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The following is a fan-based
FICTION
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"Within the Fire"
May 22 2528 - Hour 0733
COL Logan 'Log' Sutton
Installation-04, En Route to the Containment Facility
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"Good, sending the coordinates. Also, I want to remind you all that we will soon enter the containment structure and we will be unable to keep radio contact going," Sif finished saying, the Pelican getting closer to our destination as we were rushing to stop the containment's breach.
"Roger that, Sif," Jorge confirmed through the comms.
"Godspeed, Spartans. Time to end this mess for good. Log out," I hummed before turning off the call and turning to Serin. "The forest is quite thick. Are you sure you can do it?"
The pained huff had me hold back a tiny smile. "I am more than ready for this. My skills are not rusty."
"Glad to hear that," I replied confidently. "I will be off the radio for a while. I will try to be as quick as possible with this bug."
"Just don't do anything stupid. I am still going to be in you through this messy clean-up."
"Fair, fair," I agreed, the Pelican soon descending as we got close enough to the facility.
I jumped off as soon as it was possible, readying the arm-cannon as I paced through the open gates. Despite how long I have been in this universe, the dreadful feeling that I had back when I first played this 'level' was with me. It was less splatter-y, but the feeling of unease was still there. The silence, the awareness, and the fact the scumbag I was hunting down had to have a reason for trying this stunt.
ONI may be stupid, but they wouldn't let the Flood be let out with minimal chances of spreading. I knew what they were trying to do by sparking a new 'common enemy' for mankind to try and take over with this new war, but an effort so limited as just freeing the Flood was... too minimalistic.
"What do you think is the end goal?" I asked to Sif as I turned the elevator at the entrance on, letting us descend to the main ground of the facility.
You mean, in reference to the lack of food for the parasite? I have no clue. While there's plenty of humans through the colonial project, the survival chance the parasite has to make it to the ships is abysmal. The sentinels would just contain them with ease.
"Unless... there's something that doesn't feel right. You still have the target's dossier?"
I do, but I found nothing that would suggest any knowledge of biological engineering or genetic manipulation.
"What about items? Maybe he was carrying something anomalous that could mutate the flood."
We have tested the footage and the scans. He had nothing of that kind on himself.
"Maybe he's not a scientist?" I asked as I pushed through a few doors, passing through an energy bridge and noticing that a few doors had been forcefully closed shut from the red light on them. "Have you checked his medical records?"
It was the first thing I did while looking into the man's data, but he sounds normal.
"Vaccines?"
All regular-
"I mean in terms of dates. I doubt ONI is going to be too open about potential modifications, but he has gone through the medical checkup before joining the ship. Something in those scans has to have been spotted and 'justified' somehow."
I heard Sif hum thoughtfully within my helmet, but as she was looking into it, I was given reason to pause and tense up. I was in the process to cross another energy bridge when I saw the door I was moving to open sudden swell up from the other side- something was pushing through with incredible strength and-
"GYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Numerous Combat Forms slammed their bodies through the barrier, breaking it and trying to rush me. Considering the numbers and the lack of dangerous weapons, I had to keep them away through the means of explosives. Several low-power missiles were soon blasting the parasite down, tearing through their bodies and stopping them from getting to me.
Sighing at the surprise, I still couldn't help but notice the number of human types that have rushed us.
"He didn't have any hostages, so how did he produce so many combat forms'" I pointed out and Sif nodded.
He didn't take any. Those combat forms... are one and the same target we are hunting.
I frowned. "What?"
Somehow, those combat forms have the same genetic data as our target. Same visages too- Cloning? No, his body has been- it has to have been mutated to allow a self-sufficient breeding ground to be possible.
"You mean he is just... pumping out combat forms?" This was concerning. It's been a hour since the guy had entered the facility. I wasn't sure how long it took him to find the flood, but if he truly sacrificed himself like this then... shit is about to hit the fan. "We need to find him."
I am accessing the facility's data, but it seems our target may not be within the available map of the facility.
I tensed up over this. "That makes no sense. He is here-"
He is. However, the activities which may have been committed by him last seem to have unfolded well under the facility.
What?
"How deep under?"
Not too deep, but there is a chance it is not a proper part of a facility, but a cave he broke through by shattering some walls.
"Considering the sturdiness of those-"
It's possible our target has obtained a strong offensive capacity well-beyond conventional firepower.
That was not good. I trusted my shields to hold back a few infection forms, which we found through the path to where the target was, but I was a bit nervous about anything above standard combat forms. The Energy Beam could do so much against these monsters and a thicker skin may present some issues.
Soon we were entering an unfamiliar area of the facility, one that wasn't explored in the first Halo game. It didn't have any containment glass, but it looked like some form of laboratory. Looking around, the machinery held within it was all deactivated.
"What's this?"
Seems like an Armory Section, one that we may be able to tinker a little bit with.
"How so? I can't exactly use any weapons with this suit?"
But your beam can technically be upgraded.
An improved beam means a higher chance to push through faster before the infestation managed to get out of the facility.
