With the battle well underway, Dr. Bailey faced an all to familiar scene. Her loyal son was hustling her down a hallway, alarms resounding, and gunfire in the air. Firebase Delta was in the process of being overtaken by the Covenant Remnant. Brutes, jackals, grunts, and even buggers emerged from forests and tunnels, and were making brutal war with every human present on Gamma Halo.
They were attempting to seize the ring, or at least die in the attempt. Spartan response was slow, but their defeat, in the mind of Dr. Bailey, was an absolute certainty.
As long as even one of her Spartans was combat ready, these raiders would fail spectacularly.
It was terribly nostalgic. She remembered the burns on John-B069's back. The bloody tears on his arms from where a brute's claws had worried through his skin. Her heart threatened to jump out of her chest when she considered it happening again. But, reality set in.
Where there once was jerry-rigged, compromisable matte grey, there was now brown and black titanium that she'd designed herself. Where there once was bone, struggling to hold together, now there was steel, woven over and tightened down to the point that nothing could withstand its impact.
There was no blood coming from John's skin or his nose. There was only purple and orange blood coating his arms up to the elbow.
"Safe room's close, Doc. I'm gonna drop you off there, then get topside." John hurried, but Bailey's legs followed. She'd been training her mind as well as her body. Following the cadence of his walk was difficult, but doable. She would not be carried. Holding John's blood splattered hand tightly, she followed along, keeping a sharp lookout.
"Gotcha. Sorry I'm holding you back, John. The sooner you get upstairs, the sooner this shit is ov-" Bailey froze when a Jiralhanae stepped around the corner. John reacted far in advance of her, his muscles tensing. He released Bailey's hand and snatched the M6C pistol from his belt, opening fire. The brute's power armor shimmered. It would take too long to take him out this way. The creature charged down the hall, teeth borne and claws extended. It would be a glorious feat to kill a demon.
John bolted forward in turn, and landed the first blow with ease. The brute's head snapped to the side as John thrust a hook punch into the creature's jaw, rebuffing the brute's attempt at a strike. The brute staggered back. His armor was made of fairly stern stuff. Naked, and the blow would have shattered the jiralhanae's jaw. The brute turned and retaliated, but John weaved under a claw tipped swing and thrust his leg, giving the brute a powerful kick with his right leg. Doubling over, the Jiralhanae tried to turn and defend, but John sprang forward, thrusting his knee and striking the brute's chest. Armor dented, beneath each strike, as the brute's shielding failed. John sat on the beast's chest and threw merciless jabs and hook punches at the jiralhanae's face, each blow resounding like cannon fire.
Bailey watched, relatively at ease. If anything, she was pleased. This was a fairly good test for the shock absorption subroutines in the suit's shielding. That, and the Jiralhanae hadn't managed to land a single hit, courtesy of John's extensive close combat training.
The doctor suddenly noticed something behind her. A plodding, padded wound. She recognized the noise from her years of handling comms. The footsteps of an unggoy.
Bailey turned and drew her pistol, dropping to one knee. The grunt flinched, and went for the needler on his waist. However, Bailey was faster. She took aim, and fired a single shot, the bullet catching the grunt directly in the eyeball. The grunt fell backwards, killed instantly.
"Hey, I said call out if anything comes after you." John, having finished with the elimination of the jiralhanae, reunited with Bailey. He folded his arms, looking down at the grunt. "Nice shot, though."
"I think I can take on one grunt." Bailey lifted her pistol and blew on the smoking barrel. "Maybe we should switch jobs someday. I've been going to the firing range a lot, after all."
John rolled his eyes. "Enough jerking around. We've got to get you to the safe room."
"Aye aye, Lieutenant." Bailey followed John, as the two ran down the hallway.
Bailey felt like she'd finally put something in the past. There was always work to do on her Spartans armor, and there was always worrying to do about their wellbeing. But, for now, they were covered.
Until the next upgrade, anyway.
They were attempting to seize the ring, or at least die in the attempt. Spartan response was slow, but their defeat, in the mind of Dr. Bailey, was an absolute certainty.
As long as even one of her Spartans was combat ready, these raiders would fail spectacularly.
It was terribly nostalgic. She remembered the burns on John-B069's back. The bloody tears on his arms from where a brute's claws had worried through his skin. Her heart threatened to jump out of her chest when she considered it happening again. But, reality set in.
Where there once was jerry-rigged, compromisable matte grey, there was now brown and black titanium that she'd designed herself. Where there once was bone, struggling to hold together, now there was steel, woven over and tightened down to the point that nothing could withstand its impact.
There was no blood coming from John's skin or his nose. There was only purple and orange blood coating his arms up to the elbow.
"Safe room's close, Doc. I'm gonna drop you off there, then get topside." John hurried, but Bailey's legs followed. She'd been training her mind as well as her body. Following the cadence of his walk was difficult, but doable. She would not be carried. Holding John's blood splattered hand tightly, she followed along, keeping a sharp lookout.
"Gotcha. Sorry I'm holding you back, John. The sooner you get upstairs, the sooner this shit is ov-" Bailey froze when a Jiralhanae stepped around the corner. John reacted far in advance of her, his muscles tensing. He released Bailey's hand and snatched the M6C pistol from his belt, opening fire. The brute's power armor shimmered. It would take too long to take him out this way. The creature charged down the hall, teeth borne and claws extended. It would be a glorious feat to kill a demon.
John bolted forward in turn, and landed the first blow with ease. The brute's head snapped to the side as John thrust a hook punch into the creature's jaw, rebuffing the brute's attempt at a strike. The brute staggered back. His armor was made of fairly stern stuff. Naked, and the blow would have shattered the jiralhanae's jaw. The brute turned and retaliated, but John weaved under a claw tipped swing and thrust his leg, giving the brute a powerful kick with his right leg. Doubling over, the Jiralhanae tried to turn and defend, but John sprang forward, thrusting his knee and striking the brute's chest. Armor dented, beneath each strike, as the brute's shielding failed. John sat on the beast's chest and threw merciless jabs and hook punches at the jiralhanae's face, each blow resounding like cannon fire.
Bailey watched, relatively at ease. If anything, she was pleased. This was a fairly good test for the shock absorption subroutines in the suit's shielding. That, and the Jiralhanae hadn't managed to land a single hit, courtesy of John's extensive close combat training.
The doctor suddenly noticed something behind her. A plodding, padded wound. She recognized the noise from her years of handling comms. The footsteps of an unggoy.
Bailey turned and drew her pistol, dropping to one knee. The grunt flinched, and went for the needler on his waist. However, Bailey was faster. She took aim, and fired a single shot, the bullet catching the grunt directly in the eyeball. The grunt fell backwards, killed instantly.
"Hey, I said call out if anything comes after you." John, having finished with the elimination of the jiralhanae, reunited with Bailey. He folded his arms, looking down at the grunt. "Nice shot, though."
"I think I can take on one grunt." Bailey lifted her pistol and blew on the smoking barrel. "Maybe we should switch jobs someday. I've been going to the firing range a lot, after all."
John rolled his eyes. "Enough jerking around. We've got to get you to the safe room."
"Aye aye, Lieutenant." Bailey followed John, as the two ran down the hallway.
Bailey felt like she'd finally put something in the past. There was always work to do on her Spartans armor, and there was always worrying to do about their wellbeing. But, for now, they were covered.
Until the next upgrade, anyway.