Chapter Four: First mission.
"Harry, what you got?" Peter asked after a few hours of sleep. He had woken up from a devastating nightmare about losing his new friends. In the nightmare, he saw a desert, and his friends came up out of the sand, blackish brown tentacles covering their bodies. He was grateful for being awake now, even though it left him with a foreboding feeling...
"Since Gwen decided to get some shut-eye I've taken the liberty to continue looking over the manifest. I've noticed something odd, there is a single crate full of steaks, cigars and chocolates. Luxury items." Harry replied, breaking Peter out of his head.
"That crate is heading straight for watts." Peter deduced.
"That's what I was thinking." Harry smirked.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~
It was going well, they felt good. The training had paid off, Harry unfortunately got cocky.
Peter's senses went off and he rushed across the deck, shoving Harry to the floor as a barrage of bullets came across the room.
Peter was hit in the chest and stomach, and he fell to the floor. 'really should have brought my web shooters' he thought in pain.
"That was stupid Pete, a king doesn't sacrifice itself for a pawn!" Jessica rebuked, angry at her friend but also scared for his health. She had been the one to kill the insurrectionist soldier who had shot him.
"All the pieces go b-back in the same box when the game is over." Their leader reminded them. This was a lesson. Nobody was more important than the other. In Peter's eyes, They were equals. They would look after each other as a team, as a family.
"The Biofoam will keep your guts where they are until we get back home" Gwen told him, leaning down to spray the stuff onto his wounds.
"All the pieces go b-back in the same box when the game is over." Their leader reminded them. This was a lesson. Nobody was more important than the other. In Peter's eyes, They were equals. They would look after each other as a team, as a family.
"Nope, I'm lucky, some idiot caught my bullets for me." Harry replied sarcastically.
Peter smiled behind his visor, holding out a hand so he could be let up. "Please don't make me laugh right now." He joked.
-- - -
Two grenades fell down the shaft and into the next room, causing two insurrectionist soldiers to look down at the cylinders.
Seconds later, a blue flash covered the area, sending cyan fire all over the room.
The four Spartans jumped down from their hiding place and opened fire on the remaining enemies, leaving them alone with Watts.
"You won't take me alive!" The insurrectionist leader yelled, putting a gun to his jaw.
With quick reflexes and timing, Peter shot the pistol out of the man's hand. "Empty the crate. Harry, load the cargo." He ordered after doing so.
"Cargo? Unhand me, boy. I don't know who or what you are, But I know two things, son. One, none of you are gettin' out alive. And two, I am absolutely not Getting in that damned box." The insurrectionist growled.
Gwen punched him in the face, knocking him out and sending him straight into the cargo crate, which she then locked and secured.
"Nicely done. Now for the hard part."
We believed we had dealt The Insurrection a mortal blow. Maybe we did. But everything was about to change. Why? Well, because today was the first time we met them.
-- -
"Who's that?" Jessica muttered, wondering who the high ranking official was.
"Uniform says Keyes." Peter replied, arms crossed. He was patient, they would be told everything they needed to know the moment they needed to know it.
In the meantime, his teammates created their own theories on what was going on. "Maybe he's here to interrogate Watts?" Gwen suggested.
Harry shrugged. "Could be, whatever he's here for, It's important."
"Amphitheatre, Spartans. On the double!" Chief Mendez ordered as he walked past them.
"Doesn't matter now. But I've got a bad feeling about this..." Peter whispered as he followed after their superior.
((Few minutes later, in the amphitheatre))
"What do you think it is, Insurrection revenge strike?" Gwen asked Peter.
"It's something else. Something big." The young man replied, eyes narrowed. He could feel it in the air, something had changed. Doctor Halsey looked tense and worried. Which they had never seen before.
"At ease, Spartans." An older, mature man in a white and gold uniform commanded.
"I am Vice Admiral Stanforth. This is or rather was Harvest. Population of 3 million. A peaceful and productive farming world."
