Emergence *A Gears of War/ Halo Crossover*

With Judgement soon being on the way, I remember that I had Emergence to finish. I'll slowly but surely add what I had available, and if I think of it, I'll update it with a new chapter tonight!

Prologue :

Blaine sat in the Captain's chair of the Aura of Armaggedon. In the corner, Joshua, Phil, Morgan, and Craig shared old war stories of their time in S.C.O.R.E before the fall of Reach with David. Jorge was busy chuckling with Manny, Ben, Darryl, and Nine about some funny news he had recently heard. Blaine was happy to have S.H.A.D.O.W at full strength. The Master Chief, and the Arbiter had successfully destroyed Delta Halo and the Flood. Dr. Bailey and Blaine had recruited the Spartan IVs, and with the help of his old buddies trained them well.

But their training would really be tested in the next mission. Blaine looked over to Zeus' pedestal. Blaine looked at the avatar of the greek god. Artificial wind pushed his beard to the side while he processed some information, while the ship was in slip space. Blaine wasn' at peace yet, especially with the Covenant was now desperately attempting to eradicate Humanity WITHOUT the Elites on their side. The Armaggedon had met the Covenant forces mid flight from Harmony. His ship chased them through Slipspace, it actually made Blaine chuckle. Before Halo was discovered, most Covenant ships would combat a Human craft and win, but what they feared was the armament upgrades Anch I'bortee, Blaine's loyal ally, gave Blaine's ship the last time they met.

"Exiting Slipspace. Covenant Cruiser spotted." The Ensign alerted the bridge.

"Alright boys, let's go kill us some Covies eh?" Blaine cheered, along with his bridge.

"Unknown Planet detected-" Zeus started, "It's neither rebel NOR Covenant in Origin. I can tell because the Covenant B-Net says it was a blind jump. They think it's Earth, and in reality, it looks just like it." Zeus finished, his avatar disappearing into a chip for Blaine's helmet.

"Alright then. SHADOW, I want Josh, Phil, Morgan, and Craig with me in Shadow 1 to drop down in SOIEV pods for immediate deployment. Jorge, the Spartan IV's, Darryl and Nine I want in Shadow 2. Ensign, take the bridge and combat the Cruiser if it tries to bug. Inhabitants of the Planet might be hostile, so load for your buddies too." Blaine hinted.

"Well, what're ye waitin fer? Get yer asses movin'!" Morgan yelled in his Scottish accent. Even though Blaine was in command, and Morgan wasn't even close to Jorge in rank, he was Blaine's second in Command.

"I want Jorge in command of Shadow 2. We'll see you guys down there." Blaine said. Jorge nodded as his troops headed to the armory to pack and load into the Pelican. Blaine looked at his ODSTs and smiled under his helmet. "Lets do this."

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Dom took Marcus' advice and barricaded the door to the Tomb from the invading locust army. Augustus 'Cole Train' Cole and Damon Baird helped the hispanic cover the door with rubble to keep them out. Dom had short hair and a bit of stubble on his chin, his arms were bulky and strong, as were the others in Delta. Cole train obviously the strongest of them all. Baird was the thinnest, having barely any muscle in his arms, you would also say that he was one of the most 'normal' out of the other three.

The rag tag group of Gears stood around while Marcus contacted control.

"Control this is Private Fenix- Lt. Kim is dead, so we've fallen back in the Tomb and we need a way out." Marcus' gruff voice said.

"Repeat Delta, Kim is dead?" Anya Stroud, a good friend of both Dom and Marcus asked.

"Affirmative, K.I.A." Marcus replied coldly.

"Roger that," She sighed, "There's a Courtyard at the other end of your building, that's your best bet."

"Copy that." Marcus said. Dom looked over to Baird, who opened his mouth to talk.

"Well we sure as fuck can't stay here." Baird wise cracked.

"You're Baird?" Marcus asked curtly, hearing from Cole about Baird's smartass attitude.

"Yeah that's right asshole, question is who are YOU?!" Baird replied, puffing out his chest.

Suddenly a ear piercing screech filled the air as all the Gears searched the halls, a Cog soldier panicking.

"Oh shit quiet, don't move." Marcus said.

"A berserker, she can hear us... she can smell us!" Baird replied, fear filling his voice.

"Oh man, we're fucked... we're fucked! I'm getting the HELL out of here!" The soldier yelled, running around the corner. In front of him, the hulking, tough exterior of the Locust Berserker smashed through the wall and pummeled him to bits, a flame behind her shadowing the gruesome image to Delta squad.

"Oh my god." Dom whispered, a sudden series of thumps outside causing the Berserker to charge back out the way it came in.

"Control this is Delta, we have a Berserker on the premises, please advise." Marcus quietly requested.

"Hold your fire Delta, normal arms fire isn't capable of penetrating that tough skin-like armor. Do you have the Hammer of Dawn on you?" Anya whispered.

"Affirmative."

"You've only got a few minutes of satellite coverage Delta, get her outside and use the Hammer, that's the only thing that'll work." Anya finished.

"Wilco, Delta out." Marcus said, turning to Baird and Cole. "Stay put, we came to get you out, and that's what we're gonna do. Dom, let's go."

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Blaine and his ODST drop pods had successfully deployed into the city skirts. Blaine was certain that some sort of intelligent life lived here, he wasn't sure if they were hostile or not. After a few minutes of free fall, Blaine's team's pods hit the ground with many loud thumps into what appeared to be a street outside of a Tomb. Bodies of Covenant and creatures of unknown origin littered the ground. The pods busted open and the UNSC troops stepped out onto the street. Scanning with their weapons, they heard a shrill shriek.

"What in the hell was that?!" Joshua asked.

"I don't know, but it didn't sound friendly-" Blaine started, the wall of the Tomb ahead of them smashing with a huge hulking beast. The five soldiers opened fire on the creature, their bullets pinging off of it's skin.

"Our bullets aren't working!" Craig yelled. The creature's head snapped towards the source of the noise and charged towards him, the ground rumbling under it's strength.

"CRAIG DIVE!" Blaine yelled, the ODST diving to the right and narrowly avoided getting mowed over by the beast. "Everyone inside, I'll get it's attention!" Blaine stated, his ODSTs quietly bustling into the Tomb wall and hiding while Blaine led it in through the hole it created. The creature stumbled when not alarmed, almost as if it were blind. She yelled out in frustration.

Blaine situated himself in front of a feeble wall and shot her in the face. She screeched and charged towards him, alerted of his presence again. He dove out of the way, and the creature smashed the wall behind him, where two unfortunate armor clad humans stood. One of them with a dew rag on his head, the other with a clean crew cut hair dew, a hispanic accent, and stubble on his beard.

"Move move move!" The Dew ragged man whispered to the man behind him as the creature charged at them. Blaine and his ODSTs entered the hole it created and assisted the people by diverting it's attention at them. They all dived out of the way while the other two hustled the squad into the next room, a giant breakable door leading outside waited for them. The one with the dew rag sent the hispanic man to the sides. Blaine doing the same with his men as he stood beside the dew ragged man.

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Dom had no idea where these soldiers came from, or where they were from, but they had a vicious run in with the Berserker, and he was thankful that they had come to assist. Marcus stood beside the Blue and Red clad soldier that easily towered over them all. They fired their weapons, and the Berserker charged at them, the two diving in separate directions while it crashed through into the courtyard.

'She'd better not destroy Carlos' tombstone.' Dom mentally warned the creature. The mysterious soldier's men followed Marcus and Dom through the door. Marcus and Dom fired there Hammer of Dawns, the pillar of Fire raining down on the massive creature.

"FIRE NOW!" Marcus yelled to the men. All of the soldiers fired their weapons except the massive one in the red and blue. He ran up, activated a blue ball, and drove it deep into the now weakened skin of the Berserker, the ball glowed blue as it exploded, evaporating the charred corpse's torso, killing it instantly.

"Thanks for the assist. Name's Marcus, Private Marcus Fenix of the Coalition of Ordered Governments." Marcus said to the figure, who took his hand and firmly shook it.

"Name's Blaine, UNSC Navy, Captain."

'Captain, damn.' Dom thought to himself as Baird and Cole exited the Tomb and kicked the dead creature.
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"Control, this is Delta." The newly aquainted Marcus stated into an earpiece. A new, deeper voice entered the comm.

"Delta, report."

"We're here with Alpha, and we have the resonator." Marcus said, indicating the pack on the giant African American's back.

"Very good. Standby." there was a pause.

"You guys alright?" Marcus asked Blaine's team and the two kicking the corpse.

"Yeah, but we'd better get out of here soon, it's getting dark." The blonde, thin one stated.

"So?"

"New orders, you are to deploy that resonator at the Imulsion fields west of your position Sergeant Fenix, as of now." The voice said.

Chapter 1: TICK TICK BOOM

The Seran sun slowly began to sink over the horizon. Blaine wasn't quite sure what was running through his new allie's heads at the time, but he was damn sure this must've been the first sunset Marcus had seen in a LONG time. The look on Dom's face made it a guaranteed affirmative. The walk through the crimson town was quiet, in fact it was TOO quiet. Blaine knew for a fact things weren't going to last, or even what Marcus and the rest of Delta were up against. After a moment, Baird finally decided to open his mouth.

"So, interesting fact for ya Blaine. That Berserker you guys royally fucked? Yeah, that's a Locust woman. If that's not bad enough to digest, you might need to know that their anger fit is caused by the rape they have to deal with before deployment. How do I know this? Stories man, Stories that will cause you to hit the bottle faster than a bullet hitting a speeding train. I've always been curious how the hell the-"

"Baird, just shut the hell up." Dom replied over his shoulder, walking beside Marcus and Blaine.

"I'm telling ye, you and that Baird fella would get along nicely Josh." Morgan teased.

"Blow me." Baird and Josh replied sync'd, Cole and Phil disciplining the two smart asses.

"Oh fucking brother, another pairing, what about me?" Craig asked. "If Blaine and Marcus are alike, and Morgan and Dom are alike, those four are alike, who do I get?"

"Maybe you'll end up like Carmine if you don't shut it and keep your head down." Baird grunted.

"Too soon man, too soon." Dom added.

Blaine's mind was furious at Baird's remark, he didn't know what had happened to this 'Carmine', but judging from Dom's last remark he'd probably been killed before Blaine's squad arrived.

"You may not have known Anthony, but I've served with him for the last fifteen years, he was a good man. Had three brothers, two of which are in the service; Benjamin and Clayton. Show him a little respect." Dom said.

Baird quieted himself, and with good timing. Blaine felt like he was about to blow a fuse with Baird. Marcus only looked over to Blaine before grunting,

"Don't mind him, he's just a jackass to cope with the stresses of being a soldier."

"Screw off Fenix." Baird added. "So a Plan huh? What plan? You don't have a plan. You're just talking shit. Huh! Plan!" Baird scoffed.

"Just wait and see asshole." Dom replied.
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Dom knew that Blaine's group was in ways very similar to Delta, besides that Craig fellow. It was no wonder the poor guy felt left out. Dom could tell he wasn't a smart ass like Baird, but at the same time he wasn't quite as mannerful as Cole was. Blaine and Marcus were a lot alike, rough exterior, but friendly soft interior. Dom had a knack for pulling out the perks and disadvantages in people.

Dom didn't know how it was possible, but despite the lack of being of the same racial origin, Dom found himself frightfully close to Morgan in ways. Morgan was fatherly to people, but had that wise guy complex to him as well.

Suddenly, his comm went off, confusing Blaine and his men. Dom told the men the frequency as they changed it.

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"Delta, this is Anya. Hammer of Dawn is now offline." She reported.

"Aw shit." Marcus remarked, tossing down the weapon and lifting a massive Gnasher Shotgun off of a dead COG trooper. Blaine, curious about the Hammer, lifted it and clipped it to his back.

"I'll hold onto it, in case we need it." Blaine stated.

Turning the corner of the street, two distinct paths laid ahead of them, one higher than the other, the other leading into the back of a small business. The only thing separating the two paths was a fork, both having a metal sheet to walk across safely. Blaine knew that once the combined weight of them had crossed, there was no turning back, and the height of both paths weren't climbable.

"Control, we're outside Tomb." Marcus stated.

"The Imulsion Factory is ten clicks ahead. But be advised, you've got enemy forces moving to your location, they definitely know where you ar- I'm picking up about five new entities listening in on this conversatio-"

"Relax Anya, they're soldiers from off Sera. They've come to help us, while at the same time chasing alien species that they say might want to assist the Locust in killing us." Dom replied.

"Good, we could use more men. I'd like to speak to the officer in charge." Hoffman's voice crackled in Blaine's helmet.

"Captain Blaine, UNSC Navy, reporting for duty." Blaine spoke.

"Mhmm. Glad to have you aboard Captain, seeings how you're not from this Planet or military, my orders have no jurisdiction over you. But I expect one-hundred and ten percent out of you, understood?"

"How does one-hundred and eighty sound? My team is only at half strength currently." Blaine replied, and received a gruff affirmation from Hoffman. "May I request something though, if you see any purple ships flying in any air space you control, would you be willing to let me know so my team and I can do OUR mission too?" Blaine asked.

"We'll see what we can do." Hoffman added, cutting the line.

"Baby, you've got the talk, but can you walk the walk?" Cole teased from the back.

"Get me something to shoot and I'll show you. Cole train was it?" Blaine asked, receiving a nod from Cole.

"Blaine, we're gonna need to split up. Dom and Cole will go left, Baird and I will go right." Marcus said.

"Alright then. Morgan, Phil, you guys are with me, Dom and Cole. Josh, Craig, you go with Marcus, do as he commands, that's an order." Blaine barked.

"Of course, partner me up with the jackass." Josh whined.

"Am I really like that?" Baird asked with a grin. "'Cause I think I really do have a friend now."

"Just get moving." Marcus replied as they walked down the ramp and into the trench below, the metal sheet getting crushed by the combined weight of the four soldiers.

Dom and Cole walked over the metal sheet 'bridge' to sturdier ground. Phil and Morgan hopped over it, allowing it to sustain Blaine's weight without causing him to tumble. Blaine walked over it, and when he made it across, the metal tumbled down below, there was no way of getting back.

Approaching the door into the small business, Blaine vaulted over the jersey barrier behind the others, just as the walls collapsed and the entrance sealed. Dom pushed the comm button in his ear and said,

"Marcus, this route is no good, you'll have to find another way into the shop."

The room they were in almost reminded Blaine of a cave. It's dark black walls made it feel eerie, and with the massive gaping hole in the wall where they planned to be heading, Blaine knew something was about to happen, which was confirmed when Marcus spoke.

Two lumbering, pure white beasts carrying massive weapons stomped down the hallway that the hole lead into, one of the creatures stomped down on a mouse, crushing it instantly to bits.

"Shit." Marcus spoke in the comm. "Dom, you guys got Boomers down there."

"Shit." Dom replied, causing a chuckle from Morgan.

"BOOOM!" The two creatures bellowed as they fired their grenade launchers at the team. Blaine's sniper quickly unclipped from his back, and four rounds hit the head of the one on the right. Blood poured from the wound, but not enough force was behind the rounds.

"What the hell?!" Blaine yelled in frustration as another clip gave the same results.

"That's why, you guys are still using gasoline to fuel your weapons and make them. We use Imulsion." Dom replied, loading a clip of the rifle into the beast's head, knocking it over.

Out of nowhere though, a lone alien jumped onto the remaining Boomer's neck and bit down- hard. The Grunt ignited a Plasma Grenade and stuck it into the bite wound, hopping off and diving towards Blaine for cover.

"Kayap? What are you doing here?" Blaine asked.

"Me sent here with Covenant ship you guys chase. They abandoned me. Others are in Phantom waiting at your ship for further instruction. Me came alone to search for you guys, at big brown human's request."

"Nine." Blaine remarked.

Returning his attention to the weapon in Dom's hand he noticed that the weapon sported a chainsaw chain on the front of the gun.

"Lancer, pretty nice huh?" Dom said.

"Yeah, I need to get me one of those." Blaine replied. He clipped the sniper to his back, instead hefting the Boomer's Boomshot and raiding the other's corpse for it's ammo.

"Damn, these things are almost as big as you Cole." Baird said through the comm.

"Yeah, almost." Cole replied from right beside Blaine.

Craig and Morgan lifted two Hammerbursts in the armory in the back of the business, clipping their Assault rifles to their backs.

"Whoo boy, I look forward to seeing a Brute's ugly mug after I use this baby on it!" Phil replied, aiming down the iron sights on the weapon.

