A new front (halo x azure lane)

Extraction

An hour or so earlier

Mons was prowling beneath the waves; after bringing Otto back without orders, he was given semi-independent jurisdiction from the Azur lane command, so he decided to trail the response fleet. In part to protect them from possible sub-attacks but also to assist if he found it necessary. Observing and listening to their conversation, he watched Enterprise lead the smaller vessels into the ruins. He decided they needed him more and followed them as close to the island as he could. When he got as close as he could, he flashed out of his ship and onto the nearby shore, making sure to stay out of sight of Enterprise and her crew. The black armor helped particularly in blending in the shadows as he trailed them.

Climbing to the top of a ruined building, he observed Enterprise reaching the pair of maids and some weird small cat Kansen. "Mons, I'm getting some weird readings from those maids," Dot warned. Nodding and using his enhanced vision from his helmet. He watched as they pulled out a black wisdom cube. A flash of pain assaulted his head at the sight of the cube. Concerned, Dot asked if he was alright, but Mons stated calmly that he was fine and she shouldn't worry. But he could tell something else was wrong, something other than the cube.Mons stood and looked around; he sensed something was in the ruins. And he barely had time to react when it jumped right at him. The Watcher crashed into Mons, and the two fell from the building roof onto the ground in front of Enterprise and the others.

Neon-yellow pupils met Silver visors, and as the two brawled on the ground, Mons yelled for the others to run. He bashed his helmet against the Watcher and kicked him into a nearby wall. Enterprise and the others fled as fast as they could, and the Watcher leaped towards them but was grabbed by the ankle, by Mons, and slammed into the ground. The Watcher sprung back to his feet and pulled a sword from a sheath on his belt, Flicking it as it wreathes in plasma. Swinging it at Mons, he responds by blocking it with his forearm, only for it to gash his armor and blood to drip from it. Staring in surprise, Mons backpedals and dodges, unable to land a blow or attack as the Watcher swings its sword wildly. Not paying attention, Mons backed into a wall and raised his arms in defense as the Watcher slashed at him.

The sword cut through his armor and shields, and blood began pouring from his wounds, the red staining his armor as it flowed. The Watcher went for a final slash, and Mons raised his hand in futile defense. An energy sword appeared in Mons' hand and blocked its blade. The two stared in similar shock before Mons took the offensive and swung his sword as the Watcher blocked. Their duel runs through the ruined streets, with cracks of plasma and the sound of buildings falling as they fight through them. Neither is able to outdo the other, and they lock themselves in a stalemate. Trying his hand, he summons a pistol in his other hand and begins to beat back the Watcher.

Growing tired of this now one-sided duel, the Watcher summons its rigging. A mass of tentacles, cannons, and some large shark creature opens fire in the direction of Mons, who is forced to dip, duck, dive, and dodge as he tries firing back with various weapons he can think of and summon. Each is doing little, if anything, to the the extensive rigging the Watcher possessed. Ducking behind a ruined wall, Mons tries to think of something. He needed something on par with that rigging. He could bring his ship over, but it was too big and could collapse the ruined city. He required his own rigging, something to pierce that armor and shielding. Feeling something rubbing against his shoulder, he absentmindedly pushed it away in annoyance, only to stop and look at what it was.

It was a sizeable shark-like thing, resembling a hammerhead, and its insides glowed a light silver. But what shocked him the most was that it looked like his ship. Feeling another presence, he turned to his left and found another, and then one lying on his head. "uh...Dot?" Mons questioned his a.i. companion as he patted the sharks, who acted like dogs. "I'm not sure," Dot Responded, "but they read the same signature as you. This must be your rigging." Mons looks at the sharks in awe before noticing something else. His drones are there as well, smaller, more like small scorpions, and they are crawling along his armor, repairing it. Little flashes from their welders against his armor as they slowly filled and fixed the gashes.

Mons felt a little pumped; now he could beat this Watcher without putting others in danger. Jumping out from the wall, he leveled his sharks and began to fire at the Watcher. Unfortunately, he didn't really understand how to use his rigging yet. His sharks opened their mouths, and three large barrels poked out; he accidentally fired his MAC cannons. They were at low power due to their damage but still blasted through the Watcher. Who was emulsified into a fine yellow and green mist as the air cracked and buildings crumpled from the sheer power unleashed. The Tungsten slugs slammed through the ruins and into the island's mountain.

Standing in shock as the blood mist settled around him, he looked down at his sharks, who were panting and looking at him with elation. Gently, he patted their heads. "Okay, do some training with them, noted," Mons stated as a Pelican came down and picked him up so he could retrieve Enterprise and those with her. As he flew the Pelican, he landed near Enterprise and her group. Rushing them in, he began to fly away until he noticed the situation the Distraction fleet was in. They were nearly surrounded, and he had to help. Placing the Pelican on autopilot, he told Enterprise that the ship would take them back to base and then jumped from the Pelican into the water.

Back to the present time

Mons was back in his ship, which was creeping under the waves, tending to the wounded Takao. The scrubs he wore were covered in splats of blood as he worked with the surgery machine to repair her damaged face. Luckily for Takao, UNSC tech is pretty good, and it took only an hour or so to fix the damage and another 3 for her to wake up.

She looked around in fear at the unusual surroundings and the unusually tall man sitting beside her bed, reading from some weird device. "Ah, you're finally awake. You're lucky to be alive. Your skull almost gave way," Mons flatly stated as he removed his reading glasses. "Y-you're that...that thing who fought Kako," she said in fear, trying to inch away from him. Frowning at her statement, Mons replied, "I am not a thing, my child. I'm no different from you."

Takao seemed to think momentarily and then realized that she was no longer wearing her uniform but a hospital gown. "Did you strip me?" she asked, her tone laced with a bit of anger. "I did, but only to wash your clothes and to help monitor your condition. Plus, I did have to do a spinal tap to get some of your stem cells."

"my what?"

"Don't worry about it; the point is I managed to save your life and your face, though you will have scars."

"Why? Why did you save me?"

"My function is to help humans, not fight them. You may be an enemy, but you are also a human, in a sense, so I must try and help you." Takao looked at him, confused but also grateful. They fell into a comfortable silence before Mons interrupted it. "So, what do you like to eat?" Takao looked at him, and a smile came across her face.