Halo: London

Chapter 1

The Marines ran back down the mall towards the palace some fell prey to the Covenant shots and hit the ground with a thud, some turned and fired only to be gunned down and the remaining they tried to surrender or got behind the heavily fortified gates surrounding Buckingham palace. Inside the palace that beside the heavy steel fences, guard towers and sentry guns was a staging area with heavy AA cover and refugee camp.

A battery of Trident artillery guns were set up in the palace garden their guns were pointed up and every now and then fired with a thundering boom and then a resounding explosion in the distance. Pelicans sat idle waiting for a sortie whether it be a evacuation or fire support. On the other hand marine radio calls dropped one by one eventually whole sectors of London was left in the dark without any protection.

A three pelicans flew out of the hanger of the frigate In Amber Clad as it made head way to New Mombasa, The Pelicans powered through the sky that seemed like it was burning. Within ones armoured hull was squad of battle hardened ODST's in the with even a Harvest veteran but mostly Reach and following planets veterans another two squads. As well as an almost mythological Spartan III team who's kill count was beyond all of a doubt one of the best. Finally a Spartan II who's been there from the beginning 075 Daisy. The pilot of two dodged banshee after banshee but one took too many hits and spun out the screams of the pilot over the radio before turning to static at the Pelican's demise.

The Pelicans homed in on London after appearing below the smoky cloudy sky just above the English Channel the flew in low and fast hopefully avoiding uany Banshees.

"I'm gonna put us down at the city air/space-port last reports said it was firmly in our hands but that was three days ago, atmospherics are affecting inter-planetary radio it really is bad so ready up" Ordered the pilot. The ODST's and Spartans reloaded and checked each other's weaponry and armour.

The two Pelicans flew off back into the sky leaving their deposit of fighters on the airfield. They moved as one unit into the terminal building to check the map to get to the artefact.

"Well we can clearly say that this place was overrun" said a ODST as they entered the blood stained floor, casings and rocket pods laid used on the floor but bodies were dotted, either by weapons or in a group of military personal and civilians.

Commander North of the Spartan III's stood cross armed with the ODST platoon leader Major Marc his second in command Captain Sether and finally the Spartan II 075 Daisy.

"Right let's work it out the Covenant has secured the area around the dig site except the palace which is near impossible to land at and get to. Now I would say let's stealth but that'd take too long and time really ain't on our hands" said North

"Yeah I agree but we can't sprint through the streets 'cuz snipers and Wraiths can mess us up!" Exclaimed Sether

"We could use the assortment of alleyways and back streets, sewers and that but that would also take way too long" inquired Marc

"Or we use the damn vehicles here" exploded Daisy

All three of the others all looked stupid after realising their lack of knowing.

"Then we race through the streets, break the siege around the palace use the men there and break into the Covie base and fuck 'em over" She continued

The unit moved to the vehicles a Gatling and two transport Warthog and a civilian convertible car. The ODST's manned the transport hogs North South and West manned the Gatling hog, finally Daisy and Marc got in the car. The engines rumbled into life and powered off breaking the security gate to enter the wrecked streets of London.

There was ambient sound of combat and flashes in the distance sky, every now and then you'd hear a shatter of glass as stranded civilians looted shops and homes but they left them to their business, the looters didn't even stop when a Gatling gun was pointed at them.

They drove having to take longer routes as roads were blocked, tunnels collapsed and bridges destroyed but they finally reached a school playground that the had to drive through as they did looters surrounded their vehicles and stopped them some were armed they yanked West from the Gun and ordered the UNSC forces out of their vehicles one by one the got out the leader of the group walked to the commandeered civilian car as he neared the passenger door he shouted some motivational speech at his subordinates about 'the weakness of the UNSC' when he was next to the passenger door he peered through the widow. Daisy's fist smashed through the window and his face breaking his nose and jaw she ripped the assault rifle he had in his hands out of his grasp. The Spartan III's individual shot or grabbed the other armed civilians guns. The group looked at awe at the Spartan II as she climbed out the car, its suspension relieving itself from her weight. Her battle rifle stayed on her back while her right hand grasped the magnum attached to her leg.

"Now which one of you imbeciles thought it was smart to attack us..." They looked at her in fear mixed with happiness. She pulled her Magnum into the air and fired. The leader grumbled but could hardly speak his deputy spoke for him and said, " A Gorilla looking one said if we got him human fighters he'd spare us!" Daisy had a sudden realisation, she looked at North who even through visors could tell something is wrong. Suddenly a pair of plasma cannons ripped through The crowd of civilians turning it into a mosh pit of frantic movement and blood the ODST's quickly shouted out where the shots were coming from and instantly fired back. South heated the distinctive whoosh of a wraith firing he shouted the warning in just enough time for a trio of ODST's to dodge the shoot that hit one of the transport hogs. The group ran into the nearest building and took up positions as another wraith round took out the other transport and flung the Gatling hog across the playground hitting a ODST that was running for the building with a sickening sound of flesh and bone breaking.

South was uncompromising in his duty and it showed he had more scars and dents in his armor then most, one of his eyes was a prototype bionic and his arm was he carried the basic a assault rifle and a battle rifle that he used with deadly efficiency. When the ambush happened he sprinted towards the school unlike his teammates who went into another building. In the school it was deathly silent nothing but the covenant leaders telling their subordinates when to change targets somewhere in the tower block of the school. The reception was a mess a couch was thrown threw the window of the receptionist desk, as South walked past he saw the schools safe pried open. South carried on nearer the voices and eventually the cooling of the plasma cannon. The firing position was in a science lab the windows were smashed and the plasma guns mounted on the work counters just under the windows. Grunts stood on stools and fired a brute pointed his spiker at a window where the humans camped. South smelt something different with the room...gas he looked at the room, when the invasion happened it must have been in the middle of school, work books laid open pens by half finished words, and bags left on the floor. South smiled under his helmet. He took a grenade off his chest plate and threw it in, by itself it would never of killed the aliens in the room, South counted to five and threw it in. He heard a grunt scream is dismay but it was to late the grenade took the room out along with the rooms either side. South stood up from behind the fallen lockers that he hid behind. He brushed dirt off his armour and walked on heading towards the Wraith outside the school.