Author's Note
Sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out, sort of burned myself out writing the last couple so fast. Nevertheless, here I am with the newest post.
Well well well, this is perfect timing. For anyone who hasn't paid very close attention, the website has been down and malfunctioning for the creators side for over three weeks now, and only this morning came back online. Now that it's back, I can post the next chapter.
Uploaded
03/14/2023
LEGEND BELOW
"Chief, that's not a good idea..." = Normal speech.
''You're you, don't let it control you...'' = Normal thoughts.
Chapter 13
Nearing the end
Rated-M
M rating for blood, eventual mentioning of gore and other body parts, and language.
Samus was quick to move away from him and his Spartans, but just as she was about to get out of sight, she felt a painful sensation shoot through her midsection. She nearly collapsed, leaning against the wall nearest her to support herself.
Immediate a hand came up to rest against her swelling stomach in an attempt to sooth the agitated infants inside her womb. The Metroids were not happy with her using the energy she'd only recently gained to revive those Spartans, and she could feel them swirling around inside her angrily.
She bit her lips to prevent herself from making any sounds, painful and searing cramps attacking her. All those speedy movements and sharp twists and turns she'd made back to back were coming back to bite her in the ass now, her pregnant body resisting her use of more then acrobatic tactics.
But more than that, the sudden sensation of needing to puke had slammed into her with the subtlety of a freight train.
In a small isolated hallway placed between the loading bay and somewhere deeper inside the ship, she fell to a knee, loosing her sense of balance.
Her heart rate spiked, the sound of her own blood pumping in her ears deafening.
"No… not now…" She muttered lowly, hand shaking as she held it to her midsection.
She'd been greedy with her use of her powers and had been absorbing all attacks that had been sent her way. With such a large influx of energy so suddenly, it had given the Metroids much to feed off of, and their bodies had used that energy pool to grow considerably.
She fell to her knees, using her arm cannon to hold herself up, her entire body shaking violently. Her eyes widened in shock as the little creatures inside of her rapidly grew larger, expanding her body further.
They'd been absorbing the energy she'd taken in during her battle, and now that there was a moment of silence, their bodies had utilized that energy to grow significantly.
With a thought, she activated her X-ray visor, and watched as they grew in realtime. They'd been the size of large oranges prior, but as she stared at her insides, she watched them expand until they were nearly the size of her head.
She waited with bated breath, watching them silently, eyes shaking within her head. She was afraid they were going to grow even larger, but thankfully, they stopped.
She felt like it was hard to breathe, their larger bodies pushing on her insides due to her suit struggling to expand with her. Her lungs felt like they weren't getting enough oxygen, yet despite this, she forced herself to her feet. Her only saving grace was the fact that she no longer had many of her human organs, her full transformation removing much of what a human requires to survive. That left her with, as she realized now, a lot of space for her young to grow.
She needed to keep moving, make her way towards the bridge. Once she saved the captain, then she could get off this stupid artificial planet.
She had to. There wasn't much time left. She could only hold them within her so much longer, before…
She shook her head.
''Focus, Samus.'' She told herself, setting her eyes on the door beyond her. She could worry about their birth once she was done. It wasn't time yet, not now.
She stood to her feet, struggling for a long moment. Yet she powered through the pain and discomfort, keeping her gaze focused on the mission.
The Master Chief was depending on her to save the ship and the Captain. She wasn't going to let him down…
"The door won't hold much longer! Where the hell is our backup?!"
The exclamation was accentuated by the sounds of explosions echoing out just beyond a ruined bulkhead, the bridge of the UNSC Infinity currently engulfed in chaos.
"Marines! Secure that position! As soon as they breach, light them up!" A gray Spartan shouted, having taken a kneeling position behind a gray and blue ship terminal. Across his chest plate read Castle five, the fifth member of Spartan Castle squad.
"Captain, we can't hold this position forever. As soon as that door falls, we'll be surrounded within a few minutes at most." Another gray Spartan spoke, gaining the attention of the Captain who'd taken up arms beside him. Across this Spartan's chest plate was the words Castel Six. "When's our backup arriving?" The super soldier asked.
"For our sake, it better damn well be now!" Del Rio snarled. "Commander Lasky, where the hell's our backup?!" He snapped into his coms.
"The Master Chief hasn't reached the Infinity yet, all other birds are now arriving at loading bays five through nine, expecting heavy resistance!" Lasky's voice rang out through local coms.
"Two minutes is too long, we need troops on us now, Commander!" Del Rio retorted.
