A Hero's Sacrifice: a tale about Noble Six

Haunted

Agent Profile:

Rhode Island

Status: REM Sleep

Location: Medical Bay, Mother of Invention

Nearby: None

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I looked around at the burning plains. Mjolnir armor covered my body and a DMR rested in my hands. Something screeched behind me and when I spun around, I saw an army of undead Covies, burnt to a husk. Fearful, I began to shoot, but my rifle suddenly burst into ashes. Knowing I was outmatched, I turned and ran, but something grabbed my ankle, throwing me to the ground. Turning around, I saw George with a mangled face.

"George! Let go of me!"

Kat, Carter, and Emile walked out of the flames, the wounds that ended their lives highly visible. They grabbed my arms and legs, pinning me to the scorched earth.

Frantic, I tried to get away. "Guys! What are you doing?!"

They all looked at me, an unnatural yellow glow coming from their eyes. "You should have died with us, Six. YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!"

I began to thrash around more as they dragged me closer. "GUYS! LET GO OF ME!"

"NO!"

Looking up at the burning sky, I saw a Covenant Super-Carrier charging up its Cleansing Beam. Frantic, I started to thrash around even more.

"Guys. Guys! GUYS! GUYS! STOP IT!!!"

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"JUST STOP IT!"

Suddenly, I sat up in the medical room, panting and sweating like mad. Sighing, I laid back down, the pain in my gut slowly going away.

I closed my eyes and put a hand on my forehead. "Just a nightmare. FILSS?"

"Yes, Agent Rhode Island?"

"Could you get New Jersey over here? I want to talk to him."

"Certanly. Is that all?"

"... No. Could you make a private folder for me? I want to keep track of the nightmares I'm getting. You know, just in case."

"Certanly. Would you care to describe the dream to me, so I can put it into text?"

"No, I'll do that myself. That'll be all, FILSS."

"Certanly. Good night, Agent."

I grabbed a data pad on the table beside my bed and turned it on. Accessing the folder the AI made for me, I created a new document in it and began to type, vividly recounting the dream. At the top, I wrote "MY EYES ONLY- Agent Rhode Island" and then turned the pad off with a sigh. As soon as I put it down, the door to the wing oppened.

"Hey J-. Wait, Carolina?" I blinked at the red-headed Freelancer.

"Hey, Rhode. The Counsular informed me that you had FILSS make a folder labeled 'nightmares' and that you just added a file to it. He wouldn't tell me what was on the file, but he did say to come and check-up on you. So... you okay?"

I sighed. "There's a reason I asked Jersey to come over. Hate to say it, but I trust no one here, except for him."

"Not even me?" She looked... hurt.

"Not even you, Carolina. The Consular is poking into files he shouldn't, and I don't like that. So... please go and make sure Jersey gets here, alright? Thanks."

Carolina blinked at me, then stood up. "Okay..."

"Stay."

I looked over at the door. Jun had already entered. He walked over and sat across from the Freelancer. Carolina sat back down, confused.

"Uh, okay?"

Jun looked over at me. "Six, I think we should come clean with her."

Carolina stood up, shocked. She looked down at me with bewildered eyes. "Wait, what?!"

I glared at my Spartan friend and hissed at him. "Jun! The cameras!"

"Are down. You see, before I left the UNSC, they gave me a... gift. A Cortana-class AI, modeled after this woman who went by the name of Allison. She was a Marine in the UNSC and accepted to have part of her brain taken out to create an AI. This AI, Juniper, is currently making it look like we're trying to comfort you."

I sighed, defeated. "Fine. I'll tell her. Carolina, you know how I said I was on Reach and was 'ONI's personal Grim Reaper' before Six took it away, and how I kept dodging questions about my past?"

She nodded.

"Part of that was the truth, part was uneasiness, and other parts were made up."

"The stuff about you being ONI and Six taking your spot?"

"No, just the stuff about Six and I. We're one in the same, Carolina."

She had to sit down to process this. Once she did, she looked at me, saddened.

"Why?"

"Why I joined Freelancer?"

"No, why did you lie?"

I sighed and closed my eyes. "I feared how you'd react if I told you I used to be a Spartan. So, instead, I've held back to make it look like I was just like you: a normal human. But I'm not," I turned my head away from her. "I'm just a normal liar."

Suddenly, Carolina slapped me and stood up. "You're not a liar. You're a Freelancer. Now get some sleep; that's an order!"

She walked away and I sighed. My eyes began to water and I looked up at Jun.

"The nightmare?"

I nodded. "It... It... It..."

I began to sob, so I grabbed the pad and turned it on. Accessing the folder and file, I put it in Jun's lap and let him read. Once he was done, my friend quietly put it down.

"Damn. That sounds terrible. And you expect to have more nightmares later? Why?"

I glared at him. "We're soldiers who've seen worse than the worst. Do you really think some of us won't get PTSD or something?!"

"Good point. Either way, Carolina's right, you need sleep. Go and get some rest now, okay?"

I nodded, then brushed my tears away. "Will do, Jun. Will do."

Closing my eyes, I had a strange dream of a building falling to dust around me while two Agents laid under me.

The hell was that about?

Sorry for SUCH a late update! I've been focused on another book, so I haven't given much time to this one!

I'll make up, though!

Anyways, what's been your most favorite chapter so far?

Bye!