Continuing through the hallway the Boomers arrived from, Blaine and the others were taken by surprise when a giant spider that barely fit inside of the large building burrowed underground. Kayap froze in his position, Blaine giving him a reassuring pat on the tank.

"Corpser, it's falling back-" Marcus stated through the comm.

"Yeah, it's saving us for later, like a snack."

"Bullshit." Blaine replied.

"You think I'm kidding." Baird rebutted.

"No, I think you're bat shit crazy, that's what I think." Blaine finished the argument as they continued to trek through the warehouse.

"Aw ain't that cute." Cole added.

"Yeah, like two assholes on a first date." Dom replied with a chuckle. Cole giving a hearty laugh to the joke.

Finally exiting the building, the only thing separating the team was a chain link fence. Before anyone was able to scale it though, a hole appeared out of the ground.

Chapter 2: Stranded.

The two halves of Delta tensed as Locust Drones and Grenadiers climbed out of the holes. This had been Blaine and his men's first encounter with the infantry of the locust horde. The Grenadiers gave a toothy smirk as they fired their Gnashers at the soldiers, who quickly sought refuge from the powerful shells and bullets flying from the Locust's weapons.

Kayap, unaware of the immense power at his disposal, fired a single overcharged bolt at a Locust Sniper in the building above, who had taken aim at Joshua. The Plasma was able to melt the face and head off of the Sniper, effectively evaporating the marksman's head clear off of it's shoulders. Kayap did a bit of a jig at his first clean kill in the new raging war. Blaine lifted his Boomshot and aimed towards the hole that the Horde clambered out of.

"BOOOM THIS MOTHERFUCKERS!" Blaine yelled, a single shell ejected from the massive gun, detonating and causing the hole to collapse, killing the Locust inside and around the hole. Joshua and the rest of Blaine's soldiers stared in awe at the spectacle while Delta went about their business, unfazed by the sight.

"Would you guys like to help us now or later?" Baird snarked, Cole brushing him off.

"That's how the Cole Train would do it baby! WHOOO!" Cole laughed out.

Marcus and Baird approached the entrance of the building connecting the two separate sides of the fence together, Marcus was about to enter, when massive Imulsion coated rounds were fired and plastered the wall behind him. The wall started to melt as the molecules slowly destabilized.

"What the hell, Troika's never do that?" Dom asked.

"Yeah, I bet they don't." Blaine interjected, "But Plasma and Imulsion would." The ODSTs under his command knew instantly what was going on. The Covenant had sided with the Locust Horde. "This is where OUR mission comes in fellas." Blaine stated, pulling his shotgun off of his back and pumped it single handedly.

"That kick back'll kill your arm." Dom remarked as Blaine smirked beneath his helmet's visor. Suddenly, the bloodthirsty howl of a brute rang out, as a hulking hairy ape rushed out of the building on Blaine's side, a Lancer in it's grubby hands. Blaine had situated himself just by the entrance, keeping his shotgun at the ready while he waited for the creature to exit.

When it's feet left the threshold, Blaine's finger met the trigger, and the buckshot of his UNSC issued Shotgun blasted the beast's head clear from it's shoulders. Clipping his shotgun to his back, he lifted the Lancer and examined it.

"Tis a fine weapon." He stated, loading a fresh clip into it with difficulty at first. Dom smiled and handed Blaine a few clips of his own, along with a massive spike covered grenade.

"Throw that frag in there bro, and I promise you the fireworks'll be very satisfying." Dom remarked, as Blaine tossed it in the room, the Troika turret keeping both sides of the team pinned down with it's plasma covered bullets. The grenade had missed it's mark, disappointing Blaine.

"May Kayap have one?" The grunt asked, to which Dom hesitantly gave him one. "Kayap have idea Blaine. Kayap will pretend to kill Blaine, then return to 'allies' inside, plant grenade and bail. Sound good?"

Blaine shrugged.

"Be careful." Blaine said as he waited for Kayap's bolts to 'pop' his shields. Finally, he made a blood curtling scream in 'death' as he fell over, being dragged out of the way by the others. Kayap mocked pride as he entered, the Brutes congratulating him on a job well done.

While one wasn't looking, he planted his grenade on the thigh of the Troika's spotter, a Brute who barely felt the grenade attach to him, giving the Grunt mere seconds to flee. Kayap ran to high heaven as Blaine rolled out of his cover, firing a single magnum round and detonating the grenade, successfully decommissioning the turret and it's gunners.

"Everyone form up inside." Marcus stated bluntly, to which Blaine barked for his team to do so as well.

Inside the destroyed building was a giant iron door keeping them from the route Dom was having them go in. Marcus tried kicking the door, to no avail.

"I could use some help here." Marcus said.

"On it." Blaine said, kicking and punching the incredibly tough metal door, only to dent it. "Boy, she's on there pretty good."

Suddenly a cloaked bot appeared out of no-where, alarming Blaine's men. Marcus mimed them to lower their weapons.

"This is Jack, when there isn't a door to open, Jack'll 'rip' it off of it's hinges." Baird said. "That, or Fenix and Dom need to head back to boot."

"Yo man, the only boot and head I'm seeing here is my boot in your head in two seconds pal." Dom replied curtly.

"We gotta get out of here. If you've got a plan, let's hear it." Cole suggested.

"I know somebody who lives out here. He's got a vehicle we can use, it's a piece of crap Junker, but at least it runs." Dom answered.

"What? You KNOW one of these 'Stranded' guys?" Baird asked.

"Stranded?" Blaine asked, Baird opened his mouth to speak, only to have Marcus clear his throat.

"Stranded are what you would consider homeless people. After Emergence Day, the COG, our military, has been combating the Locust. Well the Locust went after our civilians, which initially went on to cause the separation of COG and Stranded. Stranded hate COG, and COG feel pity for Stranded, which they hate." Marcus replied.

"As I was saying, there is a camp ahead." Dom finished.

By this time, Jack finally opened the door again. Baird, deciding to push Dom, spoke up.

"So you um... hang out with Stranded." He chuckled quietly.

"I don't 'hang out' dick head, I'm looking for someone, and the stranded are the only ones that might now where she is.

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The thought of Maria's condition after the death of both Benedicto and Sylvia, Dom's children, was devastating to the hispanic. How dare Baird take it this far. Inside, Dom was worried sick for her, it had been at least five years now. Dom wasn't sure if his wife was dead in a trench somewhere or living amongst the Stranded in search of her illusions of her kin. Dom refused to think of her as insane, rather in denial of the unfortunate and untimely passing of Dom's kids. As he explained the story to the UNSC soldiers, everything grew quiet. When Morgan walked beside Dom and laid a hand down on his shoulder.

"I know what it's like to lose a wife, me dear wife passed away when she gave birth to Blaine over here." Morgan paused, in pain. "Then I thought I had lost Blaine after having to give him to an adoption clinic. At the time, I wasn't allowed to keep him as my own, and eventually he walked out of the place, barely even seven." Morgan said, depolarizing his visor and allowing the hispanic to take in the sorrowful look in the Old man's eyes.

Marcus, apparently in the same mental hatred for Baird, spoke next.

"Shut up Baird. Lets keep moving." Marcus consoled his friend, not really knowing what to say, despite the fact he had been present with her when she mysteriously slipped out of his sight, and took it personally as his fault for losing her.
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"So, this Stranded folk... they got chow?" Joshua asked, decided to change the mood.

"Hard to tell baby. Some folks do, some don't." Cole added.

"Yeah, and when they do it always taste like it came straight out of their ass, looks it too." Baird commented.

Blaine almost found it impossible how much the time had passed, the sun was extremely low in the sky, but in the distance he could barely see what appeared to be a refugee camp. Pointing over to it, he caught a glimpse of motion.

"Is that it over there Dom?" Blaine asked.

"Yup. Hurry though, this is Locust turf and-" Suddenly, the ground beneath them quaked as the Corpser surfaced, opening up two emergence holes for Grenadiers, Drones, and another pair of Boomers to crawl out of, before it burrowed down again and disappeared from sight.

"SEE!? I told you it's chasing us!" Baird yelled in Blaine's ear before the team took cover behind a pillar.

Blaine stood, firing his Boomshot at one Boomer, the round flew gracefully as it took it's head off, detonating at it's partner's shoulder. The shoulder was missing a huge chunk, but that didn't stop the creature from firing a round back, shattering their cover in half. Kayap, Josh, Phil and Morgan combated the Drones, while Marcus, Baird, and Cole focused on the Grenadiers. Blaine and Dom focused their fire on the last boomer, Blaine having run out lifted their ammo and added it to his pouch when the coast was clear.

The team double timed it to the camp. A giant movable fence in the way, a man loading just enough shells into his Gnasher shotgun to down everyone of them but Blaine, sat on top of the fence.

"Hey man, what's up." Dom said, ignoring the threat.

"Same ol' s*!t" The gatekeeper replied.

"Franklin here?" Dom asked.

"Yep. Usual spot." The man finished, opening the gate for them. People inside ran, especially from Blaine and his men, not even looking like COG.

"That COG bullshit ain't gonna save you out here." One man said as he locked his window.

Blaine couldn't help but be shocked, did the COG treat Stranded like crap, or was it just the Stranded being ungrateful. Blaine wasn't sure who was luckier, the UNSC civvies, or COG civvies.

"Waz hat nin?" One drunk stranded asked as they passed, Josh holding a look of disgust at the people. A man with dreadlocks down to his shoulders sitting with two guards.

"It's all you Dom." Marcus said as he told the others to stand down.

"Hey Santiago man! What 'chu doing here man? No news on the lady man. I'd tell you if I heard anythin." He said, getting closer, "Man, I can't be seen near you, bad for business."

"Give me that Junker of yours." Dom replied bluntly.

"What? Get real man." Franklin scoffed.

"I'm serious, we need it." Dom insisted, Blaine was confused by what was going to happen.

"Sorry to hear you're having problems bro, but I AIN'T giving you my ride." Franklin said, his guards tensing as Blaine's instincts caused him to tense as well. Dom started poking at Franklin's chest, his face becoming nasty with anger.

"YOU OWE ME, well I'm calling in the favor, NOW!" The two Stranded pumped their shotguns and drew closer.

Franklin called them off as he smirked.

"All right, All right man I'll do it. Yo on one condition. Those five stay here, as collateral. We could use the extra guns man." Franklin sneered, pointing out Phil, Josh, and Craig, along with Cole and Baird.

"You listen here dirtbag, you ain't taking my-" Blaine started, not willing to give up three of his ODSTs to these fidgety fuckers.

"What my friend means to say is; deal." Dom stammered.

Franklin eyed into Blaine's visor, oh how the Spartan wanted to punch him so bad.

"It's at the Aspho gas station, why don'tcha go get it?" Franklin mused as he slowly retreated into his home with the others. "Oh hey yo! Yo Santiago! We square now, no more favors asshole!"

Blaine, Morgan, Dom and Marcus walked out the other side of the facility. Over the comm. Josh and Baird were whining while Cole and Phil tried to be optimistic.

"This is bullshit" Baird's voice crackled in the comm.

"Told you I had a plan." Dom replied. "Sorry about your men Blaine. But if they play it cool, it'll be over before they know it."

"If you know these Stranded so much, I'll trust your decisions." Blaine replied cooly.

Chapter 3: Shadows

The gate behind Blaine, Marcus, Morgan, and Dom slammed shut, separating the Captain from the Stranded and some of his men. Looking up the crimson of the setting sun seemed to strike fear into Dom's heart. Blaine watched as the hispanic's face curled up at the sun, as if something bad was going to happen.

The road and street that lay ahead of the four was tattered and war torn. Rubble held in piles, a single wrecked car giving off a brilliant flame. It surprised the Captain about how bad of destruction the COG had it on Sera. But Blaine had seen worse and in essence was in the same boat as them at one point. Although his mission is important, he wouldn't mind helping these Humans settle their problems, especially when dealing with things like Berserkers.

Blaine shuttered at the thought of the hulking apparent Female beasts of the Locust Horde. One of the few things the veteran Spartan couldn't kill, and he was fearful of them. Dom put a hand to his comm and spoke while they walked down the street,

"So where are we going Franklin?" Dom asked.

"Chap's gas station! Corner of F street and 13th!" Franklin's smug voice replied through Blaine's helmet comm.

"There's gonna be a bunch of Locust between here and there." Dom replied.

"Shit you got that right son! Yous need to hit our checkpoints for some ammo. The first one's by the river, so if I was yo ass, I'd get my ass there pronto... you dig?" Franklin asked.

"The only thing I'll be digging is your grave if you do anything to my men." Blaine spoke off of the comm.

"Did I hear someone mumble something?" Franklin asked through Marcus' comm.

"No Franklin, it's Locust. We'll contact you once we've hit the first checkpoint!" Dom yelled, pretending they were under attack. "Yo Blaine, it's fine. Sure he's a royal pain in the ass but Franklin'll take care of your men. He's just got to act up in front of his people, or else they'd abandon him for the coward he really is."

"Sorry Dom, but my men are more sacred to me then my life." Blaine replied.

"I respect that, same goes for Maria-" Dom paused and shook his head.

"Let's move." Marcus replied in a whisper.

Blaine found a door that looked pretty brittle and kicked it in, leading to the cool blue light of the artificial lights in the kitchen. The team worked their way through the house, looking for any variation of the Locust Horde inside. When clear the group met at the back exit to the house.

"Kayap is slightly scared." Kayap shivered, looking around. "Me feels bad evil coming." Blaine was about to say something, when Dom interjected.

"Your little alien friend is right Blaine, something bad will come if it gets any later." Marcus stared just as confused as Kayap at Dom, who only shook his head. "I'll explain in a bit."

"Yeah, lets get that checkpoint eh?" Morgan asked with a grin.

"Let's do it." Dom replied, kicking the door down.

A roar and evil laughter filled the air as Imulsion covered rounds sprayed the door. Blaine hopped out the door and behind a fallen pillar, his shields screaming inside of his head, the Imulsion rounds quickly draining his shields faster than plasma. Peeking his head up, Blaine spotted two Grenadiers holding Gnashers and a single Sniper with a Longshot sniper rifle.

Blaine continued to peek at his surroundings. A quiet shack sat next to a gondola for the river's transport. The area appeared to be a boat landing of sorts, the wooden docks utterly destroyed from years of warfare taking place there. A glint of light from the scope of the Longshot made the Spartan duck by a millisecond. Beneath the shack there had been a propane tank, Blaine pulled up his UNSC sniper and aimed at the tank, knowing his normal rounds would have little effect, even on the weak Sniper's head.

When the Sniper poked his body out of cover, Blaine let a quick bullet fly, smashing into the tank and detonating it immediately, the fire and explosion quickly burned the shack to the ground, leaving the pair of Grenadiers to fight the team. Marcus jumped out of cover and laid down fire on one of them, Dom, Kayap, and Morgan fired on the other. Blaine quickly clipped his sniper to his back, pulling out his Lancer and hopping over the cover.

One of the Grenadiers saw him and fired, knocking out his shields. Blaine revved the chainsaw and advanced, the others successfully killing the other Grenadier. The sight of the massive human with a Lancer was enough to make the Grenadier attempt to flee, but was shot in the knee by Kayap's plasma pistol. Blaine kicked the downed beast onto it's back and let the saw work it's way diagonally down it's torso.

The sounds of wailing was enough to get Blaine and the others jump started. Looking up, Blaine watched as a Covenant Spirit dropped down from the sky, dropping a squadron of Grunts, Jackals, and a pair of Brutes.

"Are those the aliens you guys are after?" Dom asked, not hesitating to fire on them with his own Lancer.

Finally comfortable with using UNSC weaponry again, Blaine placed the Lancer on his back and pulled out his sniper, doming a pair of Grunts and a Jackal before reloading. Morgan swapped to his assault rifle, riddling the bird with bullets as it fell to the ground. Blaine stomped on it's chest as the two Brute Minors charged, the shield on the dead bird's arm jumped up to his grasp, he activated it and threw it, slicing the head off of one Brute.

The other one approached and hit Blaine, knocking him backwards as Marcus ran up behind it, activating his chainsaw and sawing from it's crotch up, slagging the ape in two.

"THAT was satisfying." Marcus replied, wiping the Brute's purple blood off of his face.

The five clambered aboard the Gondola, the Spirit hovered above them with it's troop bays open.

"It's gonna drop more on us!" Morgan yelled, pointing up to it.

Dom looked over at the sun, which finally set beyond the horizon of the city, and darkness fell over them.

