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Hunter Flood - Chapter 5: The End of the Hunter
Posted By: Skul<skulkrusha2000@hotmail.com>
Date: 28 January 2006, 5:34 pm
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0132 hours, October 10, 2552 (Military Calendar) / Delta Halo
Steele was beginning to regret firing at the Hunter Flood creature. It effortlessly swung its massive shield, using the momentum to turn quickly and face the new threat.
The Lieutenant was having trouble hitting the creature's weak spots. Despite being taken over by the Flood, the Hunter still had its natural training instincts. Tendrils quivering, it held its impenetrable shield up and kept its head down, preventing further damage.
The huge creature roared as it hurtled towards him at a terrifying speed.
"Ohhh, shit…" swore Steele.
He barrel rolled to the right, the shield missing him by inches. It was then he noticed pink crystalline shards flying towards the monster. Of the many which were fired, only a few hit their intended mark, causing next to no damage. Steele looked towards Zanu, who made an irritated slashing motion with his hand, cursing his ineffectual weapon.
Steele grabbed his pistol and shouted to Zanu, "Hey! Use this!"
He threw the weapon, got up and then started running towards Zanu, glancing back at the Flood creature as he did so.
The Red Armoured Elite looked down at the weapon which had landed at his feet. He picked it up, quickly examined it and then looked over at Steele who had neared him.
"Do you expect me to use this worthless human weapon?" the tall Covenant warrior asked, scowling.
"Say what you want, but that weapon will do more damage than that Needler you've got there."
Zanu simply snorted derisively.
"We have a saying – 'If it hurts, it works', and that thing'll definitely hurt Doctor Octopus over there," retorted Steele, nodding his head towards the Hunter, which was now pounding the ground with its shield the way a bull would paw the ground before charging the matador.
Zanu had no idea who or what Doctor Octopus was, but he got the message clear enough.
He hung his Needler by his side and swapped the human pistol over to his weapon hand, shaking his head.
I cannot believe I have to resort to using human weapons… he thought, angrily, taking the two clips Steele handed him.
The Hunter Flood Form stuck its shield into the ground and then launched forward, using the shield as leverage to give itself a boost. In the two seconds it took for the Hunter to get the shield into a defensive position, Zanu and Steele had loosed several rounds into its exposed belly. The creature never slowed. Its pounding footsteps reverberated through the ground as the monster closed the gap between it and its enemies.
"Split!" yelled Steele.
Steele ran to the left while Zanu ran to the right. Unfortunately for Steele, the Hunter Flood followed him. Glancing over his shoulder as he ran, Steele saw the huge shape of the Hunter following him.
"Crap!" he cried, turning sharply to the right, the huge monster following him. Steele glanced over and saw Zanu watching the chase with amusement.
"God damn it, don't just stand there! Shoot the damn thing!"
Zanu continued to watch for a few more moments and then took aim, firing when he saw the exposed green flesh.
Several shots later and the gun clicked empty. Zanu cursed, looking for a release mechanism on the clumsy human weapon.
"Press the button near the trigger!" Steele cried hurriedly, dodging around the Hunter Flood, taking pot shots at its back and, occasionally, its front.
Zanu examined the area near the trigger. It took a few moments before his tired eyes fixated on a small black button where his thumb would rest. He pressed it and the empty clip slid out smoothly. Without pausing, Zanu grabbed another clip and inserted it.
As the Elite continued firing at the massive Flood form, he heard a raspy, mechanical sound getting louder. Suddenly, the source of the noise burst through the foliage. All three combatants stopped to turn and look at the Warthog. Dezmin was at the wheel, Smith rode in the passenger seat and Robinson manned the mounted machine gun. All of them had M41 SSR rocket launchers visible.
Startled by this new arrival, the Hunter Flood charged towards the Warthog. The marines in the seats scrambled to get out, pushing the launchers out of their way, while Robinson fired the machine gun, not thinking to move.
The Hunter Flood swung its mighty shield on Dezmin's side of the vehicle, causing it to flip onto its back, trapping Smith and Dezmin. Robinson, however, disorientated and hurt, crawled out from under the gunner's stand towards the Hunter. With his head bowed, looking at the ground, he never saw the Flood form raising its shield. Just as the young marine sensed danger, the Hunter's large weapon flashed down in a second, smashing his torso. Human blood mingled with the blood from the Covenant races that had perished on the shield earlier, creating a gruesome, wet rainbow.
The Flood Form turned its attention to the overturned Warthog while Steele fired his BR55 at the distracted Hunter, partly out of sheer anger.
It had killed Robinson. It had killed a young marine without remorse. It had killed a friend.
Steele squeezed the trigger violently, as the Hunter Flood moved towards the Warthog.
Heedless of the shots ricocheting off its armour, the Hunter began pounding the vehicle with both arms, roaring. The agonised screams of the trapped marines and the sound of buckling metal only fuelled the Flood's excitement. The screams soon stopped as the marines' internal organs were crushed.
With one final, mighty blow, the Hunter Flood smashed the Warthog into two halves.
