At World End

Chapter 1: New Alexandria

*again this isn't my story it's an author story that I enjoyed but the author never finished his story so I decided to finish it and I wanted to spread the story to other places so here you go and enjoy I will tell you when you reach the part of story where I started writing*

"Radiation flare! Big! Forty million roentgens!" Kat exclaimed.

Just then, the communication cut out. Carter lowered the reciever from his ear. Confused, he turned back to Kat. "Just lost Holland. What's going on?"

"Atomic excitement scrambled the signal. Ninety-million now," Kat said.

"Source?"

"Airborne. Close."

"How close?"

An explosion boomed through the city. The skyscraper's windows were blown out as a gust of wind shrieked in and swept Noble Team off their feet.

"THAT CLOSE!" Kat shouted.

The sound was defeaning and the wind fierce like a nuke had just gone off. Noble Team scrambled off the floor, glass, smoke, and debris flying everywhere into the building. Swift to recover, Six was the first back onto his feet. While everyone else was quick to start running for the elevators, Six spotted Kat still on her hands and knees, dazed and with her helmet cast aside.

As he headed for the elevators, Six paused in his stride to make sure she was okay. He gripped her arm and was about to pull her up, but that seemed to snap her out of it and she got moving as well. He kept going. With a rearwards glance, Six saw her reach for her helmet as she clambered off the floor.

There were only two elevators to take. From a casualty and weight perspective, it was better if the whole team didn't take just one elevator. Without a word needing to be spoken, Carter, Jun, and Emile took the the one on the right while Kat joined Six on the left.

As soon as they were inside, Kat glanced at Six and gave a nervous huff.

There was some fear in her eyes.

Deep down, he could tell.

Training never got rid of the fear; it only taught you how to control it. Jittery underneath that professional exterior of hers, Kat went to punch the elevator button so they could go down, but when it didn't go, she realized she had missed it and punched again, correctly this time.

The elevator began to move.

Kat met Noble Six's eyes, almost seeming to peer into them through his visor. "First glassing?" she said, lingering on the words. "Me too..."

Kat put her helmet back on.

"Don't worry, I'm on it," Kat continued, speaking on comms now. "Our best option is a fallout bunker on sub-level two, ninety-six meters North East. We get orders from Holland, sir?"

"We're being redeployed to Sword Base," Carter said.

"Sword?" Jun blurted out in astonishment. "Covenant own it now."

"Which is why they want us for a torch-and-burn op," Carter said. "Keep Doctor Halsey's excavation data from falling into enemy hands."

Carter's elevator was the first to open up on the bottom floor and they broke out into a fast pace for the bunker doors on the other side. Silver rays of war-torn light peered in from the large breach in the ceiling. Six and Kat were lagging behind, their elevator slightly late because of her small fumble.

"If it hasn't already," Kat said as she burst out into the lobby with Six.

"Maybe," Carter said, "but according to Holland, the Covenant are still hunting for something."

Silvery light illuminated Kat's visor. "Where does he get off calling a demolition op Priority One-"

Snip!

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Her head whipped back from the force of the needle rifle. Kat was already falling by the time Six noticed what had happened. He caught her body just before she hit the ground. Stunned, he ran his eyes over her limp form. Anger filled his veins. Without hesitating, he grabbed the magnum holstered on her leg and started firing at the Phantom hovering overhead, trying to kill the Elite that had fired the shot. The rest of the team began firing too, using their assault rifles, but the Covenant ship was already pulling away and was gone just as quick as it had taken Kat's life.

The magnum was out of bullets. Six discarded it and started dragging Kat's body towards the others.

"C'mon! C'mon! Get in!" Carter exclaimed.

"Let's go! C'mon!" Jun said.

Working machinery hummed and the doors to the bunker began shutting. Six dragged Kat inside, laying her lifeless body on the floor for everyone to see as they were sealed in tight.

There were voices, but Six heard nothing.

The next thing Six remembered was overlooking the crumbling remains of New Alexandria with Kat's lifeless body in his arms. The city was important, but it meant nothing to him now. His eyes and ears were tuned out for all but one thing. There was an entrance and an exit point. The Covenant used crystals in their rifles. For some reason, he couldn't stop looking at the hole in Kat's helmet where the needle had broken through. The radiation had taken her shields down. All of their shields, but she had to be the one to get shot. Not him.

Six felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back and it was Carter, Noble Team's leader. A brief glance around and he saw that Jun had lit a flare and was hailing a Pelican in the distance.

"Time to say your goodbyes, Spartan," Carter said. "This is where she died. Kat belongs to Reach now."

"Doesn't seem right to leave her behind," Six said.

Carter retracted his hand. "Kat would understand. It's what she would want..."

Reluctantly, Six set her body down in what he thought was a fitting spot. The Pelican was here and they had to go. As he took one last look at her lifeless form as it leaned back against the rubble, Jorge's haunting words echoed through Six's mind.

We all make it sooner or later.