A9 to C9

(Alpha Nine to Copper Nine)

Chapter 3: Unknown City Streets

(Just as a note, I know the Worker Drones are called that in the show, but the UNSC forces wouldn't really know that right off the bat. So I figured a nickname similar to what they would call Covenant forces would fit. So, for future reference, Worker Drones are referred to as 'Pawns' by UNSC forces. Alongside some drone types not featured in the show will appear too.)

UNSC Lance Corporal Jonathan 'Rookie' Doeherty, Unknown City, Unknown Planet

6 Hours After Drop

The Rookie continued to analyze Mickey's broken shoulder pad, turning it over to check the other side before casting it back into the snow. Following one of the blood trails, he began to brush aside a mound of snow, uncovering an arm underneath, frozen, bloodied, and unmistakably an ODST's, with the uniform and glove still attached. Perhaps Mickey didn't survive after all. Before he could investigate further, a ping came through on Rookie's VISR: a waypoint he hadn't set, about 600 meters due northeast from the crater. Tapping the side of his helmet, a brief, glitched pattern overtook his HUD, though the waypoint remained. Realizing there wasn't much left to investigate within the crater, Rookie figured that, glitch or not, he needed some kind of lead if he were ever to find his squad and figure out just what happened above New Mombasa to transport him to this strange planet. Climbing out of the crater, the Rookie took a cursory sweep of the northeastern side of the plaza. It was empty, nothing but snow and the littered remains of a long dead civilization. The cold bit through his armor, each breath forming a faint cloud in the frigid air. Approaching a long street that should lead him directly to the waypoint, the Rookie paused, looking up to his right at the towering, decaying skyscraper that loomed over the plaza. Its once glittering form was now silhouetted against the night sky, illuminated by the pale glow of the moons hanging just behind it. What sort of people had lived here?

Gripping his silenced M7 tightly, the Rookie pushed forward into the dark streets of this endless, frozen city. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint crunch of snow beneath his boots. His senses were on high alert, yet he failed to notice two anomalies around him.

At the far corner of the plaza, embedded in the icy, concrete tiled ground, was a teardrop shaped, purple colored pod with a hollow interior, one the Rookie would recognize as a Covenant drop pod.

The second anomaly was on the façade of the skyscraper. A large screen, once used for advertisements, flickered briefly to life. The screen, long deactivated, flashed a glitched, snowy image of a symbol encased within an oddly shaped yellow circle. The symbol at its center featured a cube with three arrows extending outward, forming a trefoil pattern. Before the Rookie could take notice, the screen faded to black once more, leaving only the faint afterimage burned into the cold night.

The Rookie moved cautiously down the main street, his footfalls muffled by the thick blanket of snow that covered the ground. Constantly checking his flanks for any attempted ambushes, though his mind was still preoccupied by whatever has been following him since he awoke earlier. His VISR flickered with the faint outlines of abandoned vehicles and debris scattered across the street, some of which he had to climb over due to how they were oriented, blocking the path. Though the corpses of the humans he could see were all in odd positions. Mid step, still driving their cars, sitting at benches, all as if they died instantly. Nuclear war perhaps? No. The city would be far more destroyed, and these people would have been vaporized rather than just stripped to the bone. With the stinging blizzard, the Rookie began to wonder if somehow there was a flash freeze that killed these people so suddenly. Though with how their skin and clothes were preserved, this seemed just as much of a guess as all of his other theories. With all of the bodies, this whole city felt like one big graveyard, though whether or not It was his grave to share mattered little to the Rookie currently.

Every shadow, every corner was quiet, all really the Rookie had was his breathing, and the wind, and the occasional creaking of metal. The waypoint still laid a decent walk ahead. But as the Rookie rounded a street corner, a city block came into view housing broken stores, more destroyed vehicles, and what looked to be the entrance to a subway at the end of the street. Among the destroyed vehicles, however, was an odd, but certainly familiar sight, a broken down Warthog with its turret still attached, though its wheels looked completely shot out. More UNSC forces it seemed, perhaps survivors from New Mombasa?

