The Ashes of Reach

10.

—5 years ago—

It was around noon time when Alison left to do a solo mission. It wasn't supposed to be a big mission, just scout out yet another rebel outpost so ONI can plan a full assault on it. She would arrive and position herself far from the building. Pulling out her binoculars, she would observe the building and tries to look for movement. Nothing. It's quiet. Unusually quiet. Not even any guards in the front of the building

She would continue to observe the building before she heard the sound of leaves breaking from behind her. Before she could even turn around, she's hit in the back of the head with some sort of blunt object. She would grunt before falling down to her chest, almost falling unconscious but before she did, she felt herself being dragged by the ankles, then she closed her eyes.

Alison would wake up in a daze, her vision blurry and her head hurting like crazy. She would look around in pure confusion. "H-Hello...?" She would weakly call out before trying to move. As she does, she realizes that her arms are chained above her head, and her ankles have been chained to make her stay on her knees. She then started to struggle in the chains and yell "Hello?! Someone?!" But no one would answer her. It was then, she also realized that she was still in her armor, surprisingly. Thankfully, she would move her head so her arm would hit her distress signal, now all she needs to do is wait to be rescued.

After a while of waiting, a man enters the room, holding what seems to be a pipe and some sort of device in the other hand "Sleep well pudding?" The man says in a cocky smile as he closes the door behind him "Who... are you?" She says with an angry look on her face. The man would walk up to her and attach the device onto her armor, making her shields immediately disable her shields "That doesn't matter right now. What matters is you have a lot of useful information we'd like to know." He says before putting the pipe under her chin and lifting her head up to make her look at him "Why don't you make it easier for yourself and us and answer every question quickly and truthfully. It'll save you and me a lot more stress!" Alison would shake his head no before replying with "Like hell I'm going to tell you anything! You're wasting your time! You better let me go now if you know what's good for you!"

The man would respond with hitting her in the stomach, with the pipe "You'll come around eventually. I have many tools to make you talk!" He says before getting in her face "Now, I would like to know about what outposts do you know of?" Alison would quickly headbutt the interrogator, making him grunt and quickly stumble back. That truly pissed him off. "That's it bitch! You fucking asked for it!" He says and reaches over to a table to grab another device, a torture device. Some sort of drill, she then starts to shake, she knows she's going to be in a lot of pain by the end of this.

Jason was immediately on his way as soon as he learned about the distress signal. Armed with a shotgun and a DMR, he was determined to make sure Alison was brought back to safety. By any means necessary. Driving in a warthog at full speed, he would make it to the outpost and run out, quickly bashing his way into the door. One by one he would shoot and kill anyone who stood in his way, checking room to room while yelling "WHERE'S ALISON?!"

There was no stopping him, he was an unstoppable force of rage and destruction, ripping his way through rebels to get to his friend. Eventually he would find a lock door and inside he would hear Alison say in a weak voice "Please... s-stop... no more please... it's too much." He would then ram his shoulder into the door, hitting it multiple times before managing to barge his way in, and the sight made him beastlike. Alison's armor has been heavily damaged, blood was all over it. Her leg seemed to be broken and her face was bruised up under her helmet.

The interrogator would gasp before pulling out his pistol and aiming it ay Jason, but Jason was quick and tackled him, then starting to choke the man while yelling "HOW... FUCKING DARE YOU?! I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER!" He yells before grabbing the drill device he used on Alison before driving it into the head of the interrogator, making him scream in pain before dying. He then calmed himself down when he looked back at Alison, quickly freeing her from her bindings and helping her slowly lay down. She was in such a bad shape, he was very nervous about what's gonna happen to her. He would quickly go onto his radio and yell "I NEED IMMEDIATE MED EVAC TO MY LOCATION! WE HAVE A SPARTAN IN A CRITICAL STATE!"

Alison couldn't move. She was in too much pain and was trying hard not to fall asleep. Jason would soon pick her up in his arms and carries her to the entrance and saying "You're going to be okay Alison... you're gonna make it. You're tough. Just stay with me here!" Alison would listen to his words and tries her best to keep herself awake. But it wasn't working. Alison would soon try to mutter something and say "I-I... lo-" before she could finish she would completely pass out

The event left her in a coma for three days. For those three days, Jason barley left her bedside, besides to eat and shower and stuff. He hated seeing her like this, but he sure as he'll wasn't going to leave her alone.