Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Hunter and Soldier. Enjoy the 5400-word chapter. I do not own Halo, Microsoft, and 343 do.
(2551, August 8th, Kronstadt 2:33 PM)
Cal was silent, she knew very damn well that Gram was… Himself, that he carried himself as he would have and if nothing else? There was a small portion of her body that felt as wracked with guilt as there was pain… A pain that dripped down into her very soul sadly.
"Why is it almost every single time that I end up in the hospital because you do something?" Gram asked.
"For once… You were not the reckless one." Cal stated.
"Very funny," Gram stated as he sighed to himself. "How are your wounds? The doctors said you are lucky to be standing up." Gram stated.
He knew her. He knew her as one knew a friend, family… But she was more to him than that and any fool who could admit it would tell them that. It was clear beyond all shadow of a doubt that such problems… Such venom had disturbed him.
He had been too quietly waiting, too patient in his way to do much. Nothing he could do was going to make it sound like it. He sounded ready to scream and looked at her ready and rearing to do so.
She could tell that Gram was on edge, he was eager to snap, to bite at everything and anything. Everything was going on worse and worse at the end of the day. He held no such idea as to how it would go either damn way he tried to have ended?
He held no such idea as to how he could have done it for now. He wished only to have been thrown into the wringer.
He held no such idea as to what would come next. He held no idea as to what would come next, knowing even then. Such ideas were to come as a result. He held such a desire in his mind.
He held onto it the best he could and the best was himself not being too easily thrown off.
He watched as Cal stretched out her legs, it was part of this that made him remember Cal was one of the tallest Spartans in their groups, even among people like Jorge or even Kurt. He knew the woman was tall, she would always be tall and that was part of who she was…. Whomever she had to deal with it.
He snorted as she looked at him, obviously curious why he was annoyed.
"The mission was completed," Cal stated.
"Yes, after you almost died and everyone else almost died…. We are not expendable…. Unless you want your corpse to be the one doing these missions while I follow it?" Gram asked.
Gram knew very well how he sounded, cranky and very angry, very bitter. It was unbecoming of a Spartan…. But to them? They were far beyond normal and far beyond normal.
He knew very damn well what awaited. Failure here meant failure in another way, the failure to attempt to crack the shell before it went all the way to hell.
That would not do…. Really would not do it now and he could tell such measures were useless, especially in this fact of life. He could not argue against her, merely fight her off at the end of it all when push had gone to shove so easily in fact.
He was silent, so damn silent it hurt and that was his good days, his bad days were filled to the pit with things within which caused so much guilt and chaos which needed to be done.
This was something else on the line and something filling their minds with insane little things, insane little details which had far become something not even they could deal with, it was clear even if they wanted? There was not going to be a reality where they could just want to be dealt with for now.
Cal slapped her legs on the ground, sending out a giant wave of energy from them, well? A wave of sound, a wave of sound which encompassed the entire room as she looked to the side and looked to the side.
There were a few seconds of silence as the two Spartans looked at one another before they fell silent before they looked at one another and then looked forwards, glancing at the stars before he spoke.
"You know if I die? We are both going to end up dying, right? You forget if we end up in another fight." Gram stated.
The girl looked at him and sighed, knowing that it was right either way, they shook the dice. They would both die if she did, there was nothing stopping Gram from getting killed in the fight. Gram wanted to fight and he would fight if she would, the second he got killed in a blaze of glory? She would lose it.
If Gram was the one to survive? Cal knew he would go ballistic, tearing the entire thing to pieces, tearing through the covenant like they were tissue paper… All before they killed him.
Gram was a warrior; Cal knew he was but she also knew the two of them were a team. You could not ask them to separate without it causing problems, they would tear apart any barrier in their way which he could and would do without even the slightest hesitation and slightest attempt to break it into pieces.
Gram was a soldier to the end and Cal knew if either fell. They would shatter like glass into the end of it for now and until the end of the days they had in the galaxy.
It was all going to hell eventually and such would be done and dusted.
To be fair? Something about it all was to be done and something about it would be hard.
She knew damn well her friend was nothing if inspired to try and figure out what was going on and whatever it was? Cal knew damn well that whatever it was? They had something else to figure out, something which needed to be done in damn well.
