Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Hunter and Soldier. Enjoy the 2000-word chapter. I don't own Halo, Microsoft, and 343 do.
(2525, September 12th, Reach 2:45 PM)
Cal looked down from the tree, her SRS99-AM strapped across the small of her spine. She heard movement and turned to look at the bushes.
She was met by a pair of crimson eyes that stared at her. She noticed him slowly emerge through the leaves. She noticed a captured BR55 slung across his back as he balanced across the branch with an interest in her. A small smile graced his face, yet she could see the cuts from battling with training marines. He had been rather on the ball about what to do next.
"Always looking for me?" Cal asked as Gram nodded. "It's nice to see you too, Gram," Cal stated with a smile despite herself.
The two looked down from the tree. He stared at Cal in the way only the two had. She didn't need to look to know he was already scanning the ground for any real enemies or obstacles.
"There's a pair of stun grenades ahead, they set tripwires about 30 meters." Gram said as he leaned on the branch next to him. "I don't entirely know what else they set up." Gram said as he frowned.
"How about marines? Any defenses or ambushes?" Cal questioned to which Gram nodded.
"About 12 members ahead, all sharpshooters and scouts. I didn't see more, could be anyway. I'm curious what the hell happened if they're sending these types of soldiers." Gram stated before he leaned backward in the tree.
Gram looked at Cal who seemed to relax, leaning back in the crux of the tree. He almost seemed to be bothered by how calmly she absorbed the information if not for the fact that she was usually this way. It had been a hard climb to the top of the tree and a long fall down.
He glanced around before he looked at the ground before he seemed too happy about what to do next. There were more than a few soldiers in their path. Cal stared through her rifle before she seemed to look around.
She was honestly curious about what to do next at the moment. She had been hopeful when it came down to it.
"What was going to happen next? We need to get moving." Gram asked as both started to question the next move. "There are about 30 soldiers in the forest. I'm not sure how many of them had been defeated at the time. we don't know what will come next. It had been interesting." Gram stated before he looked around.
He sighed and watched as Cal looked through the scope of her rifle. It had told him a lot at the moment that she was going to be this willing to fight. It seemed more or less as if more soldiers coming to attack them. The scope of what was possible at the moment seemed to spread with each second.
Still? It had been interesting that they had been happy. He smiled at her once more before he sighed and seemed to look at her as he sighed and rubbed his eyes before he finally started to clear his throat.
"I'm not going anywhere, Cal. We're in this together. You know that better than anyone. I'm not running off if that's what you think." Gram said as he rested his hand on his rifle.
"That will get you killed one day, Gram," Cal responded as she tried to stop herself from smiling. "The more we stop and fight? The more they tighten the noose. They will eventually catch up to us. We both know what will happen next if we stop and engage them." Cal said as Gram drummed his fingers on his knees.
He didn't care. She knew he didn't care at the end of the day. He was as close to her as any partner was. Even if she wanted to tell him that she didn't need a partner? Part of her knew that she enjoyed his company. His stubbornness and desire to keep fighting were enough to remind her that she wasn't alone in this battle. She looked at Gram as he seemed to prepare for what came next.
"You were pretty tough to resist that marine interrogating you. I didn't think you'd end up lying." Cal said as Gram shrugged and unslung his rifle.
"Betraying the team means everyone fails, we both know what happens if we don't do something." Gram said as he sighted through his rifle. "Secondly? I don't snitch. I'm a soldier, I need to be ready for work. The more soldiers we run into? The more we're going to need to fight." Gram stated before he shook his head.
This was going to be interesting for them. A lot more interesting. Cal gazed through her rifle at the patrol below and took a breath. 9 guards, maybe more, all armed with MA5B and a pair of M90S.
Gram tensed on the branch, resting his hand on his rifle as he prepared to leap down to engage the patrol. She knew a flanking attack when it came down to it. He had been ready to draw fire to himself before she looked at him.
She reached out a hand towards him as he seemed to prepare for leaping down. He felt her course and calloused hand clasp his shoulder. She stared at the smaller Spartan who took a breath.
"Don't, we can take them without you drawing fire," Cal stated before Gram glanced at her. "We can handle them without trying to kill us at the second. Do you think you can hit 2 of them from their flank?" Cal questioned as Gram started to question what to do next.
