Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Iron Cross. Enjoy the 2200-word chapter. I do not own Warhammer or Halo, Gameshop and 343 do.
(Spirit of Fire, January 15th, 2532.)
Halius did not ask more teams be sent into the pit where Chief and his group are. He trusted the Spartans to escape death to return to them.
"You expected Atriox to show up," Linda stated to which Halius hummed.
"I expected him to believe we would be pawns… He still does. I know his pride leads him to believe he is superior to us and that is his mistake… His arrogance breeds the simple problem of being too eager to win." Halius added.
The Ultramarine reclined upon a stack of crates. They almost burst at his weight but held for the most part to his relief.
Still? Halius looked at her. He knew very well that his friend was attempting to learn something. A smart soldier was also a smart scholar, they were never content with not knowing a piece of information.
Linda hummed, thinking of it all for now. She sat down with him as both thoughts of them were too interesting at the time for now.
Linda seemed to be dealing for now as she sat by him… It was something that needed to be dealt with.
"Why do you believe Chief is so vital to the war?" Linda asked to which Halius hummed.
"Master Chief is like an Ultramarine… He does not pretend to be good…. He is good, he is honorable to a fault, and does not at all fight for anything less than because he is a soldier and he was asked to… I believe he will be vital because he is a soldier and he is a damned good one." Halius stated.
He hummed, too unsure of the correct word to use.
He knew more and more with each word. Halius was many things but he was not anything less than a soldier, a weapon to be used against an enemy.
There was a lot more to deal with it for now… Something about it all at the time being… What were he and the others at the time being? They were in different straights.
They were both soldiers and they were both warriors…. Both would not be able to think much less act.
Then again? They were soldiers… This? This was part of being a soldier.
It was clear to them that such a way like this would only result in trying to think for now… They had to fight and fight well, there was nothing else there.
Though… Halius could at least guess where this went… Unsure more than before.
It was a lot more chaotic now… Something like this would only shake the very foundation of what they fought for.
They had more and more the time being to deal with…. Something about it all had made this too easy to relax against. They were forced to fight, to strike at them again.
To be fair? Both times they fought? They were forced to relax… It was something else to deal with for now.
They had a lot more to focus their efforts on… He? He had no idea what was going on.
Both were quiet… Both times he had to relax. He had more to deal with for now.
Halius and Linda shared looks without their helmets to aid them. Their features were softer than one expected of a brutal killing machine designed by science to be able to rip through enemy infantry.
Then again? They had a kinship. Linda could tell Halius respected Master Chief, the look he gave the Spartans was not one of arrogance or disdain but a clear sign of respect.
He saw them as equals, soldiers who had fought tooth and nail and were uplifted in a similar vein to do so. It was clear if they were Ultramarines? Halius would have still seen them as equals either way.
Halius hummed, curious now while he returned his gaze to Willbreaker, the sword needing care now that it was in battle.
He was curious as to what adventures awaited them.
"You are one of the more skilled Spartans, no? I hear Jerome and Master Chief speak of your skill as if it was art… It is rare to find such a compliment but I see where it finds truth." Halius added with an obvious tone of interest.
"I'm just a soldier," Linda said as Halius chuckled.
"And it is that why I respect you more than most… You and Master Chief remind me of myself. You are dedicated to your craft; you do not care for the glory found within battle… I am nothing more than another soldier in the Ultramarines." Halius added before he sighed.
Both were curious… Both were focused upon a certain duty… Soldiers were clearly like them but they were in short supply.
Halius hummed and then tired himself with it all now and for a good reason… Both sat in silence for a few moments before they relaxed their guard around one another.
They were warriors but they were not. They were weapons but they were eager to be something more.
Linda looked at Halius and smiled despite herself. She took her rifle off her back and looked it over.
"What makes you think Atriox was not killed in combat?" Linda asked as Halius hummed and then looked downwards at the ground, clearly interested.
He almost did not answer but stayed silent for a few moments of silence and then slowly lifted his gaze from the ground… An idea like this was something he did not at all wish to deal with for now and for all.
Halius of all people was far more bemused than one had any real right to believe. Granted? Halius also seemed to think of it all as a game more than a war at the time.
Halius paused with each taken breath forward.
He had a lot more to try and deal with as he seemed to think of it all at the time… They had something else to deal with for now.
It was a lot harder to deal with. There was more to this… He had to deal with it all for now… They had a lot more to deal with for now.
Something about it all had to end to try and figure it out as he sighed to be dealt with it for now… They had a lot more to understand.
Halius seemed to be dealt with for now.
(With both Chief and his team)
Chief seemed to take the Prelate seriously… They had a lot more to deal with for now… He knew more and more and more that the soldier was curious to be dealing with now.