As he drew closer, the subway entrance came into full view, a gaping maw in the earth, flanked by cracked concrete and rusted railings. The wide staircase leading down was partially obscured by snow that had drifted in, leaving only a narrow path free of closer, he noticed the signs of recent activity, fresh tracks in the snow, the unmistakable marks of heavy machinery, bullet casings...fresh blood on the ground. Upon hearing voices, the Rookie dashed for the shadows, hiding behind what was once a decorative, concrete planter box, though its contents were long dead, leaving only permafrost in the icy dirt. The entrance itself was a fortified position now, a stark contrast to the welcoming gateway it had likely once been before. It reminded the Rookie of some of the subways he had seen in Crisium City, all of those rides he had to make with his mother into the financial districts, even being on Luna, it was probably far better than what these subways housed here now. The wide staircase leading down was partially covered by hastily erected barricades made from overturned cars, metal beams, and fragments of concrete, forming a crude but effective defensive line.

The garrison stationed at the entrance consisted of mostly the same robots he had seen earlier. Though among them were taller versions of the shorter drones. Standing at what looked to be an average height for humans. These drones seemed to be decked out in what looked to be actual combat armor, all bearing a dark green armband as opposed to the shorter robot's orange armbands. Seemed to be for rank then. This was only confirmed further when it seemed like one of the taller bots were seemingly yelling and commanding the smaller ones to carry a box bearing the UNSC logo towards the entrance of the subway. Enforcers. That was a good nickname. Enforcers and Pawn bots. Unlike the Pawns, the Enforcers seemed to be scanning their surroundings with their glowing optical sensors. The Rookie could see the faint glint of UNSC weapons in their grasp rifles, shotguns, and other gear looted from fallen soldiers and survivors alike. The robots had turned the subway station into a well stocked supply depot.

Above the entrance, the remnants of a shattered marquee hung precariously, its faded letters barely legible beneath the thick frost. A few of the station's original signs still clung to the walls, now pockmarked by bullet holes. Fresh graffiti lined the marquee, alongside the walls flanking the entrance of the subway.

"This territory is now under the administration of the Militant Order for the Removal of Organic eNtities Swiftly" Oddly long name for these robots, nor was it any organization that Rookie had ever heard of before. Beyond the barricades, the subway entrance itself had been transformed into a hardened outpost. Heavy steel plating reinforced the walls, and the entrance was flanked by two more Enforcers. A makeshift command post had been established just inside the archway.

After carefully assessing the situation, The Rookie decided that a direct confrontation with the garrisoned robots would be too risky. He knew the importance of the stolen UNSC weapons inside, but charging in blindly wasn't an option. He needed to find another way, perhaps a more strategic approach once he had regrouped with any remaining forces or gathered more intel. But a direct strike would be suicide, even with the majority of the forces being Pawn bots. The Rookie began to backtrack, his movements slow and deliberate as he edged away from the fortified subway entrance. The snowfall had intensified from a light sleet to near blizzard levels of violent, large flakes descending in a steady curtain that further obscured his visibility. He used this to his advantage, sticking to the shadows and various wrecked vehicles dotting the street. As he retreated, The Rookie kept his eyes on the enemy garrison, their mechanical forms outlined in the eerie glow of their eyes. He moved silently, years of training guiding his steps, ensuring that he didn't disturb the snow or kick up debris that might alert the enemy. The wind picked up, its howl masking the faint sounds of his retreat, and for a moment, it seemed as though he might slip away unnoticed.

As The Rookie rounded a corner, he noticed too late the faint shimmer of a drone cloaked in active camouflage, eerily similar to that used by Covenant forces, its form barely visible against the backdrop of swirling snow. The drone had been silently patrolling the perimeter, an invisible sentinel that only revealed itself when the Rookie was within a mere few feet of its detection range. The drone emitted a quick gasp, female in tone, her cloaking field dropping as she materialized fully, her optical sensors flashing red as it locked onto him. The Rookie reacted instantly, raising his M7S and firing a quick burst, the rounds striking the drone and sending it crashing to the ground in a shower of sparks and flying shards of metal. Even with this, however, it was too late, the Enforcer had already sent a distress signal out to her compatriots, and the Rookie could already hear some of the Enforcers and Pawns rushing towards his position.

