The Way Of The Spartan

I. Amidst All The Pain

I was running through the forest like area. Elites followed close behind. Their feet thundering against the soft soil beneath. The land started to slope downward and I began to lose my footing. I tumbled forward with my knees folding inward. I reached up, folding my arms around my head to shield it for any nearby debris.

The Elites halted at the top of the hill. They began to argue with each other over who could've done what first.

I bounced against the soil before smashing into the heavy trunk of a tree and coming to a stop. It knocked the wind out of my lungs and the world started to go black. I exhaled softly.

Master Chief's suited feet thunked against the metal platform. He hugged the Commando against his waist, his gloved fingers squeezing around the handle. His head swiveled around to scan the area. "They're around here somewhere, heading northwest." the A.I. said from inside the suit.

Gazing in that direction, the A.I. focused heat reading and was able to single out their signatures. Master Chief moved swifter off the ramp and heading in the direction.

The Elites moved through the trees. Their weapons were poised and ready to fire on command. Their conversation was sparse, limited to only hand movements and soft chittering. Their feet pushed into the soil, leaving deep imprints.

Master Chief could hear what sounded like Grunts arguing somewhere in the distance. They were yelling and shouting at each other in English. The A.I. was blabbing on incessantly. "Be quiet. I hear something." Suddenly, gunfire erupted from the trees. Bright flashes of light shocked through the various browns and reds of the scenery.

I gasped sharply, my chest stinging as I was looking up above from my backside. There was a cold pain in my chest and a throbbing ache in my head. I sat up, leaning against the tree trunk to get my bearings. Gunfire shattered the air around me. The aliens were firing on something...or someone. I didn't have time to think about who it could be. The UNSC wouldn't dare send a Spartan team out here. Not even with how bad the Covenant wants this area. It wasn't practical.

The gunfire stopped and I seized the opportunity to get up and run. What I didn't know, was that on the opposite side of the wooded area, more aliens were waiting. In fact, it would be a whole army of them. My lungs burned as they expanded to take in more air. I looked over my shoulder for just a brief moment to see that trying to get out quickly had failed. I had been spotted and the chase was back on.

"You made quick work of that." The A.I. commented as Master Chief simply stepped over the bodies of the Grunts and Jackals that he had just killed. Their inner fluids were seeping onto the burnt ember colored dirt and pooling around his feet. He passed over them. "Any more around?" He asked. "My sensors are picking up several life forms moving through the trees at a very rapid speed."

I could see where the tree line was ending and it looked like there was a soft dune that dropped down into a gulley. The Elites were shouting in their native tongue before they began to open fire. I reached up, covering my ears for a brief moment as the plasma charges splintered against the wood. Debris was flying all around the closer I got to the edge, the more I realized I didn't have a plan.

"They're getting closer." The A.I. said. Master Chief found himself standing right near the tree line, about 10 feet out. His fingers were coiled near the trigger, ready to squeeze.

I lost my footing again as the ground grew soft. I slid down the dune before rolling the rest of the way and stopping against a metal foundation. It looked like someone's feet. I looked up through the dust at the green worn armor and the glassy golden visor. A Spartan.

The Elites broke through the trees and began firing again once they saw him. I scrambled to my feet, running off towards the buildings that were huddled around this valley. I didn't stick around to see was he going to succeed in killing them all.