She paused to look over at the side as she looked to the side, Cal sighed and then looked to the side as she seemed to think once more.
Cal was to try and figure out when it was all down to it. Cal hummed and clicked her fingers before she looked over to Gram once more.
"You know eventually you are going to get yourself killed, right?" Cal asked, drumming her fingers on her legs.
"And? You are the one going 'Oh, we have to go do it by the book.' What book? We are fighting people who do not have our tactics and such… We fight people who would rather go, 'time to charge them with swords." Cal stated before she looked to the side.
Cal seemed to be done with it when it came down to it. She was too tired as she paused, crossing her long and stalky legs under her. What she had been through was going to be bothering her for longer than she had wished.
She almost wished she was not in charge of the squad, that she had been labeled as another spartan rouge on her own.
It would have at least helped sell the idea that something had been too easily thrown to the side.
Gram cleared his throat before he looked at Cal. He was still unwilling to do much but it was clear something was to give… Something she would not usually allow.
Cal looked calm and serene, more than she usually did, she knew more and more that each little thing was becoming hard to figure out, knowing when it was all said and done.
Cal was tired and figured out what was to occur, whatever they faced. They would face another problem; she and he were united once more and united within their problems.
Cal was silent as both reflected on what had to occur, knowing another mission waited for now and both she and Gram were doing something.
"How long are these missions going to be? We both know these missions are never going to be enough." Gram stated before he sighed before he relaxed and realized that Cal was going to be the one dealing with him sooner or later.
Even if he did? He knew that Cal would need him in the future, that she was going to need him further than it should have been. It was odd but it was going to have been something that did not need to be dealt with now and for good reason at the end of the day.
All pointed to needing work, he had been eager to work but to do so? She needed trust.
Cal sighed as she drummed her fingers on her hulking legs. She thought of what she remembered, each scrape, each fight, each point another nail drove into the coffin on just how annoying it was to be on the outside looking in.
To be fair? Gram was still a spartan, he could fight and would do so well enough to force her on the backfoot.
She reached out as the Spartan glanced at her, crimson eyes brimming with as much energy as he could. Why? He knew Cal and knew she wanted a way to squirm out from under the worry and the panic.
He was emotional but he was still a Spartan, he acted.
"You are impossible, you know that?" Cal asked as Gram hummed.
"You wouldn't have been paired with me otherwise," Gram stated before he stood up. "Back to the dorm." Gram stated as he sighed, tired and ready to get to sleep either way.
He knew damn well he had a lot more on his mind, so much it hurt as he and she walked back towards the dorm where it came down the line. He was tired, exhausted, and incapable of really arguing past disliking what he heard.
That said? He had very little if anything resembling logic. She did not know what was going on and she did not wish to know it, they had work to do and he of all people had no desire to ponder politics, nor any real desire to care.
They walked in silence, a concept he hated so much because it often came with the ability not to do much if anything. He of all people hated the silence as all it damn well did was remind him, they were in a position none of them should have been in.
None of them could fight the Covenant off and it bothered them to a degree as he knew all they were doing was pushing the Covenant closer and closer towards them.
Even if they won? The covenant had still killed so many to Gram? This might as well have done something to have fixed it, done something for him to have understood.
Gram took a seat on a box, bringing his arms up to his chest as he realized just what was going on. Knowing that it was going to be done and dusted, that whatever it was to be done? He had no damn say in it, none, not now.
Gram sighed and then growled with annoyance as he finally let himself think as he paused to think of what was going on mentally. He had a lot of ideas, knowing that he could have let it come to something.
To be entirely fair? Gram was too tired now to care how he looked or even felt when push went to shove. It was all said and done at this very damn moment sadly and for good.
Gram was interested too much in what came next and Cal knew this. She and he before long rested in their cots, curling into balls.
They were Spartans, they were supposed to eat sleep, and breathe war… But they did not, they fought and they fought well.
Why? Because the other option was death, it would continue to remain death. That was all that would matter to them now, their mission.
Cal looked at Gram as he paused, he had fallen silent to the point of believing that he was catatonic now.
Only Cal could claim to notice Gram truly, only she knew he was like this.
She knew Gram was upset, that he was angry and such… But it was mixed with concern. If she died? Gram would simply spiral into the net of being ordered around.