She squeezed his shoulder, he glanced at her arm as she slowly smiled at him. He put his hand on hers.
"I got you." Gram stated before he nodded and squeezed her hand at the second. "You got me?" Gram questioned before he nodded to her.
She squeezed his hand, a gesture that they had started to do as of the second. They looked down at the ground before he sighed before he looked at the second as he started to think of what to do.
"Yeah," Cal said before Gram nodded before he slowly started to climb down from the tree, vanishing into the area.
She planned on finding out how the hell he seemed to melt into the foliage later on. He was a damn good scout and soldier when his pride and desire to protect her didn't limit her at the time.
She snorted at this. She cared for him as much as he did for her. The fact that her finger went for the trigger the second someone aimed a gun their way told her as much. They were a team and as odd as she found it? Part of her guessed that they were destined to be a team.
"We both know what to do next." Gram stated before he tilted his head as of the second. "Hit 2-3 and you take care of the ones with shotguns?" Gram questioned to which there was a second of silence.
He aimed his rifle at the first marine, there was honestly some confusion in his mind when it came to this. She had yet to tell him what to do about these soldiers when it comes down to it.
"No, the riflemen will nail both of us before they manage to be taken out," Cal stated to which she got a few seconds of silence. "Hit 3 then throw a smoke. This rifle has thermal, I'll take out 4 then we finish off the others at CQC range." Cal stated before she hummed.
Gram lifted his weapon at the soldiers before he shouldered it and checked to make sure that there was ample time to shift his aim towards the soldiers as he did so.
It made him interested in what she'd do if he didn't react in time. she was tough, she was also fast, but not as fast as him when it came to pure combat speed. He'd be outmatched if it came to sharpshooting at the second.
He was honestly curious as to what he'd do if he missed. They'd be able to turn and nail him with stun rounds before he made it halfway across the bush and the second one of them connected?
Well? He'd damn well be feeling it and Cal would be thrown out of cover. He was going to be ready when it came to her as of the second.
"Cal," Gram stated before he rested his rifle and opened fire.
One of the first soldiers collapsed to the ground, a dart lodged in the base of their throat as the built-in suppressor kept the noise down. He shifted his aim for a second and put a round into the next soldier, lodging it in the base of their chest.
This was followed almost perfectly by a barrage of shots as Cal slammed the trigger twice, putting another 2 into the chins of the first 2 soldiers. She fired 2 more and sent another 2 of the marines running while drawing a stun grenade from her belt.
She had been curious how Gram would react to this. There were still more marines and they were spreading out faster than she could mark them.
She dropped it while pulling her hair in front of her eyes and falling away from the tree. She was well aware of how odd it'd be for Gram to be fighting like this. He was well aware of what to do next.
Still? He was honestly curious as to what to do next. There were a lot more soldiers coming and they'd be hiking miles and miles into the forest by themselves. It wouldn't surprise her if they had to hike into the night to get back there.
The grenade came apart in pieces, spreading a crackling noise and sound across the area. The marines shrieked and roared in pain as the noise was thrown to the side.
Before he seemed to point as of the second. He was going to be ready to hike back home.
She smiled to herself and slammed into the marine who held an M60, wrenching their arm to the side and slamming them to the ground. She watched as one of the marines brought up their rifle only for Gram to slam into them, sending the two to the ground and rolling his eyes.
He glanced at Cal before he tilted his head as another marine brought up their gun and turned as Gram drew his sidearm. He felt pain lance up his arm and his limb fell limb.
He turned towards the last marine who held up their shotgun towards the duo. Gram grunted before Cal moved first, drawing a knife and tossing it into their knee which sent them to the ground. The weapon pierced their leg and sent them to the ground.
Cal knocked them out with a swift boot to the chin. It made her turn to Gram who had their arm hanging limply. The pellets hadn't damaged it, but she could tell it was limp for a bit until the Spartan could get it out of his system.
"Told you, shotgunners were better than the riflemen." Gram stated before he tilted his head. "You good?" Gram asked before he sighed and grunted at his arm.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be delayed. After this arc? I'm going to set up the Halo Legends mission and such. The next chapter will be 900-6500 words and will be showing more of the mission and show more of Gram and Cal's past. Until the 2-10 months, Lighting Wolf out!
P.S: Next chapter is longer.