Bleeding Out

Disclaimer: I do not in any shape or form own Halo. It belongs to Bungie, 343 Industries, and Microsoft, nor am I associated with them in any way. This is a non-profit fan work written solely for the purpose of entertainment. This is in no way canon. This should be obvious at this point, but just in case.

Responses to questions or statements:

-The Awesome Guy 2: Thank you very much for your kind words. Hope I live up to expectations and that you found this chapter to be satisfactory.

-Guest: Yup.

-The Project Artemis: Yeah, sorry man. But like I said, this is a side hobby for me and real life takes priority.

-Krieger Techpriest: Yeah, tankers gave the Covenant hell. Cut off, wounded, the rest of their allies gone, they still gave them a fight worth remembering and went down swinging. Respect.

-Sorry, but the easter egg room won't be showing up here. As I don't think that's canon and just a fanservice homage. Sorry.

-Doom Slayer 091: I actually just started a Warhammer story, feel free to check it out if you're interested.

-Blaze1992: Sorry, but they stayed in their tank till the very end. "Death before dismount." As they say, but just know they went out like absolute legends. Taking down dozens and the other reason they died is because they ran out of ammo.

-Malgrath: True, true. Everyone loves watching the alphabet intelligence agencies sweat. If you say you don't, than you just revealed you're a member of one.

-Brony Dragon: Honestly, I just forgot I had mentioned that in the previous chapter because I'm stupid. Might go back and fix it if I have the time. Been getting busy as of late.

-Monarch: Glad you enjoy the story! Hope you like the update.

-Reader2: Yeah, admittedly I could have done a better job with characterizing the main character. Apologies for that.

-For the MC, I basically wanted to illustrate him as some chill if somewhat eccentric guy but with a few loose screws attached like not really being a fan of talking, a part of him that's a bit of a war junkie, and someone who likes to sleep. Also, I included it because I read that military guys tend to sleep wherever and whenever they can, a rest whenever you have the opportunity sort of thing especially for those in active combat, so I decided to add it halfway through. He does have anti-social tendencies like being a bit cold and detached at times, but other than that he's fundamentally a good, but flawed man with his own quirks. Honestly, I should have kept it more consistent.

-But yeah, sorry. Could have done a better job at it. I'll try to be more consistent going forward.

Now that that's done... onto the story!

Chapter 16

(Time: August 29, 2552)

(Location: Babd Catha Ice Shelf, Eposz)

The door to the secret entrance closed as soon as the last man passed through it, in this case was Emile. The corridor that they had found themselves in was still illuminated by lights that were still running, as they moved through at a slow but steady pace. Keeping an eye out for any potential Covenant ambushes and checking their corners to make sure nothing was stalking them. Sure, given that the Covenant didn't seem to know about passageway it seemed unnecessary to some, but they were in a warzone so it was better to be safe than sorry. Plus, underestimating your opponent was a sure way to get yourself and everyone around you killed.

Eventually, the group came across what looked to be some kind of tram system, with a cart standing over a rail system leading deeper ahead. With no other option available, the strike team piled in, with the door closing as soon as the last Pathfinder stepped on board.

Before they stepped into the elevator, the ground shook as several loud detonations could be heard back from where they had just came from. Vibrating the trail car and causing dust to fall from the cave's celling.

"What was that?" Chafflin asked aloud.

"Sounded like a couple of JDAM's falling on the base." Emile said as he took another glance back down the corridor.

"Let's keep moving people." Carter said as he got them back on track.

Deciding not to test their luck if they were wrong and that was a Covenant cruiser glassing the area, the strike team piled in, with the door closing as soon as the last Pathfinder stepped on board.

"Your new AI friend tell you anything else, Dot?" Carter asked as the team's Dumb AI as the elevator began moving forward. "Dot?"

"She's been expecting you." Was all she said cryptically.

"Well, that's just perfect." Emile shook his head frustrated.

"You're telling me," the team's second-in-command agreed.

"Apologies for the unusual security measures, commander. But given the circumstances I think you would understand." A familiar voice popped up on the railcars screen.

"Doctor Halsey?" Carter didn't even try to hide the surprise in his voice. "Casualty reports have you listed as-"

"Yes, well as they say that reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." the good doctor interrupted before turning her gaze to the only Spartan-II in the group. "Hello again, Jorge."

"Ma'am," he nodded. With an underlying tone of relief in his voice.

She nodded before she continued working on something hidden from camera view. "It may please you to learn that the data module that Noble two procured from the Visegrad relay is exactly what my scientist promised: a latchkey discovery. It has unlocked, at last, the secrets of this excavation."

"Not sure I understand." The leader of the team said confused.

"Your orders were a pretext to bring you to me and have been overridden. You are here, Team Noble, to ensure the delivery of this data to a secure location."

"Doctor, our orders are to destroy are sensitive materials still remaining at this-"

"The demolition has already been done. I had a Rapier drone drop several JDAMs on it, I'm sure you felt the vibrations from where you were."