Gram was driven by his care for her and for the people he wished to help. He always had that heart and she saw very much that his heart still beat the way it had before.
She did not hate it, however…. If he held no heart? He would be inhuman. Gram glared at her, pressing his hands to his scarred legs.
The two stared at one another across the room. He said nothing but had no reason to, they were at a mental stalemate.
Gram was silent, he looked to the side as he paused to try and be interested in what was growing more and more with each second at the end of the day.
She was too interested in what was growing on her mind… She had been eager to figure it out now and for good reason.
Cal was eager to say something but she had nothing to say, nothing to offer at the end of the day. Whatever it was to happen next? There was little to say now.
Cal curled her knees up to her chest, the giant Spartan was too oddly tired and worn down, too exhausted now and for good reason as it was all said and done…. Something about it all said a lot about what was needed.
Even Cal of all people knew Gram was too tired now at the end of the day…. Whatever it was? She was not ready for it.
Cal sighed as she looked at Gram, the Spartan resting his head on his legs. She did not even believe he of all people could be tired… Not simply because she had and would have done something to fix it.
She did not know him, not at all when it came down to it… To be fair? She did not believe in trying to fix it for fear of making it far worse than it already was.
If they had fallen into the problem? There were to be much more pressing concerns now than when it was not settled… Too much had gone on now. Too much had been decided for now and for good reason now and for good.
She did not at all know what was going on in the mind before he sighed as he clicked his fingers and then thought once more. Cal sighed as Gram hummed before he tilted his head, too unsure of what was growing on his mind.
Gram seemed to be done and dusted as she wished to be done and for a good reason. She and he seemed to be done and dusted, Gram was all too interested for now.
Cal seemed to be done and dusted as she looked to the ground, drumming her legs on her legs before she smirked to the side as she paused.
Gram was too interested in what was growing for now as he sighed to be done and dusted. Cal seemed to be interested in the future as she was too figured out. She and he did not even know the future.
"You know a lot of things when it goes down the road." Gram seemed to be done and dusted as she looked to the side.
Gram seemed to be amused as she looked at him before she thought once more, trying to be done and over as she paused to think.
Cal seemed to be eager to figure it out when it would be all said and done, too much was for now. She sighed to be over for now as she wished to cross her arms before looking into the ceiling as she wished to be done and over.
She would be done and figured out what was growing on her mind. She did not know what would come down the line and for good reason.
"You are a very insane soldier," Cal stated to which she paused to think once more.
"And you aren't insane enough," Gram stated before he hummed. "You are going to be fighting tooth and nail if you want me to drop that. You of all people know I do not give up easy, I do not EVER give up easy." Gram stated before he sighed.
Cal pulled at her black tank top, more tired than thrown off as she knew more and more that he of all people was just tired and he of all people was just… Worn down, Cal rarely cracked a smile, this? This was worth one when push came to shove, it would continue to remain a similar detail.
She sighed to think of it for now as she clicked her fingers when it was all said and done for it when it was all said and done. Cal pulled at her tank top before drumming her fingers on her legs before she pulled her boots off her legs.
She wished to be done and figured it out when it came down to such an idea. They had a LOT more to try and figure it out once more.
Now and for good reason did he need to fix something, now and for good did he of all people seem to be done and dusted as he crashed down.
Cal hummed and then paused, pulling herself into the bunk with her friend. She looked at Gram who was busy thinking for now as he came down to it for now.
Such an idea would be harder to think of when it came to doing more and more when it came to the sort of work now.
She and he both stared at each other, glancing at each other as she sighed, thinking of what was growing more and more exhausted.
What was growing on her mind had made her sigh as she realized that Gram was trying to help her, he knew that each little single detail in his mind. She seemed to be done and dusted when it came to the details.
Cal sighed, leaning against the wall behind her, she did not even know what was being done when it came crashing down to it.
She seemed to be disturbed, thinking of it when it was all said and done.
"You are hopeless," Cal said, smirking when it came down to it, she looked to the side. "You are hopeless," Cal added to which she seemed to think of what was growing on her mind.
Cal watched as Gram perked up, looking at her, and then thought of what was growing on her being done when it came down to it. She looked to the side, smirking to herself as her arms crossed her chest, locking her legs under her as Gram sighed and smirked.
