Truth of the Rings 5 - Brotherhood

Part 10 - Green Man's Bane

After so long of trying to distract the thing for Floyd, The Warden seemed completely non-tired. Meanwhile, the Spartans were running on excess energy. If they stopped having to Move they would almost immediately go back to full energy due to a Spartan's amazing stamina regeneration but they hadn't stopped moving at top speed in at least a full 2 minutes. After so long, Gunny had fully expended his energy, and he fell to the ground. The Warden saw this and raised his sword as Gunny prepared for the worst. But before the Warden could bring his sword down he was hit in the face with a heavy round fired from a custom sniper.

Blue Team dropped in from above, Linda covering them from the hole in the roof as the team swarmed around the Warden. He was quickly overwhelmed and the Spartans finally had time to breathe. Floyd ran over to Gunny and knelt to his side "are you alright?"

"I'll manage. Just get on that things back and end this so we can head home." Gunny stood and stretched his legs a bit, breathing heavily.

Floyd nodded and looked at Kelly. "KELLY. Confuse him, I need time."

Kelly nodded and immediately understood exactly what Floyd meant. It was a plan Chief originally made actually. She began running around the Warden's legs, firing shots into his knees and what looked like weak points. It was a plan for dealing with hunters that capitalized on her speed but here it was an excellent distraction. The Warden seemed to yell out in pain and fall to his knees after a while, smacking her away.

But Floyd had his opening. He leaped onto the Warden's back and began smacking the cover for the Black Hole Generator until the cover shattered off. Then he grabbed the container and started pulling the walls of it in separate directions. It took a long time and the Warden needed to be shot at constantly to keep him busy, but by this point the Spartans had what was essentially a firing line to keep the Warden down. It was almost sad to watch the Forerunner Veteran struggle completely in vain, as Floyd (after minutes of trying nonstop) shattered a part the container. The Black hole grew slightly and sucked the Warden into it. And then... It vanished.

Cortana laughed "you... You did it! You stopped him!"

Gunny glared at Floyd, taking his cautious stance once more. "We aren't here for you, or your war, or even the Banished. Glad to help.... But you still need to come with us Floyd."

Floyd looked at the group, having been kneeling to let himself heal and regain stamina. It was impossible to tell what was going through his head at the moment.

Sam joined Blue team and Gunny, putting his rifle on his back. "Come on Floyd, let us help you. Please. You aren't well, something is wrong with your neural link. SHE did something to it." He pointed at Cortana.

Jen appeared even, standing in front of her once friend. The AI looked to be on the brink of tears, only because of her inability to cry. "Please Floyd... Let me fix you."

Floyd looked at the glowing blue lady. Everything in his mind was begging him to join them again. He wanted to join them again. Tears began welling in his eyes for a moment even, for the third time in his entire life. But one voice in his head cut through his mind like a hot knife through butter, and it forced him back against them.

"If you don't save him, you failed him again."

Floyd stood and looked at the group. His emotions had completely turned off once again and he steadied his breath. He was Faster than almost everyone before him, and the only person as skilled as him was Fred. He was the strongest of them and by far the most experienced warrior. Not to mention the best tactician. In his brain.... It was an even fight.

Gunny stared at him, almost able to read the expression but a bit unsure. "He's unarmed. Non lethal force."

The group put their guns away for the moment but kept at the ready. So when he rushed them again, Kelly moved just as fast.

Sam only now was able to shake off the dazed vision he got from being smacked by Kelly's body as the warden hit her. But it didn't matter much because for the first time, he watched the Spartan IIs fight. For a moment he couldn't even keep up with their movements, Kelly and Floyd seeming like Blurry figures simulating human abilities. But that quickly ended when Kelly took a hard right hook and fell on the ground and Floyd dodged Fred's next punch. The Spartan IV knew that he was no match for Floyd and that for once, his speed was going to do him any good. But he had learned one thing from the good man buried beneath the brainwashed green armor. Even if it looks like you'll fail, fight for the causes that matter.

Sam moved in on Floyd and decided to use a play that Floyd once used long before. On a mission they had to take out one of Jul 'mdama's top men, Floyd had used himself as a distraction to let Sam get a good angle to jump on the lieutenant and choke him out to non-lethally so they could interrogate him. If Sam waited, it would work again.

Gunny moved forward with the rest but one by one, He and Linda met the same fate as Kelly. Knocked aside so Floyd could continue his rampage against them. This was the most dangerous Spartan II alive, and he was making sure everyone knew it the hard way. Fred Finally got a moment to face the SII and due to Fred being someone even Chief struggled with, the two seemed to be a bit closer for a match than the rest. Fred kept Floyd on his toes, making him stumble backward in the confusion before Floyd managed to push him back.

Using the advantage, Sam jumped on Floyd and did a quick takedown, wrapping his legs around one arm and his top half around Floyd's other. Fred tackled Floyd down and held him there, with the final Spartan IIs holding his head in place. Sam looked at Gunny. "NOW, I'M RUNNING OUT OF GRIP STRENGTH!"

Gunny quickly made his way over and slid behind the SII, slipping the AI chip into his head......