"*Enemy contact! Move to the flank!*" One of the Enforcers shouted at the various Pawns running towards the Rookie's position, their voices were deeper, far more authoritative than the Pawns. Gunfire erupted towards his position. The Rookie dove for what cover he could find, which was an old newspaper stand that looked far more decayed than the rest of the ruins around him. Laying down fire, three Pawns advanced towards the Rookie's position while two Enforcers swung around to the left and right for a decisive flanking maneuver. He was pinned. Unfurling a grenade and pulling the pin, the Rookie hurled it over the newspaper stand towards the Pawns advancing on him, before sprinting out of cover and laying down fire at one of the Enforcers attempting to flank him, whom responded by leaping behind a pillar and firing at him using a DMR. The first of the Pawns, a robot with green hair, wearing something of a military cap with green eyes, was the first to see the grenade land at his feet.

"Woah! Woah! Grenade!" He shouted, bolting for cover. One of his squadmates, a female Pawn, kicked the grenade away and dove for cover herself. The last of the trio meanwhile was unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire between the Rookie and one of the Enforcers, his left arm being ripped off, alongside that, a hole was put in his optics, his LED eyes glitching out. All the Pawn really could do was scream out in horror, batting at his face with his one hand, his missing arm sparking and spurting oil onto the snowy ground. The Enforcer firing at the Rookie glanced at the wounded Pawn, before priming a grenade herself and tossing it towards the Rookie, just as his grenade went off nearby. Rookie was forced to relocate and cease his firing. The Enforcer meanwhile ran out into the open, grabbing the wounded Pawn by his free arm and dragging him back into cover, laying down whatever fire she could towards the retreating ODST. The Rookie took refuge in a destroyed bus, crouch walking along the lane and peering over the seats. He could hear one of the other Enforcers outside of the bus despite the gunfire.

"*Moving. Keep bandit suppressed.*" Followed by the sound of an M90 cocking. The Rookie froze, before training his gun on the bus door. His heart racing, he held his breath...he could hear a pin pulled.

"*Flasher deployed!*" The Enforcer shouted, before a flashbang grenade flew into the bus, bouncing off one of the seats and landing right in front of the Rookie, all he had time to do was shield his eyes. Thanks to this, and the advanced visor in his helmet, the blinding effect was minimized. He fell back against the back of the bus. He could see the Enforcer round the corner.

"*Bandit compromised. Assaulting.*"

The Rookie rolled to the side just in time for buckshot to nearly rip him asunder, landing on his side, outside of the bus where he entered. He scrambled to his feet, laying more fire down at the Pawns, who were once again pushing his position with a new found bout of courage, likely at the knowledge that he was supposedly blind. While the other Enforcer was busy suppressing him from the pillar. The Rookie dashed for the bumper of the bus, the shotgun wielding Enforcer pursuing, firing a shot off from the steps of the bus, racking another shell, before leaping out and aggressively pursuing the ODST, who was now on the backfoot.

Reloading a fresh magazine into his M7, the Rookie waited behind the bus for the Enforcer to attempt a push. The Enforcer stopped, before looking back at one of the Pawns and ordering it through a hand motion to advance on the Rookie from the other side of the bus. The Pawn complied, despite carrying an MA5C that was much too large for its small frame. The Pawn dashed to the other end of the bus and slowly began to approach the Rookie's position while the shotgun Enforcer began to do much the same. Noticing the eerie silence, the Rookie figured that they were attempting some kind of a flank. Preparing his last grenade, the Rookie tossed it towards the corner where the Enforcer was approaching before lurching around the other corner, catching the Pawn by surprise and tearing him apart through silenced SMG fire. Stowing his M7 on his back, the Rookie grabbed the Pawn's MA5C and whatever magazines he could find. On the other end of the bus, due to the grenade, the Enforcer dashed towards the Rookie's hiding spot and unloaded a shot at the back of the bus, the shell putting a deep pock mark in the rusted metal. Racking another shell, the Enforcer took aim at the corner and waited.