"No their not." He smirked as suddenly the sky filled with black creatures that buzzed around each other and the skyline of buildings. A few of these creatures pounded their way inside of the vehicle, killing the occupants. The machine dipped, ready to crash into them.

"Move this damn thing with the pipe wheel!" Marcus yelled.

Blaine gripped the sturdy wheel and turned it as hard as he could quickly gaining speed as the wheel got used to turning after so many years of travel.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE THINGS!" Blaine yelled as he docked the gondola.

"Kyrll, nasty little bastards. As you've seen, it doesn't take long for one to die to those things. But don't fret, they can only 'see' you in the dark. They hunt as a pack, and anything careless enough to step into the dark without a tiny bit of light to cover them will be their prey, Covenant, Locust, or Human alike. Funny, considering how they're a part of the Locust Horde, guess their master's killing is affecting their diets." Dom replied cooly.

"Franklin, we've crossed the river." Marcus said in the comm.

"Good, Checkpoint 1 is right ahead of you. Oh, and say hello to Fred and Billy for me would ya man?" Franklin replied.

"Sure... whatever." Marcus replied.

The team approached a pair of Stranded behind a pillar, a light flickering above their heads, two fires lit by their ammo and weapon reserves.

"Josh, this is Blaine, how are things going?" Blaine asked through the team's comm.

"Hello Blaine, this is Baird, I see you've figured out how a comm works. I'm also glad you've come to inquire about us after leaving us here. FYI, it's bull-shit, someone here figured out Cole's a superstar athlete, now it's all: 'Cole train tell us about that play again!' and 'Hey number 83, sign my shirt!'" Baird mocked the people.

"Where the hell are you guys?!" Josh asked through the comm.

"We're working on it, sit tight." Dom replied.

The comm clicked off, and Blaine watched as the two men beckoned the team to stand back.

"Stay there, we're coming over!" One of the two said.

"Stay under the light!" The other warned as ironically, the light above them flickered off, dead.

"Aw shit!" One of them yelled, throwing his Gnasher to the ground in defeat.

Kayap turned away as the sounds of the two men being torn to little gibblets in a matter of seconds rattled the teams brains. The blood curtling cries of pain enough to scare any man for weeks.

"Franklin, it's Santiago.... you're men-" Dom said quietly.

"They got turned to cat chow." Blaine replied curtly.

"Yo man, I could put these guys on latrine duty, don't think I didn't hear your previous comments dawg." Franklin replied in the same manner.

"Anyways Santiago, it's dark out now so you better watch it. Kryll might get you dawg. Johnson! Check the lights! Yo man, you guys had better move their probably on their way to us as well. Better keep moving too, Checkpoint 2 is up ahead a ways." Franklin finished.

Chapter 4: Nightmare on Elm Street.

*From now on, I'm going to twist the story, and may even cut some of the minor scenes. Mainly because this will be a LONG story if I gather every single mini detail. So now the story moves to where Blaine, Morgan, Phil, Kayap, Marcus, AND Dom arrive at Checkpoint 2*

The path between Checkpoint 1 had been filled with Darkness, Locust Drones. Blaine wiped a tad bit of blood off of his visor, finally arriving at Checkpoint with the others.

"Took long enough for god sake." Morgan replied. "Please tell me this 'Junker' of yer's will keep us safe from those horrid creatures..." Morgan shuddered at the thought of the Kryll.

"No guarantee. Oh look, this man can tell us the way." Dom paused with a grin, walking ahead of the group with Marcus.

"Huh. You state yer names! HA! Look at dem fool ass faces." The man behind the sandbag said, sucking down another swig of alcohol.

"I think I found a new friend." Morgan said, walking forward as Dom reached out and stopped him.

"Franklin sent us." Marcus growled curtly.

"Well no SHIT! I know what yer doing here dammit!" The man said in a drunken slur.

"Look, we're heading to Chap's Gas Station-" Blaine said.

"Pfft. You're the ugliest son of a bitch I EVER did see!" The man replied, taking another swig as Blaine unhinged his pistol and blew the bottle to bits.

"Focus you ignorant prick! Gas station, info, NOW!" Blaine said, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt.

"Good luck! Ain't no light between here and there. I guess you're fat ass is doomed, eh?!"

"Oh you think so?" Blaine replied, putting his pistol to the man's head. "I've dealt with things a lot worse than the damn Kryll. Now move it."

"Fine, whatever! Go in the house- I'll run the lights."

Marcus growled and nodded to an apartment building over to their right, the light from the man's booth more than enough to accommodate them.

"Jack, stay here and keep a comm. link with this guy."

"Oh OK! I'll stay here and talk with yer trash can! You dinks can count on me!" The man said, as Jack appeared once again and floated alongside the guy, accompanying him around the house.

"DON'T SCREW UP!" Dom yelled to him.

The man replied with a finger around the corner and a sentence over the comm.

"Hey man, I screw up, I don't EVER have to see your asses again! 'Cause you'll be dead. Haha."

"I'm gonna fucking kill this guy." Blaine said.

"I would agree." Dom replied. "But we kinda need 'em. Maybe afterwards..."

"Enough. Form up on me." Marcus called from the front.

"Affirmative." Blaine replied, nodding as he and Dom hustled forward.

The group walked into the house, which was a mess from the years of war-fare. Trash littered the house, and furniture was soaked in piss, blood, and vomit from the nomads who occasionally called it home, if anyone was still out there.

" There's some bad shit in there. You'd best be on the look out! " The man replied.

As the group moved, the man outside would turn on the lights accordingly, allowing them safe passage. Peeking through the window, the man watched as Blaine was the last to walk through the hallway, and suddenly cut the lights.

" Light's still on? " The man asked nonchalantly, as the Kryll rained down on Blaine, pinging off of his shields as he swatted them away. Suddenly, the lights were back on. " HAHAHA just messing with yeah! "

"THAT'S IT!" Blaine roared as he turned to fire, just as the man cut the lights again.

Blaine growled and dove back into the light, the Kryll that attempted to follow him soon dispersed back into the night sky. A growl, or yelp of some sort called out from the back of the next hallway, and Blaine raised his Lancer to aim at whatever was down there. The lights turned on towards the back of the hall, and the Wretches attacked.

Blaine unloaded his entire clip into them, putting the pack of four or more into the ground they had so eagerly popped out of. Blaine stood up and dusted himself off, as Marcus, Dom, Kayap, and Morgan followed soon behind him. The door out of the Apartments was blocked by a heavy looking bookshelf. Blaine, steaming with anger, lashed his boot out and struck the bookshelf head on, launching it back into another pack of Wretches.

"All clear." Blaine reported dryly.

"Holy shit." Dom replied. "Remind me not to piss you off anytime soon."

"You drink?" Blaine asked.

"Used to, and only during celebrations." Dom replied.

"Then in no way can you possibly piss me off."

Marcus stepped forward, aiming his snub pistol at yet another Propane tank on the side-walk. Blowing it sky high, the gaseous flame lit up the street enough to allow them safe passage to the road ahead. At the top of the hill was a burning car. Blaine looked up to see an old sign that read: CHAP'S GAS: Not the kind that come's out of your ass.

"The station is just down this road." Dom said. "Give me a hand here." Dom tried to push on the car to light their path down.

Blaine walked behind the car and pushed Dom aside. Lifting the tail end, Blaine set the thing over the edge and eventually down the hill.

"AW FUCK! STAY CLOSE TO THE CAR!" Marcus roared, chasing after the burning vehicle.

Dom followed right behind Marcus. Blaine hefted Kayap onto his shoulder and laid Morgan over his other, and raced after the others, the light barely on him as he tried to catch up. After quite a few feet of downward rolling, the car finally crashed into a barrier, and the Gas station lit up the road around them.

"Thank god. Let's NOT do that again." Dom replied.

"Amen brother!" Morgan replied, jumping off of Blaine's shoulder with Kayap.

"OVER HERE YOU DUMBSHITS!" A cranky old man yelled from the entrance.

The group walked forward, annoyed by yet another jackass.

"You fucking morons must've had your head up your asses. Because now you've burned half the neighborhood down, and we've got Locust, Kryll, and some new sort of freak-ass creatures coming this way now. All thanks to you."

"Tell us where the car is old man." Marcus replied angrily.

"I honestly didn't think you dipshits were gonna show, so I didn't fill it up. It should be YOUR job anyways. The pump's over there." Chap said, pointing at a valve over near the edge of light.

"Great. So who get's to get their ass chewed by those... bat things?" Morgan asked.

Blaine sighed and walked over to the valve, giving it a nice strong twirl, perhaps too strong. The valve continued to spin, and Chap roared as he ran over, his revolver pointed at Blaine's helmet.

"You god damn buffoon! Now this Imulsion's gonna spread all over the place."

"Maybe that's a good thing. This place is a fucking dump." Blaine replied.

"Where the hell are your manners?"

"I don't show any to those who don't have them." Blaine replied. "Look, I just fought through a fucking city filled with all these damn things trying to kill me, meanwhile, I'm worrying about my men at my base AND the men we left at your little bitch's place. So DON'T fuck with me right now! You can come along with us, or die at this gas station. It's your choice."

Chap scoffed and walked away, as the others entered the main store to gather ammo and weapons for the others.

"GROUNNNNNDWALLLLLKKEEEERR!" A group of voices yelled, as a fully illuminated Phantom dropped down above them, and Locust poured in from the city streets.

"Oh great." Chap said. "We're fucked."

Chapter 5: Gas 'n Go.

Blaine left the valve, pulling his sniper off of his back. Taking a knee, Blaine squeezed the trigger. His bullet flew up into one of the Covenant's lights, taking out one side of it's ship's light source. Firing another round, he was struck in the right shoulder by a Hammerburst round, which nearly popped his shield. His bullet strayed a bit, but still struck a light source.

The Kryll swarmed the back half of the Phantom, as the front turret's spotlight turned to face the Swarm. The Kryll quickly dispersed, but at the cost of their front turret. A squadron of Grunts and Brutes, fitted with L.E.D variants of their armor, made them immune to the Kryll storm.

Blaine had no time to attack them, immediately seeking shelter from the Hammerburst rounds of the Locust Horde. Chap ran forward, his pistol whipping back with each firing. The bullet's must've been enormous, as it blew the head of one of the Brute's clean off of it's shoulders.

"Damn it, is that thing filled yet?" Dom yelled over his Lancer fire.

"Negative, and even if it was, that Covenant ship would melt right through the metal." Blaine said. "We take that thing out and we clear the Locust Horde a bit... we'll be free."

"Suppress fire!" Marcus barked. "Cover Blaine while he takes out those damn lights!"

"BOOOOM!" A Boomer growled from behind the Junker. Blaine sighed and pulled out the Boomshot on his back.

"NO YOU IDIOT!" Chap yelled "You'll hit the gas pumps and kill us all!"

Morgan searched for more weapons in the back of the station, when a long, sleek rifle came into his sights, neatly propped up against the wall.

"Merry fucking' Christmas boyo!" Morgan yelled with excitement, tossing the rifle over to Blaine's position.

"A Longshot!" Dom replied. "SAY YOUR PRAYERS BITCHES!"

Blaine waited a second for the enemy to reload it's Grenade Launcher, and stood up, aiming down the scope. Putting the light blue reticule over it's head, Blaine squeezed the trigger and felt the butt of the rifle kick his shoulder hard, popping his shields.

The Imulsion fused bullet pierced the Boomer's skull, and exploded it like fireworks. The boomer fell to the ground, but not without it's grenade launcher firing towards the tank just beside Blaine. Panicking, Blaine dove behind the cover, holding his hands to his helmet as it exploded.

"DAMN IT!" Chap roared, his Boltok still firing and killing.

"Now is as good a time as any!" Marcus yelled. "I'd rather die in our objective than from a Imulsion explosion!"

Blaine nodded and stood with his Longshot, loading another round into the chamber to draw attention. Meanwhile, Kayap, Dom, and Morgan ran over to the Junker, as Marcus stayed to suppress with Blaine. Chap had been by the Junker all this time, so he was the first to hop in.

"Captain!" Marcus roared. "Let's GO!"

Clipping the sniper to his back, Blaine pulled out his Lancer and followed Marcus to the Junker, turning on his heels to fire at the Horde. The Covenant's plasma whined as their numbers increased too. Blaine hopped in, pulling out his Boomshot as Marcus took the wheel. Dom unhitched the fuel pump and jumped in, the Imulsion leaked out onto the pavement.

Blaine opened the hatch of the Junker and stood out, Dom aimed the giant spotlight on the top of the gun at him, as he fired a grenade at the Phantom's engine core. The right side lost control, and the lights flickered out, as the Kryll stormed the machine. The Phantom dipped, and crash landed into the Gas Station, effectively blowing up Chap's Gas Station, and any enemy troops on the way.

Marcus closed the hatch and continued down the road. Blaine sat back and relaxed a moment as the vehicle cruised down the road. It was built like a tank and looked like one too. Hell, it preformed better than a Warthog.

"Alright. The engine isn't good enough to run the Turret AND the Accelerator. You two will have to time it correctly to get this thing to work." Chap said from behind him.

"This is going to be a LONG ride if you don't shut the hell up." Morgan replied.

-----------------------------------------------------------

"Where the fuck is the freak?!" Josh yelled, hiding from behind cover, Phil and Craig squatted beside him.

"He'll be here. Chill the fuck out." Craig replied. "Honestly, you've asked that same question every damn minute for the past two hours. These people live in the same conditions we would have on Earth if we weren't soldiers."

"Sounds like you guys got it bad at home too baby." Cole said beside him, standing and firing his Lancer at the Locust who popped out of the ground. "Us COG can hold out until then."

"Yes Josh. We're ODST's remember?" Craig reminded him. "We take the hard jobs that ONI don't want the Spartan's doing."

"Whatever." Josh replied curtly. "He'd better hurry the hell up. Baird and I hate this place."

"Don't count me in with you." Baird replied. "Your a fucking whineass. I hate Stranded, nothing more, nothing less."

"Sure. That's why you skipped a heart beat when that sweet girl came out of the shelter earlier baby." Cole replied.

"Yeah, that was until I saw her with the damn marker and a Thrashball Jersey with YOUR number on it!"

"That's fine and dandy fellows, but we can't take them on ourselves!" Phil replied, standing with his Hammerburst. "If any more show up, Blaine won't have to worry about coming here for us!"

A beam of light greeted them, as boots sloshed into the mud and onto the wooden catwalks that they stood on.

"Sitrep Soldiers." Blaine replied, crouching beside them.

"We're getting our asses handed to us. What else do you need to know? How to fire that Lancer?" Baird replied. "Shoot something!"

"GAHHHHH!" A Stranded yelled, falling to the ground dead. A turret was placed where he was standing, and Blaine wanted so much to try it.

"Oooh." Blaine replied. "Jorge would LOVE this!"

Pressing the buttons to fire the gun, the massive Imulsion covered bullets sprayed the Locust troops as they climbed out of this Emergence holes. Marcus, Morgan, Chap, Kayap, and Dom entered the fray from the enemy's left flank. As the numbers dwindled, victory seemed to be in their grasp, until the final words shook the encampment.

"MISCREANTSSSSSSSS!" A deep, unsettling voice boomed over the camp.

"Shit HE'S here!" Dom yelled.

"Yeah, and after what he did to Lt. Kim, I'm gonna make him wish he never came here." Marcus replied.

"WHO?!" Josh yelled. "WHO'S HERE?!!"

"Who else?!" Baird replied. "Fucking General RAAM!!!"

"DIIIIIEEEEEEE UMMMMMMMAAAANNNNS!" RAAM's voice hissed, as a flying bug thing without wings descended on them.

"Jesus he's on a Reaver!" Baird replied.

"Time to squash this bug!" Cole said, as he and the others opened fire on RAAM's Reaver.

Blaine stood and fired his Boomshot's last round, striking the Reaver head on. The beast plowed head first into the ground, and exploded into a bunch of gore.

"Holy shit." Josh said. "Not so tough to be a General, was he?!"

"SUUUUUUUUFFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRR!" RAAM roared.

Blaine stood, as everyone else crouched behind the encampment. RAAM strode forward, his black cloak cascading down past his feet. He had an ugly grey face, fangs sticking out of his bottom jaw. He barely had any hair, and his yellow fish-like eyes stared into Blaine's black visor. RAAM grinned as he pointed at the Spartan, a hail of Kryll came from the sky and attacked Blaine, popping his shields as the continued to bite him.

Blaine dove into the light, but the Kryll still followed. Pulling out his Lancer, Blaine fired at RAAM to stop him from pointing at him.

