Chapter 9: How it began
"For so long as I can remember..." Arvos and Vidar began the process of becoming Prelates, balling their fists to fight away the agonizing pain as the procedure continued. "My brother and I have been in the service of the Hierarchs. Serving for the betterment of the Covenant." The brothers face heretics who dissolve and dishonored the Covenant, along with the "Demons" of Humanity and its forces. "Heretics. Demons. It did not matter. We had served a higher purpose. Then one day, our loyalties to the Covenant and to the Prophets forever changed." Vidar blasted a Brute in the gut, using his shield to block Brute's attack based on his rage. The Brute quickly grabbed his neck, only for Arvos to impale his energy spear at the back of his head. Blue-purple blood sprayed on Vidar's face as he wiped it out of his face. They heard the roars of incoming Brutes, glancing at each other and nodding their heads as they readied themselves for battle once again. Arvos took Brutes on the left while Vidar took those on the right, using their enhancements in speed and strength to make quick work of the Brutes. But there was one... only one not similar to all the other Brutes. Both Arvos and Vidar noticed a makeshift energy mace the main Brute himself carried in his hand, cold eyes staring into their very soul. Arvos rushed toward him with his energy shield, but to his shock the Brute simply caught it in his grasp. The side of the spear pierced the skin in his hand, slowly bleeding as the Brute kept his demeanor. The Brute sent him with enough force, falling back to a wall.
Vidar retaliated and opened fire at the Brute in charge, with the Brute in question using only his wrist to protect him. He launched his energy mace at Vidar who used his energy shield to block the hurtling weapon, only to be knocked back by the unexpected force. Arvos dashed toward the Brute as Vidar tossed the energy rifle to his brother. He prepared to fire the weapon but was stopped by the Brute as he was crushing the energy rifle using just his bare hand with little effort. "The holy Prophets sent us on a special mission to eliminate a heretic. But we had no idea what we were dealing with once we found him." Arvos used the energy shield to bash the Brute across the head, the blow merely fazed him. The Brute in return grasped his wrist, using his innate strength to break the device equipped with the shield and his arm. Arvos winced in pain. An energy spear pierced through the Brute's arm as said Brute looked to see Vidar as the attacker. He glared daggers at Vidar and tossed Arvos aside, grabbing the spear and kicked Vidar away as he broke the top part of the spear. "I heard the stories, of course. A brute of his clan was over 40 fought alone against our enemies. One by one none returned, except for him. A warrior whose legend and hatred for the Covenant had grown far beyond than his own control. His defiance, inspiring others as he brought masters of killing and mercenaries to his cause. He and those Banished like him, became feared throughout the entirely of the Covenant itself." the Brute stared at them with cold and calculating eyes, as Vidar readied his weapon. He suddenly felt a hand, lowering his spear as he turned to see it was his brother who only stared back at the Brute. Arvos knelt as he brought his spear to his side, glancing at his brother to do the same. Vidar complied and bowed in sheer honor and respect. "He liked our ambition, our very tenacity to track him down and kill him. This Jiralhanae was the greatest and most feared warrior I have ever met, even one the both of us have ever faced. He offered us a place at his side and told us how wrong we were in trusting the Heirarchs." A plethora of Covenant species stood behind the Brute in charge as Arvos watched in intrigue and astonishment. "His offer was tempting... but there was something my brother and I needed to settle. Something we needed to confront our benevolent leaders about. We decided to face the Hierarchs one last time." Arvos and Vidar now leave on a cruiser, heading back to High Clarity. Once they returned home, they were welcomed by chaos and madness. "Unfortunately, we came across the Parasites attacking our home." Arvos and Vidar led their Covenant forces attack, cutting apart a swarm of infected combat forms. Human, Covenant, it did not matter to the brothers. They were the Flood to them and nothing more. The two watched down below as they see the brutes escorting the Prophet of Truth to a forerunner ship in the middle of the holy city. "The Prophet of Truth fled in cowardice, for his own self-preservation above all else. It was at that moment, we realized that Atriox was right. The Covenant are only a means to an end."
The Prelate brothers see a lone human marine fleeing from Flood. They had dived down and exterminate the unrelenting swarm, with Arvos crushing the parasite with his bare hand. Vidar grabbed the human as he looked at Arvos, seeing his brother motioned him to bring the human as a prisoner. "We fled High Clarity as our home was no more. Arvos interrogated the human we brought along with us on our ship, the Shadow Blade. His name was Patterson I believe, judging from the way he spoke his name along with his rank and serial number as all humans do when they are captured by us. Apparently, the Prophet of Regret was already killed by the demon called the Master Chief. I would be not surprised if the Prophet of Mercy was killed either by the demon himself or the Parasites. For days and months, we wandered aimlessly into the depths of space." Arvos and Vidar stood by on the command deck, as a bright yellow encompassed the entire cruiser along with what remained of their fleet from High Clarity. They turned a planet-like structure as it began pulling the entirety of the ship. "It was on the final day our supplies would ran dry, that we discovered Requiem. A forerunner shield world. It was unlike anything we have ever seen." Vidar admired the sight of the shield world as Arvos along with some Brutes escorted the human prisoner.
