A/N
Heyo! Me again, and I'm actually doing well in updating this story. Knock on wood, I guess, lmao. Anyway, I'm currently fighting the Flood in Halo CE, and they're terrifying and I hate them with every ounce in my being. This is a short author's note, cuz I am trying to actually keep up with the rest of my stories, I'm about halfway through with the sixth chapter of Monty's Handler, and I'm gonna start working on the eighth chapter of More Than Meets the Eye. Anyway, enough from me, have fun with this chapter, but also, be aware, there may be a slightly hard topic, but that's more up to your mentality to comprehend. :)
Three
They got into the city well into the night, letting the darkness cover their tracks. The people of the makeshift camp met in the outskirts of the huge city, dividing into their small "fire teams" as the Master Chief called them. With everyone in their preplanned groups, they split up, going about their own tasks, the Chief, Tai, and Ryner going to the heart of the city, looking for the tallest building that was intact enough for them to scale.
They found said building, a large skyscraper-type hotel, in the middle of the madness. This time, the Chief was in the lead of the small group, knowing a battlefield better than anyone there. After maybe half an hour, they managed to sneak past the Covenant guards, finding the patterns in their squadrons. Once they got up to the top of the building, Master Chief and Tai took to surrounding Ryner, letting the technician of the group do his thing.
It took the boy a few minutes before the machine was up and working, the technology allowing them to come into contact with the Master Chief's Marines and Spartans. Once it was set, Chief took over again, this time Tai and Ryner taking up positions to watch.
"This is Spartan-117, does anyone read me?"
The Chief's message was met with silence. Tai and Ryner glanced at each other. "I repeat, this is Spartan-117, does anyone on the frigate New Hope read me?"
This time, there was a crackling on the other side of the communications device, before a female voice spoke. Something was off about the said voice, but Tai couldn't place what it was.
"John? John, is that you?" She asked, something akin to worry lacing her voice.
"Cortana. I'm glad to be hearing from you. But we can't talk for long, we don't know how long this connection will last. Tell Captain Lake to send a rescue team. I have multiple civilians with me and we're being overrun here." The Chief, John, stated, his eyes glancing around at the two next to him, his visor keeping the worry from showing.
"We? What civilians? We thought we'd gotten everyone evacuated." The voice, Cortana, stated. Without knowing the full story as to how the people of the camp managed to not be evacuated, John turned to Tai and Ryner. Not having to be told, the younger teen stepped forward, grabbing hold of the miniature mic in the Master Chief's hands.
"Hiya, there. I'm Tai, one of the civilian's of this planet. I can answer most questions the Chief can't, but they'll either have to wait or be quick. I don't know how much long my people can last out here. As for us not being evacuated, y'all only got the important people, like the senator's or the law enforcers." The redhead stated.
With a few seconds of silence, Cortana responded. "Alright. I've managed to track your location. I'm sending Fireteam: ONYX down now. They'll be there in less than an hour. Can you hold out until then?"
The question was clearly directed at the Chief, but Tai answered anyway. "I don't know how many people will be left, but we'll be damned if we don't try. Besides, these sons' of a bitch won't be going out without a bang. We're hardy people, farmers and fighters, and we'll hold out as long as we can."
A small, almost silent laugh could be heard on the other side of the communications device. With a quick good-bye, and the Master Chief leaving a few parting words, the trio set out to their next place of interest. The frontlines. All three were the best fighter's of the camp, with more coming to meet them after they'd finished their parts.
They ran swiftly and quietly to the city's borders, coming together with the other half of their small squadron. Once everyone was in position, Tai and Chief took point, the teen taking Ryner and Derrick, and the Chief taking Sari and Nyx. With a nod of her head, Tai led her group around the corner, everyone putting a small device that would let the team communicate with each other.
It didn't even take a couple minutes before the first wave of the Covenant showed their ugly mugs. Scaling the side of a tree, Tai took the high ground, pulling her sniper rifle from her back. "I've got the high ground, Anakin." She muttered to herself, hearing faint laugh's from those on the other end of the battlefield. The first grunt she saw, she took down with a small blast from her rifle, easily forcing the bullet through the alien's head.
The battle carried on like that for a good while, more and more blue blood staining the ground, random spatters of red coming from lucky shots glancing off trees or boulders. However, Tai was at a slight disadvantage. When she'd stolen the sniper, she had neglected to take extra mags, instead just grabbing and running with the long gun. That and her already ruined arm made aiming a slight pain, considering she had to adjust to the injury.
She ran out of munitions not even a few moments later. She groaned and rolled her shoulders, trying to get the tightness from her bad arm. It hadn't been healed for even three days before their camp moved out. Looking below her, she noticed an Elite standing right under her tree, clearly not knowing that she was getting a bird's eye view from the vantage point.
Cocking her head slightly, she shrugged and threw the gun down, watching as the Elite got distracted. Pulling the energy sword from her hip, Tai jumped from the tree, landing on the alien's shoulders, her weight causing the Elite to stumble back slightly. Its eyes widened in shock before the sword was going through its head. The smell and sound of the sizzling flesh was enough to make her gag.
As the Elite fell, she rolled off its shoulders, landing in a crouch. Quickly pulling her pistol from her waist band, she shot a few grunts down, watching as they fell, blood pouring from their new wounds. Standing was more of a struggle than it should've been, and Tai looked down. That damned Elite had managed to stab her in the thigh, most likely right as she fell onto him. She hissed and pulled out a scrape piece of fabric she kept on her for moments like these.
