Steele's POV

I hit the ground and crouched as I did so to absorb the shock. There were multiple thuds behind me as my team landed similarly and as Fireteam Prime rolled. We had been dropped smack in the middle of a park. There were five exit streets around us in a star shape, the park surrounded by a large round-a-bout. Several Pelicans were parked on one of the streets the furthest away from the Covenant ships, awaiting evacuees. There were people running and evacuating all around us, some pointing in fear at us as the two teams came together. "Spread out and watch out for Covenant but stick near your teams. Use the private COMs to tell us if you spot anything or need help." I ordered and turned to Scott as they spread out towards the edges of the park. "I need you on sniper duty. Climb a building and scout ahead of us."

"Got it." He nodded and sprinted towards a building, hooking his hands on the first balcony before jumping up, repeating the move with each floor. He made scaling a skyscraper look easy. I turned to Selina and Kade. "You two head down that street." I pointed to the one opposite of where part of Fireteam prime had gone. The other three had headed one street to the left of it. "I'll take the one between you guys and Fireteam prime. Scott's keeping a watch on the last street where the citizens are evacuating to." Selina nodded and pulled out her battle rifle. Kade loaded his light machine gun, aka the SAW (squad automatic weapon) and hooked the gravity hammer on his back that he had picked up earlier. I turned on the team com. "Once you all patrol your streets a few blocks, sweep back towards the evacuating area by the same route. Avoid getting the attention of the Covenant, keeping the people of Redemption safe is our top priority." I relayed. At this I was met with multiple affirmation lights on my HUD. I jogged into my street, holding my rifle against my chest with the barrel towards the ground, ready for combat at a moments notice but without potentially endangering anyone. I swung my head back and forth, looking for people left behind or Covenant.

Then a few minutes along I heard a trash can bang on the ground, noisily rolling to a stop against a wall. I looked sharply towards the source of the disturbance and saw a little girl of about 6 years old quickly crouch in the shadows of a shop corner, whimpering. I put my gun on my back and walked across the street to where she was huddled. She whimpered and drew back. I paused at her reaction. I must look like a death machine to her, I thought.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I need to get you out of here." I said and kneeled on one knee a few feet away, one hand on my knee and the other outstretched to her. She un-curled a little, watching me warily. I quickly took off my glove to show her I was human and stretched my hand out a little farther. She stood up and walked over, shyly accepting my hand.

I smiled in my helmet and stood up, bending over a little to keep from lifting her off the ground. I quickly withdrew my hand and replaced my glove before holding hers again.

I led her as quickly as I could back to the circle and knelt down to her. "Ok, I need you to run down that road there," I pointed to the road where people were evacuating, "and don't stop until you get to other men like me. Do exactly what they say." She looked up at me and quietly nodded. "Now go, and don't look back until you get to that ship." I said.

She nodded again and I let go. I watched her run down the street before turning back and walking towards the middle of the park.

"Scott, you have anything?" I asked through the COM.

"Negative, and almost all civilians are on transports. They will be leaving in 3 minutes."

"Okay, tell the others to hurry and loop back."

"On it."

I started running down the street I had just been on, pointing a few straggling civilians to the transports along the way as time began to run out to evacuate. Then I finally reached a block where it seemed no one was left.

I was about to turn around when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a plasma grenade sailing through the air towards me. I did a backflip away from it, barely avoiding it sticking to my leg, ducking immediately as shards and gravel from the explosion soared over my head. I returned fire at the grunt, now running back towards the center as I shot behind me. "Contact!" I yelled in the COM.

"I see them, it seems like just a few straggling Covenant that were left behind. There's no coordination." Scott said. I flashed my acknowledgement light and tossed a grenade at an Elite who had come at the sound of the grenade, the explosion killing it instantly.

I reached the circle again, spotting Henderson, Grey, and Rogers. Scott had jumped from the tower, firing at the covenant on the way down and slowing his descent with his thrusters.

Selina and Kade appeared as well, only Kyle, Smith, and Strang were missing. "Where's Kyle's group?" I asked.

"Something's jamming the coms in their area. I can't get through." Kade said, cursing under his breath. "We have to get them. We can't leave them behind."

"Alright, Selin.." I started, then stopped as the loud humming of a ship filled the air. There was a blindingly bright light as a Covenant ship descended from just above the clouds and the beam on the bottom of it's hull started charging. We shielded our faces as it fired, a brighter beam of light striking the city a few miles down Kyle's route.

The Glassing had begun.

I shook my head and sadly watched the destruction for a moment. "No." Selina breathed, frozen and staring at the ship.

I snapped them out of their daze and said, "Alright, new plan. You guys go to the shuttles. I'll go help Kyle and his group get back. Hold the shuttles until I tell you to leave."

"No, we are going with you." Kade said, stepping forward.

I shook my head. "I can't risk any of you coming. Protect the civilians. Now go to the shuttles, that's an order. You too Henderson." I said.

