ! All shapes and heights, men and women. All of them moving the same way Kivec had always seen Civvies move after having the God-sent good fortune to not be vaporized, bisected, skewered, filled with plasma bolts/ Brute Spiker shards...or, basically, avoiding getting taken out by any of the many means the aliens had.
The pack of civvies were dragging their heels slowly, even though they were still going quick at the same time. They had wide eyes, like kids at a scary movie they were too young for, and though they weren't exactly plodding, they still had to be practically herded along just to stay on the go.
...God help them.
Biting his lower lip, the Canadian watched for the next second or so as the rest of the loose gaggle came trickling clear.
God help them, he repeated, as they followed the ODST from their hiding place.
" Watch the steps, folks...", warned Jao. The Anti-Tank Specialist was bringing up the rear, helping to shepherd them down the short staircase that led to the road deck. " More of a drop on each one than you think..."
The crowd of civvies responded with murmured and whispered acknowledgments, overlapping and mixing together. Kivec himself had nothing to say...at least, not out loud, so he just watched them come.
" There we go. Keep going, keep going..."
Not staring, but...observing. You didn't see Civvies much around a place where the Covenant were- not alive, anyway. What few times you did, granted, they looked a lot like this bunch was, but it still wasn't a regular thing to encounter Civvies when the Covenant were anywhere closer than...well, planetside.
A pulse of white hot anger rolled down his back, like briquettes fresh from a long burning BBQ.
Even a moderately experienced Jarhead like Kivec knew that. He couldn't help but keep an eye on them...
Wishing he knew what to say, as the ODST beckoned them to stand where the M12's silhouette would cover them from the road.
"Hold here ", he told them, pointing at the ground.
With some shuffling and stumbling, they did.
Kivec leaned forward on his gun, getting a better angle to cover them if it came to that, as the ODST came over to step up on the M12's running board. The 4x4 vehicle boasted a pretty high step, but that was nothing for any Marine worth their salt. The ODST was up with a flash, giving him a bird's eye view on the band of nervous, flighty looking civvies gathered around.
As Jao stood behind them, still on the rearguard at the top of the steps, the ODST addressed them, pitching his voice to a loud, Sergeant-like tone:
" Ok, everyone ! ", he boomed. " When I said I was going to get you out, that was God's honest truth. I know I also told you I only had a single 4x4 off roader, but I planned on leavin' you here, I'd have done that by now. "
It wasn't a memorized, pithy speech; Kivec could recognize that. He'd heard plenty of them while slumming it through Basic, and this wasn't one of them. This, was a NonCom speaking straight and speaking plainly. Which is what any rank and file Jarhead, or frightened Civvie, actually wanted to hear.
And yeah, they were still tense. More than one shifted weight from one foot to the other, glancing at a snap down either end of the tunnel as if they expected the aliens to just...phase down through the ceiling, Star Trek style, but at least they were still paying attention.
Which was what mattered. What mattered, was that they listened. And with an ODST talking, that wasn't a tall order. The Canadian himself hadn't missed a single word.
Corporal Miles continued. " Wish we had space on our M12, but the best we can do is like I sad: Tuck yourselves behind it, and follow us out. I'll have one of my Marines cover your 6:00, all the way outside. Once we're out from under all this rock and concrete, I'll call for an evac, and get you all airlifted outta here. "
He paused for a moment, and then repeated one brief phrase. " All of you. "
Brief, yes, but it didn't matter if it got the job done. And, judging from how nobody had any complaints to that...
..yeah. It'd done the job, all right.
"...Th-thank you...", whispered a woman with long red hair, and a dusty T-shirt that read " Seattle Seahawks: Super Bowl MMDMLII ( 2552 ) "
" Yes...thank god you're here " , added a man with a Cameroon accent, and a orange baseball cap.
Tied it up with a bow, Corporal..
Neat and tidy
The ODST waited again, for another moment or so for someone to say...well, anything, but they didn't. They didn't challenge him, question him, blurt out any frantic and desperate questions for whether or not he knew anything about anybody they might care about that he might know something about. Emphasis on might...though really, no, because the three of them hadn't seen any civvies all day. Not that these ones needed to know that, though...
Damn it
I sound like ONI now..
God, I forgot how much I hate them. That's a blessing..
Exhaling with a huff, the Canadian filed that old resentment away. Now wasn't the place for it...
" Jao ! You're on escort detail ! ", the ODST pointed at her, with that Sergeant-tone that had kept the Marine Corps together as a glued machine for the past 500 years.
...because, as if he'd forgotten, he was still on the job.
He hadn't, needless to say, but anyway...
