Halo: Gauntlet

Chapter 4: 4 years ago

Planet Reach, 2552

It had been a grueling day. The Covenant had launched a surprise invasion on the UNSC planet Reach, annihilating the human defenses and overwhelming any opposition. Gauntlet, Red, and Echo Teams had been assigned to civilian evacuation, way down on Reach's surface. While Red and Echo had gotten everybody in their areas out, Gauntlet was still holding out in the dense urban ruins of Manassas, one of Reach's three largest cities. Gunfire lit up the dark, cloudy air and the screams echoed throughout the city. Fires blazed in the ruins of once-proud skyscrapers and markets. The intimidating outline of a battlecruiser blotted out the sky, raining death and plasma down upon the people. The destroyed remains of the space elevator split the city in half, completely isolating the Spartans from their evacuation point. A red-colored spartan, Spartan Reyes, fired his assault rifle at oncoming elites. Piercing through the fog, a Spartan in olive green armor and one in blue armor unleashed their rounds with pinpoint precision, taking down several shielded jackals and a brute.

"Street is clear," declared Reyes. "How's our ammo, Kuzo?"

"Running low, lieutenant," said the green Spartan, "Klace?"

"Same. On my last mag."

Reyes shook his head in frustration. He fired down the street, taking down another elite. "Elena, are you sure the shelter is here?"

"Copy, Gauntlet-One. Your squad is roughly a few hundred kilometers away from the shelter. You need to hurry, Gauntlet. The window is narrowing. I can only maintain air presence for a bit longer. After that, the evac point is your only shot."

"Understood." Reyes turned back to his squad, realizing two were missing. "Where's Lee and Lukas?"

Suddenly, gunfire rang out in the distance.

"Lukas, Lee? Where are you?"

"--- engaging Covenan--- South—--- near the commercial plaza!"

Reyes shook his head in frustration. "What're they doing out over there?"

***

Lee sprayed the area with bullets, swiftly reloading his submachine gun and firing off another burst. His armor was noticeably newer than what he would wear four years into the future, being a more uniform CQC set instead of the scrappy yet robust custom set he later acquired. Regardless, it had built up the same amount of wear after days of non-stop fighting. Next to him, hidden behind some debris and cautiously firing his rifle at peeking grunts, was Spartan Lukas, fitted in a yellow and black armor set that Lee often described as a "bee with two legs".

"Tossing 'nade!"

Lee threw a frag grenade into the Covenant group, the explosion tossing grunts into the air and staggering the Brutes and Elites trying to pin them down.

"Reyes, it's Lukas! We found the- " Lukas dodged an incoming bullet, chipping the piece of concrete he was hidden behind. "-we found the bunker! Engaging Covenant at the site!"