He had opened his mouth to speak but now closed it, nodding. I turned to leave. "Steele, stay safe." I heard Selina say. I paused, looking back over my shoulder, "I will." I started running down that street at nearly top speed. I heard them wait for a second and then start running in the opposite direction. This is either the stupidest idea ever, or the bravest.

I was down two blocks when a second ship appeared, burning near where the route I had scouted earlier. I grimaced and ran faster. The beam from the first ship was closer now, I didn't have much time. Then I saw them a few blocks away. Kyle was being dragged by Strang and Smith. His head was lolling to the side limply. There was a dent in his helmet and a gash on his inner thigh and side.

I sprinted at top speed now. I could see the glassing a few blocks down and speeding closer. They looked up and saw me running, waving and pulling him faster. I slid beside them and pulled Kyle over my shoulders. "Come on, run!" I shouted over the glassing and ran at my top speed. Smith and Strang were barely keeping up, sprinting just a bit behind me. Their heavy breathing was loud enough to be heard over the high pitched energy beam as it seemed to chase us.

We burst out into the circle. The glassing following as soon as we crossed it and ran down the other street. It was catching up. I could see the evac ships now, only one hadn't taken off. Selina was waving for us to hurry. My legs were burning with carrying Kyle and running at top speed. Strang and Smith weren't doing much better. I could feel the heat through my suit.

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"Take off now!" I shouted over the com. She nodded and told someone something and the ship rose slowly. I jumped, shoving Kyle on and catching the edge with one hand. I turned, reaching for Smith's hand. They had fallen a ways behind, the glass practically touching their heels.

The Pelican was rising higher. I stretched. "Hurry!" I shouted. Smith and Strang jumped, reaching for mine and Selina's hands, Selina having seen them fall behind and reached down with me, Kade holding her steady.

The tips of our fingers touched... then slipped.

Smith tried grabbing my leg as he fell, but the smooth metal offered little grip and the glassing crashed over them, rolling through and sweeping them away. They disappeared into the white, their yells abruptly cut off. I cried out as it super heated my legs, my suit barely holding out. The craft shot off into the sky, away from what was left of the city. I was pulled onboard and set down carefully onto a seat.

I slammed my fist onto the metal seat in anger and sorrow. I put my helmet in my hands and silently shook with sorrow. I had just watched two good men die, for nothing. No goodbyes, no last words, no reason for them to die except that I wasn't able to catch them. I looked at the floor, surprised to see my vision was blurry with unshed tears. The floor was harsh and bare. I didn't dare look up. I didn't want to do anything, I couldn't think of anything to do at the moment anyway. Looking over slightly at the boots and shoes of the people wearing them lining the back, I found myself searching and failing to find their boots among them, and there was even an empty spot where they would have sat. No more laughing or joking around, it was deathly silent, the only sound coming from the hum of the Pelican's engines. I shifted my arms and hung my head lower, but the darkness only let me see the last moments I had of them, and that I had been able to even see Smith's eyes through his helmet, illuminated by the sun as he jumped, trusting and confident, and then the instant horror and despair as he fell and cried out in pain.

After what seemed like an insufferably long time, I finally looked up and around the Pelican at both teams. Selina was looking down slightly at the helmet in her hands, a single tear rolling down her face. What was left of Fireteam Prime was hunched over, Henderson stone-faced and treating Kyle's leg gash. I took a deep breath, ashamed of my failure and my outburst. It was as if Grayson and Sift had died all over again. I looked over at Kyle, glimpsing passing mountains out the window above him as we headed to wherever was safe. I looked out my window at where Fort Cause should have been. There was only smoldering and roughly glassed landscape. I can only hope they made it out and took Sift with them. My team were all still staring silently at the floor. I looked slowly around the room only to see sad and despairing faces of the people who had just lost everything. I saw the little girl from earlier and she gave me a short smile. I had forgotten they were here as they were impossibly quiet, not a cough or whisper among them. I lifted my hand to wave and saw someone next to her recoil. They probably had been scared when I slammed my fist. I set my hand down gently and hunched over gloomily.

All I could think of was why? Why'd they have to go like that? Why didn't I call to take off a few seconds later? Why didn't I reach out farther? My guilt laid heavily on me and I looked back down at the floor.

Coughing brought me back to the present as Kyle rolled on his side, trying to get up. Henderson held him back. "Hold on there. You need to sit still, I haven't applied the rest of the biofoam. You also had a nasty hit to the head." Kyle nodded and laid back, letting out a little noise of pain. "Wait, where's Smith and Strang?" He said, holding his side and looking around the room at us and the civilians. Everyone lowered their heads, I looked away and Henderson looked down. He looked at everyone's reactions. "What?" I looked back, taking responsibility as the leader and the culprit, and cleared my throat. He turned his attention to me, confused and worried. "I'm sorry Kyle..." His face fell. "they got caught in the glassing. I couldn't save them." I said softly, lowering my head at the last words. He laid back, his face consumed by sorrow. He closed his eyes in utter despair. "We were just beginning to get along..." He trailed off and rolled over, not making another sound.

