We woke up to the sound of air raid sirens and marines and Spartans both running down the halls hollering and yelling about the fact that we got hit with artillery rounds. I yank one of the other Spartans over and ask what happened and he said that our medical bay got hit with a plasma round fired from one of their scarab tanks. The only thing that the squad and I could think of is if Rookie got hit and if he was all right. So, we started running towards the medical bay, pushing through the hollering crowd trying to mob its way to the assembly area, you could hear the echo of our boots along the metal floor as we sprinted down the corridor, we round the corner as we see Rookie, who is none other than walking down the corridor with a limp going back to the barracks, he sees us and asks where we are going, and told him that we were going to save him. After a couple of smart-ass remarks and such as guys do, general Shepard came running down the hall motioning towards the launching room and we all started to it including Rookie. Either way, there was no speech but everyone got into a pod and locked all our weapons. As the doors closed, we all saw that one empty pod swinging in the lifeless space around it, we all became silent the usual battle cries and yells of enthusiasm did not echo the chamber, not anymore. As the chain kicked in and put my pod into its usual spot, being the last after Brutal's, it fires and I feel the usual weightless as the screaming hull demands sacrifice from the ground. We hit the ground with such force that it caused many of the foot soldiers in front of us to fall on their asses, as the doors opened to our pods, bullets mercilessly jumped from their casing impacting the scattered enemies laying on the ground. As the bullets create craters in the chests of the elites, a feeling of revenge crosses my mind and I start to enjoy taking the lives of these bastards, the worst part is that I start laughing as the rounds kick back into my shoulder as the smoke from the rounds circulates into my helmet. It just feels like they deserved it, or maybe something is wrong with me... When the fighting stops, we hear a rumbling in the distance and as we move back, we see 20 or more tanks pass by us along with the 3rd Spartan company behind them. Well, there is only one thing left to do... let’s go kick some ass.

1 HOUR LATER...

After hitching a ride on one of the many rumbling vehicles screaming down the bombarded road, the covenant fortress comes into sight. It looks like a large gleaming purple, a city with tentacles reaching towards the scorched sky that is now filled with the missiles and plasma fire of covenant weaponry. The convoy has to swerve to dodge a falling bomber as it screams past us and crashes into the unforgiving ground. It doesn’t even phase us, a few of the marines cringe but we keep staring at the gate as it stares back at us. As we come within a mile of the fortress mortar rounds start throwing the dirt up around the tanks and we take the flanks and pound the shield doors until they give and we rush inside. As we enter the gleaming city a squad of hunters enters and tries to attack the company but before they can take different 90mm tungsten rounds hit them and there is nothing left but blood. While the marines take care of the little stuff and secure the perimeter it is our job to knock on the front door, and so we do with about 175 pounds of C4. "Hey bastards! Knock, knock!" That is what echoed through the comm waves as the covenant are knocked backed and run for their lives fearing the roaring Spartans that just blew a hole into their war room. They are going to pay for what they have done with their blood. As we march in half of the company goes down another hall to continue crippling the futile forces of the covenant, as we go down the main corridor with a platoon of Spartans looking for the commander T'zeul. As the footsteps of 50 Spartans echo off of the purple relic-like walls of the corridor, we continue to hear scattered chatter and the creaking of the metal as it was punished by rounds from outside. As we entered what looked like a throne room for the higher commanders, a blast door shuts as we enter cutting off the platoon and Rookie from us, as we turn and try to break through the accursed door, it turns transparent and we cease trying to break through as we see the platoon start to panic as Elite honor guard come down from the walls. Rookie seeing the danger picks up Spartans who have fallen and continues to shoot the elites until one of them runs him through with their sword. But rookie doesn't stop moving, he breaks the arm of the elite and takes the sword out of him, and starts cutting up the elites as they continue to rain down, those bastards had killed almost all of the Spartans but Rookie and the last 10 left of the platoon charged as the maniacal laughter fills the room as the door turns opaque again and we turn to see none other than the bastard himself T'zeul float down in his jet pack. "Did you like my demonstration, Spartans? That is only a fraction of what I have in store for you!" As he speaks the floor opens up to floating platforms over a vat of plasmic acid, T'zeul lands and pulls out his plasma rifles, and charges at us across the platforms spitting out alien curses as the hot lead from our rifles pounds him in his limbs but as he moves the platforms begin to fall and keeps us moving as well. Running after him and trying to spray him down started to piss me off as the commander started to take it as a joke. As my anger grows along with the amount of growing pain from losing another of my friends, I finally catch him and stare right into that ugly mug of his and swear on his life I will kill him. He laughs, "You insolent Spartan you think we will be so easily defeated? This is only the beginning, your world will burn!" he laughs at my face as I go to cut his throat, but Brutal comes running at me and dives in front of me as an energy sword plunges into him. At this point, I have taken out my .44 and put one round between his goddamn eyes and just stare at his limp body as it falls into the acid beneath us. I pick up my wounded squad mate and bring him to where the door to the rest of the unit is and lay him down. I take off his helmet and remove all of the memory cortexes and system cores and place it next to him. As we get up to break through the door it opens and the rookie is standing there with 2 swords through his body and one in his hand covered in blood. He stands there for a minute but then collapses onto the floor. We rush over and lay him against the wall next to Brutal and remove his helmet, I give the helmet to Ringer to take care of and I see what I can do to help Rookie. As I go to remove one of the swords his hand reaches up and stops me as he looks me in the eyes through the blood that covered his face, "Don’t do it, I am a hero now, you're supposed to send me out with a bang..." He fades away as he tries to finish but goes limp as he dies in my arms; I stand up as Ringer hands me the components "Let's not dishonor our brothers." So, we go and set as many demo charges on the energy cores of the base as we can and glad fully leave. As we drive off, I blow the charges and softly cry inside my helmet hoping no one can hear me. I just want the dying to end.

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