They ventured deep into forerunner ruins, using their human captive to unlock the door since a human's touch was required. "Discovering Requiem become a great moment in our lives. And in return," a Brute minor forced Patterson into a unlocking a wide door. The doors slid open as chattering could be heard in only a few moments afterward. "We had met the local inhabitants. The created constructs of the Forerunners... the Prometheans." Prometheans lunged from behind at the Covenant force, vaporizing half of the Brutes and Hunters. Arvos and Vidar took up arms and retaliated, while Hunters and a Brute chieftain were ordered to guard the human prisoner. Patterson turned to see something step out of the shadows. It walked to one of the Brute corpses and took a gravity hammer. The hammer was swung with the agile swiftness of an Elite, but the ferocity of a Brute. Arvos and Vidar turned to see the figure before them. "Soon after that, it was also the day when we met Knuld. Him and the others that would be known to us as the Forsaken." The four inhabitants from the vault attacked both the Covenant and Promethean with great precision and tactful ruthlessness, taking weapons of both sides upon every kill made. A pytauri ripped the head of a grunt while a Brute was pulled in half by a Sharquoi. Knuld walked toward Arvos and Vidar with unclear intent, as the Pytauri eyed the human before turning to the brothers in a snarl. "He knew what we were. He knew of the San'Shyumm and Humanity, it was a sudden shock to us both including for our human captive. But in that moment of shock, the Prometheans arrived to close the vault that housed and preserved them for all eternity."
Promethean Knights, crawlers, and watchers swarmed them as they fought. A Sharquoi was vaporized due to heavy Promethean weapons, while Arvos and Vidar. While the fighting continued, the human escaped as his tags fell during the scuffle. He ran and shut the door behind the Forsaken and Prelates, leaving them to be trapped inside the vault. Knuld realized what was going on and shot the marine with a bolt shot, mortally wounding him in the process once the doors closed. It was in that moment the human marine, Patterson was impaled by a Promethean Knight's blade as he disintegrated. "Our human captive, Patterson trapped us inside the vault itself prior to his death. While we were imprisoned, Knuld questioned us and we told him... everything. About the Great Journey. About Halo. And about what we knew about the Forerunners. The way he acted upon the mention of them carried great contempt and disdain. It was at that time I asked him, what we asked was the truth of the Forerunners. He explained we were once allies to the Humans in ancient times in their war with the Forerunners themselves. How they fought to keep the Flood away from the galaxy. After Humanity lost the war to the Forerunners, the Flood became their new enemy. Knuld had told us he and the other slave races were bred to serve, created to serve them. And to fight the Flood once their presence was known to the Forerunner, due to their resilience and immunity against the Flood itself. The Librarian put them here, with her husband Ur-Didact. It would seem we would be trapped into that vault for an eternity, forever suspended in time. Until the day came, when we were free once again." The vault doors were suddenly opened as the Forsaken sprung out, attacking whatever stood in their way. Arvos and Vidar followed behind them, stunned to see humans. "The humans had found Requiem. We took what remained of the fleet's arsenal from locations we safeguarded ever since our arrival on the shield world. From there, we and the Forsaken had one goal in mind: Leaving this godforsaken shield world behind."
A massive ship the size of High Clarity itself flew upward in the air, shaking the ground due to its ascension. Vidar stood watching the Forsaken come off the ground as Arvos approached behind him. He walked side-by-side to his brother, hands behind his back.
"Incredible, is it not?"
"We have finally done it, brother. We will be able to leave Requiem, once and for all."
"You and the Forsaken shall leave Requiem, but not I. Not yet." Arvos replied, catching Vidar's attention as it turned to sudden bewilderment and shock. "I must find Catherine Halsey."
"That is a lost cause, brother. Jul M'Dama will no doubt have the human already transported away from here."
"True. But if I find her and claim what she has in her possession, it could lead us to what we both want." Arvos said in confidence. "If not her, then I will take the other half one of the other humans have."
"There is no turning back once you do this."
Arvos placed his hands on Vidar's shoudlers. "Swear to me that you will continue with our plans if my time has ended, Ard. Swear to this to me if I do not return."
"I swear it, Varc."
Both Ard and Varc crossed their arms to their chest in a salute to each other. "For the Zunda name!" they both said in unison, as Varc Zunda left in a Forsaken fighter with six Berserkers in the same fighters
"May the fates of the cosmos watch over you, brother." Ard turned to the Huragok that floated behind him. "Time for us to go, my friend. My brother will not be joining us." the two heading off the massive Forsaken ship, preparing to leave the planet
On the other side of Requiem, Fireteams Ivy are assisting marine squad Geronimo in attacking a Forerunner section in Covenant territory. Manny took headshots at incoming Grunts and Elites, follow by three Jackal snipers. The first team consisted of Jersey and Rani on one side while Krista was on the other. Manny fired one last shot at a cloaked Elite behind Chu once he saw the shimmer of an energy sword, leaving her to finish the uncloaked attacker with a few shotgun shells. Rani looked up to where Manny and nodded at him after the skirmish was over, both him and her making their way to their respective team.