"DON'T YOU KNOW IT'S RUDE TO POINT?!" Blaine taunted, unloading a whole clip into RAAM, who stood, nearly unaffected.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" A pair of Boomers yelled from the Camp's entrance.

The others focused on the two Boomers as Blaine stared down General RAAM. Suddenly, a Covenant Spirit dropped down, and out popped a Elite Garbed in Silver armor. It was another Arbiter. Lighting two Energy Swords, the Elite jumped up to face Blaine as General RAAM escaped.

"A demon here? I am Ramo' Weeonmee. I am the TRUE Demon Slayer. You die by MY hands tonight, as requested by my ally."

"Then you should've brought another friend." A voice called out from behind Ramo', a shotgun blast glancing off of his shields.

"Make that two mate." Another voice said.

"Darryl and Jorge!" Josh yelled, reloading his Lancer.

Ramo' growled and mounted over the walkway, cloaking himself as Darryl, Jorge, and Blaine fired at him. Jorge examined Blaine's turret, and ripped it off of it's hinges, patting it with his right hand.

"Betsy would hate me for this, but I left her on the Aura. She won't find out." Jorge said, grinning beneath his helmet.

The Locust made a temporary retreat, leaving what remained of the Human forces to pick up and re-cooperate. Marcus grunted as he walked forward.

"You guys must be spec ops, eh?" Dom asked. "I used to be a Commando. I know what it's like."

"Your not a Spartan though." Darryl replied coldly.

"Show some respect Darryl. Dom saved my ass multiple times today. Your guys' Pelican still here?" Blaine asked.

"Yes, need it for something?" Darryl replied.

"Yeah. Josh, Phil, Kayap and Craig need some R and R. They've fought all day, and we're about to go to an old factory. Morgan should still be good to fight, and I honestly need to split Josh from Baird here."

"Screw you." Baird said. "Acknowledge you like me more than him."

Josh went to hit Baird, as Cole restrained Baird and Phil and Craig restrained Josh.

"Alright, it's on the way. Where to?" Darryl replied, tapping his helmet controls.

Blaine pointed to the Junker, as he, Darryl, Jorge, Dom, Marcus, Cole, Baird, and Morgan all clambered in. It was a tight squeeze, but it would work for the short ride.

Chapter 6: Glow in the dark.

The Junker stalled just short of the team's destination, as the group clambered out of the vehicle. Darryl kicked the thing in the wheel, as Baird scoffed.

"Piece of shit." They both stated.

"You like working with machinery too?!" Baird asked.

"Hell yeah!" Darryl replied.

"Could you guys possibly fix this thing?" Marcus said, as Baird stood.

"-Baird can fix anything, he just needs the right parts." Cole replied.

"I could too, if I had some time to examine this." Darryl replied.

Dom shook his head and walked up the roadway, Blaine, Jorge, and Cole soon after him. Marcus grunted and tilted his head as Baird and Darryl followed suit. Blaine lead the men through the downpour up to the mining station.

"We have to deploy that damn resonator here?!" Blaine said.

"Well, more like in this very spot... and about three hundred feet below the crust." Baird replied curtly.

Dom shook his head and clasped Blaine on the back. As the two chuckled, walking up the hill. Marcus stared after them, and Jorge could see it.

"Blaine's a guy you could really get along with. He isn't trying to accomplish anything by being friendly with Dom. Dom just kinda reminds him of some of his old teammates from our days as Recruits." Jorge replied.

Lightning cracked the air, and a glowing, yellow creature ran across one of the pipes leading to the mining station.

"What the hell was that?!" Cole asked, staring at the Creature as it disappeared.

"It's a Wretch Delta. And it appears to be Lambent." Anya said in the team's comm.

"-And what does that mean- exactly?" Darryl replied.

"Means they glow in the dark." Baird replied. "There's the door. Let's get this thing the hell over with."

The group hustled over to the main door, Blaine, Darryl, and Jorge all kicked on it as hard as they could, but it still wouldn't budge.

"Damn, it's not going anywhere." Dom stated. "It's too thick to cut too."

"Perhaps we should split up and find a way in, Captain Obvious?" Baird replied.

"Yeah, Baird, Cole, and you two will go through that door." Marcus said, pointing to Darryl and Jorge. "Blaine, you, me, Dom, and Morgan will go around back and see if we can find a way in."

Cole raised his fists and cheered out. Turning on his boots, he held a hand up for Darryl and Jorge to high five.

"Train's got the big guns tonight baby! Whoooooo!" Cole cheered.

"I swear Cole, we need to get you tested for that."

"It's all in love of the game baby!"

"Yeah, great, whatever." Baird muttered as they went through the door.

Blaine nodded, as Marcus lead Delta 1 around the building. A blood-thirsty growl filled the air, and more of the glowing creatures came out of hiding. The Lambent Wretches trotted over to them, as Blaine kicked one square in the face. His boot got caught in it's mouth, and it exploded to bits on his boot, popping his shields

"Holy Christ ALLMIGHTY!" Morgan yelled, unleashing a full clip into the little jerks.

Blaine had no choice but to swap to his Longshot and club them away. When he had a minute breather, he placed a new clip into the Lancer and fired at them again. The whining of a Phantom's engines flew over, the spotlight searching for any COG or Spartans.

Marcus and the others sprinted, watching as the Covenant troops piled into a service elevator and took it to the top. Walking across the metal roofing, the aliens climbed into an open window and out of sight.

"Great." Morgan replied. "That's a rather large army of Covenant. Think this could be a Locust HQ?"

"Highly unlikely," Dom replied. "Locust come from underground, could this be one of their warehouses, certainly. The aliens-"

"Covenant." Blaine interjected.

"Right, the Covenant could possibly be here upgrade to Locust equipment." Dom replied.

"A Brute with a Lancer, that's a scary thought." Morgan replied.

"Say that again." Blaine replied.

"A Brute with a Lancer-"

"C'mon now, don't be a Baird."

"I heard that."

"Good."

-----------------------------------------------------------

Some Time later.

"Baird, Cole, we're now in the Facility and are making our way to the Mineshaft." Marcus replied.

"Shhh! They might hear you!" Baird replied. "It might be the boogeyman!"

"Shut up." Blaine replied.

Suddenly, the lights went out, and the group stopped, as the familiar growl of the Wretches filled the air. Lifting their Lancers and Hammerbursts, the group walked down a hallway, Blaine kicking the door in.

The room was gory as hell, and Blaine could only imagine the Wretches pulling apart the corpses that lay scattered among the floor. Out of all the blood that filled the room, Blaine saw a trail of blood lead to the door on their left. Thinking it might be best to avoid that room, he turned right.

"Hey! I think I got the lights back!"

"Yep Baird... ya did." Marcus replied sarcastically.

"Turn 'em off, will ya?" Morgan and Dom replied.

"Huh, what?"

"Human Manwhich Factory up here. Not pleasant." Blaine stated. "But leave them on anyways."

A door lied ahead of him, a button to open it was to it's left and was green. Blaine tried to press it, but nothing worked. The number pad next to it required a password.

"Got a password?" Marcus asked.

"Oh sure." Dom retorted. "Let me check my other pants."

"Why, ye shit yerself in these one's?" Morgan chuckled.

"I guess we'll have to search the bodies." Marcus replied.

"No, screw that." Blaine replied. "Instinct tells me it's through that other door."

"Fine." Marcus replied "You and Morgan search these bodies, we'll inspect the door."

Chapter 7: Like a snack.

Blaine crouched down over the bloody mess, for any slip of paper that might contain a clue to the password, the other two approached the door, the snap of a Gnasher shotgun being fired made him stand upright quickly.

"CHECK FIRE!" Dom yelled.

"Dumbshit" Marcus replied.

"Finally the rescue team!" The man said, cupping his hands together.

"What are you doing in here?" Dom asked.

"-Waiting for you? I'm ready to go." The man replied, giving the group a quizzical look.

"Hey pal." Blaine said, walking in the doorway. "We're looking for a Cart Control room. Where is it?"

"Well-" The man paused. "You'd have to go down through the factory floor, through that big door. But it's locked."

Marcus, getting very annoyed, placed his Lancer up on the man's sandbag cover and gritted his teeth.

"How about you unlock it?" He said, nodding his head.

"Who me?" The man asked.

"No- the Lord Jesus Christ himself!" Morgan replied curtly.

"But- aren't we leaving?" The man said.

"Not yet." Marcus said, turning to leave. "Come on."

"This is Blaine, we are still proceeding as planned, but now we have a Stranded with us."

"Oh great, say, would you mind asking him where a few geobots are? I need one for the junker, or are you too busy?" Baird replied.

"Baird, you keep looking for that Cart Control room. Fenix out." Marcus replied through gritted teeth.

The man lead them to the locked door, and pressed in the correct combination as the door opened.

"Delta two, watch the vents." Marcus said, walking ahead.

"Roger," Baird sighed. "You'll never believe where we are."

"It fucking stinks down here man!" Darryl yelled in the comms.

"Believe me, nothing smells worse than a Covenant prison. I know, I've been in one." Jorge replied. "This, this is like a field of bloody roses for me."

"I hate to ask-" Blaine said. "But Control, where the hell are the others?"

"Well Captain, it would appear that Delta two is located- Oh my god." Anya stalled.

"What, where are they?" Dom asked.

"The Sewer system." Blaine replied. "Poor bastards- well, maybe not Baird."

"Fuck off man!" Baird yelled.

"Point proven."

"Oh c'mon Baird, like the big man here said, a little bit of this- it's good for you. Builds your immune system."

"Also builds disease, but whatever." Baird replied. "Delta Two out."

"Poor bastards." Dom replied, as the man lead them to a giant door. Below, a river of sludge passed below them, as Dom and Marcus brushed the stench past their noses, their faces wrinkling up.

Suddenly, Baird, Darryl, Jorge, and Cole came out of one side of the tunnel, right below them. Blaine smiled, crouching down as he waved.

"Hi boys." Blaine smirked, as Darryl flipped him off.

"Man, I could smell you guys from a mile away. Must've been burrito day down in the factory eh?"

Blaine chuckled at the guys, as Baird pointed up at him.

"Screw you man. I want to see YOU come down here." Baird replied.

"No thank you. I've been in the shit before, it someone else's turn for a change."

"You sure?" Baird replied. "There's room for one more down here."

"Yeah." Darryl replied. "It's a fucking party down here."

"Keep moving, we'll see you at the carts." Marcus replied, breaking up the joking.

"Can't we please just leave?" The Stranded pleaded, turning to face Marcus.

"Nooo. We've got work to do." Marcus replied, the man leading them into a room. The wooden floor was old and very brittle. Blaine could swear that his armor would break through it if he even dared to cross.

"PLEASE! If we stay here they'll kill us for sure." The man replied, Marcus prodding him along with his lancer.

"Relax man." Dom replied.

"No you relax! You Gears suck! Bunch of bloodthirsty fascist pigs!"

"You kiss yer mother with that mouth boyo?" Morgan said. "We could have left ye to die in that room back there. But we didn't, we'll protect you as best as possible."

"Oh yeah, I feel REAL safe now. I've got a drunken off his ass foreign man, a cyborg, and two fascists keeping me safe." Pausing, the man started across the boards. "If we cross through here, we'll be safe."

Suddenly, boards snapped and the man plummeted through the floor, where a horde of the Lambent Wretches waited to tear him limb from limb. Roaring in agony, the man stood no chance as the savage beasts stripped him clean.

"Well fuck." Morgan said.

"Shouldn't have gotten so anxious." Blaine replied. "Now he's become somebody's chew toy."

"Keep moving." Marcus said. "Tread carefully."

Chapter 8: David and Goliath

The team cautiously worked their way across the boards. Blaine the most cautious, his armor nearly weighing a ton.

"You guys'll have to find the most stable path." Blaine said. "This armor ain't the lightest of the bunch."

Marcus and Dom nodded, carefully walking across, Morgan and Kayap timing themselves perfectly behind the others, Blaine waiting on the safe zones they discovered until they found the right way. Blaine followed them, distancing himself just to be sure, tension was high. If he fell, he was Wretch food. The little creatures yipped for the chance to eat something. Everyone else had made it to safety, and it was all up to him now.

Boards snapped, and he realized the whole floor was going to fall! Gaining some speed, he jumped straight at the others, just as the floor crumbled beneath him. Clutching the ledge, the Wretches hopped up onto the wall and started tugging at his legs. Blaine kicked at them, as Marcus and Dom reached down and grabbed his hands. Grunting as they pulled, Blaine used the Wretches as stepping stones.

Safely up with the others, Blaine laid there for a moment, laughing.

"If Baird was here, I'd imagine him saying 'Oh, that was FUN!'" He said, standing.

" Oh very funny asshole! " Baird growled in the comm.

"Gotta admit Baird, he's got you there!" Dom replied with a snicker.

"Knock it off Delta. Get to those carts- the sooner we get there, the better." Marcus replied gruffly.

"Lead on." Blaine said.

Marcus growled and turned kicking a door open. The room was a mess, yellow liquid flowed in pools in odd locations throughout the room. Minecarts were misplaced, or tipped off of the rails. The yellow liquid flowing out.

"Jesus Christ!" Morgan said. "What is this stuff."

Dom went to answer, as Marcus held up a hand.

"Shhh. You hear that?" Marcus whispered.

"Yeah, that ain't a Berserker, is it?" Blaine replied quietly.

"No man. Sounds like-"

"DEMONNNNNN!" A voice roared out, as a massive beast stood, yellow veins popping out of it's ripped, furry chest.

"You fucking kidding me!?" Blaine yelled, reaching for his sniper.

"PACK! ATTACK!" The creature roared, lifting a Minecart, and threw it at the team. Blaine, Dom, and Kayap dove to one side, as Marcus and Morgan took the other.

"Spartan!" Kayap said. "It Jiralhanae! It all glowy!"

"Thanks, but I could tell."

The creature's call brought the attention of the Wretches, whose roars pierced the room. At the sound, more Wretches and Lambent Brutes started to fill the room.

"INCOMING!" Dom yelled, Blaine and him focusing on the Brutes.

"Shit they're tough!" Marcus yelled. "Lay it on them!"

Blaine crouched, and fired his sniper into the head of a Brute. The bullet knocked it's head back, but it kept on coming at him. It's eyes glowed yellow, and yellow drool sloshed out of it's mouth.

"UNSC weaponry won't work on the bastards!" Blaine yelled, bringing out his Lancer again.

The bullets from the rifle pierced the creature's naval, as yellow and purple blood started to poor out. The yellow must have been acidic, because when it spilled out, the Brute melted on it's own blood.

"Nice!" Dom cheered, killing a Lambent Wretch right beside another Brute.

"I'm hit!" Morgan yelled.

"COVER ME!" Marcus roared, turning from the onslaught to tend to Morgan.

"There's too many!" Kayap squeaked. "Look! Unngoy glowy too!"

It was true, from the opposite door rushed out little mangled bodies of what once were Grunts. Their methane tanks now fused to their bodies, a faint yellow gas being expelled from them. There was an explosion to the team's left, as Covenant Elites and Brutes stomped through, shooting the Lambent creatures.

"What the hell?!" Marcus said in the comm. "Hold your fire for now."

Delta did as they were told, and watched the carnage. One Lambent Wretch jumped onto an Elite's face, and spat the yellow gunk into it's face. The Elite gargled as the hazardous, burning liquid melted through it's face plate and organs. A squadron of Grunts charged before the Elites, their Plasma pistols whined as the bolts struck the Lambent Unngoy. One of the mangled creatures got close to one Grunt. It's body contorted, as a giant, mangled arm mutated out of it's skull, grabbing one Elite and dragged it towards him.

The Lambent creature reached out, and hugged the struggling Elite, as the pack on it's back exploded in a giant, yellow and orange sphere.

"HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!" Morgan yelled.

Dom slapped his palm to his forehead and started plugging bullets into the Lambent, while Blaine focused on the Covenant with his sniper. The lead Lambent Brute roared, taking on three minors in Close Quarters.

"BROTHERS!" The creature roared. "There is NO Great Journey! But there IS a higher power! Allow me to demonstrate this power!"

The Brute's body contorted, the muscles in it's body bulging as the Imulsion did it's work mutating him. The yellow eyes stared at the Minors for a time. When it had finished growing, the creature's chest burst open, multiple tendrils wiggling their way out, barbs attached to the end of them.

In a flash, the barbs of the tendrils launched out at several foes around the room, dragging them over to him. Marcus, Dom, Blaine, Morgan, and Kayap avoided them, until all the barbs were occupied. Laughing in a crazed voice, the Brute clenched it's massive fists, more of the yellow liquid flowing through the tendrils into his victims. Many, immune to the transformation, burned from the inside out, literally melting off of the barbs.