I looked down in shame. As I did I just began to notice the pain in my legs. I stifled a gasp as they stung, radiating heat from the hidden burns that my armor had failed to protect them from. I could see no physical change to my armor, maybe some discoloration but that was it. My HUD showed no system damage, but it did show that my legs had an equal share of first, second, and third degree burns. I numbly remembered my armor's healing unit. I activated it, my legs cooling as it did it's job. I breathed a little easier, but my pain was nothing compared to what had been caused here, mainly by me.

The Pelican shook and the Pilot called back briefly, "We are here." and we felt the Pelican shake as he set it down and the doors opened. The Civilians in the craft emptied quickly, still completely silent until they got a ways away from the ramp. I slowly got up, the pain in my legs flaring up, but I ignored it. I didn't deserve sympathy or relief, and it was the least I could do to put the other's needs before mine.

Henderson helped Kyle up, wrapping his arm around his shoulder and Kyle put his helmet back on. We walked out into the sunshine and our HUDs adjusted. I checked my map and saw that we had landed at a temporary disaster-relief site farther north on the planet. Kyle let out a strangled cry as he tried to put weight on his leg and side and passed out again. I took his arm from Henderson and simply carried the small Spartan. Everyone was silent as we walked Kyle to the medic tent. They admitted him immediately and the two teams sat or stood outside as we awaited word. I stood, watching the civilians mill about, looking for family, friends, and food. I wasn't hungry.

A medic came out. We all turned towards them and Rogers, who had sat, stood up next to the Medic. "Well we think he's going to be ok. We have his leg stitched up and wrapped his side as well. His helmet took most of the blow so it's only a minor concussion, though there could be some lasting damage. We gave him a new undersuit so he's all ready for combat, but in his current state I would not suggest it. We'll put the rest of his armor on for now since we are still not entirely safe from the Covenant here, but he's still unconscious and he'll need a while to rest before he wakes up. He doesn't have the same healing ability as you other Spartans." He said. Rogers sighed and they all relaxed. The medic went back in. I tried to be happy for him but the deaths of Strang and Smith still rested heavily on my mind and I simply turned away again.

The medic came back out and looked around at us, noticing sharply my heat-scarred armor on my legs. In the sunlight you could now see that the colors on the metal had shifted and some was even burnt off. "Sir, please come with me, we need to look at that." he said. The rest of the team looked over to see what he was talking about and saw my legs. I shook my head, "I'm fine." I told the medic. "There are others who need your help more than me. The medic frowned, "Sir, there is no one else who I could be treating right now who's combat-readiness is more important than yours."

I sighed and looked over at my team. "Chief, go." Selina said. I nodded and went into the tent with the medic.

I ducked through the door, passing a closed curtain where I assume Kyle was. They gently took off all of my leg armor and started peeling away my under-suit on my legs. "Well I can't identify any melting of the skin with the suit so that's good so far." The medic said. I nodded. They peeled away the rest of the suit and I refrained from making a sound, even when they accidentally touched my blistered skin. "Well it seems you have mild 3rd degree burns on your ankles and feet, and 2nd degree burns from your shins to your knees, the rest are harmless 1st degree burns. We'll put some cream on them and wrap your feet, but your suit did most of the job already. " the medic said, pulling out the items. I nodded. My legs had still been radiating heat even with the relief from my armor's healing system, but as soon as he put the salve on, it practically disappeared. They wrapped my ankles after treating them and fixed my under-suit. They re-suited me up in my armor and put away their supplies. "Well you are good to go Senior Chief. Just leave them alone and they should be healed in a few days. Your healing trait does speed the process up a lot though so it could be sooner. Take that wrap off in a day or two."

I nodded. I couldn't trust myself to talk without my voice cracking. The time they had taken suiting me up had allowed my mind to think back to their faces, the look they gave me when they realized I couldn't save them. Each moment was burned crystal clear into my memory. I numbly accepted some cream he gave me and placed it in one of my suit compartments. I stepped out into the sunshine, a bit dazed at the bright light. Selina had been pacing and stopped as I exited. "You good?" she asked carefully. I nodded, and swallowed, "We will leave Kyle here with Smith, but we still have civilians to protect. We need to get them on the larger shuttles as fast as we can and we follow in a Pelican after everyone has been evacuated. There are a few large bases left that can accept them more long-term and most are being evacuated to the Frigate Henderson's Fireteam arrived in. But only after everyone is gone from this area will we leave." I said. They nodded solemnly.

I turned and looked around the busy camp, the different ships arriving and leaving constantly. I couldn't protect Smith and Strang, but I will make sure to honor their memory by getting everyone to safety. I will keep fighting and protect humanity, even to my last breath.