Tying the scrap tight, she limped over to the rest of her squad, looking the men up and down to make sure they hadn't managed to get hurt any worse than she had. Considering her reputation in the camp though, that was a doubt to be certain. Ryner sighed when he caught sight of her, bloody and limping, before walking over to her.
Derrick was still watching the horizon line, watching their six. When they were within city limits, he turned around and forced Tai to sit, unwrapping the fully soaked makeshift bandage. The father huffed and pulled a mini medical kit from the backpack he wore, riffling through it before finding what he'd wanted. Finally, the man pulled out antiseptic cream, smothering the wound with it. Afterward, he wrapped her leg tight in actual bandages, before helping the girl to her feet.
Tai hobbled over to where the Chief and his squad were supposed to meet them in the aftermath of their fighting. Once there, they assessed everyone's wounds, none of those from the camp really taking notice of Tai's injury more than a slightly exasperated look. However, the Chief walked up to her, his armor no worse for wear except for some Covenant blood. Trying to keep the conversation light, and off from her as a topic, she gives an easy going smile.
"I see you got your hands dirty, mate. Surprised that the others even had to do anything, considering the Spartan's reputations." She stated, trying her hardest to not wither under his stare. How anyone without a face could make her nervous was beyond her.
The Spartan hummed, his golden visor giving nothing in way of his thoughts. With just that slight rumbling noise, he left, leaving a baffled Tai behind. Why did that growl-like rumble make a chill run down her spine? She wasn't afraid of the guy, was she?
Shaking her head, Tai wobbles her way towards the others. "What's the situation on the lower front?" She questions, directing it to the Master Chief.
The massive man takes a sweeping look at the area around them, their high vantage point coming in handy yet again. His golden visor glows slightly as he does his scan, trying to detect where the others were and where possible enemies could be hiding.
"It appears that the others are in their positions, however, Beta Group is about to be overrun by the Covenant." He states, facing the rest of the group once more.
"Alright then. We'll move towards Beta, splitting off into three groups of two. Each group will take a sector, the Chief and I will go to Beta and assist where we can. Derrick, Ryner, y'all are group two, go to the rest of the family, help where needed and watch our backs.
"Sari, Nyx, go towards the north side of the city, help out our communications group. I want everyone to be careful, those with groups going the same ways, watch each other's six. We don't need anymore casualties in this damned war." Tai finishes, before playfully shoulder checking the Chief.
The mountain of a Spartan doesn't move, but he follows the teen's lead, taking rear and letting Tai do her thing. The Master Chief studied the girl in front of him some more, any chance he got. She was one of the only human females to have somehow gotten his attention. Whether it be for a good reason or not. This small teen was easily as brave as his Marines, maybe even the other Spartans, but she had nothing going for her.
What was keeping her from running? Going with the others to find actual safety instead of following him into the heart of battle once again. Every time he watched her, she managed to surprise him, though he didn't let it show. He was drawn from his musing when he nearly ran into the girl plaguing his thoughts.
She was crouching low, keeping her center weight on the balls of her feet, ready to spring into action. What had Tai heard that the Spartan hadn't? The blue eyed girl looked back to him and nodded her head, asking him to look ahead. Even with how rash she was at points, she was smart, using his bigger frame and hardier armor as a shield of sorts.
Slowly, with his gun raised at the ready, the Master Chief walks out from behind the building, keeping his eyes open and his scanners active. Sensing and seeing nothing, he motioned the girl forward, watching as she carefully came into view as well. As they're about to move on, a purple blast shoots by Tai's face, only missing her because she ducked to look at something on the floor.
Acting fast, the Chief tucked the girl into him, using his shields to guard the both of them. Looking from under his shoulder with ease, Tai spots the sniper jackal sitting on the balcony of an abandoned mansion. She curses under her breath and brings her pistol up to aim. It's easy for her to kill the jackal, the alien not expecting the smaller human to have a weapon, or to have seen him.
Moving forward, the Master Chief keeps the girl right in front of him, making sure she is always in reach of him. These Covenant goons wanted her, for some reason that he couldn't determine, but he wouldn't let this girl's life end after everything she'd done to protect her people, and even save him. He didn't wanna admit it to himself, but he was almost certain that if she hadn't come into the forest when she did, he'd be lying in an early grave.
Letting those thoughts slide to the backburner of his mind, he keeps a continuous eye out, never letting his eyes wander for too long. Finally, after what feels like ages, and having to kill a small group of grunts, the pair make it to their waypoint, looking up and seeing Beta, neck to neck with Covenant Elites and a Hunter or two.
"How much longer till ONYX gets here?" Tai asked, her voice low and shallow, not letting it carry to anyone but the brick wall to her back.
"Too long. They won't make it if we don't step in. Are your injuries up to it?" The Chief replied, watching the girl's blue eyes narrow and harden.
Tai takes a step away from the Spartan and brings her pistol up again, cocking the gun. "Not really," she says in a way of replying, "But I have nothing else to lose."
"You've got your life haven't you?" The Chief states, his visor coming and landing on the girl. Even without being able to see his face, Tai knew that he was studying her, trying to find a motive for her words.
His question is met with silence, nothing but the whistling of the wind responding to his inquisition. She just looks at him, a look in her eyes he can't describe. When she runs off to fight the Covenant hand to hand, he finally realizes something. This teenage girl, most likely not even twenty yet, was gonna fight until her dying breath, whether that last fight be today or in twenty years, was no ones to determine.
But hell if that'd stop him from trying to preserve someone who made his hope in a new humanity swell. He wouldn't let this poor girl go down in flames, not like the rest of his brother's and sister's who hadn't made it outta the Spartan II program. He couldn't lose another. Even if they just met not even a week ago.