The ones that were susceptible to be changed jerked on the barbs, the liquid slowly changing them into more of the horrid beasts.

"To fuck with this." Blaine said, preparing a Frag Grenade from his pouch.

"Don't do it." Dom said. "You'll die out there man."

"Spartans have a saying." Blaine smirked under his helmet. "We don't die."

With that, Blaine turned the corner, his Boltok pistol in his right hand, and the grenade in his left. Charging forward, many of the tendrils lashed out at him, expertly jumping and dodging the blows. Blaine fired his pistol, the recoil tremendous, sending a bullet into the head of a newly converted Grunt. The explosion rippled, blowing up many of the new recruits and caused the tendrils to momentarily withdraw.

Hitching his pistol to his hip, he pulled out his Lancer, preparing the bayonet. Slicing across the chest, Blaine cut the tips off of the tendrils and into the flesh of the beast. Hurting it, it grabbed him with it's massive hand and tossed him out the hole the Covenant arrived it.

"NOW IS YOUR END DEMON!" The beast yelled, the liquid drool bubbling in it's mouth.

Blaine smiled beneath his helmet as the creature charged him. Hopping out of the way, it took a knee, roaring to the heavens. Turning to make another charge, it stopped suddenly, watching Blaine wave, holding a single pin in his hand.

The beast looked down, Blaine had punched the beast during it's charge, the frag grenade left inside the wound with it's pin pulled.

"Scheduled surgery, bitch." Blaine taunted, as the grenade exploded, yellow light glowing out of every orifice, the ground trembling beneath them.

Blaine turned on his heels, putting his hands on his helmet as he dove back through the hole. The explosion was tremendous, and marked the start of something horrible.

"Pretty badass." Dom said, helping Blaine up.

"Good work Captain." Marcus said. "With all due respect, we should probably move on to the carts."

Blaine nodded, leading the group through the door ahead. Turning the corner, lightning struck outside, and a Lambent Wretch appeared from the darkness. Blaine swung his boot out in a kick, launching the creature into the air. Pulling out his pistol, he fired a single round, the round making it's way into the beast's head.

"Fuck off."

Chapter 9: Going Home.

I'd rather not post all of the cart scene, that, and I'm trying not to turn the story into the text version of the game, so my plan is to skip ahead to when they are under ground. If you've played the first, it's at the part just before the Corpser.

"How we doing for time?" Blaine asked, the team walking through the dark, wet, quiet tunnels of the underground.

"It's thirty minutes to sun rise. That means we've got thirty minutes to deploy the Resonator and get the hell outta dodge." Dom replied.

"That's what I thought you'd say." Morgan mumbled.

"Kayap had fun on carts!" Kayap said. "Can we do that again?!"

"Sorry fella." Dom replied. "No time for fun just yet. After this? Hell yes."

The ground rumbled, and Blaine could've sworn he saw a wall move. He wasn't the only one, as Marcus and Dom stared at the 'wall'. A giant spider like thing roared, slamming it's front legs forward, causing the ground to tremble.

"HOLY SHIT!" Dom yelled.

"CORPSER!" Marcus finished.

"I'd be pissed too if someone woke me up." Morgan replied dryly. "Speaking of which, when the hell do we get some R&R?"

"Soon. Right after we squash this damn bug." Blaine replied, the Corpser retreating into it's personal tunnel. "Stay frosty."

The team continued forward, looking around for more signs of the Corpser. Luckily for them, there were none, and they continued on. The ground ahead glowed yellow in many of the cracks along it.

"Looks like we've gotta walk along that sHIt." Dom mumbled.

"Watch your step people." Marcus replied.

"I wonder if the others found the Pumping Station?" Morgan replied.

"You'd know if they had," Blaine chuckled underneath his helmet. "It'd give Baird something to gloat about."

" I can still hear you. Open comm. remember?! " Baird replied.

"Hence why I didn't turn off my comm." Blaine laughed.

" Blow me man. "

"No thanks." Dom laughed hysterically.

"Knock it off. We don't wan-"

The tunnel rumbled, as the legs of a Corpser appeared out of a tunnel above. The beast roared at them, extending it's legs to ease it's way down to the unstable ground. Bringing all of it's legs together, the beast shielded itself.

Blaine's lancer went nuts, the bullets pinging off of the creature's tough exoskeleton. Spacing it's legs out, the beast roared at them, slamming it's legs down. Jets of Imulsion sprayed from the ground.

"WATCH OUT!" Marcus roared, diving out of the way.

Blaine didn't stop though, his bullets expertly hit the beast in it's weak stomach, and the Corpser raised it's leg, opening it's mouth in pain. Blaine took a knee and fired half a clip into it's mouth. The creature jerked it's head back and brought it's legs forward, backing off.

"Hey what's that behind the Corpser?!" Morgan asked, pointing to a metal platform.

"The way we kill this damn thing. Back it onto that plate!" Marcus ordered, the team concentrating their fire on the legs, stomach, and then mouth.

The Corpser, confused by the constant onslaught of fire, reared up onto the Platform, preparing to bring down it's massive legs onto the group. Before that could happen, Marcus charged forward and fired on the bolts holding the metal platform up. The integrity of the metal failed from the bullets, and they shattered, plummeting the Corpser and the platform into the Imulsion lake below.

"You sure that's a good idea?!" Blaine yelled. "What if it mutates like the Brutes?!"

Marcus couldn't hear him over the pitiful screeches of the burning titan. It jerked and tried to pull itself out, but the burning liquid slowly started to melt away at it's lower body. Marcus grinned and nodded his head twice, twisting on his boots to walk away. Blaine pointed behind him, but Marcus didn't flinch, as the glowing yellow legs of the beast scrambled desperately to take the man with it. Blaine and Marcus stared into the creatures horribly burnt face, as it melted back into the pool, quieted forever.

" Right on time! " Baird cheered, Blaine watching him, Cole, and Darryl walk around the edge of the lake.

"Yeah. Just in time to kiss my ass." Dom replied.

" Man! I can't believe we missed this! " Cole whined, Darryl patting him on the back.

" You aren't alone bro, you aren't alone. "

"Family meeting time is now over." Marcus growled. "Did you guys find the Pumping Station?""

"Yes we did." Darryl replied. "Found the perfect place too. But I kept hearing these weird sounds. I think the station is loaded with hostiles."

"Alright then." Marcus said. "Dom, you, Blaine, Morgan and I will go straight in. Darryl, Cole, Baird, Kayap, you guys flank right and provide support. Got it?"

"Right behind ya!" Morgan replied.

The team split down the path, the station directly in front of them. Oceans of Imulsion surrounded them. Blaine shook his head, as Dom, Marcus, Cole, and Baird whistled.

"Look at all dat juice!" Cole replied.

"How much you think it's worth?" Baird asked.

"I dunno Baird, you're the genius, you tell me?" Marcus replied. "We're here to end a war, not think of money."

The walk down to the station was quiet, Blaine and Dom on their toes as the others hustled down the hill.

"Did you hear that?" Blaine asked Dom, who walked beside him.

"Yeah, I did. Marcus, you hear that?" Dom replied, nervously.

"It's the wind, Dom."

"Right..." Blaine replied. "-When did you become the wind whisperer?"

"What do you mean?"

"How else do you explain the wind saying 'Hostiles'?" Dom replied.

Voices filled the air, quiet and hissing. Out the corner of his eye, Blaine could make out the glowing orange and yellow of a weapon. Blaine pointed out to the creature that stuck it's head out. It was Locust, but it appeared to have a red cloak on over it's armor. It hissed, as the yellow disappeared. Blaine leaned backwards, as time slowed for him. The object was an arrow with an explosive attached to it. It narrowly avoided his helmet, and the team sprinted down the hill.

"Those aren't Drones Marcus!" Dom yelled.

" They're called Theron Guards. Nasty bastards are faster and stronger than Drones. "

"Great. They get exploding arrows AND are tougher to kill."

" When I was told the killing business was booming, I wasn't quite expecting THIS! " A familiar voice said in the comm.

"What the hell is he doing down here alone?!" Blaine yelled.

"Who?" Dom replied.

"Only the craziest mother fucker Blaine and I have ever known." Morgan replied.

"You can't stop me! I CAME HERE TO FIGHT! "

The Theron's hissed in pain, bullets rippling through them as Blaine made visual contact with the friendly. The java colored Spartan III rushed through the Pumping Station, gunning down the beasts as he went. Standing on one, he fist pumped the air.

"NINE!" Blaine yelled. "Take cover, I'm en route!"

"No need!" John replied. "I got the big guy to help me!"

It was true, Blaine could here the Troika turret along with the regular weapons fire.

"Stay safe! Delta and us have got to plant the Resonator!" Blaine replied.

But the fighting was too loud for John to hear him.

"C'mon, we got to protect Baird while he sets it up!" Marcus grunted as he broke out into a full sprint. Dom, Morgan, and Blaine right behind him.

Delta met up at the face of the facility, as the blonde haired mechanic set up the Machine. Blaine shook his head and turned towards the station.

"Sorry Marcus, but I got to do this." Blaine replied.

"Alright, but this thing is gonna go off soon. Grab your men and get the hell over here."

Blaine nodded and sprinted up on of the ramps leading up to the building. John and Jorge worked together to take down the last of the Therons, as Blaine whistled.

"CELEBRATE ANOTHER TIME!" Blaine yelled to them, as they turned towards him. "WE GOTTA GO NOW!"

Jorge and John nodded, sprinting their way down to the others with him in tow. Hopping onto an industrial sized elevator, the Resonator, a cubish machine, started unfolding. Resembling a bulky laptop. Baird smashed the button for the elevator to rise, and they were on their way.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Above ground, the group of Spartans and Humans alike charged for safety, jumping just as the sonic boom went off. A visible wave of light and sound pulsing by them.

"Is it over?" Baird asked.

"I think so." Blaine replied. "Marcus just needs to let Control know."

"Good 'cause, I'm done." Cole said, laying back, at peace.

"What now?" Darryl replied.

"Food, Hot food, and lot's of it." Dom replied, smacking his lips.

Blaine, unlike the others, stood up. He had expected it, but he knew better than to celebrate with the others.

"It might be the end of their war. But we still have OUR mission to do." Blaine said, pointing to a Covenant ship in the sky.

"Well fuck me." Morgan said.

"What's the plan?" Jorge said. "We don't have a Slipspace bomb available..."

"No. But our very own Genius here knows how to make a super heavy bomb." Dom replied.

"To hell with that." Baird scoffed, as Blaine lifted him by the throat.

"You don't have to like me, jackass. But if you don't do this for us, you're world will become nothing but a smoldering slag heap."

"Prove it." Baird coughed.

Blaine sighed as he pressed a few keys on his Tac/Pad. Suddenly, the burnt remains of a planet appeared.

"This, this is Reach. Jorge and I's home planet. The Covenant, whom I haven't told you much about, was on a mission to kill us all. When their fleet arrived, through communications, mainly from a Super Carrier, they would burn the planet, making it inhabitable by humans and creatures associated with them alike. This happened with many of our Planets, and our mission is to stop it from happening here." Blaine snarled. "Now help us, or Sera becomes Reach."

Chapter 10: Operation: Uppercut Take Two.

"Fine man. Go to Command, tell the technician named Oliver there that you'll need a bomb, ASAP." Baird replied, scrambling away.

"What do you mean it didn't work!" Marcus said through gritted teeth.

"Oh I dunno, the fact that we're missing, hell I dunno, MOST of the networks. The lousy machine did jack shit!" Hoffman roared into the comm.

"He's kidding, right?" Dom replied.

"I don't 'kid' Private." Hoffman growled.

"So what now, make a million resonators?" Cole asked.

"Screw that." Blaine says. "Blondie found something."

Baird, who had since been tinkering with a random ball thing, stared in awe as a holographic map appeared, millions if not billions of tunnels underneath the town they were in.

"Huh. Where is that thing sourced." Hoffman asked Anya through the comm.

"It appears to be coming from his father's house... to be specific."

"Whose house?" Hoffman demanded.

"Sergeant Fenix sir."

"You know how to find home Fenix?" Hoffman asked, as Marcus agreed. "Good, a few Raven's are en route. You're going to East Barracade Academy. Now let me talk to the Captain."

"Go ahead Colonel." Blaine replied.

"I couldn't help but over hear your warnings about this- Covenant." Hoffman replied. "I'd like for your squad to take care of that problem on the side. You're work for us is done."

"Is it because I didn't ask nicely?" Blaine replied sarcastically.

"It's because you just assaulted one of MY men." Hoffman replied. "I find it entirely unorthodox, and if I had any command over you, I'd have you court marshaled. Your bomb is currently in the works, it will be delivered on those Ravens. You'll have to find your own way to carry the bomb. Command out."

"He this pleasant?" John asked.

"Unfortunately he doesn't know me like Hood does."

"Oh man, could you imagine if those two met up?!" Darryl asked.

"It'd be hysterical! It'd be a race to see who gets that grotesque vein in the forehead to pop out first contest." John laughed.

Blaine shrugged, as his men split from Marcus' the two squads looked at each other, as Dom nodded, holding his hand out.

"It's been a pleasure bro." Dom frowned, shaking Blaine's hand.

"I won't ever forget ya''l baby." Cole said, bringing Darryl in for a bro hug.

"Yeah yeah, it's cool, whatever." Baird replied, Cole elbowing him in the side. "You made this mission a little less boring as it was."

Marcus walked forward, holding his hand out for Blaine. Blaine nodded and accepted shaking Marcus' hand.

"You've been an inspirational leader to me, and you've saved my life more times than I can count." Marcus replied.

"You guys were a nice change of pace for us as well." Blaine replied.

"Listen, if you guys ever need anything..." Darryl said, pulling out a mini beacon. "Orders or not, we'll come running right back here to help out."

"Much appreciated Darryl. I really hope I don't have to use this." Marcus replied.

"I would agree." Morgan said. "But I'd miss ye bastards too much. Baird and Cole remind me of the wonder twins on our ship."

"Ship." Blaine replied. "The Aura! I'll summon a Pelican to take the bomb!"

The sounds of helicopter blades filled the air, as the King Raven transports landed, the pilots unhitching the massive bomb. Delta squad clambered into the vehicles, just as Blaine's pelican landed behind him. With Jorge's help, they hoisted the bomb until the metal hinges latched the bomb to it.

Waving to Delta, Shadow team hopped into the Pelican, as Blaine tapped the side. The Transports were lifted, and taken their separate ways.

"This is a bummer." Darryl replied.

"I know the feelin' boyo. Cole and Baird remind me so much of Josh n' Phil."

"Stow the bellyaching." Blaine said. "We do this, and I'll convince Hoffman to let us stay for a little longer."

"But without the Covenant what other-" Jorge asked.

"We are the defenders of Humanity, Jorge." Blaine replied. "Now these guys aren't UNSC Humans, but they are Humans like you and me all the same. They have their backs to the wall, just like we did three years ago."

"So what's the plan sir?" Darryl asked.

"Simple. You, Jorge, John, and I will all infiltrate the Super Carrier. Meanwhile Morgan, Josh, Phil, and Kayap will prepare to join us if things get hairy. When that's done, we'll see where that takes us from there."

"It won't be easy infiltrating a Super-Carrier-" Jorge paused. "You sending in the Vultures?"

"Damn right I'm sending in the Vultures. They have the weapon capacity to blow a hole into the Covenant Carrier, then we fly this sucker right in, clear the landing zone, and place the bomb, set the timer, and get the hell outta there with our bird."

"Somehow I don't think it'll be that easy." Jorge frowned. "You remember as good as I what happened during Operation: Uppercut.-"

"Yes, but this time if someone has to stay with the bomb, it's gonna be me." Blaine said.

"This ain't a slipspace bomb Blaine. You'll be ripped to shreds..."

"A little faith please. I know what I'm doing." Blaine smiled. "This is Captain Blaine. Prepare the Vultures. I want a nice neat entrance to the Carrier's mid section. Preferably with a red, purple, and neon blue carpet."

"Will do comrade! Vultures are warming up!" Ensign Chernov replied.

------------------------------------------------------------

It was a firefight, both on the surface, and in the air of Sera. Vultures warded off Banshees and Seraphs, while the Serans below fought the Locust Horde. Blaine's Pelican, complete with Darryl, Jorge, John, and himself, eagerly waited for the Vulture squadron to deliver the payload.