"Thanks for the heads up." she thanked
"Ya welcome, Shelia." Manny turned to his fireteam. "That's all of them, innit?"
"Just about." Krista glanced over her shoulder to see Geronimo squad arrive, carrying a power core with them. "Bomb's armed and secured. Commander Jun has Fireteams Domino and Forest retrieving a power source for a harvester at the warrens when he, Rosenda, and Crimson head shut down that artifact."
"Wish we went with them." Jersey replied. "Would've gotten much work done and leave the planet before we all get sent into the sun."
"Captain Lasky knows what he's doing." Rani said. "He's trying not to get forces spread too thin. So far, all spartan fire teams have been evacuate Infinity Science personnel and along with anything we've collected since we arrived on Requiem."
Krista and the rest of Fireteam Ivy see their pelican arrive. "Which means it's up to Domino to send that power source over at Crimson's way, and fast."
Fireteams Domino and Forest at the designated site known as Apex, firing at a wave of Covenant while searching a power source needed for the Harvester in the Warrens. Since their pelican were sat down, both Domino and Forest held off heavy Covenant resistance since their arrival in Apex. Tanaka and Petrenko assisted Fireteam Forest Spartans Gustavo Esposito and Carrie McIntosh on the left, while Chu and Mendoza aided Spartans R.D. Verrat and Sophia Kim. The four team members of Forest were clad in distinctive green and brown armor. They spot a Lich arriving as it deployed forces, unleashing another wave upon them. Petrenko then noticed the Lich heading into another position, only in a more vulnerable position. He along with Tanaka hijacked enemy Ghosts they drove past the Lich, taking out more enemy forces once they were inside the Lich. The alert on their heads up display pinpointed them a power source, suitable for the Harvester at the Warrens.
"Chief Jun, we found a power source matching the energy signatures you're looking for." Petrenko informed the Spartan III Chief. "We found a replacement. A Lich's engine core."
"Understood.Have that power source delivered to us, ASAP." Jun ordered
"Yes, sir. We'll get on it." Tanaka replied. "Let's get core to Crimson. I'm radioing in Mendoza and Chu." she flicked her comm link on her squadmates frequency. "Chu, Mendoza. We're in business. We got an engine core Crimson needed, and we're heading our way back to you."
"Negative.We got Covenant and unknowns hitting us." they hear a booming sound as Tanaka and Petrenko see a Phantom crashing down near them
"Hang tight! We're coming to you!" Petrenko said as he and Tanaka hopped onboard their Ghosts, with the engine core in hand.
"Domino, to Infinity! Request immediate evac for us and Forest, over!" she said in urgency as her and Petrenko headed back to Forest and the rest of their team's location
"Standby, Domino. Pelican evacs heading your way."
Mendoza and Chu were shooting the unknown tangos that were the Forsaken as they ducked down for cover through a blast of plasma. Spartan Kim managed to bring one of the unknown fighters down, following a good throw with a plasma grenade taken from a dead Elite as it crashed down below them. Six Berserkers jumped out of their craft and charged at the Spartans, firing spikers and wielding energy axes. One of them went cut pass Grunts and an Elite, coming at Esposito while the rest soon follow. It was a three-way fight between Spartan, Forsaken, Covenant and Prometheans. Esposito quickly evade the incoming attack while Spartans Kim and McIntosh did the same with their attacks. Varrat kneed a Berserker down on the ground and killed it after firing half his assault rifle clip. Another Berserker sent him flying back toward Chu, downing the Spartans as Mendoza used a roundhouse across the Berserker's before killing in point-blank range with a shotgun. Before he could help them up, He turned around a second glance as he stabbed with an energy spear from Arvos. The Prelate held the wounded Spartan up using his spear sending him away, with Chu seeing her wounded teammate on the ground as she went head on to fight Arvos.
"Medic!" Varrat shouted before turning his comm link on. "Where's that evac?!"
"Coming in right now, Varrat!" he heard Petrenko say on comms.
He got his answers when Pelicans opened fire on Covenant and Promethean, including Berserkes as they were all killed. Arvos retreated to his fighter in disappointment as the Pelicans arrived, with Tanaka and jumping off to help Chu carry Mendoza while she and Petrenko gave them covering fire. Fireteams Forest and Domino got on their Pelicans as Forest took the Lich engine core to Crimson and their Spartan-III mentors via their evac. Fireteam Domino were heading back to Infinity due to Mendoza's mortal wound as Tanaka and Petrenko were trying to keep him stable before Mendoza coughed up blood inside his made a collision course to the Warren, to deliver the engine core needed for the Harvester so Crimson could continue their mission. All life on the Infinity depended on Crimson using the engine core on the Harvester in order to get through that Forerunner core and unhook the anchor between Requiem and Infinity. However, a cloaked vessel followed Forest's Pelican as Arvos was certain they will take him right where he intended to be: to the location of Fireteam Crimson.