Flesh Wounds

Chapter Forty "Feet first-"

Nick Pov

13 Days left

"Almost there, everyone get ready to get to the drop pods!" Dillan yells out as we close in on the big UNSC ship. We're all in the Pelican that Dillan is piloting. 

"Listen, once we all get into the ship we must rush out and into the drop area. It's not far from the hangar," 34 orders us back to his normal-ish military self.

"Alright, we're touching down now!" Dillan shouts and the engines start going down.

"Remember your training Spartans. 5000, Sparky, and Nick: You'll all go in your group. Me, Yang, and Dillan will all go in our squadron," 34 looks at us all with a worried but stern looking face, "Good luck to all of you." The Pelican hangar door comes down and Dillan comes back.

"Sync?" 

"Sync."

Everyone runs out in the groups of three. The hangar has many Pelicans and even some Falcons going in and out delivering and taking people.

I run along side 5000 and Sparky as we go to the west side of the hangar, 34 and them are going to the east side. 

The pods are all lined up along the side already ready for drop insertion. 5000 lifts up the door to his pod and steps in. "After this-" He starts up "-I'm getting some new armor. Specifically something less bulky. Like, does this suit look to tight?" He asks and seats himself in the pod chamber. 

Me and Sparky glance at each other, "Sometimes, you should leave your decisions to yourself," I tell 5000 shrugging and I step away and towards my pod. Getting inside I seat myself in the chamber of my own. "Heh, I know how to work these," I flip a switch on the top of the pod and a button on the right lights up red. I thumb the button and the door automatically closes and locks on the explosives.

"Which buttons do you press to do this?!" 5000 yells out a question through radio.

"You flip the yellow switch on top, then you press the very annoyingly bright button that you'll see," 34 answers over the pod radio.

"Oh hey there's a picture of you on the screen in here," 5000 points out and I look down at the live feed of 34's face. 

"Yeah I can talk to all of you through here. After all, I have the captain pod," 34 talks through the radio and flips a different switch in his pod, "All ready for the scary ride?"

"I'll make sure to close my eyes," Dillan sarcastically snickers.

"You know I'm always ready to drop with you guys.." Yang agrees quietly over the radio.

"I'm ready to get down into the city!" Sparky yells out with his perky attitude still intact.

"It better be fun. Cause if not then, well then its not fun," 5000 half says to himself.

"..."

"Doc?" 34 asks concerned, or at least sounds concerned.

"Sorry yeah. I'm ready."

"Well then," 34's face straightens out to a serious look, "Drop us."

*Vwoosh!* 

The sound of the wind blasts all around the pod as it falls towards the ground. I rattle around in the seat and I wrap my arm around the safety bar. "Where would we be dropping in at?" I wonder as we pass by clouds.

"Only in the finest places my friend," 34 responds, "Right smack down in the middle of *Static*" 

"I think the storm is interfering with the transmissions. We migh- *Static*" Yang tries to say but gets cut off again.