Then, from above, a shadow passed over the snow covered street. The Rookie barely had time to react before a winged shadow descended from the sky with a screech that echoed off the buildings. The beast was unlike anything he had seen. Landing on a nearby car, the figure lifted its head to reveal itself to be another robot. This time, though, it was taller than the Pawns. Shorter than the Enforcers, but not by much. It wore a black military coat with a fur trim around the neck, and what looked to be a peaked cap on its head, barely hiding white, silvery hair. Its LED's featured a yellow 'X', its mouth was contorted in a sharp, animalistic grin. A pair of metallic wings sprouted from its back. A thin appendage, almost like a tail swung about with some kind of yellow, glowing container at its end alongside what looked to be a blade.

The robot's arrival sent the Order members into immediate action, their optical sensors flaring as they recalibrated to engage the new threat. Panic set in, even from the supposedly stoic Enforcers.

"Oh God! It's one of those Disassembly Drones! Open fire! Open fireeee! Or ruuuuuun!!"

Rookie heard one of the Pawns scream out. The 'Disassembly Drone' dove for the Enforcer hunting Rookie. Tackling him to the concrete, before ripping into him with its sharpened, metal claws, oil sprayed everywhere as the Enforcer cried out in agony. Sparks flew as the robot was ripped apart, its internal systems shorting out in a shower of electrical fire.

"*AGHH AHHHH! GET IT OFF MEEEEEE! MY OIL!*"

The Rookie could hear the rest of the Order troopers open fire on the Drone, though from what he could hear, more panicked screaming and the sounds of more metal ripping and oil splattering everywhere.

Realizing this was his chance, The Rookie moved swiftly. With the robots distracted, he sprinted toward a nearby alleyway, keeping low to avoid stray shots from the ongoing battle. The sounds of metal being torn and more screaming filled the air, but The Rookie maintained his focus, navigating through the narrow streets.

As he ran, he could hear the Drone making sounds, like laughter. The Rookie chanced a glance back and saw the creature lifting a panicking Pawn into the air, its powerful claws crushing the machine's torso before ripping it apart, the machine opened its mouth, allowing the Pawn's oil to pour down into its gullet, once it was finished, it dropped the deceased Pawn in a crumpled heap like a discarded soda can.

The Rookie didn't stop to see the outcome. He knew this was a fleeting opportunity, one he couldn't waste. He reached the end of the alleyway and took cover behind a collapsed building, he paused to listen. The sounds of battle continued to echo in the distance, but they were growing fainter as he put more distance between himself and the subway entrance.

After what felt like hours of cautious travel, The Rookie finally reached the waypoint's location. He slowed as he approached, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight before him. The waypoint had led him to a hospital, a large, imposing structure that stood out even in the gloom of the ruined city. The building's faded sign, barely legible through the accumulated frost, still bore the emblem of medical aid.

The hospital was in a state of disrepair. The windows on the lower floors were shattered, and the entrance was partially blocked by the remains of an ambulance, its once white exterior now scorched and blackened. Snow had drifted into the lobby through the broken glass doors, covering the floor in a pristine layer of white, as was the rest of the city, there was flash frozen skeletons dotting the area in a macabre display. What was interesting was that one side of the hospital collapsed, its debris lining the streets below. Within the debris was the wreckage of a UNSC Pelican, having likely crashed into the side of the building and flipped over onto its back, there it seemed to be where the waypoint was leading. The Rookie scaled the pile of debris, before reaching the top where the partially destroyed balcony laid. Among the wreckage was something glittering in the low light. Upon closer inspection, it was the back half of an M41 SPNkr, embedded into the side of it was a long, metallic claw. One of the Disassembly Drones must have been here. The Rookie cautiously attempted to dislodge the claw, but it wouldn't budge. Just what the hell had happened here? More oil on the ground...bullet casings and blood...