They had a lot more to deal with. Chief was a soldier; he had fought for them both now.
"Chief? We need to escape…. We need to get out of here…. The others already finished their mission." Chief heard as he sighed.
There was a lot of silence from the spartan. He knew his path… And he knew that such a fight with the enemy was harder and harder to deal with.
They had a lot more to understand it before the Prelate danced towards him as he sighed to himself.
He fought the Prelate with slashes and stabs at the time being. Both knew what was going on as he sighed to himself.
Then they had to try and figure out a plan… And Chief wished to fight as he had to.
(With Halius and Linda)
Halius seemed to be dealt with for now. A chaos which had to be over it.
Such actions? Such actions had no grasp on the future. They had a lot more to understand as he looked over to Linda.
Both were warriors, both were gifted at an idea like this…. They had a lot more to try and think of it.
They had a lot more to try and understand. Halius seemed to smirk, looking over at Linda before they relaxed for the time being.
He had a lot more on his mind…. This was a lot more painful than most ideas… They had a lot more to understand.
This was a lot harder to relax…. Something about that all had been too tiresome. He had a lot of ideas about how this could end and HOW they had to play this… Something within him told him very well that it would end.
There were a lot of things left for them to deal with. Neither could escape the pain they felt in their brains.
What both had left to discuss was oddly… Private. It sounded less like a question and more like a private statement at the time… Something that was indeed part of them now and for good reason.
They would find mercy in it.
(With Master Chief)
Chief continued to fire at the Prelate as he rolled away…. His armor burned and he felt too much exhaustion and pain to just move.
Chief slowly began to back away, emptying the rest of his rifle into the Prelate, their armor blocking the majority until one round caused him to clasp his leg.
It was in this brief second that Cortana acted, with a snap of her fingers. She slammed shut a pair of security doors between them. Could the Prelate get through this door? Yes, but she knew it would take precious minutes to do so.
"Escape pod, down the hall… We need to go, we have less than 2 minutes until the station detonates." Cortana added, muttering the last part. "I cannot stall the detonation signal for much longer. If I do? Security might cut off my access to their systems." Cortana added.
Chief hummed and then tossed away his empty rifle. He drew an M45 Shotgun from his back, knowing they had to go…. And so, he nodded, turned, and then sprinted down the hall.
(With Linda and Halius)
"You are very easily impressed by the idea of a group of supersoldiers," Linda stated to which Halius hummed.
Halius hummed, setting his blade against the ground. He turned and glanced at her with amusement.
"Where I am from? The attempts to make such soldiers are costly, painful… Many very well die before we can ensure we make it." Halius stated before he looked upwards. "Igaros believes me focusing on the soldier aspect of such things… He believes you and I are similar in we only care about our jobs over any other aspect of life." Halius stated as he sighed.
Linda hummed, looking at the taller Supersoldier. It was clear he was not lying nor was he attempting anything with this information.
"And why tell me? You think he is right?" Linda asked to which the Ultramarine shrugged.
"I think he cares and that he believes I am interested in Spartans. I am interested in Spartans, the idea of a soldier that is equal to us and similar fascinates me… If you were in my home dimension? They would have murdered you just for existing, nobody is allowed to be like the Astartes." Halius added, scraping at his sword.
It was not a boast, not a taunt, or any attempt to get sympathy out of them. He looked angry at the idea than upset at her and it was clear he attempted something akin to kinship.
"Your world sounds a lot like ours," Linda stated to which Halius hummed.
"If it is? I wish that changes… If not? Then we will be in far more trouble." Halius said before his frown broke into an inkling of a smile.
"I enjoy your company, Spartan Linda… You have a unique perspective of what makes a soldier. Master Chief as well… If we continue to fight side by side? I would very much enjoy the idea of aiding Spartans in battle." Halius stated in a tone of pure and utter mirth hidden under it all.
Granted? Both knew this would need to end eventually… But it was still worth something when it came down to it… They had little to no logic at the end of it all… Something about it all seemed to try and figure it all out.
Now? Now he had to try and deal with that.
(With Master Chief)
The station detonated… Violently. It was something that he was used to since they all exploded into a fine powder.
They knew damn well the war was not over. Even as Chief's pod joined another? Both sides were still able to fight… Losing a few thousand soldiers did not seem to put any real dent in the Covenant's army.
He did not at all know what was going on at the time being easily able to be dealt with…. This much pain was harder to shrug off than possible.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! A few things.
I am aware of how overpowered the Ultramarines can be. That is why I am AVOIDING them using much of their abilities.
I do not plan for the war to be that long. The next chapter will show a turning point.
I still plan to kill off some characters here and there.
The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show the Spartans and Halius's team planning and more bonding. Until the 900-6500 word chapter, Lighting Wolf out!