A/N
Hello, people of the internet! Welcome to yet another chapter of Blood and Ash. I have to say, this chapter is much shorter than those that I've already published and I'm sorry for that. This chapter was written during school and is more of a placer than a true chapter. The next one is gonna be a lot longer and will hopefully have some true action packed into it. Anyway, enough from me, on to the chapter! :)
Nine
Tai was woken from a fitful sleep by Neoni yelling in her ear. When her senses came to her, her blue eyes widened in recognition of the loud alarms system. Her dorm was swathed in angry red lights, blinking in intervals. The Smart AI next to her bedside was dressed in something that appeared to be a cross between Medieval ages armor and the UNSC battle armor.
Neoni's normally curled hair was slicked back into a ponytail, box braids making up the style. Her shoes were replaced with standard issue combat boots. On her hip sat a sheathed sword.
The AI watched, her arms crossed, as the redhead flailed for a moment before something hardened her once murky blue eyes. Tai was quick to throw on a set of standard issue UNSC clothing, lacing up the combat boots the Spartans had gotten for her a few months ago. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail. As she ran out her door, she grabbed her metal baseball bat that she may or may not have stolen from the Rec room. Just before she made it out, she grabbed the holopad that Neoni was so fond of using.
As Tai ran down hall after hall, she ran into the Woods' family, who'd been making their way to the bridge. She couldn't help but let out a silent curse under her breath. She'd been hoping to avoid the family until after the battle. Thankfully, it seemed as though they'd yet to see her. And Tai had gotten to know the New Hope pretty damned well within the past months they'd been living there.
Quickly ducking behind a pillar, Tai held her breath as the family ran past her, never once looking over to see the teen standing with a hand clamped over her mouth. Once they finally pass, she waits a good couple minutes before she lets herself breathe normally and moves on to where she had originally been going.
The Hangar Bay. That was the only way someone, wanted or otherwise, would've been able to get onto the ship. An added bonus was the fact that the weapons room was on the direct path to the Hangars. She'd be damned if she let some bastards onto the ship that housed her people.
Finally finding the room she'd been searching for, Tai ducks into the room, stopping short at the sight she sees before her. She couldn't help but let out yet another curse. In front of her stood an Elite in red armor, two jackals, and a couple of grunts. Honestly, she probably should've been expecting this, but she wasn't exactly the one to think things through when there was action to be had.
So, she did the only thing she could do in a moment such as the one she found herself stuck in. Activate her lovely charm.
"Oi! Fugly! I think you might've taken a wrong turn tryna find your way outta here! Well, ya just gonna let a lady wait on ya?" Tai had to chuckle to herself. She just loved that her first reflex when talking to someone threatening was a large dose of her best sarcastic retort. Though, she couldn't help but notice that it did tend to get her into more fights than she should've ever been in within her short lifetime.
Speaking of fights, the Jackals ran at her, outraged screams echoing throughout the arms room. Their small minds apparently didn't care to take in the fact that her blue eyes took on a dangerous gleam, their once bright ocean-like color turning dark and stormy. If Tai was being honest with herself, she'd been looking for a way to release some pent up aggression. What better way than with a fight against the people who'd done her so much harm.
(Though, in her mind, Tai thought that taking this anger out on her mother, aunt, and Halsey would've been much more satisfactory to her. But, oh well.)
Tai let out her own cry, lunging at the jackal nearest her. The teen brought the metal bat above her head, much like a true baseball player, feeling the heavier weight in her hands. Hello object of misplaced aggression.