Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Hunter and Soldier. Enjoy the 1500-word chapter. I don't own Halo, Microsoft, and 343 do.
(2526, Unknown World Designation 'AG 776')
The jackal collapsed to the ground; Gram removed his knife from the creature's neck as the sound of footsteps turned him. The spartan II had his M45D raised in a flash of lightning before blinking under his MJOLNIR.
"You're losing your touch." Gram heard, finally getting a response.
"And you almost lost your throat," Gram responded before the line went dead.
Cal looked at him and motioned in the direction of their objective. He nodded as the two slowly picked through the jungle.
The objective was simple. There was a Covenant VIP that was to be executed. They had been sent after HIGH COM had agreed ODSTs were far too vulnerable.
"Sierra, what's your status?" Gram and Cal heard which made the duo share a look.
The captain of the Vagrant had dispatched them here. Gram knew very well that they'd be finding their way home. That was fine, they had dealt with worse.
"Sierra, I want a sitrep now." The voice said as the two 16-year-old Supersoldier shared a glance.
"Approaching the area now, sir." Gram stated before the line went dead. "I thought he was briefed on radio silence." Gram stated to which Cal said nothing.
They approached the edge of their NAV point: A large cliffside that Cal had scoped out before deployment. It sloped down into a pool of water which seemed deep enough to break their fall if needed.
Cal looked through the scope of her SRS99-AM as she watched a pod of grunts waddle through the camp. A Jackal clicked its jaws and looked down from a floating sniper perch.
She lowered the gun as Gram remained perched in the tall trees, hidden by his armor. He gazed down at the Covenant camp while a dropship slowly arrived. Gram could only guess that it contained the VIP.
He was shaken from his thoughts by a hand trailing along his arm and stopping at his shoulder before a tight squeeze. Gram turned to Cal.
If it were anyone else besides another spartan? Gram would have ripped their arm out. However? Cal knew how he'd respond. He turned to her; his head cocked.
She motioned towards the camp with her head. Gram shook his head and nodded towards her spot. The message was clear.
Nobody but Dr. Halsey and Chief Mendez understood the Spartans. They had their system of communications with each other, and Gram and Cal were no different.
She used both hands to point at him, then slowly rotated them to herself before nodding down the ridge. The spartan sign for 'cover me'.
Gram nodded before the duo slowly moved down the ridge. Gram turned and shook his head as Cal looked at the area below.
Mendez had seen the bond between the duo years ago. His attempts to tug the two apart only proved their bond. Gram was vocal, easy to rev up, somewhat impatient.
But Cal? She was his other half. The duo had worked together before…. Cal knew him, and Gram her. Cal didn't have to guess that Gram was reluctant to leave her side to scout the area. He ALWAYS was.
"Gram," Cal said over their private channel. "I'm ok. The objective comes first." Cal added as she perched to make another sniper nest.
Gram was silent, it almost made Cal laugh since she was usually the quiet one. She turned to Gram who had stopped.
She ran her hand along his shoulder again and squeezed. Their gesture for respect and trust, an unspoken bond between the duo.
Gram lowered his head to the ground before turning to her. His HUD light flashed green in acknowledgment. He turned and grasped her shoulder in response before squeezing it. Cal nodded as Gram turned and slowly started the descent down the cliffside.
Gram didn't risk another look back at Cal. He knew very well that she'd be fine. They contrasted each other in every way.
Gram was rather blunt, to the point, and spoke if he could. Cal was quiet, studious, and cautious. The differences also came down to their appearances, she was 7.4 feet, which contrasted with his 6.8 ft appearance in his armor.
Gram knew that Cal would be fine. She was a fighter, her skills as a sniper was matched only by Linda's among the Spartans. She was their hunter, and he was just one of their many soldiers.
Gram slowly leaped down to another ledge. Even within armor which weighed almost 2 metric tons? He still felt naked, all it would take would be one good shot to cut through the armor like butter.
The spartan looked back up at Cal who was busy looking through the scope of her weapon. This mission was 2-fold, kill the target, and capture any intel they could.
"Why isn't the holy one here yet?" Gram heard as he drew his knife. "The holy prophet sent him… Yet he isn't here." Gram heard from the covenant, he hummed.
One of the Jackals slowly walked out from cover towards him. It swung a purple rifle-like weapon around, obviously lazy and bored.
Gram reached from cover, reaching for the avian alien's arm before tugging it out into the tree line. The alien tried to let out a squawk as Gram stabbed it in the skull, dropping the body in the trees.
He flashed his acknowledgment light for Cal as the spartan hummed. He reached for his M6D which was chambered on his thigh.
"Cal, I'm in position." Gram stated and peeked out from the tree line.
Cal flashed the green light which got him to hum. He moved in closer towards the base, Cal watched through her scope as Gram looked up at the ridge.
She slowly squeezed her hand, the spartan motion for freeze. Gram stopped against a pair of crates as a 'spirit' dropship slowly descended. The tuning fork-shaped dropship landed at the floating pad.
Gram unfurled the fiber optic cable he had packed, snaking the cable over the crate and kept his magnum ready.
A golden saurian-like creature slowly popped out of the shuttle with several others clad in blue surrounding it.
Cal watched as Gram slowly pressed his thumb into his palm and then inwardly curled his fingers. Cal gave a horizontal cut across her chest in response.
This was greeted with a green light while Cal looked through her sniper. This was the VIP, she knew it.
Cal hummed as Gram finished recording what he could. It wasn't much, but they couldn't afford to be picky.
Cal closed an eye and pumped a fist, making sure Gram was ready for the hornet's nest she was about to trigger.
She squeezed the trigger and was rewarded with a single bullet rushing out the barrel towards the alien. Cal questioned if they were so arrogant as to not set up sufficient sentries.
Cal watched as blue light flickered while the bullet cut through shields and armor like a knife. The saurian-like alien collapsed, a hole punched in his helmet. Cal quickly shifted as the VIP's guards roared.
Cal fired 3 more times, each round killing the aliens as the bird-like aliens fanned out.
Gram rushed back up the ridge as Cal dropped the empty magazine and inserted her second. Gram would never let her hear the end of the audacity of the shot when she chided him for being cautious.
So be it, the 15-year-old Supersoldier welcomed it. Cal squeezed the trigger another 2 times and was greeted by the 2 aliens keeling over, massive holes were blown in them.
Gram reached the top of the ridge by then. He turned to her as she strapped her rifle to her back. They both turned and rushed into the jungle, their mission done.
The roars of Covenant soldiers as they grieved the loss of a general were ignored. Both had done their job; the rest of the work was for another time.
Neither liked it, but it was ordered. Gram checked his HUD for the radar. Both could easily outrun the covenant soldiers; it was making it to their LZ which bugged him.
The duo reached the clearing where a Pelican awaited, Gram wanted to question things, but he supposed the captain would debrief them.
"C'mon, they're starting to swarm orbit." The pilot said before the duo boarded the craft. "This is Pelican 229, returning to the Vagrant with package aboard.
The pelican turned and fled, ferrying the Spartans back towards the Charon-Class Light Frigate.
Author Notes
Phew, another chapter is done! I want to point out the reason Cal and Gram aren't in super danger yet? Is because they don't have shields yet. The next chapter will have more action. I was going to make Cal taller as a fan page said… But 8.4 is way too tall. The next chapter is in 2-12 weeks and will show more bonding between Cal and Gram and a training session between the duo. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!
P.S: Next chapter is 1200-1500 words or such.