an ODST among Heroes.

S2-5

“This is hell,” groaned Kirishima, collapsing onto his bunk. His body ached in ways he hadn’t thought possible, and sweat clung to him like a second skin. Around him, the rest of Izuku’s squad were utterly passed out in their own bunks, unable to even twitch from sheer exhaustion.

Day one of physical training under 2 Gs of gravity had pushed them to their absolute limits. For Kirishima and the others, it felt like an impossible ordeal. But for Izuku, it was just another day. He stood at the edge of the room, barely breaking a sweat, watching over his team with a mixture of pride and amusement.

"When you’ve had your growth spurt in this level of gravity, this is nothing," Izuku said casually, clapping Kirishima on the shoulder with a firm but encouraging pat.

Kirishima groaned in response but managed a weak smile.

“When the others blacked out, you carried us back here, didn’t you?” Kirishima asked, his voice laced with both gratitude and disbelief.

“Of course,” Izuku replied with a shrug. “You’re my squad. Besides, you all did well—better than I expected for your first time under this strain.”

Izuku moved to Amy’s bunk and gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting it go. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake, her body too drained to do more than murmur incoherently.

Turning back to Kirishima, Izuku smirked. “You’re still standing, though. That’s impressive.”

Kirishima groaned as he pushed himself off the bed. His legs felt like lead, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself upright. “Barely. My legs are going to hate me tomorrow.”

“Let’s get some lunch,” Izuku said with a grin, already heading toward the door. “You earned it.”

Kirishima dragged himself after him, laughing weakly despite his exhaustion. “You’re a machine, you know that, right?”

Izuku just chuckled. “Nah, just experienced. Come on, food’ll help. Recovery’s part of the process.”

The two made their way to the mess hall, the camaraderie between them growing stronger with each shared struggle and triumph. As grueling as training under 2 Gs was, they both knew it was shaping them into something far stronger than they could have imagined.

---

Mei Hatsume was in absolute heaven—hog heaven, to be precise. Surrounded by cutting-edge technology, she felt like a kid in a candy store. Every tool, every mechanism, every schematic was a dream come true. As she worked, her fingers danced over the pieces of her custom Magnum, reassembling it with practiced ease. Her thoughts occasionally drifted to the briefing she’d been allowed to read earlier that day.

The objective for the week: Capture a Prophet.

That wasn’t surprising in itself—high-stakes missions were part and parcel of their training. But the briefing’s security measures had thrown her off guard. The document had been wiped from her datapad the moment she’d read it. Worse, the warning about discussing the mission openly—being treated as treason—still echoed in her mind. Whatever they were preparing for, it wasn’t just another drill. This was serious.

For most of the squad, it was just another mission. For Izuku, though? Mei could tell this was something deeply personal.

Snapping the last piece of her Magnum into place, Mei let out a satisfied sigh, only to be interrupted by a soft ping from her datapad. She glanced at the time. Midnight. Who could possibly be sending a message at this hour?

Curious, she read the notification and hurried to the gathering point where the rest of the “Red 208” squad was assembling. The mood was tense but curious, the air alive with whispered speculation.

Finally, their commanding officer appeared, stepping into view with the kind of quiet authority that silenced the room.

“Listen up,” he began. “It’s time you all learned where your new home will be.”

The squad exchanged puzzled glances, but no one spoke as they were ushered into a waiting shuttle. Mei claimed a seat by the window, her excitement bubbling under the surface. The engines roared to life, and soon they were streaking through the blackness of space.

It wasn’t long before a massive silhouette loomed into view. As the shuttle closed the distance, the name of their destination became clear, stenciled boldly across the hull: UNSC First Reverie.

The reaction was immediate—and mixed.

“What the hell?” groaned a Spartan-III named Adam, throwing up his hands. “Some rust bucket is our new home? What kind of assignment is this?”

“But that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Mei exclaimed, practically bouncing in her seat.

“Cool?” Adam shot back, incredulous. “That’s not a warship—it’s a colony ship. We were expecting a cruiser or something halfway decent, not… that!”

Before things could escalate, Izuku stepped forward, his calm but commanding voice cutting through the murmurs. “I personally hand-picked this ship,” he said, his green eyes meeting the squad’s questioning gazes.

Adam blinked, clearly caught off guard. “With respect, sir… why? This thing wasn’t even built for combat—it’s outdated, slow, and—”

“Calm down, Cooper,” Izuku interrupted, his tone firm but patient. “You’re a Spartan. You, the rest of the 200 here, and I—we’re the best humanity has to offer. And I judged this ship suitable for our needs. It’s not about what it was built for. It’s about what we’ll make of it.”

There was a pause as Adam processed that. “Yes, sir,” he finally muttered, though his tone was far from convinced.

Mei, on the other hand, leaned over with a grin. “Don’t underestimate the Phoenix-class, Spartan. With the right upgrades, this ‘rust bucket’ could make the Covenant think twice about messing with us.”

As the shuttle docked and they disembarked, Mei’s excitement only grew. She could see the potential in every corridor, every bulkhead, every system waiting to be tinkered with.

For her, the UNSC First Reverie wasn’t just a ship. It was a blank canvas, a treasure trove of possibilities waiting to be unleashed. And she was ready to make it sing.

A/N: the main reason I didn't want to use a Halcyon class cruiser was because it had been already done in Cannon, and I didn't want to rip off what had already been done, so I picked the Phoenix class.

Plus they look cool.