The Spartan Effect

Fireteam Onyx

Credit to Enderianc on Patreon for the picture.

Thirty minutes ago, Eternity's simulation deck. 

     "TAKE COVER"

     The speaker was drowned out by a plasma motor impacting the ground. The muddy ground of what was once a forest was covered in the blood of humans and covenant alike, and smoke filtered through the aid with every breath. Five figures huddled behind the wreckage of several burning warthogs. One peaked over with a heavy machine gun they carried with them frequently from the look of it. Clad in Mark IV armor, with wider shoulder pauldrons and an ammo pack attached to his back, he was the largest of the group. He wasn't actually peeking out from cover so much as he couldn't properly fit behind the destroyed vehicle. Instead, he provided the enemy with heavy machine gun fire. 

      The M247 HMG shot 12.7mm high explosive rounds tore through the enemies that swarmed them. One jackal slipped past and hopped over the hood of a warthog only to be met with a gravity hammers blade buried in its neck. The handle has been cut down significantly, making it more of a hatchet, with the blade being taken from a large fireaxe. The weapon was placed back over the right shoulder of the spartan. Clad in a similar Mark IV, this armor had two bandoliers of 40mm grenades strapped over it, and the M319 grenade launcher he returned to loading designated him the demolitions expert. 

      "Not today, ye ugly, beaked bastard" Each word is spoken with the venom and hate of a true Scotsman. Next to him, a more feminine figure was lying down and leaning out from behind a tire with her SRS-99 AM sniper rifle. A kukuri was sat across her lower back, with a large canteen nexto it. A shot rang out and blew dirt and ash into the air around her as a chieftain In the distance fell over dead with a chunk missing from his head. She turned to the Scottish Spartan beside her and addressed him in an Australian accent.

     "It's not like the thing can understand you anyways, mate. Why do you bother cussing at them?" The Scotsman, for his part, just looked at her with his helmet tilted. 

     "What're you on about? That wasn't me cussing. It'd waste too much time to do it properly, and I'd rather save my best for beefy over there." The spartan welding the heavy machine gun shook his head and continued to fire upon the advancing jackals and grunts. From behind them, another female voice was heard calling out in a British accent. 

     "Boys, we're getting close to our objective. Once I pop smoke, we're going to make a north for a kilometer, then-" The spartan in CQB armor was cut off when the simulation paused and began to end. The three looked around, confused even as the far side of the room's door opened and in marched Captain Thomas.  

     The four Spartans snapped to attention as their cover disappeared. 

      "At ease, onyx. Report to the armory ASAP. You're being dropped onto Halo for flood quarantine operations. ODST fireteam charlie seven just entered a forerunner containment facility, and we have reason to believe the flood is present". The monitor next to him floated forward and added to his briefing.

     "The flood is inside for research and weapons testing. If they have escaped, I will deploy sentinel forces as well." The spartan looked at her in silence before continuing. 

     "Report to drop bay three when you're geared up. You have twenty minutes. Dismissed." The four turned wordlessly and began the jog to the armory.

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Five minutes earlier, Eternity's Bridge. 

     The monitor hovered over the shoulder of the Captain as he observed the map table, as it was split between the fleet over the ring and the position of Charlie seven who were approaching a structure they had found. One of the weapon control officers spoke up then.