Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Hunter and Soldier. Enjoy the 1000-word chapter. I don't own Halo, Microsoft, and 343 do.

(2526, April 9th UNSC Medical station Sanitarium, 01:00 PM)

Cal and Gram sat in the hanger of the station. Both felt vulnerable out of their armor in their regular clothes. Still? It wasn't like they were in the thick of combat currently.

"You think the admiral is sending us to take out a Covenant camp?" Gram questioned while he raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what he's planning, but it's way too plain for Silver Team. He's never been one to plan these things small." Gram added which got Cal to nod as he tucked his legs under his body.

"I'm going to guess no," Cal added, shaking her head back and forth. "Things are never simple when it comes down to Silver Team. Admiral Stanforth doesn't use us like a knife like the other Spartans. He uses us like a hammer or scalpel." Cal added, drumming her fingers on her leg like machine guns.

Gram hummed, simply pondering if they had another goal when it came down to it. This war was not normal the more he thought about it.

Gram rubbed his fingers into his arms, eager to get back into the war. He knew that the Covenant was probably destroying a colony or such at the moment.

"Do you think it's wrong to be always eager to fight?" Gram asked Cal as the spartan sniper/team leader turned. "I know we're designed for war, but every second I sit here? I feel… OFF. Like there could be something else we could be doing when it comes down to it." Gram added while his partner started to drum her fingers faster and faster.

"We're supposed to be fighting, Gram," Cal added, looking back and forth. "So no, I don't. I want to be out in the field, rifle in hand, picking out targets and dropping them. The longer we're here? The more I feel like we're just being wasted as an asset." Cal put in as Gram nodded.

"Fair enough, just wanted to ask." Gram said and slowly stood up. "I'm going to go to the shooting range. You going to come?" Gram asked, raising an eyebrow and humming.

Cal shrugged, making sure to check her surroundings as the duo once more. She nodded as she hummed and slowly followed after Gram.

"I'm starting to hope that Artie comes out of his coma sooner or later." Gram stated and got a nod from Cal. "You hear anything about him? The medics didn't want to tell me anything, but I'm sure they'd tell his team leader." Gram asked while Cal simply shrugged.

"No, they didn't tell me," Cal added which made Gram blink in shock as he cracked his fingers. "Dr. Halsey said she'd look into it. I don't know why they didn't want to tell me anything, just that it's ONI business." Cal put in and got a frown from Gram.

"I didn't know we were working under ONI," Gram added, crossing his arms. "Nobody seems to want to tell us when it comes down to it… This is garbage. I feel more like an errand boy than a soldier." Gram stated as he turned to look around once more.

"Yeah, sometimes it does feel like that." Gram heard Cal state as he hummed and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure it does all the time," Cal added, crossing her arms. "But we still have things to do. The navy is always going to need us. They always have a new mission for the Spartans like us." Cal added, gaining another nod from Gram as he hummed.

"Yes, but what about when they DON'T?" Gram asked as he planted his hands on his hips. "You know how ONI is going to make sure to cover all its bases. They're always going to want a scapegoat when it came down to it." Gram added while shaking his head.

The duo could only ponder what the catch was on this mission. There was always going to be a catch, Stanforth was NOTHING if not a skilled planner when it came down to it.

"It's got to be odd for plenty of people," Gram added, his tone angrier than usual. "I question just how many have SEEN a spartan. I feel weird looking around here." Gram stated, feeling out of his depth in this place." Gram said, gazing at his healing arm.

He didn't like being cooped up in this base. It felt like the admiral had locked them in a cage and was poking them with rods to see how they responded, almost like he didn't know what to think of them at the moment.

Still? It wasn't like Gram could blame the admiral for what he'd been doing at the moment. He was playing his cards close to his chest. The man didn't know how soon it would be UNTIL Silver Team could reasonably be sent into the battlefield once again. Anyone who had a silver bullet up their sleeve would admit they wanted to save it till the right moment.

"Do you think Artie will be ready for the next mission?" Gram questioned while he looked at Cal, his arms crossed as he rubbed at, his temples. "We need EVERY spartan in the war." Gram stated, gaining a hum from Cal as she thought about it.

Neither Spartan could give a straight answer while both looked down the hallway. Both thought about all the battles they could be fighting if they weren't here.

And it scared them being laid up in this place.

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be 1500-2000 words or such. I apologize for this chapter is short. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and show Cal and Gram talking, training, and preparing for their next mission. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!

P.S: The cruiser story will be 900 words and I will update the other Halo stories or such.