Halo: Reach's Promise

Anywhere but here-

Micheal looked around for a second as they descended into...where were they? Ice was layered among the wall they were traveling down: the hidden catacomb. He saw as giant iceberg looking things faded into view, the snow white ground following it. Two buildings about a kilometer away rested against the back wall. What was this place?

"My work lab on Reach. I had to personally retrieve something to complete my work down here...I didn't trust anyone other than Noble to bring it to me but they're busy fighting in defense of this doomed planet so I had to retrieve it myself. I allowed for a Spartan team to take me back and chose your team, Bon. It seems as if you didn't let me down," she looked at Bon with her icy blue eyes; her white fur coat stopping right under her short blonde hair that curved at the end. Her face was smooth and young but was missing something important. She would have been very attractive but the fact that she was missing...hope. It caused her face to always curve in a frown, her eyes droopy. Her voice carried a confidence that would have hidden her face except to those most observant.
"Thank you, ma'am," Bob shifted uneasily in his armor at the comment. Micheal noticed that it was silent...that was a rareity. No covenant was down here.
"No Spartans, thank you. And I couldn't help but notice that Spartan Micheal here has endured combat without the mjolnir armor so I pulled some strings and...well, here we are. You'll get used to it, Micheal. They always do," Halsey smiled as if she were sharing an old joke with herself.
"Ma'am, are we to extract you out of here as well?" Bon asked.
"Negative, I will stay here until my assignment is finished. Like my spartans I am tenacious; like humanity I will never leave something unfinished. You are the best of the best. You will finish what we started," she said, almost in a goodbye. Bon kept his head forward; Micheal noticing all three of the spartans remained silent for the rest of the way down. They were so still, he could've sworn they were statues if he didn't know any better.
"Alright Spartans, at the end of the open plain is the building where I will be working. In the back room is where your armor is. Once you find it, put it on and get out. Good luck, Spartans," Halsey said before we took off ahead of her. We ran over the slippery ice like it was grass and into the building. They ran down a long hall and into an opening of the room Halsey was talking about; the sight taking Micheal by surprise. A giant hologram floated over a long row of monitors that flashed different colored lights in a circular pad in the middle of the room. The hologram was over a turbine looking mechanism that hummed with power. The hologram was filled with flickering colors; pink, green, blue, purple...they looked artificial but...so real. Micheal shook his head and headed for a doorway past the light show. He hit a button and a lockpad turned green; the lights turning on and the door opening into a small room only big enough for the Spartan armor machine. He wasn't exactly sure what it was called but it mechanically put on or took off Spartan armor. It looked like a weigh board with circular arms around it; he could see the silver metal holding up his green armor.
He looked back to see everyone waiting for him. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath...this was it!
He stepped on the weight baord and the arms began moving aroind him. It started with the chain mail; wrapping it around him like a spider web. Then came the actual armor as it made it's way from his feet to his head. Once everything was on, the machine shut down and the lights turned off. He moved his foot, feeling an almost acceleration in his movement. It was almost like his reactions could react before he could.
Micheal tried walking forward but found that he was too fast for his own good. He stumbled forward, catching himself on the wall. He looked where his hand was just at and saw a dent...was he really that strong? He could've sworn he barely put any weight into it.
He tried again, moving his leg slower this time. This method seemed to work. He waddled through the door to his teammates; his HUD highlighting them by providing an FF Tag above their heads. He looked to his left; his neck turning faster than he anticipated. He tried again a few more times until he got the hang of it. Then he picked up his weapons, trying for a feel of his arms. The Spartans watched silently, seeing how he adapted to the new obstical. Micheal knew that with this he could become a force to be reckoned with.
"I'm good," he declared, raising his leg to check his reaction time. Yup. Go time.
"You sure?" Cali asked.
"Yeah. Let's go," he responded.
"Spartan's! There's a bird waiting for you. Your ship is leaving in a few hours, so I reccomend you hurry there," Halsey's voice made us all turn to her.
"Ma'am?" Bon askes, confused. A bird? But the nearest place they could go was back up; which was likely being overrun by covenant again.
"There's a hidden entrance in here; ONI decided to make an escape route in case of this event so now would be the first time anyone has used it...certainly not the last. Go to your bird," she repeated, pointing over to another long hallway that lead down to a closed metal door. "Don't worry, the pilot has the keys to the door." The Spartans were still until Bon came to his senses.
"Aye ma'am. Are you sure you don't want any of us to stay?" he asked.
"Thanks for the offer but negative. It's been a pleasure Spartan," she said.
"Likewise. Come on, let's get the move on," Bon snapped everyone back to reality. Without a word, they ran through the dark hall; which was wide enough for a pelican to fit through it, until they got all the way to the end where the echo of a pelican proved Halsey's words.
"Been waiting for you," the pilot; who was impatiently waiting outside his pelican, shouted before hopping in the cockpit, opening the back for them as they ran up the ramp. Without a second to spare, the ship lifted into the air and light began to stream in the pelican, indicating the giant bay doors were opening. The pilot didn't even wait; he took off through the smallest of openings and hightailed it all the way to atmosphere. A giant human ship was trading blows with a Covenant ship...it didn't look good for them.
"Where are you Wingman! This is the Captain speaking, we need you back ASAP!" a rough voice blared through the Pelican's speakers; matching the worry of what he'd imagine everyone was feeling aboard that ship.
"ETA Thirty seconds, just hold out a bit longer!" the pilot slapped his radio in a panic, responding immidietally.
"We don't have thirty seconds damnit! The ship's radar's fried and all the long rang missiles are gone! I'm giving you fifteen seconds!" The Captain responded. I saw the giant ship begin to lurch forward, prepping for slipspace.
"That damn- now it's fourty seconds!" the pilot cursed; pushing the throttle all the way. Micheal had to grab onto a seat in order to not fall backwards.
"Can you make it!" Brad asked, looking nervously to the Covenant carrier.
"We'll see!" the pilot responded; curving the pelican in a barrel roll as banshees began to take notice. They tore through enemy fire, speeding through space. "GO NOW!" he shouted as he lurched the pelican straight up, in a trajectory heading right for the belly of the UNSC ship. A blue ring began to form in front of it; the pelican rolling to the right and going above the airlock; their front thrusters activating at full speed. Micheal lost his grip at the sudden reverse, and he went flying to the back; then he hit the cealing as the pelican looped completely upside down, crashing through the closing airlock doors. Micheal hit the floor of the pelican, his vision going blurry.
"What the hell kind of piloting was that!" he head Cali shout. Micheal got up and shook the stars out of his eyes, limping his way to the pilot. He was knocked out...no, dead. He checked his pulse...
Voices began shouting as Emergency teams entered the airlock; med teams taking the already too late pilot and fire teams taming the fire that started starboard side of the pelican. "Where are we going?" Bon asked someone who paid no notice to him. "Lieutenant! Where are we going!" he tried again, this time getting the attention of the fire lieutenant.
"No clue. Captain said anywhere but here."