Another explosion rang out across the bridge, the bulkhead defending the crew from intruders bent further, closer and closer to failing entirely. Outside they could hear the shouts from the Elite attack force that had somehow managed to get this far, the creatures taunting and shouting alien expletives.
If things weren't already bad, their backup in the form of the rest of Castle team had yet to arrive to render their aid. And, worse yet…
"Commander, we have Spartan's down at our site. I repeat, three members of Spartan Fireteam Castle are down." It was the words of Castle one, team leader of the Spartan fireteam who radioed. His words echoed out like a gunshot, and suddenly their chances at escape had begun to seem slim.
"Damnit, they were the only Spartan's closest to our position." The captain cursed, hands clenching tightly around the handle of his gun. Beside him he could see the other two members of Castle team react in their own subdued manners, hearing of the demise of the other half of their teams.
Their situation, which was already bad enough to begin with, had only gotten worse as time went on.
However, despite that, it seemed like help was finally on its way.
"Captain, I've sent help your way. She should be arriving outside the bridge any minute." It was the words of the the Master Chief that finally brought some light into the dim situation the bridge crew had found themselves in.
"You sent one soldier to back us up, Master Chief?!" Del Rio retorted sharply.
"It's enough, Captain. And she's no soldier. I'd brace yourself, a whirlwind is coming your way, and she's not UNSC." The man in green explained, tone holding a small bit of mirth. "I'll be arriving outside the Infinity within a few minutes, I'll help fight off the covenant presence inside the ship, give your Spartans a break."
Accentuating the legendary Spartan's words, an explosion of noise echoed out from just outside the bridge. Suddenly all eyes were on the doorway, all personnel waiting with bated breath as the fighting outside had suddenly gone quiet without any warning.
There was a few seconds of total silence, enough that a pin could be heard if it fell. Then suddenly the bulkhead was unlocked without any warning, flying open despite its damaged state.
"All clear… sir." In a hallway painted with the blood of the Covenant was an armored figure in green, looking more alien than the foes that oppressed them. She also just so happened to have been covered in the blood of said Covenant, proving her hand in ending the threat. "Are you okay sir, is anyone.. hurt?" The distinctly female alien asked, her red visor depolarizing so as to allow those inside the bridge the ability to see her face. The captain and those inside the bridge couldn't help but notice the distinct hitch in her voice when speaking.
Despite the appearance of a strange and unknown helper, the captain found himself stepping forward to address this unknown warrior. "No, we are fine thanks to you." Del Rio said slowly, sizing up the green Bounty Hunter. "Identify yourself. Are you this, help, the Master Chief spoke of?" He asked incredulously. Beside him he was flanked by the two members of Castle team, who obviously seemed wary of this stranger.
"Indeed. My.. name is Samus Aran. I've been helping the Master Chief since our.. arrival on this planet." Samus explained, holding her claws to her breastplate. "He sent me here to rescue you while he dealt with the.. outside threats." She explained, trying desperately to keep the shortness of her breath out of her words. But she was sure someone had noticed her difficulty breathing she was having.
Before any more questions could be asked, footsteps could be heard approaching from behind the green armored woman. An Elite hit squad came flying around the corner, energy swords glowing in the gray halls of the ship.
"Stand back, I'll take care of this." Samus exclaimed, turning her back to the bridge. Her claws clenched into a fist, leveling a glare at the gathering of Elite's standing before her.
The one standing at the front, clearly designated as the leader with his fancy looking golden armor. The golden Elite took one glance to the bodies of his brethren laying across the ground, before snarling.
"You demon, I shall avenge my brothers in bloody combat! Fight me, champion!" The golden Elite roared, bending down low, leveling his sword at the Bounty Hunter.
Samus stared at him, then to his blade.
Then, to the apparent surprise of those watching, scoffed loudly.
"I'd advise against such a stupid decision, unless.. you too wish to meet your end by my hand." She stated, red eyes narrowed at the alien standing before her. She placed her hand on her hip, leaning more of her weight into her left leg. Where one to look closely, they'd see her taking in short yet quick breaths, seemingly incapable of anything more.
The elite bristled at her blatant disrespect of his challenge, and bent down low to rush her, keenly intent on cutting her down. He felt his rage boil over at her nonchalant attitude, her open and clear disregard of the lives of his brothers she'd slain, and her clear refusal to even look at him like he was a worthy opponent.