" Kivec ! You know the drill by now. Stay put ! "
"...Roger that, Corporal ! "
" On it, Corporal ! "
Yep. The work of a Marine, especially one employed during this day and age, wasn't ever done...and what better way to remind you of that than an ODST holding the reins ?
A Spartan....maybe, Kivec reflected, as he double-checked the ammo feed link for the M41, but they were as common as blue moons.
Deadly as a meteor shower, sure, but...yeah. Mostly campfire stories for the bulk of all Jarheads. Even more so after 20 years of Covenant...
" Don't crowd together now...! ", warned Jao, as she guided their newly found wayward citizens to a nicely tight trail position. Corporal Miles jogged around to the M12's driver's side , then deftly hauled himself back aboard and switched the engine back on.
It growled back to life, and Kivec felt the M41's mount shudder along with it. They were underway again..
" Stay alert, private ! ", the driver commanded. " I want that head turning, your eyes skinned, and your fingers on those fire buttons ! Understood !? "
"...Loud and clear, Corporal ! "
Wrapping his hands vise-tight around the grips of the M41, Kivec braced his boots snugly against the gun mount base, as the 4x4 began to move. Thankfully, they'd already cleared the " flash Car dealership " of vehicles that'd been abandoned behind them on the tunnel road, so it was wide tar all the way.
Well...nearly.
The driver was keeping their speed along that cleared path pretty tame- the off-road Light Recon Vehicle that was capable of doing over 100mph was just crawling at walking pace right now. The eeerrrmmmmmm of the engine wasn't screaming like usual...and that was weird.
Almost to the point of unsettling.
But, one quick look behind settled why it had to be done.
Because, even from about 3 seconds, Kivec saw all those Civvies, doing their best to to not get all scattered like dropped marbles. They were new to this kind of thing, after all. Keeping up a formation ( of sorts here, anyway..) wasn't exactly a cakewalk for an everyday citizen, and they were all showing it pretty plainly, with more than a bit of shambling, some occasional hesitation, and so on. Jao was doing double duty at the back, calling out corrections and encouragement, and it did help, but mostly just by keeping the civs from being a sloppy mob to a hodgepodged one.
Still, better than just wandering all over the place. Kivec raised a hand, waving at the tough, bu pretty HWP ( heavy weapons specialist ) that was driving the civs...and the civs themselves.
Why not, either way ? They could both use it...
Especially them.
The Civs mostly kept their heads down, though. One or two met his gaze, however , and offered a brief wave of a hand, or a look of gratitude. They were still on pins and needles, clearly, but they weren't all the way zoned out...which was more than could be said for most civvies.
And they were still moving together.
Bad things tended to happen to those who stayed, after all.
At last, the opening was close...
And not a moment too soon: The sunlight was so nearly gone, that the roadside lamps ( what ones the Covenant hadn't blasted out of existence ) were coming on , and the stars were coming out. There was just enough light left to see that band of burnt orange on the horizon that showed where the sun had gone...but it was only a thread now.
Less than an hour to go before total nightfall, for sure. Again, the stars were coming out-just salt crystals way up there, but they were showing, and that was all the proof you needed that you'd need to get some illumination going.
Fittingly, Corporal Miles switched on the M12's headlights. Twin beams of white shot out, stabbing through the shadows of the tunnel between the overhead lights.
Like hitting the lamp on when you were 3...Kivec couldn't but be reminded of his childhood.
That, and having to fight off a powerful cringe that began at the center of his back, and threatened to radiate outward. Even after all these years...he couldn't believe he'd ever been spooked by the dark.
Not with the Covenant existing, after all. They were something to be afraid of..
Cowardly behavior of a toddler aside, though, at least they were clear. Or, just about, anyway: The yawing mouth of the tunnel was only a few car lengths ahead, and they'd be out and clear soon enough.
Finally...some room to breathe and move around. Not that he was claustrophobic, but Kivec preferred having some space to do what a Marine was supposed to be. And...just overall, actually. Nothing really against tunnels, per se, and definitely not if they could save him from getting pasted by a Seraph, but...yeah. Tunnels were still choke points, and " fish barrels " spots on top of that.
Still...even a fish barrel could save you.
Sometimes. Like now.
Well...anyway...
"...We're at the mouth, everyone ! ", he called to the others, unable to let some enthusiasm leak through the words.
We're right on schedule...
We're right on it...
It finally seemed to have some wake-up effect on the Civs, because their eyes widened , and flickered over to zero down on where the mouth was. It was the most lively they'd ever been ( which, given they'd only crossed paths with the squad less than an hour ago, shouldn't have been saying much, but, regardless ), and it was a welcome sight to see.