"And you are going to die if I was not around to do all the combat… We are a team and you keep making it about the mission and how we got to be ready for anything… Without you? Half the squad might have been killed by a brute; you seem to think you are expendable when you are not." Gram stated.
Cal went to say something but sighed as she realized it was again about how adamant she was about the mission. She knew she should talk him down or such but he cared because as a soldier? He was taught just as much to look after her as the others.
He tried at least to come up with some idea as to this, why? Because she thought once more and she clicked her fingers and then thought once more.
She seemed to be done as she wished to be done and moved on. Yet? She had been caring for now on when it happened and she knew he of all people was only reminding her how the chain of command worked.
Granted? She was still the leader of the team and she tried to think of it when all this sort of it.
Cal sighed and then seemed to lean on the wall behind her before she thought of her next move. She seemed to be prepared for it now and for good reason, something about it had made her wish to laugh which she almost did.
She would have laughed harder if she could have guessed why he had done it… She had wished it to be different and she knew that he had tried… He would not be able to think of it now when it was all said and done.
She did not at all think of it the same way, she would not be able to relax… Now and for good reason did she look at Gram as a soldier and a friend.
Part of her thought he was mad to be so willing to throw herself into the madness of it all. They had a LOT of different ideas when all of it was said and done.
She hummed and then thought of what to tell Gram. They had a LOT more to try and figure it out more…. Their goals would have been harder and harder to deal with as she thought.
(Years Prior, Reach)
Cal perched atop a tree and looked to the side, more and more did she wish it to be different… More and more did she want something to shatter and die out now… Something about it all seemed to be making him ponder it all now.
He had a lot more to try and figure it out now when it was all said and done. Cal sighed to herself and looked and then pondered it all.
Cal seemed to be thinking it all was growing on her moment… She sighed.
She investigated the trees and noticed Gram… Noticed each of them all acting differently, she looked and spotted Arthur, the outline of his MA37, and then Solomon, the other both pausing to think.
All three looked at her, crouching in the trees like giant monkeys. Why? Because all were awaiting her order, their desire to be in the key midst of combat.
None of them were eager to get into a fight, none of them WANTED a fight they could not win. A simple ride downwards into the midst of combat, something every soldier in it all came crashing downwards.
He had been able to think, all of them wanted nothing more than to be tossed into the deep end.
She was eager now. She wanted to think of it, she wanted to fight as she paused and then paused once more… She sighed and then thought of her options as she wished to crack it, questioning what was growing on her mind.
Cal would fight and she would act. She wanted a fight and she had gotten exactly what she wanted now; it was almost like Christmas to her.
Gram sighed at the idea of waiting, reminding her the others were prone to fighting first. They wanted to win, to get it into their heads this battle was going to be easier.
Granted, all of them wanted payback for what the Marines had done but fighting now would have gone against her plan.
The ambush seemed far more fun than anything they envisioned for it now… Such was life, such was part of being a soldier at the time being, she did not at all know what awaited them sooner or later.
She was eager to, knowing they would need to be ready for anything at the time being, something which had been too hard to fathom.
Gram being Gram was just silent for a reason, he knew they would be fighting sooner or later.
They were children… But they were also soldiers, they were skilled at war when it came down to it all, something about it all became harder and harder to think of it all before he paused to try and think of it all.
Cal seemed to be thinking of it all like one as she looked down at them, the scars on her calloused hands reminded her of the fact they were something to deal with all over the place.
Gram hummed, tired of himself, unable to do a lot…. He held a lot of ideas as to how this could go.
"How long are we supposed to be staying here?" Gram asked, his captured shotgun strung across his back.
He knew the answer if it would need to be for them to be done with it all… He wanted to fight them for what they had done but he bit his tongue, all too well knowing how well it would go at the end of the day to be proven wrong.
Gram hummed as Cal nodded at him, he was quiet… He was all too interested in it all before relaxing, a labored breath as he paused.
He was silent, something which was not always often the same thing that Cal expected it to be.
(Present day)
Cal hummed and rubbed at her scarred arms while Gram continued to clean his knife, all too curious as he thought of it all.