"I'll need to confirm this with ASOC-"

"Colonel Holland, ASOC, and CENTCOM will be briefed. You belong to ONI now." Was all she said before the screen clicked off.

"Well, that's just nice." Jorge said from the Pathfinder team chirped from where he sat on one of the seats in the tramcar. While he was internally glad and relieved that Halsey was still alive, he wasn't surprised at all the secrecy surrounding the task that Halsey was going to have them carry out.

"Yeah, no kidding." Said Jun as he did a look over of his kit.

"Wait a minute..."Devon spoke up causing all eyes to focus on him. "She didn't mention us. Were we not supposed to be here?"

"Maybe ONI thought we'd be dead by now." Snarked Chafflin. Causing several glares from his teammates at his remark.

"Yeah, that's on par for ONI all right." Emile said dryly.

"Not surprised. Damn spooks." Sergeant Macer sneered at the Office of Naval Intelligence.

The elevator descended into a massive cavern with some strange looking structure several hundred meters away from them. It did not look as if it was built by the Covenant and most certainly not built by humans.

Something confirmed by the elderly scientist as her voice came through on their radios.

"/ Before you is an alien installation neither human nor Covenant in origin. /" She informed. "/ Advanced beyond our comprehension. Until now that is. The decryption of its data is nearly complete thanks to the latchkey that you have provided me. /"

Suddenly, a loud rumbling echoed throughout the metaphorical room, with a giant block of ice falling from the ceiling and landing right next to the structure.

It didn't take a genius to know what was coming.

"Whatever we're doing down here we better do it quick." Noble Four said as checked his M45 shotgun and made sure it was topped off with armor-piercing slugs.

"I concur," Kat chimed in. "I say we only got five or ten minutes before they break through."

Carter wasted no time as he pressed the push-to-talk button embedded on the side of his COMMANDO helmet. "Have your data ready, ma'am. We're coming to you."

"/ The decrypting process is still underway. /" Halsey protested.

"I don't think you understand. We're out of time." Carter said shapely. "If it isn't ready to go by the time we get to you, it's going to get buried!"

"/ Bury any of it, and you bury Mankind's best chance for survival!" He voice sharp before she forced herself to calm down again. "/ Commander, what's here could help us win the war. /"

"/ Please...buy me all the time you can. /" She pleaded as the lift touched down and the doors open. The Spartans flooding out with the Pathfinders close behind.

"Alright, we're going to have to buy her all the time we can. Let's get it done." Carter said. Noticing Six take out several blocks of plastic explosives before getting the attention of the Staff Sergeant.

"Devon, need you to get your men to place charges there, there, and there." The hyper-lethal informed as he pointed at the bridge and several spots of potential cover the covenant could use. "Set that one to 17.3 and those two to 11.2, it's synced up to my clacker when the light is green.

"Understood, sir!" The veteran pathfinder nodded as he gave out orders for his men to do the tasks.

"Commander, we got several automatic defense turrets scattered around the field." Jun announced as he fiddled with his TACTPAD. "Marking it on your HUDs now."

"Think ONI was expecting trouble?" Emile said as he activated one. It coming out from the casing it was embedded in revealing a M55 Guard dog sentry gun, it's turret whirring out as it was now ready to fire its drum of 7.62x51mm rounds.

"If doesn't matter." Carter said as he booted up another sentry gun. "Doctor, we got hostiles coming in."

"/ Spartans, you cannot allow them to breach my lab's defenses. /"

"Understood." Noble One radioed back. "Alright, let's give Charlie a warm welcome." He quipped as Six and the Pathfinders were setting up explosive charges while the rest of the Spartans of Noble team began taking up positions and powering up the defense guns.

"What do you think of this, Jorge?" Noble three asked as he powered up a sentry turret.

"Halsey's not the kind of person to do something unless she absolutely believes it." He responded as he gathered up ammo from a nearby weapons cash. "So, I think that whatever it is, it's going to change the war."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Don't know. But I can guarantee you it's going to be big at least."

"Alright, stay sharp." Carter ordered. "Jun, I need you on top of the roof over the entrance. And Jorge, set up a MG position right there." He pointed at one of the concrete barricades right in front of the entrance as both men nodded in compliance. With Casper and the Pathfinders, having finished planting the plastic and moved into position about the large steel doors.

"Casper, talk to me."

"I got C-12 charges planted all over potential landing sites and paths leading up here, all linked to the clacker." He held up the detonator for emphasis. "I got them set at different frequencies so I can set them off at my discretion and not all at once."

Carter nodded in approval as the ice ceiling above finally broke with chunks of frozen water falling to the ground as the first Covenant dropships broke through and began their descent. Prompting Emile and Kat to grab several SAT-D anti-aircraft rocket launchers from a nearby ammo crate. Firing at the Phantoms as they got within range and managing to take down one, forcing the rest to stay back and deploy the troops they were carrying. Plasma rounds were fired from the Phantoms on their positions in an attempt to suppress the Spartans and the Pathfinder team as the Grunts, Jackals, and Elites got out and started making their way forward. With several groups laying down fire behind cover while others moved ahead. As soon as one group got made their way over to the nearby bridge one of the C-12 explosive charges he had set up, Casper set the M102 firing device to the designated frequency and blew the bridge as they the Covenant squad crossed over. Killing several Grunts and Elites and sending the rest falling down the pit.