"Do tell."
As I walked up to the on-wall machinery mentioned by Sif, I saw the device given life as it moved to analyze my arm-cannon, attaching a few wires to it and pump data in it. A window opened by the visor's screen, highlighting a relatively fast download.
I was concerned of getting trapped during the process, and then by the fact that the Arm-cannon was warming up a bit too much for my liking. Still, as the process was over, I read the new window and smiled in response to it.
Incineration Beam acquired!
-Normal Shot: Wide three-shots Incendiary Blast.
-Charged Shot: Single-Shot Incineration Blast.
The Normal Fire Mode uses the same energy output used by the Z-250 which is similar to the BR series. The Charged Shot is the Forerunner's Rocket Launcher, the Z-390, yet preserving a higher incendiary and destructive charge similar to the Covenant's Plasma Cannon.
I whistled at Sif's words. "Then let's put both to test."
The next few flood forms were quickly dispatched, the incendiary blasts ripping even more viciously than the missiles, and allowing me to preserve ammunition in that regard. Still, the path to find the break on the walls took a hour to find. I was a bit nervous when I spotted how big of a hole it was, but jumped through it nonetheless.
The fall was easy to endure, the suit absorbing the kinetic energy generated from the fall and let the shield bounce it off without any damage. Looking around, I realized that while this was indeed a part not considered to be connected to the facility- but it used to be. The grime and dirt had stained the covered section, but the walls, ceiling and floor were of Forerunner descent. And those led to a room in the distance as blue lights illuminated the part.
On the ground, cleaven and still scorching from getting decimated, were two Abomination Forms. The peak of Warforms before Proto-Gravemind, meant to survive through the harshest assaults and dish out a lot of trouble.
"Those are responsible for the crack on the wall," I hummed quietly, looking around for any other clue. The room that was now open lacked anything that would suggest there was the target but... I noticed something dropping down. A greenish-yellow liquid.
Looking up, I was greeted by the sight of the mutated agent, face contorted in horror as his corpse was left hanging on the ceiling, his lower body missing as his guts were slowly dropping down. It hadn't been there when I first entered this cave...
Four enemies, two coming from both your sides!
Without hesitation, I jumped forward and dodged the double attack. Swinging around, I hurled a charged shot, with one of the attackers teleporting in a blue light, while the other failing to do so and getting vaporized by the attack. Panic was rising at the absurd behavior of this foe, but as I turned around again as I saw hostile approach from behind, I was pushed on the ground and given a nice jumpscare of the blue-flamed skull kind.
"GRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
P-Promethean Knights?! The hell are the Didact's goons doing here of all places?
I blasted the bastard with a normal shot, the blast tearing through the armor and killing the bastard as I pushed him off of me. I got up, looking around for any other surprises and...
"Is it clear?"
Seems so. I am actually surprised that the Forerunners kept around this kind of Sentinels around.
"Not sentinels. Prometheans," I mumbled quietly. "Those things... I didn't know they were studying those too."
They are effective against the Flood.
"The process to create those is far more extreme than what was done with the Spartans. Plus, they were created by a Forerunner that was ousted as a dangerous threat- for those to be there... It's best for us to leave."
Sending you a path to follow, but I wish to learn more about this.
"Sure thing."
Once I was out of that hellhole and tore through a few more remaining Flood forms, I was relieved to find out that the Sentinels had moved to strike down the parasites and contain them. Without most of the Combat Forms available and no guns to facilitate the parasite's escape, the Sentinels were having an easy time purging the threat. But they weren't attacking me or the Pelican with Serin on it, so that was good news.
Soon I was aboard the vehicle and we started to fly away. I sat down by Serin, and she gave me a brief glance.
"Target neutralized," I answered her silent question, her shoulders sagging in relief. "Any news from the Spartan?"
I had been there for roughly two-three hours, so I could tell that they should have been done with it. When Serin shook her head, I decided to open the comms.
"This is Log. Master Chief, what's your team's status?"
Instead of John, I was greeted with an amused chuckle owned by one of the characters I detested the most about this show.
"Hello Reclaimer, your allies are currently disabled so... how about you come to the Control Room? There's much to say and do!" An excited familiar robotic voice answered in the most jovial tone possible, a grimace replacing my relieved expression.
Goddammit, Guilty Spark.
AN
Friend or Foe, or both, or neither!? Also, how did Promethean Knights make it to a Halo? And why did the Flood try to attack those?
P.S. Answering to those confused about the Forerunners' Combat Skins' classification: One mistake many do is thinking that the Classes for Combat Skins are related to armor. It has been confirmed this is not the case. It's not about how strong the defense is, but it relies on stats we currently know nothing about. No one in the community found anything that would suggest there's a specific way to fully gauge this classification, which is why I had set Log's current Power Suit above the MJOLNIR Armor- it is self-adaptive and self-evolving. Depending on circumstances, it can be improved to a degree that renders most of the standard common low-level Forerunners Combat Skins to shame.