A beautiful planet was projected, showing rich farm land, a bustling colony and a large open sea. Amazing and full of life.
"On February 3rd, at 1423 hours, The Harvest orbital platform made Long range radar contact with this object." Stanforth continued.
A crackling blurry shadow of some kind replaced the image of harvest, it showed a very organic like shape with perfect curves. Whatever it was, it was huge and alien.
"After that, All contact with Harvest was lost. Command assembled a battle group. What they found...was this."
The planet from before had been completely decimated. Where oceans once thrived with life, was now covered in molten flowing lava. Where farmlands and colonies once stood was Ash and dust.
"Three million lives, not one survivor. Power like humanity has never seen. Then they encountered this. A starship of unknown design, It destroyed the Vostok and the Arabia In under a minute, Using highly advanced weapons And energy impenetrable shielding. The Heracles escaped into slipspace with substantial damage and brought this Intel back:" Stanford paused, sighing for a moment before uttering words that would stick with everyone in that room for a very long time.
"They will not negotiate, they will not communicate. They cannot be reasoned
or bartered with. As of right now, you are activated. We've already seen that we cannot do it With the blunt instrument of a fleet. We need the surgical precision Of a scalpel. The SPARTAN program is that scalpel. You are that scalpel."
At that point, Doctor halsey took a step forward.
"We received a message before the attack In UEG base English. Play the message, Beowulf."
A tall, inhuman figure could be seen in the shadows. Sitting on some type of throne. "Humans, your destruction Is the will of the gods. And we are their instrument."
~ - ~ - ~ - ~
Doctor Halsey winced as she watched the teenagers spar in the cargo hold of the pelican.
They had grown quickly, overcoming every expectation she had with flying colours. They were the next generation of Humanity. It's true destiny.
But their bodies and minds alone would not be enough to shape the future, they would need tools. That was why they were currently on their way to a secret research facility on Chi Ceti IV.
For on that planet, the second half of Project Spartan Two was being undertaken. The Mjolnir exosuits.
They would further enhance the performance and strength of the wearer, while adding layers of protection and advanced hardware.
They had just been in a small skirmish against the same alien ship that had attacked Harvest. The UNSC vessel that had delivered them there had allowed itself to be the distraction so the Spartans could make it planet side.
They had to succeed. It was their only option.
-- -
"This, is Project Mjolnir."
A tall group of green armour rose out of the ground. They were not overly bulky, and instead seemed to be tailored directly towards the individual Spartans physiology. Meaning each one was designed for a specific Spartan.
"The armour's shell is a multilayer alloy Of remarkable strength. An on-board computer Connects with your neural interface To continually track Tactical information. And the inner structure is composed Of a new reactive metal liquid crystal That is amorphous, yet factually scales And amplifies force."
"Ma'am, so you're saying This exoskeleton enhances Both the wearer's strength and speed?" Gwen stated, trying to simplify it for those of her siblings who weren't geniuses or understood the scientific language.
"Yes, Gwen, by a multiple of 5." Halsey confirmed with a nod before continuing:
"Now, I'll need a-"
"I'll do it. I'll be first." Peter interrupted, knowing what she was going to ask.
"I thought you might." Halsey smiled.
Of course, Peter volunteered.
He was always the first to explore the unknown for the rest of the Spartans. It showed how much he cared and that he was willing to put himself first before everyone else.
"Peter, ready for your first step?
"Yes, ma'am."
They couldn't watch, But they also couldn't turn away. If felt like the entire fate of humanity Lay in one step.
"Hmm, still lighter than I expected." Peter noted as he began to walk around the room.
"Well, How does it feel?" Halsey asked.
"Like I was made to wear it, ma'am." Peter replied politely, flexing his hands.
Peter was right. He was made to wear it. They all were.
(End of chapter four)Hi, yes, it's been a while. I've not been well latel, but I still try my best to continue writing stories that I enjoy creating and you enjoy reading. I am trying, I promise.
Please hang on with me. Thank you for your patience.