"Banshees inbound!" Jun called out while sniping the head off an Ultra Elite with his M392 DMR. Prompting Emile and Kat to use the SAT-D's to fire at the flight of enemy aircraft. Taking down two, but one managed to dodge and fire its blue plasma at the humans. Fortunately, by some miracle no one war harmed. Before it broke off, Granger fired a 40mm HEDP round from the M302 underbarrel grenade launcher on his MA37. Landing right on the wing on the Covenant fighter as it spiraled out of control, crashing into a ice wall before what's left of it fell to the ice floor.

"Got two dozen hostiles up ahead!" Jun called out as he reloaded his rifle before doming two skirmishers that were attempting to set up a sniping position across the bridge. "Four hundred meters and closing fast!"

"/ I need more time. /" Halsey said. Apparently having heard what Noble three said. "/ Whatever you have to do, do it. /"

With Bridge now destroyed, the Phantoms were forced to get in close to offload their squads, opening them up to an-aircraft fire from Kat and Emile, who kept firing on the dropships with their SAT-D launchers and having plenty of rocket tubes from a nearby crate. With the Phantoms continuing to lay down suppressive fire, as they dropped off the newest wave of Brutes and Grunts. The sentry turrets taking down making of them before the they got wise and used the Phantoms onboard plasma turrets to destroy them.

As Chafflin poked out of cover to let off a burst of 9.5x40mm, a beam of blue plasma glanced his helmet. Causing him to fall on the ground screaming as his Air Assault helmet caught on fire.

"AAAGGGHHH" The pathfinder specialist screamed in pain as he threw off his burning helmet and patted his face with his glove-covered hands. Putting out the fires on the portion of his face that got lit up.

"Chafflin, you good!?" Devon yelled as he continued firing his weapon and downed several Grunts with his gunfire.

"Let me see! Let me see!" The Airbourne medic, Charles, tried to look at the third degree burns that were now on the Specialist. Only for the twenty-something year old to slap his hand away.

"I'm alright! I'm alright! Just get back in the fight!" He yelled as he grabbed his BR-55 and continued laying down rounds at the closest Elite. Aiming through the mounted optic through the one eye he had left that wasn't burned. As if on cue, Granger was hit by a spike fired from a Brute, went right through his armor as he collapsed against the barricade he was using as cover.

"Granger, you up!" Carter yelled in concern over the paratrooper.

"Yea, yeah," The specialist waved off. Not pulling the spike out since anyone with basic medical knowledge would know it could cause even more damage and internal bleeding if he did. Gritting his teeth, he took off a M9 frag grenade from his body armor and pulled the pin. "Right back at ya, freak." He growled as he tossed the frag right at the Brute that nailed him. The explosion killing the ape-like being and several Grunts and Jackals, as the pathfinder got back up on his weapon and resumed fire.

The last Phantom dropped off a pair of hunters, who began powering up their cannons upon landing, with the Spartans continuing to battle with the Elites, Brutes, Jackals, and Grunts who were closing in. Without warning, Six leapt over his barricade and charged ahead. Drawing the attention of the Hunters that fired at the Spartan-III who dodged the rounds. Tossing two frags at the the pair, he slid underneath the nearest one who was disorientated from the blast and climbed onto its back, emptying his M6D into it. The hunter tried to shake him off to no avail as Casper emptied his magazine into the beast before it fled over dead. The hunter's demise caused it's partner to roar in fury as it charged the Spartan. Swinging at him with his shield as the Lieutenant dodged and leapt over his back with a M9 frag in hand. Not wasting time, he flicked the pin off the grenade with his thumb and thrusted it into the hunter's back before leaping off. The hunter growling at him before the grenade detonated and the Mgalekgolo was split in two.

It didn't take long to wipe out the remaining Covenant force after that. The remaining Grunts, Elites, Jackals, and Brutes were swiftly killed without much fanfare. The Phantoms had stopped coming, but for all they knew more could be on the way.

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait any longer, for the good doctor once again came through on their comms.

"/ Well done, Spartans. /" Halsey complimented. "/ I'm opening the laboratory doors now. Come on in before more arrive. /"

"Alright," Carter acknowledged. "Kat, open that door, let's get inside." To which Noble two interacted with the panel on the side as the two huge metal doors opened with a whirr. The pathfinders went in first, with the ones that weren't injured carrying those that were. Once all the regular humans were through, the Spartan's piled through with Kat sealing the door behind them. The gate sealing behind them as the group made through way deeper into the facility.

Author's note: That's it for now. Hope you all enjoyed this update and thanks again for everybody for taking the time to check the story out.

Take care, lads, and remember...stay frosty, gents.