The Flood Form stood a moment, taking pleasure in the wreckage before it and then focused on the human and Elite once again.
"We have to get the Rocket Launchers! They're next to the Warthog! Cover me!" Steele cried hurriedly at Zanu. Without waiting for a response, he ran towards the destroyed vehicle. As he neared the Hunter, Steele took a sharp left, skidding slightly on the wet mud. He felt the vibration of the Hunter's shield hitting the ground behind him and his adrenaline kicked in.
Three cracks sounded from the M6C pistol. The first two shots hit the Hunter's exposed back section while the third whizzed past Steele, dangerously close.
Watch where you're firing, damn it! thought Steele as he turned towards the Warthog with the huge Flood Form right behind him. Three more shots rang out, all hitting their mark and finally distracting the beast.
Still shaking from the adrenaline coursing through his system, Steele dropped his BR55 and lifted up a launcher, trying to ignore the twitching fingers of the hand that had been clutching it. It was almost as if the dead marine was trying to take the weapon back.
Putting that thought out of his mind, Steele hefted up the launcher and moved into a position where he would be able to fire at the Hunter without the Warthog wreckage blocking him.
"Get out of the way!" yelled Steele as he aimed through the launcher's scope. He saw Zanu dodge and weave, avoiding the Hunter's attacks. Eventually, the Elite managed to put enough distance between himself and the Hunter, giving Steele the opening he needed.
"Firing!" he cried, launching the rocket a split-second later.
The Hunter turned at the heavy thump of the launched explosive. A second later, the rocket impacted the Hunter's armour and exploded. The huge beast staggered and then fell backwards.
Zanu turned his head when the rocket exploded, the bright flash hurt his tired, darkness-adjusted eyes. When he looked again, the Hunter lay on its back, unmoving. Was it dead? He looked over at Steele who was still peering through the scope.
Steele waited, watching the Flood for any movement. For a few moments, there was nothing... then he saw it -- the Hunter was attempting to get up. Its movements were very sluggish and laboured. Steele aimed carefully, placing the reticle directly over the struggling Flood Form.
"This is for Dezmin, Smith and Robinson, you bastard," whispered Steele, before firing his remaining rocket, watching it sail towards its target. The explosion caused the Hunter to slide a few short feet through the slippery mud and rest next to the base of the Forerunner building.
Steele dropped the M41 rocket launcher and picked up his BR55. He trudged towards the unmoving giant, keeping his battle rifle aimed at the creature. When he neared it, he focused all of his attention on it, watching for the slightest hint of life, listening for breathing. There was no movement, no sound, nothing. The Lieutenant kicked its armoured boot, tensing up to move if need be, but the monster didn't react. The Hunter Flood was finally dead.
Steele relaxed, lowering his rifle, slowly. Zanu joined him next to the body.
"It is dead," commented Zanu.
"Yeah," replied Steele, "thanks for the help."
Zanu waved a hand, dismissively, then knelt to examine the body more closely.
"Hey, be careful," warned Steele.
"...To think..." said Zanu, ignoring the Lieutenant, "...the Flood were able to mutate a Lekgolo," he shook his head and then stood, scowling.
Steele cleared his throat, attracting Zanu's attention, "I'm hoping this act of co-operation will eventually lead to our two species being friends."
"Friends?"
"Yeah. I'm not expecting it to happen overnight, but maybe one day..."
"Hm. Maybe."
"As a sign of good faith, you can keep that weapon as a trophy, or a reminder, or something," offered Steele, pointing his chin at the black pistol that looked like a child's toy in the grip of the armoured giant.
Zanu looked at the pistol, up at Steele and back to the pistol, again.
"Our species as friends," the Elite's gaze moved to Steele once more. The Lieutenant's eyes widened as soon as he read the threat in Zanu's face. The pistol came up blindingly fast, its barrel pointing directly at his head.
The Lieutenant started, "What are you doing?!"
"Friends," repeated Zanu, coldy, "How pathetic. Only a human could conjure up such a pitiful notion. This is why you are losing the war. Your weak-willed race believe that this conflict can be resolved peacefully. You are so foolish. There is only one acceptable outcome -- the complete annhiliation of your species. We will not let you interfere with The Great Journey!"
"Wait! Don't--!"
Steele's words were cut off by a loud crack as Zanu squeezed the trigger, firing the pistol. The Lieutenant's head snapped back as the bullet penetrated his skull and he fell backwards, landing heavily.
Zanu looked down at the corpse of the human, the round eyes open in shock and fear. The Red Elite would have preferred to have made him suffer by cruelly stabbing and gouging with his Needler, but there was a certain feeling of enjoyment that came from killing the human using the weapon that had been given as a 'gift'. Zanu sneered and then spat on Steele's body.
Naive fool...
He turned away, intending to leave, but then turned back.
In a loose, underarm throw, the Elite tossed the pistol towards Steele.
"Here is your weapon back... human."
The tall Elite grunted in pain as electricity jolted through his wound. Clutching at the injury, Zanu unhooked his Needler and, without looking back, began walking in the direction of his encampment, leaving the scene of destruction and death behind him.
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