" Keep it moving, and stay together ! "
" Copy that, Kivec...! ". Jao gave a thumbs up.
She'd received the news well just as much, it seemed...
And rightly so. They were so close.
It was right there, the tunnel mouth. Another few seconds, and they'd be out and on their way-
...
...Wait.
...Wait a moment...!
Out of the blue ( or rather, out of the black, what with it being sunset..)...a certain sound began reaching his ears.
Wreeeemmmmmm...
A really certain sound...one that made the hair on the back of his neck rise. It made his skin crawl, and molten ice to run down his spine.
Wreeemmmm...
Where exactly it was coming from..he couldn't place. Not so soon...only that it was coming from somewhere. It was no hallucination, that much was clear.
His pulse jumped up as well- yes, it was real, all right.
Wreeemmm...
" Woah ! Halt, halt, halt..! "
The ODST had heard it as well. With a volley of shouted orders for the group to stop, he chopped the M12's throttle. Kivec had just enough time to brace up before Newton's Law reared its head, shoving him forward over the M14 and nearly prodding him through the chest with the firing handles.
You'd think I'd be used to this...!
Geez...
Pushing off, and re-stabilizing, the Canadian found himself beginning to run off autopilot mode...again. It was that sound that'd done it...that, and the ODST shouting.
Two things guaranteed to light a fire for any Marine.
"Hey...What's going on ?! ", called one of the Civvies.
Fearful, tense...all not at all surprising.
Wreeemmm...
"..What-What's that sound ?! Its the aliens, right ?! Is it the aliens ?! "
" Why are we stopping ?! "
And...there it was. The way that Civs always began freaking out whenever they got even the slightest hint that the Covenant were headed their way. The frantic , rapid fire questions, the way they ended up talking over each other...and worst of all-
" Sir ! Sir, please stay with the group ! "
" Sir ! "
Oh, snap...
There it is..!
Things were going to pot now- already ! Kivec had been staring down the mouth of the tunnel, hoodwinked on the sound of the enemy Phantom Dropships headed their way...but now ?
Now, he had even more on his plate. First Phantoms- fully loaded for bear, no doubt- and now...this.
There was no way forward, and the M12 driver knew it as much as the rest of them, except more. " Backin' up ! "
" Talk to me, Jao ! ", the ODST barked, as sent them scooting rearward. Kivec twisted 180 to find a borderline ruckus unfolding among the herded-along Civs.
They were unraveling like a ball of yarn dropped of a cliff...or like marbles. The loose crowd was bouncing off each other, all of them wanting to move away from the terrifying sound of the Phantoms, but not sure of exactly where else to go. Not ahead, needless to say...but, where, then ?
They didn't know. All they did know, was that the murder-loving aliens were coming for them.
" Corporal, I- one second..! "
" Sir ! Do no run ! ". The HWS definitely had her hands full, and they were only getting fuller by the second here...
Kivec was torn: Did he keep his attention on the mouth of the tunnel, watching and waiting for that Phantom to show up-
Wreeemmm...!
Which was only getting nearer and nearer, and lower and lower on top of that...no doubt ready to drop a full set of squads on all their heads...
...OR-
" Kivec ! Watch. Our. 12:00 ! ", roared the ODST.
" Jao ! Private, get them under control ! I'm comin' to lend ya hand ! "
Corporal Miles sprang from the driver's spot, and raced around the side of the M12, barrelling past the Canadian on the chaingun, who couldn't do a thing other than stay on hair trigger alert, his veins bursting with adrenaline, and his ears filled with that shrill, endless-
Wreeeemmmmm...!
God, here they come..
Here they come...
Fast as a snap, his mouth became jammed with cotton- the alien heavyweight flier was right on top of them...!
Had to be, and he had to cover the Civvies- he had to cover Jao, as well-
Just long enough for the ODST to help her get them calmed down and rounded up- and then they could...well...
Go back ? Yeah...had to. What else could be done ?
Wreemmmm...!
" Sir...! Sir, its ok ! We're getting you all out of here, understand ?! Follow. Us ! "
The ODST switched focus, yelling at the Canadian again. " Kivec ! Get on the wheel ! Take her- "
What reminded of that order, though, clear as it may have already been, didn't get the chance to finish.
Because even as the Gunner heard it, processed it quick as thought, and began to obey, even with all the fight or flight fluid blasting through him, and the nonstop Wreeeemmmm from outside...
It suddenly changed.
Just. Like. That.
Because-
Breeoww !
Breeeow !
Breeeow !
WBOOMM !
WBOOM !
WBOOOM !
CRSHHHHBLLL..!
..because of the storm of plasma and energy that crashed against the mouth of the tunnel, with all the force of an alpine avalanche.