Blaine, on the Pelican's .50 cal, ripped through the hulls of the Banshee's and popped the shields off of the Seraphs. Two Vultures pulled up on both sides of his Pelican, firing off their Archer missiles and mini MAC rounds to punch through the Carrier. When the shield popped, it was only a matter of time until the hull disintegrated. When the time arrived, the Pelican swooped in, the Spartans hopped out, guns blazing to clear the room.

Blaine looked around, and the memories of Uppercut clenched his thoughts, he had failed Jorge before, but this time, the Covenant would NOT take anyone of his Spartans again. John and Darryl laid suppressing fire, while Blaine and Jorge eased the bomb to the ground, carrying it to the center of the room.

Clearing the room for the moment, the Spartans retreated to the Pelican, except for Blaine.

"Captain! What are you doing?!" Darryl roared over to him.

"The charge won't set! Peace of shit took a bullet to the timing mechanism! I can't let the Covenant deactivate this thing!" Blaine said. "I'll find a way down, go to the Aura and wait there!"

John shook his head, but Jorge clasped a hand on his shoulder.

"No use arguing Nine, he won't be negotiated with." Jorge said, the Pelican taking them out of the hole.

Blaine set the charge, waiting for the explosive chemicals to show themselves, as the Covenant started flowing in from both sides. He waited, as the top half of the bomb opened up, exposing the yellow, raw Imulsion filled, container. Smirking, he pulled out his Boltok revolver and fired a round, striking the heavy duty bomb.
-----------------------------------------------------------

The APC fled from the Fenix Estate. Whether or not Blaine would have wanted him to listen in, Dom had heard all of the Captain's plan. Watching the Carrier explode, Dom shook his head in sadness, all of Delta silently mourned for him.

"You coming to get me or what?!" Blaine's voice called out through the comm.

"He's alive?!" Baird asked. "How?!"

"Spartans don't die." Dom grinned, repeating what Blaine had told him the night before.

"Think he'll come help us deliver the bomb?" Cole asked.

"I don't think, I know." Marcus replied. "He's been with us this far, why give up now."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Jorge bellowed in laughter as the Pilot turned around. He wasn't sure, but he thought he could see Blaine's tiny body cascading to Sera's ground.

"Pilot, we've got to get to him now!" John replied. "He can survive an explosion, but I WON'T scrape him off of the sidewalk!"

The pilot sped off towards the rapidly plummeting Spartan, descending faster than the Spartan. Jorge reached out, pulling the emergency Jet pack. Tossing it up, Blaine caught it, quickly pulling the straps around his shoulders. Pulsing the jets, Blaine hovered into the now still Pelican, climbing inside. Tapping the side, the Pelican returned to the Aura.

Chapter 11: Crazy Train.

Delta's APC pulled into the Railroad station. The group clambered out, as they searched the area for Hostiles. The parking lot was trashed, flaming cars everywhere. The mangled bodies of the half eaten people littered the ground.

"Jesus. They didn't stand a chance here." Dom replied.

"Must've happened recently. Those flames wouldn't still be going, and those bodies are fresh. Some Stranded had a last stand here."

"Looks like they're not the only ones! Hostiles!" Baird yelled, firing his lancer at an incoming pack of Wretches. Cole and Baird took cover behind a Jersey Barrier, as Marcus and Dom sought cover by the APC.

The air was filled with bullets, both COG and Locust alike. The ground rumbled beneath them, as an Emergence hole popped up not even five feet from Baird and Cole. Baird growled, taking a grenade off of his belt and tossing it into the hole. Cole and him sprinted off as the grenade exploded, closing up the hole.

"HUMANS!" The Locust roared from all around them, drawing ever closer.

However, the whistle of a train went off, as the train holding the Lightmass bomb started off. Marcus and Dom looked at each other, and sprinted off towards it. Cole and Baird covering them as they ran. Waiting beside the crawling train, Marcus whistled, as Cole and Baird fired away.

"We'll be right with you!" Cole yelled, the train picking up speed.

"Aw shit!" Marcus growled. "Jump now!"

Dom did as he was told, as the old friends landed on the very last car. Baird and Cole ran all the way to the end of the platform, Cole rubbing his head.

"DAMN!" Cole yelled.

"We suck!" Baird yelled. "Sorry guys, we'll catch a ride with- hold on."

The sound behind the duo wasn't a King Raven, it was a Pelican, and there was two of them. Blaine waved, his rigs landing. Next came the sound of a Raven, landing beside them.

Blaine hopped out, as did the man in the chopper, stomping over to Blaine.

"What the hell are YOU doing here Captain!? I told you! You're finished here!" Hoffman gritted, prodding Blaine in the chest.

"Looks to me that you need all the help you can get." Blaine retorted curtly. "And with all due respect Colonel, those men out there are as close to my own as they'll ever be, and I DON'T leave my men behind. Right now, they need me more than ever."

Hoffman grumbled, knowing there was no pursuading the Spartan. Nodding his head, a smile curling on the edge of his mouth, he returned to his Raven, Baird and Cole joining him.
-------------------------------------------------------------

"Control. We're on board the train." Marcus replied, him and Dom having cleared the car.

"Fine work Sergeant. The train is gaining speed, and the lightmass bomb is towards the front. You guys have to hurry!" Anya replied.

"Thanks Control." Marcus said. "Delta out."

"Sounds like there will be a lot of Locust between here and there-" Dom started, getting cut off by a yell, a yell they had hoped to never hear again.

"Are you kidding me?" Marcus yelled. "BERSERKER!"

The two watched as the Beast jumped onto the back of the speeding train, climbing up. The behemoth charged forward, smashing into a pair of boxes, continuing it's sprint towards the Gears.

"Control, we're dropping the Hammer on this bitch." Marcus stated quietly.

"Negative, the Kryllstorm is blocking our satelites. You'll have to find some way to deal with her." Anya said in a whisper.

"Alright, Plan B." Dom said. "You DO have a Plan B, right?"

"No." Marcus sighed.

"Wait, we passed that fuel tank to get here, bet that might do the trick?" Dom asked.

"One can only hope." Marcus stated curtly.

The two walked forward quietly, the Berserker stomped around, sniffing the air for any sort of noise from her prey. Marcus rounded one obstacle, Dom on the opposite side. Aiming towards the fuel canister, a giant red propane tank, they waited for her to stumble near it. When she did, Marcus, the one directly between her and the Fuel can, fired at her.

Instantly snapping to face him, she charged forward, as Marcus dove to the next car. The Berserker ran over the canister, her foot scraping the floor caused a spark, and the tank exploded, ripping the car off of the train.

"Jack, is that door open?" Marcus replied, the little robot beeped in response. "Nice. Let's move out."
------------------------------------------------------------

After fighting through hell and back to get to the front, Marcus and Dom both knew that the Lightmass bomb was through the next two doors. An ammo storage, no doubt from the Locust, Marcus and Dom stuffed their ammo pouches and prepared, knowing the Locust would send their biggest threat to protect the bomb from being activated.

Marcus nodded to Dom, and opened the door. It was now dark out, and the Kryll were everywhere. Lights along the car kept them safe, as they hurried to cover.

"Marcus, you have to put that data in the bomb's command system NOW!" Anya said in the comm.

"Dom, you got it?" Marcus asked, peeking over the cover.

"Hell ya, right here." Dom replied, showing him the chip.

"MISSSCREEAANNTSSSSSS!" The familiar raspy voice filled the air.

Marcus looked over the cover, and as they thought, General RAAM, cloaked in his Black armor stood between them and the Lightmass bomb. Pointing at them, he held a portable troika turret in his other hand.

"SSERVE THE QUEEEN!" His raspy voice said, taunting them.

Hopping down from the platform, RAAM, now protected by a sphere of Kyrll, prepared to open fire, as a voice filled the air.

"ENGAGE!" Hoffman roared, the Pelicans and Raven's lights flashing on RAAM and dispersing the Kyrll shield. Roaring at the aircraft, he aimed on them, as a Sniper bullet flew through the air and struck him in the forehead. His head jolted back, but he regained his composure.

There was a thud before Marcus and Dom, and as they peeked over cover, they saw the Red and Blue armor of Blaine standing before them.

"I told you that pointing was rude, cupcake." Blaine taunted RAAM. "Keep those Reavers off of us. We'll deal with Fish Face."

"You got it boss!" Josh yelled from the Pelican.

"HELL YEAH!" Dom cheered as him and Marcus stood, their weapons at the ready.

Blaine put his UNSC sniper on his back, and pulled a bow off. Loading an arrow into it, he brought it down onto RAAM, whose shield had long since returned. RAAM growled, readying his Troika turret. Blaine's bow glowed orange at the front, and he held it until it fired on it's own, the arrow streaked forward and stuck to one of the Kryll.

The round ticked for a moment, then exploded. The Kryll dispersed, rushing towards him. But before they could touch him, Hoffman covered him in the light turret's UV rays. Marcus and Dom opened fire with their Lancers, as Blaine let another round fly.

RAAM's turret glowed red from the heat, the rounds pounding Blaine's chest until his shields popped. Hopping over their cover, Blaine squatted down next to the others.

"I'm going to fire another round, when the shield leaves, open up fire. I'm going to blow that fuckin' gun outta his hand." Blaine smirked, lifting a Plasma Rifle.

Standing, Blaine fired his Torque bow, the round flew off, smashing RAAM's foot. The explosive detonated and the shield was gone, he charged up with his Plasma rifle, firing at the Barrel of the troika. As he planned, the super hot bolts melted the gun, and the bullets exploded in the chamber, blowing the gun to bits and pieces. Charging forward, he grabbed RAAM by the throat.

Lifting the massive Locust General, Blaine tossed him to the ground. Turning away, RAAM unsheathed his massive, crooked sword and charged towards Blaine, who turned on the spot, put his Boltok to RAAM's head, and yelled;

"BANG!" Firing his gun, the bullet penetrated at point blank, and blew the General off his feet. Sprawled out on the floor. "And for the record, I would've killed you the first time if the Arbiter hadn't stopped me."

Humming for a second, while Marcus and Dom put the data in the bomb, Blaine reached down and picked up RAAM's sword.

"You sure as hell won't be needing this." Blaine smirked, clipping it to his back. "See you on the Raven boys, my Pelicans are bugging out."

Jumping onto the moving Raven, Dom was quick behind him, Marcus staying behind to make sure the job was done. The train gained speed with the new data, and plowed forward. Nearing the end of the track, Blaine reached down to grab Marcus mid jump. The train plummeting into a river of Imulsion.

Landing inside the liquid, the missiles from the five pronged machine went their separate ways, going down the tunnels into the Locust Stronghold. Blaine watched as the carnage from the bombs took place, mountains crumbling to dust, Sera splitting open from the cataclysmic explosion. Hoffman and Dom reached down and took Marcus' other hand, hoisting him up.

"So, what are we doing tomorrow?" Dom asked.

"Unfortunately, I have to return back to HQ and let them know what happened here. I'll be back, though, if you guys ever need me." Blaine said, patting his new friends on the back as his Personal Pelican hovered next to the Chopper.

"Until then boys! Best of luck in the future!"

Chapter 12: A brief sitrep.

Spoilers from Gears of War 2 and 3 coming up ahead. If these games interest you, GO NO FURTHER!!

Marcus Fenix sat in a cold, damp, prison interrogation cell. Across from him was a man veiled in darkness, his voice smooth, yet harsh.

"I ask you once again, Sergeant Fenix, what happened with your men AFTER the UNSC departed?" After a brief moment of silence from the sergeant, the man smashed his fists on the table. "God damn it Fenix, WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"We went to war with the Locust." Marcus growled. "The lightmass bomb destroyed the Hollow, or so we had thought. The damn bugs kept on coming out of their holes. You may not have been there for the fighting, but I remember you speaking just before our-"

"What I have done is of no concern to the subject. I asked you what happened AFTER the UNSC departed, and you got to Landown!"

"We set up the rigs for insertion. Then some crazy bastard with a staff jumps outta the ground and cut a damn tank in two!"
------------------------------------------------------------

Dizzy lifted the drill lift on the rig that he affectionately had called 'Betty'. Warning Marcus with a hand signal, the Sergeant turned to Baird, Cole, Dom, and Benjamin Carmine, the Rook.

"Delta, into the grind lifts!" Marcus barked. "Let's go, two by two!"

"Yo Marcus." Dom said, partially climbing the ladder to the lift. "If something happens to me, promise me you'll look for Maria."

Marcus looked deep into his friends eyes, trying to push the mental image of Dom dying on this mission out of his head, and nodded.

"You got it Dom." Marcus replied quickly, as the Gears around them went into a fuss. "No problem."

Marcus' sixth sense popped in, and he turned on his feet to see a gangly gray Locust wearing Religious attire jump out of the ground. Opening it mouth to roar at them, it's long spiked tongue flailed in the air, it's perfectly circular mouth echoed a long, haunting screech.

Launching itself into the air, Marcus watched as the beast jumped onto a Centaur tank, holding it's staff, which boasted two lancer chainsaws on both ends, and cut through the tank, the screams of the men inside in torture haunting the Gears.

Laughing as it cut, Marcus and Dom took no hesitation getting into their Grind Lifts, strapping themselves in for insertion. The beast jumped onto their rig, as Tai, Marcus' good friend, ran up to deal with the beast. Dizzy, the old redneck cowboy, joined the fray, the two Gears each dueling with their respective chainsaws against on of each of the beasts.
--------------------------------------------------------------

"Dom and I tried to unstrap ourselves and take Skorge out as best as we could. But we were too late, and our Grind Lift was sent down into the inner Hollow, just as you planned."

"Then you found Tai, later on, on a- as Corporal Baird put it 'A fucking torture barge?'"

"Yeah, we did." Marcus tensed, growling. "He had marks all over him, with meat hooks dug firmly into his back. Delta and I needed to hitch a ride to get further inside the Hollow. When I met with Tai, he was broken, lost almost. I handed him my Gnasher for protection, and when I turned my back, he-"

For once in his life, Marcus never finished the sentence, but the interrogator took the hint.

"Tell me about the Riftworm. What transpired there?"

"We were holding an LZ after yet another town was sunken by the Locust's Riftworm. This thing was massive, larger than anything we could have thrown at it. Hell, I'd be content in saying that this thing was larger than this entire continent!" Marcus replied. "After we were in the middle of evacuating, the damned worm showed up and ate our bird, without flinching."

"How did you get out?"

"I'd rather not get into details. The rookie, unfortunately, didn't make it out." Marcus clenched his fists. "These little digestive bugs ate him-."

"I'm sorry for your losses, but how did you kill the beast, let alone get out?"

"We cut it's fuckin' heart out." Marcus growled. "You ever thought swimming pools were bad at getting water up your nose, don't even get me started with worm blood. Nastiest shit I've ever had to deal with. Hell, I don't even think I'm FULLY clean from that."

"That's a pleasant image, thank you Sergeant."

"You asked, I answered."

"Indeed. Your file also states something about Sires, what exactly are those?"

"Why don't you ask Colonel Hoffman? He's the one that sent Delta on that mission."

"I'm asking YOU Sergeant, answers please."

"Most of that data is classified tier 1, but to put it bluntly, Locust are humans, only they ain't human anymore. The Sires were the steps between us. Lambency was affecting small kids who worked at Imulsion refineries, and the New Hope facility was hoping to find a cure, what they ended up doing were creating abominations, creatures that weren't friendly."

"So the Sires were relocated to Mount Kadar, where the Locust Queen was believed to be?"

"Boy, you really DO know everything ma'am. Why you bothering to ask me?"

"We've been through so much together Marcus, please just answer the damned question."

"Yes, we went to Kadar. When we got inside, we found a group of stranded, they told us the location of Maria, and Dom went off to find her. I promised him that I'd help him, and we found our way into Nexus, the Locust's last remaining stronghold."

"Dom mentioned something about a giant fish, care to touch upon that?"

"I'll tell you one thing, if Hoffman had seen this fish, hell, we could've fed all of Sera!" Marcus scoffed. "The Leviathan was huge. Pain in the ass to kill, but we finally downed him."

"Dom refused to mention anything that happened in Nexus, what happened, exactly."

"What the hell do you THINK happened down there?!" Marcus snapped defensively. "Have you seen how much that man drinks now, holding that damned picture..."

"You found her, didn't you?" The interrogator asked softly.

"You're damned right we did! Kinda wish we hadn't!" Marcus spat. "I don't mean that. Just, she was just like Tai was. Only, Dom couldn't- wouldn't see it."
-------------------------------------------------------------

Marcus and Dom rushed over to the torture chamber. Dom's eyes were aflame with affection, and new found hope. Turning to Jack, the robot beeped knowingly, as it started to open the door.