It stabbed at his pride as an elite, wounded his status as a general of Jul M'dama's army, and offended him on a personal level so deeply it made his blood boil.
Perhaps he was ignorant of her own stature, unaware of the warnings that had been passed around the army in hushed whispers. The mutterings of a real monster that would leave any survivors with nightmares for the rest of their lives. Perhaps, if he knew these things, he and the rest of his war brothers would not be so eager to rush into battle, seeing as only death awaited them.
"Samus, we will back you up." Castle five announced, stepping up behind the Bounty Hunter.
Only, the grey armored woman halted her step as the Bounty Hunter put a hand up, silently informing her that her assistance was not needed.
"There is no need, you stand back, support your.. captain." Samus drawled, even daring to take her eyes away from the wildly snarling Elite General that stood before her.
The alien snapped, thrown over the edge by her disregard of his power and rushed her at impressive speeds. He leaned into his run, arm arched back to unleash a mighty swing that would render the foolish woman in two.
Without even looking, she she fired a missile blast, slamming into the ground below him. The explosion was so powerful that it knocked him off of his feet, sending him back to where he came.
The elite was quick to return to his feet, eyeing the green armored woman in surprise. Without so much as a glance in his direction, she easily stopped him with a vastly superior ballistic missile that outmatched anything the UNSC had used prior. It left a hole in the floor, in the titanium beams beneath it as well.
And now, after attacking her when her guard was seemingly down, she turned to face him out of the corner of her eye.
He was suddenly hit with the sensation of weakness, as if she was god who couldn't be bothered to even give him her full attention. It angered and shook his entire being with similar effect.
He snarled in anger. He refused to be made a fool of!
He was strong, he was powerful! He was superior, far more then these humans and their Spartans! He would not lose to a one on one battle with this no name creature!
He refused.
He roared, rushing forward to cut her arms off. She turned her body to face him finally, and swung her cannon with perfect timing, parrying his blade. Yet he didn't relent, and went in for a third and fourth strike. Over and over he swung, vying to cut her into pieces.
Yet she blocked and or parried every strike with terrifying ease. Then finally he found a weakness in her stance, her stomach. Every time she went to parry his blade, she would seize slightly if it meant stretching the muscles that would cross her midsection. So, he would attack and force her to do a move that would force her to bend lest she get cut.
He rushed her again, yet with a double feint that momentarily caught her off guard, she slipped up and bent down to better parry his attack.
Her eyes widened however, when a stabbing pain shot up her stomach as she bent over to retaliate, the force it put on her strained and taxed midsection stunning her for the briefest of moments.
It was just enough for the General's attack to push by her defenses, and try and behead her.
His blade stopped, slamming into her neckline, only to be stopped entirely by her energy shielding. He pushed and pushed, hoping to break through her shielding, but it would not budge.
The elite jumped back, putting distance between him and his opponent. He looked down at his blade, wondering if he'd been issued a defective weapon. He glanced to his side, eyeing the Elite Zealot beside him in wordless confusion.
They all stared back at him, equally stunned.
Slowly, his eyes turned back to the demon…
No…
The Devil in green, the reality of his situation dawning on him with the subtlety of a point blank glassing.
He wouldn't be avenging his fallen brethren today…
And…
More than that, he likely wouldn't be leaving this ship alive either. His eyes shook in their sockets, quivering as a level of pure unadulterated fear filled his heart.
This wasn't the bloody green demon that had been spoken of with legendary status, the one that had brought the previous Covenant to its knees, killing all three of the Prophets with his bare hands, and destroying the Halo rings. This wasn't the man that had somehow managed to escape death at every corner, cleverly escaping his demise at every turn through wit or skill. This wasn't that demon, clad in military green metal…
No…
This was something much more, something sinister.
He felt his breath leave him alongside his fighting spirit as he watched her shift her weight around, chest forward as she slowly began moving towards him, her pace slow, akin to a predator stalking its prey.
And he, he was that prey. He was the wounded little animal that had no chance of surviving, no way to escape, no future where he was alive.
This being, this monstrous creature that stood before him was no mere demon…
No…
She was the devil herself, living and breathing, straight out of hell.
And she was here to take his life…
"Is it my turn now? Are we done playing?" She asked, words echoing out like a gunshot within the bloody stained halls of the Infinity.
Her words seemed to be the thing that set off his brethren, as they all charged her at the same time. And as for him, he was forced to stand back and watch as she throughly and effectively slaughtered them. Kicks were thrown that shattered spines, punches were delivered that stopped hearts, and stomps were dished out to those downed that only served to paste heads across the walls. Any that tried to pass her were blown to hell via a green warhead that came soaring out from her cannon arm.
