Matt-038 (Halo Fanfiction)

Chapter 50: Two Enemies

Author's Note: If you have any tips writing tips, please feel free to comment.

Again, I gratefully accept constructive criticism as a means to help me develop my skills further as a writer.

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Chapter 50: Two Enemies

Location: Surface of Halo

D +71:57:35 (SPARTAN-II Blue Team Mission Clock)

The Spartans spotted the next waypoint, put the hijacked Banshees down on a platform, and entered the complex via an unguarded hatch. Matt heard the battle before they actually saw it, made their way through the intervening tunnel, and peered through the next door. As had occurred before, the Covenant was busy taking it to the Flood and vice versa, so they gave both groups some time to whittle each other down, left the security of the tunnel, and proceeded to tidy up.

Then, eager to replenish their supplies, the Spartans made their ghoulish rounds, and soon was able to equip themselves each with an assault weapon, a shotgun, and some plasma grenades. Even though Matt didn't like to think about where it came from, it felt good to dump the Covenant ordnance he'd been saddled with, and lay his hands on some true-blue UNSC issue for a change.

Pulse generator one had been dealt with, and he was eager to disable number two, then move on to their final objective. Matt stepped into the beam, saw the flash of light, felt the floor shake, and was in the process of pulling away when the Flood attacked from every direction.

There was no time to think and no time to fight. The only thing they could do was run. The duo turned and sprinted for the corridor they'd used to enter the chamber and took two powerful blows from a combat form. They bullied their way between two carrier forms and leaped out of the way as they detonated like grenades. New infection forms spewed from their deflating corpses.

There was barely enough time to turn, hose the closest forms with 7.62mm, and toss a grenade at the group beyond. It went off with a loud wham! broke glass, and put three of the monstrosities down.

Matt was out of ammo by then, knew he lacked the time necessary to reload, and made the switch to the shotgun instead. The gun blew huge holes through the oncoming mob. He charged through one of them and ran like hell.

Then, with some pad to work with, the humans turned to gun down the pursuers. The entire battle consumed no more than two minutes but it left both Spartans shaken. Could Crystal detect the slight tremor in Matt's hands as he reloaded both weapons? Hell, she had unrestricted access to all of his vital signs, so she knew more about what was going on with his body than he did. Still, if the AI was conscious of the way he felt, there was no sign of it in her words. "Pulse generator deactivated—good work," Crystal commented

Matt nodded wordlessly and the duo made their way back through the tunnel to the point where the Banshees waited.

"The Pillar of Autumn is located twelve hundred kilometers up-spin," Cortana said. "Energy readings show her fusion reactors are still powered up! The systems on the Pillar of Autumn have fail-safes even I can't override without authorization from the Captain. We'll have to find him, or his neural implants, to start the fusion core detonation."

"One target remaining. Let's take care of the final pulse generator," Crystal said.

A nav indicator appeared on Matt's HUD as he lifted off, took fire from a neighboring installation, and put the Banshee into a steep dive. The ground came up fast, he pulled out and guided the alien assault craft through a pass and into the canyon beyond. The nav indicator pointed toward the light that spilled out of a tunnel. The Banshee began to take ground fire, and the Spartan knew his piloting skills were about to be severely tested.