"I can't believe it Marcus, we finally found her!"

Dom waited with eager anticipation as the sparks flew off of the door, his beloved woman stumbling out of the pod. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, especially in this time of war. Falling to his knees, he caught her, embracing her tightly, running his massive hand through her hair.

"I saw everything for how it was, but I didn't dare ruin the moment."

"I love you." Dom whispered into his wife's ear, as Marcus' heart panged in sorrow.

"Dom-" Marcus said quietly.

Dom looked over his shoulder at his friend, confused. Marcus' eyes watered as his friend turned his attention back to Maria. The long flowing brown hair of his wife was short, her eyes filmy and lifeless, her mouth agape, as if barely able to suck in a breath.

Dom flinched abruptly, and upset. Resting his hand under her chin, he felt all hope ebb from his body, as his eyes watered.

"No- no no NO!" Dom said quietly, as her wheezing breath caused his heart to break. "No no no no baby, no, no no no!"

Embracing her tighter, Dom nuzzled her forehead to his, being very gentle not to break her frail form.

"What did they do to you?! AGH!" Dom was on the verge of crying.

Marcus shifted uncomfortably, watching his friend descend slower and slower.

"I'm so sorry." Dom said softly, holding her tiny hand in his. "I'm so sorry, Maria. I tried to find you! God, I, I did!"

Finally bursting, the Gear cried, as Marcus advanced, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Ah please no!" Dom cried. "God dammit, it's me Dominic, it's Dominic!"

"Dom-"

"Marcus, I dunno what to man, I don't know what to do! She-"

"Dom- it's okay." Marcus replied. He knew it wasn't alright, but Dom wouldn't want her to suffer, and she was already gone as it was.

Walking away, Marcus left Dom to do what he needed to. Dom looked down from his friend, and back to his wife. She needed him now more than ever. Dom sighed, his eyes welling up with tears. Hugging her one last time, he pulled his Boltok pistol from it's holster.

"I'm so sorry." Dom said softly, as they remained embraced. "I'm so sorry, Maria."

"I love you so much."

Pulling himself away, he held his hands on her cheeks, as she continued to gasp for air, her milky white eyes peering deep into his being. Trying to restrain himself, Dom raised the Boltok pistol to her face, crying as he went.

Marcus, having killed two Theron Guards, waited in the dead of the silence. Pausing for a second, he heard the sound of the massive pistol firing, and his heart skipped a beat, a single tear rolling down his gruff cheek.

------------------------------------------------------------

"I-I don't know what to say."

"There is nothing to say." Marcus replied. "Dom changed after that. He wanted nothing more than for it to be over with."

"We found Nexus and the Locust highway. Using the armor of the Theron's I had killed, we sneaked our way into Nexus. Then, we found the god damned Queen. She fled, and I sent Baird and Cole to chase her. Dom and I took on Skorge, who also fled when we bested him."

"That's about the time Prescott decided to bomb Nexus."

"Right. We stole a pair of Reavers and set out to Jacinto to warn them that sinking the city could end the war and flood the Hollow."

"You found something else down there, didn't you?"

"Yeah, glowin' Locusts. Exploded when you killed them. Nothing like the Wretches though, and certainly nothing like the Lambent Brute that Blaine had-"

"You're going off topic. Jacinto, you fought Skorge and his beast on the way?"

"Yes, and then we killed the Lambent Brumak, which in turn exploded and sank the city of Jacinto. Story time is over, buh-bye."

"Marcus-"

"Save it for another time Bernie. Delta and I need to get to the Sovereign. You and Hoffman need to stay here on Vectes, goodbye ma'am."

Walking just outside the door, Marcus found Baird and Cole standing there, shuffling their feet.

"Yeah, now you know the damn story. Baird, what the hell is that in your hand?" Marcus asked, as Baird fiddled with a round object.

"Look, I know it's been quite some time since you last saw this thing, but it's the beacon Blaine gave us just before they left. It needs some repairs done, but I'm bringing it with us, just in case the glowies decide to attack."

--------------------------------------------------------------

Aboard the CNV Sovereign
Coalition Lieutenant Anya Stroud
Final Transmission; Begin.

"So this is how it ends." Anya said. "Today the Coalition of Ordered Governments, ceases to exist. Chairman Prescott? He abandoned us some time ago. We can't pretend we're a government any longer."

Anya grabbed her Lancer and placed it on the table beside her, while her computer continued to extract data from the past, leading up to the present.

"It all began on E-Day. When the Locust emerged and overran us. We tried to stop them with the Hammer of Dawn, Incinerating our own cities. Killing millions of our own people. But the Locust kept coming."

Pulling the magazine out of the chamber, Anya placed the weapon on the work bench.

"The survivors from the Hammer strikes, the Stranded, didn't want anything to do with a Government that sacrificed civilians. Could we blame them? And after fifteen years of fighting, we even had to sacrifice Jacinto, our last remaining stronghold. We flood the Hollow, and stopped the Locust armies."

Cutting out something on a sheet of plastic, she tensed as she spoke.

"Reduced to refugees, we fled to the small island of Vectes, where we aimed to be rebuilt. But nothing can ever be repaired, broken hearts, broken minds." Her mind brought up Dom, she could picture him at the bar, smashing bottle of alcohol in a fit of rage.

"Then a new enemy came after us, more deadly than the last, the Lambent. Now they're spreading over the entirety of Sera, killing everything in their way. We've held them off as long as we can. We're out of options, and our only chance is to split up. Half of our remaining forces will remain here, on Vectes, good luck Colonel. The rest, including myself, will join the Sovereign."

"This is the former Lieutenant Anya Stroud, signing off. Blaine, if you're hearing this, we need you guys back-" Anya removed her earpiece, layering her stencil over her Lancer.

Grabbing a red can of spray paint, she sprayed over it, leaving the Gear's Omen insignia painted on the side of her rifle. Turning on the mic beside her, she spoke into the ship's intercom.

"Now hear this, all hands prepare to leave harbor!" She stated, turning off the mic. "I guess we're all Stranded, now."

Sighing, she pulled the message out of the console, having copied it successfully, and rushed down to the barracks. Knocking on the big metal door, it opened, showing Baird with his blue goggles covering his eyes, his blonde hair scattered wildly.

Holding out the chip, he nodded and took it. Grasping the newly prepared beacon, he pressed the chip into it, and activated it, hoping for the best.

Chapter 13: Boarders

Spoilers for Homecoming, Orion, and Reclaimers ahead.

Boots clanked down the metal hallways, the wearer had a special assignment for the individual talking to a group of his men. The young man walking the tablet, brushed past a few heavily armored soldiers, his shock troopers.

"Sorry Captain." One of them apologized, as the rest of their platoon made way for the Captain, who was on a mission.

Sliding past them, the Captain picked up his pace, as the individual he meant to speak to started to walk away, his conversation finished. Tapping the rather tall man on the back, the fellow turned, his Onyx black hair boasting a little bit of grey stubble.

"Thomas, how can I help you?" The man said.

"Admiral, you might want to see this, the Infinity's picking up a distress beacon from an uncharted world."

Blaine turned to one of his Spartan IVs.

"You heard him, Blaine." Josh replied. "They finally need us."

Blaine looked at the ground for a brief moment, sighing. Morgan had always wanted to see the members of Delta squad again. Unfortunately, his father suffered a massive stroke and developed Alzheimer's to boot, he didn't succomb to the diseases until two years back, when the stroke became an aneurism, taking his life.

Phil placed a hand on Blaine's shoulder. "Let's do this for him then."

"Both of them." Blaine replied, pulling Craig's tags away from his.

"I've prepped the Aura Blaine." Lasky replied. "I'll let ONI know your on sure leave."

Blaine nodded, headed down to the barracks.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Now hear this. Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, and Jace Stratton to the bridge." Captain Michaelson barked through the intercom. "I repeat Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, and Jace Stratton to the bridge."

Marcus forced himself awake, the dream of losing his father, Adam Fenix, after Emergence Day still haunted him. Growling, Marcus sat at the edge of his bed, clasping his hands together.

"Yeah, I heard you the first time." Marcus growled, standing.

Marcus paused for a moment, looking over at the counter. On it lied twenty dollars in Coalition bills. His memory flashed back to before they had met Blaine and his men, when Anthony Carmine had just been assassinated.

"Comm. systems don't work for shit- sir." Cole said, pointing to Lieutenant Ming Yung Kim.

"Affirmative. We're looking for Alpha squad."

"They're sitting tight, over at Tomb." Cole replied.

"Well lets go get them." Marcus replied.

"Hell yeah baby, let's do it!"

Dom looked at Marcus dumbfounded, waving his hand in the direction of Cole.

"Marcus, you do know who this is right?" Dom replied.

"Yeah, I do."

"It's Cole Train man, played for the Cougars! Remember?"

"I remember you owing me twenty bucks." Marcus replied, killing Dom's mood.

"Yeah, get back to me when the war is over."

Marcus picked up the bill, adding it to his War Journal. Beneath the bill laid a note, Marcus lifted the scribbled note.

"Here's that twenty bucks I owe you. It's a few years overdue, but better late than never, right? "

Marcus grinned, then solemnly put the note in his pocket. Opening the hatch to the hallway, Marcus stepped over the manhole, easing his way down the hallway, as the Sovereign swayed in the waves.

"Hey Fenix, looking for Santiago?" Doctor Phyllis Myers asked.

Marcus shook his head, sliding past her.

"I know where he is, thanks." Marcus said, opening Dom's door.

The interior of the room was filled with clay flower pots filled with separate crops. Dom was there, the massive angel tattoo on his right arm, Maria's name underneath it in a beautiful fancy font. He had gotten it before they left harbor. He had also let his beard grow out, the black hair enveloping the entirety of his chin. Dressed in a botanist's garb, Marcus rapped on the door, gaining Dom's attention.

"Dom, we gotta go."

"I've got crops to take care of." Dom said, turning to him, not meeting him in the eyes.

Marcus could tell he was broken inside, whether he let people know on the outside was a whole different story.

"I think the radishes can cope without you for a while."

Dom sighed, Marcus was right, the fresh air would help.

"Hmmm. Let's get this over with." Dom said. "Baird had a note for you in his quarters, give me a moment to change, will you?"

"Sure Dom." Marcus said, ducking back out into the hallway, going across the hall.

Peeking his head inside, Marcus' eyes lit up as he watched the

beacon:

glow a brilliant blue, Baird's note beside it.

"Hey Fenix, got the beacon up and running. Got a message back earlier this morning, think you might want to get moving though.

"Get moving huh?" Marcus asked, turning back, Dom in his armor.

"He got the beacon running eh?" Dom asked, his eyes slightly more caring.

"Yeah Dom." Marcus said, as the ship lurched violently. "We're entering Lambent waters. Let's get Jace and get the hell up there."

The two rushed upstairs, heading their way to Michaelson's office. On the way, a young African American fellow with a corn row haircut kicked one of the vending machines, looking for a decade's old candy.

"Jace, you eat that and you're going to chuke your guts out." Dom said.

"Stratton, we gotta go." Marcus huffed.

"Yeah yeah yeah just a moment." Jace said, licking his lips in anticipation for the sweet candy treat. Ramming his shoulder into the machine, it still refused to budge. Dom sighed, walking up to the machine. Lashing his massive boot at it, the glass of the machine shattered, and he reached inside, giving the candy to Jace.

"Now can we go please?" Marcus asked, starting up the next flight of stairs.

"Can't believe Michaelson is still going through the protocols, almost everyone on board has forgotten the Lambent threat." Dom replied, as Jace relished the candy.

"Out of sight, out of mind." Marcus replied, as they walked down the hall towards the bridge.

Turning the corner, Anya was there, talking with Michaelson and a few other people.

"You separated Dom from his radishes Lieutenant." Marcus joked. "It better be good."

"Oh it is." one of the other people turned, as Jace dropped his candy bar.

The armored man stood at a outstanding seven feet and an inch tall, Dom, Anya, and Marcus did not seem in the least bit fazed by the towering man.

"Captain Blaine!" Dom cheered, as the Spartan's helmet disassembled itself. "Looks like you got a few upgrades."

"You could say that." Anya smiled, looking up to the Spartan. "The good Spartan here actually got promoted in his military."

"Fleet Admiral Blaine, UNSC Navy." Blaine offered his hand to Jace, who cautiously took it.

"Fleet Admiral, shit." Dom said.

"It's great to see you again Admiral." Marcus replied.

"It's great to see you guys as well." Blaine replied. "But Mrs. Stroud has some news she wants to share with you."

Anya turned to Marcus, putting a hand on her hips.

"Guess who's back from the dead?"

"What do I get if I'm right?" Marcus asked. "And I sure as hell better not be."

"Chairman Prescott." Anya replied, Dom's mood worsened.

"That asshole!" Turning to Blaine, he explained. "He ran out on us two years ago."

"CNV Sovereign this is KR-01, carrying a Chairman Prescott, requesting permission to land."

"KR-01, wait until we get the deck master to raise the pad." Anya replied, cutting the line.

"Sounds like a fun individual." Blaine replied. "Must be hell of a good company too."

"He didn't call, he didn't send flowers."

"Well if he had, we certainly would know where to put them." Dom growled, clenching his fists.

"It's just a precaution." Anya said, turning to Blaine and his Spartans. "Do you have any Imulsion based weaponry?"

Blaine nodded his head towards his Spartans. Anya nodded sagely, pointing to the far wall.

"Sawed offs and Gnashers, Hammerbursts and Lancers." Anya replied. "Take your pick."

"Should introduce them to you first." Blaine replied. "David, Naomi, Jorge, and Darryl."

"That reminds me, where are Josh, Phil, Craig, and Morgan?" Dom asked, as Blaine paused, pulling out two sets of Dog Tags.

"One died to Mesothelioma, the other to an aneurism." Blaine replied.

"I'm sorry Blaine." Marcus replied. "I know what it's like to lose your father."

"He would've loved to see you again." Blaine replied. "As for Josh and Phil, they're with my newest members Scott Stroud and Kayla."

"Stroud eh?" Anya grinned. "I wonder if there is a relation there?"

Blaine hefted the new variant of Hammerburst, clipping it to his back. Taking a Lancer as well, he clipped a sawed off onto his back, just for good measure. David grasped a Hammerburst and a Gnasher, while Naomi took a Lancer and a Sawed off. Jorge, for the time being, armed himself with the Boomshot Blaine had kept as a souvenir from his last escapade, Darryl the Torque Bow.

"Brace, brace!" Michaelson barked into the intercom, as the ship riddled. "Lambent stalks detected!"

"Nash, get out of there Nash! They're right behind yo-"

The door leading to the upper deck burst open, as a Cog in a gold laced helmet rolled on the ground, little yellow imulsion infused spider like beasts crawling over him, their sharp appendages slashed his throat, and he stopped moving.

"Polyps!" Dom barked.

"Ships company, unknown variant Lambent detected on the upper decks."

"Unidentified variant?" Jace asked, turning to Marcus.

"C'mon, we got to clear the way for Prescott." Marcus barked.

"Hell of a welcome party." Blaine said. "It's great to be back."

...Flood Lambent?!

Manny wrote:...Flood Lambent?!

This story will be tense. But I dunno if I want it THAT tense !

We'll see.

Oh, and if you thought a Lambent Brute was bad... you just wait and see what I have in store.

Shad0wChas3r wrote:

Manny wrote:...Flood Lambent?!

This story will be tense. But I dunno if I want it THAT tense !

We'll see.

Oh, and if you thought a Lambent Brute was bad... you just wait and see what I have in store.

...Lambent Hunters right?

Shit.

Manny wrote:

Shad0wChas3r wrote:

Manny wrote:...Flood Lambent?!

This story will be tense. But I dunno if I want it THAT tense !

We'll see.

Oh, and if you thought a Lambent Brute was bad... you just wait and see what I have in store.

...Lambent Hunters right?

Shit.

You are on the right track, but if you keep guessing, it won't be a surprise.

Hunters may or may not be. You will see when we get there .

This thing ain't over till the Lambent go home!

Chapter 14: Tomato Tragedy.

The group hurried up the stairs, as the familiar scent of salt water filled their nostrils, followed by the pungent, sickening smell of Imulsion. Tiny crab creatures piled down the stairs after them, formed from pure Imulsion, the yellow veins shining out of their onyx black skin.