And then, he was the only one remaining standing. He couldn't move, he didn't breathe, for the fear that if he did, if he so much as twitched in her direction, she'd rip his heart out through his mouth. The fear that filled him was so primal, so deep, that it forced him into obedient stillness, not daring to make a sound.
She stalked forward, head craning back to look up at him as he towered over her slender yet demonically powerful form. His eyes glanced down, not daring to move as she stepped into his personal space, only a few inches from his chest at most.
"I want you to do something for me." Then she spoke, her voice a terrible vile monotone that made his heart tremble beneath his chest. "And, if you refuse…"She reached out, placing her claw against his chest. He could feel something gnawing at his soul, like her hand was trying to eat him alive yet it didn't. That hand trailed up his chest, before reaching his mandibles. In an instant, she clamped her claws around one of his mandibles, before yanking his head down to her level, forcing him to stare her dead in the eyes. "-then you will die."
He forced himself into stillness, knowing damn well what awaited him if he denied her here and now. He gazed into her three red glowing eyes, stunned, feeling in that moment no more than a speck of dust in her path.
"I want you to tell your master that if he dares to continue this pathetic war with these humans, then I won't find myself filled with regret when I wipe your entire race off of the face of the galaxy. It would not be the first time…" She said slowly, loud enough for all to hear. She didn't blink, looking as if she was staring into his soul. The last words of hers were whispered, words that she left for him and him alone to hear. "Whether or not he listens, I do not care. I just want that warning out there. You and the rest of your kind have only two options going forward. Run away like the plague that you are, and survive. Or, piss me off, and suffer the consequences of your actions." She snarled lowly, staring him dead in the eyes with her three monstrous red orbs.
"Do I make myself clear?" She asked lowly, pulling his mandibles closer until his face was pressed against her visor. "Nod." She ordered sharply, to which he did just so. "Good, finally one of your kind listens to me. I've become tired of stomping their heads in, it's refreshing to have one open to discussion." She stated casually, finally letting go.
The General stumbled to his feet, quick to make the call.
The mission had failed, and all surviving members were to fall back immediately. If they stayed here any longer, it would only serve lower their numbers more then this battle already had.
The moment he'd done just as she'd asked of him, he turned to face her again, dreading what may lay ahead of him.
Only, what he was met with was the muzzle of her cannon. "Thank you for cooperating. You are no longer.. needed." She muttered, the green tip of a super missile warhead poking free from the barrel. "Not that I ever thought of letting a General like yourself live anyway, you've killed far too many to be worthy of mercy." She said neutrally, as if it couldn't be helped.
He only had a moment to shout, before he was obliterated at point blank. Without seemingly an ounce of remorse, she swiped a claw across her visor to clear it of the blood. Then, she turned back to the bridge, facing the Captain once more.
"I apologize for the mess, Captain. I… would have used my beams, but they have a tendency.. to put holes in hulls." Samus said, staring at the flabbergasted expression that had crossed the older man's features.
Andrew Del Rio opened his mouth to say something, then shut it a moment later with an audible click. His abundance of questions could be answered at some other time, as right now his priority lay with getting this ship back in the air.
"Don't worry about it, I'll take whatever I can get right about now." The Captain sighed, filling away the one sided slaughter he'd just witnessed down for later review, instead returning his attention to the bridge. "Master Chief, the bridge is clear. I want you to make your way to the outer hull and get my cannons back online and blow that damn orb out of the sky." The man grunted into his coms, pinching the bridge of his nose as he turned his attention to the shipboard A.I.
"Sir, yes sir." The man in green responded briefly.
"And you, Samus was it?" Del Rio turned back to face the green alien standing just outside the bridge doors. "Who do you take orders from?" He asked.
"I don't take orders from anyone, sir." Samus responded, although he could tell her words didn't carry any spite or attitude. She was merely stating a fact. "I am a Bounty Hunter, underneath.. none. However, due to circumstances, I've aligned myself with… the Master Chief for the time being. And, unless something changes, I plan to keep it that way." Samus explained after a moment of thought.
It was the way she chose her words that shouted something loudly without having to say it directly. She was not aligned with any gathering or army, neither the Covenant nor the UNSC, but she was specifically aligned with the Master Chief, a Spartan underneath the UNSC.