She did not at all know what the best option was and she did not much care. She had a lot more to deal with now, something about it had driven Gram into being oddly combative… It was clear this had been something he had not yet dealt with preciously.
He had been too unwilling to deal with it all now. She had no desire to deal with it the way she had to… Nothing about it all became easier to deal with for now. Cal knew that Gram was trying his best.
He had to relax for now as he thought of his next idea before she looked to the side, Cal hummed to herself as Gram hummed to himself before he thought of it all.
Granted? To him? He was quiet… But for a good reason, something he could not have tried now without words he knew well.
He was silent, very silent now at the end of all such things, all of it was something that he had been able to think of it all before he looked to the side. Gram hummed to himself before he looked downwards at the ground.
He had been able to think of it all, something about it all had been growing for now as she paused to think for now as she thought of it before now.
Gram watched as Cal paused and then thought of it and then tapped on her feet, scars from previous battles had been too interesting at the time and glowed angrily… Something about it all?
Cal sighed and moved closer towards him as she thought of it before she looked and then poked him in the side, something about it all.
Cal hummed, thinking of each little choice to be done now at the time. Cal hummed before she looked over to the side, tired, exhausted.
Gram said nothing, simply flipping the knife he held in his hands.
"There are plenty of times I question how you can deal with it all without me," Gram stated before he hummed.
Something about it all? All of it was amusing, he had no idea why but it was amusing towards the end of the day, it was something Cal did not expect to deal with.
Cal had been too interested in another move. She looked over at Gram who sat with his back against the wall, too interested in it all before now, an idea which had not ended.
It was odd to her that Cal was like this, odd very much that much had stayed this path… Be prepared fully for it all, something about the pain and suffering now was part of them.
Neither could they fully escape it all, something about it all had been harder and harder to think of it.
"You are the one I must save for the most time… I have had to deal with…. Something about it all had been interesting at the time… We have more warriors to fight, they have another assignment." Cal stated before she looked to the side.
Cal sighed to herself, looking around at it all, too thrown off by the mission they had to deal with. None of it was easy to deal with but it had to be done, it had to be more than they were used to it.
Something about it all had been too much fun at the time being, something about it all had been surprising to her, to them all.
She could guess Gram was trying to help, he wanted to help so badly it hurt. The problem? She knew Gram was also one not to let things go, it was a fatal flaw of his.
All of that had been enough to send him crashing into the ground like a giant ball of death and chaos. Something on the end of the pain was a hard thing to stomach, especially when it was being dealt with now and forever.
Gram always had to make things weirder, didn't he? Did he not have much better to do now? That was an odd question but one she asked for a good reason now.
Something about it had been all too interesting as of now… Something at the end of the day had to be done… She knew him more than anything now was quiet and she would be able to deal with him.
Something about it all had been harder to deal with… Harder and harder for her more than any others. Granted? She was a soldier and she looked to the side.
Cal hummed and then looked at Gram as the Spartan sighed and then thought of each little thing. They had a LOT more to deal with now than before it all had been done and dusted.
Cal hummed to think of it all before she looked downwards at the ground, something that was growing on her mind… Something that she had to deal with now until it crashed downwards at the time being… All about that was amusing.
Cal started to think of her next move before she looked to the side.
Cal sighed as she looked downwards and she paused thinking of it all before she looked downwards at the time being. She tapped on her legs, interested in it all before now as she looked downwards.
Gram hummed before Gram elbowed her at the time, she smirked but she was all too interested in it all.
Cal smirked at the time as she looked downwards once more. She was eager to think of it all as a game and then thought of it all it as such.
She and he were curious about it all… Curious about EACH option at the time being. Something about it all had been harder and harder to think of.
"You know more and more? There are times when I think you are not the best soldier when it comes down to it." Gram heard as he shrugged.
"I just need to be good enough to help you at the moment." Gram hummed as he sighed to himself.
Something about it all had been harder and harder to think of now. Gram hummed to himself before Cal hummed and smirked to herself.
She hummed and then thought of it all before she relaxed now… Something about it all had to be done and she would have to try and relax for now.
Cal was eager to think, eager to deal with it as a soldier would… But she could not… She would not and she would understand why soon, they had PLENTY left.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words along with showing more of both Cal and Gram hanging out, until then? Lighting Wolf out!