Blaine lifted his newly gathered Lancer, firing in sync with Darryl, while Dom, Anya, Phil and Marcus attacked from afar with their Hammerbursts. The tiny creatures popped, as the volatile liquid that formed their bodies burst. Clambering up the final stairs, the group was greeted by an unsightly, and horrific sight.

For Blaine and his Spartans, the sight caught them with some surprise, while Marcus, Dom, Anya, and Jace peered on with complete and utter awe. Before them, a metallic creature stood, it's wide body sporting a orange blade, as a yellow fluid dripped form the end of it, it's once orange slanted eyes now held a more yellow tint, as the cracks in it's carapace oozed the yellow liquid.

"Well fuck." David spat.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" Dom roared, as the beast slagged one of the Cog soldiers on station in half with it's blade.

"That is a Promethean Knight, and where there is one, there is bound to be more." Blaine sighed. "These bastards have the tendency to teleport too.

"This why you got promoted?!" Marcus roared, as the group took aim at the beast.

"Save the small talk for LATER Marcus!" Anya barked, as everyone focused fire on the Knight.

It glared at them, as an orange beam washed over Blaine, it's focus in his visor. Blaine cringed for a moment, as his mind flooded with memories of Requiem.

"How peculiar, but so expected, to see my old nemesis return once more unto the breech." A calm voice echoed through his helmet comm. "Your friends' primitive weapons are no match for my Knight."

The Knight, however, started to spark towards it's mainframe, as yellow tendrils erupted out of it's back, it's face plate melting away to reveal a yellow skull beneath it. It's blade elongated, as it raised it's Light Rifle.

"GET COVER!" Blaine barked, as everyone dived away from it's Prism Grenade.

"Blasted contraption! Follow the commands of your Didact, your creator!"

Dom tossed Blaine his Sawed Off shotgun, as Blaine mounted over his cover, planting his boot firmly into it's chest, knocking the abomination backwards, as he fired his shotgun square into it's skull. The creature jerked left and right as it's matrixs attempted to fix themselves. Instead, it's skull face roared to the heavens as it exploded into a brilliant yellow-orange gunk.

Handing the weapon back to Dom, Blaine cracked his neck, returning his Lancer to his hand. The boat shuddered again, as a grotesque tentacle, stalk if you will, rose from the ocean, brushing against the Soverign's hull. The stalk boiled instantly, as four pussy pods formed on it's surface, before spewing out four sacs of Imulsion. Before their eyes, Grenadiers stood before them, armed with their Gnasher shotguns.

"Woah, these guys are new, I thought they only had polyps!" Jace remarked.

"Clearly not, didn't you just see the Terminator back there?!" Darryl spat.

"If it still blows up like Polyps, then they can die the same!" Marcus roared, revving his Chainsaw up.

Running the length of the saw down the Lambent Grenadier's torso, Marcus relished in it's agony as he kicked it away, the creature exploding by the unstable liquid that formed it. Turning to the helipad, Prescott's King Raven circled overhead, it's front turret took aim at another Lambent creature.

Spoiler:

The same familiar onyx skin layered it's body, with the yellow veins sticking out from beneath it's flesh. Instead of a normal Lambent creature, however, this Drudge had a rather large, round yellow belly. The Raven fired it's chain gun down at the beast, as it flinched from the massive rounds puncturing it's stomach flesh.

Writhing in pain, the Drudge grasped at it's head, before it's torso elongated high above them, even Blaine felt shortened by it's immense size. Two stable legs pierced the metal flooring, as it pinned itself to the ground, two tentacle like arms erupting from it's sides, drizzling Imulsion onto the ground.

Spoiler:

"What in the actual fuck." Darryl stared at the massive beast, as a very brave Gear ran up to it, chainsaw at the ready.

The Drudges two newly formed arms wrapped themselves over the Gears arms and legs, as it pulled, with very little effort, the soldier in half. Everyone focused their fire on it's weak yellow belly, as the creature's entire form began to quiver, before erupting into another fountain of yellow.

"After all this shit is over, I'm gonna hate the color yellow." Dom remarked, looking at Jorge's armor. "Sorry mang, no hard feelings."

"None taken barat."

Anya walked up a quick flight of steps to the Helipad control booth. Lifting a switch, the sound of the lift rising filled their ears, as the Helicopter landed on the pad.

The side hatch opened, revealing a small man with a winning complexion, minus the many wrinkles that covered his brow. He held himself highly, acting as if nothing was wrong with the world, running a hand through his short graying black hair.

By his sides were two soldiers dressed in Onyx black armor, the blue lights on their helmets a firm reminder of someone being inside.

"You think he knows the COG fell apart after he left?" Anya whispered to Marcus and Dom.

"You think he gives a fuck," Marcus asked, approaching the man, as the two Onyx Guardsmen tensed. "Chairmen Prescott, welcome to whats left of the COG-"

"I'll have answers for you soon enough Ladies and Gentlemen." Prescott hissed, glaring at Anya with a smirk grin. "But later. For now, I must speak with Colonel Hoffman."

"Hoffman's been gone nearly as long as you have Prescott."

"-Except he's probably actually been fighting for survival." Blaine interjected.

One of the Guardsmen approached Blaine, still smaller than the Spartan, the soldier thrust his Lancer into Blaine's chest, slightly lowering his shields.

"You think your so tough, don't you palsy?"

"You wanna see what I'm made of?" Blaine lowered himself to the Guardsman's level. "Twenty bucks says I can beat your ass with both arms tied behind my back."

"You don't fuck with the Onyx Guard, bro."

"Bitch please, us Spartans are BETTER than the Onyx Guard." Darryl spat. "You have wet dreams at night, WISHING you could be like us."

"ENOUGH!" Prescott barked, as his guard dog retreated. "I don't know who you are, where you came from, or otherwise, but this doesn't pertain to you."

"As an allied force for the COG, of which you abandoned, yes, it is in my jurisdiction." Blaine growled. "Spartan 115, Fleet Admiral, UNSC Navy."

"UNSC Navy?!" Prescott spat, "I've never heard of such a thing."

"You've probably spent the past few months with your thumb up your ass, if you ask my opinion." David remarked from the back.

"You were looking for the CO in charge, Chairman." Anya glared at the Spartans. "It's Captain Michaelson, you'll find him in the bridge."

"Then I'd best talk to the gallant Captain. I have a mission for him." Prescott began to walk away, as he turned to Marcus. "Sergeant Fenix, I think you'll like to have a look at this. Make sure your 'friends' here, don't fuck it up. It's crucial information."

With that, Prescott and his two Onyx Guards walked back in the direction Marcus and Blaine's crew had just come from.

"This had better not be his shopping list." Marcus sneered. "Let's go check it out."

"Should wipe your ass with it and throw it back at him." Darryl growled. "Those two black armored assholes show themselves around me again, we'll see whose the better guardsmen."

"We're not monkeys here big guy." Jace chuckled. "But I gotta admit, that shit is funny to think about."

"Rather nasty pricks, weren't they." Jorge turned to watch them walk away.

"Fuck'm." David spat. "When they end up dead in the water, it'll be us nine folks to save the day."

Marcus lead the way, as the group remained on alert of the Lambent threat. Thankfully, none had attacked during their pleasant reunion with the nice Chairman, but Lambent waters were unpredictable.

Clambering over a barbed wire fence, the boat shuddered once more, as three more Lambent Stalks rose from the waters, the pods forming on their surfaces once more. Another salvo of the yellow creatures fell to the deck. There was a flash of blue, and yet another Promethean Knight was on the deck, this one, however, was not Lambent. Stepping forward into Dom's garden, it's massive boot stomped down on a flimsy green plant, it's red fruit splattering on the deck.

"You just ruined my tomatoes you assholes!" Dom roared as he raised his Hammerburst.

"Clear the decks! We need to get to CIC and find out what's on this damn disk!" Marcus barked.

...I was under the impression that the Lambent infect biological beings.

And I was under the impression the Flood did as well.

And I was under the impression that Knights were specifically built to prevent being infected, hence their robotic nature.

Can Lambent infect Knights? Canonically that is.

Manny wrote:...I was under the impression that the Lambent infect biological beings.

And I was under the impression the Flood did as well.

And I was under the impression that Knights were specifically built to prevent being infected, hence their robotic nature.

Can Lambent infect Knights? Canonically that is.

Canonically, Lambency can effect anything that is at least somewhat sentient. I've imagined that while they may not have control, the Knights are in some way sentient. Same with the Crawlers and the Watchers.

I figured it might be an interesting turn in pace. Originally, it was just going to be Lambent Hunters, until I typed it up and went, 'fuck it, robots'.

lol fair enough.

Manny wrote:lol fair enough.

Update later tomorrow methinks. We'll be showing what Josh, Phil, Scott, Baird, Cole, Kayla, Carmine, and Sam are up to.

Chapter 15: Homecoming

An hour earlier, Hanover, Sera

A King Raven helicopter slowly descended over the pier. The town of Hanover was especially quiet, the last great war having been a big cause of the unusual silence. Of course for some people, the sound of the rotors going meant they didn't have to listen to Baird's insistent bitching about everything.

For Clayton Carmine, the sounds of the rotors were a god-send. Baird had the smarts to get the job done, but not even the world's best mechanics could wrench his mouth shut. Looking through his helmet, he held his Lancer in hand, peering up at Sam.

Sam was a slightly tanned girl, with frizzled brunette hair that gently brushed beneath her ears. Two white smudges glanced her cheeks, war-paint, typical of her tribe. Her accent *it sounds Australian* pierced Carmine's brief moment of bliss, as she smiled genuinely.

"Everything okay Carmine? You're awfully quiet." She remarked, as he mentally sighed.

"Anthony and Benjamin are dead, and I don't even know about Ma and Devon." Carmine thought to himself.

"Someone's gotta be, with Baird yapping all the time." Carmine smiled beneath his helmet.

Sam's face turned into sheer deviance as she bit her lower lip, gazing over at Baird.

"I could gag him if ya like." She chuckled. "It'd be my treat."

Sam and Carmine turned to look at Baird and Cole, who chatted about what they were doing there.

"-Uh, remind me again why you thought Hanover was a good place to check for supplies?"

"Baby, you gotta trust the Cole Train can find the goods! This is my turf, Cougar's territory!"

"Oh yeah, great, Thrashball references, again. No- no I like that." Baird sighed. "Like that's gonna help us a bunch right now."

"Seven-zero, we'll call you back if we need something." Cole smiled, wiping the back of his hand against his shiny, newly bald brow.

"Roger that, see you soon Delta-2." The pilot paused. "Er, we have an unidentified vehicle passing directly over your head. Weapons engaging."

Baird, Cole, Sam, and Carmine turned, their Lancers at the ready for anything. Cole smiled as he watched the greyish-green vehicle descend upon the landing zone.

"I knew they'd come back for us!" Cole Train roared in happiness. "Hold fire Seven-Zero, we got us some reinforcements, whooo!"

"Yeah great, whoo hoo, and such." Baird grinned.

"Hey ladies, you mind filling me and Sam in on what the hell you're talking about?" Carmine shoved his way forward, pointing towards the familiar aircraft.

"Some ol' friends of ours during our Ephyra Campaign, y'know, when Marcus, Dom, and the Spartan we told you about defeated General RAAM?" Cole smiled. "They gave blondie here a beacon in case we ever needed them again, and Baird got it working again just a couple month's back, when the Sovereign first cast off!"

"Always nice to have new faces around." Sam smiled, strutting forward, glancing at Baird. "Beats having to look at you daily."

The Pelican drop-ship kissed the long grass close to Delta-2's position, as the Gears charged forward. Four soldiers, garbed in armor similar to Captain Blaine's, hopped out of the back of the vehicle. Two of them took off their helmets, while the other two stood rigid at the group of Gears rushing over to them.

"Ladies, been a while." The older of the twins grinned. "Looks like you had a change in squads since we've been away. Look, I know you adored me Baird, but you didn't need to separate on my account."

"We all know I'm the best looking smart-ass of the group." Baird spat, thrusting his hand out.

"Excuse me, who exactly are you?" Carmine asked, as the two helmeted soldiers snapped into a crisp salute.

"Kayla Harlowe and Scott Stroud, sir!" Scott barked. "Spartan IVs, UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Olympus."

"-And Cole and Baird know us two." The other twin replied, pointing to him and Josh. "Phil and Josh Durgin, Spartan IVs, UNSC Infinity, Fireteam Olympus."

"You 'Spartans' look like Onyx Guards." Carmine remarked, looking over to Baird. "AND they actually wear helmets!"

"I dunno what the hell an Onyx Guard is," Josh pointed out. "But we're some of the Elite of the UNSC military. We're almost on par with Admiral Blaine now."

"Don't you mean Captain?" Cole asked.

"The Admiral got a promotion shortly after his short term with you guys a few years back." Phil smiled.

"You hear that Baird?" Sam smirked. "A complete foreigner to Sera got promoted before YOU did."

"Yeah, let's just clear the air here, I was a Lieutenant during E-Day. I got demoted on bullshit reasons, for doing what was right."

"Never looked back since then baby!" Cole roared with laughter.

"Can we leave the chit-chat?" Baird asked. "Sovereign is burning precious materials while we stand here and shoot the shit."

"We'll help wherever we can." Phil nodded.

"We're on a resource hunt baby!" Cole Train marched forward. "The Cole Train'll take point! There is bound to be an outpost in the town ahead!"

The group nodded, as they briskly walked into the city limits, massive buildings loomed over head, their destruction a permanent reminder of the toll from the past fifteen or so years. Following along the pier-side, Phil pointed up to what appeared to be a dehydrated, life-less tree.

"That isn't a tree you see every-day." Phil glanced at it.

"It's called a Lambent Stalk. You see one emerge from underground, you check your ammo and keep your head down. Stalks mean Polyps, Polyps mean a slow and painful death by exploding spiders."

"Guess we should've celebrated Arbor day with much more vigor." Josh spat. "Motherfucking killer trees. God damn you live a terrible life."

"Oh look Baird!" Sam grinned, pointing to a run down three story house. "I can see us, you and me, a couple of kids, and a dog-"

"-Yeah! And my great big bottle of suicide pills." Baird mumbled.

"Well, that'll save me poisoning your dinnah."

"You'll miss me one day." Baird grinned. "Chicks dig the Baird."

"I don't, sir." Kayla grinned from behind her helmet.

"They always like this?" Scott whispered to Carmine.

"Hell if I should know. Baird and Sam are always like this, just barely met the others."

Moving down the cobblestone, everyone was silent, checking the shadows for even the slightest movement. Suddenly, a white light filled their eyes, as a spot-light encompassed all of them.

"Hey you there! Step into the light and take it nice and slow, or we'll shoot."

Josh pulled the action back on his SAW light machine gun, as Cole held a hand out on his chest.

"Relax my man! Safety's on!"

The light dwindled down as they drew neared to the outpost gate, a single man on the wall.

"Oh look, it's the COG coming to liberate us! Ooooh whoopee!"

"Stranded piece of-" Baird started, as Sam punched his Adam's apple.

"Yo, we're in the same boat alright?" Cole asked. "We're just lookin' to trade, if you got any food to spare?"

"Well we don't GOT any spare food. And even if we did, we wouldn't be handing it over to you COG assholes."

Kayla removed her helmet, her face livid with anger.

"Oooh.. I'll give you a side of bacon for the ladies though." Sam and Kayla readied their weapons, disgusted by the putrid's man's stares at their curves.

"Mmm bacon." Carmine drooled, as Scott lightly slapped Carmine on the back of the head.

"Hey, take the deal Cole. I haven't had bacon in nine months. NINE MONTHS I TELLS YA!" Baird pleaded.

"How about you shove that bacon up your ass, you stubborn old hobo!" Josh growled.

"Well now that wasn't very nice. And you are the weirdest fuckin' COG I've ever seen. Has the ONYX Guard really stooped so low?"

"You won't feel that way when I drop kick your ass into space!" Josh barked.

"NO THANKS!" Cole growled, angry for the first time in his life. "Any other camps around?"

"Now that's actually civilized, for a greasy, hairy, fascist pig like yourself." The Stranded spat. "Yeah there are more camps around. One on the other side of the pier, through the city, there is the old grocery store, if you're lucky, and hell, you might find something at the stadium. Course, there is a shit-ton of glowies between here and there."

"-And I'm sure you hairy-assed heroes can handle yourselves from here on out, so don't expect anymore help." The man replied, as a door to the team's right opened. Cole took a bow, as the man returned a single finger salute.

Read some things that kinds threw me off.

Kayla Harlowe? Josh and Phil are Spartan IVs? Morgan died of natural causes?

Wut?