The man in charge of the Infinity realized that she was not under his command, and would never be. It would seem, however, that she was on humanity's side, if nothing else.
However, for an alien of a race he'd never before seen and or heard of, he supposed that a chaotic neutral was the best he could ask for. Just so long as that chaos was not pointed his direction, he supposed that it would have to do.
With that thought in mind, he turned back to the green armored woman to ask a question, only to realize that she had seemingly left of her own accord.
The loading pad shook as it carried the Scorpion Tank high up into the ship, carrying with it the Master Chief and a platoon of Spartan Fours. The moment they made it inside, the green Spartan left his spot in the tank, proceeding to move on foot, seeing as there was little he could do with a tank inside the ship.
"Master Chief, the bridge is clear. Our weapon systems are still down, and without them, we have no way of scaring that damn orb away. Get to the outer hull and turn them back on manually." The captain's voice came through his helmet's coms.
"Yes sir, I'm preceding on foot." The Spartan stated.
"Negative Spartan. In the room to your right there is a Mantis docked, use it to your full advantage and get these invaders off of my lawn." Andrew stated sharply, the door directly to the Spartan's side opening at the captain's words.
"A Mantis huh, never heard of that one before." Cortana added thoughtfully from within his head.
"Must be a new design." He commented off handedly.
True to the Captain's words, the next room held one Mantis battle mech, fully equipped and loaded for a full forward one man assault. The mech was even designed with powerful energy shield's that put his own armor to shame.
It would be crucial for repelling the enemies involved with this attack.
The Spartan approached the loading dock, the sounds of warning alarms blaring as the platform opened up to reveal the two legged metal super light mech. It only took the man a few moments to mount it, getting himself familiar with the cockpit of the vehicle.
The moment he did, he picked up a new yet familiar signature on his radar, turning to the side to reveal Samus approaching him from the small doorway.
"Just in time. Ready to get back to work?" The Spartan asked from within the depths of the mech.
However, the Bounty Hunter paused, leaning against the doorway for support. The only other time he'd seen her in such a state was back on the Dawn.
"Samus, what's wrong?" He asked hurriedly.
She huffed deeply, seemingly struggling to catch her breath. "I-I'm running out of time… I can't keep this up much longer.. Chief…" She huffed, her left hand pressed to the doorway for support. The longer she stood there the more of said doorway began to slowly disintegrate. "Let's just… finish this blasted mission and… leave already…" She barked, losing her grip on her control.
''Chief, if my calculations are correct, she's going to go into labor within the next few hours at most. We need to get the Infinity back into the air now, otherwise we're going to have a serious problem on our hands.''
''Right. But I'm not sure about clearing out this threat on my own, and Castle Team is out of commission.'' He thought in response. ''If we can finish this up quickly, we can get her help. And then, see about fixing her friend.''
''Agreed.''
"Samus, one last mission. Help me clear out these invaders, and get the ship into the air. The moment we are airborne, I'll get Lasky to give you all the help you need. I promise you that." The Master Chief said.
Samus huffed lowly, glaring at the floor. She wasn't one the complain, but this was getting to be a bit much for her, especially this far along.
However, it seemed like she didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
"Okay…" She sighed, moving to join him. He watched as she approached, before jumping into the air, landing atop the Mantis. She positioned herself at the front of the mech, before sitting down, her feet magnetizing to the top of the mech. "But you're going to carry me. I'm fucking tired of walking…" She grunted unladylike, plopping down atop his giant murder mech.
''Yikes, she's definitely close if she's cursing like that. I don't think I've ever heard words like that from her before…'' Cortana cringed from within the green soldier's mind. ''At least, not in front of you.''
''I'd rather not piss her off…'' The Chief thought dryly.
''You mean more than you already have?'' She snorted, eyebrows raised.
"Hurry up! Quit standing around!" Samus snapped, banging on the top of his mech.
"Right." Chief grunted, the mech groaning as he turned it around to the large bay doors before him. They were blocked, jammed from damage. The only way forward would be to blow them open. "Looks like the doors are broken." The man said, tone implying that she handle it.
Instead of responding, she aimed her cannon up, before firing off a barrage of earth shattering Super Missiles. The massive metal blast door was blown free off its hinges, landing somewhere down the hallway behind it.
''Yeah, I think you're past the point of upsetting her…'' Cortana muttered dryly, looking at the what remained of the poor corpse of a ballistics defense door.
Wisely, the Spartan didn't hesitate to begin moving forwards, ready to complete the mission…
Chapter
13
End